I started this blog initially to document what I thought was a rather unique set of experiences we were having: going on a music tour with the family in tow.
Not many people end up on tour with a musician at all, much less with children coming, too. Especially a bunch of children.
So I thought, since there are no further tours on the horizon for me and the kids, I probably ought to write down a few of the things I learned so I don't forget them if it ever comes to touring again.
When you hit a hotel for one night on the way to somewhere, or when you're staying in a hotel as part of a family vacation, you don't do it the same as when you're on tour.
Why?
Because on tour, that's daily life. It's not a vacation. It's not that we saved a bunch of money and budgeted in eating out every night. It's not even that we got to choose our own hotel. We go where they booked rooms for us, and stay in the rooms they chose (usually not ones I would pick), and, since we have all these kids coming along, we try our darndest to make it feel like real life because it turns out that it's not fun to be on vacation all the time in a place you wouldn't choose to go. Plus, for the kids, it's just another day doing something we've done a lot of times before. It's not so strange to stay in a hotel. It just means we get to watch TV, something we don't do at home. Ever.
We don't even generally go out and see the sights in the towns we stop in like I thought we would. For one thing, it's expensive--most places of interest charge you to get in, and that adds up REALLY fast when you have 8 people coming along, and there are not a lot of free places anymore. For another, it's easy to get lost. And, the biggest challenge, it's not time off for Tim. He's always working when we're on tour. So that leaves me taking six kids anywhere we go by myself, and Benji doesn't handle that well, and neither do I (normally, when the whole family goes out, we divide the work: one adult takes Benji. The other adult takes the other five kids.). Besides, who goes out every single day? Nobody. Mostly we like to just have a day, with a regular routine. Same as at home. We do try to do something cool in each town we go to--important to make memories, same as at home. We don't try to do something amazing every single day.
So, for this first "living on tour" blog post, I'm going to put in the list of things I always wish I had when I get to a hotel room. You'd think I'd always remember all these things, but I usually get there and go, "Shoot. I forgot ____ again." Maybe writing up the list will help!
--First Aid Kit (including allergy meds, bandaids, antibiotic ointment, hydrocortisone cream, sunscreen, bug spray, baby and kid medicines, ibuprofen, hand lotion, etc.)
--A roll of duct tape (for emergency repairs as well as for things like covering outlets so the babies don't get hurt)
--a night light, especially now that we always try to ask for two adjoining rooms.
--a card of thumb tacks (because hotel curtains never quite reach the wall, and consequently don't darken the room well)
--a package of strong safety pins in various sizes, including large skirt-pin size (because the curtains never meet in the middle, either)
--The Kitchen Kit (more on this later)
--Cleaning, disinfectant wipes like Clorox wipes OR a large bottle of "hanitizer" (alcohol-based hand sanitizer) and paper towels for cleaning up with
--Swimming kit (suits and life jackets for all kids, not packed with the other things and not even brought in unless the hotel has an appropriate pool).
--Activity kits in backpacks or duffle bags, one for each kid to carry in, but for everyone to share (things like a bag with blocks, one with legos, one with art supplies and coloring books, one with small games, one with hotwheels and tracks, one with "character" toys, one with books....stuff like that) so that we can do something besides watch TV all day. We've also contemplated taking the nintendo, but a lot of hotel TVs don't have the right hookups.
--ziploc bags in two sizes: gallon and sandwich
--scriptures
--laundry soap
--the "desk" kit (scissors, pens and pencils, envelopes, paper)
--the magic jack (hotels always have a phone, this lets us get calls and make calls on our regular number for free)
--dustbuster style hand-held vacuum
--the School Kit (including a laptop with a wireless card AND .pdf assignments just in case of no internet access, the math books, everyone's work notebooks, pencils)
--and the usual clothes and toiletries that you need to live.
When we're on the road a lot, I just leave all of these packed (including the toiletries bag) and have duplicates of the things we use every day that stay at home. It's a whole lot easier than trying to pack and unpack and repack and unpack. Maybe that's why I keep forgetting the same things, like the thumb tacks. They aren't in the bag!
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Did I just read that?
From Kickstarter today: "We need to raise $ 8,000 by March 13th to help pay for the production of "Living Without Money" "
Apparently they didn't watch the movie.....
(I know the niece of the subject of the film--that's how I found this....funny.)
What I read today, and some quotes
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/of-things-that-matter-most?lang=eng
"Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions."
I LOVE Elder Uchtdorf's talks.
"There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity "
"My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness. They will teach us to do “all these things … in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby … win the prize.” 7Brothers and sisters, diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world."
"He is our Father. He desires our happiness. As we seek Him, as we learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure. We experience greater peace, joy, and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God’s eternal plan and keep His commandments."
"we must place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e,time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship."
"Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light."
This is one of my favorite pieces of counsel ever given by a general authority in conference:
"Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions."
I LOVE Elder Uchtdorf's talks.
"There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity "
"My dear brothers and sisters, we would do well to slow down a little, proceed at the optimum speed for our circumstances, focus on the significant, lift up our eyes, and truly see the things that matter most. Let us be mindful of the foundational precepts our Heavenly Father has given to His children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness. They will teach us to do “all these things … in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that [we] should run faster than [we have] strength. [But] it is expedient that [we] should be diligent, [and] thereby … win the prize.” 7Brothers and sisters, diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world."
"He is our Father. He desires our happiness. As we seek Him, as we learn of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure. We experience greater peace, joy, and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God’s eternal plan and keep His commandments."
"we must place high priority on our families. We build deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together, like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together. In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e,time. Taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home. We talk with, rather than about, each other. We learn from each other, and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonalities. We establish a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer, gospel study, and Sunday worship."
"Strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light."
Friday, January 07, 2011
Did I just read that?
On the Medicaid Recertification Paperwork I was filling out tonight: "Is anyone in the household fleeing a felony? ____yes ____no. If yes, name: ___________"
Who on earth would check YES?
Who on earth would check YES?
Today I read this
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/reflections-on-a-consecrated-life?lang=eng
"To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as sacred, devoted to holy purposes. True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives—that is, our time and choices—to God’s purposes (see John 17:1, 4; D&C 19:19). In so doing, we permit Him to raise us to our highest destiny."
"all honest work is the work of God. In the words of Thomas Carlyle: “All true Work is sacred; in all true Work, were it but true hand-labour, there is something of divineness. Labour, wide as the Earth, has its summit in Heaven.” 3"
"Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires."
I love that the menial, repetitive work is also important and valuable in building the kingdom of God. We forget that sometimes.
"Music, literature, art, dance, drama, athletics—all can provide entertainment to enrich one’s life and further consecrate it. At the same time, it hardly needs to be said that much of what passes for entertainment today is coarse, degrading, violent, mind-numbing, and time wasting. Ironically, it sometimes takes hard work to find wholesome leisure. "
I often need to be reminded that what Tim and I do (music and writing) ARE valuable to God. They aren't a waste of time. If good people don't make good art and music and literature, etc., then we have nothing left but the coarse, degrading, etc. If more righteous people made wholesome stuff, maybe it wouldn't be as hard to find it!
" In like manner future generations will take courage from your consecrated life, acknowledging their debt to you for the possession of all that truly matters."
"To consecrate is to set apart or dedicate something as sacred, devoted to holy purposes. True success in this life comes in consecrating our lives—that is, our time and choices—to God’s purposes (see John 17:1, 4; D&C 19:19). In so doing, we permit Him to raise us to our highest destiny."
"all honest work is the work of God. In the words of Thomas Carlyle: “All true Work is sacred; in all true Work, were it but true hand-labour, there is something of divineness. Labour, wide as the Earth, has its summit in Heaven.” 3"
"Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires."
