It's Because I Do Care About What Teeth Look Like

1-800-CLEARCHOICE, it's me, Jack-boy...how much would it cost to restore my vain mother's request for front teeth?

Jack slipped while jumping off the bathroom stool on Sunday afternoon. He hit the tile face-first. The impact completely dislodged the tooth and most of the root structure. It tore apart his gums, crushed the roots of the other front tooth (yeah, it will probably have to be removed as well), and created some hairline fractures in his facial/jaw bones.

It was a horrible experience. He is feeling much happier today. He is eating food and was a very brave boy at the dentist. I was incredibly relieved that they didn't have to stitch his gums. It is already starting to look so much better. Dr. D said that his gum fractures will heal and shouldn't leave any permanent damage. We have scheduled a tooth extraction for the other front tooth in a few weeks when the swelling won't be so bad. Yeah, I had some tears about that...

So stupid, but I feel like losing teeth should be a right of passage rather than a violent accident.

Tonight the tooth fairy will come and leave him a dollar....and then I can pretty much guarantee that she will cry for the very same thing.

Power of Moms Retreat

Last Saturday I attended the "Power of Moms" retreat in Park City. I have been watching this website/project for the past year. I really like the idea of learning from other moms. Even more, I like the concept of creating a completely honest environment about the ups and downs of motherhood. So, in a decidedly deliberate move to really see what this is all about--and explore the potential for creating my own "learning circle," I went.

Post reflection I've come to this simple truth: I pride myself on learning about a variety of things. I don't shy away from trying new projects, potentials or philosophies. I went to this to learn something that I could share with other women and the cold hard reality is that I don't have a CLUE about real parenting technique. I realize and admit (a little unwillingly) that VERY little of what I do (in motherhood) is deliberate and serves a designated purpose. Why not? Well, it's simple, because frankly I never considered it before.

As a Mormon woman, you would think that I would have put all of this together in my mind. I mean, we have family prayer, family home evening, we plan for discussions about pornography and chastity--we are obviously not doing "nothing"--but I'm not sure that we're really doing "something" either. And you know what? I think that most women are like me.

During conversation with Jeff regarding "why doesn't the church have professional development for women? We should be talking more about strategies and intention!" Jeff reminded me that this is probably because if the church came out with something really specific that eventually you would have "those kind of people" who start to judge everyone who "isn't using the church strategies for family-raisin'"--and he's right because there really isn't a right or a wrong way to raise a family--

BUT--what about people like me who can do everything from knit a sweater to neuter a tom cat--but we just didn't get the memo about good parenting? It doesn't make me a bad mom. No. It doesn't. I've read books about parenting. Hey, I can actually quote passages from BabyWise--I'm talking about strategies like sitting down with your spouse and asking "who and what do we want our children to become" and then actually setting goals based upon obtaining that outcome. As an educator I am constantly hounding the fact that we want students to "see the big picture"--because the big picture allows them to make a conscientious choice, which is exactly what I want for my family. I'm not confident that you can really get there without a plan. An honest to goodness, write the bloody thing down, kind of plan.

Here are some of the things discussed that I will continue to think about:

1) Motherhood should be deliberate. Start with the end in mind.

2) We need margins and space in our lives. White space on a page is pleasant to the eye--white space doesn't mean that we are lazy. I need to leave space, but be more careful about what I let seep into those spaces and margins.

3) Serendipity: The state of mind whereby a person through awareness and sensitivity frequently finds something better than what he was seeking. I do not have to define myself as either a structured or spontaneous person--serendipity allows me to find a little bit of both.

4) What IS our family motto? What values do I most want my children to identify with?

I want my kids to: work hard/manage resources; behave; and have a strong sense of identity and belonging.

5) Spectacular achievement is preceded by unspectacular preparation.

6) There is no growth in the comfort zone.

7) Our family traditions should reflect our motto, values, and what we want our kids to become.

Lastly, I feel grateful for a bit of new enlightenment.

Being a mom is wonderful, but it can also be overwhelmingly difficult, emotional, and at times even a bitter disappointment and place of frustration. I love that quote by Eleanor Roosevelt who stated, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." I truly believe that the learning circles created by these women at "Power of Moms" are inspired by God. We have to be able to teach what we know, understand, AND feel to each other. It's the only way we are going to be able to get through it.

