Well, in the landscaping industry, it is winter and therefore Mike's hours aren't as long as other seasons. (Only 10 hour days vs 14 hour days!) Mike is spending all his days at the office, as he recently was promoted to "The Boss" as my kids affectionately call it. Mike and a co-worker decided to begin to carpool to work. They meet at a designated parking lot and one leaves their car. I believe it saves them about $2 a day as they each drive very efficient cars. Mike loves it though because he can get phone calls made and work done.
Mike's car has one key with a remote. HE has lost the other one. My car has one key with the remote, HE has lost the other one. But I am smart and have a spare key hidden somewhere on my car. He is not smart and doesn't have a spare hidden somewhere on his car, or even own a spare anywhere at home. I tell him frequently he should get a spare key cut...
Which is probably why, this evening when he called me from the designated parking lot the first thing he said after
"Can you come pick me up?" was
"I don't need a lecture, I was just telling Bruce that I was going to get a lecture about a spare key."
So the question is? Did Mike get a lecture? YES he did. And for good measure he was also gently reminded to . . .
"Go and get a (insert Tiffany's favorite word) key cut this weekend!!"
As I drove to the designated meeting spot to retrieve my two eldest children on Tuesday morning, Ellie spoke excitedly about showing Megan her ear-rings. I, on the other hand, drove nervously as I anticipated seeing Megan. I also had unkind thoughts towards my dear husband for leaving me to do the dreaded task of telling Megan her 4 year old sister has her ears pierced.
As Melanie's car pulled up next to mine, I jumped out quickly to meet Megan before she got to our car and had to endure listening to Ellie's proud announcement.
I put my arm around Megan and said something along the lines, "Don't be upset, but Daddy let Ellie. . ." Ha-I didn't even need to finish the sentence. I didn't have to break the news! Instead Megan interrupted me with,
"THAT! IS! NOT! FAIR!-I wasn't even allowed when I was 8."
Megan ran over to the car, climbed in and was of course greeted with Ellie holding back her hair and proudly showing off her sparkly, diamond stud ear-rings.
To which Megan just . . .
giggled. . .
(Although as her mother I happen to know that giggle. It is the giggle that says,
'If I don't laugh I am going to cry.'
Though I have heard quietly asked questions such as "Ellie, did it hurt?" Megan has turned down all offers to go and get her ears pierced.
This is Megan's true personality coming out-her thrill is in the arguing-
you tell her she can do something-she no longer wants to.
Maybe there's a lesson to be learned here . . .
Maybe it will work to say, Hey Megan-You can smoke and drink and be bad all you want . . .
Part 1 Megan has been 'begging' to get her ears pierced for about 4 years now. She was told "Perhaps when you are 8." As that age was approaching, she was told, "Maybe when you are 10." As that age approached, she was told, "Probably when you are 12, if not, when you are 21 for sure." (Please note all of these "age promises were her father!! I was kind of indifferent.) Around age 10, the asking began again with the same answers from Daddy.
Lo and behold, Christmas 2008 morning came and Megan received a gift certificate from Santa, to Classy Chassis (a local beauty supply store) with instructions, "Time to get your ears pierced."
Ahh-the excitement-the squeals-the smiles. . . until the days followed and Megan kept putting it off. She will admit, she was a little scared. Her responses when asked have been, "I don't know. Now that I know I can, I don't know if I really want to." Part 2 For almost a year, Ellie has been sticking stickers on her ears, hanging Mr. Potato Head ear-rings from her ear lobes, even attaching candy Swedish fish to her ears. All in an attempt to pretend she was wearing ear-rings. Her asking to get her ears pierced was always, "No, you have to be much older." Since Christmas morning, as Megan's ear-piercing requests have been waning, Ellie's have been building. . . To which Mike would simply answer, "Ask Megan to give you her gift certificate." To which Megan would argue something along these lines, "No way. I'm going to use it to buy something else at the store." or "There was NO WAY I would have been allowed when I was 4. Why should Ellie?"
