Mark is in San Francisco this week at a VS Live Conference. For those of you who aren't familiar this is where geeks and techies and software developers of all kinds get together and salivate over number sequences (Just kidding. No one programs in binary anymore). Seriously though, it is a bunch of "techie geeks" talking about software development and technology. And they do salivate.
Anyhoo, since Mark is gone I am playing single mother and I do not like it one bit. I absolutely don't know how Roxann does this with Spencer gone all the time. I asked my mom how she did it when dad used to work on the road and she said she didn't. She literally went crazy and had to be heavily medicated. Now, I love my kids and I try to be pretty laid back with them, but I also have never been known for my patience or sanity and I can go from fine to overwhelmed and on the edge of a breakdown in about 3 seconds.
Mark and I have a pretty good routine down. He goes to work and I stay home all day with the kids. When he gets home instead of flipping on the sports channel or the Xbox360 like a lot of dads we know he actually engages with the children and often takes over their care. If I have had an especially rough day he sends me to my room for some alone time. We do all the shopping together since it is hard for me to go to the store with the kids. Mark gives them their baths and tells them stories and I help him put them to bed. Three times a week instead of complaining about how he never gets time to play golf or WoW he takes the kids while I go to ballet. And almost every week he tries to get a babysitter and take me out.
You see, Mark gets it. He absolutely gets that being with kids 24/7 with no time to yourself, no matter how much you love them, is hard. He gets that they are his kids too and just because he goes to work doesn't mean he has done his job and now he may go and do whatever he wants. He gets that his number one priority is his family and building a strong relationship with his children. He gets that I didn't stop being a human being with my own needs and wants the minute I became a mother.
Maybe if he was a less hands on parent and he and I were less obsessed with spending every waking moment together this would be easier for me. But you know, I'm glad I'm so dependent on him. I'm glad that he is so much a part of my life that 4 days without him has been agony.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Tomorrow I am flying out to San Francisco to join him for the weekend. Our families have pitched in to take care of the kids for us and I am looking forward to 3 days together (thank you to everyone).
Mark rocks.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
In the Spirit of Births
The other night while we were having prayer Mailee prayed for Grandma and Papa, but she didn't stop there like she usually does. You see, Mailee seems to only like Grandma and Papa and so she never prays for anyone else no matter how much we prompt her. She doesn't even pray for Mark and I or Brick. Well, this night was different. She also prayed for her new cousin Maggie (ahh, that is so sweet). Then she prayed that Heavenly Father would give her a new "PJ Sparkles" toy for her birthday (not until April). Then she prayed for a baby sister.
It went from sweet to cute to What the Heck! You can't just let your kid go around praying for siblings. What if Heavenly Father decides to give them one? Or worse yet, what if they don't get one and it shakes their whole belief system? So, Mark explained to her that we can ask for things but that doesn't mean we will get them. Then he told her to stop praying for toys. She hasn't prayed for any toys since then, and she has only prayed for a new sister once since then, but she continues to pray for baby Maggie every night. I think she is branching out.
To be fair, Mailee is only obsessed with babies because 4 of her 7 married aunts are either pregnant or have just delivered a baby. She has babies on the brain. I've been thinking a lot about babies myself and eventually I do want another one. We just aren't ready yet.
Speaking of babies, my friend Rachel just had a baby (congratulations) and apparently it was one of those really difficult births where things wouldn't have turned out well without medical intervention. She had a C-section and it was probably the only way both of them would have made it out alive. I mentioned to her my mother-in-law's views on home births and she asked me if I had done home births. Let me state here for all the world to see that I have never nor will I ever have a home birth. I love epidurals. I think they are one of the greatest creations known to man. I love having nurses to take your baby to the nursery for you if you need some sleep. I love how they pamper you and give you pain medication and sleeping pills and cable tv to watch. I love having my babies in the hospital. I don't mean to be overly dramatic about Rachel's situation, but I feel really strongly about maternal safety. I think a good percentage of home births are reckless and stupid and selfish and put either the mother or the baby in danger. I am completely biased, and I base that bias on the women I know who have gone through with a home birth. I consider it nothing short of divine intervention that these babies survived.
Okay. I'm done ranting. In the spirit of trying to be tolerant and loving, if any of you decide to have a home birth I will try to support you. But, please, for the love of all that is holy, educate yourself as much as you can about the birthing process, get prenatal care, and please, please at least get a mid-wife. Birth is a natural process and women use to do it all the time without medical help, but they also use to die all the time.