Unbroken

I know that not all of you are on Goodreads.com--so I am posting this to the blog to make sure that you don't miss this incredible book. I give it 5 stars. Here is my review:

MUST READ! This is clearly a well-researched and extremely well-written book. Hillenbrand created a vivid picture of each character which made this book equally heartbreaking and gut-wrenching, but ultimately a book that will forever change your view of Pacific airmen.

I couldn't stop thinking about how little I ever asked my own grandfather about his experiences as a pilot. I also wish that I knew which kind of plane he flew (cousins, please email me if you know). Absolutely fascinating. Miraculous that anyone survived--and in the end I do believe that God did spare many of their lives (in more than just physical ways).

And the sharks. I just simply cannot imagine the intensity of the sharks. I am not over it. I wish that I had someone to gape with regarding the sharks! not.over.it.

I am also unresolved regarding the final outcome of many of the Japanese POW officers. I will save my comments for the book club, but this will require some personal resolution....also, the atomic bomb. Devastating, but by the time the war is over--after reading this perspective--I will never view such a drastic end in such a critical way. I cried in this section of the book out of sheer relief for those prisoners. I was so grateful for the shocking destruction.

This should be required reading for humanity's sake.

Spring Break 2011

I've thought a lot this past weekend about what makes me happy and what has given me the happiest memories. Few moments of happiness in my life compare to the years I spent in college--I can honestly say, without a doubt that I would do it all over in a heartbeat. No question. I've also realized that so few women really get the opportunity to be so unbelievably satisfied with that period of their lives. Sure, I always wonder why in the world I never signed up for study abroad, or why I never minored in voice, or took a photography class....what I'm talking about are the big chunks of your thought, time, energy and sense of place and belonging AND those things--those special places will always belong to the Olsen sisters (all of them), Becca, Taggart, Elvis's Blue Christmas, Martha Stewart paper lanterns, whopper (no meat), Petersen, Cousin Wil (the time he tipped the bike over in the front room and we laughed until we peed our pants!), Adam & Casey, weekend road trips to Montana, fajita night, Cheryl Wheeler concerts with Barnett, dance party in the front room window, secret notes, Annie Oakley, Jesse James, so. much. singing....

and Spring Break. You know the one. Best. Spring. Break. Ever.

And I love it even more because after almost 15 years it still makes me overwhelmingly happy.

Oh, so happy.

The days are long, but the years are short.

The more I realize it, the more I ache to make myself remember all of it. The good and the bad. The new and the old.
Same place, but the only screams and chasing were from Jack and Kiki playing dinosaurs.
Jack's super sexy pose. I've had to stop saying it, though, because he's too into it.
This...is my favorite picture from the whole trip. Notice the total lack of concern on Becca's face as she casually grabs the shirt collar of the "she-devil"? Yup. 30-foot drop a mere centimeter away... you bet, got it covered.
They look so thoughtful and kind.

[below is a special coded message just for Bruce, from Lola]

"There's this white guy that does wild crack...and he smells really bad!"



I loved these two shots.

...we left early Sunday morning because of a snowstorm.
I love this lady. l.o.v.e. u.

End of the Season

Waiting for Jeff to get back with the lunch and watching the "Skim Pond" competition. It wasn't very exciting this year.
It's always more fun to try to get Jack to look at the camera. He isn't known for multitasking.
Lachlan's turns are getting so tight. She can cut through the trees with me if it is tracked out.
I always have a bittersweet feeling about the last ski day of the season. It is hard to see it go, but I am so weary of the cold weather. I have to say that it felt so wonderful to have a regular ski day this year. I loved seeing the progress that we are all making together--at least in terms of how we can keep up with Jeff.

Pot O' Gold

With the dawning of St. Patrick's Day I just couldn't take one more question about leprechauns. Lachlan is obsessed with leprechauns. I had drawn pictures, re-enacted leprechauns hiding and dancing, told stories about their pointy ears and long creepy fingers, decorated the house and delivered golden coins. And STILL, it wasn't enough! She wanted to see, hold, feel and ultimately, capture her own leprechaun.

I finally said, okay, I know where some hide out.

At first dam.

And, truthfully, I have seen some very troll-like individuals hanging out there in the early spring sunshine.

So I bought a couple of Happy Meals and gave them a big "leprechaun-catching" net.