Which brings us to Part 3 of the story. "Why should Ellie?" I don't honestly have an answer, except to say Ellie must have caught Daddy in a weak moment. Before I knew it, we were pulling into the parking space, having listened to Ellie singing animatedly , "We're going to Lassie Chassies." As Daddy turned the car off, Ellie's face turned very sober . . . Mommy explained that we could go back home, Ellie's thoughts were slow but her little hand reached down and unbuckled the seatbelt, the car-door opened and Ellie was going in. As our requests were made known to the clerk, Ellie's face showed little emotion, except . . . pure fear. Mommy and Daddy kept telling her she could back out at anytime. There was never a verbal response just slow nods or shakes of her head . . . The ear-rings were carefully chosen, her hair was kindly clipped back, Ellie's face never cracked a smile, instructions were kindly given, tears were surely close to the surface and then . . .
JUMP went Ellie almost out of her chair as the first ear-ring was put in . . . before Ellie had any chance to release any tears . . . JUMP went Ellie out of the chair again. No tears fell...but no smile appeared either. Ellie's little hands stayed on her neck for minutes. Her first trip with pierced ears was to Nana's house where a show-off smile finally appeared and then Daddy (another weak moment) took us to McDonald's.
Ear's pierced! Nana's house! McDonalds! Can life get any better for a 4 year old?
And those consolations must be why it was so easy to then exclaim,
"It didn't even hurt when she shocked them in!"
Poor Megan-isn't home . . . she has no idea yet that her FOUR year old little sister's ears are pierced . . . and where will Daddy be when Megan gets home and makes the discovery. . . GONE TO WORK . . . smart Daddy!
(click to enlarge) Joshua received his first pair of cowboy boots for Christmas. The past couple of days, he has become obsessed with them.
Sunday, he wore them for his nap (Daddy allowed that!) and to church.
Monday, he wore them most of his awake hours.
Tuesday night he wore the boots and only the boots. (Well, until Luke went and got his cowboy hat for him to wear too.)
Wednesday, at 8:15am, Joshua put his boots on over his pajamas and asked Luke to take him outside. Luke gladly obliged.
Wednesday, at 11:45am, Joshua STILL had the boots on (yes, his pajamas too!) and walked towards the door and with his toy cell phone in hand waved, "Ba" (bye) to me. He was off to ride his scooter.
Finally, Wednesday, at 12:30pm, we walked upstairs for his nap with Joshua crying "boo, boo." (boots, boots)
Mean old mommy had removed the boots before naptime.
Upon answering our children on Friday evening that we "aren't doing anything tonight, except enjoying a peaceful evening at home," we were suddenly surrounded by a party in the making. Invitations were made, posters hung, even party hats were being constructed (it turned out the hats didn't fit anyone-not even Joshua).
It started with a yummy dinner consisting of steak, twice-baked potatoes and salad that had no complaints from ANYONE. (Ok-There actually was a complaint from me-when I observed how much WHOLE milk and BUTTER was going into the twice-baked potatoes, courtesy of Mike)
But ooohhhhh they were YUMMY!
After dinner was cleared, it was time for the 'Prde' to begin. The opening act was 4 children flailing their arms dancing and singing to welcome us. The song and dance came to an abrupt halt when Ellie got elbowed in the forehead and began to cry, followed very closely by Joshua getting knocked to the ground and slamming his head against the couch.
Tears were dried, apologies made and the games began. First Twister (even 7-month pregnant Mom played, but the camera was FORBIDDEN), followed by Old Maid (where it seemed the interpretations of the rules were-if you draw the Old Maid, you giggle or announce it to everyone.) Of course the evening ended with the ole' Sowby favorite-Hide and Seek. Why is it the favorite? Because Daddy suddenly disbands all rules and regulations and allows children to hide in places that Mommy ususally disagrees with. (Note photo of Luke on top of the 8 foot tall cabinets!)
