Three Days -- Three Showings

How can you not melt in the presence of this face?
Yet, as moms, we all have our days. Today AiAi cleared all 4 shelves of kids books and threw them in the floor, poked holes in the rising bread, cleared toys off the toy shelves onto the floor, and piled every piece of doll house furniture into a heap of rubble. He also annoyed his brother (who was already having an irritable day) by incessantly by poking him, pointing his toe in his direction (a gesture of kicking apparently), and following him too closely on his tricycle causing him to crash his two-wheeler over and over.

It was a day of many conversations that went something like, "Even though it is wrong to poke someone incessantly, it is also wrong to scream right in someone's face." It was a day when AiAi desperately needed a nap, but fell asleep for five minutes right before I had to wake him up to go pick up Soph, and then refused to go back to sleep even after sitting in his room for over an hour.
In reference to my title -- we have shown our house every day for the past three days. Kind of nice after a month of zero activity. Monday, we cleaned the house spic and span and headed over to the church parking lot to ride bikes. It worked beautifully. On Tuesday, E-Man had a mishap when he accidentally dropped an unopened can of rootbeer on the kitchen tile. It exploded out the top and spun around like a possessed object, spraying soda everywhere. Marvelous. I had to wipe down the entire kitchen, and, after two moppings, the floor was still sticky. At 4:30, I was just starting dinner and had to have Soph to her school by 5:15 to get ready for her spring musical (at 6 p.m.). The phone call came -- another showing. Frantically, I cooked and served dinner, bathed E-Man, curled Soph's hair, and did a 3rd thorough mopping. We were a half an hour late and I was mortified when I had to leave the dinner dishes in the sink. The rest of the house looked awesome, but I realized that even if it only took a few minutes to wash, I would still have to dry, put away, plus scour the sink. Instead I just tried to arrange them to cover the dirty sink, is that weird?

I came home from the play and realized that the floor was STILL sticky! After three moppings. Great, I showed my house with dirty dishes AND a sticky floor.

I figured it would be a breeze to pull the house together Wednesday morning after keeping it so clean on Monday and Tuesday. As I (again) mopped floors, AiAi walked around putting hand prints on all the glass. As I made beds and tidied the upstairs, he went downstairs and pulled two gigantic bins out of storage (bigger and no doubt heavier than he is). One was full of three complete GeoTrax train sets, which he dumped. The other (a far worse mess) was chock full of thousands of semi organized photographs. He opened the box and strew the entire contents throughout the basement! Fortunately, our appointment was more than a half hour late while I cleaned it all up.

If you have or have had a child like this, I wrote this to help you feel better.
As a side note, our last day of school was today. Hooray for summer vacation! And, we are headed up to Bear Lake for a whole week. I can't wait!

On Turning 32

Last month, I turned 32. Being 32 is much easier than turning 30. I spent my whole 29th year worrying about the big 3-0. I'm figuring out the thirties aren't so bad.

When I hit three decades, a lot of things in life started to make more sense. I've come to understand that in my teens and early twenties, life came easy to me. Being thin, making friends, achieving good grades, world travel, going to college, opportunities galore . . .

I believe this is one reason why, when the grown-up world started to settle in, sometime in the mid-twenties -- long work hours, bills, cellulite, wrinkles, headaches, etc. -- I became very whiny complaining annoying, myopic and lacking in gratitude.

The sad part about growing up and gaining just a smidgen of maturity (I can only imagine how different the world will look at 40, 50, 80 . . .) is realizing how much I took for granted before. When I was young and thin, living a carefree charmed life, I spent a lot of time stressing out about the little things. Now, I think, "Seriously, what could have been so stressful back then?" My present life has 100x more stress, but I'm less stressed out. I'm finally starting to realize what the 'big' things are, and exercising gratitude for the small trials in my life by comparison.