I love that the menial, repetitive work is also important and valuable in building the kingdom of God. We forget that sometimes.
"Music, literature, art, dance, drama, athletics—all can provide entertainment to enrich one’s life and further consecrate it. At the same time, it hardly needs to be said that much of what passes for entertainment today is coarse, degrading, violent, mind-numbing, and time wasting. Ironically, it sometimes takes hard work to find wholesome leisure. "
I often need to be reminded that what Tim and I do (music and writing) ARE valuable to God. They aren't a waste of time. If good people don't make good art and music and literature, etc., then we have nothing left but the coarse, degrading, etc. If more righteous people made wholesome stuff, maybe it wouldn't be as hard to find it!
" In like manner future generations will take courage from your consecrated life, acknowledging their debt to you for the possession of all that truly matters."
The first ten pages. Again.
Over the last 6 years, as I've been learning to write, I've posted (or posted links to) the first five to ten pages of my manuscript over and over. If you go back and look it up, you'll see the development of the book as I've learned to write. Also the development of my writing. It's been quite a process. I've never (ever) taken a class in writing, and I didn't write a single word of fiction until I graduated from college just after my 20th birthday--and then I wrote 4 novels and took 5 years or so off from writing long fiction even though I enjoyed it. So I was kind of starting from scratch.
First I wrote, using Brenda Ueland's advice to write fast and furious and just tell the story with as much honesty as possible.
Then I revised.
Then I queried agents and used their comments to rewrite.
Then I researched manuscript format, length, etc. and cut 100,000 words (yes, the first draft was WAY too long) from the ms. This is actually a good writing practice skill that I used to have my students use: write, cut by half, rewrite to double the length, cut by half again. Just for practice.
Then I researched more: everything I could find about publishing, getting an agent, working with agents, manuscripts, contracts, copyright, querying, summarizing, etc.
Then I revised again, found an agent to work with (but never signed with her) and rewrote according to her specifications until I realized she was aiming for "Twilight" and I didn't want to write for adults.
Then I spent a year reading classic children's literature.
I threw away my manuscript and started over with the understanding that my heart and soul wanted to write for children (well, junior high kids), not adults or even teens. I rewrote from scratch.
I revised.
I spent a month reading modern children's literature.
Now I'm rewriting again with what I've learned.
This time, I think I might have finally "got it".
In keeping with "tradition" and also the idea that the blog archives can't reveal my progress if I stop posting it, I'm posting the link the google doc where the first ten pages are hiding right now.
The Poison Spindle Problem, Chapters 1-2
Feel free to read. You can even comment if you want (gasp! Do I dare?).
My goal that I hope I've accomplished? It's finally done and I can move on to the story about the art forgers and the story about the dragons--and the cave-dwellers who keep them on ice.
First I wrote, using Brenda Ueland's advice to write fast and furious and just tell the story with as much honesty as possible.
Then I revised.
Then I queried agents and used their comments to rewrite.
Then I researched manuscript format, length, etc. and cut 100,000 words (yes, the first draft was WAY too long) from the ms. This is actually a good writing practice skill that I used to have my students use: write, cut by half, rewrite to double the length, cut by half again. Just for practice.
Then I researched more: everything I could find about publishing, getting an agent, working with agents, manuscripts, contracts, copyright, querying, summarizing, etc.
Then I revised again, found an agent to work with (but never signed with her) and rewrote according to her specifications until I realized she was aiming for "Twilight" and I didn't want to write for adults.
Then I spent a year reading classic children's literature.
I threw away my manuscript and started over with the understanding that my heart and soul wanted to write for children (well, junior high kids), not adults or even teens. I rewrote from scratch.
I revised.
I spent a month reading modern children's literature.
Now I'm rewriting again with what I've learned.
This time, I think I might have finally "got it".
In keeping with "tradition" and also the idea that the blog archives can't reveal my progress if I stop posting it, I'm posting the link the google doc where the first ten pages are hiding right now.
The Poison Spindle Problem, Chapters 1-2
Feel free to read. You can even comment if you want (gasp! Do I dare?).
My goal that I hope I've accomplished? It's finally done and I can move on to the story about the art forgers and the story about the dragons--and the cave-dwellers who keep them on ice.
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Did I just read that?
From Fox News today: "Thanks to the fluctuations in the force, the airport has closed its primary runway until Jan. 13 to change taxiway signs to account for the shift, the Federal Aviation Administration said."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/06/magnetic-north-pole-shifts-forces-closure-florida-airport/#ixzz1AKS5XoZV"
Thank goodness they changed the signs. Now the Jedi can still find the landing strip and hold their convention in Tampa.....
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/06/magnetic-north-pole-shifts-forces-closure-florida-airport/#ixzz1AKS5XoZV"
Did I just read that?
From KSL.com today: "Deer survives deadly encounter" http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13897043
I suppose "Deer survives what should have been a deadly encounter but wasn't" is too long for a headline, though.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
What I read today, and some quotes
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/gospel-learning-and-teaching?lang=eng"
Quotes I liked from this talk:
"Before we can teach the gospel, we must know the gospel."
"When Hyrum Smith desired to be a part of this great latter-day work, the Lord said to him, “Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength.” 10 "
"...it is of utmost importance that we exercise our agency and act, without delay, in accordance with the spiritual promptings we receive. President Thomas S. Monson taught: “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed.” 16"
Quotes I liked from this talk:
"Before we can teach the gospel, we must know the gospel."
"When Hyrum Smith desired to be a part of this great latter-day work, the Lord said to him, “Behold, this is your work, to keep my commandments, yea, with all your might, mind and strength.” 10 "
"...it is of utmost importance that we exercise our agency and act, without delay, in accordance with the spiritual promptings we receive. President Thomas S. Monson taught: “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed.” 16"
Conference Talks
At my dad's suggestion, I'm trying to re-read the conference Ensign from November (October's Conference). I'm not staying very on top of it, though, so to help myself keep at it, I'm going to start posting here the talk that I'm reading. I might add a few quotes or thoughts, or just the link.
Feel free to read along and add your favorite quotes or thoughts in the comments.
Here is the link to the whole conference: http://lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2010/10?lang=eng
And the talks I already finished:
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/as-we-meet-together-again?lang=eng
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/because-of-your-faith?lang=eng
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/stay-on-the-path?lang=eng
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/obedience-to-the-prophets?lang=eng
And what I'm reading today:
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/gospel-learning-and-teaching?lang=eng
Feel free to read along and add your favorite quotes or thoughts in the comments.
Here is the link to the whole conference: http://lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2010/10?lang=eng
And the talks I already finished:
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/as-we-meet-together-again?lang=eng
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/because-of-your-faith?lang=eng
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/stay-on-the-path?lang=eng
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/obedience-to-the-prophets?lang=eng
And what I'm reading today:
http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/gospel-learning-and-teaching?lang=eng
Did I just read that?
From foxnews.com today: ""Then I just immediately started balling," she said. "I never cried before in my life."Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/01/05/woman-unaware-pregnancy-delivers-pound-baby/#ixzz1ADE2jSEm
Two things--what was she balling up right after childbirth? (The person who transcribed this and the editor should have realized it was the more common word--bawling.) Also, she never cried before in her whole life? How did she get food when she was a newborn?
Monday, January 03, 2011
I found a New Year's Resolution!
Okay, so I decided to make a resolution.
That is:
This year I want to:
Embrace my strengths
Accept my handicaps
And go from there.
That is:
This year I want to:
Embrace my strengths
Accept my handicaps
And go from there.
