I am __________

-sick

-tired

-restless

-achy

-bored

-wanting to go back to bed

-surrounded by bored, unhappy children

-ignoring the mess in my house

-wasting time on the computer

-wishing the hubby was home to help

-about to have visitors

-wishing the ibuprofen was actually working

-not sure what to do with my son

-glad I am NOT pregnant

Ah, such is life

Oops! I did it again!

I made another scene at Costco. I couldn't help myself, really. The guy was there with the scanner pretending to be everybody's friend and helping them unload the cart just so he could get closer to their card and scan and them BAM!!! try to sell them on some product Costco has.

I avoided his eye contact and emptied my cart by myself. I was doing good until he started to talk to me!

"It's nothing personal," I finally told him. "It's just you and your scanner."

"Oh really?"

Oh, oh, oh! I couldn't resist.

I, in a positive tone, told him I thought it was wrong for them to scan my card without telling me why he was doing it, etc., etc., etc..

At one point I stated passionately "It's my card."

He grimaced and shook his head. "Not really," he murmured.

This is when my self-control kicked in! Oh, that comment made me mad! But at this point the cashier, several other customers, and a handful of Costco employees were watching me. I let it go and tried to be friendly with the cashier while the scanner guy started to befriend the customer behind me.

Man, I gotta be careful. I don't want to be flagged as "one of those customers." You know, like that one family member everybody has that you have to warn people about: "don't talk about anything with him! don't get him started!" Yeah, I have to be careful.

But oh it gets me that they sometimes they use the guise of "prescanning" your order and sometimes they are just scanning your card so they can see where they can get you. Grrrr! Really, it's Costco's one flaw. I sure wish they could improve it.

Until then, I'll keep my card with "DON'T ASK ME!" written on the back near my picture in red ink. And I'll let them know just what I think about their stupid scanning program.......

Is there a Dr. Phil in the house?

Yesterday's writing class unexpectedly turned into a group counseling session, leaving me wide-eyed and unsure of what to do. Normally for our non-fiction class, I read part of my book, and yesterday I did it as usual. In response, some of the kids started raising their hands and sharing their own experiences with abuse.

I kept thinking "Oh no! Are we going to have to report this to the police?" I wasn't sure if I should cut them off or let them finish or....? Part of me was glad I connected with them and was relieved they felt comfortable enough with me to share, but the rest of me was a bit worried.

After class, one of the head staff members pulled me aside and reminded me that we have to be really careful about the kids sharing. He was having the same thoughts and reactions I was having. We talked about it for awhile and now I know what I'll do next time to cut off the sharing at the beginning. I hope I don't have to interrupt someone! That's so hard for me.

All in all, it was a really good class. I felt like the kids were much better behaved and respectful. I always enjoy the non-fiction class and giving them a chance to see what my life was like when I was a teen. Most of the time, the kids think I've lived my life in a bubble and have no experience with what they are dealing with. It's nice to share with them because the effect is that we feel a stronger connection.

Postscript to "Lost Cause"

This little note from the student I gave one last pep talk to made my day! Especially the P.P.S. What a gift! I was truly touched.

Cereal Buddy, again

Have cup, will bathe

Yeah, I pretty much got a new cup to drink out of after this. And then I cleaned up the mess.

Reasons for a Quiet Toddler

1) he's pooping

2) he's destroying something

3) the stars are aligned in such a fashion that he is actually playing nicely & quietly by himself.

Note: the third option is a rare occasion and shouldn't be continually sought after as it will only cause discouragement.

6 year old cleaning standards

I walked into the 6 year old's room to do a "room inspection" before bed. His shirts, which he had just put away, were overflowing.

Me: Is this how you're supposed to put shirts away?
Him: No. (doesn't move)

Me: (sitting on bed) Should we wait here and watch them fix themselves?
Him: (getting the idea, puts all his weight on them to shove them further down, making them more compact. Stands back up.) There.

Me:

Him: Now can I go downstairs?

Well, there's the solution to my cleaning needs: if at first it won't fit, smash it down harder. What a relief to find out that little trick, eh?

Harley

Meet my new foster bird Harley. She's a one year old sun conure (the same kind of bird Matthew MacConaghey has). I picked her up last night and have been enjoying her since then. She enjoys hanging out on people's shoulders, cleaning out their ears, eating veggies, and exploring the world. She's a sweetie.

Counter Chaos Measures; my continual struggle to keep the kitchen counters clean and clutter free; a photo study

Cereal Buddy

Here's Hannah, eating her own bowl of cereal so she would stay out of mine!

Last Night's Recipe

Sweet Pork for burritos or tacos or salads

(like Costa Vida's)

Pork Roast (4-5 lbs), thaw if frozen
3 c. Coke
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. (heaping) brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. powdered garlic
2 cloves garlic, minced

put all in Crockpot, stir, cook on high for 4 to 6 hours, serve.