Laughably, I remember one time when Soph and E-Man were two-years-old and a baby. It was a Friday night and Photoguy was working late. I hauled the kids down to Wal-Mart and I was walking around thinking, "Wal-Mart!? I never in a million years would have envisioned myself alone with two kids at a Wal-Mart on a Friday night." Because, Friday nights are for going out on glamorous dates, right? Then, when I was waiting in the check-out line, I looked over and saw a guy I'd known in high school waiting a few lines over. He was really popular back in the day, yet, here he was, alone, at Wal-Mart buying diapers. "So this is what our lives have come to," I lamented.

I would never think that way now. Maybe it's sad to admit, but going to Wal-Mart on a Friday night wouldn't even phase me. And, I would rather look at a scenario like that and be grateful for my kids (even if I have to haul them to the store on a Friday night -- I took so much of Soph and E-man's babyhoods for granted), grateful for a husband who is out working hard to provide for our family so I can live in the lap of luxury (aka stay-at-home-mom -- I spent too many years complaining about the struggles), grateful for the money to go shopping and grateful for the many highly convenient shopping facilities . . . the car that got me there . . . well, you get the picture.

It's nice to get past all the fanciful fairy tales of youth and start to really enjoy life instead of being disappointed that it's not like Hollywood. Now . . . if I could just have the body back -- the one where I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and never gain one ounce -- I cross-my-heart-promise to never take it for granted again!

Happy Memorial Day!

It's been raining for the past five days straight. And, today, Memorial Day, we woke up to more soggy weather. We had planned to hike up to Waterfall Canyon as a family, but that plan will have to be put on hold until the trails dry up a bit. It's been a very cold spring. Here is a storm we had in early May -- Still getting snow!
Strangely, I've appreciated this spring more than any other. After such a hard winter, I've noticed the little green buds, wafts of sweet smelling spring blooms and the spring thaw more than ever before. And, being such a cold spring, I appreciated the warm days a little bit extra. Here are some pics of a warm day in early April when we visited the playground.

Look how grown-up Soph is doing the monkey bars by herself now!

Check out her cute nails. Mom and daughter days at the nail salon are the best.

Antibiotic Awareness

Warning: If you are averse to seeing skin conditions and rashes, do not scroll down.

A couple of months ago, I posted about our whole family coming down with Strep Throat. After a week of antibiotic treatment, I noticed that Soph had bright red cheeks. After his nap, so did AiAi. Is this 5th's Disease? I wondered. Soph developed a mild rash on her forearms and thighs while AiAi broke out in a most alarming rash all over his entire body! I took him to his pediatrician who said it was either a virus or a reaction to the Amoxicillin. Just to be safe, we took him (and Soph) off the antibiotics (they were near the end anyways).

What the Dr. forgot to tell me was that if it was an allergic reaction, it was going to get lots worse before it got better. I awoke the next day to find AiAi's red spots had morphed into a near continuous red blotch covering HIS ENTIRE BODY -- backs of hands, tops of feet, scalp -- everywhere! This photo doesn't even really do it justice.
I also took a photo of him without his clothes, but, didn't want to be too gory here on my blog. On a scale of 1-10, I was about an 8 in terms of freaking out. I nearly rushed him to the E.R. during the two hours when my Pediatrician's office did not return my phone call. In the end, a super caring dermatologist asked me to rush him right in, and after two dermatologists looked him over, the diagnosis was -- serum-sickness. Or, a reaction to the seemingly harmless "bubblegum" medicine of our childhoods. Apparently, this was a "mild" reaction in the world of life-threatening allergic reactions to medicines. His solution? To write me another prescription. Forgive me if I didn't run straight to the pharmacy.

E-Man Lost a Tooth!

E-Man lost his first tooth yesterday in the wee hours of the morning. He had barely shown me that it was loose the day before. Then, while we were all sleeping, he quietly awoke, pulled out the tooth, and patiently placed it under his pillow. Unfortunately, the tooth fairy had already made her rounds that night, so he tried again last night and got $2!

I can't believe he's already lost a tooth! Not even in Kindergarten yet. I'll have to say, this was much easier and less dramatic than The Tooth that Had to Go.