It went from sweet to cute to What the Heck! You can't just let your kid go around praying for siblings. What if Heavenly Father decides to give them one? Or worse yet, what if they don't get one and it shakes their whole belief system? So, Mark explained to her that we can ask for things but that doesn't mean we will get them. Then he told her to stop praying for toys. She hasn't prayed for any toys since then, and she has only prayed for a new sister once since then, but she continues to pray for baby Maggie every night. I think she is branching out.
To be fair, Mailee is only obsessed with babies because 4 of her 7 married aunts are either pregnant or have just delivered a baby. She has babies on the brain. I've been thinking a lot about babies myself and eventually I do want another one. We just aren't ready yet.
Speaking of babies, my friend Rachel just had a baby (congratulations) and apparently it was one of those really difficult births where things wouldn't have turned out well without medical intervention. She had a C-section and it was probably the only way both of them would have made it out alive. I mentioned to her my mother-in-law's views on home births and she asked me if I had done home births. Let me state here for all the world to see that I have never nor will I ever have a home birth. I love epidurals. I think they are one of the greatest creations known to man. I love having nurses to take your baby to the nursery for you if you need some sleep. I love how they pamper you and give you pain medication and sleeping pills and cable tv to watch. I love having my babies in the hospital. I don't mean to be overly dramatic about Rachel's situation, but I feel really strongly about maternal safety. I think a good percentage of home births are reckless and stupid and selfish and put either the mother or the baby in danger. I am completely biased, and I base that bias on the women I know who have gone through with a home birth. I consider it nothing short of divine intervention that these babies survived.
Okay. I'm done ranting. In the spirit of trying to be tolerant and loving, if any of you decide to have a home birth I will try to support you. But, please, for the love of all that is holy, educate yourself as much as you can about the birthing process, get prenatal care, and please, please at least get a mid-wife. Birth is a natural process and women use to do it all the time without medical help, but they also use to die all the time.
Birthday Shouts
First off, Sharel and Andrea- Happy Late Birthdays. I'm sorry I didn't get to posting about them, but I am excited about them none the less.
Second-
Happy Birthday to Roxann, yesterday, Korynn, today and Me, tomorrow. I won't make any jokes about getting old, since I am starting to feel a little old myself. And, since I am older than my husband I will always feel old and I will die a little inside every time I have a birthday and he stays the same age. I am completely positive that at 40 he will be a stunning fox with salt and pepper hair and all of Mailee's friends will think he is so hot. At 40 I will be frumpy and look so much like a mom that I might as well walk around with a sign that says "Mom."
Third-
In case I don't get around to it- Happy Birthday to Eryn (who is 6 years old and won't be reading this anyway) and my friend Rachel who share a birthday on Valentine's Day.
Yeah for Birthdays!
Second-
Happy Birthday to Roxann, yesterday, Korynn, today and Me, tomorrow. I won't make any jokes about getting old, since I am starting to feel a little old myself. And, since I am older than my husband I will always feel old and I will die a little inside every time I have a birthday and he stays the same age. I am completely positive that at 40 he will be a stunning fox with salt and pepper hair and all of Mailee's friends will think he is so hot. At 40 I will be frumpy and look so much like a mom that I might as well walk around with a sign that says "Mom."
Third-
In case I don't get around to it- Happy Birthday to Eryn (who is 6 years old and won't be reading this anyway) and my friend Rachel who share a birthday on Valentine's Day.
Yeah for Birthdays!
Thursday, January 29, 2009
A Quickie (And not the fun kind)
First off, Congratulations to Bo and Andrea. I have many beautiful pictures of your new daughter and you may see them for the low low price of $39.95. You can paypal Mark.
No really, congratulations. She is beautiful.
Second, thanks to everyone who posted as requested. Roxann, what happened to you?
Third, John Huntsman is going to be on Glenn Beck tomorrow night. Is he the same one Grandma and Grandpa knew?
Ok. Gotta go to ballet.
No really, congratulations. She is beautiful.
Second, thanks to everyone who posted as requested. Roxann, what happened to you?
Third, John Huntsman is going to be on Glenn Beck tomorrow night. Is he the same one Grandma and Grandpa knew?
