Just for fun

Tag This!

So...I have never been tagged, but I have always secretly wanted to be. This is much like how I've never been in a book club but have always secretly wanted to be. At least I can now check "get tagged" off of my list of wishes. Thanks, Robyn!

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Looking for love at BYU's (erstwhile) Deseret Towers (unrequited, as it turns out)
2. Waiting patiently for the first Sunday of the month so I could eat my weight in Chicken Cordon Bleu and fried shrimp at the Morris Center cafeteria (if you'd been there, you would understand)
3. Exploring the marvels of cutting-edge technology, such as instant messaging and email.
4. Learning to walk in snow.
5. Becoming myself.

5 things on my list of things to do today:
1. Draft a solution to our current economic crisis.
2. Crochet seven bandages for overseas lepers.
3. Organize a sit-in to protest the pernicious purchase-tracking systems of national grocery stores with their "preferred member pricing."
4. Write a chapter of the great American novel.
5. Take care of my house and kids and stuff.


5 snacks I enjoy:
1. animal crackers
2. string cheese
3. clementine oranges
4. tortillas
5. yogurt


5 things I'd do if I became a millionaire:
1. Buy a house and pay off the mortgages of my immediate family.
2. Oust Rudy Maxa and become the new host of "Rudy Maxa's World."
3. Change the name of "Rudy Maxa's World" to reflect the identity of the new host.
4. Buy a lake house.
5. Buy commercial paper.


5 places I've lived
1. My mother's womb.
2. Stockton, CA
3. Bozeman, MT
4. S-Y, NY
5. Fresno, CA

5 jobs I've had
1. Gate guard at a community swimming pool. My duties included cleaning the public toilets with a pummice stone, hosing vomit off the pavement, and keeping the nacho cheese piping hot. And one time I let two guys in to use the phone, and then 10 minutes later watched while they were held at gunpoint by a dozen police officers in the street outside the pool. Great security.
2. Waitress at a retirement community. The dining room was always hot and the residents were always picky, but it was there that I met one of my great loves: steamed asparagus.
3. Humanities/Religion reference assistant at BYU's Harold B. Lee Library.
4. Public Relations assistant at the (formerly known as Jacobsen) Center for Service and Learning.
5. University writing instructor. I have guided more than 120 freshmen to greater heights of academic achievement. Most of them weren't that interested in being guided, but the guidance itself was dripping from the ceiling.

5 people I tag
I'm sure many of you are just itching to get tagged, but I can only choose five:
1. Naomi
2. Megan
3. Steph
4. Katie S.
5. Emily G.

Golden seal extract and other horrors

I recently bought shampoo and conditioner at Costco for the first time--just the generic Kirkland Signature stuff. Yesterday I was reading the front of the conditioner bottle and was startled to see that one of the ingredients was "golden seal extract." My initial reaction soon turned to horror when I couldn't figure out what golden seal extract could possibly be if it wasn't the extract of some beautiful marine mammal. I don't want to kill innocent seals for the sake of my luscious locks!

I got progressively more worked up about this animal cruelty atrocity until I realized that a magical tool called Google could probably tell me everything I needed to know. Plus, I figured that if there were a logical explanation it would save me the trouble of sicking PETA on Costco, if you know what I mean (Jeremy was all ready to chain himself to the front gates of Costco, loudly condemning complicit shoppers and eating all the Polish sausages and Very Berry Sundaes he could stomach).

But as it turns out, golden seal is an herb thought to have healing properties. No wonder my hair looks so awesome.

An historic birthday

Forget the election: in our house this has been a day of joy and celebration! Today is Clara's second birthday, and we've had a wonderful day marking this auspicious occasion. Here are ten things we love about Clara:

1. She loves to read. We recently discovered that she has memorized all of her favorite books. Now when we read to her we leave out random words and she fills them in. Much fun is had by all.
2. She sleeps 12 hours at night. No elaboration required.
3. She loves being a big sister, and she is very soft and loving with Jonathan. And she sometimes accidentally gives him roundhouse kicks to the face. But mostly she is just very soft.
4. She has beautiful, big, blue eyes.
5. She has an enormous head. Seriously: it's off the charts.
6. She loves to dance and spin. And when she spins, her eyes are on the opposite side of her body, away from her spin. It's amazing. And kind of creepy.
7. She has an insatiable curiosity and a contagious zest for learning new things.
8. She brings light and joy into other people's lives. Seeing her make people smile makes us smile.
9. She's fiesty. This is something to love, and also something that kind of makes our heads want to explode from time to time.
10. She loves Jesus.

Happy Birthday, Sweet Clara!

An historic election

Well, my friends, on this historic day I have but one thing to say: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Also, I couldn't help but giving a little "amen" when I read this. She says it all a bit more...colorfully than I would, but at the same time this describes a lot of what we've been feeling around here lately. I don't agree with everything she says, nor do I agree with all of the comments people have left, but overall, I feel what she's saying. Judge me if you must...

Jack-o-lanterns--what a fright!

I have been reminded again this year that Halloween really is a children's holiday, and for the first time we've had a child old enough to enjoy the festivities! When Clara woke up yesterday morning I told her it was Halloween, and she immediately said, "Treat! Scaaaaary..." We figured out she learned that Halloween was scary from watching "Super Why," so I guess that show teaches more than the alphabet. Oh well.