Everyone in the family loved this recipe! They gave it a 9 out of 10! Next time, I will make beans and rice to add to our burritos. I think that way it will taste more like Costa Vida.

So GLAD

I was so glad when yesterday ended. Unfortunately, it ended with a bang, ie: colossal migraine. It was such a crazy, crazy day!

take kids to school

shower

take son to babysitter

make a bird visit

have glasses eaten by large cockatoo

pick up son

put son down for nap

eat lunch

critique stories for 5 other critique group members

put dinner in Crockpot

visiting teaching appointment

pick up kids from school

daughter to Activity days

son to karate

glasses to Costco

fix dinner

make another bird visit

bring bird home

put son to bed

read

help daughter get ready for bed

put toddler to bed

deal with migraine

pass out in bed

Yep, it was one of those days. Plus it snowed most of the day. And I was uber-stressed. And tired. And had a pinched sciatic nerve.

Sooooo very, very glad it ended.

So far today the "To Do" list is short: laundry, make phone call, drop by bank, babysit nieces, nap time, pick up kids from school. I can totally handle that!

Life certainly is full of surprises!

Today I had my glasses bitten off and crunched by a Moloccan cockatoo.

Yep. New experience for me.

So how was your day?

On the phone

I went to the grocery store yesterday and saw someone had locked their large dog in the bed of their very nice pickup truck. It was one of those beds that has the flip down lid and they had stuck their dog in it and left the truck. I was horrified.

When I came out of the store 25 minutes later, the dog was still barking. That's when I got on the phone. After a transfer, I ended up talking to the County Sheriff's dispatch officer.

Me: (described the situation)

Him: You'll need to call Animal Control and have them take care of it.

Me: oh.

Him: Is the dog in immediate harm or in danger of losing its life?

Me: no.

Him: Great! (in a very happy tone) Thanks for calling!

Me: huh? (thinking: the dog is locked in the bed of the truck and you're saying 'great'?!?)

I did get a hold of Animal Control and they sent someone out to check. But I couldn't get over the happy tone in which I was thanked for calling. Pleasant manners, just out of place for the situation.

Existential Stewing

Ah, my brain is getting the best of me this morning. I am worrying and feeling responsible for the plight of untold thousands of birds in the area who are being neglected and who need good homes. Plus there's like 12 other things weighing me down. It's enough to make me want to crawl back into bed except I can't because today's a busy day.

I wish I didn't feel so much pain over things I can't control: birds, bad marriages, suffering in Haiti, teens in need of decent role models, genetically flawed brain chemistry, snow on the roads, animal neglect and abuse, trying to get the state to pass a law expanding protective orders, early out all next week for school, trying to find a home for the cockatiel I rescued but sorta not wanting to....

Yep, my friends, my brain is trying to kill me today. I don't know why. It's rather a spiteful thing to do. Because if I die, so does it. Hmm.

So far the falsetto music isn't working so well. Time to add in Pepsi and try not to worry about the acid having a detrimental effect on my teeth and having to end up with false teeth when I am older...

Proof that my Children are Influencing my Toddler

Last night (after he bonked his leg on my bed):

Him: Bonk squash (that's what he calls his head)

Me: No, you bonked your leg

Him: No, bonk squash!

Me: No, you bonked your leg

Him: (pause) Sooooo? (with a bit of snotty edge to it)

Lovely. Dramatic child, rolling eyes, attitude when speaking. Bring it on!

Letting Go, author unknown

Letting Go

To let go doesn’t mean to stop caring,

It means I can’t do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off,

It is the realization that I can’t control another.

To let go is not to enable,

But allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness,

Which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another,

I can only change myself.

To let go is not to care for,

But to care about.

To let go is not to fix,

But to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge,

But to allow others to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle of arranging outcomes,

But to allow others to effect their own outcomes.

To let go is not to be protective,

It is to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to deny,

But to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue,

But search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,

But to take each day as it comes and to cherish the moment.

To let go is not to criticize and regulate anyone,

But to try to become what I dream I can be.

To let go is not to regret the past,

But to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more.

Declaration of Humanness

"I, Sarah, am a card carrying member of the human race. This means that:

1- I have a belly button

2- I make mistakes

3- I inadvertantly hurt others

4- I will probably disappoint you by not meeting your expectations

5- If I am honest with you, I will not always be "fine," sometimes I will be hurt, disappointed, angry, frustrated, bullheaded, and even downright selfish.

6- I also have a capacity to be warm and loving and have a desire to help

7- I have a right to all of the above and allow you the same

I hope my qualifications will be sufficient to permit a relationship with you."

