~Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.~

Last night while hiding Easter baskets I found a the white container of these:

It was really sticky and smelly.

It was near Ratchet's stuff so I assumed it was his. When I opened it, the contents looked like a thick chocolate and chunky. And it was REALLY stinky.

This morning the Bear asked MonaLisa about it. She said it was Ratchet's and she knew what was in it and then fled the scene.

Then we asked Ratchet about it. He said it was a pear. Really? There were NO indications that it was related to a pear. As I was about to lecture him on how gross it was, how unsanitary, how just EEEEWWWW. He told us what it was.

Any guesses?

Trust me you'd be wrong.

Turns out it was an experiment.

What type of experiment you wonder?

He was learning to . . .


COMPOST!!!


For some reason the Bear didn't approve when I cracked up. But seriously, what 9-year-old does that (actually it was old enough he probably started it when he was 8)?

Then he tells us he was reading in the Nonfiction Science section of the library and learned all about composting. He thought it was a great idea and thought he should learn how.

I love that kid.

He's amazing.

And he does my green heart good.

We have since explained that composting should always be done outdoors and next time he goes to gramper's house he can probably even stir theirs.

Many of you know that I'm a "Recycling Nut." (I took my soda can home from the car dealership last week because they didn't have recycling. I gather the paper from baby shower games and make sure it's recycled--if there is no recycling available, I'll take it home. And when I was in New Orleans right after Hurricane Katrina, I was tempted to bring all my in-laws recycling home with me--they were lucky to be getting trash pick up at the time.) But if you worked in an environmental engineering firm and edited reports about the remediation of landfills, you'd be one too.

When Ratchet was little he would hold up an item to be discarded and ask, "Is this trash or acycling?"

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

My Best Friend's Wedding, er My Brother-in-Law's Birthday~

My sister-in-law, D, wanted to do something special for her husband's 50th birthday. Today we had a party for him at Azteca. To his dismay we reenacted the restaurant scene from "My Best Friend's Wedding."

My in-laws CAN sing. Every one of them.

D is the one singing the main part. M, her husband, is the one in red next to her (we seated him in a spot where he couldn't run). The parts sung by the "vengeful slut" cousins are our 16-year-old niece, who has an AMAZING voice, and my most endearing husband doing an excellent falsetto. (Oh and videography from our 13-year-old nephew.)

Here is the video from youtube. Enjoy!

~Gratitude~

Today I saw the doctor who's doing my hysterectomy and finalized the details. I became nervous.

Today I took Ratchet to occupational therapy and we worked on riding his bike; so many sequences. I became excited.

Today I found out why Ratchet hates math so much. I became furious.

Today I was able to chat via Facebook with my friend serving in Iraq. I became excited.

Today I'm safe and free because of people like him. His Facebook posts often talk about combat, barely being missed by snipers, and watching soldiers die. And I ended my day grateful.

~The Best Laid Plans . . .~

How my day was scheduled:

8am--Fence people coming to remove fence; get kids ready for school
8:45am--Take kids to school
9am--Shower, eat breakfast, make shopping list
10:30am--Run errands
2pm--Home, put away groceries; clean house
3:30pm--pick up kids from school
4pm--Haircut for Ratchet
5pm--Pick up the Bear from work; go to dinner
6pm or so--Go to Reflections of Christ exhibit (our postponed FHE)
8pm--Kids to bed; finish up day.


How my day happened:

