Thursday Already!

We interrupt this blog to bring you TAX SEASON.

Yeah, I have no time to do much of anything, my farmville hasn't been farmed in almost 2 weeks and my house looks like my kids are running it; mostly because my kids are running it.  I get as much done every day as I can and just try and take it as it comes.  Jared leaves by 8am and comes home around 7pm but goes quickly down to his office to work.  People show up at random hours to hand me envelopes or files or shoe boxes full of financial "stuff" to pass on to my husband.  The other day a guy was here until close to midnight working on his taxes with my husband.  The kids are all desperate for daddy's attention but he is so busy and distracted they just don't get to see him much.
I've only made it through 30 pages of my latest book in the last two weeks.  I need my book time to stay sane but like everything else around here it has to be sacrificed until April 15th when we all breathe a collective sigh of relief and drive over to the post office to get a free donut at the expense of the people still trying to file on the last day.  When I was a kid it was a yearly ritual on April 15th to go to the post office next door to our apartment complex and watch the line of cars reach epic proportions.  Funny stuff.

So, for Monday I will just say the baby has picked a terrific time to start crawling.  Now she's a menace and a hazard and I'm having to watch the 2 and 3 year old like a hawk to make sure they don't scatter small toys (today it was Hungry Hippo marbles) all over the floor where the baby is playing.  I swear it's like passive aggressive attempts to kill their little sister sometimes.

Tuesday can be covered by my attempt to make Hawaiian Haystacks.  My kids have eaten these at a friend's house and they are served at the school for lunch occasionally.  I think I've eaten them once or twice in my life.  Krista wanted to have them for dinner so I took a shot at it.  They tasted really good and everyone ate them but I was informed I didn't get the sauce/gravy right.  I just used cream of chicken soup so it must need something else as well.  Topped them with baked chicken bits, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, diced celery, grilled mushrooms, and ... those onion things ... my mind is drawing a blank, the dried onion things for the top of green bean casserole at Thanksgiving?  They come in a can... I like the cheese flavor.... FRENCH'S! , that's right, those things deserve a posting of their own.  Maybe I'll look up recipes for the sauce but I could have sworn it was just soup without enough water added so it's kinda thick.

Wednesday's word is meatatarian, my kids were using it before the funny Wendy's commercial.  They use it to mean omnivore (eats both meat and vegetables) as opposed to carnivore (eats meat) or herbivore (eats plants).  The commercial uses it to mean carnivore but the guy is holding a hamburger with a bun.  T-Rex never used a bun.

Today I have been thinking about how I didn't get my blog entries written and since the baby is asleep and April and Andrew are both zoning in front of the TV for a few minutes I'm using my precious "free time" to blog.  I've been doing a bunch of yard work at my house and at Mom's so I need to take a few pictures...  SHOOT!  Now I think of before and after pictures!  Well, there are still some spots in the before stage but I'll have to just post afters for the rest.  My tulips are up but not blooming.  I've spent a few hours trying to kill the grapevine again this year.  Bane of my existence type plant that doesn't grow grapes and takes over the entire east side of the house.  It covers the fence, heads out into the lawn, and climbs the pine tree, pulling the branches down in the process.  It does turn a pretty color for a week or two in the fall before the leaves all fall off, but the rest of the year my neighbor across the fence and I fight it with my special gardening tools; the gardening hacksaw, the gardening hatchet, and the gardening prybar.  Did I mention it is rooted under a very large, very sturdy double fence that neither my neighbor or I want to take out to get rid of the grapevine because it would be a ton of work and expense?  Yeah, so there's all these vines up between the two sides of the fence slats, under the fence, and all over the place and it's like some B Movie with Attack of the Killer Vines going on every year as the vines grow like a foot a week.  At least I can take out some of my tax season frustration on plant-killing.  Some fight back, ha ha, I completely landed on my back in the road today after pulling out one of my "spikey bushes" (maybe a reader can help me with a name for this thing, I'll get a picture) that was overgrown across the sidewalk.  I was pulling really hard and when the piece gave way suddenly I completely biffed it onto my backside.  I don't think any of the neighbors saw my momentary lack of gardening dignity, thank goodness.  Flat on my back in the road holding my prize and laughing at what would have been a great AFV moment.

If my sister sends me the pictures I took with Mom's camera I'll post tomorrow.  Otherwise I'll see what I can do next week.

Photo Friday - Krista age 10

Thursday Thoughts - Paine

A long habit of not thinking a thing WRONG, gives it a superficial appearance of being RIGHT.
-Thomas Paine

Word of Wednesday - Fugacious

Just because it's a word doesn't mean you should use it.  Had to look this one up.

fugacious\ fyoo-GAY-shuhs \ , adjective;
1. Lasting but a short time; fleeting

Tasty Tuesday - Honey Nut Chex

Had a coupon, decided to try Honey Nut Chex.  They are very tasty.  Better if eaten dry with a glass of milk so the full crunchy sweetness is not diluted.