When we speed-carved the pumpkin just before dinner (it's been a crazy week) Clara refused to dig in and touch the pumpkin--not because she thought it was slimy or anything, but because she thought it was a cave. And that a bear lived in there. (She has a vivid imagination.) So that's what she's talking about in this video.



She loved trick-or-treating, and she was a hot hit in her chicken costume. My sister Megan is in town, and she did a way better job dressing up as a farmer to complement my two little farm animals. I did a last-minute, half-hearted effort. I am a cool mom like that.






My cousin and her family came with us to trick-or-treat in our neighborhood. It's been a long, long time since I've been trick-or-treating (like quite possibly 16 years or so), and I had a blast. It would've been even more fun if Clara hadn't decided she needed to be carried home at the halfway point. But I am tough, and I made it. Jeremy had no idea how good the staying-at-home-and-passing-out-candy gig would be. Happy Halloween!

The Return of the Empire Strikes Back

We ventured downtown on Saturday for the last farmers' market of the season. Several of Clara's farmer fans were on hand to bid her farewell, although our favorite cherry farmer was sadly a no-show. But despite any small disappointments, I managed to score the best find of the year: a local apple farmer selling the world's best apple: the Empire.

My good friends in Syracuse (holla!) will back me on this (with the possible exception of Jana), but the empire apple is honestly the most delicious apple I have ever tasted. I'm no food writer, so I can't describe the exact bouquet of the fruit, but perhaps this will help you to understand: when we found out we'd be leaving Syracuse, I ate an empire nearly everyday for a month as I prepared to bid them farewell. Or so I thought. I've eaten all but one of the empires we bought on Saturday, and now I'm planning a little trip into eastern Washington to get some more. My most profound gratitude goes out to the enterprising local apple growers who had the foresight--and the sheer horse sense--to bring the empire west.

A little Monday miscellany

Here's a picture of Jonathan at seven weeks. Clara had a fit about his little coveralls, since she couldn't understand why Jonathan got to wear awesome airplane clothes and she didn't. She ripped the outfit from me before while I was putting on his shirt and tried to stuff her leg into it. "Care-la pay-planes! Care-la pay-planes!" I think little girl clothes have a lot going for them, but it is true that airplanes rarely make an appearance. Poor Care-la.


And here's a picture of how Clara spent the first 30 minutes after breakfast: standing up, watching Sid, the Science Kid on PBS, and holding this "cuppin." I tried to get her to sit down and relax, but she was very content to stand up with her pumpkin. Whatever. As I often say, she is her own woman. And she loves her cuppins.

Autumn walk

My new thing, when the weather is fine and I don't have too much to tote, is to park a mile or so away from where I'm going and hoof it the rest of the way. Today's walk took us along the lake shore, around a wee mountain, and to the public library. The weather was my autumn ideal: in the high 50s and mostly cloudy (sunless days are only truly objectionable during the winter).

Days like this--walks like this--make me love living in north Idaho. The fall colors here are stunning--made even more so by the blanket of evergreens. I could smell the home fires burning, which charmed me to no end, and I was out breathing clean mountain air with my dear offspring. A day of days.

(By the way, if you're wondering about Clara's hair, then you obviously haven't heard that feral is the "it" look for fall. And if you're wondering about her smile...there are no words...)

They grow up so fast...

Jonathan shocked us this weekend by smiling at my mom...multiple times! I have a poor memory for things like milestones, so I wasn't really expecting for Jonathan to do anything much quite yet. But look at him now! This picture isn't the best, but since his smiles are elusive and fleeting, it'll have to do.

Jonathan's blessing

Sunday was Jonathan's baby blessing, and both sets of grandparents were in town for the occasion. Jeremy gave Jonathan a wonderful blessing--sweet and tender, and a beautiful reminder of Heavenly Father's perfect love for all of his children.


Clara was particularly thrilled about having so many grandparents around. She spent much of the weekend in a frenzy as she ran back and forth to everyone offering hugs and hellos.



One highlight of the weekend was going out to lunch with my parents yesterday afternoon. Jonathan slept the whole time, and Clara was as well behaved as I could've hoped for. So fun, so relaxing. We got to do lots of coloring on the table covering, and Clara was even able to make her own little pizza. Well, I ended up making it, but she was pretty pumped about the little plate of cheese, olives, ham, and pineapple. While I hurried to finish making her pizza, she spent her time trying to get as many of the toppings into her mouth as possible.


And now we're back to just us four again, although we're counting down the days until Aunt Megan comes for a much-anticipated weekend visit...

Stimulating lunchtime conversation

I am doing a quick email check here at the kitchen table while Clara eats her gardenburger for lunch. We are having a great conversation. It's going something like this:

Clara: "Daddy's a man."

Mom: "Yes, Daddy's a man."

"Mommy's a woman."

"Yes, Mommy's a woman."

"Daddy's a woman?"

"No, Daddy's a man."

"Daddy's a man."

"Yes, Daddy's a man."

"Mommy's a lady."

"Yes, Mommy's a lady."

"Mommy's a man?"

"No, Mommy's a woman."

"Mommy's a woman."

That's the truncated version, but I hope you can get a good sense of how well I'm doing at teaching Clara the art of conversation.