favorites

The truth is that parents DO have a favorite child.  Yes they do.  And how it works is that the favorite child changes throughout the day.  Last night, from 7 pm to 8 pm, my favorite child HANDS DOWN was Brenda.  Garret came in second by sitting so still and quietly for that hour, only to start having a fit the moment the hour was up.  Perfect timing Garret!  You get second place.  Suzie, by default, was third.  Not that she was bad, but I can blame some blurry pictures on her insistence of sitting on my lap.  (She made up for it later with some adorable made-up jokes about elephants in her nose...)

7 pm was the grade school Christmas program.  (Well, it was called the Winter program but we be all about Christmas on this blog.)  Weeks ago, my daughter threw in her hat for the part of the train conductor in The Polar Express (aka Tom Hanks, in the movie) and was voted in by her peers. 

MY DAUGHTER WAS TOM HANKS. 

Her handful of lines were delivered confidently, completely memorized and with the passion of a Brenda.   Which, as everyone knows, should be a thing.  ...the passion of a Brenda.  Like, when someone accepts an Oscar award, or sings the national anthem, or keys an ex's car ...with the passion of a Brenda.

I could have jumped from my seat and shouted SHE'S MINE! but I decided to save that arrogance for the blog.  Plus, it would have been a shame to detract from her climactic moment of exclaiming-

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

And after all that, I got to hold her hand and walk her out of the building.  It felt like being escorted by Elvis.  ...I imagine. 

'Cause my favorite Brenda is a STAR.

passages

 The ever-evasive Garret managed to skip all of Halloween's fussiness and go right to the candy.  (Mostly with the sleeping skill of a teenager.)  So it was up to the little ladies to keep traditions alive.

Yes, I know it's mid-November.  You're the one still reading... 

Traditions are a right of passage.  As in, we can't move on to ________ without doing ________.  

We wouldn't dream of discussing Thanksgiving/Christmas without completing all the October necessaries.  And why would we?   They are delightful! ...and necessary.

(As is posting these belated adorable pics.  ...See what I mean?)

SO.

(go to blog calendar.  check off October.)

Now the house is moldy-pumpkin and all that goes with that FREE! 

YAY!

But ...but

...it's the HOLIDAY season!  We mustn't be without decor!

It's garbage-bag flowers!  ...On my wall!

GARBAGE BAGS! 

Pinterest is the bomb.

Bring on November! 

The magic of Halloween

I certainly can have my humbug moments but having little kids keeps me young and ...gorgeous.  So why is Halloween magical?  Because my kids think it is.  Doesn't believing something is magical give that something magical powers?  Just like Brenda believes the Tooth Fairy forgot her tooth THREE DAYS IN A ROW because of a candy-related record tooth-loss weekend, she also believes that costumes are a serious matter, essential for a most glorious celebration of candy and ridiculousness.  How could a street choking with zombies and characters from Frozen not be magical?  I even saw people COMBINE the two.

What a holiday, am I right?

Here's the trick-  Approach Halloween like a child.  NO cruel pranks.  NO horrific decorations/movies.  NO prostitution-advocating costumes.  NO Satanic references of any kind.

There.  Let the magic go forth!

P.S.  I have to admit that I was CRAZY proud that my girls weren't interested in the Frozen theme.  Nothing wrong with the movie or costumes, but there was only 1 other ladybug and NO other race car drivers on that super-crowded downtown street.  Uniqueness shows thought and bravery, in my opinion.  It's like that penguin poster my little brother had on his wall, oh so many years ago...

Sorry, I guess "being me" could include a Frozen costume, now and then.  

...humbug.

 

THIRTEEN

Against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm older now but still running
Against the wind

Garret with supercousinbuddy Michael

 

Well I'm older now and still running
Against the wind

Cake by Darcy. Kid by me.

Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. – By Jack Benny

A man is getting old when he walks around a puddle instead of through it. – By R. C. Ferguson

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun.  Enjoy the trip. – By Unknown Author

Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life. – By Daniel Francois Esprit Auber

just some texts

Going back through old texts for some bored amusement pulled up an old conversation between Mike and me.  ...It's a great example of what different thinkers we are and what a nuisance I can be when hubby is trying to work...

