A Grand Adventure!!

EVERYONE! READ THIS POST!!!!! :D :D

2012-02-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

HELLO EVERYONE!

SO, I have some WAAAAY exciting news! Sixteen Small Stones (remember my little volunteer group?!) is doing OPERATION: LOVE again this year! We are sending Valentines to kids in Africa, China and BELIZE (you weren't expecting that now, were ya?!)! Yes, BELIZE! We are just starting working with a GREAT home there, and we are SO excited! Go HERE to find out how to donate Valentines! Go to my sister's blog HERE if you live in Utah and want to come to a Valentine Party to make Valentines to send to the kids! (She is SO fun, huh?!) If you live in Idaho Falls/ Shelley/ Blackfoot/ You-Get-The-Idea, we will have a table set up at Broullims in SHELLEY on February 10 (2:00-5:00pm) and February 11 (10:00am-4:00pm) and you can come make Valentines, see pictures of the kids, and visit with US! The address is 570 South State St Shelley, ID 83274.

COME, COME! It will be FUUUUUN!

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!

2012-01-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Happy Chinese New Year = Zhu ni xin nien kuai le!

Monday is Chinese New Year! This day sends me through the cobwebs of time and right down Memory Lane to the Chinese New Year I spent in China, shivering on a wood platform covered in blankets that served as my bed while in Inner Mongolia!! (That's a link to a website about Inner Mongolia!!)

Inner Mongolia is the red part. The white part is the rest of China.
The story of how I wound up there might surprise you. I will cut through the "how I ended up in China in the first place" part, as most of you know that long history, and cut right to the shocking part of how I found myself walking along the frozen streets of Inner Mongolia.

This is a picture of me! Don't I look like I fit right in? Just kidding. It's not me. Had you going there for a minute though, huh?!

At the risk of revealing my age, I will say a combination of words some of you may have heard, but which probably sound archaic, like something from the past (like using the word "fortnight"): Chat Rooms.

Anyone out there even know what those are? If not, go ask your parents. :)

So, I was in a chat room one day and I met someone in Inner Mongolia. We ended up being Chat Room "friends" (this was waaaay back before you could be "real" "friends" with someone, which, of course, started with facebook. Before facebook we were only "pretend" friends, you know.) He would ask me questions off his English homework and I would tell him the answers. We talked for many, many months. When the time came for me to go to China (second time around), he invited me to come to his home. I didn't think it would actually ever happen.

Then, Chinese New Year came around. A whole MONTH off work...PAID! I was young and foolish (which I still am, just so you know...yes, BOTH young and foolish) and my plan to go to Mt. Everest fell through, so I decided to casually invite myself to stay with my Chat Room Friend and his family. One HUGE backpacking backpack and two plane trips later I found myself at the airport in Hohhot. My chat room friend turned out to not be some spycho and actually was just some 15 year old kid! Him and his family picked me up at the airport and the adventure began!!!!!

After staying in Hohhot a few days, we took the hard seat train to Baotou and we celebrated Chinese New Year the TRADITIONAL way with my friend and his extended family.

I learned how to make jiao zi,

ate the strangest food (from donkey, that is surprisingly NOT tough, to slimy boiled pig skin, among other things),

visited relatives in the countryside of BaoTou,

and even walked on the frozen Yellow River

(a river I had spent years dreaming of one day seeing with my own eyes).

It was magical. It was fantastic. I sat and listened to monks chant in a monastery. I went to a Buddhist temple. I watched fireworks (which were invented in China, you know). I had the best adventure!

From there I backpacked to KunMing, found my way to LiJiang and ended up back in KunMing. I spent the entire month backpacking, riding slow trains, fast trains, planes, over night buses, motorcycles, cable cars, and taxi cabs. I drank water from a golden ladle from a river that would make me live to be a thousand. I hiked Snow Mountain and waded my feet in the running water of Leaping Tiger Gorge. I walked down the Burma Road and went to the headquarters of the Flying Tigers. I walked through Sun Yet Sen's home. I slept in a concrete room, in a soft bed, on a bus, in a bus station, on a train, in a motel, in a hostel. I ate boiled bark.

Chinese New Year reminds me of adventure.

I love that feeling. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012-01-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011 has been a good year. We look forward to 2012!

2011-12-24T12:35:00.001-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Life and Death

2011-12-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

Now that I have actually realized what I was doing with trying NOT to get in to the spirit of Christ-mas, I am going CRAZY trying to think up things I can do to make up for my stupidity (because that is all it was, really...utter stupidity). I mean, there is PLENTY I could be doing, really. But in the next week? And with Streptococcus in my stomach? I can't do everything possible, so I have to get creative and think of what I CAN do!

On a different note, KIM JONG IL IS DEAD!!!!!!!!!!! (Just to make sure there is no confusion, the exclamation marks are those of celebration and joy.)

CHRISTmas

2011-12-15T23:46:00.001-08:00

I am resisting Christmas, or should I say CHRIST-mas, this year.

And I am surprised and disgusted with myself.

I don't want to serve anyone but Taiger. I don't want to not give him gifts. I don't want to move my hand from in front of my eyes and see past Taiger! This Christmas is about Taiger! And Taiger ONLY! That is my mantra. I mean, I have been sewing gifts for family members. I bought a gift for one of our friends in China. I don't want everything else.

Or do I.

I hate how I feel about things this year. "I am too busy to worry about anything but making Christmas perfect for Taiger!" I will worry about everything else "later". No time right now! Taiger and I had a special experience of serving someone else...can't that be enough?!

Tonight, I finally forced myself to take a peek past myself and Taiger. But I am still resisting.

I want the Christmas tree (it is our first year to buy our own!!). I want the really special gifts I got Taiger. I want the wrapping paper. I want the decorations. I want the magical feeling.

But what is that so-called "magical feeling"? It is the feeling of "I-Want". The "magic" of getting exactly what I WANT.

So, I push myself down. I throw off the blind fold and I taste the bitter reality. I have to look past my front door, beyond my street lined with twinkling red and green lights. Past the shopping mall and the Christmas tree farms. And into the stable where Christ was born.

I see the starving. The naked. The orphaned. The widowed. The homeless. The sick. The lonely.

And what do I do? What can I do? What should I do?

Where does CHRISTmas settle in my heart? I have eight days to find it a resting place in my heart.

Sad

2011-12-08T19:16:00.001-08:00

It's heartbreaking the way one person can ruin the happiness of a home.

Ready to Make A Bear?!

2011-11-03T07:16:00.001-07:00

So, I just read THIS and I am already so excited about it. (I am supposed to be doing homework, as I have PILES of it due. Instead, I was looking on facebook and found this great service project, and now I am all psyched about it and HAD to blog about it! I hope my professors will understand...)

Primary Children's Medical Center is an amazing hospital in Salt Lake City. They have served children from the Idaho/Utah area, as well as children from all over the US, and all over the world! We have friends whose lives have been blessed by this wonderful hospital and their caring staff.

My heart goes out to all of the patients at Primary Children's. They endure so much. Their families, too, suffer as they watch their precious children suffer. When I saw this project, I KNEW Taiger and I HAD to be involved.

So, here's the scoop. I guess people make these little teddy bears and donate them to the hospital. The hospital gives a bear to each admitted child. The child then gets to "decorate" the bear. I imagine they draw faces and probably clothes, etc. on the bear. But maybe friends, family, doctors, nurses, etc. could WRITE on the bear a message of love and hope for these children. Anyway, the way these bears could lift a spirit, give comfort to a frightened child, and be a faithful friend who a child may otherwise feel so alone is almost unimaginable to me. BUT...I know I want to make it possible. So, let's get sewing! Here is the process in pictures. You can download the pattern HERE.

Now...I have decided to do something REALLY crazy. (Really.) For every bear that a family member/friend/blog-buddy donates, I will donate one. So, if 50 bears are donated, I will make 50 bears myself to total 100 donated bears. Get it? So, if you make a bear, take a picture of you with your bear and send me the picture or post it to your blog and send me the link. I will make a bear to match your bear!

So, go start sewing! See how late you can make me stay up at night sewing! I hope we get HUNDREDS of these and I am sitting at that sewing machine for DAYS on end! :)

Good luck!

Taiger Baggins

2011-11-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

LOOK! Taiger is a STAR!

Thank you, Hue (of Hue and Hum) for hosting this fun little "event" and for selecting my son as one of your top ten! You ROCK! (umm...and paint ;) )

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Out Of The Ashes

2011-10-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

I was in the grocery store today, hurrying around finding things, pushing my full cart along, and suddenly I stopped. I remembered how, not so long ago, I could not even push a grocery cart. I was too weak from not eating. I looked around and smelled the spices and saw the people laughing and happy, and I thought how the grocery store is "no fun", but for some people, it might be a happy place, filled with the smells of the food they love. Especially in "small-town Idaho", people see friends and even relatives at the store. People were standing in the aisles visiting. Others were smiling and waving to friends. Families with six kids were bustling around finding their favourite foods. And I realized _I_ am among those people now. I don't THINK about the grocery store now. I remember one time having a complete melt down in the grocery store. I had to sit on the floor (it was in the bread aisle, I remember :) ), I couldn't even walk. I could hardly move! I was paralyzed. With anxiety. With fear. So much food! All around me! I was, well, freaking out!

Not anymore.

I can go to the grocery store now. I can breathe easier. I can move. My heart beats stronger. My muscles work. My brain works so much better now! I can laugh without feeling like I am going to pass-out.

My life is a thousand times different than it used to be.

How is that possible? How can someone go from where I was...the depth of that trap...to where I am now? How?

There is only one way.

Through a loving God, who makes all things whole. I can run and not be weary. I can walk and not faint.

"Into the darkness He cries. Out of the ashes we rise."

And I did! I rose out of the ashes.

You can, too.

Yue Yue Needs YOU!

2011-10-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

I need some help. Sweet little YueYue in China needs some warm clothes to wear to kindergarten. Will you please sponsor an outfit for her? You can choose how much you want to donate in sponsorship of an outfit. You get to pick out the outfit you are sponsoring! It is a fun way to help a little girl in great need. Won't you please help? Go to my other blog, HERE, to pick out an outfit to sponsor.

THANK YOOOU!

Chelsea.

2011-10-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

Chelsea.

There has to be a period after her name. Because that is the end. She is dead. Breclyn can go on in this life. Chelsea can't. In England, they call that punctuation mark a "full stop". Ironic. Fitting. Almost comical in the drowning of today. Funny, like a life ring floating a few feet away from a sinking Charlie Chaplain. We laugh as he flails, because the music is funny, and it is black-and-white and not real. But today IS real. Full stop.

Each October after she died was torture. October 25 loomed over me from September until that fateful day arrived like a blast of cold wind.

The past few years have been less shocking. Less oppressive. Less ominous.

But I still miss her. And I still hate today.

This year, I hate today because it is ugly and dirty and miserable. I have made it disgusting and ruined it and made it filthy for another year, until maybe next year can cover the memories of today with a new October-25-The-Day-Chelsea-Died. I have a habit of doing this. Tainting days that can't be forgotten, and hoping next year will be better and will erase this year.

It is a biting cold, sunny autumn day. The leaves on the tree across the street are gone, and the trunk and branches stand stark against the blue sky. Everything feels like that today. Raw. And yet muted at the same time. I feel like climbing out of my own skin and living somewhere else for a while. The tree probably wants to be in Hawaii right now. But we both remain. Bare. And strong. The winds blow and strip us of our humanity, but we stand on.

Dick and Jane, or I am not happy about what should be a good surprise.

2011-10-24T13:53:00.001-07:00

I have always thought Taiger was super bright. I started him on letters when he was about 2 because I felt reading is the most important thing in the world.

I had him reading "Dick and Jane" when he was barely 4, and I really was excited he was learning to read. I have always taught him how important it is to read. In Taiger's kindergarten preparedness test, he recognized 36 letters (upper- and lower-case combined) and I was so pleased that he was so far ahead of the standard for kids entering kindergarten (they need to know 11 to enter kgarten). He is SO SMART!

Well, my parents brought in this sweet little foster boy who is Taiger's age. He acts like a baby. He is very immature. He had not learned much before he came. He hardly spoke at all. In his kindergarten screening he recognized 11 letters total of upper- and lower-case letters. He was miles behind Taiger. He did not understand that letters could fit together to make words, and could not sound out even the most simple words.

About three days ago, my Mom started having him read Dick and Jane. Today, he caught up to where Taiger is.

Is it bad that I am totally furious about this?

Do I feel like an idiot for spending all of that time working with Taiger when he was little? Yes. Yes I do.

Dragon Mom

2011-10-20T12:18:00.000-07:00

I thank God every day that Taiger is healthy and well! But I am not naive to the fact that other parents are standing next to their children, fighting with them, even as they die, often painfully.

My last blog post was about Tipp and his mom (by the way, HAVE YOU VOTED TODAY?). She linked to this article.

I thank God every day that Taiger is healthy and well. That he has the potential to live a long, happy life. But (and maybe it would be appropriate to say "in spite of that"...but that may be for a different blog post) I want to take example from these mothers. I want to be a Dragon Mom.

What are your thoughts?

VOTE FOR TRIPP!!!!!

2011-10-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I follow this blog of a Mom who is...well, I can't even describe how amazing and wonderful she is. You will just have to go read her blog and see for yourself. You will be blown away at her faith, her kindness, her love. She is incredible.

So, her little boy has this disease that is absolutely horrible. He is in so much pain ALL. THE. TIME! And this mother NEVER loses patience with him. She never asks God why she has to have this trial. She never complains a single bit! Her entire thought, life, BEING, is caring for her sick little boy without a single thought of herself. Talk about CHRIST-LIKE! I wish I could sit here and tell you her whole story, but it isn't for me to share. Instead, please go to her BLOG and read about her life. She will amaze you. And her little boy? He is the strongest, bravest, most amazing little boy. We pray for them and we worry about the little boy and we talk about them and we think about them...Tripp and his family are pretty famous around our house! We only wish little Tripp could get better quickly!!

Okay, so why I am telling you this? FIRST, because I want everyone I know to go leave her an encouraging comment on her blog. It is super easy and just imagine how it would brighten her day and lift her spirits if all of these random people sent her a little message of love and encouragement?! The other reason is, I need you to help me with something. Reader's Digest is having a contest, and whoever wins gets their story published in RD! This mom really wants to publish the story of Tripp to spread awareness about the disease so a cure can be found. I want that, too, but I also want her to win so they can have the prize money, which would really help them afford Tripp's medical care. So, how can you vote for them? It takes, SERIOUSLY, about two seconds. You click THIS LINK, and then click the big, red "VOTE NOW" button, and you are done. I mean really. How easy can it be to change the lives of this sweet mom and her little boy?!

Please VOTE HERE!

THANK YOU, FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D

(You read Tripp's story at his Mom's blog!)

Ahoy!

2011-10-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

I am just going to put this out there. Seems rather random, but I kind of just want the world to know. So when I get to the end of my life, and I tell someone what I always wanted to be, they won't say, "Huh. I never knew that about you." Or say, "Whatever, you are just saying that because So-And-So said they wanted to."

So, here it is. In black and white.

I want to be a sailor.

I mean it! Stop laughing.

I read, "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" when I was about 16 and that was the end of it.

All I can say to end this post is, "Yar Matey" ... because EVERY sailor SHOULD talk like a pirate now and then.

Katie

2011-10-14T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who really needs some help.

Will you help me help her?

CLICK HERE and HERE and HERE to read more.

THANK YOU!

The Sun

2011-10-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

I used to hate the sun.

I know that seems strange, but really! I did! When I was young, I would close the curtains to my room and keep it as dark as possible...my sanctuary from that sunshine I so loathed.

If I woke up in the morning to a sunny day, it put me in a bad mood.

I sunburned very easily, and that added to my hatred of the sun. It did nothing for me. It gave me nothing good. I hated the sun. Even as a child. (And yes, I admit that is a little strange.)

I LOVED rainy days or snowy days. Or even just overcast days.

As I got older, my tolerance for the sun did not improve, in fact, it worsened (I know that seems impossible!). I didn't even like going outside any more and would spend as much time as possible in the house. I would work out at the gym rather than take a walk. When my son wanted to play outside, I would convince him we should just play inside. I really, really hated the sun and any sunshine.

In the last year, for some inexplicable reason, that all changed.

When we lived in China, we were outside most of the day. The hallways in our schools were not "indoors", so even walking from one room to the next in the school forced me to face the very present sun. Our form on transportation at first was a bicycle and later a motorbike, so we were outside in rain or shine, not inside a comfortable car, hiding from the sun. The sun and shunshine became part of my life. At first, I hated my new living situation, being in the sun CONSTANTLY! I endured it, at best.