We came home empty-handed, but no one got eaten by a goose and we were not accosted by the troll people.

The End.

Valentine's Cake

Buntings are all the rage on craft blogs. It was inevitable that I would give in to the madness. This is Sara's birthday cake. It was so easy.
I love cake.

Truth and Wisdom Can Stand By Themselves

Would you like to read something that I really believe? Of course you would. This is an article from today's Mormon Times. All I have to add is, amen.

Last Sunday night, a breath of fresh air blew through the Brigham City 5th Ward. A professional consultant, Karen C. Eddington, showed up at "New Beginnings" to speak to the young women about self-worth.

At one point, she asked the girls if they'd accept a $100 bill if she offered it.

Yes, they said.

"What if I wadded the bill up, tossed it on the ground and called it names?" she asked. "Would you still want it?"

Of course, they said.

She used the example to teach that our true worth has nothing to do with outward appearance or what other people say.

It was just one telling moment in an evening of telling moments.

Eddington also said she's often been forced to wear two hats in life. In the secular world, she's a "motivational speaker," but with LDS groups she's a religious speaker. Yet, she said, everything she says at seminars in the world can be found in the gospel message. She just doesn't present it that way.

I've thought about that several times since.

How often do we reject wise counsel simply because we are biased against the source?

We tune out people we don't want to hear.

When our parents, spouses or friends give us advice, we often reject it out of hand. But if we get the same advice in a new bestseller, we often lap it up.

If I were to say, "George Washington once said … ," many people would take whatever words that followed completely to heart.

But if I were then to say, "Wait. It wasn't George Washington who said it. It was Harry Reid," those same people would quickly blot the comment from their minds.

When LDS apostles speak of moderation, members of other faiths often tune them out. But when similar thoughts show up in some sacred text — say, the "Tao Te Ching" — those people will quickly stoop and sip from the great fountain of knowledge.

I think we're all guilty of such bias.

We often care more about the source than what is being said.

When PBS aired a documentary on the Mormons some time back, I was amused by how many people complained that the filmmaker didn't distinguish between the devout LDS historians and the secular historians who were being interviewed. Apparently, a lot of viewers felt incapable of listening to what was said and deciding if it made sense. They were more concerned about the source of the comments than the comments themselves.

To me, that's a little like wringing our hands and wondering if the author of a hymn is LDS or not. Either the hymn resonates with our spirits or it doesn't. And the fact that half the hymns we sing in the church were written by members of other faiths shows we are, indeed, capable of making such distinctions when we care to do it.

All it takes is an open heart and an attentive ear.

Truth and wisdom can stand by themselves.

As for Karen Eddington, I wish her well in her quest to help young girls see through the masks and ruses of the world — whether she's speaking to LDS Church groups or others.

She is a wise person with wise things to say.

And I'm pretty sure I'd feel the same way, even if I found out that instead of saying she was a "Mormon," she actually said she was a "Martian."

The Year of the Rabbit

February 3rd started the Year of the Rabbit for the Lunar New Year. I felt like I just took the Christmas decorations down, so I didn't decorate like I did last year. We did have lettuce wraps and dumplings for dinner. It's always a big hit with the kids.

I'm a rabbit so I'm hoping that this is a good year for me.


Lachlan eating a lettuce wrap. I'm so disgusted with the quality of these pictures. I was too lazy to go change the lens...they were very dark...so now they are lighter, but funky colored and grainy. gee.
Jack puts it in a piece of lettuce, but only eats the meat out of it--repeatedly out of the same leaf. He also only eats the middle of the dumpling. He, quote, "can't eat the skin." When it is phrased like that--yuck, who can?
We also made rabbits and wore our rabbit ears. Thank you Family Fun website.
Lachlan is getting very accurate with her cutting. It scares the $#%@ out of me. She's got a little "serial killer" in her lately.
This picture makes them look so fun. ha.ha.ha. Those rabbits are capable of jumping from one side of the living room to the other. They can also spin and dance. I know. I've seen it.
It took us about 20 different pictures to get one that wasn't ridiculous. BTW, I love that gigantic eye that Jack glued on his rabbit. I got the giggles watching him stick it on--then I noticed that Jeff put a huge eye on his rabbit too! I am such a traditionalist sometimes....ugh. A rabbit with a huge eye is surely genetically superior! What was I thinking?