I am Convinced: He Can Do Anything

A HUGE, tremendous THANK YOU to Photoguy for devoting the past several days of his time and dedicated brawn to fencing in our backyard!

Our backyard was mostly fenced, and this worked fine for our first two children who understood boundaries and tended not to slip out the backdoor unnoticed and then run directly to the front yard and into the street. AiAi convinced us that the time had come to put better locks on the doors and fence in the two small escape routes where the backyard meets the house.

Photoguy worked really hard, digging post holes, even busting through cement, pouring concrete, and smashing his fingers repeatedly as he wrestled with the fencing. I am convinced that he can do anything.

As for AiAi, he first walked casually through the new gate over and over, until we locked it shut. He then found a way to push our neighbor's flimsy fence aside to increase a one inch gap to just wide enough to squeeze through. Some wires solved that problem. Finally, before the day was through, he was already climbing to the top of the fence! He has yet to go all the way over. At least maybe it will slow him down?

The Potty Train

When my oldest, Soph, turned one, I wrapped up one of those little plastic potties and a potty book for her to tear open and be amazed. We read, and re-read the potty book one-million times. And, though I was careful not to push anything too early, the potty sat there waiting to be used when she was ready. At the tender age of one, my daughter could put a tinkle in her potty on the way to the tub. Good times, good times. Good, ignorance-is-bliss times.

One of my friends potty-trained her daughter at eighteen-months and gave me the following advice, "You just have to put the underwear on her and deal with the messes for about three days. Then, she will finally get what is going on and start using the potty." Three days? Really.

Well, to any of you who have had that kind of an experience with potty training -- good for you. You can stop reading this post now. And, please, please, don't leave me a comment to gloat about your superior knowledge on getting kids to use the potty. You are just lucky, alright!?

We tried the 'three days' thing. And, at the end, she was still showing absolutely no signs of recognition when she went potty. She went right along playing as if nothing at all had happened. She didn't even acknowledge the warm ooze in the very moment it was running down her legs. The puddle on the floor did not phase her.

So, we waited a few more months. And, tried again. And, again. And, again. We read the book. We potty trained the dolly.

And, one day in particular, I remember devoting the entire day to letting Soph run around in nothing but a T-Shirt while we did all kinds of fun projects in the kitchen (over tiled floors), drank lots of fluids, and sat on the potty every 20-minutes when the timer went off. The day was full of treats, and fun, and slippery tile, but, alas, not success.

I gave ear to all of the tried and true wisdom and settled with, "She'll do it when she is ready."

That was all fine and good until she reached about 3 1/2 and I was tired of buying and changing diapers for TWO kids for a whole year-and-a-half. I was tired of waiting for her to be ready, so, I mandated that it was time.

We finally stopped having weekly if not daily accidents near her 4th birthday. Whew! That was a long haul from giving her the potty at one to finally stopping mopping up pee and rinsing out poopy undies at 4!

Needless to say, I was not excited to begin the whole procedure with the E-Man.

"Boys are harder," everyone told me. "He'll regress when the baby comes," they warned. AiAi would be born when E-Man was 2 years 9 months old. "Why even bother until after the baby comes?" I reasoned.

At 2 1/2 years, E-Man practically potty-trained himself. And, no, he did not regress. It was awesome! So, see this is how I know for a fact that I'm not completely flawed in this one arena of child training. Those of you who have easy to potty-train kids are L-U-C-K-Y.

Now, comes AiAi. He'll be 3 at the end of the summer, so I've had to work my way out of denial and admit that potty training is on the horizon. He hasn't been showing me any signs. And, by that I mean, he hasn't woken up in the morning, put on underwear, and started using the toilet. That's the kind of signs I'm looking for at this point. I was feeling pretty O.K. with my decision to let him stay in diapers until college if necessary, until it occurred to me that I've signed him up for pre-school in the fall, and potty-training is required. Shoot! What was I thinking? Given my track record (with Soph at least), I figured it was best to get started.

