Blogging, anyone?

I have lost my capability to blog.

My computer has crashed and due to my husbands' schedule, this is the first time in more than two weeks I've been able to sit down and actually write! On top of that, my kid's are out of school and I've never needed blogging therapy more.

This may be the end, folks, this just may be the end.... not really.

Here's a Thankful Thursday "filler" until next time:

-I am thankful for rain. Any week we get a good rain, it means I don't have to water my landscaping or grass. SCORE.

-I am thankful for Postum. Being a good Mormon girl, who abstains from the evils of caffeine, porn and hard liquor, I'm grateful for healthy alternatives like Postum. I even use it as a coffee substitute in baking. Yes, I'm that holy. Jealous much?

-I am thankful for the pool. While HOA's are a pain in the butt, I love having a neighborhood pool so close. PS, I'm the embarrassing mom who still does cannonballs and sometimes synchronized swimming with my bff, Candice.

-I am thankful for sunscreen and big hats. Last summer I was very silly and didn't realize how much hotter and stronger the sun's rays were down here. So, I didn't slather the sun screen or wear a hat, so I ended up leather faced and unnaturally dark. Plus, sunscreen smells so nice.

-I am thankful for my grandfather. I have one grandparent left and I haven't seen him in twelve years. We had a family reunion this weekend and he made the trip up from Florida!!! It was awesome.

Once I get my "blog" back, I have a ton of pictures to show you and I know how much everyone LOVES to see random pictures of my kids. So, don't give up on me, y'hear? Seriously, don't.

Boys

No, I'm not going video crazy... I swear, it's the last one for a while! Promise.

My good friend sent this to me and it is hilarious!!! So, for those of you who have boys, or grew up with boys, or simply appreciate boys, this here's for you.

Very Silly Love Songs

Scott and I had a little "disagreement" a few days ago. I was supremely irritated and wanted to be left alone. Instead, my husband has been sending me the most random versions of "Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney's Wings. Here is the grand finale. Breakdancing and all.

This is one of the reasons I love my husband! He knows I can't resist weird.

Thankful Thursday

Last week my "thankful" list went on entirely too long, so I'm keeping it short today.... you're welcome.

-I'm thankful for funny. My least favorite quality in others is a lack of a sense of humor. You don't have to be funny, but please laugh at my jokes. There's nothing more awkward than being sarcastic and someone thinking you're serious. Here's a funny snl link if you need a good laugh: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/play.shtml?mea=237294

-I'm thankful for a day off. Today we miraculously have no commitments, which means I don't have to shower.

-I'm thankful for sewing. I love to sew and while I don't have a lot of time right now, I've already made a list of projects for when I do. Loose linen roman shades, gum drop pillows (pictured above), a certain denim quilt pattern from my clever friend Jackie, and Amy Butler skirts are at the top of my list. I'm going to find one of those wooden busts and start making my own clothes... not like FLDS wear, but cute stuff, c'mon.

A Great Tip

OK, so if you know me well, you know I have no love for animals. Yes, I'm a hata' and that's ok. It's one of the things I don't have in common with Martha. That, and her love for crafts. Who has time for all that?

Anyway, in our last house, we had a problem with stray cats. We lived in an old neighborhood and there was a crazy old cat lady who lived across the street. She would feed the strays, thus keeping them close by and pooping in my garden. So, periodically, I would get a big ole' handful of poo when I cleaned out my garden bed. After a couple of years, my frustration built up to the point of spraying them with water, throwing rocks, and chasing them violently out of my yard. (Who's the crazy lady now?) I even trained my kids to "get rid of them".

Fortunately, we don't have a cat problem anymore. Unfortunately, we now have a rabbit problem. Rather than pooping in my garden, they're just eating all my plants. What do you do? Well, I'll tell you.

Little Grace's teacher gave her A Great Tip: Take some hair off your hairbrush and wrap it around the plants that rabbits typically like. Hostas, hydrangeas, etc... They will smell your scent and stay away! So brilliant and much more humane than what I was going to do.

Teachers don't get paid nearly enough.

I Need Therapy, Fish Therapy

Has anyone else heard of this? Apparently, it's an asian therapy where you soak in a warm pool of fish and they eat the dead skin off your body. I guess it makes your skin much more soft and youthful. It’s like a thousand happy endings - for your pores!

Who needs Clinique?

So weird.

Just Curious

After my last post, I'm feeling a bit curious again.

What's your all time favorite TV show and why?

For me it's a tie. LOST and the Golden Girls. You all already know my love for LOST, but here's a shout out to my girls Blanche, Dorothy, Rose and Sophia. I guess it's a combination of a couple of my favorite things, sarcasm and old people. One of the best episodes is when they crashed a high school reunion and Rose tried to pass herself off as a Chinese exchange student. That's some funny crap.