Nice article on marriage
Actually, I thought this was common knowledge about marriage--
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/weekinreview/02parkerpope.html?src=me&ref=general
My experience (in what I would class an excellent marriage) bears out the research reported in the article. Tim and I are both happy; we fill each other's need and enrich each other's lives. Making him happy makes me happy, and vice versa.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/weekinreview/02parkerpope.html?src=me&ref=general
My experience (in what I would class an excellent marriage) bears out the research reported in the article. Tim and I are both happy; we fill each other's need and enrich each other's lives. Making him happy makes me happy, and vice versa.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Did I just write that?
Sometimes I find the most amusing sentences in my own manuscripts! After reading a bunch of childrens and YA fiction, I've been going through my novel and seeing how it compares, livening it up, and generally making it so I like it again (so I can hopefully put it away and move on!).
Also, I've been finding bad sentences and fixing them.
Sentences like this:
"The gingerbread smelled really good after eating so many blackberries."
Pray, tell--how does gingerbread eat anything?
I guess I am not immune from writing nonsense now and then.
Also, I've been finding bad sentences and fixing them.
Sentences like this:
"The gingerbread smelled really good after eating so many blackberries."
Pray, tell--how does gingerbread eat anything?
I guess I am not immune from writing nonsense now and then.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
New Year's Resolutions
Goals=an artificial attempt to convince ourselves to do things we are unmotivated to do (perhaps because we really don't want to?).
New Year's Day=a reasonable time to examine your life and decide what needs to change.
The thing about resolutions, though, is we are almost always destined to fail that them because we can see what we want to change, but there is no even cursory examination of WHY we want those things to change and why we haven't changed them yet.
For example, how many people set the goal to lose weight? Maybe almost everyone? But do they ever ask Why am I overweight? Why do I want to lose weight? If I care so much, why haven't I done it? It seems like the answers to those questions would be integral to the success of the endeavor. And, if answered honestly, the questions might also reveal our greater desires. Do we really want increased health and energy by losing weight, or are we after greater social acceptance and power? And if it's social acceptance we want, perhaps a little counseling and a few superficial changes or behavioral changes that are easier to make would help us achieve the real goal better than a doomed diet-and-exercise plan we don't want to follow that doesn't make us feel good.
Without a greater understanding of what we want and are trying to do, the old habits will persist and the resolutions will fail. Very few people have the will power necessary to do something difficult simply because they decided to. And what's the value in that, anyway?
Generally speaking, I avoid making New Year's Resolutions. My idea is that the day a problem becomes apparent is the day you should resolve to fix it and do whatever self-examination is necessary to make the change--that is the moment of greatest motivation, after all. Likewise, we should be re-examining our lives frequently, not just once a year, and resolving to fix things that might not have come up as a "problem". If I understand it correctly, we are supposed to be doing this before Tithing Settlement, Temple recommend interviews, when we get callings at church, and, quite frankly, every week in preparation for partaking the sacrament. YES we need something to remind us to examine-and-resolve, but it should happen a lot more often than when a giant lighted ball drops. Frequent re-examination also helps you stick with your resolutions--and weed out the ones that are unimportant or impractical.
Choosing resolutions this way helps me focus my resolutions on the things that my limited energy really should go to, rather than superficial or artificial things or things that really aren't practical to "goal."
So if I were to make New Year's Resolutions, what would they be?
Not to have a clean house, but to care less if it's messy.
Not to lose the baby weight, but to enjoy the baby.
Not to read my scriptures for more hours or more pages, but to get more out of them when I read.
Not to make more money, but to be more thankful for the money we have.
Not to eat less junk, but to enjoy food more.
Not to talk to the kids more, but to listen to them more.
Not to have less fighting in the house, but have more playing together.
Not to get more exercise, but to do more things I enjoy doing.
Not to get more done, but to listen to myself more and do the things that I will say, when I'm 90, I'm glad I did that (and, honestly, do I think having cleaner toilets are going to be on that list? No.).
And to stop feeling guilty for the stuff I think I maybe ought to have done but didn't do.
There isn't time in life to waste on things that won't matter in the long run. So why make resolutions to do those things?
New Year's Day=a reasonable time to examine your life and decide what needs to change.
The thing about resolutions, though, is we are almost always destined to fail that them because we can see what we want to change, but there is no even cursory examination of WHY we want those things to change and why we haven't changed them yet.
For example, how many people set the goal to lose weight? Maybe almost everyone? But do they ever ask Why am I overweight? Why do I want to lose weight? If I care so much, why haven't I done it? It seems like the answers to those questions would be integral to the success of the endeavor. And, if answered honestly, the questions might also reveal our greater desires. Do we really want increased health and energy by losing weight, or are we after greater social acceptance and power? And if it's social acceptance we want, perhaps a little counseling and a few superficial changes or behavioral changes that are easier to make would help us achieve the real goal better than a doomed diet-and-exercise plan we don't want to follow that doesn't make us feel good.
Without a greater understanding of what we want and are trying to do, the old habits will persist and the resolutions will fail. Very few people have the will power necessary to do something difficult simply because they decided to. And what's the value in that, anyway?
Generally speaking, I avoid making New Year's Resolutions. My idea is that the day a problem becomes apparent is the day you should resolve to fix it and do whatever self-examination is necessary to make the change--that is the moment of greatest motivation, after all. Likewise, we should be re-examining our lives frequently, not just once a year, and resolving to fix things that might not have come up as a "problem". If I understand it correctly, we are supposed to be doing this before Tithing Settlement, Temple recommend interviews, when we get callings at church, and, quite frankly, every week in preparation for partaking the sacrament. YES we need something to remind us to examine-and-resolve, but it should happen a lot more often than when a giant lighted ball drops. Frequent re-examination also helps you stick with your resolutions--and weed out the ones that are unimportant or impractical.
Choosing resolutions this way helps me focus my resolutions on the things that my limited energy really should go to, rather than superficial or artificial things or things that really aren't practical to "goal."
So if I were to make New Year's Resolutions, what would they be?
Not to have a clean house, but to care less if it's messy.
Not to lose the baby weight, but to enjoy the baby.
Not to read my scriptures for more hours or more pages, but to get more out of them when I read.
Not to make more money, but to be more thankful for the money we have.
Not to eat less junk, but to enjoy food more.
Not to talk to the kids more, but to listen to them more.
Not to have less fighting in the house, but have more playing together.
Not to get more exercise, but to do more things I enjoy doing.
Not to get more done, but to listen to myself more and do the things that I will say, when I'm 90, I'm glad I did that (and, honestly, do I think having cleaner toilets are going to be on that list? No.).
And to stop feeling guilty for the stuff I think I maybe ought to have done but didn't do.
There isn't time in life to waste on things that won't matter in the long run. So why make resolutions to do those things?
Daniel
Daniel has surprised me lately. I have always known he was a math guy and also that he had a knack for buildings and processes and the ways things fit together. (When he was 9 months old, he examined the door at my mom's house and discovered that the threshold was held down by screws, which he immediately set to work trying to remove so he could get the threshold off....had he been using a screwdriver instead of a ball-point pen as his primary tool, I have no doubt he would have dismantled the whole thing!)
Now that he's 5, he also has the verbal ability and the confidence to express mathematical concepts. Turns out he has a really good spatial mind.
For example, yesterday he was in the kitchen playing with a toy sled that's about 2 feet long. There were two chairs on opposite sides of the kitchen. He held the sled up, like the beginnings of a bridge between the chairs, and said, "It would take about three of these sleds to make a bridge between the chairs." Just eyeballing it....so casually. And he was right. Anda and he measured, and it took about 3 sled-lengths (3 1/2 to be exact) to reach from chair to chair. He could just SEE that. I am so bad at distances, so I was duly impressed.