We've been doing the underwear thing for three days now, and guess what? Absolutely, positively no recognition or identification on his part when he goes. And, he's not tempted by my bribes of treats to sit on the potty either. Not interested. Not at all. Even the plastic toy, bubble-blowing lawn mower waiting in the box will not sway him.

Yet, I am determined to move forward. I'm going to keep on keeping on with the underwear. We'll see how long I last. Is it acceptable to let him run around in the backyard naked until the end of summer?

Plus, If You Are Willing to Drive . . .

I'm not going to get all wacky with all the links like I did on that last post. It behooves me to add that, during the Olympics, Ogden had an "In 30-Zone" marketing campaign . . . that we are within 30-minutes of anything you could want. So, here is my addendum.

I'm not huge on driving long distances for a fun day with the kids, especially with the current gas prices (don't even get me started), but the other nice thing about O-Town is that there are so many cool places so close by.

For example, only a few miles away in Roy, there is the Hill Aerospace Museum. It's free! My kids love it, and it is a great way to slip in some history. One time, after we visited, we followed up with lunch at The Auger Inn, a restaurant located inside the Ogden Airport. I wish I could recommend the food. It was not so great. Not terrible, but very greasy-spoon-dinerish. And, not even delicious-greasy-spoon-dinerish. Still, it was pretty cool to eat a mediocre lunch while watching the airplanes land and take-off. Kind of a theme day.

Also in Roy, there is an equally fun aquatic center (and, one in Brigham City, and an indoor one in Clearfield if you really like variety).

In Layton, I just discovered the Classic Fun Center, with laser tag, bouncing, a pirate's cove playland, and, of course, skating. What I really liked about it is that younger kids can ride scooters or cars (rent or bring your own) or anything around the skating rink with the music and lights adding their special effects. It makes it really friendly for families with older and younger kids.

It's fun to venture down to Salt Lake a couple of times per year for things like Hoogle Zoo, Tracy Aviary, Liberty Park (awesome playground, plus a fun wading area for the kiddies, they even have wi-fi), the huge Salt Lake Library (the architecture alone is worth the drive, super fast glass elevators and a rooftop garden), the fountain at the Gateway, riding escalators, etc.

Every few years, we are bound to do the Tour De Logan, visiting Cox's Honeyland, Gossner's Cheese (free samples, squeaky cheese, and vanilla milk in a box!), Pepperridge Farms Outlet, Willow Park Zoo, The Bluebird for lunch, and, of course, Aggie Ice-Cream. (I just realized that is almost entirely about food . . . hmmm . . . )

We have yet to visit Snow Basin in the summer, but I hear you can ride the tram up the mountain for lunch, and ride, or hike, or bike, back down. For, a not so free (or, relaxing) day, Lagoon has all the rides.

I conclude by asking, could Logan Canyon and Bear Lake possibly be any more breath-taking? Only 2 short hours to the north.

And, last but not least, how lucky is it that a four hour drive to Moab (or, 5-6 hours to another Southern Utah destination) provides such a drastic change of scenery, it's like you've traveled to a whole other land?

Okay, so I'm just a teensy bit excited for summer. And, I love it here.

Summertime in O-Town

Friday, Photoguy and I went out to the Macaroni Grill for some fabulous eats with some of our favorite friends. What made the evening even more special was the fact that we hadn't seen them in 3 1/2 years. It was kind of ironic, because as we got talking about it, we realized that the last time we had been together, it was over a pasta dinner at the Olive Garden in Richmond, Virginia, the night before Photoguy's first marathon. This happy reunion took place over another pasta dinner, this time on the eve of Photoguy's tenth marathon (wahoo Photoguy!).

Seven years ago, our friends moved their family of five little children to Richmond, Virginia for dental school. After four years there, and a few more years working in Colorado, they moved to Salt Lake City a few months ago. Now their oldest is graduating from high school this week, and they've added two more darlings to their family. And, the wonderful news is that their lives have come full circle. They are moving back to O-Town next month!

At the end of the night, I assured my friend that O-Town is much more hip now than it was when they left it all those years ago. "Oh, really?" My friend inquired, "What is fun to do in O-Town these days?"