I became friends with another foreign student while in China. She was from Latvia and was used to long winters with little sunlight. She lived on the top floor of a five story building, and often I would find her standing outside her door with her face to the sun, a relaxed smile just on the corners of her mouth. I thought she was crazy. She always talked about "sun bathing" her face, or her legs or arms. Miss Latvia was one of the happiest, most at-peace people I know. She was always calm and calming. I loved her dearly, and I loved how she seemed at peace with EVERYTHING. Miss Latvia did yoga, and I thought most of her peace came from that.

Although it rained and stormed on our island, it was sunny most often, and even on cloudy days, the sunlight seemed to be brighter. I was beginning to hate the sun less and less. Not that I "liked" it! Just that I didn't HATE it.

When misfortune forced us to leave China, I handled the drama and trauma with more calmness and peace than I would have thought I would.

When I arrived in Idaho, it was the middle of the long, cold winter.

I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I missed the sun.

This summer, I embraced the sun like I never have before. I went for walks outside. I sat at Yellowstone, on a bench IN THE SUN, ON PURPOSE and let the warmth soak in to me and fill me up. I threw an OUTDOOR WATER PARTY for Taiger this summer. AND...I even took up sungazing.

I wouldn't say I adore the sun, but I like it now. I can say that. I like the sun.

Yesterday was raining and cold. And do you know what? I MISSED the sun! I really, really did. I wanted to stand in it's light and feel the warmth and just let the vitamins from the sun soak into my skin.

Well, today it started snowing.

Good bye, sun.

Good bye, sunshine.

Give Me Hair! Long, Beautiful Hair!

2011-10-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

Steps To Cornrow Hair
Wash it...

Stretch it...

Put it in cornrows.

This was one of Sunday's adventures. :)

PS His hair is just over 8 inches long now, if anyone is wondering.

I Am A REAL Photographer! LOL! My dream comes true.

2011-09-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

My photographs made it on to the news' website!!

So, click THIS link. Then, you will see the little window you can click to watch a video, and RIGHT above that video is a tab that says "images". Mine is not the first one, but the next three are all mine!

GO LOOK! GO LOOK!

I Love My House, I Love My Nest! In All The World My Nest Is Best!

2011-09-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

I'm moving.

Or, at least, I WISH I were. These homes really ARE "for the birds"! (Red Fred Bidoni, you might like one of these places as much as I do!)

Look HERE.

WIWW!!

2011-09-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

It's time again for...
WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY!

I am not very good at remembering to take pictures of myself/what I am wearing, so this week only has a few pictures. Sorry.

We went to Utah this week...what a BLAST! Anyway, my camera battery died our last day there, and I didn't get more batteries until the night before last, so some of the week I didn't take pictures. Sorry...again.

Shirt: Handed down (This shirt is getting some SERIOUS mileage! HERE and HERE)
Tank: Target-- $5.00
Capris: Target-- I think they were about $20.00

I wasn't loving the pants I had available to wear today (meaning, the only ones CLEAN!), so just ignore them, really. (But I will still list them, don't worry.)

Shirt: Handed Down (but the tag says "Forever". Where do they sell THAT brand? Any ideas?)
Tank: Old Navy(I forgot how much, but I assume around $5.00, knowing my budget for these things.)
Boy Cut Jeans: Old Navy $20.00

Dress: Old Navy (about 6 years ago!) $35.00
Cardigan: Target $15.00
Socks: (Taigers!) Target 5 pair for $4.00
Shoes: Aeropostale $20.00

And since I didn't have many pictures of what I wore this week, I thought I would post a picture of what I BET I would have been wearing this week had I been born 90 years ago. :)

These two lookers were waiting at the crosswalk with us while we were walking to Temple Square in SLC. I really did love their vintage style and wish I could pull it off, especially the one in the blue dress. I decided this is a picture of my sister and myself in years to come. I am the one in the blue, rocking the sunglasses. Don't I look fabulous?

What did YOU wear this week?

And Then The Unspeakable Happened...

2011-09-27T01:51:00.001-07:00

I always have all these things I want to do, but I never get them done. I have all these good intentions...paving my way to You-Know-Where. :)

Every Monday, I have three tests for school. They are hard. I usually spend ALL. DAY on Monday studying for them (I told my boss I need Mondays off because that is my "school" day). Today, I had to work. I didn't get everything done. At 11:47 the panic set in. You know what I mean...the college panic. The panic where you know the clock is winding down and you aren't done with whatever you are supposed to turn in, and you want to cry, but you don't have time, and you start to shake, but you don't have time for that either, so you try and will your eyes to read words in the book faster, your hand to write the answers to questions faster...you even kind of think if you don't look at the clock, maybe the time will somehow NOT run out.

All three tests are due BY MIDNIGHT each Monday. I was half way through my second test, totally stumped on question eight, with only 13 minutes to finish that test AND take the next one.

Panic.

I submitted the last test when my computer clock read 12:01, but the kitchen clock read 11:59, so hopefully my professor's clock matches my kitchen clock and not my computer clock.

Anyway, it was ugly. Very ugly. By the end, I was just randomly clicking answers to the multiple choice questions, sometimes without even completely reading the question. I got some pretty low scores on my tests, as you could imagine.

Ugly. Really, really ugly.

Every day, I have so many things I want to accomplish and every night I am hoping it is really only 11:59 and not 12:01 because I still need time to finish. To finish cleaning. To finish studying. To finish working. To finish watching my FAVOURITE show. To finish unpacking. To finish reading. To finish some things I have not even yet started, like figuring out what to teach Taiger in homeschool, or corn rowing Taiger's hair, or helping Taiger with his gymnastics, or playing with Taiger, or homemaking something healthy and yummy to eat, or taking a walk to enjoy the weather, or taking the time to look at the changing leaves, or helping Taiger practice reading, or going to the store to get some much needed groceries, or writing in my journal, or helping Taiger write in his journal...

Oh dear. The list goes on. And it is 3:00am, and I still am thinking, "Don't we have just a few more minutes in this day?"

(By the way, I love Taiger. :) )

I Think I Would Have Prefered to be Stood Up Again

2011-09-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

Soooooooooooo....
I met this awesome guy.

We texted and talked on the phone and really connected.

Went on a date with him two weeks ago.

Had a BLAST.

Didn't talk much the past two weeks, but set up a date for this week in Utah on Thursday.

Felt all week like he wasn't interested, but then thought maybe I was just being paranoid.
Confirmed Tuesday that we were still on for Thursday.

Thursday he texted me. I asked how his day was...

He said he felt like he was maybe starting to feel sick.

(DUM, DUM, DUUUUUUM. Enter horrible excuse stage left.)

I asked if he was feeling well enough to still do something, knowing the answer would change everything.

He said no, he thought he should stay home and rest.

That's when I knew. I mean, if you are totally smitten with someone, you don't "stay home and rest" because you feel like you MIGHT be STARTING to get sick.
So, I asked him point blank if he was interested in me, or if he just kind of wanted me to leave him alone.
His answer?

(Take a big hand, as demonstrated in image found above. Use it to give yourself a backhand across the face. Now you know how his answer felt. Now, I will tell you what he said.)
"I am only slightly interested in you...".
I kid you not. All "polite" and "gentlemanly" like that and everything. (That was sarcastic, by the way. He could have just said he wasn't interested, he didn't have to say "SLIGHTLY". RUDE!)

He said some more things that were really hurtful that meant he wasn't interested, and closed by saying we could be friends if I wanted.
I replied that I can take a hint.
He thanked me and I haven't heard from him since.

So, I pose two questions:
First, where are all the good guys? The ones with manners. (I mean, if he wasn't interested, why did he act interested on the first date? He could have been polite and had fun without flirting and making me think he liked me. Furthermore, if he didn't want to have a second date, why did he confirm only TWO DAYS before? He could have told me then he wasn't interested instead of waiting until I drove from Idaho to Utah?)

Second, (and this one you aren't going to want to answer, but I am asking you to, as dear blog-world friends, so PLLLLEEEEAAAAASSSSSSSE do answer) (and I know it is going to hurt, but I am ready for it, so don't hold back!), what is wrong with me? And I don't mean that in some self depreciating way. And, of course, I wouldn't change my personality, or beliefs, or anything major, just for some guy. But really, honestly, maybe I am doing something "wrong" that I just do not realize I am doing, but that I could really easily change! Any suggestions or insights would be appreciated. (I promise I won't block you from my blog, or "unfriend" you on facebook.) AND, if I use your advice and get second date with a guy, I will give you some cool prize. Like, a tracing of my hand. Or a bouquet of dandelions. (Now, tell me that isn't incentive to really try and help a sister out?!)

Parade Hair??

2011-09-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Did you think Mr. T's hair looked a little crazy in the Spud Day pictures?

That is because just before watching the big parade...

He was in the KID'S parade. Yes, they have a kid's parade at Spud Day, and any kid who shows up can ride his bike, skateboard, scooter, or his good ol' feet the length of the parade route, and have the entire town cheer and clap as he walks by.

Taiger rode his little 4-wheeler. His cousin rode with him on the back. Taiger was dressed in his super hero getup. Everyone knows ALL Super Heroes make an appearance at the local, hometown parades! Not to be mistaken for a villain, Taiger's cousin put on Taiger's old batman mask to take his ride. A sign on the front of the 4-wheeler read, "Mr. Power and Batman: Shelley's Own Super-Duo!"

Because they didn't get the turbo going on the 4-wheeler right off, they were last in the parade. And let me tell you, they were none the worse for it! They rode down the street with no other kids around, and boy were they the center of attention! They waved at their adoring fans as they drove along. The onlookers clapped and cheered and shouted, "Yay Mr. Power!"

And what was the excuse for my hair?

...

2011-09-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Spud Day here in Small Town, Idaho. Spud Day is when all of the 3,000 inhabitants here come out to celebrate the potato. Yes, the potato. Now, that might sound really stupid to some of you city folk, but I'll tell you what! If it weren't for Idaho's potato farmers, we all would be in a world of potatoless hurt! So, each year we faithfully come together to say a collective THANK YOU for the potato. And thank you for the farmers and their families who work the fields and grow the delicious root we all know and love.

Spud Day!!

2011-09-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

TOMORROW...

IS...

SPUD DAY!!!!!!

"What's Spud Day?" you ask?

It is a celebration of the great Idaho Potato!!

WILL YOU BE THERE??

YOU BETTER BE!!!!!!

WATCH THIS, AND GET READY FOR THE POTATO FUN.

WIWW

2011-09-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

It's time again fooooooor.....WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY!
With today's host, BREC! :D
I kind of forgot to take pictures a few days, so you will have to take what you can get.

Tank: Old Navy $4.00
Shirt: Handed Down (yes, yes...it is the same shirt I wore HERE)
Capris: Target $20.00
Shoes: Payless (I don't remember how much, but I want to say $10.00)
Same as above, but here I added the jacket to see which I liked better.
Jacket: Aeropostale (a THOUSAND years ago!) $25.00

Tank: I don't even remember. SORRY!
Dress: Forever 21 $10.00
Over Shirt Jacket Thing: I don't remember...SORRY!
This is the same thing as above, but tied in front for a different look.
(Yes, I wore it BOTH ways on the same day...had to mix it up, you know?!)

Blouse: Maurice's : $20.00
Skirt: Bought in 2003, you think I remember where?
Necklace: Maurice's $8.00
Shoes (not shown): TJ Maxx $7.00

September 11: In Retrospect

2011-09-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot about September 11, 2001. I think probably the entire nation has been today.

I wanted to post something on here about that day...but I didn't know what I really wanted to say. However, as I posted on facebook, my thoughts somehow spilled out on the screen and what I felt I saw coming from my own voice. This is what I posted:

It doesn't seem like it has been ten years. It is strange how quickly one can fall into a new "normal". I remember the days before the word "terrorist" was even in my vocabulary, really. Now, you hear that word almost daily on the news, and use it often, too. The funny thing is, on 9/11, they thought they were instilling fear in us. They thought it was an act of terrorism. But really, America fought in every way possible to keep it from filling us with terror, and we have succeeded! I am not "afraid". They thought they would make us live in fear. Instead, we live resolute. We stand together as a nation. We remember those who died, not those who killed. We have made the fight against TERROR real, not some abstract, frightening thing.

That really sums up what I think about that day ten years ago. I was afraid that day. But I saw others' courage. I saw the other's strength. I saw their patriotism. I listened in the following days to the news reports, and what people older and wiser than I, who had lived through war, had lived through attacks on American soil in Hawaii, had to say. I found courage in their words. I found strength in their strength. I found confidence in their experience and wisdom.

That day, terrorists killed innocent people. They defiled the purity of our soil. They invaded our free land. But they did not fulfil their purpose: They did not bring terror to our courageous hearts.

Ah, the Cleverness of Me!

2011-09-10T12:45:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favourite pictures of Mr. T.
This picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post, just so you know.

SO, I was thinking. My blog is a little random. I mean, for maybe a month, I was posting all about Taiger's hair. Sometimes, I post about our lives, as if I am writing for friends and family to know what is happening in our little corner of the world. Other times, I post really generic posts without much thought or insight, like "What I Wore Wednesday". I mean, I were following my blog, I would probably QUIT! I mean, when I follow a blog on African- American haircare, that is what I want to read about. If I follow a blog to stay up to date on a friend or family member, I don't want to hear all about their kid's hair! When I find a good blog about fashion, I could care less about the "darling" thing their annoying child said that day.

Is this blog completely annoying to follow? Do you wish I would find a theme and STICK WITH IT? If so, comment, and let me know.

(By the way, I am loving THIS band right now.)

What I Wore Thursday...er, Wednesday

2011-09-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

So, here is my first What I Wore Wednesday post (okay, I KNOW! It is Thursday! Don't judge me. I was very busy yesterday, okay?!)

Okay, so for those of you who don't know about "What I Wore Wednesday" (WIWW), it is when you take pictures all week of what you wore each day. Then, you post the pictures on your blog and tell people where you got the clothes and how much they cost. I wasn't really interested in WIWW...until I found the blog of a Mom who participates in WIWW. She said doing it helps motivate her to get all dressed up cute each day, even though she is just going to be around the house with her kids. I TOTALLY "get" that!! I often think, "Why dress up when no one is even going to see me?!" But really, getting all "dolled up" and dressing in your favourite "going out" clothes makes you feel more confident and HAPPY! But also I feel like I have some really cute clothes but I never get to "show them off" (Taiger could care less if my jeans look cute with "that" shirt, or if my necklace matches my shoes!) So, I decided that I would do WIWW to give me a reason to get out of my jeans and t-shirt and in to jewlery and fancy clothes. :) Plus, it gives me a way to "show off" when I think I have a cute outfit. :P

So, my challenge for you today is to participate in WIWW (ESPECIALLY you stay-at-home moms, or friends living in places like China where getting dressed up is not practical nor appreciated :) )! Even if you only post ONE per week from the ONE day you got dolled up. :) Post it and feel fabulous and let all your nice bloggy friends tell you how great you look. :)

Shirt: Gifted/ hand-me-down from my great friend, Candice! (THANK YOU, Candice!)
Belt: American Eagle $10.00
Jeans: American Eagle $30.00

SHIRT: Gifted/Handed down from Candice
Yellow Tank: Aeorpostal $5.00
Sweater: Handed down
Jeans: DI $5.00

Shirt: Handed down
Necklace: 147 Million Orphans $20.00
Belt: American Eagle $10.00
Jeans: American Eagle $30.00
And there is a tank under there, too: Aeropostal $5.00

BANGS Part III

2011-09-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to look online and find all the pictures I could of famous actresses with bangs like mine, and then try to make mine look like theirs. Here are the pictures I found:

And this is what I ended up with for MY hair. Like theirs? Not so much. :( But I thought maybe if I didn't smile for the picture, I would look like a movie star in a photo shoot. (Either that, or I would look like I take my bangs SERIOUSLY.)

(Oh. And did I mention I have a DATE in two days. With a SUPER hot guy, I might add. Do you think my bangs will grow out my then?? CROSSING MY FINGERS! Does anyone know if Miracle Gro works on hair? ha ha).

Want to see the ADORABLE outfit I am wearing? Come back tomorrow. I have decided to be like a "real" blogger and participate in "What I Wore Wednesday". See you tomorrow!

Bangs Part II

2011-09-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

So, remember how I wanted bangs??

Well...this is what I got (I am sorry for any pain this may inflict...it pains me every time I look in the mirror) :

The horror.