But then today I was even more impressed. I was explaining to him the concept of paying postage by weight for an overseas flight to get his picture to his Grandma on the other side of the world in Portugal. He listened and comprehended. Then he held his hands up as if he were holding an imaginary ball. "The easy way," he said, "would be to slice the world here, right in half." He showed me with his hand, cutting his imaginary ball into two pieces, pole-to-pole. "Then just turn this half around, and we'd be touching her and could just give it to her." He showed me with his hands, manipulating the pieces in the air so deftly that I could see what he was seeing. Practical? No. But the fact that his 5-year-old brain could dissect a world and manipulate the pieces so that two points on opposite sides were closer together--that's some impressive geometry. Especially for a guy who is just supposed to be learning that you can combine groups to make larger groups.
He says he wants to grow up to be an architect. I believe him.
Ideas I come back to that help me write better fiction
"Entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity" (entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem). Father William of Ockham (d'Okham) . (Entities=words, characters, motivations, dialog....I also call this the "need to know" principal--don't tell the reader any more than they actually NEED to know).
"A novel is like a living body: everything has to connect to everything else. Anything that doesn't is a cancer, draining the vitality of everything around it. " Sean Williams
"Real people are damned inconvenient: they avoid issues, have oblique conversations, feel things others don't understand, and are very rarely think out loud in a coherent and rational way so that the protagonist can get important information." Kelley Eskridge
"The main advice is: Stop looking for advice and just keep putting words on paper. " Orson Scott Card
"Writer’s block is your friend. It is your unconscious mind telling you that something you just wrote, or are about to write, is not working....Your unconscious is your best editor – it tries desperately to keep you from writing crap. So the answer is NEVER to tough it out and force yourself to move on through your outline. The result of that will be garbage that you don’t care about and the reader won’t either." Orson Scott Card
"Fiddling with language or tiny meaningless details, of course, accomplishes nothing except to kill the spontaneity of the first draft. The first draft is the best draft – you only change spots where it isn’t clear or where the story isn’t working; you never just fiddle with language. That just kills your natural style....There is no virtue to eliminating “needless” words in fiction – and if you’re thinking about style, your style will be dead. You think about story and character, what happens and why, and let your natural voice carry the story. You’ll have an inimitable style then – your real voice – and the rules from the ignorant, miseducated English teachers who abused your understanding of the language throughout your miseducation will fall by the wayside, where they should be left behind. You can’t be thinking about language while you write; that’s like trying to ride a bicycle while thinking about balance and pedaling. And you’ve seen the stories that result from that kind of writing – a “style” that calls attention to itself constantly, so you can barely find the story through the English-professor-pleasing nonsense that has been smeared on the lens." Orson Scott Card
"aWoe unto them that decree bunrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed." Isaiah 10:1
Friday, December 31, 2010
You wonder "how do you do it?"
People ask me all the time, "How do you do it?" Homeschooling, raising 6 kids, writing, quilting, music career, etc.
Well, the answer is I have to. I can't help it.
And apparently that's part of being who I am (and what I am).
http://talentdevelop.com/articlelive/articles/1123/1/The-Special-Challenges-of-Highly-Intelligent-and-Talented-Women-Who-Are-Moms/Page1.html
So, like other gifted women who are also mothers, I find myself immersed--in creating homeschooling for my kids, in writing, in my husband's music career, in art (quilting).
Gifted adults often have messy desks and messy houses because, as they all say, "I have better things to do." Tim and I have said that to each other. Often. And have you seen our house? Yikes. Eight gifted people, complete with obsessions, hypersensitivities, and projects, living under one roof. Again--Yikes.
But that's how we do it.
We have to.
Well, the answer is I have to. I can't help it.
And apparently that's part of being who I am (and what I am).
http://talentdevelop.com/articlelive/articles/1123/1/The-Special-Challenges-of-Highly-Intelligent-and-Talented-Women-Who-Are-Moms/Page1.html
So, like other gifted women who are also mothers, I find myself immersed--in creating homeschooling for my kids, in writing, in my husband's music career, in art (quilting).
Gifted adults often have messy desks and messy houses because, as they all say, "I have better things to do." Tim and I have said that to each other. Often. And have you seen our house? Yikes. Eight gifted people, complete with obsessions, hypersensitivities, and projects, living under one roof. Again--Yikes.
But that's how we do it.
We have to.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Did I just read that?
from boulder craigslist free section: " 5" Round folding table - (SW Longmont)"
For mice. Or very small dolls. Fits in a pocket when folded.
For mice. Or very small dolls. Fits in a pocket when folded.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Did I just read that?
The top headline on Fox News.com today: "White House to Push Global Warming Policy as GOP Vows Fight"
Go for it, GOP! Anyone who makes Global Warming their POLICY deserves to be fought against. Even if it is something of a shifting of the expected roles.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Luke II
I watched this movie literally hundreds of times over the two Christmasses I spent at the Visitor's Center at the Arizona Temple on my mission.
And it's not Christmas for me unless I see it. I have a video copy of it, but no VCR this year, so I had to go online to find a copy. There are hundreds with modified audio, but I wanted the real thing. It's so much more intensely beautiful that way.
FINALLY found a copy.
And here you go. Merry Christmas:
And it's not Christmas for me unless I see it. I have a video copy of it, but no VCR this year, so I had to go online to find a copy. There are hundreds with modified audio, but I wanted the real thing. It's so much more intensely beautiful that way.
FINALLY found a copy.
And here you go. Merry Christmas:
Funny kids
Benji just walked up to me and said, "My eyes can be on." Then he slowly and deliberately blinked. "Or off!"
A minute later, Nathanael yelled, "Mom! Help me! I'm too scary!" (He was stuck on a chair....and scared.)
A minute later, Nathanael yelled, "Mom! Help me! I'm too scary!" (He was stuck on a chair....and scared.)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Tim does Christmas--for me
This is what Tim makes for me and for family and friends for Christmas:
Once in Royal David's City
and
Silent Night
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Once in Royal David's City
and
Silent Night
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Tim does Christmas--for various companies
For some reason, Tim has been asked to do Christmas videos more than once.
We have this one, which is Tim's voice and arrangement, but not his face:
And this one, which is Tim's original song and him on screen:
And there are a couple of holiday videos for JibJab.com:
http://sendables.jibjab.com/holidays/sendables/204445/kazoo_jingle_bells
and
http://sendables.jibjab.com/holidays/category/new_year
(I can't embed it until they release it to YouTube, but do click on the links. They're really fun.)
Tim has also just finished another project for McAfee--one that started before we moved to Vegas and is just finishing up after being tabled for a couple of years. I'll post links once it goes live.
We have this one, which is Tim's voice and arrangement, but not his face:
And this one, which is Tim's original song and him on screen:
And there are a couple of holiday videos for JibJab.com:
http://sendables.jibjab.com/holidays/sendables/204445/kazoo_jingle_bells
and
http://sendables.jibjab.com/holidays/category/new_year
(I can't embed it until they release it to YouTube, but do click on the links. They're really fun.)
Tim has also just finished another project for McAfee--one that started before we moved to Vegas and is just finishing up after being tabled for a couple of years. I'll post links once it goes live.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Isaiah....
I love Isaiah. I found this very short 2-verse revelation tucked into a list with a bunch of others the other day, and it stuck with me.
Isaiah 21:11-12. Dumah comes to the prophet to ask when the trials (captivity) will end:
So I really liked his answer. The morning cometh, and also the night. (I realize the footnote explains that Isaiah was saying there is another captivity coming, but the verse is meaningful separate from that.).