She probably took my hesitation to mean, "I was just trying to make you feel better. There really isn't anything fun to do in O-Town." When really it meant, "Gee, O-Town is so fabulously awesome that I don't even know where to begin. You should really ask me a question like that at the beginning of the night instead of the end unless you want me to keep you and your seven kids up past midnight." Because, you see, after all these years in my little O-Town, I have become a serious geek about loving it here.

Unfortunately for those of you who have older children, the list you are about to read may be a bit lacking. But, for those who are entertaining a younger crowd, prepare to be amazed by the awesome possibilities. Try not to be too jealous. And, please let me know when you will be visiting so I can help you make the most of your itinerary.

First, we have the old reliables. The places my family always springs for the season pass. Things like, the Children's Treehouse Museum, ranked among the top fifty children's museums in the nation. And, that was even before they moved to their brand new and much improved location a year and a half ago (recommended for children ages 10 and under). We also love our Dinosaur Park. There are cool fossils in the large air-conditioned museum, and life-sized robotic dinos upstairs. Outdoors, it's fun to stroll along paths, examine dozens of gigantic dino replicas, feed the fish and dig for fossils in the sandpit. We always wrap up our visit with playing on the large pre-historic playground by the exit.

Our pass to the dinosaur park includes a bonus because it gets us into the museums at Union Station (and the Nature Center). What could be more fun on a day that is too hot or too cold to be outside than watching miniature trains whiz by on their teeny tracks through itty bitty towns? The kids love it. Plus, they can pull the whistle on an old train and see really old cars too. We don't usually visit the gun museum, but FYI it's upstairs. We use to love looking at the rocks and minerals display, but, I was told they moved that to dinosaur park. Lots of fun at Union Station, plus they have a train show at the beginning of March every year, and it is home to one of our favorite restaurants, Union Grill. Union Station and Historic 25th Street, with it's classy restaurants and First Friday Art Stroll, are within walking distance from our new Frontrunner Station (hooray for Frontrunner in Ogden!).

In the summertime, one thing I really get excited about, and try to go to every Saturday, is the Ogden Farmer's and Art Market. It runs from July 12 - September 27, Saturdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. I try to arrive as early as possible because the yummy, fresh, locally grown produce goes fast. It has everything you could hope for in a Farmer's Market, plus art, crafts and fun homemade soaps and lotions. The kids love to wander around with me, tasting free samples, playing in the rock fountain, or hitting the playground. The nearby amphitheater shows free movies on Monday nights, free concerts on Tuesdays at noon, and this is also a great place to relax in the shade eating tacos from the street vendors any day of the week (conveniently located on Historic 25th Street). Don't leave without checking out the art walls depicting the four seasons. The kids and I also love to hit Great Harvest Bread across the street for sweet treats at a quaint sidewalk table while we feed crumbs to the birds.

In the fall, the Farmer's Market goes out with a bang as all of 25th Street lights up with bands, foods, and activities for the kids at the annual Harvest Moon Festival. It's a great time, as long as we don't get an early blizzard that day :-)

We have lots of great pools, like Lorin Farr Park with it's cheap prices and thrilling rampage slides. Just a short drive to North Ogden provides a brand new state of the art aquatic center, North Shore, with slides and all kinds of aquatic playground equipment. If it's lake water you crave, Pineview Resevior is a short drive up scenic Ogden Canyon, perfect for swimming, playing in the sand, or waterskiing.

In Ogden Canyon itself, it's fun to stop at The Oaks restaurant for Farr's ice-cream and eat it on the shady patio with the kids. You can even spot hummingbirds at the bird feeders. Other ice-cream shops we love are Johnny's Dairy (feed the cows out back with the kiddies) and Pop's Malt Shop (a blast back to the 50's, and super friendly owners), both in North Ogden. Also out that way, Zeppe's Italian Water Ice is the best Italian ice-cream and shaved ice I've tasted on the American continent. Try black cherry ice with chocolate or mango ice with vanilla.