Internet Connections

2011-09-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

So, the internet...It is a wonderful place. And it is a place where you can see the convoluted relationships in your life. One example:

Today, I saw someone new was following my blog. I wondered if/how I know this person, so I did a little (MINOR, don't be afraid) stalking. I checked their blog list and when I didn't recognize any, I clicked on one of the blogs this person "follows" and looked at THEIR blog list (are you keeping up?). There, I found one of my friend's blogs (she is a friend, but she is also my ex-boyfriend from high school's little sister, so already things are convoluted!). I wondered if maybe they were related, so I looked through more of their blog list and didn't see any blogs of this ex-boyfriend's-sister's family, so assumed maybe it was just some (strange) chance. Okay, so I went back to the original person's blog and clicked another of the blogs he/she follows. Guess who owned THAT blog? One of my sweet group therapy facilitators. So, this person I don't know, knows my ex-boyfriend's sister AND my therapist?! How does this even happen? Then, I went back to the first person's blog and clicked another blog, only to find that this new person was related to my ex-boyfriend's sister. WHAT?!?!

For some reason, I always thought that the people I knew, knew me and their other friends, and that is all. Sometimes, if you met someone new who lived in your same town, you may find you know some of the same people in different groups. But the groups were always very defined, even if there was some "cross-over" between said groups. With the internet, I am learning all the "rules" (or maybe I should say "definitions") I THOUGHT there were, are GONE! I can know someone who knows someone else, who knows someone who knows me. And I suppose all along this kind of thing would happen, but I would have never known. Could you imagine what it would be like trying to discover this same kind of connection BEFORE the internet? You would have to make a list of ALL the people you know and give it to everyone you know. Then, they would have to give that same list to their friends and ask them if they knew anyone on MY list. (And NOT just friends in the same area, or the same demographic, but ALL of their friends!) At the same time, they would have THEIR own list going around, trying to find out who knows someone, or who knows someone who knows someone, on their list. It would have been nearly IMPOSSIBLE, and very time consuming and labor intensive.

And that is all.

Bangs Part 1

2011-09-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

Soooooo....Remember when I had bangs (and a boyfriend, but I digress)....

(Bangs="fringes", for you Brits)...

And they looked good...

And they just kind of softened my features?.....

Remember that?

TAIGER CAN READ!!

2011-09-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

TAIGER CAN READ!!!!!!! Okay, so he has been able to sound things out for a LONG time. But last night he read two sentances without having to really stop between each sound, he just sounded it out in his head and then said the words so it was a fluid sentence. He was SO EXCITED he ran through the kitchen and into the living room shouting, "I CAN READ! I CAN READ!" (This is a HUGE deal to him because he realizes the implications of being able to read. I have always taught him that if he can read, he can learn ANYTHING! Plus, he is so excited for the day when he can read The Lord Of The Rings to ME. :) ) So, I grabbed the video camera and took a video of his huge accomplishment. (And you HAVE to love how after two sentences he is ready to be done reading and go play Lego Pirates on the WII! LOVE that kid! :) )

1:00 am

2011-09-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Why? What do YOU do at one o'clock in the morning?

Almost) Wordless Wednesday: First Homework Assignment

2011-08-24T11:56:00.001-07:00

Yup, I'm following the trend. I always loved looking at other people's "Wordless Wednesday" (WW) posts, but I never thought _I_ would EVER post one...I enjoy talking FAR too much to have a blog post without words! HOWEVER...I have decided to take a vow of silence on Wednesdays, and post only a picture and no words. So, despite the words here, this is my first ever Wordless Wednesday. Enjoy.

A Journey Through The First Day of Kindergarten

2011-08-19T14:53:00.001-07:00

And since SOMEONE can't wait to see pictures of Taiger on the first day (cough, Aunt Itsy-Bitsy, cough), here are pictures of his first day. So, come with me on a walk through his first day of school. :)

First, Taiger had a bath.

Then, he ate a HUGE breakfast...sausage, mini muffins, eggs, strawberries, bananas and milk.

Time to get dressed and put on his shoes.

Then, it was FINALLY time to put on that super cool Star Wars backpack!

And we're off!!

Here is the big kindergartner outside his school. Look at that game face!!

Here he is with Mommy...who is amazingly NOT crying like a baby. :)

On the way in to school, we got distracted with the swings. :)

Here is the door to his classroom!

After the pictures it was time to line up outside with his classmates.

Here he is in line with the rest of his class.

And let me tell you, that kid was not worried or nervous a bit his first day of school! I, on the other hand, was a wreck! (Okay, not a WRECK, but I DID feel like my little baby was growing up a little too quickly for my liking. :) ) So, this is me outside the school after he went in to class.

AND...here he is on the playground after school. Not crying and running in to my arms, but playing and laughing and happy as could be. His first day of school was great!

'Twas The Night Before Kindergarten...

2011-08-18T13:59:00.001-07:00

I wrote this yesterday, so don't think I am a liar for saying he started kindergarten yesterday, okay?! SHEESH!

Today was Taiger's first day of KINDERGARTEN in America (he went to kindergarten in China, but was still too young to go in America until this year.)

Last night, I took him out on the swing and trimmed his hair. (I trim it outside because cutting hair inside makes SUCH a MESS! ...and we like the idea of the birds using his hair clippings to make their nests. :) )

BEFORE

AFTER

Then, he coloured a Star Wars BACKPACK NAME LABLE .
He HAD to try on the backpack with the new lable before bed!

Then, he hit the hay for some good sleep before his BIG DAY!

Want to hear how his FIRST DAY of SCHOOL went? Check back tomorrow! :)

A SMILE A DAY. This one will make YOU laugh, too :).

2011-08-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

My "SMILE A DAY" should put a smile on YOUR face, too. :) (Taiger's first day of kindergarten today, too! More to come! Stay tuned! But watch THIS clip in the meantime!!)

Click HERE for a smile! :)

Smile A Day...for the week :)

2011-08-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

So, did you notice? I hope not. What were you not noticing? The fact that I haven't posted my Smile A Day post in days!

Things have been a teeny-weeny bit busy (in other words, TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY insane and out of control busy!) I never knew what madness went in to "school starting". I mean, I registered Taiger for kindergarten in JUNE, so then I just show up with him the first day, pat his head and nudge him into class, right? WRONG! That's not it at ALL! No, you have popsicle meet-your-teacher parties (which I LOOOVED and thought was a fantastic idea). Then, you have the OTHER registration day (what did I do in June??!??!) where you have to fill out P-I-L-E-S of paperwork on the most INTENSE coloured paper...magenta, fascia, tangerine (what happened to the primary colours?...and is Taiger supposed to know THOSE before his first day of school? And can I raise my hand at registration and ask what colour "magenta" is? YIKES!). Then, you take your child around the school and give them a tour (in other words, get lost dragging your child around empty hallways looking for the south-by-southwest door on the starboard side of the school to find the playground closest to Area A, whatever THAT means!) (All the while trying to look like the perfect mother, and trying to keep the other REAL perfect mothers from hearing when your child asks, "What's the next letter in my name again?" GOSH! We have been practicing this for a YEAR, and you choose NOW in front of the boy in the white polo shirt and khakis and his apron-wearing mother to forget?! SHEESH!) When you find the playground closest to Area A, you take your child outside to show them their new playground where all of the running and fun and socializing will happen...and you get locked out because "These Doors To Remain Locked as a Measure of Safety to Our Students In Compliance with Amendment 23589302348y756328234837 of the Something Law", so you have to run around the entire school to get back to where you parked the car, and now you are five minuets LATE to work.

THAT is how life is right now.

Not to mention the school shopping. Oh, the school shopping. And I don't mean, "Find a new pair of pants" (that was the easy part!). I mean, "Your new kindergartner will need 3 and a half bottles of four point two ounce ELMER'S school glue". Good luck.

On top of that, I was teaching my FREE TAVACI CLINIC for the past three days. At nine in the morning. (Yes, that meant we had to be to OTHER REGISTRATION at 8:00am. Taiger and I never even KNEW that "8:00" came twice a day!! Amazing! We are learning so much from this school experience already.)

Okay, but in spite of all the craziness, we have had a great week AND I got batteries for my camera. :) So, here are a few things that made me smile this week. Enjoy!

Funny

2011-08-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

A Smile A Day? Try a "Laugh Until You Are Crying" A Day!

That is what I found today. Two things that made me CRY because I was laughing so hard!!

First THIS.

Then, THIS.

A Smile A Day!!

2011-08-11T18:08:00.001-07:00

Today, Taiger went to a Popsicle party at the school to meet his new classmates and his teacher. His teacher seemed very nice, and a boy he knows from church will be in his class!

So, that is what made me smile today :) ...among MANY other things :).

A Smile A Day

2011-08-10T14:24:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on my "Smile A Day" posts! BLARGH! (So behind in LIFE, actually...sigh.) On top of that, the batteries in my camera died, so I can't post PICTURES of the things that make me smile...and yes, I have the kind of camera that requires BATTRIES (as apposed to a camera with a charger for a single, amazing, POWERFUL battery of WONDER...and amazement).

So, here are some things that made me smile, to catch up to today...without pictures.

*On Sunday, my Mom told me about this conversation:
NaiNai to WW: WW, don't eat your booger!
Taiger: Oh, don't worry NaiNai. He wasn't. He was just wiping it on his tooth.

*On Monday, I left for work...still wearing my slippers. (Luckily, I noticed I was wearing slippers before I got too far.)

*Tuesday, we had to get out of the house! So, I took T school shopping. Although it kinda made me want to cry because I had to look "my-baby's-growing-up" in the face, it made me smile when I bought him the same kind of elmer's glue sticks ("goes on purple, dries clear") that I had as a kid. I was suddenly 8 years old again, in my classroom in Washington. I miss that happy time. :)

And that brings us to today. Several things have already made me smile today! My favourite moments, though, are those spent doing yoga with Taiger. We LOVE doing yoga together. (I have even put it in to our daily schedule for fall!) OH! And we sat on NaiNai's bed talking this morning, and that made me smile, too... a lot. :)

What about you? What has made you smile over the past few days?

Smile A Day for Sunday

2011-08-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, my Smile A Day for Saturday was Taiger's party. I know you are all DYING to know about this. It was off the wall! SO incredible and so fun! The party of the century, to be sure. I have so much I want to tell about it! So, those posts are coming soon to a blog near you. In the meantime, enjoy some shots of the most fun, friend-filled day of the summer!

The Very Merry Un-Birthday Boy!!

Taiger watches, totally entertained (as any little boy would be!), as his buddy stuffs his mouth full of rice crispy treat and tries to chew!

Taiger is ready to take on some bad guys, while t-ball teammate "C" hides his watermelon behind his back for the picture....Sorry, C, we aren't fooled! The watermelon juice dripping down your mouth...and chin...and chest...is a giveaway!!

Friday's "Smile A Day"

2011-08-08T21:26:00.000-07:00

So, I was throwing this HUGE Birthday BASH for Taiger (more on that later) and was planning to stay up late Friday and bake all the goodies. I KNEW it was going to be really fun, baking with my Mom and sister, and so I thought, "Yeah! THAT will be my 'Smile A Day' for today! I will take a picture of us baking and use that!" Well, night time came and I went to bake, and my mom and sister were watching a really great movie and asked me to join them. They said we could bake after the movie. Well, of course, I was too tired by the end of the movie, so we all decided to bake the next morning.

So, why am I telling you this?

I learned a great lesson!

You cannot plan in advance when you are going to be happy!!!!!!

You cannot do as I did, and think, "I will be happy when...." or "I will smile when....happens". LIFE is happy! And if you plan out when you will allow yourself to feel happy, you might just miss other happy times.

I have a dear friend from Latvia who I met in China. She was so wise and insightful, and PEACEFUL! She was always, ALWAYS at peace. Even when things were sad, bad, maddening,frustrating, she still always exuded a feeling of peace! One day she told me, "You cannot wait to be happy until your situation changes. You cannot expect your environment to bring you peace. You must have peace INSIDE."

I thought of that on Friday as I went to bed without posting a Smile A Day. My "happy moment" hadn't come. The thing I was counting on to make me smile didn't happen! So, what? I didn't feel happy all day? I didn't smile once all day? I don't remember, to be honest. I imagine I MUST have smiled! I MUST have felt happy! But did I focus on that? Did I appreciate the fact I was feeling happy? Did I NOTICE the feeling of SMILING? I guess not!

So, for my "Smile A Day" for Friday, I am posting the poster from the movie we watched. Not because the movie particularly made me happy, but because through that experience I learned something new about joy and peace and happiness, and THAT made me smile. :)

Smile A Day # 3 & #4

2011-08-05T12:19:00.001-07:00

I missed TWO DAYS of the "Smile A Day"! So sorry! I was out of town visiting my sister and her husband AND their new puppy. :) So, here are my pictures from Wednesday and Thursday. Enjoy!

On Wednesday, I saw T's "shield" outside, obviously on it's way to the garbage. I HAD to snap a picture! We made these shields earlier this year (yes, I made one, too) (and we made swords, too...) and the picture T drew on his was so cute, I LOVED it! So, here his his shield. The picture is of a man fighting a dragon. SO creative! It made me smile to see it again and remember the fun we had making them and fighting with them.

The next picture is one my sister snapped of me while playing with her puppy. Now, ANYONE who knows me even AT ALL knows my hatred for dogs. I HATE THEM. HATE. I know, everyone says, "Hate is a strong word"....well, then it is perfect, because I have some very strong feelings about dogs!

But this one?

I wouldn't say he "stole my heart", but I will say I tolerated him, and thought he was cute and fun (for someone else!). And Taiger absolutely LOOOOOVED the little fluff ball. So that melted my heart. :) I did like the little critter. He was so playful and also so snugly! Aw, cute. ;)

A Smile A Day #2

2011-08-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

What made me smile today? Looking out in to the back yard and seeing this:

My life these days...

2011-08-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

"What can I call you?"
"You can call me Aunt B. if you want! That is what my nieces and nephews call me."
She wasn't satisfied. I wondered what was coming.

"Can I call you mommy?"
My heart breaks and bleeds with His goodness, His love, His mercy.
"If that feels most comfortable to you, then you can call me mommy."

A Smile A Day #1

2011-08-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

SOooooo, my sister started something on her blog. A Smile A Day! You can read about it HERE and see her cute smile pictures. :)

So, what made me smile today?

THIS!

Not the park.
Nope, not the trees.
Look closer.
Okay, fine...you can't see it in this picture, but it is raining!

I was so thrilled when I woke up to the sound of pouring rain. I knew then and there it would be a fantastic day. :)

What makes you smile? Or what made you smile today?

Yellowstone

2011-07-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

So, you know how some people crave things like chocolate? Some people even get a hankering for a certain song that they just HAVE to hear. Me? I have some pretty strange cravings...One of which is a craving for nature.

So, I have been craving, CRAVING nature. Not just "outside". (Truth is, I don't love to be outside...it's hot, there are bugs, there are dogs, there are dogs...oh, I said that...well, that is what I hate the most about outside). But NATURE! The ocean. The mountains. The forest. That's what I crave.

So, to get my "fix", we went to Yellowstone. A perfect place for me to get some wild. :) My mom (who I love so much and whose company I love) came with Taiger and I and we had such a fun, relaxing time! It was wonderful!

We saw some elk...

One buffalo...

And TWO grizzly bears! (Here is the back side of one...great picture, right? Right?)

I even got a VIDEO of one of the bears! Not a bad video, considering we were being pursued by the forest ranger (who, I will admit, was doing nothing more than trying to protect the crazy tourists who were trying to get pictures of the bear....SOME getting annoyingly close to the big grizzly. I had a good zoom, so could stand at a safe distance and still get a good shot.)

We spent time relaxing at the Old Faithful Inn (THE BEST, most relaxing place!!)

Playing games...

Looking at the haunted rooms...

(Don't we look SCARED?!)

and watching Old Faithful. (If you look REAAAAALY close off to the left of the spray, you can see a rainbow! Lovely!)

It was fun, relaxing, and WONDERFUL!

Dealing with Racism and other Issues with Race

2011-07-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

Two days ago, I was SO MAD! I posted how I felt, but not why. You ready to hear why I was mad? It isn't pretty, and it isn't easy to understand, and there is probably no fix...but here it is.

A few weeks ago, we attended a wedding where Taiger was the only African-American. He was dressed to the nines and looked mighty fine, I must say. :) (That has nothing to do with this story, just thought I would brag on him a bit :) ). Anyway, he was sitting by me and eating and he asked if he could go get some more lemonade and I said yes. To my other side was a family friend and his wife, who didn't know us as well. When Taiger left to get his Lemonade, the girl sitting next to me said, "Who is he??" I replied, "That is Taiger, my son!" (He was sitting by me, I was helping him eat, talking to him, being "motherly", but whatever...some people can miss those signs.) Her reaction was odd, but I understand it. Sometimes people are totally caught off guard by the fact that a "BLACK" child could be my son. I usually just get over it and let it go, but I am starting to get annoyed by such reactions. I was so thankful Taiger didn't hear her question or see her reaction.