I've felt that way before. When we moved to Las Vegas, I had just been asking God, "What of this night?" that we seemed endlessly stuck in, and then we ended up with sufficient work, in Las Vegas. Morning! But it was also the night for us--Vegas was an incredibly difficult place to live, and I was surprised when we were there that the trial I had complained of was over, and yet I wasn't any happier. It was just a different hard. Also night.
Lately, I've been asking God again, "What of this night?! How long?" And I find this verse. The morning cometh, and also the night. Good will come, things will change, but life is not about all mornings. The morning comes, and also the night, and that's what life is about. So perhaps the answer is not to ask for relief, but for patience and the ability to enjoy whatever mornings and nights we have?
Tim had yet another view of the verse when I told him about it. He said that rarely does something exceptional happen. Most of our lives are spent with a literal morning, followed by a literal night, followed by another morning. The sun comes up, and it goes down, and it's very predictable. So what of the night? It's just part of life, and regardless of exceptional events, most days are just days and most nights are just nights, and we just work and pray and love our families, day in and day out, and THAT'S the POINT. That's what we're supposed to do--live the days and the nights and do our duty and enjoy our lives, but not expect or demand the exceptional, not seek for fame or fortune, not wait for life to happen, because even when "big" things happen, the sun will eventually go down, and then come up, and we still will have to eat and sleep and work and love our families. So what of the night? It will be followed by a day. And a night. And another day. So what of it?
Amazing the power and insight packed into the scriptures.
I love Isaiah! Some day, I would love to thank him.
Isaiah 21:11-12. Dumah comes to the prophet to ask when the trials (captivity) will end:
11¶The aburden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of bSeir, Watchman, cwhat of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
Isaiah responds:
12The watchman said, aThe morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come.
So I really liked his answer. The morning cometh, and also the night. (I realize the footnote explains that Isaiah was saying there is another captivity coming, but the verse is meaningful separate from that.).
I've felt that way before. When we moved to Las Vegas, I had just been asking God, "What of this night?" that we seemed endlessly stuck in, and then we ended up with sufficient work, in Las Vegas. Morning! But it was also the night for us--Vegas was an incredibly difficult place to live, and I was surprised when we were there that the trial I had complained of was over, and yet I wasn't any happier. It was just a different hard. Also night.
Lately, I've been asking God again, "What of this night?! How long?" And I find this verse. The morning cometh, and also the night. Good will come, things will change, but life is not about all mornings. The morning comes, and also the night, and that's what life is about. So perhaps the answer is not to ask for relief, but for patience and the ability to enjoy whatever mornings and nights we have?
Tim had yet another view of the verse when I told him about it. He said that rarely does something exceptional happen. Most of our lives are spent with a literal morning, followed by a literal night, followed by another morning. The sun comes up, and it goes down, and it's very predictable. So what of the night? It's just part of life, and regardless of exceptional events, most days are just days and most nights are just nights, and we just work and pray and love our families, day in and day out, and THAT'S the POINT. That's what we're supposed to do--live the days and the nights and do our duty and enjoy our lives, but not expect or demand the exceptional, not seek for fame or fortune, not wait for life to happen, because even when "big" things happen, the sun will eventually go down, and then come up, and we still will have to eat and sleep and work and love our families. So what of the night? It will be followed by a day. And a night. And another day. So what of it?
Amazing the power and insight packed into the scriptures.
I love Isaiah! Some day, I would love to thank him.
Did I just read that?
From Foxnews.com home page, one of the four top articles:
"Look Out, WikiLeaks:
CIA Sending in WTF"
While I'm sure a few well-placed f-bombs have been thrown at WikiLeaks, I'm not sure that's the best approach for the CIA to solve the problem!
And then if you go to the article, the headline is even funnier: "Intel Community Responds to WikiLeaks With WTF"
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/22/intel-community-responds-wikileaks-wtf/
I'm pretty sure there were a lot of exclamations of wtf from the Intel Community when Wikileaks released the State Department Cables. The reporter DID know what that all meant, of course....
"Look Out, WikiLeaks:
CIA Sending in WTF"
While I'm sure a few well-placed f-bombs have been thrown at WikiLeaks, I'm not sure that's the best approach for the CIA to solve the problem!
And then if you go to the article, the headline is even funnier: "Intel Community Responds to WikiLeaks With WTF"
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/12/22/intel-community-responds-wikileaks-wtf/
I'm pretty sure there were a lot of exclamations of wtf from the Intel Community when Wikileaks released the State Department Cables. The reporter DID know what that all meant, of course....
Monday, December 20, 2010
Did I just read that?
From foxnews.com main page menu: "Researchers Study Woman Without Fear"
Good thing, since woman is such a fearsome beast!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Astonishing story.
http://www.heraldextra.com/tabernacle/article_db328b06-0b0f-11e0-a131-001cc4c03286.html
Look at all six pictures.
Whoa.
Doesn't look photoshopped to me!
Look at all six pictures.
Whoa.
Doesn't look photoshopped to me!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Did I just read that?
Dear Fox News, Please hire a copy editor. Thanks, Becca
""Somebody chose to invade our lives and create a crime that was unjustified. It’s torn a big whole in our family.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/17/murdered-missing-unsolved-crime-stories/#ixzz18PoC1aFU"
""Somebody chose to invade our lives and create a crime that was unjustified. It’s torn a big whole in our family.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/17/murdered-missing-unsolved-crime-stories/#ixzz18PoC1aFU"
Sure it wasn't a big half?
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The baby
Even less than a week old, all babies are individuals.
Elijah:
Likes to be warm. Really warm. And is finally sleeping better (ie more than 10 minutes at a time) now that we know to keep him toasty warm.
Can hold his head up remarkably well.
Has already given us multiple smiles, including big open-mouthed toothless grins.
Skips the fussing and goes straight to the screaming if I'm not in the room. If I am in the room, he fusses around and smacks his lips when he wants to be picked up instead of outright crying.
Calms down immediately when he hears my voice and quietly waits to be picked up, even if he was screaming his head off a second before. If I walk out of the room, he starts up screaming again until he hears me coming back in.
Hates being poopy, but hates diaper changes even more. Screams through them but calms immediately when the diaper is on.
Loves to feel things with his fingertips (no fists on this baby!).
Starts rooting and trying to nurse when anyone says, "Are you hungry?" or "Do you want to nurse?", even if they don't give him any physical cues what they're saying.
Loves to look at the Christmas tree.
You'd think that 5 days old is too young to be expressing himself, responding to language, learning things, and being involved, but I guess it isn't!
Elijah:
Likes to be warm. Really warm. And is finally sleeping better (ie more than 10 minutes at a time) now that we know to keep him toasty warm.
Can hold his head up remarkably well.
Has already given us multiple smiles, including big open-mouthed toothless grins.
Skips the fussing and goes straight to the screaming if I'm not in the room. If I am in the room, he fusses around and smacks his lips when he wants to be picked up instead of outright crying.
Calms down immediately when he hears my voice and quietly waits to be picked up, even if he was screaming his head off a second before. If I walk out of the room, he starts up screaming again until he hears me coming back in.
Hates being poopy, but hates diaper changes even more. Screams through them but calms immediately when the diaper is on.
Loves to feel things with his fingertips (no fists on this baby!).
Starts rooting and trying to nurse when anyone says, "Are you hungry?" or "Do you want to nurse?", even if they don't give him any physical cues what they're saying.
Loves to look at the Christmas tree.
You'd think that 5 days old is too young to be expressing himself, responding to language, learning things, and being involved, but I guess it isn't!
Did I just read that?