8:15am--doorbell rings and wakes me; remember fence people; walk around yard with them in my pajamas; get mud on stairs from MY shoes.
8:45am--realize fence people are parked behind me and I can't get out of garage; look for Ratchet's jacket while waiting for them.
8:55am--drop kids off as first bell rings; park down street from house and walk home still in my pajamas.
9am--Eat breakfast; start menu.
11am--Finish menu (apparently my brain will not turn on today); shower.
12:55pm--Leave for errands; wonder where the last hour went.
1:10pm--Arrive at Costco.
1:30pm--Leave Costco (I'm serious-I'm a fast Costco shopper).
1:31pm--Realize I locked keys in car, look for spare; realize I've also locked both spares in the car; try to decide if I should laugh or cry.
1:32pm--Call the Bear; I'm at the Costco north of us-closest bus drops off 1.5 miles away; still trying to decide if I should laugh or cry.
1:35pm--Call Julie since she works nearby; she agrees to come get me.
1:40pm--Realize my house key is locked in the car and that on my list of things to buy is battery for the garage key pad; yep, I've also locked myself out of the house; call the Bear, he'll catch the bus but won't be home until 3:15pm.
2pm--Julie picks me up; drives me home; Julie waits for the Bear with me while we try to break into house; the good news: we can't break into my house (we even took the cover off the key pad hoping that my camera batteries would fit--they don't); reschedule Ratchet's haircut.
3:05pm--The Bear arrives home and opens the door for me and DOESN'T mock me at all (I LOVE HIM); we realize I won't be able to get my car and have time to pick up kids; the Bear walks to the school to walk them home, it RAINED on them (I really LOVE him).
3:30pm--Julie decides she doesn't want to work anymore today (I'm not a good influence); we stop and lock up her office, go to Costco to get my car, agree to meet at Target to go shopping.
3:45pm--Get to Target, Julie's not in front so I go to the restroom; get text from Julie as I enter the stall, "I'm here, but I went to the restroom," I say, "Julie," she says, "Oh, hi." That still cracks me up. Get everything from my list at Target including Ratchet's Nintendo DS (we agreed to pay half, he paid the other half).
5pm--Finally home. Still have no groceries. However, I now have three car keys in my purse and have replaced the battery for the garage keypad.

We then changed, picked up Julie, went to dinner and then went to the exhibit. And walked back in the door at 7:59pm. I'm back on track but so very far behind.

What I was reminded of today:

• I have the BEST husband in the world, sorry ladies.
• Julie ROCKS--I knew that, but you should all know.
• If you have two spare car keys, don't leave them both in the car. Duh.
• Hide a housekey somewhere nearby. And replace batteries as they die (it's been dead for months, but ironically today was the first day I put it on my list--of course, I then forgot to look at it to see what kind of battery to buy).
• Breathe.
• The world will not end because I make mistakes.
• I have great friends.

So, do I have any volunteers willing to hold onto spare car and/or housekeys for me? Be forewarned, you may be required to pick me up from some random location at a completely inconvenient time.

~Random Conversations with Complete Strangers~

After Timeout for Women at Benaroya Hall, my friend, Julie, sister-in-law, DeeAnn, and I went down to the Market (that's Pike Place Market for you tourists) to get doughnuts.

Doughnut Guy (DG): Are you a librarian?

Me: No.

DG: What do you do?

Me: I'm a seamstress.

DG: What do you make?

Me: I do alterations and costumes.

DG: Cool.

And then he gave us extra doughnuts.

~Know When to Walk Away, Know When to Run~

Who knew I would ever be able to quote Kenny Rogers in my blog?

But seriously, at which point should I have walked/ran out the door?

A few weeks ago I took MonaLisa in for her annual eye exam. The good news was that since she started doing the Computer Orthoptics program, she no longer has double vision. Which means she's no longer far-sighted and no longer needs glasses. The bad news was that she failed her glaucoma test, again. She went to a pediatric ophthalmologist (Dr. E) last year who did some tests and said she was fine.

So, this is where my frustration began. Dr. E had sent our optometrist (Dr. G) somebody else's chart notes. That's just my assumption, the notes did have MonaLisa's name on them, but the tests I was supposedly told to come back and get in a month were done at the only appointment I took her too. Granted, I wasn't impressed with Dr. E to begin with, but I never thought he'd send the wrong notes. I didn't want to go back to him, but his partner (Dr. H) and Dr. G's partner were old friends. So, I agreed to see Dr. H.

The next day Dr. H's office called (I could tell by caller ID) and asked for "Rebecca." I said there was no Rebecca there, but there was a Becky. And the receptionist said, "Oh, that must be the OTHER name she goes by." And I said, "No, my name is Becky." And she said, "Well, can I talk to her?" What part of MY name is Becky did she miss?

I set up an appointment with Dr. H. Although she totally discouraged that and was insisting that MonaLisa see Dr. E. After a few minutes of back and forth I convinced her to set up the appointment with Dr. H. Then I ask her to send me the paperwork so I can fill it out in advance. She gives me the website and tells me to do it online. Sounds good, right?

