What's in a Name?

Let me preface by saying that as a child, I named EVERYTHING! I grew up on a farm with many, many, MANY animals...each of which had a name. The fish had names....the chickens had names....random birds in trees had names. Need less to say, every toy that I touched was given a name.
My daughter names nothing. Well, I suppose that's not quite fair. She does name things. Her names are just a bit more...generic? For example:



white kitten

purple puppy

yellow duck

pink pig

do we see the trend??
So imagine my surprise/delight when Suzy decided to name her new baby doll that she bought at the dollar store yesterday. (Note: I am glad that she didn't catch on to the name I was using, which was Quasimodo--this doll is kinda funny looking). I had fully expected this baby to be called "Green Baby" or even just "Baby" but Suzy has decided to give her baby a REAL name. I am pleased to present to you.....


BABY BELLA!!!!

It's moment's like these that make parenthood so miraculous.

Marvelous March Recap

#1- Baby Nathan is on the move!! He is CRAWLING!
#2- Gavin is in his 4th season of soccer- team U7 Germany!
#3- Caeden is registered for KINDERGARTEN!!!!
#4- Mike won a sales contest at work...including a really kicking prize! :)
#5- Suzy was picked several times for being reverent in Primary (yes, Primary, not nursery...but PRIMARY)!!
#6- New Moon was released (sorry, had to include it)!
#7- Awesome visit from the Perkins!
#8- Amy and Andrew had their baby!!! Welcome Violet!

**now it's your turn!! leave a comment with exciting things that happened for you this month! terri...i know you have one!!! ;)

A Video for Grandma

Yoga Baby!

My baby may not be able to crawl...but he can do an awesome downward dog!

Next Project: The Reinvention of the Grocery Store

Item number one: the new and improved grocery cart. You know it had to be a man who created our standard grocery cart...a woman would have made solid bottoms so that nail polish and eye shadows wouldn't fall out of the holes. My grocery cart will have a solid bottom. The biggest changes will be wrought in the child-friendly carts. Most of the ones you see today have the little car on the front with two seats.This is insufficient. While my store will continue to have the standard car version, we will also carry a modified version which will have a little mini-van on the front which will accommodate four children instead of two. In addition, the size of the basket will be increased (deeper and wider)because seriously, if I have enough kids to negate a cart of this size, what are the chances that I only need a small basket's worth of groceries?? Anytime I go to the store I end up with groceries stacked on top of the little car, hanging out the sides of the basket and stuffed up underneath...but no more! Space will abound in my new grocery-cart masterpiece. And finally, the piece de resistance...the decontamination chamber. All carts must drive through it between each use so as to keep them sanitary and sparkling.
Item number two: the isles. Gone are the days of bumping into multiple poorly-placed display stands. The isles will be wider (3 carts wide to be exact which will be much needed with our new family-friendly carts) and clear of displays. It will also involve a two-way traffic system with a passing lane in the middle.
Item number three: the layout. Why is it that produce and bakery reside on one end and then the frozen foods are on the opposite end. If you get your frozen foods first then they are thawing by the time you reach the fresh goods. If you get your fresh foods first they will be smooshed by canned goods and cereal before you can get to the frozens. So in my superbly set up grocery store, we will have the bakery and fresh produce next to the frozen foods....thus eliminating the dilemma that faces every well-meaning shopper.
We shall call it "The Store of Wonders".

I Could TOTALLY Survive.....

...a Lifetime suspense movie.
Now I am a self-proclaimed wimp. In fact, I consider myself to be a prime specimen of "fraidy cat". I have always thought that if anyone ever broke into my home or chased me down I would pretty much just curl up and cry. I'm not even sure I'd beg. I think I'd just cry. Of course, if my children were in the house this would change things....but I digress.
So, today, while home with sick kids, I was watching a movie on Lifetime. I can't remember the name of it...which speaks volumes for its calibre. But I noticed a few things...probably the key reasons why people in these movies always get themselves killed. It's almost hard to feel sorry for them when they are that thick. So I have decided that even I, the fraidy cat, could survive a Lifetime movie for the following reasons:
1. They never call the police. They always try but the line is cut. Seriously? It's 2010. You can probably text or tweet 911.
2. They continue to put themselves in the worst possible situations. If someone has been stalking/harassing/attacking you...how's about not getting in the car with them? Or maybe you shouldn't be staying home ALONE..or at all...I'm thinking that the Marriott is looking all sorts of wonderful right about now.
3. They always grab a kitchen knife. Why? IF they don't drop it, they get it taken away. Why don't you just gift wrap it and hand it to the intruder? For proper home security I suggest long distance weapons, you know, ones that don't require me to be inches from the killer but hey, that's just me. If you are against guns then try a moat...with crocodiles...and maybe a barbed wire fence.
All in all, I would say my chances are good. Lifetime perpetrators beware.

I'm Getting Published!

I know, I'm shocked too! Who would have thought that someone would actually want to print my writing! I tell you what though, I sure am thanking my lucky stars for this opportunity! :)
In all seriousness, I am so excited! I have enjoyed writing all my life. In fact, I still remember my very first work, written (by hand I might add) at the tender age of eight. It was a fiction work entitled, "Twister" and came in at a whopping thirteen pages of note book paper.....not too shabby for a third grader, if I do say so myself. I even tied them together with yarn and drew a picture for the cover.
From that time I continued to write, winning two creative writing awards in school and having a few pieces printed in the school's literary magazine. That was about the extent of my writing achievement.....UNTIL NOW!
A few months back I submitted an essay to a magazine called "The Motherhood Muse". http://www.themotherhoodmuse.com/
I am pleased to announce that my essay, "Lessons from Lamb's Ears" will be featured in their spring edition, debuting in April 2010.
I will make sure to post links when it comes out. Until then, join me in a small happy dance?? :)