The Mother of Geese

So I'm glad at least she's normal. I'm upstairs getting dressed. I come downstairs. Amelia is inside the toybox. She says. "Yook mom, I colored a da Max." This is after she dumped out her breakfast on the floor so she could feed da boy.

A few months ago we purchased this. Understatment of the century: I have been dying to use it. We have been planning on building a deck for it to go on and have had the plans approved by the city, the HOA, and I have been losing my patience waiting for my overworked husband to get to it. This morning Brad did this as step 1 to building the deck where the grill will go. Since he is back in classes again this weekend I sort of worried that this is all the progress that will be made during his break. (boo) So, in a wonderfully sweetly deceptive way, I went to the local meat market (much different from your regular grocery store experience), purchased 1 1/2 of fresh ground beef chuck, and made dinner. (recipe to follow from Everyday Food June 2008) 1 1/2 pound beef 4 ounces cheddar vegetable oil for grates (I used the new weber gourmet burger spice blend) Divide beef into equal portions, gently form a ball. Insert a piece of cheese in the center of each ball, and flatten into patties. Plac...

God made dirt And dirt don't hurt? 5-second rule? Something like that. (Do you appreciate that I took a picture, LEFT HIM THERE, then came inside to blog this?)

Many of you know that Bradfo works from home. Some of the perks include: I can have adult conversation during the day, I can run to the store when one or more sleeps (you know instead of having the Holy Ghost watch the kids), I am able to leave and teach seminary, I can send the naughty and obnoxious kids to him, I don't have to hurry and "clean the house" before he comes home cuz there ain't no foolin' him, we can go to lunch and the list goes on and on and on. Sometimes for work or just for funsies he will leave me and actually take an airplane away so I get to do all the stuff that I know most women do anyway because they are used to it. (for the record he gets a little testy when I say he's on vacation, he prefers the phrase "change of pace"-whatever. if you pack a suitcase and go someplace whether if its for business or pleasure I say vacation. He has been able to have 8 change of paces in the last 9 months.) Needless to say I am a big cry baby ...

I know it just looks like I'm showing off. But that Bradfo is a keepah. (And so is my visiting teacher). Oh, and I signed up for the Deseret News 10k in July. I'm a bit addicted. And was anyone else really glad to see David Archuleta wearing modest boxers in the creepy Risky Business commercial?

(In order to fully appreciate this post, you MUST put on the background music. Just click the play from youtube. This has potential to be a longagong post so you might as well enjoy some tunes. I did most of my training with these gentleman blasting in my ear. Vampire Weekend, I love you.) Here's the story with the gory details. Why do you tri? On October 18, 2004 I delivered a 16 week old boy in the same room of the American Fork hospital that I lost one six months earlier. (I get pregnant really easily.) The previous week I had seen the doctor and everything was looking good and right on track so yay for me. While the first one was devastating (a whole other post for a whole other day), it was number 2 that changed me. I was so angry at my body for betraying me and not letting me do what I wanted it to do. I figured I was doing all the "right things" with the taking care of myself so therefore, I would be able to carry the babies to term and everyone would live happily ...

Definition-Anxiety is an unpleasant, emotional state that involves a complex combination of emotions that include fear, apprehension, and worry. It is often accompanied by physical sensations such as heart palpitations, nausea, chest pain, shortness of breath, or tension headache. (ehm, mine also apparently includes the runs) Can't wait for the triathalon in the morning.

pre·med·i·ta·tion (pr -m d -t sh n) n. 1. The act of speculating, arranging, or plotting in advance. 2. Law The contemplation of a crime well enough in advance to show deliberate intent to commit the crime; forethough We have a long shared driveway and Amelia knows that she can ride to the end of the driveway (the rocks) but she has to turn around and come back the other way. Amelia: Hey mom, I'd wanna wide dis way over der, SAY SORWY, and keep going down der. (beyond the driveway). sigh.

What a great weekend I had! I am trying to catch up on sleep and detox my body from all the sugar and diet coke and non-parenting I have done these last few days. For a better review go see Anne (but don't call her Ann. She'll get all up in your grill about that. It's Ann EE) Also, a post script to the baby food making day (while holding trays and trays of baby food on my way to the freezer in the basement) Me: Look Brad, I have peas with parsley, asparagus and blueberries! Brad: Oh look! you have poop, poop, and poop!! I was amused at his observation.

It's finally here! Time to party. Here the girls are getting some good practice.

My new blog friend Andrea said I should mourn and move on. This video is going to help. Want to know which step I'm on? Also, I booked a cruise for Brad and I yesterday for our anniversary in January. That is so crazily not like me its ain't even funny. Total Mid-life madness.

(some reflections on the decision not to teach next year. Sorry for anyone that was hoping motherofgeese had something funny or entertaining today. It is just a bunch of random thoughts in no real order so bear with me). Because I believe it's important for me to remember this pain right now, I am taking a minute to document some of my feelings about the end of the year and not teaching next year.It's funny that it sort of feels like a bad breakup. (the crying, the mood swings, the not wanting to get out of bed, the hopelessness, the low self esteem, the eating of the reese's peanut butter cups) I feel I must make it clear that I never had to make the choice of do I stay at home with the kids or do I teach seminary. Seminary has always been this wonderful hobby and fabulous thing but motherhood is my real calling. I get that. And I also get very annoyed when I'm told that now I can go and be a mom. Totally not the same. I started clearing out my stuff from the work room...

Highlight of my birthday? Brad got me a pot rack for my birthday. He said its cause I got a nice rack. Heh. Meeting blog friends for breakfast, going on a bike ride, planting a few things in the garden, taking a bath, presents presents presents. Lowlight of my birthday?- Deciding to use the leverage of my birthday to try this out instead of cake. Would have been great had I have just received mouth surgery. Pudding on the poop. Nasty. Oh, and thinking that I could wear these darlings on a date with Brad and not want to take them off and walk barefoot. Its time to break out of the sensible granny shoes. Highlight of la Looza? Oh MY GOSH!! It was the greatest partay ever. Such fabulous women! It was so strange to know SO much about these women--and then meet them all face to face. Long time friends who have just met. Lots of Oprah moments. Lowlight of la Looza? No Shannan . Or Rob (I know he campaigned hard for that invite. Oh, and I spilled a good cup of the chicken sauce on my favorit...