I fill out the paperwork online. It took me OVER AN HOUR!!! The program was horrible.

On the day of the appointment (March 2), I notice there is no suite number on the business card. So, I call the number and get the holiday recording saying when they were going to be out of the office over Christmas and New Years.

We arrive at the building. I can't find the office on the sign in the lobby. Then I notice there is a small typed paper beneath the sign saying they are on the fourth floor. We take the elevator to the fourth floor. We can't find a sign for their office ANYWHERE. Finally I go into a very empty looking office with a woman on the phone. I stand at the desk, not saying a word. She is obviously ON HOLD. She says to me, "Excuse me, but I'm on the phone. I'll help you in a few minutes." And I say, I don't even know if I'm in the right place. She says the name of the practice and I say okay and sit down.

There were eight people in the waiting room and four chairs. MonaLisa sat on my lap.

The lady gets off the phone. She calls me over. I tell her my daughter's name and who I'm there to see. Then I notice she is working out of a handwritten appointment book and that my daughter's name is on a little sticky note at the top of the page. It wasn't written in as an appointment.

She hands me a clipboard and tells me to fill out the forms. I tell her I did it online and it took me over an hour and I wasn't doing it again. She says I must not have sent it. I tell her received an e-mail confirmation and that she needs to find it.

She sends me to another waiting room. Oh, good. More chairs. Nope. It's an open area with boxes of toys and books scattered all over the floor and four more chairs. Eventually there are 13 of us in this waiting area.

At this point I call the Bear. I tell him I'm ready to walk out. He says I should at least meet the doctor and see if I like her. Okay.

50 minutes after MonaLisa's "appointment" time a guy in a lab coat approaches us and asks who we are there to see. I tell him Dr. H. and he takes us back to a room and says he'll go get the chart. He comes back with an EMPTY folder. He starts to treat us as if this were an annual eye exam. I tell him we're there because she failed the glaucoma test. So, completely on my word, he starts the process.

Sidenote: ever since MonaLisa had to have complete eye make-up done at her first dance studio--we're talking liquid eyeliner and full mascara on a three-year-old (yes, we were told, they're supposed to look like hookers)--she's freaked out when you come near her eyes. So, I already knew it would not be a good experience.

First eyedrops. Yeah, that was fun. Then he tries to put a hand held machine on her eyeball. Not gonna happen. Guess, he'll let the doctor do it. Isn't that why we were there?

Finally Dr. H comes in. She doesn't have the "chart." I tell her why we're there and what her assistant has done. Again, she takes my word. She can't get the machine near MonaLisa's eye. She decides to do it a different way. With a bigger machine and a bright light. Because that's better?

She decides she'll just dilate MonaLisa's eyes and look at her nerves and see if there's damage. After more eyedrops I ask her how accurate that is. Well, it's NOT AT ALL.

I start to have a talk with MonaLisa about how she really needs to relax and let her do the test and what can I do to help her get through it. Then Dr. H tells her she's too old too be acting like she is and she is wasting everyone's time. (At this point we're 90 minutes past the time of her appointment--yeah, we're wasting her time.)

After some deep breathing and calming conversation MonaLisa's ready for the test. By now we need new numbing drops. So, after more deep breathing and calming conversation the test is done. 20 is the highest it should be. 33 was her score at Dr. G's office. 9 was her score with Dr. H.
Dr. H leaves the room. She returns 20 minutes later. She looks at MonaLisa's optic nerves. We're told since there was such a discrepancy in the eye pressure tests we need to come back in 6 months. I tell Dr. H it's not going to happen. We'll find a more professional office. She's COMPLETELY surprised. She asks what happened. I tell her the gist. She tells me that it was their first day in that office, the furniture company went bankrupt and took all their money, and that their computers and fax machines weren't set up yet. Although putting a sign on their door would be a great idea.

I tell her that I have a job due in two hours and since I've been in her office for 2 hours and 20 minutes I won't have time to finish it. And she offers to WRITE ME A NOTE.