Also just up Ogden Canyon, in Ogden Valley's Eden, we like to see the sky filled with floating colors at the balloon festival every August (the 15-17 this year). And, at Carver's Cove the kiddies can feed farm animals and ride a pony for $7, Wed-Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Try to pick a cool summer day as the shade is limited. We also enjoy the Weber County Fair in August for farm animals and can always find a way to get free entry.

Blogger is starting to do weird things. I think that is my sign that this post is getting way too long with too many links. I'm nowhere near finished. Just getting started.

The brand new Salomon Center provides bowling, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, indoor rock-climbing, simulated surfing and (don't waste your money on this one) simulated sky diving. There are plenty of restaurants nearby (Sonora Grill for upscale Mexican and a ceviche bar, Iggy's Sports Bar for yummy eats, or the more casual Costa Vida and Pizza Factory right inside the Salomon Center) and a gigantic megaplex across the street. Go early for rock climbing because your wristband is good for the entire day.

We love free stuff, and the Weber County Library has been one of our greatest sources of free entertainment over the years. They have a delightful summer reading program, free family fun activity nights, and lots of cool extras, like, one time, I signed my kids up to read books to trained dogs. We love the children's corner with toys, games, puzzles and computers. And, my kids were all raised on the Tuesday morning Discovery Times with stories, songs, games and lots of bubbles.

Peery's Egyptian Theater puts on so many great events like live performances, Sundance Filmfest flicks, and sometimes they show free kid's movies on Saturdays. Ogden Blue, a great art store on 25th Street offers awesome (but pricey) art classes for kids over five and adults. Sometimes they do free art classes on Saturdays.

Whew! You can see why that wouldn't have been a short answer. This isn't even a comprehensive list, and I'm only talking about summer! Oh, I cannot end without mentioning the fabulous mom and tot hiking club I've been trekking with since Sophie was just a few weeks old. Every Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. a group of moms hits one of the nearby trails for good times with our kids in tow. If anyone is interested, contact me for more details. I'd better stop here. Have a fantastic summer!

Goodbye Grandma

My grandma (father's mother) passed away last week, and we went to Boise, Idaho for the funeral today. It was nice to see my extended family and it was a lovely service.

During the viewing, there was a video with pictures of my grandma. As I watched scenes from her life I was thinking that I never realized how truly beautiful she was. I mean, movie star gorgeous, when she was younger. I've only known her as the mother of nine grown children and 40+ grandchildren. But, as I looked at her photos as a young mother, I saw a sparkle in her eyes and a real grace and high cheek-bone beauty.

In one of her tributes, I learned that she aspired to be a professional singer and guitar player when she was younger. Word is that she had the talent and a very out-going personality to boot. The grandma I knew was quiet and reserved and sweetness to the core. Every time people went to her house, she spread out a feast. I knew she had taught several of her children to play guitar and I grew up with my dad and uncles strumming out tunes around a campfire while the hoards of cousins sang along.

My grandma spent a good portion of her life raising nine children on a farm in Glenn's Ferry, Idaho. She faced many challenges and hardships with courage and optimism. I feel grateful to have had her in my life.

At the graveside, four baskets of doves were released. I've never seen that done before and it was a very nice touch.

Can't We All Just Get Along?

For Christmas, I gave Soph and E-Man "Be" boards. You know, "Be Grateful, Be Smart, Be Involved, Be Clean, Be True, Be Positive, Be Humble, Be Still, Be Prayerful," from Gordon B. Hinckley's book "Way To Be!"

I bought the book for Soph in March and I've been reading it with the kids. I love it! It has some really, really great stuff. We just finished reading the chapter "Be Positive," and, I was touched by several thoughts.

He starts off by talking about commentators in the news media and pointing out how they often present a negative attitude. "They feed us a steady and sour diet of character assassination, faultfinding, and evil speaking . . . They constantly criticize and seldom praise."