So, "Thank you for being a friend, traveling down the road and back again..."

Thankful Thursday

I never remember to do this on Thursday! We got back last night just in time for LOST and I was so excited, I guess I wasn't thinking much about being thankful. Oh wait....

- I am thankful for LOST. TV in general is just trashy, + I can never remember when anything is on. You know, except for LOST! Oh my gosh, it's soooo good!!! My good friend Julie got us hooked right before season 2 by lending us her season 1 DVD set and it's been good times ever since. I highly recommend renting or buying from the beginning if you're feeling a little "lost". You really do need to start from the beginning.

- I am thankful for the LDS cannery. For those of you who don't know what that is, the LDS cannery is a place you can go and can your own dry goods for short/long term food storage. Things like, rice, wheat, powdered milk, dried produce, etc are stored there for people to can or mylar bag themselves. While the canning process itself leaves much to be desired, this last time there was a silver lining! There were 3 gals from the local jail doing their community service through a rehabilitation program. (On a side note, being a cannery virgin, when I first arrived, I didn't know they were inmates and thought that's what we all had to wear. You know, the grey and white stripes. I thought it was a sanitary cover up or something. I was very relieved to find out only a hair net and gloves were required. Idiot!) Anyway, the smiles on these ladies faces brought tears to my eyes, because you could see the feeling of self worth and joy in their faces. One of our young men took the time to tell them about the atonement while stocking shelves and the gal I was working with told me she was going to choose the cannery to do her probationary community service. If only everyone could know what they were worth and how much Heavenly Father loves them. Hopefully these ladies could feel that and continue to turn their lives around for the better!

-I am thankful for weird ethnic food. I try not to eat too much snacky junk food (except for cookies, I love cookies) and I've convinced myself foreign food is always good for you. So, seaweed or marinated artichoke hearts hit the spot when I get a salt craving, glutinous rice dumplings or sweet bean cakes to satisfy my sweet tooth, etc. I like scary food too. My sister says I always pick the grossest thing at the table, for example: Yesterday, my mom made bibimbap, a traditional Korean rice dish with all kinds of vegetables and kimchies on top, + a cooked egg. I, of course, made my way straight to the fried fiddle head fern. I never turn my nose up to weird ethnic foods because 1. It hurts people's feelings ie. the hostess/cook, 2. It shows a lack of culinary adventure, and 3. Those "yucky" foods are delicious 9 times out of 10! Don't get me wrong, that 1 time out of 10 will haunt you forever, but it's worth a try! So the next time you turn down a big plate of squid or cow's tongue give me or Anthony Bourdain a call. CHALLENGE: if you're a real foodie, you'll try them first!;)

Mother's Day Questionnaire

Last week in church, the children were given questionnaires to fill out. These answers were later compiled to make fun Mother's Day booklets that they handed out today before sacrament. Here are my kids' answers:

What makes your mom really happy?

Oliver- When we do what we're told.

Spencer- I don't really know.

Grace- When we be good.

Sophia- When I give her hugs.

What does your mom like to do for fun?

Oliver- Watch design shows.

Spencer- Go shopping.

Grace- Cook cookies.

Sophia- She hugs me.

What does your mom like to get for Mother's Day?

Oliver- Expensive chocolates.

Spencer- Candy.

Grace- Love, kisses and hugs.

Sophia- A picture.

What does your mom tell you to do all the time?

Oliver- Get good grades.

Spencer- Take out the trash.

Grace- Do your chores.

Sophia- Clean up.

If your mom was a piece of candy, what kind of candy would she be? Why?

Oliver- Sour Patch Kids, because she's sour and she's sweet.

Spencer- Baby Ruth's, because they're awesome.

Grace- Licorice, because she loves licorice.

Sophia- A lollipop.

Treat Your Mother Right

Here's a video I found on Mindi's "Word to Your Mother"'s blog. It made me laugh out loud.

Happy early Mother's day, enjoy.

Thankful Thursday (on fri)

I'm thankful for so many things, but here's my top 3 this week:

1. I'm thankful for solid deck stain. I don't have a cedar deck. Mine is made out of just about the cheapest pine you can buy. It's just one big splinter. So, my only option really is solid deck stain, vs. semi-transparent. Wow, this is BORING.

2. I'm thankful for my friend Erika. I forgot about Thankful Thursday, and her post reminded me. I'm also thankful that we've kept in touch for so long and that she is such a great example. - I remember back in the day when she came back to Germany from a summer visit to the US, looking all tan and hot. We went to a church dance on a river boat and like every guy asked her to dance. I think some girl asked her if she was a model. Me?, I was up on deck with Sister "Whateverhernamewas" without a guy in sight.- Anyway, her blog is also A#1 and she's still tan and hot.