Um, yeah. The job I have is altering the clothes for a woman who is going to visit her daughter in a religious community and has a specific dress code. She's getting on a plane and a note WILL NOT help. (By this point in the story the Bear is almost in tears, he's laughing so hard. I'm not amused until he points out how funny it would be for Cheryl to hand the note to the person at the gate--at which point St. Peter pops into my head--and explain that it's a note from her seamstress's daughter's ophthalmologist about why she doesn't have the proper attire and after traveling 1500 miles, could she still see her daughter? Yes, I suppose that is pretty funny.)

As I leave the office, there were two women at the front desk and before the door closes I hear one of them say, "That's the bitch I was telling you about." (You all know I have no qualms about getting people fired for extraordinarily bad service, but I figured they were a perfect match.)

But, seriously, at what point should I have walked out?

And do any of you know a good pediatric ophthalmologist? I only have six months to find one.

Help!!! I Need Music

I got a new MP3 player for Christmas. I know I'm not cool because it's not an iPod, but it works for me and MonaLisa. (Mine's red; we got MonaLisa got the blue one.)

But, it holds 16 times more music than my previous one. So, I need music. What are the must haves on your music lists?

~Just a Date On the Calendar~

February 14th is just a date on the calendar.

Yes, the COUPLE WHO ARE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER don't do Valentine's Day.

Because it hasn't been kind to us in the past.

We've had migraines, kids with the flu, been in the hospital, had our car break down, etc.

So, we quit.

{And yet we are still in LOVE!!!}

Then on January 29th a package addressed to the Bear appeared at our front door.

He said I couldn't open it.

After he put the kids to bed . . .

He gave me this:

I opened it to find these:

And through the packaging I saw these:

It was a box filled with love.

And just when I thought my heart was as full as it could ever be, I realized that it understood infinity. And I fell deeper and deeper in love with the most amazing man I have ever known. And again I am reminded how we "just fit."

(And Shannon, when he asked me if I knew which font he used, I did.)

~Go Fish~

Warning: the image is rated PG-13 but included strictly as a visual aid.


Today Ratchet and I went shopping for calendars during MonaLisa's dance class.

I chose the my usual family organizer, he chose Star Wars: Clone Wars, and then we picked up a High School Musical one for MonaLisa.

I wisely AVOIDED the female model aisle.

And yet, as I'm looking at calendars of the Eiffel Tower I hear Ratchet say, "WOW!"

I turn around to discover him in the female model section ogling.

AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

I quickly pull him out of the aisle and say, "Those are not calendars that you should be looking at."

And he says, "But mom, did you see how BIG those FISH were?"

And I beheld the innocence of childhood.

And then I had to agree, those really are BIG FISH.

~2008 In Review~

1. What did you do in 2008 you've never done before? Went to the Oregon Coast on family vacation and went on a retreat by myself including a really nice hotel room and a spa.


2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for 2009? I finished my Personal Progress and finished five projects. My only goal this year is to become a morning person (or should it be to not be a night owl).


3. Did anyone close to you give birth in 2008? My sister-in-law Brenda. And several women in my ward, I'm closer to some than others.


4. Did anyone close to you die in 2008? This is tough. I had a family member die, but I wasn't close to this person because of the choices they made inflicted MAJOR pain and suffering in so many people. So this person is close only on paper.


5. What countries did you visit this year? None.


6. What would you like to have in 2009 you lacked in 2008? Energy.


7. What day from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory and why? There was a day sometime in May or June where I received some incredible personal revelation that changed my life.


8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Getting my YW medallion (again) and cleaning my garage!!!


9. What was your biggest struggle in 2008? Lack of energy and being overscheduled.


10. Did you suffer any illness or injury in 2008? I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot (because of the toe I broke in 2007), hurt my back moving the fridge, really struggled with energy levels, and had my first root canal.


11. What was the best thing you bought this year? My new sewing machine.


12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Ratchet's. His way of dealing with his dyspraxia has improved so much. There are so many fewer meltdowns due to change.


13. Whose behavior disappointed you? Anyone who took a dog into a store. (The Health Department prohibits animals in any store that sells food unless it is a sevice animal. There is food at fabric stores. And in malls.)


14. Where did most of your money go? Gas (and our mortgage).


15. What did you get really excited about this year? MonaLisa getting a solo in the Nutcracker.


16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008? Waitin' on a Woman and Should've Said No.