Lost Cause

One of guys in my writing class has been a challenge since his first class. He's been loud, disrepectful, disruptive, obnoxious, and downright defiant. His behavior has instigated a lot of bad behavior from the other guys in class. The past 6 weeks have been extremely difficult.

Last Thursday was his last class (which was something I had been waiting for weeks!). Right before class, I had a chance to chat with one of the other staff members and we discussed this current group of kids. When the difficult teen's name came up, the staff member brushed him off as a "lost cause." In my heart, I knew it was a fairly accurate statement.

When class finished and I had this teen do his final writing project for me, I looked up at him and I couldn't let him gleefully go like I had imagined. He's drowning in the consequences of his choices and the choices of his family. So much of what he's struggling with is not his fault so it doesn't seem fair to me that his family may be the end of his chances for a good life.

Before I let him leave, I told him I believed he could make his life a success; that he was on a teeter totter right now and could go up or down; that I hoped he would make better choices and not flush his life; that it makes me sad to think he'd end up in prison. I wished him luck and told him I believed he had the power to do it. He was quiet and respectful as he listened (actually listened!!!) and even looked a bit sad.

The odds are against him. I wish there was someone waiting for him outside of the detention center who could help him keep his act together, but it's unlikely. He does make me sad. He deserves a chance to really make something of his life-- all the kids do. But without someone they trust & respect to guide them, their paths inevitably lead back to state imprisonment.

I don't want to write him off as a "lost cause." It was worth it to give him one more boost, one more pep talk, one more person to say they believe in him. I don't know that it will be enough to undo the garbage he's carried around with him since birth, but I had to do it. I could not, in good conscience, let him walk away without a boost.

I believe the only failure is when you stop trying. I truly hope he keeps moving forward and even if it takes years, I hope he gets his act together and has a good life. That's what I hope for all the kids who come through my class.

Last Night's Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a CrockPot add:

2 frozen boneless chicken breasts

2 cans chicken broth (14.5 oz)

1 can black beans (15 oz), drained

1 can corn (15.25 oz), drained

1 can chopped green chilis (4 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Stir well, cook on low for a couple hours. When chicken is cooked, take it out and shred them. Put them back into the soup, stir.

Serve. Add crumbled tortilla chips on top. You can also add shredded cheese and squeeze limes onto it.

Yum! My whole family liked this one. It was a success!

2010 Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers Conference

We're letting you know that you can now register for The 2010 Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference!

This year's conference will be held June 14-June 18, 2010, and promises to be an exciting week. Our new venue in Sandy, UT, is large and full of light. And we're working with the wonderful bookstore
The King's English! As usual, we have an amazing, award-winning faculty, too.

Our faculty includes:
Rick Walton and Cheri Earl--who will team-teach the Beginning Class www.rickwalton.com
Bonny Becker--who will teach a Picture Book class www.bonnybecker.com
Kristyn Crow--who will teach a Picture Book class www.kristyncrow.com
Mike Knudson--who will teach a Chapter Book class www.mikeknudson.com
Kevin Hawkes--who will teach the Illustration Class www.kevinhawkes.com
Emily Wing Smith--who will teach the Beginning Novel Class www.emilywingsmith.com
Ann Dee Ellis--who will teach the Contemporary Novel Class www.anndeeellis.com
Alane Ferguson--who will teach an Intermediate/Advanced Novel Class www.alaneferguson.com
Sara Zarr--who will teach an Intermediate/Advanced Novel Class www.sarazarr.com
Brandon Mull--who will teach a Fantasy Class www.brandonmull.com
Dave Wolverton (Dave Farland)--who will teach a Fantasy Class www.davidfarland.net

Editors * and Agent:
Jennifer Hunt from Little, Brown
Mary Kole from Andrea Brown Agency


If you can't spend the whole day with us, look into attending the afternoon sessions.
Additional speakers will include Will Terry, Guy Francis, Ally Condie, Jennifer Grillone, Kirk Shaw, Matthew Kirby, Sydney Salter

For more information, and to register, please go to www.foryoungreaders.com

* We're still waiting to hear back from one editor

Please forward this information on to your writing and illustrating friends. Thank you!!!

Veggie Tales & Monkeys

I LOVE Veggie Tales and this is a great "Silly Song!" Enjoy!

When all else fails...

When the hubby is home late again, and the son is having a hard time, and the daughter is bored and wants to antagonize her siblings, and the toddler insists on being held, and your head hurts, and dinner has to be made, and the house is rather messy, and the BeeGees are only carrying you so far....

Put your pjs on because at least you'll be comfy as the world around you falls apart!

Life is crazy, embrace it. But only when wearing your pjs.