From FoxBusiness.com today:
"...hazardous working conditions, such as mining for precious metals or jewels in lakes filled with chemicals and nothing more."
Hard to find anything but chemicals if the lakes contain nothing more than chemicals. Seems sort of futile mining there, no?
"...hazardous working conditions, such as mining for precious metals or jewels in lakes filled with chemicals and nothing more."
Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2010/12/16/countries-use-child-labor-says/#ixzz18JmYEkJO"
Did I just read that?
From Fox News today: "Dr Hibbert, who is the secretary of the analytical division of IUPAC, said the periodic table was revised more often than people thought.'These things come periodically, every now and then.'"
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/12/16/periodic-table-receives-biggest-update-decades/#ixzz18JkNEtzd"
This is one of the more glib, funnier chemists I've read quoted. More:
""When we met four years ago we changed the atomic weight of zinc and this caused a bit of furore at the time, because we changed it by a relatively large amount. I know it makes for good copy, but the world hasn't just suddenly decided, like Pluto, 'we've got fed up with a couple of elements so we're going to chuck them out'."
So the Plutonians got sick of a few elements and threw them out? I didn't know there were Plutonians. I wonder if the element they got sick of was Plutonium?
Also, does he realize what he just said about other chemists?
""For most calculations, people will just carry on as before," he said. "A lot of things you do don't require that kind of precision, so we're not going to change the first year chemistry text book and probably half my colleagues won't notice that this has happened at all. The world won't in fact grind to a halt as the result of it, but, for people at my end who do worry about these things, then yes, there will be some changes in the way we do calculations.""
Also, does he realize what he just said about other chemists?
""For most calculations, people will just carry on as before," he said. "A lot of things you do don't require that kind of precision, so we're not going to change the first year chemistry text book and probably half my colleagues won't notice that this has happened at all. The world won't in fact grind to a halt as the result of it, but, for people at my end who do worry about these things, then yes, there will be some changes in the way we do calculations.""
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Did I just read that?
From Google News, a "teaser" taken from a picture caption for the article found here:
So recalling food kills people...and what became stalled in Congress? The bill, or the recall?
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Baby CAME
A few weeks ago, I had the kids all write their guesses on the calendar of when Elijah would be born. Anda guessed Dec. 11, which she didn't know was her Grandpa Jones's birthday.
She was right.
So, I had been adamant about wanting to do this baby all natural--no medication. Back when I really believed I only had 5 hour labors (which I had, until then).
This time, for some reason, I started into labor on Thursday. I had strong, for-real contractions for all of Thursday, all Thursday night, all of Friday, and well into Friday night. That's well over 36 hours of little sleep. I don't do well on little sleep. The trouble is, the contractions were only 10-20 minutes apart instead of the required 5 minutes apart. And they sometimes took an hour off, here and there. So I wasn't in "real labor," even though it was exhausting me.
So when the contractions finally got to 5 minutes apart at midnight on Friday night, I was BEAT. Already. And "real labor" hadn't even started. And I didn't have the energy or focus to use any of the natural childbirth techniques I had learned. I was too tired.
At 2:30 am, I decided I wasn't going to sleep it off again, and we called babysitters in (thank you, Heather and Kelly, for waking up when the phone rang!).
3:30, I was admitted to the hospital with contractions 2 minutes apart, strong, but only dilated to 3.5 (36 hours of labor hadn't done almost anything but make me tired). Too tired, I asked for an epidural, hoping I could sleep for a few hours and then have a baby.
5:00, the anesthesiologist came.
6:00, the epidural had numbed my legs but not my tummy. Am I now immune? Who knows, but I was VERY not happy. Doctor tried to re-do the epidural while the nurse, realizing that it wasn't working because the baby was coming "precipitously" fast, started calling in help to deliver a small child. I was so not numb, I felt my water break. And everything else except my left leg and right thigh. And I got to work throwing up, which I always do in labor.
6:19, baby popped out without me even feeling the need to push, and before the doctor arrived. What a relief! And, for the first time, no stitches.
I think the natural childbirth would have been easier if I hadn't been expecting an epidural to work. As it was, the expectation made me angry on top of everything else, and that didn't really help.
6:35 I told Tim if that's how it's going to be every time, I'm not having any more babies. I'm too much of a wimp. Every other child has come with me calm, smiling, and ready to hold him. This baby came to a mess of a mother who was angry, hurting from needle pricks everywhere AND childbirth, frustrated, and downright exhausted from 3 days of little sleep topped off by a miserable night of zero sleep and lots of stress and pain.
Within an hour, though, Elijah and I were contentedly nursing, talking to a very tired Tim, and feeling much much better. Then we all slept. Tim went home and put the kids back to bed (they had been up since about 4:00 am, Anda and Dan trying to help Nathanael, who had discovered I was gone and were doing as I asked them to do and help him feel happier--by playing Nintendo. Which worked.). Babysitter went home. Tim went to sleep.
I think he got more sleep than I did, but I also managed to get to sleep and slept for a long time. Thank goodness Elijah is a good sleeper and a good nurser. (I realize that usually changes after a few days, but today, I needed that!).
So, Elijah James Jones. Born today. 7 lb 10 oz. 20 1/2 inches long. Surprisingly, he has lots of black hair. We haven't had any kids born with lots of hair. A few with black hair, but not lots of it like this. Very cute.
And I am so glad that's over! And so glad he's here.
She was right.
So, I had been adamant about wanting to do this baby all natural--no medication. Back when I really believed I only had 5 hour labors (which I had, until then).
This time, for some reason, I started into labor on Thursday. I had strong, for-real contractions for all of Thursday, all Thursday night, all of Friday, and well into Friday night. That's well over 36 hours of little sleep. I don't do well on little sleep. The trouble is, the contractions were only 10-20 minutes apart instead of the required 5 minutes apart. And they sometimes took an hour off, here and there. So I wasn't in "real labor," even though it was exhausting me.
So when the contractions finally got to 5 minutes apart at midnight on Friday night, I was BEAT. Already. And "real labor" hadn't even started. And I didn't have the energy or focus to use any of the natural childbirth techniques I had learned. I was too tired.
At 2:30 am, I decided I wasn't going to sleep it off again, and we called babysitters in (thank you, Heather and Kelly, for waking up when the phone rang!).
3:30, I was admitted to the hospital with contractions 2 minutes apart, strong, but only dilated to 3.5 (36 hours of labor hadn't done almost anything but make me tired). Too tired, I asked for an epidural, hoping I could sleep for a few hours and then have a baby.
5:00, the anesthesiologist came.
6:00, the epidural had numbed my legs but not my tummy. Am I now immune? Who knows, but I was VERY not happy. Doctor tried to re-do the epidural while the nurse, realizing that it wasn't working because the baby was coming "precipitously" fast, started calling in help to deliver a small child. I was so not numb, I felt my water break. And everything else except my left leg and right thigh. And I got to work throwing up, which I always do in labor.
6:19, baby popped out without me even feeling the need to push, and before the doctor arrived. What a relief! And, for the first time, no stitches.
I think the natural childbirth would have been easier if I hadn't been expecting an epidural to work. As it was, the expectation made me angry on top of everything else, and that didn't really help.
6:35 I told Tim if that's how it's going to be every time, I'm not having any more babies. I'm too much of a wimp. Every other child has come with me calm, smiling, and ready to hold him. This baby came to a mess of a mother who was angry, hurting from needle pricks everywhere AND childbirth, frustrated, and downright exhausted from 3 days of little sleep topped off by a miserable night of zero sleep and lots of stress and pain.