A few days after that wedding, the groom told me that during the wedding someone had asked his bride where they had hired Taiger.

Yep. HIRED. My 5 year old son.

He wasn't helping serve. He wasn't helping clean up. He wasn't decorating or entertaining or doing ANYTHING that would suggest he had been hired. (Even if he HAD been helping out, why on earth would you assume this small child had been hired?! Wouldn't you think he was just a relative or friend helping out? And if they DID think he was there working, shouldn't they have called Social Services?!??!?!) I am going to strike a sensitive chord here, and some may not like it, but I am going to say it. The only reason I can imagine they thought he was hired is because he is black.

OUCH.

The other night, a woman was at our house and made a comment about how people who are not "white" don't look human. She specifically mentioned Chinese people and African people.

(I have a sister who is Chinese and a son who is African. She knows that. Very, very well. How am I sure she knows? This woman is related. Closely.)

I am always slow to react, slow to realize the meaning behind the comments being made. But once I realize, I am stunned! I don't know what to do! My FIRST reaction is to lash out! To PROTECT my son and his feelings!

Taiger is very sensitive about his race, his colour, his hair. He wishes, WISHES, he could have white skin like "mommy's", straight, blond hair like mommy's. It pains me so deeply.

Later, I was getting Taiger's hair ready for bed. Another relative (another woman) had come over a few minutes before, and when she saw us she asked what we were doing. I explained briefly that Taiger's hair gets tangled at night and so we have to put it up before bed. I detangled it, worked in the coconut oil, and pulled it up into a quick "top knot" (ponytail for boys :))

When his hair was done, he went in to the living room to say goodnight to Grandma. That woman was sitting there and said, so RUDELY, and nearly SHOUTING, "What is up with his hair NOW?!" I said, "What?" She repeated, "What's up with his hair NOW?!" I tried to remain calm and said, "Like I said, we pull it up so it doesn't get tangled while he sleeps." I looked at his face when as I answered her RUDE question, and as he hugged Grandma his face changed. Tears were forming in his eyes, and he looked so, so sad.

I was so mad. SO MAD! These two women, sitting in my house mistreating my son, making him feel sad, making him hurt, making him feel there was something "wrong" with his hair, with HIM!

If you have children who are African/African-American (or Haitian, or from Belize, etc.), how do you deal with racism? How do you deal with racism from family?

Just to clarify

2011-07-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

When I said, in my previous post, "I am glad I have a little of this..." , the "this" to which I was refering was my darling son, just so you all know. (I love him with all my might, and he makes me so super happy. :) )

Steaming Mad!!

2011-07-22T23:03:00.000-07:00

I am SO MAD tonight.

Hopping mad.

Steaming mad.

(Not at anyone in my family, or anyone who reads this blog, just so you know. :) Lots of LOVE for everyone! hee hee.)

So mad i can't see straight.

So mad I can't even discuss it.

I am so thankful I have a little of this to turn my anger to peace and all of the "seeing red" into seeing unicorns with rainbows coming out of their hineys (I said it). (And my spell check won't leave me alone about "hineys"...Good grief! I have NO IDEA how to spell it!)

.

2011-07-18T22:51:00.001-07:00

I love Taiger more than I could ever express.

Harry Potter (said in my BEST British accent)

2011-07-14T09:04:00.001-07:00

"YAAAAaaaaauuuuuuhhhhhhhggggggg...."

Did you catch that?

That is what I said a few months ago. I threw my arms up into the air and jumped up and excitedly shouted...and then sat down and ended with a pathetic sort of groan.

Why? I had just seen the first trailer for the NEW Harry Potter movie! I was SO EXCITED when it ended with the release date...JULY 15! MY BIRTHDAY! That was where I shouted. And then I ended with a groan (not intentional, mind you, and all those in the room laughed at the strange turn of excitement) as I realized mid shout that I was SHOUTING with EXCITEMENT that Harry Potter was coming out on my thirtieth birthday.

Let me repeat that. I was EXCITED. That HARRY POTTER was coming out on my (THIRTIETH) BIRTHDAY.

How pathetic am I??

I realized at that joyful-painful moment, that I am VERY pathetic.

But I am still going to opening night tonight. :) Happy Birthday to ME (who will be dressed as Harmione Granger, to be sure.)!

This is me dressed as Harmione in 2009 on my way to see HP and the Half Blood Prince. No, I didn't go opening (I have NEVER been to an opening night of HP!!), but I still dressed up once I DID get to go see the movie! Hee hee. People thought I was nuts-o. Unfortunately, life has scrambled and changed and turned and twisted and I have no idea where my super-rad, home-put-together Harmione digs are, so I think tonight I will look like Harmione when she is NOT "at school" and is wearing her every-day attire. BUT...I have my hair braided today so when I take it out it will be all "Old School Harmione"...you know, poofy everywhere. :)

Yes, I did have a wand, too. (A chopstick made black with Sharp*ie marker. Classy.)

I am a DING-BAT!

2011-07-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

I am a very smart girl. I am majoring in CHINESE, for Pete's sake! I love to learn and feel I am quite clever.

But I am also a complete, well, ding-bat.

I burn pancakes. Really, I do. I cannot make pancakes.

I am CONSTANTLY and consistently overcooking macaroni. I ALWAYS over cook it! To the point that the other day, Taiger was heading out to play and before he went out he said, "Mom, don't forget you are making macaroni." It isn't DANGEROUS...I never leave it there so long it could burn or be a danger...just long enough the noodles get nice and mushy. EW!

A few weeks ago, I did something that took the cake! I got out of the shower and was blow drying my hair when I combed through it and WHITE stuff came off on the comb! I was really puzzled, but kept blow drying. Then, I realized the top was getting dry, but was still all shiny and heavy. DUH! I had forgotten to rinse out the conditioner! Oh boy, did my family think I was crazy.

Well, several days later, I got out of the shower and combed through my hair and guess what? SUDS came off on the comb. This time I wasn't puzzled, I was in disbelief. At MYSELF! I had COMPLETELY forgotten to rinse the SHAMPOO out of my hair! And as if that isn't bad enough, I DID condition it after that, and had thus obviously failed to rinse the conditioner, too. OH BROTHER! My family had a GOOOOD laugh at that one.

Well, yesterday I was thinking, "Okay, I want to wear my Capri's, so I need to shave my legs." (Too much information? Get over it.) While in the shower I was thinking, "I need to shave my legs." Then, I thought to myself, "Nah, they are okay, and I don't really have time." I went back and forth a bit, then decided I did NOT have time and I should just get out of the shower. I went to my room and got dressed and was putting lotion on my legs and thought, "Huh! My legs are so smooth! I guess I really didn't need to stress about shaving them! I can't even TELL there is hair on them!" I went up and started blow drying my hair...and guess what? Greasy, heavy hair. yup. I had forgotten to rinse the conditioner AGAIN! By this time, I was running late to work and didn't have time to get back in the shower and rinse (as I had done the other times). So, I braided my disgusting hair (yuck!) and went to work.

Later at work, I was sitting at the desk and marveled again at how smooth my legs were. "I should worry less about shaving from now on! I can easily go a few days between shaves and still wear capris or skirts!" I was busy, so the thought left my mind.

That night, I had more time to think of my hairless legs. (I promise, I don't usually spend THIS MuCH TIME during a day thinking about my legs! This just shows how perplexed I was! Hairless legs! Who knew?!) And then it hit me. It was like a "flashback" scene from a "B" movie. Lights flashing, camera tilting slowly side to side, spinning vortex around my head...and I had this picture (flashes into black and white) of me SHAVING MY LEGS in the shower that morning! WHAT?!

So, I shaved my legs and didn't rinse the conditioner.

OH. MY. GOSH. Can I be any more of a DINGALING?!

Love

2011-07-08T23:21:00.001-07:00

So many things going on right now.

So much stress.

So much turmoil.

So much confusion.

So much frustration.

So much sadness.

I was gone from Taiger for two days. When I got home, he did something he rarely does when I come home from a trip...he ran to me and THREW himself into my arms. It was my happiest moment.

Tonight, as I see him asleep in his bed across the room, my heart misses him still.

I love Taiger.

The Adventure!

2011-07-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

Taiger's and my "Great Driggs/Victor Adventure" was spectacular. I couldn't have asked for a better time spent with Taiger! I don't have a digital camera anymore, but Taiger has his and LOVES taking pictures. He consideres himself quite the aspiring photographer, and I have to agree. So, I am going to use his pictures to show you our great adventure!

First, we drove to Victor and made our way to the golf course, where there were a to be the tethered hot air balloon rides. Unfortunately, the wind was too strong, so the rides were cancelled. I thought, "That is it! There is NOTHING to do the rest of the night. We are going home!" But when I told Taiger, he was so sad. And, to tell the truth, I was sad at the thought of leaving, too. I had been looking forward to a bit of adventure, not to mention some quality time with Mr. T. SO, we decided to stay. We got our lunchables, applesauces, plastic spoons and capri suns, and settled at a nice table on the balcony of the golf clubhouse. So, we probably weren't supposed to eat there unless we were eating the food they were selling, but oh well. We sat and talked and laughed and watched the sky turn pink with sunset.

Taiger took a picture of the flag inside the clubhouse.

Outside on the golf couse, the balloon owners said we could all come up closer for a better look.

Taiger worked long and hard to get this shot just how he wanted it.

One of the families who owned a balloon had taken it out of its case to get it ready for launch, when the winds picked up and they deemed it unsuitable weather for a launch. So, they folded the balloon back up and put it in its case. They had all the small children come sit on the case to smash it down into the case. The kids thought it was so fun! And the balloon owner said it was the flatest he had ever been able to get the balloon. :)

When we were done looking at the balloons and eating, we went to Driggs to "camp out" in the car to wait for the real balloon launch at dawn. When we arrived at the launch site, we saw a sign that said there was a rodeo ahead! We cruised down and Taiger attended his first rodeo! (I have been to one before, with my good friend, Shannon! HI SHANNON! Do you remember going to the rodeo?) It was absolutely fantastic and SO FUN! Taiger was again quite the photographer and went up to the fence to get the best shots. Unfortunately, they are a bit blurry, but he tried his hardest. :)

The next morning was the big launch! Aunt A and Uncle B drove up that morning to join us. The balloons were amazing and Taiger took some great pictures. It was beautiful and SO FUN!

Hot Air Balloon Festival

2011-06-30T18:57:00.001-07:00

Taiger and Uncle B at the Hot Air Balloon Festival 2009.

SOooooo, Taiger and I are doing something completely crazy this 4th of July weekend.

Every year, my family goes to the Teton Valley Hot Air Balloon Festival. At some unbelievable hour of the morning, we roll out of bed and pile in the car with blankets and sweatshirts. We drive maybe 10 hours....okay, okay, FINE! The truth is, I have no idea how far we drive because I am always asleep. Anyway! I think we drive, like, an hour and a half. ANYWAY. We reach our destination as the sun is showing its first rays of light over the Grand Tetons. We park in a field along side other cars owned by equally idiotic people. We pile out and watch up close as dozens of hot air balloon fill with heat and slowly rise from the ground and lift into the dawn. It is incredible. It is amazing. It is beautiful.

The truth is, I usually wake up some time along the road on the way to Victor. I love the scenary. The landscape is breathtaking, going from farms and small towns, to wide open fields dotted here and there with houses, to forest so beautiful you could be in a fairy tale, to the majesty of Teton Valley. The drive alone is worth the early morning wake-up call. But watching those beautiful balloons lift off is spectacular.

So, I found out today that for $5.00 a person you can "ride" in a tethered hot air balloon the night before the launch. Okay, so I am not expecting great things...maybe just a few feet off the ground. But hot air balloons have always fascinated me, and I always wondered what it would be like to ride in one, to be close to that powerful heat that can lift something so huge in the air, to be lifted into the clouds by that fragile, yet enormous balloon...the whole things sounded so frightening and wonderful and beautiful. When I heard we could experience a small taste of that for only $5.00, I decided we HAVE to do it!

So, tomorrow night after work, Taiger and I are driving to Victor and riding in a hot air balloon. Then, we are sleeping in the car at the launch site, then waking up the next morning in time to watch the hot air balloon launch.

I don't know what to expect. Will we take our "ride" and then be competely bored the rest of the evening? Are we going to be freezing cold at night? Eaten by mosquitos? Going potty in an open field? Each of those guesses is probably about right. Will it be worth it? OF COURSE! We need a little change of scenery, after all. And besides... little mini-adventure never hurt anyone! ;)

Tavaci Teacher, Breclyn!!

2011-06-28T14:55:00.001-07:00

BEST NEWS EVER! I am going to be the instructor for Tavaci in Shelley!!!! YEEEHAW! (did I really just say, "yeehaw"? Hmmm. )

So, what is Tavaci anyway? It is a music and performing group for students, preschool to sixth grade. I used to be in it when I was younger. (Much younger ;))

Something REALLY COOL? We are doing a THREE DAY, FREE summer clinic! I know, right?! FREE!!!!! To register, go here. It will be August 15, 16 and 17. I know it is right before school starts, but it will totally be worth it! Your kids will have a BLAST, AND they will get to do a performance when the clinic is over! You can register at tavacishelley.blogspot.com.

Friends in the Idaho Falls area: Remember Harmony Kids? Maybe you were in it, or you knew someone who was. Anyway, Harmony Kids is the name of the Tavaci group in Idaho Falls! So, what I am teaching is basically Harmony Kids, only in Shelley...with ME instead of Terri Lent! Fun, right?! I KNOW!

So, some of you who don't know me so well, might be reading this and wondering, "Why would I trust this crazy lady to teach my child music?" You can read below for a very unprofessional description of why I qualify to teach your little musical munchkins :).

Okay, so go register for the FREE CLINIC, start singing those scales, and come have singing time with ME in Shelley! We are going to have LOTS of FUUUUN! :)

What qualifies me to be a Tavaci teacher?

I have taken private vocal lessons since I was eight years old. I have studied opera under one of the best teachers in the world (literally), Rebecca Shupe. I have been in plays and performances both in America and China. I performed the part of "Cosette" from Les Miserables with the Colorado Mormon Choral. I have studied violin and piano, and have taught violin, piano and singing. I was in Saturday's Children for three years and Harmony Kids for four years. I was assistant director one year for Harmony Kids. I was the president of the Women's Choir at Idaho State University.

Those are my "musical" and "performing" qualifications. What makes me qualified to teach anything to kids? Well, like I said, I have taught music. Aside from that, I ran a preschool and daycare, I ran a private school for students ages 3-10. I spent two years teaching English in China. I was a substitute in the Shelley School District. I taught Chinese to adopted children and their parents. Oh, and I'm a Mom ;) :P.

New Haircare Products: Update

2011-06-26T23:20:00.001-07:00

NOTE: MY SPELL CHECK IS SAYING "DETANGLE" ISN'T A WORD. WHAT THE WHAT? OKAY, FINE. SO MAYBE IT ISN'T. BUT I AM USING IT ANYWAY. DO YOU ALL KNOW WHAT IT MEANS? IN MY LANGUAGE, DETANGLE IS A WORD USED TO DESCRIBE THE ACT OF REMOVING TANGLES FROM HAIR. THERE. WORD. OH, AND I THINK IF I ADD A HYPHEN IT *IS*, IN FACT, A WORD. THERE IS NO WAY I AM DOING THAT. OKAY FOLKS, DETANGLE = DE-HYPHEN-TANGLE, OKAY? OKAY.

OH. MY. GOSH! I just have to say...Taiger's hair is SO SOFT!

Today, I used the spray on, leave-in conditioner. A little bit went a LONG way, which I was thrilled about because it was so expensive. Anyway, his curls were FAN. TAS.TIC today.

Friday, I washed his hair and didn't do his usual hair routine. Last night, I didn't do anything with his hair before bed AGAIN! Tonight, I did his hair routine. It was SO tangled, as can be expected. However, once the tangles were out, his hair was amazing! It was much more moist than usual, AND it was so much SOFTER! As far as the routine went with the new products tonight, the new coconut oil is a miracle. It goes on so much more evenly, and the texture is great. It really helped with detangling, too! I love it!! I did a little of the new detangling technique I learned, so it took SO MUCH LONGER, but I really feel it was more thorough and efficient. After detangling with the coconut oil, I used the shea butter and worked it in to the section of hair as well. Oh man, was his hair feeling so soft, manageable and healthy!! I am IN LOVE with these new products!!