Falsetto

I love men singing falsetto. It's baffling, I know. Please don't attempt to psychoanalyze me. The results may be disturbing. I just find the falsetto strangely comforting and upbeat. I'm currently adding "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley to my running playlist. It's got a great running beat. And, you got it, he sings falsetto.

The other day when things were really, really bad at home, I went on iTunes and downloaded a handful of my favorite BeeGees songs. This way I can play them when I need them instead of having to wade through the Airsupply, Hall & Oats, Elton John songs on my Pandora BeeGees station. Boy, those songs have helped. They get frequent airplay.

Right after I downloaded them, I was chatting on the phone with my hubby and I told him about my splurge.

"If you need someone to shriek at you," he told me, "just call me. I can do it for free." (He obviously does NOT appreciate the finer elements of falsetto).

"They don't shriek!" I protested indignantly just as "Tragedy" started playing in the background.

Then, while the hubby moved onto to work related issues, I burst out laughing. "Tragedy" is one of the more shrieky songs, I admitted to him. We shared a laugh-- which at that point was so necessary and rare.

We don't share the love of falsetto. So sad. What a loss of bonding.

But know that my love of falsetto does not extend to ALL falsetto. I can't stand Queen. Too freaky. Mostly it's just the BeeGees. Love those boys-- even if their hair is longer than mine.

Excuse me while I tune out my son's hyperactivity with a few good chords of "You Should Be Dancing" or "Night Fever."

Because I have a Toddler....

-I find the clean silverware from the dishwasher in the bathroom

-I listen to "Wheels on the Bus" or "Hot Dog" over and over and over and over and over and...

-I can't find the dog's collar or the remote control or a handful of other things

-there are toys all over the house

-everything stick-like becomes either a lightsaber or a gun or screwdriver

-I have to use my tools privately so I don't have to share them

-I don't sleep through the night

-food that was wonderful yesterday is now disgusting today

-screaming is the preferred means of venting frustration

-I have fork marks up and down my walls

-I have to rewrap the toilet paper on the tube frequently

-my pens and pencils disappear when I lay them down

-my iPod is a cellphone or a controller or anything else and I can't ever find it; plus the headphones are now dead because they've been in a little mouth too many times

-all toy hammers have been confiscated

-my bra gets extra wearing (oy!)

-there are always hot dogs in the house

-clean laundry is always dumped on the floor so the basket can be used as a car

-everyone in the house has a little echo (echo, echo)

-bologna and waffles go together for breakfast

-I have to sneak drinks of soda so I don't have to deal with the screaming demands for a "dink"

-my children have someone to beat up on them

-head butts often show love and affection

-my house is never clean for long

-cans of soup make great building blocks

-my older children have childproof door knobs on their doors

-food is good for eating and wearing and smearing on the table

-I have to constantly stop what I'm doing to check on him so I can avert any disast-------

Coping

On the nights when my hubby doesn't come home, I find my self-control regarding my computer usage suffers. Instead of getting on every few hours, I get on every 20 minutes and aimlessly surf. It helps keep my sanity.... even if it's like eating a whole bag of salt & vinegar chips and while I enjoy them as I'm eating, I feel bad afterwards.

Some days....

the best you can say at the end of the day is that all of your children are still alive.

it's been one of those days.

Dysfunctional Tooth Fairy

Yesterday was a bad, bad, bad day for the 6 year old. His brain was functioning at a very low level and his body coordination was very, very off. He had no less than 6 tantrums and fell down no less than 5 times. The last fall knocked out one of his baby teeth. I ended up having to yank it out of his mouth with a full root in tact. It was not a good moment. I kept having to remind him to breathe slowly so he wouldn't hyperventilate.

We put the tooth in his tooth bottle and put it under the pillow. And completely forgot about it.

This morning the son walked out of his room: I got no money.

Me: (inwardly) Drat! (recovering quickly) Well, why don't you start getting breakfast ready and I'll go look? Sometimes the tooth fairy can be tricky with the money.

I quickly put my purse in the closet and pulled out a dollar bill. Hallelujah! I actually was carrying cash! I slipped it into the pocket of my hoodie. I went to "check it out." I looked under the pillow, around the blankets, then slipped the money between the bed and the wall. When I went to grab it, it fell to the floor. That's when I called my son to come and get it. I explained to him where I had found it.

He crawled under the bed and said "It's a ten dollar bill!" I quickly skipped a heartbeat-- had I grabbed the wrong bill? Oh wait, I never carry that much anyway. Phew!

All was saved. We were fine. The boy got his money, the tooth fairy was off the hook, and we all ate breakfast.

Luckily, my daughter has figured it out (though she won't fess up to it!) thanks to Dad waking her up when he was slipping the cash under her pillow. I'm thinking that the Tooth Fairy needs to join the modern day world and use Electronic Funds Transfers or Direct Deposit. This "breaking and entering" bit is outdated.