Within an hour, though, Elijah and I were contentedly nursing, talking to a very tired Tim, and feeling much much better. Then we all slept. Tim went home and put the kids back to bed (they had been up since about 4:00 am, Anda and Dan trying to help Nathanael, who had discovered I was gone and were doing as I asked them to do and help him feel happier--by playing Nintendo. Which worked.). Babysitter went home. Tim went to sleep.
I think he got more sleep than I did, but I also managed to get to sleep and slept for a long time. Thank goodness Elijah is a good sleeper and a good nurser. (I realize that usually changes after a few days, but today, I needed that!).
So, Elijah James Jones. Born today. 7 lb 10 oz. 20 1/2 inches long. Surprisingly, he has lots of black hair. We haven't had any kids born with lots of hair. A few with black hair, but not lots of it like this. Very cute.
And I am so glad that's over! And so glad he's here.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Baby....not yet
When I decided I wanted to have this baby natural, with no epidural, I didn't anticipate spending 2 full days in early labor, having contractions every 10-60 minutes for 48 hours.
Now I'm just plain tired.
Not sure skipping the epidural is worth it to me anymore!
Now I'm just plain tired.
Not sure skipping the epidural is worth it to me anymore!
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Good to know!
"Studies conducted in the 1990s revealed that homeschooled students were averaging scores in the 82nd percentile as compared to the 50th for public-school students on standardized tests."
http://nevadanewsandviews.com/2010/12/06/homeschoolers-reveal-the-path-to-greater-educational-achievement/
Just for the record, I don't know if I agree or disagree that deregulation is the answer. I'm not sure how much I trust localities to set the bar high enough. On the other hand, I don't think the federal government is close enough to the students to be able to either. So I'm still thinking on this issue.
Also, I don't believe that ALL parents are the best academic teachers for their children. While I do believe that one-on-one education provided to a child by someone who deeply cares about their future and happiness is absolutely, categorically the best way to educate every single child, I know parents who don't care enough, and I know parents who care enough but lack the ability (be in time-wise or educationally or for other reasons, like they have a special-needs child who needs special education they aren't qualified to give) to do this. Instead of saying all parents should public school then, though, I'd be more inclined to say that, ideally, all parents should be provided the resources they need in order to become good teachers for their children, but that's not too practical. Plus I know a lot of adults who were severely abused by their parents when they were young....and school was their freedom and also their chance to get help. Since we don't live in an ideal culture, it's hard to try to implement ideal education--there is a great deal to be said for practicality and reality.
Finally, I DO believe that all states should copy Nevada's homeschool laws. I was free to truly educate my children there. Colorado's laws aren't bad, and there are better programs here for homeschooling families (like Options, which provides 1 day a week of school for ONLY homeschoolers PLUS all the books and supplies for the entire curriculum--giving us our tax dollars worth in a way that homeschoolers approve of), but Nevada's laws expressed trust in the parents, and opened the door for better methods of educating to be tried--nobody forced them to just public school at home (which is extremely difficult and doesn't work well.).
http://nevadanewsandviews.com/2010/12/06/homeschoolers-reveal-the-path-to-greater-educational-achievement/
Just for the record, I don't know if I agree or disagree that deregulation is the answer. I'm not sure how much I trust localities to set the bar high enough. On the other hand, I don't think the federal government is close enough to the students to be able to either. So I'm still thinking on this issue.
Also, I don't believe that ALL parents are the best academic teachers for their children. While I do believe that one-on-one education provided to a child by someone who deeply cares about their future and happiness is absolutely, categorically the best way to educate every single child, I know parents who don't care enough, and I know parents who care enough but lack the ability (be in time-wise or educationally or for other reasons, like they have a special-needs child who needs special education they aren't qualified to give) to do this. Instead of saying all parents should public school then, though, I'd be more inclined to say that, ideally, all parents should be provided the resources they need in order to become good teachers for their children, but that's not too practical. Plus I know a lot of adults who were severely abused by their parents when they were young....and school was their freedom and also their chance to get help. Since we don't live in an ideal culture, it's hard to try to implement ideal education--there is a great deal to be said for practicality and reality.
Finally, I DO believe that all states should copy Nevada's homeschool laws. I was free to truly educate my children there. Colorado's laws aren't bad, and there are better programs here for homeschooling families (like Options, which provides 1 day a week of school for ONLY homeschoolers PLUS all the books and supplies for the entire curriculum--giving us our tax dollars worth in a way that homeschoolers approve of), but Nevada's laws expressed trust in the parents, and opened the door for better methods of educating to be tried--nobody forced them to just public school at home (which is extremely difficult and doesn't work well.).
And now I have to figure out what to do with it!
SmartCo, the new grocery store in town this summer, decided to close. This week, their final, they marked everything in the store down. A lot.
We figured this was a good use of our limited budget, so we went in to check it out. And ended up, in three trips, getting a good amount of our food storage, which has been depleted to nearly nothing over the last 3 years, taken care of. With everything in the store marked down 50-70%, we ended up stocking up on canned goods, frozen foods, spices, vitamins, and all kinds of food. We had to be careful--some of the prices were so high in the first place that even marked down 60%, they still weren't as cheap as elsewhere in town. But on the whole, we had a LOT of fun doing a food-shopping-spree.
And we let the kids each pick out a candybar from next to the cash register, something they have never been allowed to do and will likely never been allowed to do again. With all the candy 70% off, it was worth it to let them have a little fun. (We also stocked up on probably a 5-year-supply of other candy, since bags of Skittles, candybars, etc., cost less than a dollar!, but we explained to the kids that those are for birthdays and special times, not for eating right now.).
The only problem: Now we have to find a place to PUT all that stuff! What do you do with 10 boxes of cereal? We're going to have to reorganize in order to find shelves. Cupboards. Closets. Anything we can, I guess.
It was a fun adventure, actually, being able to get food storage started again for cheap.
I think the receipt, at the end of the day, was as long as I am tall. Or longer.
We figured this was a good use of our limited budget, so we went in to check it out. And ended up, in three trips, getting a good amount of our food storage, which has been depleted to nearly nothing over the last 3 years, taken care of. With everything in the store marked down 50-70%, we ended up stocking up on canned goods, frozen foods, spices, vitamins, and all kinds of food. We had to be careful--some of the prices were so high in the first place that even marked down 60%, they still weren't as cheap as elsewhere in town. But on the whole, we had a LOT of fun doing a food-shopping-spree.
And we let the kids each pick out a candybar from next to the cash register, something they have never been allowed to do and will likely never been allowed to do again. With all the candy 70% off, it was worth it to let them have a little fun. (We also stocked up on probably a 5-year-supply of other candy, since bags of Skittles, candybars, etc., cost less than a dollar!, but we explained to the kids that those are for birthdays and special times, not for eating right now.).
The only problem: Now we have to find a place to PUT all that stuff! What do you do with 10 boxes of cereal? We're going to have to reorganize in order to find shelves. Cupboards. Closets. Anything we can, I guess.
It was a fun adventure, actually, being able to get food storage started again for cheap.
I think the receipt, at the end of the day, was as long as I am tall. Or longer.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Did I just read that?
No gaffe here. Just a jaw-drop that SOMEONE didn't know better. From ksl.com "They had just past a "slow skiing" sign." http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=13566770
Past? Really?
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Greek Yogurt
So, first of all, I noticed that yogurt used to come in an 8 oz size, and now, for the same price, nobody puts it in bigger than a 6 oz container. Nice.
Also noticed that a cup of yogurt has more sugar than a bowl of cold cereal. Yikes?
Today, I tried Greek Yogurt because everyone kept telling me it's so good. It was good. Three times the protein, too, with half the sugar of regular yogurt, plus real fruit instead of fruit flavor. Thicker and creamier, too. I liked it, although I still wish people would make yogurt from whole milk or cream instead of nonfat milk. The kids, being used to candy yogurt, didn't think much of it.