OH! Another thing I love!! Before church, I like to put coconut oil on Taiger's face. When his face is moisturized, it just GLOWS, and looks so nice. Church is the one thing I really try and get T all fancied up for. I don't freak out if it doesn't work out that way (last week when we got to church, we had to stop at the drinking fountain in the foyer and wash Taiger's face with a kleenex because I had failed to do so before leaving the house, and I wasn't going to go walking in to Sacrament Meeting with drool stains on his cheek and a milk mustache from breakfast. I know. I am horrible.), but I do try. So, I (usually) put coconut oil on his (freshly washed) face so he looks very nice. HOWEVER, the coconut oil is so greasy and usually doesn't get rubbed in all the way, so if anyone holds him at church, they end up with a coconut oil spot on their church clothes from where he put his head. Well, today I washed his face (yay!) but instead of coconut oil, I used the shea butter. WOW! It is NOT greasy so it wouldn't rub off, but his skin looked GREAT!!!!! I think that stuff is going to be my new fav.!

NEW HAIR PRODUCTS!

2011-06-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

SOooooo, I went to Salt Lake this week, and I was SO EXCITED to get to go to WHOLE FOODS market! I had done lots of research and taken notes and considered and reconsidered, and it was time to sell my soul and use all my life savings, and get Taiger some real hair products. I can't tell you how excited I was! This is what I got:

Everyday Shea brand shampoo. Doesn't it just SCREAM moisture?

Beautiful Curls brand spray leave-in conditioner. (This is the only picture I could find online...sorry for all the other products in the picture!) It says it refreshes the hair's curl pattern! FANTASTIC!

I had heard about this from a different blog. I ALMOST didn't buy it. I actually put it back on the shelf, and picked it up, and put it back, and picked it up several times before finally deciding to get it. The ONLY reason I hesitated was the price, and thinking I could "just get by with something else". Finally, I realized, "DUH! The conditioner is where most moisture will be replaced at washing time, so this is possibly THE MOST IMPORTANT hair product! " And, I sucked it up, crossed the "t" on me soul-selling signature, and put it in my basket.

This picture is MUCH larger than the actual jar, and I am not exaggerating. This tiny little bottle was a pretty penny, too, but I had decided that without a doubt I was going to get Shea butter. When I saw they had this brand, I was so excited, as I had read great reviews on it. I had no clue it would be so pricey, though. :( Anyway, they didn't have any of the PURE Shea butter in stock, so I ended up with the Shea butter that had some essential oil mixed in.

The first time I bought coconut oil for Taiger, it was eleven dollars, and the coconut aroma was very strong. I LOVED the oil, but I did NOT love the price, OR the very strong scent. On skin, the smell is fine, but in Taiger's hair, it gets dirty between washings (as it would in anyone's hair!) and smells bad. Well, I found another coconut oil that is good, but it was only ten dollars at the grocery. Well, when I was at WF, I found this one for just over eight dollars! I was so excited. When I opened it, I loved the texture even better than the other brands, BUT...it has such a strong scent. I love the smell of coconut, but it makes T's hair smell yucky! So, I will use this on his skin (AND MINE...have I told you I have started using coconut oil rather than lotion on my face?) and get a jar of the other kind for his hair.

SO... we used all of the products last night (it was Friday, and, therefore, Take-Out-Cornrows-And-Wash-Hair day). So far, I LOVE them. But I will write a full review after we have tried them each a few times. But I will say this: I WAS IN LOOOOOVE with Taiger's soft, wonderful curls last night after washing his hair! :)

A Mother on Father's Day

2011-06-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

The wind is cold and I am shivering. The sky is overcast. I turn to the mom next to me on the bleachers and say, "He is NEVER playing football! If I am this cold in June, imagine how I would be out here in November!" I turn back to watch Taiger warming up out on the field. I see him through my "Mother Eyes". His pants are getting short, I need to go get him some new ones. Is his hat staying on over his cornrows? Maybe I should have redone the ends. I am so glad his t-ball shirt was out of the drier in time for today. I wonder if he is too cold...he said he was okay, but maybe he needs a jacket on top of his long-sleeve shirt under his shirt...but three shirts plus a jacket? Would that just be a bit much? He is so cute out there...by FAR the cutest on the team. Look at that cute smile!

I see the coach walking toward me. I know what he is going to say. I kind of want to just stay sitting still and try and keep warm. I am the only Mom on the team who goes out and helps coach on the diamond during the games. Usually there are a couple of Dads out there, too. But no moms. The moms sit on the bleachers chatting and cheering. Today, they are wrapped in blankets staying warm. Moms watch. Dads help. That is where Dads are meant to be. Out there, doing boy things.

My hands are like ice. I stuff them in my hoodie pocket and stand up as the coach looks at me and says, "You ready?" He counts on me now. At the first practice he asked if anyone could come out and help. I jumped up and hurried to third base to help. There were no dads at that practice. It was at 5:00, and I guessed they were all still at work. But when coach asked for help,I was the only Mom who went out. I guessed the t-ball field was the dad's place. I was the only mom on the field. I talked to the boys, told them they were doing well, reminded them to catch the ball or run to home.

I nod at the coach and hurry to first base. Now, I am a Dad. It takes me a second to get out of Mom mode, and as the first little player hits the ball and starts running in the wrong direction (OF COURSE!), I shout, "Run this way, darling!" I freeze! Did I just shout the word, "Darling"? Dad mode, Dad mode, Dad mode. The next player runs to first. I give him a rough "good job" pat on the back. There, much more masculine. I remind him where to run next (it is hard for little players to remember which way to run!), over to second. I have my red ball cap on. I look like a coach. I jump up and down to get warmed up. I look at the moms on the bleachers. Some aren't even watching as their kids play. Sure, they pull out the camera when they are up to bat, but they are busy. They are doing Mom-ish things...watching their other kids, talking on the phone, talking to the other moms on the bleachers about swimming lessons and dance lessons and I see them chatting and laughing.

I move off of first base so the little first base man can more easily catch the ball. The little boy who just hit the ball runs off course and into my arms for a big hug. For a second, I realize they are used to seeing me there. Standing on first base, clapping as they hit the ball three inches off the tee. They know to run to me. They don't know to run to "first base". If I am not on first base, they go where I am. I hurry the kid over to first base and remind him he has to touch the base with his foot. As each little runner runs to first, I get a high five, a hug, a smile, a "did you see that swing?!" I tell them they did well. I pat them on the back. I give them hugs. I show them where to run next.

When we are in the field and not up to bat, I stand between first and second base. One boy who is supposed to be on first whines and says, "Awww, but I wanted to be by YOU!" I show them how to put their hands on their knees and watch the ball like "real baseball players do". They are pretty busy digging in the dirt, and look at me like I am crazy, because they have never actually SEEN a real baseball player before, and don't really trust what I am saying. Playing in the dirt is much more fun. I laugh. One boy wants to tell me about all of the rocks in his pockets. He misses the ball as it rolls past, and I grab his shoulders and turn him toward the ball and tell him to "go get the ball!" The three pounds of rocks in his pockets aren't helping him run any faster.

I tell them to watch the ball. I clap and shout, "'Kay, here comes the batter! Let's watch the ball. You guys ready?" I am shouting. Pointing. Patting. Directing. Coaching. Being a Dad.

Sometimes, at my house, I am a Dad.

I am a Mom. I love and hug and nurture. I cook and clean and give baths. I braid hair and iron clothes and make sure he has two socks.

I am a Dad. I sword fight. Dig in the dirt. Throw rocks. Go to work. I promise summer camping trips, which will be fulfilled. I look at sticks and rocks. I helped him catch his first fish. I tell him not to be scared of spiders and spider webs and bugs.

I am a Mom AND a Dad.

As father's Day nears, at first I feel a slight twinge of sadness. I regret that Taiger doesn't have a Dad.

Then, I think....in a way, he does. :)

I know there are a lot of Moms out there who are being Dads, too. So, to you I say, Happy Father's Day. :) You are doing a great job.

Tears

2011-06-17T09:03:00.001-07:00

The tears well up in my eyes and it is hard to breathe as I read her blog post. I have been following M's blog for a while now. I have grown to love their family. Their life full of God and courage and love and a greatness I cannot explain, and a peace that is something I strive for.

About two days ago, their home was broken in to and robbed...while they were home.

The fear. That heart-stopping, knee-buckling, mind-numbing fear. Their computer and $30.00 were stolen, along with their security. Their world is shattered.

I cry because I know the fear.

I cry because I know if Taiger and I had left KFC in China at the time we planned, we would have been home when our home was robbed and we could have been the ones with guns pointed at us when our computer wast stolen.

I cry because this family has been through other experiences similar to my own, and I am heartsick we now share this similarity as well.

I cry because they have the grace to remember in the fear that God loves those men who broke in to their home, and I remember trying to remember that in the middle of my fear, too.

I cry because they cannot return to that house to live, and I remember staying the night at a friend's house the night we were robbed. That family is moving to a new house, they simply cannot live in that house anymore. I remember feeling so afraid to stay at our house, too. Those two weeks between the robbery in China and the plane flight out to America was horrible and I am glad that family is able to leave NOW and not have to wait those two horrifying weeks like we did.

I cry because someone understands how I felt.

I cry because of God's mercies.

I cry for what this family has suffered and lost.

Cornrows AGAIN! (Are you sick of reading about them yet?! Hee hee.)

2011-06-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just wanted to post and let you all know, I redid Taiger's cornrows using all the tips from the Happy Girl Hair blog, and his cornrows look SO GOOD! AND, I DID leave them in for Church! AND he looked SO HANDSOME! He stood up in the front and gave his little talk and I LOVED his hair!! SO, thank you to everyone for saying that you thought cornrows were fine for church because, guess what? They are!! :) I just didn't really think about it. :)

So, here are some pictures of Taiger's hair right after I did it yesterday. (I used my sister's ipod to take these pictures. THANKS, BEQIN! :) )

Two "Hair Do Darn It"s

2011-06-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

I have TWO "hair-do-darn-it"s to share with you.

So, as I already mentioned, Taiger's hat wouldn't stay on over his afro at his last t-ball game. I decided I had better cornrow it for his game today (thursday), so his cap would stay on.

See how Gerald from Hey Arnold looks with a bike helmet?

That is about how T looked with his baseball cap on!

We cornrowed it yesterday so it would be all ready for his game today. He cried, and it hurt and I felt badly because he was hurting and crying. It just was no fun. AND I knew I would have to take it out for church Sunday (he is giving a talk in primary), so it was already disheartening that the tears and stress were over something that would be short lived. BUT, I felt it would be worth it so he could wear his cap at his game and not have it flying off when he ran. WELL...I did his hair Wednesday so it would be done for his weekly Thursday game today. About an hour before game time, I realized today is a "bye" day for his team. No game. Now, all the cornrowing was for nothing because I will take it out before his next game on Tuesday. That is my "Darn It" number one.

Today, I was not so busy at work and had time to look some things up on one of my favourite blog for black hair (see it HERE). I had time to search the archives and found some great information on products! YAY! I took notes and I am ready to spend hours in the Whole Foods in Salt Lake when I go to Utah the end of this month (why don't we have a Whole Foods in south eastern Idaho?! Oh...because it is SOUTH EASTERN IDAHO! All we need are scrunchies for our hair and meat and potatoes to eat, right?! :( ). As I was reading and learning about products and haircare, guess what I found?! A whole post (COMPLETE WITH A VIDEO!!) of how to do cornrows!!!!!! ALL of the things I have done wrong and tried to fix, I could have known from the very first and never have done them wrong! Now that I am older and wiser, I am ready to take out his cornrows and redo them so they look good! You may ask, "Why would you put your child through the tears and angst again?!" Here is the real kicker. The number one rule she gave for cornrows is that they SHOULD NEVER HURT OR CAUSE STRESS for the one getting his hair done, nor for the one doing the cornrows!!!!!!! WHAT?!?!??! She showed how to do it so it doesn't even hurt! In the video, her little girl just sat there looking at a book while her mom did the cornrows. No crying. No running away. (That is real. Taiger begged me to take a break just for a second and as soon as I let go of his hair, he bolted!) When I saw the video I felt so badly I had caused him stress unnecessarily!! :( So, that is my second, "Darn It".

Wedding and Hair Update

2011-06-08T13:45:00.000-07:00

So, Monday my little brother got married! I know, right?! It was just a small reception with family, and it was BEAUTIFUL!

Little T was the Best Man. And oh! was he so. dang. cute! He took his job VERY seriously!! As SOON as T woke up in the morning, he reminded B. to NOT FORGET THE RING! Taiger kept asking Bryndon how he could help him. T even wore "boy perfume" (cologne!)! The best part was when Taiger stood up on his little chair at the luncheon, tapped his cup with his fork, and gave a "speech" to the new couple, complete with thanking everyone for being there, and welcoming April to our family. Darling. (He wouldn't let any of us help him prepare what to say before hand. He insisted that he knew just what he wanted to say.)

I know everyone wants to know how I ended up fixing his hair for the big day. Well, the night before I took a risk and COMBED out his hair before puting it in ponytails for bed, rather than just using my fingers to work out the tangles. It didn't hurt him (YAY!), so that means that the routine is keeping tangles under control AND starting to add the moisture he needs! Well, the risk of combing it proved to be a minor mistake. The next day, his hair wasn't so "coily" with long, curly locks as it was "poofy" with less defined curls. :( I didn't make an issue of it, or try and "fix" it though (don't sweat the small stuff!). Although his hair wasn't JUST how I wanted it, it DID look SOO cute! Taiger looked so handsome standing up in the front next to Bryndon.

Last night, T fell asleep without doing his nightly hair routine, and today I could tell! His hair was more matted, had less shape, and was quite dry. :( I decided to do his hair in cornrows today. He has a t-ball game tomorrow and at his last game his hat wouldn't stay on over his afro. I am hoping the cornrows allow for his hat to fit better on his head. Well, thanks to missing the hair treatment last night, his hair was SO DRY and tangled today! So, cornrowing was a tearful experience. I was trying to hurry, so didn't put in as much coconut oil as I had wanted to to replenish the moisture lost over night. I only did 5 cornrows because I was in a hurry, AND T was crying and it really was hurting...his hair was just SO DRY and tangled! :( Anyway, he came to work with me today and right across the street is a park...with sand. I HATE sand parks! (I LOOOOVE the ones with the rubber!!) Whenever T comes home from that park, his hair is SO FULL of sand! To avoid him bringing most of the sand home in his hair, I made him wear a bandana today (he was NOT happy) over his cornrows. We will see if that helps keep the sand out.

So, that's a bit of a hair update for Taiger. Lesson learned? DON'T COMB OUT HAIR unless you want to have more of a puffy afro rather than coils. We will see if the bandana helps with keeping sand out of his hair, too, and I will let you all know. :) OH! I will post pictures of the wedding soon (I hope!). :)

Taiger's Hair Routine

2011-06-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

GOOOOOOD NEEEEEEWS!

I am SO EXCITED I can't stand it!

Okay, okay...calm it down! This will NOT be exciting for ANY of you, so just stop getting excited now before you get your hopes up that something exciting is going to happen to YOU! I am not giving away millions of dollars, or inviting everyone to my mansion by the sea for a week-long party. Sorry, folks.

BUT... This is exciting for me, okay? So I want to share it. With someone. Anyone. (Anyone? Yeah, you have all stopped reading now. Now that you know there isn't money or a mansion. SIGH.)

So, what is exciting? (HOW I WISH I HAD PICTURES TO GO WITH THIS!)

After five painful years of Taiger's mystifying hair, I have finally figured out a basic haircare routine!

(Sorry! I know, it really is NOT all that exciting! Well, it IS for me...so humor me and smile.)

You guys, I cannot...CAN NOT!...even begin to tell you how ridiculously difficult it is to find haircare suggestions online, or to find people out and about to ask. It just ain't happenin'. You can go search a million blogs, and NO ONE will actually come right out and tell you what product, how to use it, how often to use it, etc. for your black child's hair. And don't bother asking at Sally. They look at you like, "Did you see the name of the shop? It is SALLY beauty supply...NOT LAKISHA beauty supply!" Yeah. They have NO idea what to do for those beautiful, curly locks that are getting more and more damaged even as I stand there debating between "Pure Olive Oil" and "Pink Hair Lotion". (They had pictures of black people on the front, okay? Don't blame me!).

Soooooo....I have searched online. I have asked hair supply stores. I have asked beauticians and hairdressers. I have asked poor unsuspecting white mothers of black kids in airport bathrooms (I kid you not!). All to no avail.

If you are in the same predicament with your black child's hair, here is some advice. GIVE UP! No, I am just kidding. :) There MUST be information out there SOMEWHERE. I just haven't found it. BUT...to hopefully start the trend of sharing how to care for black hair (and I mean more than, "use a good moisturizer"...yeah, THAT helps!) I am going to share here EXACTLY what I do with little T's hair!