Mommy Monday - That Much Rouge Is Not Subtle

Got everyone ready for church yesterday and wasn't really paying attention to Krista as she is TEN and can find both of her shoes all by herself with 99% accuracy these days.  When we got to church and sat down I looked at my children with glowing adoration only to be brought up short by the amount of MAKEUP on Krista's face.  How I missed it in the rush of getting ready for church I'm not completely sure but I think the ten year-olds interest in self-preservation had something to do with it.  Krista owns a lip gloss or two, clear ones, for people her age.  She knows I do not allow her to wear makeup, especially poorly applied makeup that makes her look like ... well, like THAT.  So as the mental hymn soundtrack came to a screeching halt I dug in my bag, found a wetwipe, passed it to my oldest child and quietly but firmly informed her that she could make it back in time for the prayer if she were to leave IMMEDIATELY for the restroom where she was to wipe off ALL of whatever she had applied to her face.
The worst part?  Those of you that know me know I didn't want to wear makeup as a teenager (still don't wear much as an adult) so I have no clue how to relate to her or what the best solution to this one is.  Jared was sort of "She had on makeup, oh, ummm, well, I didn't notice." So not much help there.
Yeah, motherhood just keeps getting more fun all the time.  Come back next week, I'm sure I'll be pulling my hair out over a new problem.

Photo Friday - Jessica 7 months

Thursday Thoughts - God and Country

"...Great nations do not usually fall by external aggression; they first erode and decay inwardly, so that, like rotten fruit, they fall of themselves. The history of nations shows that the cycle of the body politic slowly but surely undergoes change. It progresses—
"—From bondage to spiritual faith—From spiritual faith to courage—From courage to freedom—From freedom to abundance—From abundance to selfishness—From selfishness to complacency—From complacency to apathy—From apathy to fear—From fear to dependency—From dependency to bondage."
Ezra Taft Benson

"One of the most important things that we can do for the Church is to stand behind the Constitution of the United States. That does not mean, and no reasoning person would suppose that it meant, that that Constitution may not from time to time be changed as the needs of the people would seem to require. But it does mean that that Constitution should be changed only under the urge of great necessity, and then only in accordance with its great underlying concepts. It does mean that the great fundamental elements of the Constitution are God-given, for he said so. It does mean to me as an individual that the Constitution of the United States and my adherence to it and support of it is a part of my religion.

"I have about the Constitution that same sort of conviction that I have about the other doctrines that we are taught, for I believe its precepts are among the doctrines of the Church, and I believe that the Lord will change and modify from time to time those details of its provisions which are ancillary to its great principles; he will cause us-those who live under it-to modify it in accordance with our needs; but the fundamental principles of it we may not sacrifice."
(President J. Reuben Clark Jr., Governments Instituted of God, General Conference, April 1935..)

Funny Words of Wednesday

This arrived in my inbox on a Wednesday, it was fate, so I'm posting it here.  I have no idea if it's really from the Washington Post, I just think it's funny.

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing of one letter, and supply a new definition.

1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
12. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
13. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
14. Glibido: All talk and no action.
15. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
16. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

Word of Wednesday - Minion

I just love the two movies that have taught my kids the word minion; Despicable Me and Mega Mind are both funny and clever.  The minions in Despicable Me are very funny and you have to watch closely to see some of the creative things they are up to in the movie, Minion, the fish in Mega Mind, is a great character and I though he was very well done.  I've been calling my kids my 'little minions' (using the evil scientist voice) but then I found out you have to be called an evil minion to be an evil minion, minions are otherwise a good thing, check out the definition, ha ha, jokes on me.  I'm not sure how to use #5 in a sentence but I'm all for being that kind of minion.

1. a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power.
2. a favored or highly regarded person.
3. a minor official.
4. Printing . a 7-point type.
–adjective
5. dainty; elegant; trim; pretty

Tasty Tuesday - Easy Chili

This one is easy to make and because it's not spicy my kids will eat it, well, all except for Kylie who just doesn't like it for some reason and only eats the potato.  Also, if you leave out the bullion cubes or substitute Better Than Bullion seasoning it is a GLUTEN FREE meal I can feed to the rest of my family on Sunday nights.

Chili
1 lb ground beef
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 Tblsp onion flakes (or about a quarter of a medium onion)
1/2 Tblsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 beef bullion cubes

     Brown the ground beef, you can do it in the soup pot if you use lean beef, then you don't need to drain it.  Pour in all the canned items, juice and contents straight into the pot.  Add the chili powder, garlic, and bullion.  Bring it all to a boil and then reduce the heat so it simmers for about 25 minutes, stir it occasionaly.  Serve with baked potatoes or corn chips, top with shredded cheese, sour cream, or whatever you like.
     Use reduced sodium versions of as many of the ingredients as you can for a slightly healthier chili.

Mommy Monday - How I Met Your Father

A friend of mine is working on a paper for a class and needed the stories of how people met their spouses.  I just sent mine and thought it would be fun to post it here as well.