17. Compared to this time last year are you: much happier, much nicer, or richer? Probably richer. We paid off a bill we've been working on.


18. What do you wish you had done more of? Exercise.


19. What do you wish you had done less of? Rested body parts to heal them (I know I had to, but I wish I wouldn't have had to), which also led to watching too much tv.


20. Did you fall in love in 2008? I fall more in love with the Bear every day.


21. What was your favorite TV program in 2008? Lost. I watched all four seasons. I blame it on the writer's strike.


22. What was the best book you read this year? A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.


23. What was your greatest musical discovery this year? Taylor Swift (stop laughing).


24. What did you want and get? A new sewing machine.


25. What was the best movie you saw this year? I honestly can't think of a new standout this year. So, I'm going with some classics like Roman Holiday and While You Were Sleeping.


26. What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn? We went to dinner as a family on my birthday, but then the Bear and I went to the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera a few weeks later (our birthdays are only 17 days apart). And of course I've stopped aging.


27. What one thing would have made this year more satisfying? If I had finished the Old Testament. Only 207 pages to go. Ugh.


28. How would you describe your personal fashion statement this year? Lazy. Very lazy.


29. What kept you sane this year? My husband.


30. What celebrity did you fancy the most? Who notices celebrities when you have a hot husband.


31. Who did you miss this past year? The old me.


32. Who were the best new people you met this year? Our ward boundaries changed and we had some really amazing people join us. Plus we've had some fabulous people move in.


33. What is a valuable life lesson you learned this year? There is a reason I was only allowed to have two kids. I was sent high-maintenance ones that need more individual attention. And I love them both with all my heart.

~8 Things~

My friend Amy tagged me:

8 TV shows I enjoy watching:
1. Burn Notice
2. Designed to Sell
3. House
4. Law & Order
5. Lost
6. Numb3rs
7. Project Runway
8. Psych

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. Took the Bear to the ER with a kidney stone
2. Lived with a migraine all day (couldn't take meds and drive)
3. Picked up dinner
4. Sorted laundry
5. Skipped MonaLisa's dance class
6. Didn't work on costumes
7. Went over my Christmas list
8. Finally read magazines that have been piling up.

8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. MonaLisa's performances this weekend
2. Finishing costumes
3. Receiving payment for costumes
4. Finishing Christmas shopping
5. Family Christmas Eve party at my house
6. Finishing painting the upstairs
7. Having time to clean properly
8. My migraine going away.

8 things I love about WINTER:
(This was hard. I'm a spring/fall kind of girl.)
1. I don't have guilt about not mowing my lawn regularly
2. Hot chocolate with hazelnut flavoring from Starbucks--mmmm (had to find someway to use those gift cards from the PTA)
3. Snow days
4. When it snows few people go shopping and I get great parking and no lines
5. Warm blankets
6. Sitting by the fireplace
7. Christmas lights
8. Christmas goodies.

8 things on my wish list:
1. A simpler Christmas (so with you on this one Amy)
2. To be more organized
3. A newer car
4. New kitchen cabinets
5. Self-cleaning house
6. A remodeling budget
7. To become a morning person
8. To become a better person.

8 people I tag:
Anyone who wants to!!!

~Hooked on Phonics~

My sister-in-law sent me this and it cracked me up:

My five-year-old students are learning to read.

Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said, "Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"

I took a deep breath, then asked. . . "What did you call it?"

"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"

And so it does. . .

A F R I C A N Elephant

~Free Drink~

Dr Pepper to deliver on its free-soda promise

LOS ANGELES – Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" is a reality.

The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. "Chinese Democracy," infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday.

"We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper's vice president of marketing, said in a statement. "But now that it's here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us."

Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m. (EST), coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper's Web site. They'll be honored until Feb. 28.

Story found here.

So, if you're interested, since it's Eastern time, it ends at 9pm PST instead of midnight. There are caffeine-free versions, too.

~Christmas Tag~

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I wrap. Mostly because I'm probably the world's most likely person to sneak a peak at a gift and therefore I assume that everyone else does it too. It also looks prettier under the tree.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artificial. Kids are allergic to real.

3. When do you put up the tree? The past few years the Bear has put it up while MonaLisa and I are at Nutcracker dress rehearsal. (Two years ago he and Ratchet put it up using flashlights during the blackout. My heroes.)