Ok. Gotta go to ballet.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
An Open Letter
To: Bo & Andrea, Korynn & Bryan, Sharel, and Roxann,
Post something.
Bo & Andrea and Sharel: Yeah, I know you guys are pregnant and one of you is ready to explode any minute. It will make the time go faster. I promise.
Roxann: I miss hearing about what the kids are doing to you now.
Korynn & Bryan: What up? Your fingers aren't broken. Get to it.
P.S. to Bo & Andrea: you should do it now, because you aren't going to be doing much of anything for at least 2 weeks after the baby comes.
Thank you. That is all.
Post something.
Bo & Andrea and Sharel: Yeah, I know you guys are pregnant and one of you is ready to explode any minute. It will make the time go faster. I promise.
Roxann: I miss hearing about what the kids are doing to you now.
Korynn & Bryan: What up? Your fingers aren't broken. Get to it.
P.S. to Bo & Andrea: you should do it now, because you aren't going to be doing much of anything for at least 2 weeks after the baby comes.
Thank you. That is all.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
I Got Sucked In
Despite all my previous assertions to the contrary I got sucked in this morning and actually watched the inauguration proceedings (I think "inauguration" needs more u's and a's in it), or rather I watched the pre-game show. I saw the exciting, thrill-a-minute, limo ride featuring The Great Chosen One and that other guy, whatshisname. I was on the edge of my seat as they flew along at an impressive 8 miles an hour en route to the Capitol. I literally gripped my chair as they slowed to a stop and parked under the Capitol stairs. I almost crapped my pants in joy when Sandra Day O'Connor walked out and down the red carpet. Jimmy and Rosalind Carter got a similar reaction out of me. And when I saw the great wife of our chosen leader, a woman greater than Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama put together, in all her gold brocade glory, I actually burst into tears and thought, "Now I can die." I watched old lady whatsherface introduce Obama and then I could watch no more.
Really, though, let's talk about Obama and his choice to "model" his self after Abraham Lincoln. Because we were all lied to in elementary school, most Americans live under the mistaken notion that Lincoln was a benevolent abolitionist who believed in equal rights for all. In fact, Lincoln did NOT believe that the black man was equal to the white man. He thought of them almost as helpless and simple folk who were far less intelligent than the average white man. Lincoln's decision to free the slaves was not motivated by an overwhelming sense of humanity, but by the knowledge that freeing the slaves would not only cripple the south's economy, but tear apart their social structures and greatly weaken their armies. It was almost a last resort. Let me also point out that the Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves living in the Confederate States. It didn't even free slaves in southern states which were already under Union control. All African-Americans were not officially freed from enslavement until the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, nearly three years later.
Now, I'm not saying that the Emancipation Proclamation wasn't a great thing. It was a good first step in the long battle for equal rights. I'm not saying Lincoln didn't play a great part in the battle. He did. I'm just saying, that he was no Mahatma Gandhi. His motives were not pure. Therefore, I think it is a bit laughable that Obama is choosing to identify so much with Lincoln. It is almost universally accepted among historians that Lincoln, although a very enlightened man, was a racist.
All that said, at the risk of being totally flamed, I would like to say that I like ONE and only ONE thing about Obama. Actually, it isn't really about Obama, but about what Obama may represent. I hope that having him in office will do something to change the self-esteem of young black kids everywhere. Maybe there will be less of a sense of oppression within the African-American community. Obama himself is still the spawn of Satan and a dirty, lying socialist. If he does something I like I hope that I can put my total and complete hatred for the commie aside and admit it. I'm not holding my breath, though.
That's my two cents.
Really, though, let's talk about Obama and his choice to "model" his self after Abraham Lincoln. Because we were all lied to in elementary school, most Americans live under the mistaken notion that Lincoln was a benevolent abolitionist who believed in equal rights for all. In fact, Lincoln did NOT believe that the black man was equal to the white man. He thought of them almost as helpless and simple folk who were far less intelligent than the average white man. Lincoln's decision to free the slaves was not motivated by an overwhelming sense of humanity, but by the knowledge that freeing the slaves would not only cripple the south's economy, but tear apart their social structures and greatly weaken their armies. It was almost a last resort. Let me also point out that the Emancipation Proclamation only freed the slaves living in the Confederate States. It didn't even free slaves in southern states which were already under Union control. All African-Americans were not officially freed from enslavement until the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, nearly three years later.