If the secret to a healthy marriage is communication we're screwed.


...In other news I AM SO FUNNY!

EVERYBODY FEARS BEARS

While hiking around Mt Hood I faced a fear that I didn't realize was a big deal.

I'm afraid of heights.

 
Not terribly.  I can frolic in trees, ride ski lifts, go up the Space Needle in Seattle but apparently, if I'm not tethered or in the safety of some mechanical structure, I get spooked.  I was chatting with my mom as we climbed and came to a steep spot on the trail.  (steep cliff to my right, drop off to my left  ...and the trail is about 18 inches wide)  Keeping my eyes on my mom's feet in front of me I marveled at how relaxed she was.  After a couple comments she just breezily states, 'Oh, I just don't have a fear of heights'.

What???

 I came back saying 'THAT'S LIKE BEING CONFRONTED BY A BEAR, SHRUGGING YOUR SHOULDERS, AND SAYING- WELL, I JUST DON'T HAVE A FEAR OF BEARS'.

WHAT????

 I believe I have a perfectly rational reaction to heights but compared to the fine folks I was hiking with I am a baby.  (Nobody called me that.  They're way too nice)  But as I pep-talk myself along the steep spots, knowing I HAVE TO continue on or just die on the mountain, I'm thinking LOOK AT THIS DEATH-DROP OFF AND JOIN ME IN MY "IRRATIONAL" FEAR WHY DON'T YOU PEOPLE????  

Obviously, as I sit here at my computer, I MADE IT.

 I did something REALLY HARD.

9+ miles per day.  35 lbs on my back.  No bears.  Thousands of feet of elevation ups and downs each day.   28+ miles total for me.  (I just had 3 days while the group was going to complete the trail in 5, so I had left my car at an access point.)

My legs and feet and back ached.  Sleeping on the ground was a sad reward each night...  But GOSH DARN IT I LOVED IT.

 There's something indescribable about the reward that comes from hard work.  ...a reward that has no shortcuts.  (maybe a helicopter?)

It was deliciously difficult and I'd only do it again if my mommy and daddy come again to help me.

The end.



p.s.  For an overall better account of the 3 days visit my mom's blog HERE.

Ron and Elaine

So my favorite FIL has fallen in love and remarried.  It all came like a flash and the family rolled with it like ninjas.  The ceremony was simple and sweet.  The food was YUMMY.  The guests were fun and the pictures are FAR TOO FEW.  (Who asked me to do photos?  Really, they owe the rest of us an explanation...)

But here are a few highlights...

It's the photographer's job to not let the happy couple eat.

Brenda felt glamorous in her purple dress.

I felt glamorous too...

Irony, accident and coincidence led to an Oregon Ducks decor theme.  ...Ron HATES the Ducks, Elaine loves them.

Hey Meggy-poo.

New relatives!  And they're GREAT!

SIL and her Dale.  That's right.  He's her Dale.  (I just made an inside joke.  Huh Anna?  Like it???)

Good day.

I can't think of much to add except I just love this family I married into.  It keeps growing like the weeds in my yard.  ...Except they're weeds that you don't want to kill.  You know like, good weeds.  Beautiful weeds!  This family is one big WONDERFUL weed patch. 

OK good enough.

Love you guys.

keeping up with Garret

One of the things I don't like about the beach is the afterwards.  ...Grit in special places is troubling and inevitable.  But Garret, the texture-obsessor, doesn't seem to mind.

staying safe with grandpa

That kid could have dirt in the eye, water in the ear, sand in the underworld and even blood on the toes and he caaaaan't stop, and he woooon't stop.

OH SNAP I JUST REFERENCED MILEY CYRUS.  

...IT'S LIKE THOSE MONKEYS THAT ARE SO UGLY, YOU JUST CAN'T LOOK AWAY.  ........Wait.  Miley isn't ugly.  Her music tends to be.  ...and I mean that with the utmost respect...




anywho.

But it's the textures!  Garret lives for textures like we live for youtube cat videos. 

