A Funny Story

Tonight, my sisters, my brother and I went to see Body Worlds 3 at the museum!!!!! My parents bought us tickets for Christmas, and boy! Was it ever fantastic!

Anyway, tonight, while we were at Body Worlds, NaiNai and Bampa brought Taiger to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights. Mom told me that when they came home, she thought Taiger would like some hot oatmeal to warm him up after being outside in the cold. She also thought he would be getting hungry! She made the oatmeal, but instead of putting milk in it, she mixed in whipped cream, something that makes it creamy and sweet (NOTE: This is something she NEVER did with me! It is a luxury only Grand kids enjoy). When she gave the bowl to Taiger he looked at her with concern in his eyes and said, "Gwandma, there is oatmeal in it!" HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!! He just wanted the whipped cream! He said to her, "NaiNai, take the oatmeal out! Take it out!" In the end, for dinner Taiger had two dishes of whipped cream!!!!!!!!

Taiger and Mommy in the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper!

When we were at the Kwanzaa celebration, reporters from the Salt Lake Tribune interviewed Taiger and me, and had me sign a statement saying they could use our names and pictures in the paper. I didn't know they had taken our picture at all, and didn't think they would actually use what I said in the paper. Tonight, I was playing around online and suddenly remembered the interview and checked the Tribune online. Sure enough, there was our picture! They also had included in the article some of what I had said when they had spoken to us! I ran out at 12:30 and bought two papers! Unfortunately, the picture online didn't make it into the
paper :( , but what I said still did! Also, the picture online was the FIRST one that came up...and more people read the internet nowadays anyway, right?! HA HA HA! Anyway, if you want to see it, here is the link: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11322821



This is the picture used by the Tribune.

Cookies and Kwanzaa!!

Today, I finished our cookies! I took some pictures with a cell phone, but they were not very good (go figure). :( SORRY! I took two with my 35mm so when I develope those pics maybe I can put them on here.

So, today was the big Kwanzaa celebration at the museum! It was REALLY interesting and FUN! However, Taiger was tired and wanted to leave, so we didn't get to stay long. I was looking forward to the drumming and story-telling, but we left before either of those things. Too bad, but that is what happens when you have kids ;)! Despite being tired, Taiger was REALLY good, and participated as much as he could before he was so tired we just had to leave.

There was a great exhibit of Kente cloth, and I LOVED seeing that! I took pictures of Taiger in front of the Asante Kente cloth, as that is Taiger's heretage. A sign showed the names of each pattern of cloth, and I was amazed to see one pattern was something about talking to the Asante leader, Agyeman...that was Taiger's father's family name, as his family was the royalty in the Asante tribe! Taiger's middle name was almost Opoku-Agyeman, after his ancesters. Anyway, it was so fun and interesting, and made me excited to go to Ghana.

So, Kwanzaa started yesterday and will end on January 1. So, HAPPY KWANZAA, everyone!

Baking Cookies!!

Tonight I decided to try a new cookie recipe! I got the recipe from sugarhousemama.blogspot.com, a great blog to follow, by the way. Anyway, I had Jeremy over to bake them with Taiger and I. The cookies aren't done yet, but if they turn out, I will take some pictures of the finished product and put them on here!

Why I have not been blogging as much...

Christmas is upon us, and although this should be a time I am blogging MORE, I have found I have been blogging LESS. Christmas is a time when people's hearts are a little softer, their thoughts are turned to those in need. Because serving others is a major part of this season, I should be blogging now more than ever!

Christmas should be a time of joy and laughter. Yet my Christmas has been shadowed slightly by feelings of guilt. Because of this, I have not been as quick to blog. I have sat at my computer many times this season, only to become frustrated with my own thoughts and unable to find the words to express my feelings.

So, in the quiet of my house in the early morning, when everyone else is still asleep, I find myself again at my computer, determined to express my feelings without frustration or shyness. To just say them like they are. I know as I write my thoughts are going to be a jumbled MESS, but I just want to get them out there.

The feelings of guilt are because I am spending so much on myself and my son when there are so many people who need it more! Then, I feel guilty for wanting to help others instead of giving my son many Christmas gifts. He is my SON, and I want him to have all he needs, but does it make me a "bad mom" because I want to help others rather than get him tons of dinkey toys he will never use? My son is going to have a good Christmas, better than most 3 year olds! But I know I could buy him MORE THINGS. Is it bad that I think "this is enough" and want to save the rest of the money I have (as a single Mom going to school, I really don't have a lot of money to throw around...to be honest, I have about $600.00 TO MY NAME, about $300.00 of which has gone into Christmas gifts for Taiger and my family and one close friend)? As I am out shopping for him, I refrain from buying more and more, thinking instead of our trip to Africa, and how we will need the money to buy airplane tickets and suitcases, and I would like to save my money for those things. Does that make me a bad Mom, or a Christmas Scrooge because I am not buying my son a mountain of gifts? Does it make me a bad Mom that I am spending more on my endeavors to help others than I am my own son?

