Religious Education

I've had a good day today. We were on time for church today even with me having to make a dish for the linger longer ( I made vegetable bow tie pasta), and finish up the Relief Society newsletter. One of the fun things about living in a tourist town is that we get a huge influx of visitors on holiday weekends. The visitors today literally doubled the size of our congregation. And we had all planned ahead so as to be able to feed them all at our linger longer. I love visitors. My primary class of five grew to twenty-one--and they were all really well behaved. Our lesson was on Moses receiving the ten commandments, so I felt it appropriate to end our lesson with an outdoor game of Simon Says. Loose tie-in, I realize. But still...
Speaking of my class--a couple weeks ago, our lesson was about Joseph and Potiphar's wife. We discussed how Joseph set a good example for us by fleeing a bad situation. I asked my kids if any of them could remember a time when they were in a bad situation where they had the feeling they should leave. Samantha quickly raised her hand and shared with us a time when she was with a friend who wanted to kill a caterpillar. Samantha told how she shouted, "No! Don't do it!" and then ran quickly away. Then she added, "Actually, I galloped away because we were playing the horse game." Oh, man. I love that girl. Let's just hope killing caterpillars is the worst temptation she'll have to face.
And I wore pantie liners in my shirt again--cute lime green shirt, but we all know what happens to a cute lime green shirt when it gets wet. It turns dark green. No good. So I wore pantie liners and a navy blue cardigan. You know what color navy blue turns when it gets wet? Navy Blue.
O.K. For anyone who's interested, I'm willing to let you in on the business opportunity of a lifetime. I have the most amazing idea. I'm in the process of designing armpit liners. They will be skin colored and will be for the purpose of preventing sweat rings when someone is perspiring. Brilliant, right? I mean, if we have diapers for old people, and medication for over-active bladders, and girdles to hold in our bulges, the world is definitely ready for some legitimate confidence protection. The pantie liners just aren't cutting it. They are made for panties, after all. So I'm working on my prototype. Brian has suggested using mole-skin. He's so smart. But anyway...I'm in need of a business partner who would be good at the whole advertising/patent part of it all. I'm thinking we'll start by calling all the deodorant and adult diaper companies--maybe even some sports product companies--to pitch the idea and then offer to sell them the patent. What do you think? I figure that none of you can try to steal my idea because this is being eternally recorded on the world wide web. It will be easy to prove who thought of it first. So...anyone specializing in marketing out there? I'll be willing to split the millions with you 70/30 or maybe even 60/40 if you're really good. So let me know.

Other than that...I read an article recently which encouraged parents to teach their children to value and respect other religions. I think that's really important, so tonight we're watching Nacho Libre. Nachoooooooooo!!!!

Flat Chested

Last weekend, the Lintons treated Brian and me to an overnighter in Portland. We went to the temple (the purpose of our trip), out to eat, enjoyed a handful of Sees Chocolates (Brian likes the vanilla and maple creams and the caramel squares and I like all the ones with nuts and caramel and the California Brittle), went to Jamba Juice and topped all the fun off with a trip to IKEA. Up till now, I haven't been a huge IKEA fan (although I've gotta say that the organizational stuff totally excites me) but this time around, I saw like a hundred things that I want. My birthday and Christmas lists have begun...

You may be wondering why I am wearing my dress backwards in the picture below. Oh, no. I'm not. It just looks that way because I am so incredibly flat chested these days. Sad, I know.

Happy Mothers' Day

Aunt Flo

You know what? I've come to realize that PMS totally turns me into a crazy person. And I don't know if it has just gotten tons worse as I've gotten older or if it is just more noticeable now because of the husband and three kids that have been added to the equation. Whatever the case, I feel sorry my kids and Brian have to live with me on or around the 24th thru the 27th of every month. You know that last little (or huge, rather) episode I had with Camp? Well, it should come as no surprise that it occurred during the afore mentioned time period. Bummer. And it's not like none of it would have happened had I not been menstruating--it's just that I likely would have been able to deal with it a whole lot better. It's like I totally lose my ability to cope every time I'm starting my cycle again. You know what I mean? It's seriously crazy. Earlier this week, I commented to Brian that he should just move out for a few days of every month while I cry myself back to normalcy. His reply surprised me: "I do." Waaaiiitttt a minute! I sat thinking for a few seconds and then realized--- Brian had spent several of the previous evenings (and even through the night) working at his shop....Oh, my heavens! Would I really be able to match all of the nights Brian has spent at the shop over the last few years with days that I've been on my period?! Crazy! Smart man, I tell you. Smart man. But anyway.... I just wish knowing what PMS does to me could stop it from happening. You know?

Anyway...( I think I now say anyway as much as I said like when I was 14)... I'll just tell you a few fun things that have happened lately and then I'll leave you with a bunch of pictures before saying good-night.
I did have such a wonderful time having some of my family here. They got to go with us to Camp's soccer game and we went to the dunes and enjoyed eating and talking together. On the Friday night that they were here, we were totally bummed because our TV wasn't working (don't ask), so we all huddled around my mom's laptop and watched 20/20 (with the beautiful Elizabeth Vargas) online. Do all of you already know that my LITTLE sister Audge is a JUNIOR at BYU and Sethy is leaving for his mission to Mexico in June? Crazy, I know. I'm afraid my kids might have run them all ragged, but I sure hope they come back soon anyway...
And remember how I told you a while back about how Camp got that nice little note in the mail from the Primary President asking him to give the scripture and prayer? And remember his response? Well, just to illustrate how different two kids from the same family can be, let me tell you how Jane reacted when she got a little note in the mail. She was absolutely delighted! She was beaming as I opened the butterfly-covered card and read the message inside: Jane, would you like to be the 'reverent child' this Sunday? Oh, my heavens. Jane was so excited. She took the card inside and told Camp, "Camp! I get to be the reverent cgnild (Jane's nasally pronunciation of child)!" And then she proceeded to color the rest of the card and cut out the figures and tape them to the hallway wall. She's darling, I tell ya. And she's always a dang good reverent child.
And it's so funny because once in a while Danin will throw a fit over something little, but she's always quick to follow it up with a reassuring, "Mom, I just was faken" and then a forced little laugh. And she's taken to pooping in our back yard. Sick! I tell her that pooping in the yard is for dogs, not for little girls--and there's a reason we don't have a dog--(lots of them, actually.) I'm sure it's just a phase, though, and as long as it's always a pretty clean break, I guess I can deal with it.
And while Camp is not busy sneaking matches to melt empty water bottles in the garage, attempting to break down his locked bedroom door, or trying to counterfeit twenty-dollar bills in order to send one to Collin, he does do things that are pretty endearing. He loves to catch and care for caterpillars and lizards, for example, and he is super good with the toddlers I babysit occasionally, and it's not at all uncommon for me to go in to check on him after he's gone to sleep at night only to find him sleeping in some kind of crazy contraption. (You can't even see him in this first picture.)















I really am lucky to be a mother.













P.S. I can't believe I never even posted anything about Easter! The kids had a great time and the outfits Becky made them are the cutest ones yet! Oh, I'm so lucky to never have to worry about Easter outfits!