And way, way stressful!

This morning, for the first time ever, I'm actually very grateful for my 6 year old's lack of strong observation skills.

Last Night's Recipe

Chicken Fettuccine

Cut up 2 chicken breasts, saute with 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 cup chopped medium onion, and 2 Tablespoons olive oil.

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning over chicken while cooking (or use basil & oregano).

Stir in 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup (I used two), 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Simmer over low 10 to 15 minutes.

Cook Fettuccine according to directions on pasta box.

Serve sauce over hot pasta.

I added 2 cups of cooked broccoli to the sauce at the same time I added the soup. Plus, I added more seasoning because oregano & basil are just fabulous! My kids & my hubby loved it! I loved it too! This one will become a standard recipe for us. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. If you want to save time, you can just use a can of precooked chicken.

Running again

It's hard to say what was the best part of my run this morning.... the fact I was running again, the thrill of running without my toe hurting, the small nap my toddler took, the leaves that blew along side me on the sidewalk, or maybe it was dragging my screaming, pinching, crying 6 year old on the pathway for the last part of the run and wondering how long it would be before someone called the police.

Yep, it's a hard call.

The agreement was for me to take the toddler running and the hubby would take the other two kids to walk down to the shop where our van had been fixed. I was halfway through my walk when I saw the hubby dragging my son down the sidewalk (my daughter was looking decidely embarrassed). I met him halfway and drug him home. We ran only a bit and walked a lot too. I suppose it maybe looked like child abuse, but it was really mother abuse. As I ran I carefully constructed what I would say to the police officer when he stopped me; I had a lot of great explanations!

It's important for my son to realize that his tantrums do not change the world around him-- they only impact his own life. That is why I kept running and walking like I had been before. I brought the little darling home so he could rest after our exercise.

Have I mentioned before how hard weekends & holidays are for him? And just think it's a "Buy One, Get One Free" school holiday: today is a holiday and tomorrow is too!

Ay yi yi yi! Give me some Pepsi please!!!

At least I feel good after running. It will take awhile to get back up to my past glory, but today was a good start. Plus, yesterday was my month "anniversary" of having reconstruction surgery on my foot! Happy day!

"Finding Your Voice" by Carolyn Sloan

"...I was searching for something outside myself-- some sound that did not belong to me, that was not a part of me and was never to be created by me. And all the time I could have spent investigating my own instrument was instead trying to imitate and recreate [the] "perfect voice"... Remember your true voice can only be arrived at with a relaxed concentration and careful attention to individuality."

I read this quote during a brief time when I had delusions of actually being a good singer. I loved this quote and it has stuck with me, even if I'm still an off-key, toneless singer.

Too often when we start to develop our talents and skills we immediately look to see what everyone else is doing and we attempt to imitate it. We all have a true voice that is uniquely ours; when we find that individuality, we can truly excel.

Last Night's Recipe

Quick Tamale Pie

Brown: 1 pound ground beef (don't drain)

Add: 1 can (14.75 oz) cream-style corn & 1 envelope taco seasoning

Dump into greased pan (FYI: "dump" was my word, their's was "spoon.")

Sprinkle 1 can (3.8 oz) drained sliced olives over meat mixture

Prepare one package (6.5 to 8.5 oz) cornbread mix (or two if you like lots of cornbread). Pour batter on top of meat mixture.

Bake 400 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes (I always have to cook it longer to get the cornbread to be a golden brown, so more like 20 to 25 minutes).

Serve. (I say "serve" because I don't want it sitting on your stove top looking pretty while your family is starving!)

**We've used this recipe for a year. My kids like it, and so does the hubby.

Bedtime for Parents

Mom and Dad were watching TV when Mom said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed."

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches, rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table, and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning. She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, and ironed a shirt and secured a loose button. She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger, and put the telephone book into the drawer. She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket, and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom. She stopped by the desk, wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the field trip, and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair. She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope, and wrote a quick list for the grocery store. She put both near her purse. Mom then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth, and filed her nails..

Dad called out, "I thought you were going to bed."

"I'm on my way," she said. She put some water into the dog's dish, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on. She looked in on each of the kids and turned off their bedside lamps and TV's, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the hamper, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework. In her own room, she set the alarm, laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack. She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list. She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular "I'm going to bed." And he did... without another thought.

Quick! Look fast....

It's clean! It's finally clean-- floors and counters and everything. You have to look fast because you can see the children are already moving in the for the kill!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!?!?!?!?

CW's new show, Life Unexpected, has this advertising slogan: "Family is the new F-word."

I was FLOORED when I read that. Are they serious? They are equating families to one of the crassest, nastiest swear words? What are they thinking?!?