These are the feelings of guilt I have been experiencing. Guilt for spending so much on silly gifts my son doesn't NEED, and then guilt for wanting to spend money on others rather than on my own son.

I belong in LONDON!

I took this silly quiz on-line (I admit, I do LOVE those quizzes!!) and found out in which city I belong.

What City Do You Belong In?
You Belong in London
A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock.A unique soul like you needs a city that offers everything.No wonder you and London will get along so well

I have been to London, and I LOVED it! Truly!!!!!!!!! I spent three days there. The day I arrived I went around with a friend of mine who was from London, GaoFei. The next day he left me "on my own" and boy was that just the way I would have it! I went ALL over! The day ended with a rainstorm the likes of which I have never seen...exept in the movies based in London. I didn't know it really rained like that! I looked like I had jumped in the river! Still, I stayed out, enjoying my sight-seeing. As evening fell, I bought candied nuts off the street from a young man with crystal blue eyes that I will NEVER forget. I walked along in the down pour, still unable to believe where I was and what I was doing when out of the darkness, right in front of me, rose Big Ben!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the most exciting moment!! I then found Tintern Abby and the Houses of Parlaiment! I took the very last metro train back to my motel and fell sopping wet and happy into my bed. The next day I went to GaoFei's birthday party and to the ocean. From that beach you could look across the water to France! No kidding!

Anyway, I loved London!!

Quilts and Taiger being cute

I am making Taiger a quilt for Christmas. It has been QUITE an undertaking! I have only made one before, and that was also for him. I sewed it while I was pregnant with him. I was feeling all motherly and excited for my new baby, and the quilt was small and snuggly with soft fabric on the back and Christmas prints on the front (since he was due to be born December 4...he surprised me and came Nov 23, by the way!). Well, this quilt has been quite a different experience! I made it to be like a bed spread, so it is REALLY big...and was difficult to manage! Also, I LOVE piko's but I HATE sewing them. Well, I decided two days ago to add pikos to this quilt. I was up until after midnight last night trying to cut, fold and iron them. Well, I finished sewing the piko's on today, and was VERY impressed with myself! I finally figured out how to do the corners! WOO HOO! Anyway, I wanted to get the back done today as well, but as soon as I layed it out to pin the top to it, Taiger ran and layed down on it and started snuggling it. I was frustrated until I looked at how much he loved the snuggly blue fabric and how cute he looked all wrapped up in it, so instead I took a picture.

Taiger has been so...BUSY lately! I don't want to say "naughty", because he doesn't do anything really WRONG, just a lot of things that reqire cleaning up, or asking him to put that down, or don't do that, or you will hurt yourself, etc. Today he was being all crazy while I was trying to sew those DARN pikos so I was already at my wit's end. I told him to stop whatever it was he was doing. He stood up and walked over to the side of the room and with a pouty lip and puppy eyes said, "I'm just a little boy. I am just a little boy." It was so cute I could not be angry. I just started laughing. He is so precious and so sweet! I love him so much!!!!!!

Back from the land of the lost, and Taiger's Third Birthday party! Woohoo!!

I have not been very good about blogging on here! Sorry! The reason for that is that I have another BLOG on which I have been blogging a lot lately. If you want to check it out, the address is sixteensmallstones.blogspot.com. It is dedicated to Taiger's and my volunteer work and volunteer spirit, really.

Things are going well for my son and me. He turned three a couple of weeks ago!!!! What a big boy! I will try and put some pictures on here when I get a chance. He had a fun Speed Racer party with all of his little friends from our neighborhood. It was fun for everyone. Taiger HATES loud noises and excitement, so I wasn't sure how he would do with having a party. However, it was a strange party when kids came late and some left early, so it never got too loud and crazy (although crazy enough for me! LOL!). The one time it got a little wild, Taiger went off alone and played with his new cars while everyone else ate cake and played. I kept an eye on him as he played alone and he seemed happy so I let him be. After a while, one of his little friends joined him playing with the new cars and from there things went smoothly. I was grateful it was fun for Taiger and everyone and that it went so smoothly (albeit a little different with people coming and going so much, but we are layed back and go-with-the-flow so we just made it work and all went well!).

We are still planning our trip to Africa this summer. Our other blog is more updated with more information on that trip, so if you want to hear about all that, be sure to keep checking our other blog.