I like the videos where the cats jump and miss their target, resulting in a dive...

HOLY WAFFLES THIS KID IS GORGEOUS

But yeah, Garret loves the beach.  The great outdoors with sand AND water?  In the SAME PLACE???  It's stimuli heaven.  I'd like to be able to let Garret run untethered at the beach.  No being watched, chased, held down, held back, ...held.  ...all while blasting Queen's "Break Free" of course.  I think that might be Garret's reward in the next life.

A Queen concert on a personal beach.  Yup.

This post is going strange places.



In closing, I'd like to brag about my beautiful son and our close proximity to the ocean.  But no worries.  Garret likes people so you're all invited to his beach party in heaven.  

Fingers crossed I make it there with him.  I did just reference AND insult the lovely Ms Cyrus in the same post...
 

all about me and my flippant folly

There was a lesson at church today about compassion, bearing one another's burdens, comforting those who need comfort...  I sat there feeling a bit guilty.  Not too guilty, mind you.  I'm far too aloof to really get down.  But yeah, guilty because I have this personality (dang personality of which I have no power over...) where I am somewhat oblivious to the needs of others until they are directly in front of me.  Even then I tend to avoid acknowledgement...

I see it as a bitter sweet quality.  I don't like meddling in other people's business (good thing) to the point of seemingly not caring (bad thing).  I'd like to have this silent agreement with everybody-  I won't throw my junk at you, you don't throw yours ...and then we'll go to TacoBell.

That's a glorious friendship, right there.

I mean, I'm not totally unreceptive to other's needs.  I would just like to deal with it, move on, and pretend like nothing was ever ever wrong and we're all happy and nobody is bad and netflix is a good use of time and TacoBell is just down the street.

But I like living in oblivion.  It's easy to like people when I don't get ruffled easily.  My power of everything-is-fine-therefore-I-can-be-lazy works well to keep me on the sidelines of drama.

But really, this is not what the lesson was about.  Was it?  Yes, I'm laid back and that's nice but how many times have I neglected people that need me?  How can I serve when I have NO IDEA what/who needs serving???

...Have my kids had baths today?

Can I be compassionate when avoidance is something I do so well?  Do I really understand what it means to mourn with those who mourn? 

When I'm sitting in church and the teacher is talking about the beauty of loving service I'm nodding and thinking "wait, someone is in need of a homecooked meal???"

Good grief.  Here I am, talking about serious, christian values, and I have to counter it with things that make me snort. 

Avoiding a real serious talk, are we Lindsay?

I'm sorry, I was thinking about that lesson, and how I can do better, maybe.  How I should pay more attention to things outside of my bubble and do some good once in a while...  Then I thought about IT Crowd, and what a funny show it is.

My Monday sermon

In all seriousness Angry Birds gives me a better sense of accomplishment than doing laundry.

Laundry keeps getting undone and there's no cool sound effects.

Therefore I am not doing any more laundry. 

...Which is probably a lie, but, for now, I'm going to enjoy believing it.

aahhhhhhh...  

Since returning from Girls Camp last Friday, I've been inundated with ideas for next year which is really a waste of time because I did the same thing last year and didn't use ONE idea.  You just gotta wait for the theme and the girl's opinions.  yada yada.  NO, I say, LEAVE IT ALL TO ME!  

Monica and I looking SMASHING even when in need of showers

Here's why I think Girls Camp is so magical-

it's an intense "refuge from the storm" spoken of in D&C 115. 

(I won't post pics of minor girls without their permission soooo...  ME!  I'M A PRINCESS!!)

We leave behind the "world" and find refuge with faith building activities, adventures, devotionals and yes, princesses.  (I wasn't really a princess.  -just being glamorous for the Oscars, of course...)  The Holy Ghost can easily be felt which means we're spending 4 days swimming in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance... (Galations 5:22)

Then the idea is, to come home, return to the world, and spew all that goodness outward. 

I had to remind myself of this as I drug these stinkers all over town today-

We did aaaaalright. 

And just like at Girls Camp, I threw lots of candy at them to keep 'em happy.

Happy Monday everybody.