I wrote them an email asking them to stop the offensive campaign. Will you join me? I cannot tolerate a company degrading the family for the purpose of promoting their show.

Click here to be taken directly to their comment form. Be sure to click choose "Life Unexpected" in the pull down menu.

Thanks!

Sarah who loves the family!

My Craziness continues

Just heard about a "Picture Book Marathon." It's like the National Novel Writing Month I did but it's a picture book a day for the month of February. Awesome! I can't wait to start!

Check it out:

http://site.picturebookmarathon.org/Home.html

"Pants on the Ground"

In case you missed Idol and aren't sure what everyone is talking about. My daughter is singing it! She thinks it's great!

Pig book

I'm reading a book called "The Good, Good Pig" and I love it! I need a farm so I can have my own 300 pound pet pig. That would be awesome!

I think eventually I'm going to need to live on a farm so I can I have some more animals.

You can't see this too many times

I love this one! It's a classic! I've posted it before, but it's good for a laugh every time!

One of my Favorite Pics

I took this three years ago in Blanding, Utah. I've always liked it.

Writing

Life....

Yesterday's Writing Class

All in all, it went really well. There were three boys who could not keep their mouth shut and even got in trouble with staff. As I was leaving, one of the head staffers sat them down and gave them a "talk." Yikes!

The good thing is that the noisiest one has his last class next week. Phew! And one of the others goes the week after that. I'm so glad! Hopefully without three really disruptive kids the others will warm up a bit and be more chatty. It was a fun class, but I must have said "shh!" over 30 times. I suppose I should have gotten one of them in trouble (used the 3 strikes and you're out policy) to prove a point.

Next week, it will be assigned seating. The two chattiest ones will be on either side of me. I hope that helps.

The Child's Last Day

I stole this from another blog. This helps me realize that the messes my children make are not so big of a deal....

Last Week's Writing Class

For the first time since I started, I have gotten to the point where I want the majority of the teens in my class to just go away! There is one boy, in particular, who is like trying to contain a tornado. The classes physically exhaust me. Add to that the fact the rest of the kids are completely ambivalent (and sometimes down right hostile) and this is not my favorite class. In fact, I don't even have a "favorite" student in the class. There is one boy (out of 12 students) who is kind, but often plays the role of follower and goes along with the rest of the indifferent, uninterested, not amused teens.

Gawk!

At the beginning of last week's class I had "DTR" (define the relationship). I read them the riot act. I told them how frustrated and disappointed I was they had been so disrespectful the night before. I want to have a fun time, but not if that means they are in charge of the class. I set up a new system: Three Strikes and You're Out. They get a verbal warning first, then three strikes; it's exactly like what I do for my kids. If they get to three, they are out of the class.

My one naughty, difficult, unruly, loud, obnoxious student got a verbal warning from me. "What you mean 'verbal warning'?" he challenged. I briefly explained the system again. "Man, why don't you put me at two?" I looked at him with my mother look: "You seriously want me to give you a two?" We stared at each other for a few moments. Then he backed down (hallelujah!). I will be so very glad when he gets out of the system. He has a serious authority problem with older women and I hate being his continual target. It's exhausting.

I'm not overly excited about this week's class. They'll all still be there! Even the staff agrees this group is tough. I will be soooooooo glad when they are gone and I get some nicer kids in there. If all the teens in all the groups were like this, I might go crazy!

Last Night's Recipe

Texas-Style Chili

(I modified this recipe to put in the crockpot)

Spray crockpot with cooking spray then add the following:

2 tsp oil

1 lb (or less) stew meat cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 tsp cumin

1 4.5 oz chopped green chilis

1 14.5 oz chicken broth

1 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I used regular chopped tomatoes)

1 15 oz can kidney beans (drained)

1 15 oz can black beans (drained)

1 15 oz can pinto beans (drained) (I didn't add pinto beans.)

1 11 oz can Mexican style corn, drained (I used a can of regular corn)

Mix in crockpot; turn on low and cook for 6 hours (or so). Serve. (;oD)

My family all really liked this recipe. Even my kids! I'm lowering the amount of cumin here; I used 1.5 teaspoons and it was still a bit strong. You might want to throw in a tablespoon or two of sugar.

Enjoy!

Last Night's Recipe

I've grown tired of getting to 5 pm and having no inspiration for dinner. So this week I decided to plan a menu and then go shopping. I have a list of recipes I want to try, and I bought the ingredients for them.

Last night we had "Mu Shu Chicken Wraps." They were really good. Even my kids liked them. I ended up not using the full sauce amount, but regretted it. They ended up a bit too dry. Oh, and I didn't use the Crock Pot; I just boiled my chicken breasts before I used them.

