20 things in 2009

Things I learned or accomplished in 2009:

1. Lost twenty-five pounds and went from a size twelve to a size six.

2. Discovered I like running

3. Discovered I have asthma...now I own an inhaler

4. Discovered I have tonsilitis...and that I'm officially a geek

5. Ran my first 5k

6. Ran an unofficial 10k

7. Participated in Trek-walked 38 miles in the middle of Wyoming and lived out of a five-gallon bucket

8. Learned about the role of food in my life and the lives of Americans, became aware of the impact our food choices make on our health and the environment

9. Bottled forty quarts of grape juice all by myself

10. Jarred a ton of apricot jam

11. Made home-made wheat dinner rolls

12. Played Hortense, a French maid in The Boy Friend

13. Played Belle in Beauty and the Beast opposite my Beastly husband

14. Really learned to appreciate others' differences and became less judgmental

15. Learned to appreciate more the value of good friends

16. Learned to be still while the world around me spins

17. Acquired my first personal computer

18. Acquired my first two kitties since moving out of my parents' house back in 1998

19. Crocheted twenty-four dishcloths in two weeks for family gifts...and they're symmetrical

20. Learned that I can do anything I set my mind to

Ariaism: where there's smoke....

Today, a few minutes after Shelby preheated the oven to start dinner, I walked in to discover a bit of smoke billowing from behind the oven door. When we opened it, we discovered that a dish towel had fallen in and was totally on fire. Shelby bravely grabbed it and threw it into the sink, dousing the flames with our tap water. As we caught our breath, Aria came up the stairs and threw open the door.

A: "Are you guys makin' s'mores?!"

Skylerism: sick

Skyler has had a yucky cough for about 5 days now.

S: *cough cough cough cough, cough cough cough cough* "I cough in two sets of four."

My discovery

I've come to the conclusion that Aria cannot walk. She is entirely capable of running, jumping, hopping, leaping, and sliding from one location to the next, but, as I have not seen her walk in several years, I'm pretty sure it is no longer in her repertoire. I don't think they make special parking places for people like Aria, so there are no "perks"; but I assure you, it is a disability. She injures herself several times a day, and mundane tasks, such as bringing a plate from the table to the sink, are next to impossible. I can only hope that one day she finds a support group of others like her, to buoy her up through the hard times. In the mean time, we just give her all the love we can, and keep our insurance card handy.

Who needs weights?

My two year old is heavy. Like, I'm always surprised when I change his pants that there aren't bricks glued to his thighs heavy. Like, baby elephant heavy. Like ,"Are you twins in one body?" heavy. Hauling that kid around is no small task. My favorite is when he refuses to walk and I have my hands full, so I'm forced to rearrange my parcels, grab him by the wrist and literally drag him to our next destination. Who knows? Maybe he's too heavy for his own little legs to carry and it's a coping mechanism. It's weird, because he's not even fat, he's just solid. I have no idea where he stores all his weight! Are his bones made of lead? Are his bum cheeks filled with water? Maybe he has iron lungs? Not a clue. One thing's for sure though, at least I don't have to worry about my own weight-gain...as long as he's doing it, I'm not gaining an ounce.

Ariaism: baby it's cold outside

Tonight I was getting bundled up to go hayriding/caroling with the youth.

A: "Mom, can I come with you?"

M: "Nope, sorry babe."

A: "Why not?"

M: "It is freaking cold out there, love. Way too cold. I'm not even sure why I'm going! As it is, I'm going to freeze my butt off."

A: "Wait- You're coming home with no bum?"

M: "Possibly."

What we do to fulfill our callings....

Ariaism: law and order

Aria was having a naughty spell. We were at the end of an extremely long day, full to the hilt with disobedience. She was in time out (again), when, exasperated, I asked her what she thought her punishment should be if she chose to disobey me one more time (I would like to note that what follows has not, nor ever will happen at my house. I have no idea where she got this). She looked up at me...

A: "I don't know...maybe sleep without blankets?"

M: "Sweetie, no. I'd never make you sleep without blankets. I was thinking maybe-"

A: "Sleep outside in the snow?"