*Ideally, I only wash T's hair a couple of times a week. HOWEVER...I have washed his hair TWICE in the last two days, simply because the weather is warm and he has been outside playing and it gets so dirty. Yesterday, he had sand in his hair from the park. Today, he had grass in his hair from playing in the yard after Grandpa mowed the lawn. So, I wash when it is dirty.

*I have used several different shampoos and conditioners. The one I use now is "BIOSILK" brand, the ones that say, "Hydrating Shampoo" and "Hydrating Conditionar". They are really good and I like them a lot, although I am still searching for something made specifically for African-American hair.

*I have learned SOO MUCH lately through experimentation about how to just wash his hair! We have had five years of crying (from him and from me!), and now I FINALLY have figured it out! Okay, so I have him lay back and get his hair wet in the bath. Then, I drizzle shampoo all over his hair and start to scrub with my fingers, getting his scalp nice and clean. The hair is ridiculously tangly at this point, but don't panic! Just try not to smash and scrub his hair all over the place! Just get deep in and get the scalp. Then, I run my fingers through his hair, GENTLY de-tangling as I go. (The first time you do this, your child will SCREAM! And he will scream every time after if you don't do the "before sleeping" routine I have FINALLY figured out! So, keep reading!) I work AROUND his head, so I am pulling the curls DOWN as I go (bangs down to eyes, back down the neck, etc.). I have a towel on my lap during this entire process for him to reach over and use to wipe water off his face and out of eyes. Just do it. Your life will be SO MUCH BETTER...and your clothes drier. Trust me.

*I rinse T's hair under the faucet (an act of faith by T, who is so scared of the water! We hold a towel over his face) to be sure and get ALL the shampoo out, as well as grass, sand, etc. (When he would lay back in the bath to rinse, the shampoo would cling to his hair, and all of the dirt, etc, would become re-trapped in his curls, so putting his head under the running water keeps that from happening.) This can also help keep the curls from getting tangled again.

*I used to leave the conditioner in after washing and conditioning, because I read on some blogs about leaving conditioner in hair...then I realized they meant a special kind of LEAVE IN conditioner. Anyway, so I stopped leaving conditioner in his hair, but this week I have started doing it again. I don't, however, use as much conditioner as I used to when I leave it in. Just so the hair feels lightly coated. I can't see it on his hair when he gets out of the bath.

*When he gets out of the bath, I have learned NOT to rub his hair to dry it! NOR do I wrap the towel around his hair while his head is upside down. BOTH of those lead to tangles. Instead, I wrap the towel around his hair and lightly squeeze the ends of his hair to squeeze the water out (and yes, it does remove some of the left in conditioner).

* Next, I melt down his coconut oil by putting the bottle in hot water. I have found Spectrum Pure Coconut Oil to be THE BEST! You can get it at the grocery store over by all the health food stuff (yuck! I know!). You know, where the gluten free things are, and the soy milk. If you can't find it there, you can check in Whole Foods or another health food store over by the cooking oils. Spectrum brand is my favourite because it is cheaper (yay!) AND it doesn't smell like coconut. (I know, you are tempted to buy the yummy smelling one! Don't cave! That yummy smell turns quite terrible after one sweaty day of playing in the sun!!) I rub that coconut oil ALL OVER HIS ENTIRE BODY! He is all slippery and shiny when he is done. :) I have to be sure and have jammies ready to put RIGHT ON so he doesn't sit anywhere or rub against anything and get coconut oil on anything!!

*Right before bed, I section out one quarter of his hair and clip the rest back with a HUGE hairdresser clip. (I was lucky to find some with rubber/foam on the bottom so they don't get tangled in his hair! Look for some for yourself. They are great!) The part left out, I spray the heck out of with warm water. (I wrap a towel around T before doing this, because he is SURE to get SOAKED during this part!) I then part that hair in half horizontally and spray in between to make sure the "inside" of the sectioned off hair is wet, too. I then put some coconut oil in my palm and start working it through his hair in the same direction I did the shampoo. Always down! I use my fingers to "rake" through the top of the section. (My fingers are shaped like a rake when I do it. I am not going deep in to the hair, just on the very top layer to get those tangles out and to start shaping the hair and training it DOWN.) Then, I re-part the hair horizontally and apply MORE coconut oil to the "underneath" part and spend a while detangling that part. I go deeper down in to the hair with my fingers and really work out the tangles here. Sometimes, I pour the coconut oil directly on to the hair at the root, and work it down through the hair. I spray my hands with water to keep my fingers moving smoothly through his hair without snagging or getting caught on tangles. I then lay the top layer of that quarter of hair back down, apply MORE coconut oil, and detangle that section with the bottom section, going deeper and really working out the tangles. When that quarter of hair is very smooth and very oily, I braid it, always keeping it close to the head and gently pulling it DOWN. Some nights, rather than putting braids in, I just wrap a FABRIC hair band LOOSELY around the quarter of hair. T likes the "pony tails" better and says they hurt less. I do this for all four quarters of hair. The ONLY thing I do differently is if I am doing PONY TAILS, I pull the pony tails up high and to the sides so it doesn't hurt when he lays down. If I do braids, I try and direct them more to the side as well, but still directing them DOWN.

*Once all of the hair is braided or tied off, I apply a bit more coconut oil to the scalp between the braids, since it is so clearly exposed. I also run some along the smoothed down hair, just to make sure everything is very well moisturized.

*In the morning, I take out the braids/pony tails and spray the hair again with lots of water. Then, I work through it, NOT to detangle, but to reshape (as the hair still tries to hold the quartered off shape with four crazy sections of hair sticking up in amazingly insane ways!). I pull the hair down again, but sort of "puff" up the top, so it doesn't look like he has a flying saucer around his head. :)

* I (try and) leave his hair alone during the day. At night, if he doesn't bathe, I still do his hair the same way, only without washing and conditioning.

So, that is his hair routine (MY SON HAS A HAIR ROUTINE! I AM SOOOO HAPPY!)! I hope if you are struggling with your little sweetie's hair, this will help you! (Sorry, no pictures! Someday I will have a digital camera again. :) )

PRODUCT LIST WITH PICTURES

Spectrum Coconut Oil

Biosilk--Hydrating Shampoo/Conditioner

Large hairdresser clips

Fabric elastics
Cheapest spray bottle from the grocery store (Mine has a place to park if contents are toxic :) I really bought it in the hardware section!)

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

As you know, today is Memorial Day. And if you have read my blog since last year (poor soul ;) ), you will remember how much I love soldiers. NOT LIKE THAT...(okay, like "that", too), but in a deeply appreciative way. I hold them in such high regard, and with such deep respect. If there are any soldiers out there reading my blog, I want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU, so much, for our freedom, for your bravery. If you are the family member of a soldier, thank you for your bravery, too, and your sacrifice. My friend, Blake, wrote a wonderful blog post today, and I would recommend you hop over here and read it, too. It was really thoughtful and touching.

My Grandpa Everett was a soldier and I used to love hearing his war stories. He taught me to respect and admire soldiers, and everyone who serves our country. I miss him today. His heart. His bravery. His respect for America. His smile.

Singing

2011-05-21T18:03:00.000-07:00

Something rather life shaking happened a few weeks ago. It was one of those moments when what you realize suddenly isn't at all what you had always suspected. Or maybe, rather, isn't at all what you wanted to believe.

I went to the library and was looking for a book. I usually judge a book by its cover, to be honest. Once I see a book's cover, I HAVE to find out what it is about. It is something strange about me. I do the same with greeting cards, but I digress.

I saw a book whose cover was a nice color of purple (I do love purple) and the girl on the front was framed in lovely flowers, so I picked up the book and read what it was about.

The back cover said it was about a young girl who sings mezzo soprano (my heart stopped part 1), and she was going to Europe to sing opera (my heart stopped part 2). Something turned my body to stone, and I stiffly put the book back on the shelf. I am a mezzo soprano. I was going to go to Europe to sing opera. A moment later, I take up the book again. I put it in my pile of books, hand the stack to the librarian and check them out, the purple one, too, and leave the library.

When I arrived home, most of the books came in the house with me. The purple book with the opera singer framed in flowers stayed on the car seat. Not on purpose...at least, not consciously. But we all know, looking at the story now, that it was certainly done on purpose SUBconsciously.

I read all my books. When they were due back, I returned them all...except the one about the mezzo soprano. That one I renewed. It came in the house after a few days of life in the backseat of the car. I placed the book in the empty bottom dresser drawer. It looked fine in there. The lovely purple looked fancy against the dark brown velvet lining of the drawer, and the cedar smell made it seem appropriately placed.

But as the days wore on, I began to realize something. The something I hadn't wanted to see before, at the library. I was mad at the book. I was mad at the girl in the book. I was mad at the author of the book for writing about something that was so raw to me. I wanted to read the book, as a lover wants to see her sweetheart's affair. To show strength. To prove it doesn't hurt. But it does. And besides, no one else really cares either way. When the book was due back again at the library, I dropped it carelessly into the metal outdoor drop box and walked away, but in the back of my mind I tried to remember the book's name, or where it was kept on the shelf in the library, just in case I was ever braver, stronger than I was then, and could stomach to open the cover of the book.

A few weeks later, I found myself sitting in the back seat of a car owned by my two best friends, Megan and Vinny. I had known them in college when their relationship was nothing more than a bud on a shy rose bush. During those college days, I lived in the dorm in a six person room with no room mates. The round walls and high celelings reverberated and the occustics were just fine. I was the only one living in that end of the dorm hall, and I found myself singing at the top of my lungs almost every day. The southern Virginia sun would shine through the floor-to-celing windows, and the sound of my singing melted away the homesickness of freshman semester in a town far from home. The dorm mom confided in me that she often walked that hallway to my end, just to listen to me singing. Now, as I rode along while Vinny drove, Megan said something. She said she wanted to hear me sing opera. The broken arm of the basketball player may be healed, but he still cannot play. The runner's foot may have healed, but still she does not run. Maybe I COULD sing...but something is saying I can't now. I tell her I am too shy, and she leaves it at that. And that moment was worse than anything else. It was dropped. My voice. My talent. My deepest desire. I let it drift away, out the car window and away on the warm breeze.

I thought of a marathon runner. They train and run. But let's pretend this runner sits and does not run for two years. If a friend one day asks her to run a marathon in the morning, what would she do? What could she do? She would feel that striking of pavement beneath her feet. She would feel the burn in her arm and leg muscles. She would hear her breath coming steadily. And then she would shake those memories and reply to her friend with a "no", and a brief explanation that she can't.

I didn't realize the impact of that moment of my saying no to sing. It passed quickly, but not a millionth of a second later did the force of it catch me and take my breath away. But I will tell you this. I have never wanted anything so badly in my life. Music pulses through my veins just like blood. I cannot take it out of me. It may be trapped inside of me, but it is there. Sometimes, the yearning to sing is so strong that I cry. I miss it like I would miss feeling fresh air on my skin, or water on my tongue. It is something that makes me LIVE. And it cannot be taken from me. The desire to sing, the pain of not singing...it is painful. I was mad at the girl in the book because she could sing when I cannot. It isn't that I am unable to sing. I would never say "I don't have the talent to sing" because it is a lie so deep and so obvious that I might as well try and say there is no blood in my body. It is such a basic truth that denying it would be just silly. I like to believe I am humble, that I would not brag about something I am good at. But saying I can sing, to me, is not bragging...it is a cold, hard fact. And even if I were the worst vocalist in the world, I could not deny that that music is pulsing, coursing through me. I was mad at the girl in the book because she was walking the road I cannot. She is feeling those feelings that come only through singing, that I am deprived of.

Sometimes, I try and sing my opera songs. Those tunes that grew in me like another organ. But it hurts, it sounds wrong, and it pains me to know they are there, but loosing their strength. They are there, but they are atrophying, like an unused muscle. And the pain of that is physical, and the pain of knowing that wreaks havoc in my soul.

What would I sacrifice to sing again? I often answer that question to myself, alone, behind eyes pinched tight to hold back the tears that come anyway.

Cornrows

2011-05-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

And now, the moment you have ALL been waiting for..... (drum roll)

PICTURES OF T'S CORNROWS!!!!

Okay, I KNOW my sister took more pictures of them...but she hasn't sent them yet. :( However, as soon as she does, I will share! :) Here are these two to get ya started though. ENJOY! And let me know what you think. Do they make him look too "girly"? Do they make him look too...I don't know..."gangster"? (There are few things I want T to avoid more than that look! YUCK! No baggy shirts or baggy pants for him! So there.)

Back From California

2011-05-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

I am back from California! So many wonderful things happened that it is a bit overwhelming at the moment.

For three days I had meetings with some very amazing, incredible, talented people. It was so inspiring and uplifting to be around such great minds.

After all the meetings were over and most people had gone to the airport, five of us were "left over" and we all went to this amazing beach. I actually got to touch a sea anemone! It was incredible! I was so excited I screamed, and one of the men in our group thought something was wrong and rushed to my rescue...only to find I was screaming for joy and amazement! He doesn't know how overly dramatic I am. :D

After the last of the group caught their airplanes for home, I stayed another two days to visit my dear friends, M and V, who were hosting the meeting of minds. I am VERY allergic to cats, so since they own cats I could not stay at their house. I was pretty bummed about that, but THRILLED that I got to stay with V's mom who lives just down the street from them. Her home is so inviting! She has this personality that everyone adores. I was able to spend a lot of time visiting with her, learning about her amazing life, looking at her beautiful garden, and gazing with awe at the quilts she makes.

One night we went to M's parents' house and celebrated her Dad's birthday. Her parents are also amazing, and I really see where M and V got their good hearts and happy dispositions. M's mom also quilts and she showed me some of the quilts she is currently working on. SUCH TALENT! She even let me use on of her most beautiful quilts to wrap up in when I was cold. It was an honor...her quilts are beautiful!

M and V have THE CUTEST little boy, and it was so fun to snuggle him and see his contagious smile. In all, the week was priceless and I am so thankful I was able to go.

California, I fell in love with you all over again. :)

California, Here I Come...

2011-05-05T01:11:00.000-07:00

GUESS WHAT?! GUESS WHAT?! We leave in the morning for CALIFORNIA!!!!! I am in the mood to sing all the California songs I know (as you got a taste of in the title to this post). I can NOT wait to see some of my best friends in the WHOLE WORLD, and their sweet little boy.
Aside from spending some great time with friends and soaking up some California sun (well, as much as you CAN soak up with sunscreen on!), some majorly exciting things will be happening there as well that may or may not involve Sixteen Small Stones. Please PRAY everything goes well!!!!!!

See you sooooon! :D

Some Easter Pictures

2011-04-28T23:50:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love this painting of Jesus. The concern on His face portrays the deep, unfathomable love He has for each of us. When I see this picture, I am reminded that He loves ME. And He is genuinely concerned for ME. Looking at this painting fills me with a feeling I cannot comprehend. I don't think my human heart can fully understand the magnitude of His love, the depth of it, the SINCERITY of it. When I see this picture, though, I FEEL that love that I cannot understand. And it brings me to my knees.

Here are some of my favourite "Easter Time" pictures. I tried to put them in order of the story of Easter. If any of my readers doesn't know the Easter story, or is unsure of what the pictures are portraying, feel free to leave a comment and I will share the story or explain any parts you don't know! Don't be shy!!!! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy these pictures.

I hope you all had a fabulous Easter.

2011-04-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is a painting of Jesus with the Nephites, the people living on the American continent, after His Resurrection.

DON'T FORGET!

Easter may be over, but that is not the end of the celebration!

Don't forget that after Christ had left His followers in the Old World, He appeared to the Nephites here in America! (This is what our Family Home Evening lesson was tonight!)

One of my favourite Scripture stories comes from this time, when Christ is with the people on the American continents.

Read chapter 8-30 from the Book of 3 Nephi. Here is a link to chapter 8 to get you started. :) When you get to the bottom, click the "NEXT" button to continue reading. I feel The Spirit so strong during this story, and then just WAIT until you hear what happens in chapter 17! Oh my, this story is SO GOOD! Seriously, this whole story is just...overflowing! I feel so full of The Spirit when I read it. I can't help but cry each time I read this story. Whether you are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or not, I really, really, really, really, REALLY (really) encourage (BEG!) you to read this story. It is right here online, so you don't have to get up and go dig your Book Of Mormon out of your church bag, or ask your "Mormon Friend" (come on, we ALL have ONE) to borrow their Book Of Mormon. Just take a few minuets, read this story, and let your heart be changed. Let it fill with The Spirit. Let The Spirit TESTIFY to you of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And let YOUR spirit be filled and fed with His goodness and peace. Just feel peace in this story.

I bear testimony that Christ IS RISEN! That He lived, and that He still lives! I bear testimony that He visited the people on the American Continents. They felt the wounds in His hands, His feet, the spear wound in His side.