3. I'm thankful for brie cheese. I love me some brie and every once in a while I splurge and buy a slice. It's about 75% fat, but worth every gram! Dairy obsessed? Maybe.

5 Really Great Things about Renee

It seems I haven't recovered completely from my "loser pms" phase, so it's time for a pick me up. After that last post especially, I'm feeling a little down. So, here are 5 really great things about Renee:

1. I can imitate what people say at the same time they're saying it. It makes Scott mad but he's also in awe. It's a gift.

2. I do the "soulja boy" really well.

3. I'm painfully self-deprecating. That's a great thing because 9 times out of 10, it's funny.

4. I don't have to exercise to stay thin. (I said thin, not tone or in shape)

5. I'm Korean. Being Korean is pretty awesome and I'm so grateful to have that culture and history. I'm especially grateful for the food! "Rice, Rice Baby!....Kimche and Rice, Rice Baby- So Good, So Good."

Those are really great things! I'm a winner.

My Shame

We've been incredibly busy for the past few weeks! I'm not going to run down the list of time consuming activities that seem to rule our schedule again, but let me just say I can't wait for the lazy days of summer!

One of the things that have fallen by the wayside is grocery shopping and yesterday I had had enough. Enough of eating strange combinations, enough of my "muffin top", enough of pre-cooked meals. ENOUGH! I had to go buy real food and some other misc. things, but I only had enough time to go for one stop shopping... so I did it. I went to my least favorite place on earth, Walmart Supercenter.

WHY???? I know! ...I loathe Walmart. Not just because of their horrendous service, not just because of their cheaply made products, not just because there isn't an American made item in sight, or because of their abominable business ethics, or the fact they treat their employees so poorly, etc... I loathe Walmart because of all of these things combined and more! And yes, I know, other stores do some of these things too, but not all of them, not to the same degree.

Why then, you ask, do I shamefully sneak back? Because they suck me in with their next to nothing prices, and I admit it, I have no character and I'm cheap.

So I drive all the way down to Columbia (aka the creepiest place on earth) because I don't want anyone to see me. I called my sister for moral support, and she told me I was like a teenage girl sneaking out to see her loser boyfriend.

I said, "I feel dirty", she said, "You know what, I gotta go."

So there it is, my shame, out there for everyone to see. But, that's it, I vow to never go back. My girlfriend is taking me to sign up for Costco tomorrow. I believe between Costco, Aldi and our local grocery sales, I can be my fabulous cheap self + never feel dirty again. This is a self imposed blogging intervention!

Just Curious

Time for another "Just Curious" question.

Scott tells me I didn't explain the weird feeling well enough, but I can't talk about it too much because if you talk about the weird feeling too much, you get it. No good! So, while I disagree with him, I did list a whole bunch of new weird feeling links down below in a category I call the "Emotional Time Machine". They're things from my distant childhood memories that give me the weird feeling. Enough said.




What gives you the weird feeling?



ps. Mindi, yes I remember Morgan Freeman... loved Electric Company and included it in the list. Gotta stop talking now.

The Wierd Feeling

I got what my good friend affectionately calls the "welcome to your 30's haircut" last week and I love it! Yes, a few years too late, but still. I love my 30's and embrace every year that gets me closer to middle age... not.

When I'm feeling nostalgic for the good ole days, I like to take a trip down memory lane on youtube. Sometimes, however this sometimes results in the wierd feeling. My sister and I coined this phrase years ago. It's the feeling you get when you see, hear, or smell something that instantly takes you back in time. An emotional time machine of sorts.

So, for all you 30 somethings, here's a little wierd feeling for you to enjoy!!!

Thankful Thursday

I totally spaced this last week! I guess it was the Thursday "LOST" excitement and all. Anyway, I'm going to double my efforts today. Here we go...

-I'm thankful for window screens. Our windows were painted shut in my last house so we relied on our old broken screen doors to air out the house. Now, we are enjoying fresh air every morning and I love it. It makes the house seem clean, even when it's not, like right now.

I'm thankful for Spencer. It's Spencer's birthday today and he's now a tween. He's a special boy who brings so much laughter and joy to our house. It seems like only yesterday I gave birth to that 10+lbs baby. -I'm bringing him sushi for lunch today, he'll be so excited!

-I'm thankful for an honest, good husband. Scott's a very patient, kind person and a great father. He's the nicest guy ever, although he still resists the blogging, but you know, no one's perfect. I'm also thankful for Scott's job and his strict budgeting. I thank my Heavenly Father every day that we are so blessed. I know there are millions of people who want and it's truly humbling to see my children well fed, warm, and healthy.

-I'm thankful for soy milk. I'm a little bit lactose intolerant. Enough said.

-I'm thankful for the Internet. Yes, I use this power for good and look up pretty much every question in life. Examples from this week include, "how to clean an LCD screen, how to get rid of white bugs on roses, what causes mulch mold, military schools for boys, etc...