Everyone was given a piece of candy as a treat, which Dad promptly made into eyes, and Luke into a moustache and everybody sent to bed, so Mom could wake up at 4:45am the next morning to get to her temple shift.
Please do not be deceived of the joy, laughter and happiness that must be present in the Sowby home. If my memory serves me well, there were arguments about which game was next, why Ellie kept announcing who had the Old Maid, someone giving away a hiding spot. . .
Is there really any such thing as a peaceful evening at home with four children?
(Thank you to my sister-in-law, Cindy for her 'modern-day approach-to-research' for this information.)
I think sometime back in high school, I discovered I had a pet peeve, or perhaps even a little OCD. If I was ever in a bathroom, and the toilet paper was not coming from on top of the roll (see diagram), no matter where I was at, I. would. change. it.
In fact, it bothered me so much, I wanted to know if there was a right or wrong way to hang toilet paper. Now of course my high school days were before the "Why don't you Google it?" era. However, back in that day, I read Dear Abby FAITHFULLY every day in the Deseret News. And lo and behold one day, there was an etiquette article addressing this very issue.
Ahh-At last I had proof.
There WAS a right and wrong way to hang the toilet paper. Now I had research to back me up in my efforts to right people's homes of incorrectly hung toilet paper. And still, 17+ years later, I admit I am still switching people's toilet paper.
Are you hanging your toilet paper correctly? (If not, I have obviously not been in your bathroom recently!!)
For the "modern day" research, feel free to check out the following link: http://currentconfig.com/archives/000083.html
I don't make New Years Resolutions. I don't like them. However, a couple of years ago as 2007 rolled around, I decided to make a random list of 52 things I would do that year. They ranged anywhere from, "Defrosting my freezer" to "Making a meal with fish" to "Cleaning all my blinds in one day." They were VERY random. I actually forgot about the list half way through the year, but when I found it the next year, I was pleased to find I had done almost 80% of what I had originally written.
So, a new year has rolled around. This year, I have changed my list a little and made a random list of things I would do to be more spiritual and thoughtful of others, and turn some of my focus outside of what just I want to do/accomplish. Here is my list.
Some Random Things I will do in 2009
(In no particular order and with no definite date.)
Send a funny card to a friend
Surprise someone with a meal
Write a note of thanks for something that may usually go unnoticed.
Write a letter to each child and put in their baby books
Make a phone call to someone I haven’t spoken to in over a year
Spend an afternoon doing only what the children want
Deliver warm homemade rolls to someone
One full day during which my voice isn’t raised
One month where I read my scriptures EVERY DAY of it.
Take a friend to lunch
A day with no negative comment
Offer to baby-sit somebody’s kids for a couple of hours
With my children, weed somebody’s yard
Double my fast offering one month
Read the whole Doctrine & Covenants
On MY birthday, send flowers to my mom.
Iron a shirt for Mike for at least 20 minutes
Treat a friend to a pedicure
Visit the family history library
Take the kids to This Is The Place Heritage Park
Do a session at the Logan temple
Read a book by a General Authority
Have a month where I write in my personal journal 6 times
Treat Megan to a pedicure
Bear my testimony in Sacrament Meeting
Send somebody a bouquet of flowers
Invite a family over I would rather not
Allow Luke to be the boss for one day
Allow Ellie to be the boss for one day
Take an over-nighter with Mike (before the baby is born)
Help my children tie a quilt and give it away
Make a delicious dessert and give it all away
Take my children to a nursing home
Write a letter/e-mailto an old friend from England
Complete my sister-in-laws wedding album
Make a homemade gift and give to someone out of the blue
Take my older 2 children to the LDSHumanitarianCenter
Invite a family over for Family Home Evening
Do something kind for the garbage man
Which one would you like to be the recipient of... I am very open to suggestions...