Place 1 diced onion in Crock Pot; season 1.5 to 2 pounds of chicken breasts with salt and pepper; place in Crock Pot. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. (the recipe doesn't say to add any liquid, but you might want to add a 1/4 cup of broth or water to make sure it doesn't burn).

Sauce: 1 cup hoison sauce (you find it in the Asian section at the supermarket), 2 Tablespoons honey, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Stir

Add sauce to shredded chicken, mix well. Place a small handful of broccoli coleslaw mix (you find it in the produce section near the bagged salad) in a tortilla, add chicken mix. Serve.

I always like how they save "Serve." Just in case you weren't sure what to do with it after you got it all done.

Enjoy! Let me know if you like it!

My First Bird Rescue

She is a two year old cockatiel named Laila. Her cage was disgustingly filthy when I got her. I spent an hour cleaning it. She had no toys, no chewing things, and filth. I put in some new toys & treats and her cage looks great. She's a very, very sweet bird. I think I'll take her to my vet tomorrow to make sure she's okay-- looks like she may have an egg in the works. I also gave her some liquid calcium and fresh fruit and veggies to get her on a balanced diet.

The house she came from had several smokers in it and boy did she stink! She still has a musty smoke smell, but I hope that will wear off soon.

While I was researching cockatiels, trying to see if she has a foot problem or why her head is always rolling around, she started to vomit on me (my face, my clothes, & my dog). Oh no! I started panicking-- I've never had a vomiting cockatiel! So I started searching quickly for "vomiting" and "cockatiels."

Well, come to find out, she wasn't vomiting. She was regurgitating, and cockatiels/parrots regurgitate their food for their owners when they feel a bond. Wow! I've been accepted into her culture. We're tight now.

Hmm, maybe I could use this to show my bonds to others: here, sweetie, let me give you some of my food.... uh, no thank you.

The Elephant

My mom is always telling me to "eat the elephant one bite at a time." The elephant is a huge project, an overwhelming to-do list, or achieving household peace (to name a few examples). This week the elephant is looming big and scary and has large tusks! My "To Do" list makes me want to run screaming to my room and hide under my covers.

I have just odds and ends to do-- like planning a party for 150 people, visit teaching 4 ladies, taking care of a perpetually screaming toddler, trying to stretch my toe with my torture device, library trips, emails, karate twice, woman's activity, babysitting, writing class, Family Home Evening, birthday party for daughter's friend, house cleaning, child upkeep..... And on top of it, I feel perpetually sick. I can't tell if it's the air (we have the worst air in the country currently) or if I am just perpetually run down and can't shake the cold I've had. Either way, I'm tired. My foot hurts, my sciatic nerve is pinched, and I want to go to bed.

So I'm trying to think through my list "one bite (thing) at a time." I've crossed off three things that can wait for awhile. I mean, having all my old bills and statements filed in the filing cabinet is overrated; they can stay in the box for now. I can take pics and make some phone calls later. I'll focus on what has to be done.

That makes me feel a wee bit better. I think I may still need to crawl into bed through. That would help the most!

Here's to surviving this week!

8:00 AM this morning

My daughter: (holding up piece of paper) I need to type this up.

Me: Okay, that's fine.

Daughter: (looks at me intently)

Me: (cautiously) When is it due?

Daughter: Today.

Me: (looking at the clock) Are you kidding? Why didn't you do it this weekend? And not 25 minutes before we have to leave for school?
Daughter: (shrugs shoulder)

So I put her on the laptop while the toddler is screaming over everything. She gets done right when it's time to go and I can't get the dumb printer to work. After 3 tries I realize it's not attached to the laptop! GAWK! And the toddler is still screaming! I tell the daughter: "It's not fair to make everyone else stop what they're doing because you forgot to do something. You need to take care of it before and not make everyone else late or stressed." In response, she cries. Now I have two crying children, one screaming.

The kids got to school a few minutes before the tardy/last bell. As the daughter exits the van, I tell her "I hope the paper was important enough to be late for."

OY! I was sssssoooooooooo stressed this morning. Screaming, late assignments, and impending tardy bells do NOT mix.

Books I'm currently reading

3 books on Motown (research for my next book)

"This Book is not good for you" by Pseudonymous Bosch

"I just got a letter from Allyson Pringle" by Anya Bateman

"The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters" by Frank L. Cole

Autobiography of Gladys Knight

"Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

4 books on canaries & parrots

I rotate through them-- pick up whichever one sounds interesting and read it for awhile. I'll probably finish most of them. Really, I'm only reading enough of the Motown books so I can get all my facts straight; same goes of the Gladys Knight book.

In the cue I have "The Faceless Ones" by Derek Landy. He writes about a skeleton detective named Skulldugery Pleasant. It's a very good book series; this is number 3. Plus I have some on hold at the library. I have reading binges where I'll read a couple books in a couple days and then take a bit of break; then the cycle.