4. When do you take the tree down? When it's convenient. (Sometimes as late as February--stop laughing.)

5. Do you like egg nog? No. Even raw cookie dough grosses me out. It's just wrong to eat/drink raw eggs.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Fashion Plates.

(Tell me that at least one of you had a set.)

7. Hardest person to buy for? The Bear. What do you get for the one who has everything and wants/needs nothing?

8. Easiest person to buy for? Ratchet.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. But, I prefer letters.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Every year my grandma made us shirts and every year mine was too small.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I'd probably go with a classic like "White Christmas" or "Holiday Inn."

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? September/October. If I'm done before Thanksgiving, I buy myself a present. Definitely not getting one this year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? DeeAnn's chocolate-covered jellies, especially the cherry ones.

16. Lights on the tree? Yes. But, no colored or blinking ones.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Silver Bells.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. Packing gifts back and forth doesn't appeal to me.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. Why? Cause angels don't have wings.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open the one from the Bear's side of the family at the Christmas Eve party, but all the others wait until morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Traffic gets worse as it gets darker and the weather gets wetter.


23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Red and silver.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Chinese. The Bear's mom feels that she had worked so hard to get to Christmas day that she should get the day off. So, she has a big Christmas Eve party and then the kids would have leftovers the next day, while she lays in bed and reads. Isn't she smart? Since we aren't the hosts, we don't have enough leftovers, so we pick up Chinese food the day before and warm it up when we're hungry.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A clean house. Oh, wait that's my every day wish. Then tickets to the Lion King.


26. Who I tag: Alisha, Amy L, Julie, and Maria.

~When Rules Are Meant to be Broken~

I'm not a big country music fan, but did you know that at 2am, other than infomercials, that is all that's on? So, when I'm having one of those late nights CMT videos are what's playing in the background.

One night (or should I say morning?) I saw this video and was in tears by the end (the embedding has been disabled, so you'll have to follow the link):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-ekSbbTJGo

Did you watch?

Have you finished wiping your tears?



Don't finish reading until you're finished crying.








Okay, so I downloaded it from Itunes (you can't download a version with Andy Griffith in it though, just straight Brad Paisley) and one day we were listening to it in the car.

Ratchet: "That man is so nice."

Me: "Why do you say that?"

Ratchet: "He doesn't mind waiting for his woman."

Me (stifling a laugh): "Do you think you'll mind waiting for your woman?"

Ratchet: "Welllllllll. Is it past my bedtime?"



(For the record, I will not in the future encourage Ratchet using "woman" as he did during this conversation.)

~Running~

The PE teacher at the kids' school has this great program. Each month they get a blank calendar to fill out. If they exercise three times each week for at least 20 minutes they get a prize and get to put their names on a star on the wall. Then at the end of the year if they've completed at least six calendars they get medals during a ceremony in front of the school. The teacher was new to the school last year, so it just started then. At the end of the year six students got medals and MonaLisa and Ratchet were two of them. And they were amazing medals. Not cheap plastic. But really nice and even engraved on the back with what it was for.

Now, it's really easy for MonaLisa to get hers filled out. She has two days of dance (last year one day was gymnastics), plus Nutcracker rehearsal, physical therapy, and occupational therapy with Ratchet. Ratchet we have to go out of our way to get his. He has OT and walks home from school on Tuesdays. But he usually needs one more day.

So, while doing the VIP questionnaire Ratchet said he loved running. We were really surprised. I'm not a runner and never have been. But, lately I've considered starting and I thought I can keep up with a 7-year-old. So, today during MonaLisa's dance class we went for a "run." I just went at his pace and would run when he wanted to and walk when he wanted to. We went "around the block." According to walkjogrun.net we went 1.05 miles in 19 minutes. And it was so fun to do something like that with him. We had a great conversation.

Somehow during the middle of it I thought that if we continued this we might actually have something in common when he's a teenager. And I really like that idea.