-I'm thankful for Kohl's. Scott hates shopping, so last week I went to Kohl's during their tax free week to buy him some work casual. They were having a great sale on top of that + offering free Kohl's dollars to use the next week. I ended up with 40 free dollars and spent it, guilt free, on myself yesterday, while my awesome neighbor watched Sophia.

And finally, -I'm thankful for my parents. I tease my parents constantly, but I want them to know that I know how great they are. My parents didn't have a lot of money when we were growing up, but we never knew it. My dad's brilliant budgeting made sure we had everything we needed. Having said that, I remember the years my dad was sent to Korea and brought us with him even though he wasn't command sponsored and we struggled hard core. No car, no washing machine, and no American school for miles. I remember my mother riding the bus two hours to and from school every day with us and for those two years doing every bit of laundry by hand. I remember my dad taking us to nursing homes every Sun to visit invalids. The list goes on and on, but basically, my parents have blessed me with perspective and honesty/bluntness. So, go ahead Mom and Dad, let your freak flags fly!!! I love you.

Fabric Mats

I have a few pictures and pieces of artwork that need to be re matted, so I started pricing it out. OUCH. Well, I found this great idea in one of Martha's daily craft mailings! Recovering mats with fabric. It's so easy and much cheaper than getting new mats, + you can match what ever color scheme your room has, or neutralize. - Of course, if your picture is a small, standard size, then it would make sense to just buy another mat. I'm referring to odd sizes or huge, like portrait size.

I'm not at all a craft person, but this looks easy.

DIRECTIONS:
From paperboard (available at art-supply stores), use a utility knife to cut an insert the same size as your picture mat. Cut a window in the insert, measuring and marking to make it 1/4 inch wider and taller than that in the original mat. Cut the fabric 2 inches taller and 2 inches wider than the insert. Following the manufacturer's instructions, use positionable mounting adhesive (sold at office-supply stores) to affix fabric to insert, centering it so there's a 1-inch border on each side. Miter corners of fabric, as shown, then fold and adhere; smooth with a bone folder. Using a utility knife, cut an X in fabric in the inserts' opening. Trim excess fabric, then adhere by folding and smoothing fabric flaps. Place finished insert against frame, followed by original mat, print, and backing board.

I think I'm going to skip the insert and just cover the mat itself, especially if it's double matted. (Can I say mat one more time? Geez.)

I'm a Bragger...

...I know.

Sorry about the sideways photo... Janine, that's the quilt I just finished for little Will, and it's on its way.

Stop, Collaborate and Listen...

Lately it seems we've been running more than usual. Between my kids' injuries, dental issues and activities (ie: soccer, scouts, YM's, ballet, drums, play dates) it seems there's no time for much else (ie: blogging). And YES, I know, "good, better, best"... but it seems with 4 children, choosing activities means choosing one child over the other at times, and that's not cool. I'm not a carpool mom who's constantly on the go, I just have a lot of kids, okay.

Luckily, Spencer is sick today, so I have no option but to be here cleaning/ blogging! And YES, I know, that sounds horrible, but he's not that sick, and I'm very tired. So, I'm stealing a few minutes this morning to write and read, literally, with cleaning supplies next to me on my desk, waiting to be put to good use. They're staring at me right now.

I just want you all to know how much I enjoy reading your blogs. My older kids even read them sometimes and love them! With all of our differences, it seems we, all of us "Blesbians" (c/o Mindi) have a common goal, and that's to be good. Good Moms, good wives, good people. Blogging is truly therapeutic and uplifting, and sometimes even spiritual. I try to read everyday early in the morning because it puts me in a good mood. Some of my favorite stories include:

Alice's Target stories and when she almost knocked herself out at Walmart, Mindi accidentally hitting the mental escapee with her car, Erika's asking her Korean students if they can see as well as she can...

etc... etc...

"If we live by the principles of the gospel, we must be good people, for we will be generous and kind, thoughtful and tolerant, helpful and outreaching to those in distress. We can either subdue the divine nature and hide it so that it finds no expression in our lives, or we can bring it to the front and let it shine through all that we do."
--Gordon B. Hinckley

There you have it. It's going to be a great day.

Just Curious

OK, I'm kind of nosey so this is a new thing I'm doing to get to know a little more about you. You, my blogging friends. Every once in a while, I'll post a new question, and hopefully you'll respond.

"WHAT IS YOUR RING TONE AND WHY?"

I get the biggest kick out of people's ring tones. Once I was in a little quilt shop in Kentucky. In walks this lovely, very distinguished lady interested in some homespun fabric. A couple of minutes later I almost pee'd myself when, very loudly, "Sexual Healing" started from her purse and she answers, "Hey, girl!"

So awesome.