M: "Oh my gosh."

Some things about me

It takes me at least a half hour after I "wake up" to be actually awake. Before then, I shrink from the light like a strange hermit and frequently bump into walls, close my fingers in drawers,etc.

I believe that I would have been an amazing gymnast,horseback rider, figure skater, etc had I only had the training since youth.

My favorite color is yellow...even though it is the color of pee, it still makes me happy.

I love to bake. Not cook, bake. I like to cook only if it's like baking.

I hate to have chalk or clay on my hands. It seriously freaks me out and I can't do anything or even think until I get it off.

I will eat chocolate at anytime of day or night...and day and night.

I know you were all just dying to know these tidbits of info. Weren't you?! Weren't you?! Yeah! Yes, you were!! Yeah!!!

Hi friends!

Hi friends! One of these days I will write a whole blog entry about what it was like to do Beauty and the Beast, but for now, I have decided just to return to writing about the everyday things that happen, thoughts and impressions I have, and, of course, the ridiculous things my kids say.

Today, I am writing about bread. I LOVE bread! Lately, I have found excuses to pop into Great Harvest to buy a loaf of indulgence, but also, in confession, for the immediate gratification of receiving a thick slice of free bread. I love to enter the store and pretend like I have no idea they are about to offer it to me, then feign delight at the gesture. "Who, me? Why, yes, thank you! What an unexpected surprise! I WOULD love a hearty slice of bread. How kind of you!" (I also quite deliberately push the thought that they must inflate the prices of the loaves to accommodate such an offer very deeply to the back of my brain).

I have been introduced to several new kinds of bread thanks to this little place. Today, I bought a loaf of tomato herb...scrumptious! It is like sitting down to a fine italian restaurant where they serve thick, crusty pieces of herb-y bread which you dip in oil and balsamic vinegar, except it is not at all so crusty and there is no dipping involved.

My free "bread" today was, in fact, not a bread at all. It was a pumpkin cream cake roll, which they, I think, are required to call a bread to fit the theme of the store. It was the yummy, flavorful pumpkin cake rolled together with that splendid cream cheese filling. Ahhhh! It was a beautiful escape. I closed my eyes and pretended I was snowed in at a luxurious ski resort. "No, Miss, the roads are impassible, I am afraid, but I can offer you this pumpkin cream cheese cake roll while you wait by our over-sized fireplace. Would you like hot cocoa with that?"

I especially love baking my own bread, but on days that I visit Great Harvest, I am often sent spinning into a bread coma and no longer have the drive to bake my own that day. Why? Bread begs you to slow down. It says to your soul, "You are going too fast, soul. Enjoy the peace while you can." So, I suppose maybe I should not go Great Harvest too often, lest I deny my own family that beautiful escape.

Xanderism: nativity

X: "Mama, (pointing to our carved wooden nativity set), who are these friends?"

M: "That's our nativity set! It's all about when Jesus was born. Here's Mary and Joseph, Jesus's mommy and daddy; and these are shepherds and here are the wise men."

X: (holding up a sheep) "And here's a yak!"

M: "What?!"

X: "A yak! And dis is Mary's yak!"

Bet you didn't know.

Xanderism: sad day

After taking Aria to afternoon kindergarten the other day, Xander and I stopped in to say hi to Daddy in his classroom, as we occasionally do. He has such a fun time saying hello to the students and playing with the toys. He was, however, particularly distraught over leaving and commenced a meltdown, complete with screaming and dragging all the way out of the school.

I finally buckled his tushy into the seat and we began driving home. I let him cry it out...yup, still going...still going...ok wait-...nope, still going. Finally he seemed to taper off a little, letting it drag out with those recognizable post-meltdown sniffs which come about every 4 seconds apart.

M:"Are you still crying, buddy?"

X: "(sniff sniff) ...No. (sniff) I not. (pauses in self-reflection, sniff sniff) I smelling."

M: "Smelling?"

X: "Yes. (sniff sniff) I smelling da flowers(sniff). See?! (snifffffffff)