~VIP~

Ratchet was the VIP for his class last week. Here is his Q&A:

Favorites:
Food: French Dip Sandwiches
Season: Winter
Color: Green
Book: Scooby Doo & the Mad Mermaid
Animal: Huskies

Hobbies: Running, Legoes, Computer Games
My Wish: That Star Wars was REAL!!!
What I do well: Bake cookies, play video games, and play
A person I admire: Daddy
What I like most about our school: PE

Here are the photos we sent in:

When Ratchet was about two, he and MonaLisa were fighting over a toy.
He fell on the toy and she landed on him.
He had to have his head glued shut.

Also, when he was about two, he found three bags of shred that Daddy left out.
I found him after he'd emptied all three bags. He was sitting in the middle
of it all, throwing it in the air and yelling, "SURPRISE!"

We were able to tour the carrier the USS Lincoln when it was in port.
Ratchet was fascinated by the mini fire trucks.

Ratchet and MonaLisa were Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia for Halloween last year.
They still wear these costumes weekly.

Here he is playing in the sand on the Gulf of Mexico while
visiting cousins in Texas last Thanksgiving. This beach
received a lot of damage during Hurricane Ike.

I love this picture. He totally was caught by this wave
while we were on vacation on the Oregon Coast this summer.

Just a few weeks ago MonaLisa was at a friends house. I asked
Ratchet what he wanted to do. He said, "Bake cookies."
So, he did, almost completely by himself.
Look at his face as he was putting them on the pan.

~Book List~

This list has been making the rounds on blogs.

The Big Read is a National Endowment for the Arts program designed to encourage community reading initiatives and of their top 100 books, they estimate the average adult has read only six.

Here’s what you are supposed to do:
*Look at the list and bold those we have read.
*Italicize those we intend to read.
*Star the books we LOVE.

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2. The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte *
4. Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6. The Bible (about 200 pages left)
7. Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8. Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9. His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11. Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12. Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13. Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14. Complete Works of Shakespeare
15. Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16. The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17. Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18. Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19. The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20. Middlemarch - George Eliot
21. Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23. Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25. The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26. Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28. Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29. Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30. The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame (read half)
31. Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32. David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33. Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34. Emma - Jane Austen
35. Persuasion - Jane Austen
36. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40. Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41. Animal Farm - George Orwell
42. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43. One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44. A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45. The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46. Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47. Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
49. Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50. Atonement - Ian McEwan
51. Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52. Dune - Frank Herbert
53. Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54. Sense and Sensibility- Jane Austen
55. A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56. The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57. A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60. Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62. Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold *
65. Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66. On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67. Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68. Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding
69. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
70. Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72. Dracula - Bram Stoker
73. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74. Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75. Ulysses - James Joyce
76. The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77. Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78. Germinal - Emile Zola
79. Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80. Possession - AS Byatt
81. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83. The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87. Charlotte's Web - EB White
88. The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90. The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92. The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93. The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94. Watership Down - Richard Adams
95. A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96. A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97. The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

~Giveaway Winner~

It's time for the drawing, but first of all, here's what people said:

Julie:

1. I love you because you are as annoyed by people's bad grammar as I am.

2. And....because you know how to make all of the things I WISH I could do (like the banner). AND you make it look easy.

3. And because you make me laugh everytime I talk to you.

Shannon:

4. You are SO creative. I know everyone will say this, but the reason I'm so competitive is because I really want all the great stuff you make!

5. I like that you stand up for what you believe in, even if it is not the popular thing to do.

6. I do like that you are a font snob. Whenever I am choosing which font to pick, I always think "now which font did Becky tell me was the very best." I still don't know how to get to that ONE. Be a friend and share the love :)

D (my sister-in-law):

7. I love you because...even though you occassionally annoy the crap out of me, I think you're wonderful and amazing.

8. Even though we disagree poliltically, you don't argue with me about it.

9. Even though you don't like my dog and would have him thrown out of the fabric store in a heartbeat, you have a good heart, a strong testimony, and a love of Jesus Christ that I envy.

Dolls123 (who just has "giveaway" in her search engine and is just trying to win--people actually call most of these people bottom feeders. I deleted some of them, but she at least tried):

10. Because you're so crafty.

Alisa:

11. I have always been impressed with your ability to include everyone!!!

12. You don't know a stranger and I find that a great quality.

13. You're quick to invite all and are ALWAYS willing to serve others.

Melissa (my cousin, her blog is invite only):

14. I love you for your wit.

15. I love your willingness to serve others!

16. I also really love (and envy) your creativity and craftiness. :) I'm always amazed at what you can do.

Maria:

17. I love you because you are so good, no great! at everything that you do. You spend all day and night doing things so that they turn out perfect!