I found this to be true when I was working for Senator Hatch. No matter how genuinely good of a person he was or how many great things he did, all I ever heard on the news were sound bites and criticism.

I am currently good friends with the Mayor of Ogden and his family. I know that their family has made deep personal sacrifices for the betterment of Ogden. He left a job that paid more money (than being Mayor) and he has repeatedly turned down annual raises in his 8-years in office. No one can ever say he did it for the money. He works long hours and stands up for what he believes to be right. He has done an incredible amount of good for our city, yet, the criticism and slander is never-ending. No one can say he did it for the glory. If I only knew him from the portrayal he gets in the media, I wouldn't think much of him. But, knowing him personally, he and his family are outstanding people.

I remember learning in a relief society lesson a few years ago that we should be careful about being negative and criticizing, even if it is about our political leaders, because this kind of negativity can spill into other facets of our lives. That was an interesting idea to me.

Hinckley goes on to say, "Yes, from time to time some of our leaders disappoint us. But there are many men and women serving with honor and integrity. This spirit of animosity has infected all of us to a certain degree . . . faultfinding, evil speaking, and criticizing each other as we comment on each other's lives and choices -- these are the spirit of our day, I am sorry to say."

"I am not suggesting that all criticism be silenced . . . But I am suggesting that we look for the great good among those with whom we associate and live, that we speak of one another's virtues and positive qualities more than we speak of one another's faults, that optimism replace pessimism, and that our faith exceed our fears."

"I would like to suggest that we stop seeking out the storms of life and enjoy the sunlight. I am suggesting that we 'accentuate the positive'."

I will try to refrain from typing the whole chapter word for word here. It will suffice to say that I found it very up-lifting.

And, since this is my blog, I would also like to add that I am troubled by all of the negativity I keep hearing about the Olympics in China. Do we have nothing better to do than fault-find and criticize with that one?

The other day, Brian received a disturbing e-mail forward called "How to make an Olympic logo," in which a person was assassinated leaving a body mark on a white wall surrounded by red blood (an exact replica of the Beijing 2008 logo). Incredibly poor taste.

Would it be so bad to find the good in the Olympics being held in China? Would it be so hard to compliment China on all of their progress in recent years? They are becoming more open and more economically viable. Their people are enjoying a higher standard of living than ever before. Do we really know that Communism hasn't been the best form of government to meet their population's unique needs? Do we even know what we mean when we say "Free Tibet"? Have any of those banner holders even done their history homework?

Would it be so hard to spread goodwill and brotherhood to a country that is currently pretty unhappy with us instead of talking about a ridiculous boycott? Would it be so much to ask to make this an opportunity to improve our relationship with China rather than cause further damage? Do we really think we can accomplish more by bad mouthing them?

The other day, I received this quote from a friend, "Be nice to people on the way up. You might need them on the way down." I'm not saying this is the only reason to be nice to China and/or other countries, or, that America is on its way down. But, we may not always be as invincible as we think we are. A little something to think about.

Health Insurance

Photoguy and I were shopping around for individual health insurance plans today. It felt pretty overwhelming since there are SO many things to consider. In the end, we found two plans that seemed pretty good. They are with IHC, which I guess is now called Select Health, or Select Med or something other than IHC. One plan is $200/month (for Photoguy and I), and it basically doesn't cover anything until we meet the $500 per person deductible. Oh, and there is a separate prescription deductible in addition to that.

Then, there is another plan that costs $240 per month, and it also has a $500 deductible, but, if we just have to go to the Dr. for an annual check-up or because we are sick, we only have to pay a $15 co-pay. The deductible is just for all the extra stuff like surgeries or broken bones or emergency room visits.

The logical part of me is reasoning that we should go with the $200 per month plan. Because, really, Photoguy and I are blessed to be very healthy (knock on wood) for the most part. It's pretty rare that we really need to go to the Dr. So, paying the extra $40 per month, or $480 per year, is probably more than we would just spend on the occasional Dr. visit, unless something really catastrophic happened, in which case we would end up paying the whole $500 deductible anyways.