PLEASE read this story! It is so beautiful! :)

Okay, here are the songs we sang for Family Home Evening. Both songs tell about this Scripture story from 3 Nephi. Our opening hymn was from the LDS Children's Songbook, "Easter Hosanna". LOVE this song! (I could only find the version from the Children's Songbook with a child singing. Not the best, but sweet, and the words are the same...and I LOVE this song...did I mention that??!!) Our closing hymn was, "He Came For Me" by Hilary Weeks. Youtube didn't have HER version, and the video was a little...eh. But the words are the same! (AND...I love this song, too. Hee hee!)

2011-04-23T23:20:00.001-07:00

Today, Christ's body lay in a tomb.

I thought a lot about what "today" must have been like. How did the people feel? Mary, his Disciples, all those who loved Him.

I also thought about myself. Christ's Spirit dwells in all of us. In me. But I am like that tomb? Do I hold in my heart a shallow image of Christ that I hope will be enough? Or is His SPIRIT in me as well? When I pray in Jesus' name, do I do so with shallow words and rushed intent? Or is Christ ALIVE in me? When I try and tune in to His Spirit in me, should an angle be asking ME, "Why seekest thou the living among the dead?"

Tomorrow morning marks the resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He overcame the grave. He lives! He lives, as surely as you and I.

Does He live IN me, too? As I celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, I commit anew to allowing Him to come to life in my heart.

Adventures In Haircare. Cornrows AGAIN!

2011-04-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

A quick update on our "Adventures in Haircare". His hair had been really hurt while we were in SLC. I had left his coconut oil home, he went swimming and had chlorine in his hair, AND I didn't make him wear his hair protector to bed. Needless to say, his cornrows were a bit of a wreck. SO...out they came. Yesterday morning I washed and conditioned (the heck out of) his hair. His curls were PHENOMENAL! I wish I had a picture...darn camera thieves! :) Last night, after FHE, I started re-cornrowing. My Dad asked me last night, "Why do you keep twisting them and taking them out?" I said, "Because they had started falling out...and because I am not so good at doing them so they don't look as good and they don't stay in long." My Dad smiled. :) I told him OTHER moms write blogs with the same problem...it takes a few times to get good at it. :) Anyway, this time doing his cornrows I tried braiding instead of twisting. It was SO HARD! And it took SO LONG! Putting beads in the end also takes a LOT of extra time. I worked on his 'rows until after 10:00 last night!!...and they still weren't done! So, I woke up this morning and finished them.

THEY. LOOK. AMAZING!!!!!

I am pleased to say, this is the best try yet. They aren't perfect, but they are so much better!! I hope I can get some pictures to post tomorrow. STAY TUNED!! :)

Easter Week Continued

2011-04-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

My friend, Megan, said the link I posted yesterday isn't working, so I am going to repost it here. If it works OR if it DOESN'T work PLEASE LET ME KNOW! :) http://lds.org/liahona/2011/04/easter-week?lang=eng&query=Easter+story

Last night for Family Home Evening I was going to just cover Saturday-Monday of what Jesus was doing during the week leading up to Easter Sunday. However, everyone was having so much fun, we went on and covered the entire week! I wish I had a digital camera so I could show you pictures! Everyone dressed up, we had props and everything, and we acted out the week. It was so FUN, and it was insightful to see a day-by-day play of what was happening and what Jesus was doing. I have a hat a friend gave me from Afghanistan and I decided to be very culturally diverse and use it as part of a costume for the blind man at the Temple who Jesus healed. Well, Taiger insisted on being that blind man. How did he act out being blind? He pulled the hat down over his eyes. :) When Bryndon-Playing-Jesus healed him, he needed only pull the hat up onto his forehead and off his eyes. :)

Taiger had helped cut out the palm fonds for Grandpa-As-The-Multitude-In-Jerusalem to lay at Jesus' feet, and he colored the picture of The Temple that we set up to show that the couch was the Temple. It was a very interactive Family Home Evening, and it was REALLY fun! Oh, and after the closing hymn, Grandpa INSISTED we sing, "Here Comes Peter Cottontail" as a SECOND closing hymn. :) It WAS an Easter FHE, after all. :)

If you do anything fun to help your family learn about Easter, please post it here as a comment! I would LOVE to know what fun things YOU do! :)

The Week of Easter

2011-04-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

HAPPY WEEK OF EASTER! When I think of this week, I feel this overwhelming feeling of The Spirit. The importance of this week is beyond our comprehension and I can't help but feel awe and deep reverence when I consider what this week means.

We are doing something really neat this year, and I hope it becomes a yearly tradition. We have a list of things that Jesus did each day of this special week and we are going to follow what Jesus did each day. I really want to get creative and have some neat activities for each day...we will see how clever I am ;) (IF YOU HAVE IDEAS, PLEASE SHARE!)

You can find the outline of the week here: http://http//lds.org/liahona/2011/04/easter-week?lang=eng&query=Easter+story

News and Cornrow Update

2011-04-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

Freezing cold. In a motel. In Boise. Kids swam for SEVEN HOURS at the motel pool. My shoes and pants were SOAKED from the first joyful splash to the last cannonball. We are glad to be in Boise visiting cousins. HAPPY DAY! Okay, so I took out Taiger's cornrows. They were not working for me. :) I tried puting some new cornrows in...and I decided they were not working for me either. So, after about two and a half hours of working on them, I took half out and sort of...restructured things. :) The 'rows he has now are pretty fantastic! I was planning on leaving them in for 5-7 days. So, before leaving for Boise, I planned ahead! (GO ME, right?!) I made a special spray in a spray bottle. A combination of water (BRILLIANT!) and coconut oil. I sprayed his hair and put his head wrap on him to sleep. I also had him wear it in the car on the way to Boise. Tonight, while he was swimming, I decided spraying with the Coco-Water Magical Solution (great name, I know) might help protect his hair while swimming. I went to the room, opened my suitcase...and tore it apart looking for the missing spray bottle! I LEFT IT HOME! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I had him shower before bed to get the chlorine off him and out of his hair. He smothered himself in lotion (I was going to spray the Coco-Water Magical Solution on his body, too). :( And his hair is surely dry and frizzy tonight. SIGH. So, I guess when we get home we will be redoing the cornrows....AGAIN. SIGH. The GOOD NEWS is, Brytt is here with her camera and took pictures of his sweet 'do, so I will post them as soon as I get them from her. She also took pictures of me fixing his hair, so you can see the process. :) OH! And you will LOOOOOVE these cornrows because, GUESS WHAT?! They have beads! Yes, on the ends! How fun is THAT?! They are black and blue, so they look "boy-ish", don't worry. ;) Pictures soon, I promise!

Cornrows

2011-04-06T22:12:00.000-07:00

Did you think I might never post again? We have been very busy with our little lives. BUT...the NEWEST news? Here it goes. I was getting pretty SICK of Little Man's hair. I LOVE it when it is the first day washed and blow dried. OH THOSE CURLS! They are so beautiful...er, HANDSOME. HOWEVER...after one night sleeping on that hair, the back gets all matted and frizzy. Soon, the rest of the hair follows suite, and before long he looks like no one loves him enough to make him look nice. I adore his long hair! But I HATE THE MATTED LOOK! YUCKY! I have tried single twists. I have tried double twists. I have tried bantu knots. I have even tried yarn extensions (poor kid...and anyone who saw him). I have tried EVERYTHING...except cornrows. I. HATE. CORNROWS!!!!!!!!! Well, I finally broke down. I brought coconut oil, gel, a spray bottle, two different combs, a towel and my messy-hair son all to work with me the other day. I sat him down and started combing. When all the knots and tangles were out... I put his hair in cornrows. Yep. Cornrows. I had planned on it taking several hours (the single and double twists each took about 5 hours to do...the bantu knots took about 3 hours to do, and the yarn extensions were about 7 hours). We turned on Tang*led (fitting, I know) when we started the combing, and it was all done about the time the movie ended. INCREDIBLE! And guess what? I LOVE THEM! Even better? Little T loves them, too!!!!!! It is so nice to be able to see his cute little face! :) My phone is lost (go figure. Anyone surprised? Anyone? No? No, me either.) so I can't take pictures, but I will post some as SOON as I borrow someone's phone/camera. :) P.S. I put nice paragraph spaces in this and when I published it, they all went away! So, I reentered the paragraph spacing, and when I published it, they went away AGAIN! So, please forgive me for one, long paragraph. AND...any suggestions on how to make blogger stop being stupid? Thank you.

Unschooling

2011-03-14T20:51:00.000-07:00

Today, I am SO THANKFUL I unschool.

After weeks of brainstorming, evaluating and considering, I came up with a "daily list" that is going to work for Taiger...I hope. It is a colour-coded list of things to do daily. Not a "job list". Not a "school list". Taiger NEEDS structure! He gets SO distracted he MUST be able to visualize and SEE what is going to happen next, or at least have a defined statement of what should be happening now. Otherwise, the day is spent so distracted nothing is accomplished, nothing is focused, and life is kind of directionless.

This list tells things from "Get Dressed" to "Mop". Taiger was SO EXCITED about his new chart! The "Purple" area is "Free Time", and he was so excited to get through the orange and blue and red sections so he could have "Free Time" (yoga, playing outside, reading...HE gets to choose from (another) list of Free Time Activities"). However, sometimes, as you all know, Taiger has "off-days", and today turned in to one of those. I am not SURE if it was because of the new list, or if it was because of a bathroom incident (another story), but he lost his center.

I had some fun Saint Patrick's Day activities planned to do during his "Free Time" today.

But we didn't get that far.

He lost his center, and when that happens, he sleeps.

He slept.

And slept.

For about four hours.

When he woke up, his center was back! YAY TAIGER! He completed almost everything on his list (all except "Brush Teeth"...go figure). And he played outside with Aunt BeQin and my cousins during Free Time.

I was disappointed there was no time for the crafts I had prepared. :( But it reminded me of how thankful I am for "Unschooling"!!!!!!! I can easily get caught up in the goals. If his list had a time line on it (I have tried those, by the way...SUCH a disaster for a Taiger!), it would have been so stressful that he was sleeping during his math/reading/playing/lego/Chinese time! Everything would have been messed up, and I would have thought I was a "Bad Mom" and a failure as a homeschool Mom! As it is, I recognize what TAIGER needs and we have the flexibility to go with it. I was so excited to see the stickers on his chart next to so many things because I can see that, even though things don't go "as planned", we CAN get things DONE! It was rewarding for BOTH of us to see him accomplish so much today! And all without me telling him to hurry and get something done, or saying no because right NOW isn't nap time and he has to wait a specific amount of time before he can take a nap, or have a snack, or do something else.

I am so happy I chose to unschool Taiger! It was a difficult leap of faith, but I it works so well with his personality! :)

BIG NEWS!

2011-03-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Ready for the BiG NEWS??

Taiger is weaning from the binkey!!

Can you even believe it?

I got him a chew tube to take the place of the binkey, because I know he has to chew (thank you, Sensory Integration Disorder). He can have the binkey when he is IN BED, but other than that, it is put away safely in the drawer of my nightstand.

I wanted to talk to him and tell him why I was doing something so horrific as taking away his binkey. It was a really hard thing for me to do. I never, EVER wanted to EVER "compare" him to other kids. I didn't want to say ANYTHING like, "Look at all the other kids your age. Do they have binkeys?" (Just thinking about ever saying that kind of thing to him makes me sick!) I also did NOT want to say anything like, "The other kids will make fun of you," because WHO CARES what other people think?! So, I had to have a talk with him and I was really unsure of what to say. But, God put the words in my mind. I had to come to the realization, and then put the message across to a five year old, that it doesn't matter what other people think, but we still have to do things that are appropriate for, and acceptable in, our society. For instance, we don't care what other people think of us, but we still bathe and clean ourselves to be acceptable in our society. We don't care what other people think, but we still teach ourselves to go to the bathroom in the potty and not our pants because in our society that is what is acceptable. It was a hard concept to try and put across to a five year old, and he was pretty puzzled over what "society" is.

Anyway, today is day 5 (yes, FIVE!) without the binkey and he didn't tantrum AT ALL today for his it! Last night, we went to a movie, and I was SO WORRIED he would cry for it because watching a movie is the ideal binkey-sucking situation! Dark, relaxing, you are sitting and not up being active, and you have the opportunity to THINK about how you don't have your binkey! THANK YOU, Disney, for making a movie so entertaining that even Taiger didn't think of his binkey! (I LOVED "Tangled"!!)

I think we have made a major breakthrough and are well on our way to a binkey-free life!

China Beach

2011-03-02T22:34:00.001-08:00

Taiger misses China today.

So, I decided it was time to post another little glimpse of China.

These were taken at the beach by our house. Sometimes, it is surreal to think we would spend hot summer afternoons swimming in the South China Sea.

Taiger. Loved. The. Ocean!! He doesn't know how to swim and hadn't had much experience around water. The first time we went to the beach, I thought it would take some time to get him in the water...HOW WRONG I WAS! He took to it like, well, a fish. He would lay face down in the sand and let the surf wash over him. How Taiger and I miss "our beach"!!

One day, we were at the beach and these two little boys (in the background in the picture below) were playing and having fun together. One came to the shore and asked Taiger, "Little brother? Do you want to come play?" When I told them he couldn't swim, the little boy said, "I will carry you!" He scooped Taiger up and carried him into the water. It was the sweetest, cutest thing in the world! Needless to say, I followed them in to the water (as you can tell from this picture, the water gets deep very suddenly) to make sure everyone was safe. They had such fun! Later, they watched as I taught Taiger to swim and offered him encouragement and suggestions.

I had two videos I wanted to load, but I have been trying to load them for about 45 minutes and am giving up. I will post them another time. :)

Missing Taiger

2011-02-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

I came to Utah yesterday (Wednesday) and I will be here until late Saturday night. Taiger has not been feeling well, and I didn't want to leave him. When I was getting ready to leave, he begged to come with me. He begged me not to go. He said he would miss me so much. I knew I would miss him, too. We have been apart before, but this time feels different.

I miss Taiger.

More From Utah

2011-02-21T16:56:00.000-08:00

What happens when two sisters end up in the hat section of Target?

Taiger, The Hockey Player!!

2011-02-19T19:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight was "THE BIG EVENT"...the one we have been waiting for! The "PLAY HOCKEY FOR FREE" night at the ice skating rink! Grandpa and Uncle B came to watch. It was fantastic! Being all padded up, using curved hockey skates, and carrying a stick made the skating experience different from in the past, and it took Taiger a few minutes to get used to it. At first, Grandpa and Uncle B weren't sure he was going to make it...but I had faith in him and KNEW he could do it! I just KNEW he could! I have seen how much he LOVES to skate, so even if he spent most of the time falling, I knew it was what he wanted to do, and I had faith he could do it. :) Sure enough, after about 5 mins of practice, he was off and going! Not without a lot of falling and sliding! But he really started to get the hang of it, and BOY! did he love it! The very best part of it was that there were adults and also "experienced" hockey players on the ice to help the kids. When Taiger seemed to be having a hard time, when he fell, etc. one of the helpers would come to the rescue. However, Taiger REFUSED to accept help! It was so funny, and also so cute. He was determined to do it himself, and I LOVED watching his determination to do it on his own.

At one point, Taiger got off the ice for me to fix his skate. As soon as it was laced properly, he was on his feet and ready to go. He yelled in his toughest voice, "I am brave! I am strong!" And then he growled! He hit me on the arm and started pounding his stick on the ground. I growled back at him (what else was I to do?!) and said, "Get out there and hit that puck! Grrrrr!" It was so funny! He was loving all the boyishness of it all. :)

While he was on the ice, Bryndon was out getting a video, and he could hear Taiger shouting to himself, "I am fast! I am powerful!" And then he fell. :) SO funny!

We had so much fun watching! Taiger was a hoot! However, watching all of the other little kids was a riot, too. :) They are all so cute!

So, I have loaded pictures here. Below those, you will find videos (again, probably only interesting to family, namely Grandparents and Aunt Bryttan ;) :) ).

Driving to the rink.

Getting his gear from the coach. Getting his helmet fitted by the coach. Getting suited up.
Ready to beat a puck!

Picking his nose. (WHEN WILL THIS PHASE END?!)

Getting used to the stick.

Grandpa and Taiger.

Trying to look tough.

Getting our game faces on. (I just kind of look like an ornrey brat...that is why I don't play contact sports.)

Laying over the bench while Bryndon and Mommy fix his skates.

And now, our feature presentation! (And there are more to come, so stay tuned!)

Are You Tired of Seeing Pictures of Taiger Ice Skating?...TOO BAD! ;)

2011-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Another trip to the rink. Uncle Bryndon came with us this time. (I really do promise not to post pictures every. single. time. we go skating! I just had to post these ones because family will want to see that Uncle B really DID go skating. He has not been on the ice in over TEN YEARS!)