Now, I'm not saying that the Emancipation Proclamation wasn't a great thing. It was a good first step in the long battle for equal rights. I'm not saying Lincoln didn't play a great part in the battle. He did. I'm just saying, that he was no Mahatma Gandhi. His motives were not pure. Therefore, I think it is a bit laughable that Obama is choosing to identify so much with Lincoln. It is almost universally accepted among historians that Lincoln, although a very enlightened man, was a racist.
All that said, at the risk of being totally flamed, I would like to say that I like ONE and only ONE thing about Obama. Actually, it isn't really about Obama, but about what Obama may represent. I hope that having him in office will do something to change the self-esteem of young black kids everywhere. Maybe there will be less of a sense of oppression within the African-American community. Obama himself is still the spawn of Satan and a dirty, lying socialist. If he does something I like I hope that I can put my total and complete hatred for the commie aside and admit it. I'm not holding my breath, though.
That's my two cents.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Goals
So, I was reading the blog of one of my friends and she had listed her goals for the new year. Now, I don't normally make New Year's resolutions, cause I figure they are just one more thing to break. Also, it is really trendy to make them, and I don't like doing what everyone else does. That being said, I started to think about some goals for the immediate future and decided to share some of them with you guys.
1. Serve others more. This one is a goal that Mark and I have both set. We feel like we have been so blessed, and one of the best ways to show our thanks is to serve others. So far, we have been doing pretty good with it. Mark is amazing. He has really been diligent about looking for ways to serve. I am not as good. I tend to be a little more selfish with my time and energy, mostly because I think I am afraid of wearing myself out. To begin with, I need to look for little opportunities and get out of the mindset that I have to do something really physically draining in order to serve.
2. Magnify our callings. I don't have a calling right now, so I figure my calling is to help Mark magnify his. He is really awesome and wants to work really hard as the Elder's Quorum President. Sometimes all he needs is for me to tell him that it is okay to leave me and visit members of the quorum who need help. So, I am working on being okay with the kids by myself while he goes out and takes care of things.
3. Do my visiting teaching. This is a hard one for me. I'm not very motivated and I am afraid to use the phone, so that puts a damper on my visiting teaching. Mostly, I think I am afraid to reach out. But, I really need to be more diligent, so I am going to try to make visiting teaching a priority.
4. Read our scriptures. This shouldn't be a hard one, but it is. President Medina has set a reading schedule for the stake and Mark and I are about 10 days behind, but we are working to catch up. Last night, Mailee said she wasn't tired and that she wanted to stay up for a little bit. We told her she could, but she had to sit and listen to us read the D&C. By the time we were finished she was pretty relaxed (and bored) and ready to go to bed. So, there you go. Scripture reading can be like Benadryl for kids.
That's all for now, because I can smell that Brick has a very exciting surprise in his pants for me.
Peace.
1. Serve others more. This one is a goal that Mark and I have both set. We feel like we have been so blessed, and one of the best ways to show our thanks is to serve others. So far, we have been doing pretty good with it. Mark is amazing. He has really been diligent about looking for ways to serve. I am not as good. I tend to be a little more selfish with my time and energy, mostly because I think I am afraid of wearing myself out. To begin with, I need to look for little opportunities and get out of the mindset that I have to do something really physically draining in order to serve.
2. Magnify our callings. I don't have a calling right now, so I figure my calling is to help Mark magnify his. He is really awesome and wants to work really hard as the Elder's Quorum President. Sometimes all he needs is for me to tell him that it is okay to leave me and visit members of the quorum who need help. So, I am working on being okay with the kids by myself while he goes out and takes care of things.
3. Do my visiting teaching. This is a hard one for me. I'm not very motivated and I am afraid to use the phone, so that puts a damper on my visiting teaching. Mostly, I think I am afraid to reach out. But, I really need to be more diligent, so I am going to try to make visiting teaching a priority.
4. Read our scriptures. This shouldn't be a hard one, but it is. President Medina has set a reading schedule for the stake and Mark and I are about 10 days behind, but we are working to catch up. Last night, Mailee said she wasn't tired and that she wanted to stay up for a little bit. We told her she could, but she had to sit and listen to us read the D&C. By the time we were finished she was pretty relaxed (and bored) and ready to go to bed. So, there you go. Scripture reading can be like Benadryl for kids.
That's all for now, because I can smell that Brick has a very exciting surprise in his pants for me.
Peace.
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