But, the emotional part of me is like, "What? I'm paying $200 per month and I still have to basically pay for every single Dr. visit and prescription out of pocket anyways?" It just doesn't feel right. Like, I should get something out of it. I don't know . . . maybe one free gyno check-up, or a discount at the chiropractor, or, something. I kind of want the more expensive plan so I don't feel like it's such a rip-off.

One Way to Solve a Problem

E-Man really loves numbers. One of his favorite things to do is count the change in his piggy bank. He has a half-dollar coin, which we've told him to save because it's kind of special. The other day, he was trying to give it away to his friend. She was kind enough to decline. But, today, when he was counting the money and saw the coin, he again declared his wish to give it away.

"E-Man why do you want to give that away?" I asked.

"It's a problem for me," he said.

"Why is it a problem?"

"Well, I want to spend it, but I also don't want to spend it. It's a problem for me. I just want to give it away so it won't be a problem anymore."

Interesting.

My Easy Job

The following is a re-creation of a conversation between Soph and I a few minutes ago.

S: Mommy, Heidi has a big job.
M: Yes, she does. Why do you say that?
S: She is a lawyer. It's a really big job. And, you have a small job.
M: Well, when you grow up, do you think you would like to have a big job like a lawyer, or a small job like a mommy.
S: I want a small job like yours.
M: Why is that?
S: Because it is fun.
M: Yes, it is fun.
S: And, it's really easy. Your job is easy, but Heidi's job is hard. And, Daddy's job is hard too.

Note: I babysit Heidi's three kids, 7, 5 and 2, while she goes to work.

M: Pah-Haw-Haw-Haw-Ha! That is so hilarious! Honey, I hope you will give me a call someday when you are a mommy with three little kids, babysitting three more little kids (and, maybe even on a day like last Friday when we had eleven little kids), and especially if you are trying to work from home while taking care of all those little kids and tell me all about your 'small,' 'fun,' 'easy' job!

**This kind of reminds me of the time when she was 3 and E-Man was 2 and she begged me incessantly to drive all the way to Wal-Mart and haul them both inside just so she could get a gum ball (I had started to let them buy a gum ball at the end of shopping trips, but she wanted me to make a special trip, and, it was probably even E-Man's naptime). "Mommy!" She cried at me. "I will always take my kids to get gum balls anytime they want!" Well . . . we'll see about that.

The Critical Eye

As I mentioned in my last post, Photoguy and I have put a lot into our home over the past 8 1/2 years. And, we love it. It's more than just four walls to us. It's all of our memories and it's right in the neighborhood we love.

It's interesting how putting your home up for sale can cause you to cast a critical eye. One day, I'm loving my home. The next day I'm thinking, "We need a new front door, a different color of exterior paint and forget the fascia, it needs to be completely replaced. When did our brick start looking so crummy? Why is our yard mostly dead? Our garage needs to be blown up with a stick of dynamite and completely replaced." And, then there are all of the dings in the walls and typical wear and tear around the house that come with living in it. Suddenly, I see every stain and blemish.

Today, Photoguy and I discussed whether or not installing a dishwasher would help us sell. Because, even though we've never had one, I think lots of people no longer consider them an optional appliance.

"You know what this kitchen really needs?" Photoguy asked. "It needs all new lighting. Yeah, recessed can lighting would brighten it up." He went on.

I disagreed. While the new lighting would be nice, I countered that it really needed a fresh coat of paint on the cabinets. A friend came over and suggested that we paint the walls (in the kitchen) a different color. And, as long as we're getting a new dishwasher, why not a new fridge and stove too?

So, in five minutes, I went from loving my kitchen to realizing that it is the worst kitchen in the world. Why would anyone ever want this kitchen. It's awful! The appliances are so yesterday's model, the cabinets are dingy, and the lighting -- !? --.

Selling a home is such an emotional process. I have to just believe that the right family for our house is out there somewhere. Either they will buy our house and we will get the one down the street, or, we'll stay and get to enjoy all the little fix-up jobs we've done trying to sell.