Cell Phone Conversation

Me: Hello?

Mom: Just had to tell you that even though people don't comment on your blog, we all thoroughly love it. I know it concerns you no one comments.

Me: Thanks.

Mom: It's the highlight of my day, reading it.

Me: Really? You should probably get a job then......

"Just in Case You Ever Wonder"

by Max Lucado

Long, long ago God made a decision--

a very important decision...

one that I'm really glad He made.

He made the decision to make you.

The same hands that made the stars made you.

The same hands that made the canyons made you.

The same hands that made trees and

the moon and the sun made you.

That's why you are so special. God made you.

If you looked all over the world--

in every house-- there would be

no one else like you...

no one with your eyes,

no one with your mouth,

no one with your laugh.

You are very, very special.

*excerpts from his book "Just in case you ever wonder."

Ghosts of Junior Highs past

It is an interesting phenomenon to me that we are all haunted by ghosts from our teen years (probably most of them from junior high). We walk around with an underlying fear that someone will discover our inner "label."

For example, I fear being called a flake. Now I realize I am the ONLY one in this world who think I am a flake (well, except for maybe my brother who would call me that to bug me), but I still secretly fear somehow I'll slip up in my well crafted presentation and the world will know I am, in my heart, a colossal flake! The thought is frightening! Another secret fear I harbor, that I am a loser, that somehow one day one of my friends will look at me and say "My word! You are unworthy of my friendship. Eewww! Be gone. You are such a loser!" (slight body shudder)

The funny thing is I can rationally tell you all the ways I am neither a flake or an unpopular loser. Really. I could make an objective list. Perhaps you are already thinking of the ways there's NO way I could be either of these (if you are, bless you!). But it's still a fear that occasionally haunts me.

On Sunday I sat behind two of my friends during Relief Society (the women's meeting) and, as I watched them chatting and laughing together, had momentary flashes of "oh, everyone has friends here but me." I realize it's ridiculous-- there isn't a person at church I am not friends with. Yet, still I wonder.... I worry.... I fear.... I wonder if I'm merely hiding my true flakey, loser-ish identity.

In the Old Testament, in the book of Isaiah, there's a scripture about "forgetting the shame of thy youth." I'm pretty confident Isaiah saw the future and saw how many of us would be traumatized by the reality of junior high. He knew we'd be carrying scars for years after. So he promised us we could one day let go of the "shame." I love that idea. I'm still working on it.

I am doing better. I mean, I have lots of friends (220 on Facebook! ;oD) and I rarely stop working on things once I've committed to them. But those fears surface.....

My daughter is only a few years away from junior high. Oy! I dread it! Junior High girls are sooooo mean & nasty. What scars will she carry? Same as mine? I hope not. I just need to remind myself we all "graduate" from junior high, and with help (maybe a counselor, maybe Dr. Phil, maybe just living life & growing) we can outgrow the insecurities caused by teenage woundings.

Plus, it helps to remember we are not the only ones walking around life with ghosts of junior high rattling around behind us. Really.

"Look Mom/Honey!....."

"We left the house in a mess just like it was when you left tonight so you wouldn't feel bad when you got home! We wanted you to see that we missed you!"

oh. thanks. I'm sure I'll clean it all up sometime tomorrow.

Happy Hands

To keep up with my signing skills, I sign the songs in church every Sunday. Sometimes I get a bit too dramatic with my movements and end up feeling like Napolean! Here's a lovely clip for you to enjoy!

My next BIG thing

Now that I've pulled out of the abuse field, I am left with some free time on my hands. (Seriously. I like to have four or five projects going to keep me feeling alive and prevent boredom.)

So starting this week, I am an official member of the Wasatch Avian Education Society. The society is an organization that rescues large birds like cockatoos, parrots, conures, etc.

I am SO excited. I've been a bird lover my whole life and I've spent most of my life with birds. I have such a desire/need to rescue and rehabilitate animals. This way I can take in birds, work with them, and let them go to a good home. This is totally up my alley! Variety, rescues, tender care, and happy endings.

This was one of the reasons I got rid of my rats. Well, first was the fact that one was super aggressive and their hair was hard for my hubby's allergies. But the final straw was the thought that I could help rehabilitate birds. So I'm down to 5 pets for now. My numbers will temporarily increase and decrease, but I'll keep my dog, my tortoise, and my canary. I have to admit that the cockatiels are on the short list-- they just aren't that fun. They may end up being rehomed in the end. I'll see.

But I haven't told anyone of my plans because most people already think I'm an animal nut! I am. Animals bring me great joy, and I love being an "angel of mercy" with them.

So here's to the next great phase!

p.s. Check out their site: Wasatch Avian Education Society to see the cool birds they have for adoption.