    Jared and I met at BYU. We lived in the same apartment complex and were in the same ward in the fall of 1996. We don't remember meeting that year but must have been at church and activities together.
    I moved to another apartment for Spring of 1997 but then moved back for Fall of 1997, during that time Jared and one of my roommates were in charge of the family home evening groups for the ward so Jared came over to our apartment occasionally for planning meetings.  I remember him spending time with my roommate and thinking possibly a relationship would develop between them.
    We went on a group date together at one point but we were both on the date with a different partner, neither of us was seriously dating our 'date' for the evening and some time after that night Jared started asking me out. I turned him down because of the almost 6 year age difference that I felt meant he was looking for something more serious than I was ready for. He was very persistent about asking me to all kinds of activities and I eventually agreed to go out with him in March of 1998. We dated for a few weeks and then I went home for the summer and he stayed at BYU to graduate. We both dated other people over the summer.
    The week before the fall 1998 semester started, Jared invited me to join a group going white water rafting in Montana. I decided to go and we spent most of the travel time together. When school started we were again in the same apartment complex and ward so we picked up dating where we left off a few months before. Jared was working full-time and saving for a down payment on a condo he intended to share with roommates (or a wife) and I was going to school full-time and planning on leaving on a mission the next fall.
    By the end of the semester Jared was very serious about us as a couple and was talking more about marriage. I dumped him. I spent a few weeks sorting through my thoughts and feelings on the relationship and realized the fear of being completely unprepared for marriage was the only thing holding me back; I loved Jared, I wanted to get married to him eventually, I just needed to take a 'leap of faith' on the feeling ready part. We started dating again and after a few months we got engaged. We were married the end of June 1999.
     I had Jared read this over, he said it sounds about right but he would like to point out he was never interested in my roommate. He said he didn't really know who I was until after the date we were both on but that it wasn't like he suddenly wanted to go out with me after that night either. He said he doesn't believe in love at first sight (it didn't work that way for us anyway).
     I think we are kind of a case of opposites attract, our personalities, experiences, even the side of the continent we grew up on are opposite but we found we compliment each other and have the same goals and we fell in love and made it work.

Taio Cruz - Break Your Heart and Jane Austen

I love the editing job on this video.  Great video clips and they sync with the audio really well.  Turn up your speakers and DANCE   :o)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2DYVLNhXdE

This song and the song Dynamite are both fun but I haven't heard the other songs on the CD so I'm not sure if I want to give in and buy it for Krista.

Photo Friday - Jessica 6mo (with drool)

Love You More by Lisa Gardner

   I finished reading an advance copy (thanks to my sister who manages a bookstore) of Lisa Gardner's Love You More which goes on sale next week.
   Overall, I liked it.  I had to read it all the way to the end to solve the crime and with the well developed plot the ending made sense.
   There were brief sex scenes, a few words of profanity, and some violence.  Issues of rape, incest, spousal abuse, and violent crime were mentioned more than once.
   The questions posed by the author; Who do you love?  Who would you kill for?  Who would you die for? Who would you live for even if living was almost unbearable?  Made the book thought provoking as well as an interesting murder mystery.
   The story was suspenseful without being too horrific, it was a bit of a nail biter but I could read it alone in a room at night.  If this is a good example of her writing I think I'll enjoy picking up a few of Lisa Gardner's other books.  I just saw this book advertised in the Costco magazine so I'm sure it will get some attention.

Thursday Thoughts - Medical Responsibility

   A friend of mine who went into medicine posted this article on his facebook wall today.  It's an article from the New England Journal of Medicine about how doctors are getting too far into just testing everything out the wazzoo to avoid missing things, upsetting people, and liability issues later.  The article makes a point about how expensive and wasteful this is and also the tests can be invasive and time consuming.  The United States is ranked 21st in the world for medical care (I did not know that) so we aren't doing a good job and our people are unhealthy due to their own decisions and possibly lack of education on health.
   I would like to see more people in the United States concerned about their health and the health of those in their community.  I would like to see people out walking and getting more active.  I would like to see more people growing gardens and fruit trees and sharing what they grow with each other.  I don't want to see government regulations on these things because it takes the burden of responsibility away from the people.  I don't want to see government health care because it takes choice, responsibility, and options away from people and health care providers.

Word of Wednesday - c-r-a-p

My husband says crap is a bad word.  I think it's not exactly polite but can be used to express a particularly bad mood without crossing the line into actual profanity.  I choose not to swear, so if I do say 'crap' it's gotten to a serious level for me.  My husband says it's offensive when I say 'crap' but chooses to go into his office and shut the door rather than deal with the actual crap going on... I did refrain from repeatedly yelling 'crap' at the top of my lungs so I'm just gonna say I won that one.

Tasty Tuesday - Hershey Hugs

I can eat a whole bag of hugs.

I prefer them over the kisses.

There are a bunch of 'kiss' flavors these days, what's your favorite?