Slotted spoons don't hold much soup

"Slotted spoons don't hold much soup."
~Jack's Mother, Into the Woods

Sometimes I feel like a slotted spoon. Things keep slipping by me, things I should be doing, things I should be remembering. Sometimes I feel like I'm letting everyone down. Like I should have things more together. It is midnight. I've been working since early this morning and I'm tired. And yet, the dishes aren't done.

You know it's time to stop working when you keep trying to erase the same pixel over and over again, only to realize it's not really a stray pixel, your monitor is just dirty.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again
and expecting different results.
~Albert Einstein

Does that make me an insane slotted spoon?

Is It Quiet Time Yet?

My friend Ang posted some pictures of her daughter's first night in a toddler bed and it made me remember when I first let Megan switch from nap time to quiet time. Every day for a month I took a picture of her, fast asleep with a book on her head. Here are a few of my favorites from January, 2006. Thanks for the memories, Ang!

Sidewalk Chalk

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” ~Pablo Picasso

Jared drew a picture of a Digger (bulldozer).


"The blue one is mama and Jared is a green one. And theys are holding hands." ~ Jared, 4-5-2010

Easter 2010

We had a great Easter Sunday. The weather was gorgeous! We attended the AM session of General Conference at our building. It was nice to get dressed up and go, rather than just watching all four sessions here. I really enjoyed all of the talks and the music from Conference, but I especially appreciated President Dieter F. Uchtdorf's talk on Love.

Wish me luck!

I've been thinking a lot about appearances. My Visiting Teacher said the other day that my house is always clean and calm. Ha! Little does she know, the frantic picking up and straightening up and piling papers on my bed that happens before she comes. If she arrived 10 minutes earlier than she said she would, she'd see a whole different scene. And it isn't because I think she would be judgmental or anything (she's great). That's just how I am. I have this picture in my mind that I have to appear to be perfect, that I have it all together.

I saw this quote the other day and it really struck me.

I don’t want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk’s lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor’s children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone’s garden. I want to be there with children’s sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived. ~ Marjorie Pay Hinckley

So, I'm going to try to worry less about how things look and more about how I'm spending my time. Wish me luck.

In honor of Easter and General Conference

I found this in some files that I was going through, and I thought it was pretty funny. Enjoy!

TOP FIVE WAYS GENERAL AUTHORITIES EAT THEIR REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

5. Paul H. Dunn:
"I remember back in WWII that I ate a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup that was 2 feet tall. I really didn't know if I could eat it or not, what with my recent war injury and all, but I remember my fallen buddy's words as he died in my arms: 'Paul, if you just take one bite at a time you can tackle anything.' So I took that giant cup and, breaking it with the bat Babe Ruth gave me, proceeded to wolf down the tiny morsels."

4. Thomas S. Monson:
"I remember I ate my first Reese's Peanut Butter Cup when I was a tender lad of 8. My mother came up to me, and with a loving twinkle in her eye, asked, 'Tommy, are you eating a Reese's?' And I would invariably smile up to her, "Yes, Yes, I am.' 'But Tommy, did you know that Sister Jensen next door hasn't eaten a Reese's Cup in years?' My young mind thought upon the plight of my next door neighbor as I..."

3. Boyd K. Packer:
"In all my years, I have always eaten my Reese's Peanut Butter Cup the same way - the way the brethren have instructed us to eat them. There is a far greater evil in this world, though - those who believe they can eat their Cups in a way not in harmony with the brethren. We must be true and faithful and eat our Peanut Butter Cups the exact same way the brethren do."

2. Neal A. Maxwell:
"I intentionally initiate the delicious design of degluition of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup by nibbling a negligible nit of the culinary creamy cavalcade. For like our Savior, it is exclusively through small entities that the great things are fabricated. Then I ..."

AND THE #1 WAY ...
1. J. Golden Kimball:
"Hell, I'll eat a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup any damn way I want!"


(Hope I didn't offend anyone! :D)

I told you not to get your hopes up!

Well, I guess I still don't have a very good track record. I really have tried, but things keep getting in my way. So, I'll make this short and sweet.

We had a very quiet, lazy, relaxing spring break, laid by the pool, took long naps, went to bed early...



Just kidding. I don't think we ever took a nap or went to bed at a reasonable time. It was a blast! We had so much fun with Grandpa Mark and Grandma Suzanne! We did so many fun things. Here are a few highlights!

On Monday, Grandma Suzanne met us at the airport and took us straight to the butterfly exhibit at the Botanical Gardens. It was so cool to see so many butterflies!The kids had so much fun hunting for butterflies, examining them with magnifying glasses, trying to get them to land on their fingers. It was really hot and humid, and made me remember just what summer here in Houston will feel like...










After seeing the butterflies, we met Grandpa Mark at a baseball game. The kids had a blast sitting with grandma and grandpa, eating popcorn and sodas. It was great to be out in the beautiful Tuscon spring weather!









On Tuesday, we went to the Puppy Store in the Tucson Mall. They let you choose a puppy, and they bring it to you in a little room to play with. The kids (and Travis, of course) had a fabulous time.










After playing with the puppies, we went to lunch at Panda Express in the mall. After eating, the kids opened their fortune cookies. Megan read hers, and then Jared held his up to "read" it too. He said, "It says I will come back to the mall someday to pet one of those puppies and take one home to ours house. We will keep it and take care of it and tell them that we will take care of it too." Sorry buddy, your fortune is going to take a long, long, loooong time before it ever comes true...










On Wednesday (St. Patrick's Day) we went to the zoo. We crammed 5 of us (3 adults!) into a very small car for a train ride.










Megan learned to be a flamingo and I discovered a great new hairdo.










For dinner on Wednesday, we went to Pump It Up. The kids (and Travis, of course!) had a blast on the slides and tunnels.











On Thursday, we went to Funtastics for a day of go carts, bumper-boats, miniature golf, and carnival rides. Megan and Jared each drove a mini go cart for the first time. Jared caught on pretty quick, but Megan only has two speeds - full throttle or crashed...










Megan and Jared loved riding the go-carts with grandma and grandpa, and they liked picking the ball up and dropping it in the hole during miniature golf. (that's how I like to play too...)










On Friday, we went to Old Tucson. Travis figured out where he belongs... (just kidding, sweetie!) and Jared got to sit in the driver's seat on the train. He was so excited!










Megan went on a pony ride - she was soooooo excited! I can't believe how grown-up she is getting! Jared sat on the pony long enough for us to snap a picture.










The kids had breakfast in bed every morning (what a life!) and I got to sleep in a time or two.










In all of the spare minutes (yes, there were a couple of spare minutes), we swam and relaxed.











Thanks for such a great week, Grandma and Grandpa!