Ice Skating FUN, and Hard Times with Sensory Integration Disorder

2011-02-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

Taiger and I went ice skating again today. We had a lot of fun!!

There are some people who are completely candid on their blogs. They just tell it like it is. I like those people. So, this is my attempt at being candid. Today, Taiger had a hard day with his Sensory Integration Disorder. We had fun skating when we first got on the ice. But he ended up spending a great deal of time sitting and laying on the ice, or just standing on the ice. He simply could NOT focus long enough to skate around the rink, or even to get up when he fell. I got out of patience when he "wouldn't" get up (he was getting wet and cold, I wanted him to learn he couldn't stay sitting on the ice because someone could trip over him, and I just wanted him to get up and skate with me.). I got mad. Later, I felt badly. I know he doesn't intentionally disobey. It is just sometimes really hard to remember that. I get so out of patience sometimes, and I hate that about myself. I pray almost every single day that I will be more patient. Today, I totally failed. I just pray he will recover from the hurt of mommy getting mad at him for something he can't help. Oh man, the more I talk about it, the worse I feel...and I SHOULD feel badly! Ugh! I am such a bad mom!

See that rant? That is why I am not usually quite so candid on my blog. Well, it is there now, and I am leaving it.

Anyone out there have kids with Sensory Integration Disorder?

Anyway, we really did have a lot of fun skating. We pretended we were airplanes, and when Taiger's foot got "tired", he sat in the hockey box and watched while I remembered how to do my Walz Jumps. It was fun, and I love spending one-on-one time with Taiger...no phone, no computer, no tv, no Ninten*do 64, no one else. Just us! (But NOT the same "just us" that we had in China. That was pretty lonely. It was "just us" like we get to enjoy each other and still have human contact outside of us.) Taiger is so good at skating and he LOVES it! Here are a few videos for your viewing enjoyment (WARNING: These probably won't be at all interesting for ANYONE other than Grandma and maybe Aunt Bryttan!)

The first video is rather rough. We had JUST gotten out on the ice, and Taiger not only had not yet "remembered" how to stand up after falling, you can also see he is already struggling to pay attention to what he is doing so he can just... STAND UP!

Happy Valentine's Day! (Possibly the longest, most pointless post in Blogger history.)

2011-02-14T21:42:00.000-08:00

Today was THE BEST VALENTINE'S DAY EVER!!

To begin the day of love, I made heart shaped pancakes coloured a festive colour of pink with red food colouring.

Check out this amount of Valentine's day fun all packed in to one little package of love

Taiger LOVED these little hearts of breakfast goodness!

For several days, I had been planning to take Taiger ice skating today. I used to ice skate six days a week. I took lessons, I was a coach, AND I spent every second of free time on the ice just skating. It kind of was my life for several years. The ice rink was one of my favourite places in the world because of the joy and freedom I felt while skating. I often would just stick around the ice rink between open skate times just to BE there, in that place I loved, rather than going home to wait the hours until the next time the rink would be free of practicing hockey teams, or children taking lessons. Over the years I haven't skated, I have really missed it. So, knowing today we were going ice skating, I was so excited! I have been dreaming of today all week. No, literally, I kept having dreams at night about going skating today with Taiger. I was excited about being back on the ice, but I was as much, if not MORE, excited about taking Taiger there. I don't' know...something about combining two things I loved seemed like it would be Heaven on Earth! Not to mention, there is something so precious about "showing" our kids something we love. It is the feeling we get when we take them to Disneyland, or teach them how to play piano. It is so thrilling to share something we love so much with SOMEONE we love so much.

Anyway, going skating with Taiger today was ten BILLION times better than I EVER could have dreamed. It really WAS Heaven on Earth! Only even BETTER! Really!

Taiger was all for it, a hundred percent. As soon as his skates were on, he was walking around the locker area. I was so excited! I had been worried he would have fun, but might not really ENJOY it, you know? As soon as those skates were on, he was in love. He transformed into a new kid! When we got out on the ice, it was a rough start. He couldn't stay up and couldn't keep his feet under him! I coached kids long enough to know where to start and how to help and what NOT to do (hold their hands!!). However, Mommy-Guilt had to rear its ugly head, and for a while, I wondered what I had done. "You are so selfish! You can't make him love something just because YOU love it! He is going to feel sad if he 'can't do it'. This is going to be a horrible two hours for him and he is going to hate it and be so sad you brought him here! You are the worst Mom! What have you done?!" Yep, that was my internal dialogue. However, there was something that stopped that crap-talk right in its tracks. Something that made me NOT believe I was a bad Mom, OR that he was hating it. Taiger. Loved. Skating! When he would fall, he would laugh and get right back up. He thrilled when he stayed on his feet. And after only a few minutes, he was skating like an old pro! He didn't want to get off the ice to get warmed up. He loved skating and he wanted to stay on the ice every second possible. We practiced some techniques for a while, but Taiger was too ambitious with it to stay practicing trivial things while going back and forth on the ice. He wanted to go around the rink! So off we went. Usually, when kids start skating, we spend most of the time on our hineys (how do you even spell that? My spellcheck has no clue what I am trying to say! HA!). It takes several lessons before they can march on the ice. It isn't until a LONG time into lessons (sometimes the second session of lessons even!) that they start gliding. Taiger, on the other hand, started gliding today. March, march, march, march gliiiiiiiide. March, march, march, march, gliiiiiiiide. Around the rink we went. There was a teenage girl there practicing. Taiger watched her. The whole time we were there he was aware of her. What she was doing. How she was skating. When she went backwards, he turned himself around and started skating backwards. Just like that. When I did a "Rocking horse" move, he bent his little knees and went for it. (Rocking Horses aren't learned until at least Basic 2...three levels from beginning! Backwards skating isn't learned until long after that.) I was amazed. He was fearless. He was brave. He was talented. Most important? He loved it.

When it was time to leave, he asked if he got to keep his skates. When I said no, he came close to tears. When we got off the ice to leave, he begged to wait and skate again later. (There were no more public skate times today, darn it!) When we got in the car, he begged to return tomorrow. And the rest of the afternoon, he talked about the new skates he wants.

I had charged my phone last night so I could take pictures and videos of us skating today. However, about three minutes after getting on the ice, it died. I think the cold air killed the battery. So, I only got one picture of the day, right after we got on the ice.

Taiger spent a considerable amount of time today worrying about Cupid and his arrows that make people fall in love. Taiger doesn't like "lovey, dovey" things. That is all "GIRL STUFF". The five months we spent in China were laden with a Chinese friend of ours tormenting Taiger RELENTLESSLY about a friend he has who is a girl, and that she is (even though she is NOT) his girlfriend. Really, this lady did go way overboard, to the point of being inappropriate at times. Anyway, the experience of the relentless teasing is what it is, and now Taiger hates all things romantic. At our house, Cupid leaves little treats on Valentine's Day. (When I was little, we always got a book. What can I say? My parents were perfect. I loved to read, and looked forward each year to my new book. Well, I am less on the ball with things, and Cupid brought some lovely items that looked a lot like the things Target had last week in their dollar section.) So, tonight, Cupid came to Taiger. Now, tradition has it that at night, just before bedtime, there is a knock at the door and by the time someone gets to the door to answer it, the naked little baby has flown away, but has left behind some goodies for children who have been good. Tonight, when there was a rapping at the door, Taiger said, "I am NOT getting it! I KNOW it is Cupid! And I DON'T want to get shot!" So, as Taiger hid to the side of the door, his body flat against the wall so Cupid could not see him, nor get a good aim at him with those arrows, _I_ answered the door. Here is the aftermath of what I found:

So, we made these cool little science project crystals this week. (I will post more about these later.) I had made my crystal craft into a heart and glued a pin on the back. I wore it today. I couldn't decide if I looked eclectic-cute, or more like a homeschool mom. You decide.

Tonight, we listened to a bunch of our favourite "love"-type songs. Each one has a story and represents a different kind of love.

This one is a song that used to play at KFC in China. It states that as everything is falling apart and life is falling in disaster, "I run to you". I would sit in KFC with our world turned upside down, sometimes from inexplicable joy, but sometimes from chaos, heartache, confusion, typhoons, etc. I would hear this song, and even though I knew it was supposed to be a romantic type song, I would look at the little boy playing in the playground and I knew exactally who I run to when things are falling apart. Not that I expect my little boy to "fix it" or to "take care of me"!!!!!! But rather because when I have him at my side, everything is "right". Things may still be hard, but they are good. Taiger is my buddy, the one who is always there with me, the constant at my side, my partner in crime and my giggling companion in the happiest of times. When things are great and fun, we hold hands, and when things are hard we hold hands, too. His little hand is the one I want to hold no matter what is happening. And, like the song says, when things start falling apart, I run to him. I want to hold his hand. To keep HIM safe, and to always have him at my side.

Song: I Run To You by Lady Antebellum

This song is one that really means a lot to Taiger and me. It says, "Home is wherever I'm with you." Taiger and I have travelled some, and been without our own home some, but no matter where in the world we are, when we are together, we are HOME. We have talked about that. And it is something that is very important to Taiger. The other day, I was leaving to go to Utah for a few days and as he hugged me good bye with tears welling up in his eyes, he told me, "It just won't be home without you here." Broke my heart. He started whistling this song. Well, tonight he sat by me and wanted to listen to it with me.Song: Home by Edward Sharp and The Magnetic Zeros

Finally, we listened to this song. We love it because it reminds us of how much God and Jesus Christ and The Holy Ghost love us. It is special to us. On Valentine's Day we try and remember not only the love of those around us here on Earth, but of the eternal and incredible love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Song: Holy Holy Holy by Sufjan Stevens

Now, I admit, there is one other song on my Valentine playlist. Shhhhh. Don't tell Taiger! This last one is for me to listen to without him knowing why. I listen to this song because I want to believe there will be some day when I won't be single anymore, and Taiger and me and this other person will spend Valentine's Day together. I know, I know...I totally fall for the corney side of the day, and worse still for the mumbo-jumbo the card companies and chocolate companies have brainwashed us with, trying to make us believe today is some dorky day about boys and girls and romance. Blah. Oh well. I can't help it. I am a girl. So...last song: Colide by Howie Day. I know, I know...please keep the teasing to a minimum. Thank you.

Super Bowl FUN!

2011-02-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

We were at my sister's and her husband's house in Utah for the Super Bowl. It was so fun! My brother and his fiance came over and we all had a grand ol' time. :) Taiger was REALLY in to the Super Bowl this year (YAY!) and kept telling everyone to be quiet so he could hear. :) I thought it was cute (everyone else thought it was annoying, but whatever ;) ). Anyway, Bryttan and Michael made Little Smokies, and Bryttan put chips out in really cute, colorful dishes. There was tons of food, good company AND... TAIGER'S AND MY TEAM WON! So, it was a happy day. :) Taiger found a green crayon and had me draw a "G" on his forhead (no easy task...crayons don't write so well on skin!) and then he drew one on me.

I LOVE the Green Bay Packers!! So, I have a Packer's shirt, but I never wear it and I was SO excited for a chance to wear it to watch the Super Bowl. Well....I ended up staying this week at my sister's house in Utah...away from my Packer's shirt! So, Super Bowl rolled around and...NO SHIRT!! =SIGH= BUT...I had packed my green hoodie, so I felt like a bit of a fan. I did the best I could. AND...it just so happened I had packed Taiger's football shirt, so at least he was dressed for the event.
Bryttan used chalk to write a "G" on her wall. Bryndon and April were rooting for the Stealers, so Taiger took the crayon and wrote an "S" on the wall to make sure everyone was represented and noone felt left out. So thoughtful. :)

At some point during the game, Taiger jammed his fingers and made himself a splint out of crayons.Taiger put on a plastic grocery bag like a cape (he is a super hero, after all) and did dishes. He is a super wonderful son, that is for sure.
Apparantly for some people, "Super Bowl" means "Nap Time"! I guess you can tell for which team THEY were rooting!

Taiger is going through this horrible "nose picking" stage. Making me CRAZY! Anyway, this is one of my favorite pictures of him from this year. Someday I will remember this discusting, snotty year and laugh. For now, could someone pass the Kle*enex and hand sanitizer? =SIGH.=

Here are Taiger and Bryndon celebrating the Packer's win!! in a manly style...with weapons.

World's Worst Mom, round two

2011-02-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

Last night, I went through the drama of washing and detangling Taiger's hair. I conditioneds it, I applied coconut oil, I spent 30 mins blowdrying it, so we could get to churh today looking good and on time. I covered him in coconut oil so he would look his best for church. I stayed up late to work on my paper so I could sacrifice the time today for church without getting behind on the homework. This morning, I woke up early, showered (I know, right?!), blowdried and fixed my hair (and undertanking, let me assure you!). I dug our clothes out of our suitcase (yes, I even planned ahead and washed and packed our Church clothes for the trip, even remembering church shoes!). I ironed and layed out our church clothes. I made sure we both had our breakfast. I got dressed, even remembering my flower pin for my sweater. I was all ready. I waited to get Taiger dressed until closer to time to leave. About half an hour before time to go, I went in to the livingroom and told Taiger it was time to get dressed. "I don't want to go."
"Come on, it will be fun!"
"It is boring. I can't watch tv or do anything. I just have to sit there and listen, like this" and he sat really still, not blinking.
And then I did the unthinkable. "Okay," I replied.
I went into the bedroom.
I took off my skirt.
I put on my pijama pants and a sweatshirt (I was freezing from wearing my skirt and blouse all morning).
I was overwhelmed with a guilt I couldn't shake.
I went back in to the livingroom and told Taiger I was going to study and to come get me if he needed me. He was already glued to a ninten*do game and only barely nodded his reply.

"World's Worst Mom award for 2011 goes to....BRECLYN EVERETT!!" Does this crown look as good on me this year as it did last?

My Mini-Disneyland

2011-02-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

SOOoooooooooo.....ooooooooooo.........

Did you think we had fallen off the face of the planet? Boy, did we have you going!

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with everything I want to write that I don't know where to begin so I don't write anything. It is crazy, I know. It is better to write something than nothing, right?

So, here is something:

We are in Utah staying at my sister and brother-in-law's house, visiting them as well as my brother and my soon-to-be sister-in-law, who also live here in Utah (could that sentence be any more confusing?!). Taiger and I have had the best time. I mean, THE BEST! I have not felt so relaxed and happy since...well, it's been a while. My sister has decorated their home SO CUTE, so you feel like you are in some kind of magical fairy-land. They LOVE Taiger and help take care of him, so I don't feel so "single parentish" all the time. The sun is always shining and they have these cute, white shutters on the windows so everything seems sunny and happy. I sleep better at this house than I do at home. Taiger does, too. AND I have gotten a lot of homework done. Can I just say I LOVE IT HERE?!?!?!? You know how Disneyland makes you feel? My sister's house is kind of a little slice of that.

Bryttan, thank you for letting us come visit!

Here are a few pictures from China for your viewing pleasure:

This is one of my favorite pictures from China. This is Taiger taking a nap out on our balcony. It was SO HOT there, and sometimes we got a nice breeze out on the balcony. I just love that my little boy was taking a nap 13 stories high, with this beautiful reality of CHINA spread below him.

This is one of the very few pictures we have of Taiger and I together. This was our first day of school. Our sweet neighbor-lady woke up early and when she heard us leave our house to go to school, she ran out to tell us to have a good first day and to give Taiger a big hug. :) She took this picture for us. I had stayed up so late the night before! We had had a HUGE day the day before trying to get things ready for school and then I stayed up so late that night. The next morning, I woke up about 5:30 and Taiger about 6:30, so we were EXHAUSTED! You can totally tell in the glazed look in our eyes. :)

Back From The Future (China's time zone is actually about 12 hours ahead of America's)

2010-12-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

GRAND
grand [grand]
adj (comparative grand`er, superlative grand`est)
1. outstanding: outstanding and impressive in appearance, extent or style
2. impressive: impressive, ambitious, and far-reaching
3. worthy of respect: worthy of great respect by virtue of exceptional ability or high rank
4. wonderful: wonderful, enjoyable, and memorable
5. principal: main or principle

Taiger and I are home from China. Of all our adventures so far, this was, certainly, although not "by far", the grandest!

We are still suffering from jet-lag. Taiger keeps trying to communicate in Chinese with non-Chinese speakers. Taiger has hardly stopped eating since we arrived (when we called my family before boarding our last plane from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, Taiger asked Grandma to please meet him at the airport with FIVE cheeseburgers and a pop). I feel like I have "medicine head" and can't stay awake, nor stay asleep. It is wonderful to be "home"!

Our time in China was wonderful and difficult and I can't wait to share pictures and stories!