18. I love you because you always want to have fun and laugh a lot.

19. I love that you are not afraid to voice your opinion. You are a strong person. I admire you and am also a little jealous of you. :)

JoAnn (at Pumpkin Petunia):

20. You are very friendly and helpful to strangers on other blogs. : )

21. You make adorable banners!

22. You are very lucky! (Go here to see what I won!!! She's super talented.)

Alisha:

23. You are not afraid to stand up for yourself and make sure that your needs are met, and you stand firm on the things that are important to you.

24. You have equal concern for others. You work hard to include everyone and stand up for them and their needs, too.

25. You are extremely organized and detailed, and go above and beyond on the tasks you take on.

26. You can always be counted on when you commit to something.

27. I have always been impressed by how close to the Spirit you are, and by how you unquestionably follow the promptings you receive.

Julie again:

28. I like how you are so busy and have so much you are always doing but you make it all look easy (or at least like you're having fun).

29. AND that all of the "stuff" you are always doing is for someone else. I wish I could say I was as selfless as you. OK, I could SAY it, but I would be lying :)

Lisa (cousin, sorry, her blog is private):

30. I love that you make me laugh every time I see you!

31. And that you give me all your used clothes for little boys because you have great taste in boy clothes.

32. And because even though I joined the family somewhat later than others, you always make me feel like part of the group.

Shannon again:

33. You make me laugh

Jenny:

34. You are the most considerate person I know when it comes to including everyone in group activities.

35. You are so creative, and its inspiring how you seem to always be working on a new project(which always turns out perfectly).

36. You definitely know how to sit, chat and have fun. I seem to always be laughing about something when we chat.

37. Everything you bake turns out so delicious.

38. I love how you genuinely care for the girls in YW, and seem to always be thinking about them.

So, according to the random integer generator the winner is:

36--Jenny

So, Jenny, I'll bring it over soon.

And now I get to say what I love about each of you!!!

Julie: I love that you were willing to join me in Pink Christmas when no one else did. You are obviously very brave. And you have the best sense of humor. You can see the humor in all situations.

Shannon: I love your ability to love everyone. You are amazing and I'm so excited you get to be one of MonaLisa's Achievement Day Leaders. (I requested you, but was told probably not.)

D: I love what a good mother you are. You have so much patience and love for your children (and mine). I love how super-talented you are. You are an artist, a seamstress, and you can sing. I mean really sing. And I appreciate that you would never take a dog (or goat) into the Fabric Store.

Alisa: You are a great teacher. I loved attending your classes. You truly love each of the YW and have the amazing ability to get each of them to participate. And on a more temporal note, you have great legs.

Melissa: You are one of the most even-keeled people I know. You could totally feel overwhelmed and yet you seem so put together. I know I couldn't have three children under the age of seven and be married to a bishop and have your demeanor.

Maria: You are incredibly humble. I hope that you know how amazing you truly are. And I promise to visit teach this month (now it's in writing, you can call me on it).

JoAnn: You are really talented. I love your new Holiday items.

Alisha: Although you left us with hardly enough time to process; I love how balanced you are. You seem to get it all done and more. And I finally found the perfect reality show for you!!! It's even more perfect now. Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders: Making the Team. So it's too late for 2008, but you could totally be ready in 2009. Go here to find out info on tryouts. And we'll all be watching to see you on the field next fall!!! GOOOOO ALISHA!!!!

Lisa: I love your honesty and your intelligence. You're also really organized. And after reading your 100 list, I realized how much of the unique stuff we have in common.

Jenny: I love how open-minded you are. You would be the least shocked of all if I were to tell that I was once the maid-of-honor at a gay wedding, in Idaho, in the early 90s.

Thanks to all who played!!! I am so grateful to have such good friends. And I totally think it's time for a Girls Night Out.

~A Change of Rules~

It's been a week and I only have 26 responses to my giveaway, so there is no longer a limit of three compliments (which means I added your extra one Alisha). So, you all better hurry before Shannon takes the last 12 spots!!!