The thing I thought was most amusing was that the packaging said "Sweetened with stevia," but the ingredients indicated that it was primarily sweetened with just plain old sugar, with trace amounts of Stevia in the last couple of ingredients (I suppose to justify the claim). So if you're avoiding yogurt for the sugar, at least the brand of Greek Yogurt I tried wouldn't help you. They just keep it quiet that it still has sugar in the top three ingredients. To their credit, I suppose, there were more strawberries than sugar, and, since there weren't many strawberries, I guess that means there wasn't a lot of sugar.
So now I'm wondering: If I use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt as a start for home made yogurt, will it taste different?
Also noticed that a cup of yogurt has more sugar than a bowl of cold cereal. Yikes?
Today, I tried Greek Yogurt because everyone kept telling me it's so good. It was good. Three times the protein, too, with half the sugar of regular yogurt, plus real fruit instead of fruit flavor. Thicker and creamier, too. I liked it, although I still wish people would make yogurt from whole milk or cream instead of nonfat milk. The kids, being used to candy yogurt, didn't think much of it.
The thing I thought was most amusing was that the packaging said "Sweetened with stevia," but the ingredients indicated that it was primarily sweetened with just plain old sugar, with trace amounts of Stevia in the last couple of ingredients (I suppose to justify the claim). So if you're avoiding yogurt for the sugar, at least the brand of Greek Yogurt I tried wouldn't help you. They just keep it quiet that it still has sugar in the top three ingredients. To their credit, I suppose, there were more strawberries than sugar, and, since there weren't many strawberries, I guess that means there wasn't a lot of sugar.
So now I'm wondering: If I use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt as a start for home made yogurt, will it taste different?
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Did I just read that?
From ABC news today: "EMT Delivers Baby Over the Phone" http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6610242
Wow. Wonder if it was Ma Bell's baby? Or perhaps an Android? Or maybe the EMT was just holding the phone under the baby (um...yuck.)?
Did I just read that?
From ABCnews.com: " I'm even afraid that when I get married, my husband won't be attracted to me anymore after giving birth." http://abcnews.go.com/Health/fear-childbirth-tocophobia-plagues-women-babies/story?id=12297229
If her husband is giving birth, she might have more problems than she realizes!
Friday, December 03, 2010
More of the Elizabeth Smart Kidnapping trial
I've been reading reports on the trial of Brain David Mitchell, who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart, and I'm astonished at the things people are shocked at.
I won't list them. They ARE disturbing.
The sad thing is, I know people who believe similar things, have done almost exactly the same and WORSE to people I love, and who will never go to jail for it.
I realized today that perhaps I should be shocked at what Mr. Mitchell is and does. But I'm not--it all seems so sadly familiar.
There are a lot more wicked, crazy people out there than any of us would like to believe.
But here's the thing I've learned over all my years of interacting with people like him: mentally ill rarely means without agency. In my experience, mentally ill doesn't usually automatically mean wicked. Wicked is still a choice.
Just sayin'.
I get really frustrated when mentally ill people use their condition as a free pass to do anything they can imagine. That's just wrong.
I won't list them. They ARE disturbing.
The sad thing is, I know people who believe similar things, have done almost exactly the same and WORSE to people I love, and who will never go to jail for it.
I realized today that perhaps I should be shocked at what Mr. Mitchell is and does. But I'm not--it all seems so sadly familiar.
There are a lot more wicked, crazy people out there than any of us would like to believe.
But here's the thing I've learned over all my years of interacting with people like him: mentally ill rarely means without agency. In my experience, mentally ill doesn't usually automatically mean wicked. Wicked is still a choice.
Just sayin'.
I get really frustrated when mentally ill people use their condition as a free pass to do anything they can imagine. That's just wrong.
Yogurt
I bought more yogurt. The kids like it. Tim likes it. I like it.
I can't figure out why people prefer low-fat yogurt, though. I mean, if you've ever tried whole milk yogurt, the low-fat version seems hollow. Also, there's so much sugar in it!
I think yogurt might be healthy food (instead of an ice-cream equivalent) in the same way that fruit snacks are "snacks" (instead of candy).
Still, it tastes good. Especially blended with cool whip. Yum.
I can't figure out why people prefer low-fat yogurt, though. I mean, if you've ever tried whole milk yogurt, the low-fat version seems hollow. Also, there's so much sugar in it!
I think yogurt might be healthy food (instead of an ice-cream equivalent) in the same way that fruit snacks are "snacks" (instead of candy).
Still, it tastes good. Especially blended with cool whip. Yum.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
More Dentist Updates
The dental visits never end....
Today Anda went in. She had one tooth filled, one more pulled. And she has at least two more visits. They're only half done.
She did really well, thanks to laughing gas.
Watching her get her teeth fixed gave me pause--I'm not sure Caleb can do it, even at 9 years old. He is so sensitive to touch and so easily overstimulated.....we'll have to see how it goes.
Benji is on tap, too, and I might just cancel his appointment for now and wait a year. He can't even comprehend why anyone would ask him to do something he doesn't feel like doing. He's not coax- or bribe-able, and any time we've forced anything on him, we've regretted it for months--or longer. Might not be worth it just yet when any work he needs done will have to be done under general anaesthesia anyway, and he's not hurting. Why not wait a year until he's old enough to open his mouth--and then do everything when he's sleeping anyway. There might be a little more work to be done then, and we might not have insurance, but it might be a better option. Anda didn't go to the dentist for 3 years, and she's much more able to handle the work now.
Today Anda went in. She had one tooth filled, one more pulled. And she has at least two more visits. They're only half done.
She did really well, thanks to laughing gas.
Watching her get her teeth fixed gave me pause--I'm not sure Caleb can do it, even at 9 years old. He is so sensitive to touch and so easily overstimulated.....we'll have to see how it goes.
Benji is on tap, too, and I might just cancel his appointment for now and wait a year. He can't even comprehend why anyone would ask him to do something he doesn't feel like doing. He's not coax- or bribe-able, and any time we've forced anything on him, we've regretted it for months--or longer. Might not be worth it just yet when any work he needs done will have to be done under general anaesthesia anyway, and he's not hurting. Why not wait a year until he's old enough to open his mouth--and then do everything when he's sleeping anyway. There might be a little more work to be done then, and we might not have insurance, but it might be a better option. Anda didn't go to the dentist for 3 years, and she's much more able to handle the work now.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
What Anda is Thankful For
One of the struggles I've had for years and years as a writer is convincing myself that something so fun isn't a waste of time. I look at my messy house and think I should be cleaning, not writing, despite the fact that I feel compelled to write and it makes me very very happy.
So Anda's thought at the Thanksgiving table was really meaningful to me. The kids were all naming things they were thankful for, and Anda said, "I'm thankful for the authors who write the books I love."
Whoa.
Straight to my heart.
Books enrich people's lives. And even my 7 year old sees immense value in that.
What I'm doing might just be more important than picking up toys. Perhaps picking up would truly be the waste of a life...nobody is going to ever be thankful for that. And nobody else can tell the stories I have to tell.
So Anda's thought at the Thanksgiving table was really meaningful to me. The kids were all naming things they were thankful for, and Anda said, "I'm thankful for the authors who write the books I love."
Whoa.
Straight to my heart.
Books enrich people's lives. And even my 7 year old sees immense value in that.
What I'm doing might just be more important than picking up toys. Perhaps picking up would truly be the waste of a life...nobody is going to ever be thankful for that. And nobody else can tell the stories I have to tell.
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