~The Goal~

Tonight I had the opportunity to attend Bishop Youth Discussion. Actually I begged Shannon to let me go because there was a special guest speaker.

First of all, the Bishop discussed goals that the youth set last month and how they did on them. He gave a discussion on how you have to have a plan or you probably won't ever do it. He had us each write down a goal and then ten steps to accomplish it. (I actually thought that since Shannon would be the one going next month that Lorna and I could come up with some great goals for her--luckily for her, the Bishop wouldn't let us get away with it. And I had some great ones: Bake Becky cookies, clean Becky's house, do all Becky's errands for a week. . . well you can see where this is going.)

Then our special guest speaker came in straight from the airport. We were so blessed to have Bishop Lindeman come and talk to us. And even more perfect, since we were discussing goals, he had run his first marathon ever yesterday. He said the best way to keep a goal is to tell everyone about it. And then you have support and people enjoy checking up on you.

So, my first thought was to finish my Personal Progress. But since, I only have 1.5 weeks left before I'm finished I decided to choose a loftier goal. So this is my goal. I'm actually putting it out there. I'm telling you all (the six of you who read my blog that is) and not just copying it to my next to do list.

By June 15 (the next BYD) I am going to CLEAN MY GARAGE.

Here are the steps I wrote down:
1. Set aside a whole day.
2. Decide which systems are working and which ones aren't working.
3. Sort everything into categories.
4. Purge, purge, purge.
5. Sweep and scrub floor.
6. Remove cobwebs from walls.
7. Designate zones.
8. Decide if any new organizing tools are needed.
9. Replace items into designated zones.
10. Decide how much of it will go into garage sale with several women from my ward.
11. Take remainder to Goodwill, Cousin's (Ratchet's old clothes), SIL's (Mona Lisa's old clothes), and Jenny's (rest of Mona Lisa's clothes).

And just so you know how bad it really is, I took pictures:

~Isn't Ballet All About Discipline~

This is a topic that has been bothering me for a few weeks and I just need to get it out.

My daughter, Mona Lisa, is a dancer. At her studio they have a dress code. She is required to wear a specific color of leotard, pink tights, and pink ballet slippers. Another requirement is to wear their hair in a bun. The first day of class parents are allowed to watch. We all sat there as the teacher explained the dress code and showed them the variety of ways to pull their hair back. Because I think it's important for my daughter to show respect to her teachers, I have always enforced the dress code and she's never fought it. However, most of the girls in class don't even pull their hair back at all.

A few weeks ago a mom approached me and asked how I convinced my daughter to put her hair into a bun. I told her that I just told Mona Lisa that it was part of the dress code. The mom then said she could barely convince her daughter to wear a ponytail and that it was ridiculous to fight it. Is she kidding? Who's in charge? If my daughter refused to wear a bun or follow any other part of the dress code, I would refuse to pay for her class and I would definitely not drive her there.

This reminded me of a blog entry I read a few months ago. The author was frustrated about a situation and her husband made the comment that "it's because parents try to avoid confrontation with their kids." Then she goes on to write, "Seriously? Seriously? They are PARENTS! There is SUPPOSED to be confrontation."

I know there is a lot of emphasis placed on "choosing your battles." And maybe some people will feel that whether or not your child wears a bun to dance class is not worth the "controversy" it would cause. But, I feel that the bun signifies respect for the teacher and the rules. If you don't teach your children respect for the rules then what else are you teaching or not teaching them.

I know I'm not a perfect parent. I have definitely made my fair share of mistakes. What I have learned through these mistakes is that part of loving your child is to give them discipline and to teach them respect by having rules and guidelines. And then by enforcing them.

So, I leave you with this quote by King Edward VIII: "The thing that impresses me the most about America is the way parents obey their children."

~Seeing Double~

I took Ratchet to a pediatric opthamologist today. He is slightly far-sighted (not enough for glasses) and seeing double.

When Mona Lisa was in first grade, we also found out she was far-sighted (enough to need glasses and cause constant headeaches) and sees double.

Apparently it's not very common, but they do find about once a month at the pediatric opthamologists office. Fortunately there is a software that retrains their eye muscles to fix the problem. Ratchet actually cheered when he found out he was required to "play" on the computer fifteen minutes each day.

But, really what are the chances. They're also both left-handed (Bear and I are both right-handed).

Double vision, far-sightedness, and left-handedness are all in the less than 10 percent category. Apparently we have a plethora of "unique" genes in our family.

~Laugh of the Day~

If you need a good laugh-out-loud, read-it-to-your-husband blog entry, you have to read this one.

I can totally see this happening at one of our mutual nights. And I know you're all thinking I would be the one to do what Tammy did.

~Emergency Room~

I just got back from the ER with Ratchet. And since I've had a migraine most of the day I'm still hopped up on caffeine and the adrenaline from the stress of having an ill child, so I thought I'd blog until my body comes down.

When Ratchet was six months old and Mona Lisa was three years old, they were both diagnosed with asthma. Mona Lisa had had it for all three years of her life and it had been misdiagnosed. Because of this she's on constant maintenance medicine for it and can have some pretty horrific attacks several times each year. Ratchet, on the other hand, seemed to have been diagnosed early enough to not have many problems. Maybe once or twice a year he'll have a cold that will bother it enough to give him a few treatments, but definitely nothing full-time.

Quick disclaimer: I am not for or against vaccines. I believe in following the spirit in regards to immunizations and support whatever a parent feels is best for their child. I refuse the MMR and flu shots for Ratchet because the spirit has been very strong in that regard. Mona Lisa, on the other hand, has had all her immunizations and gets a flu shot each year.

Yesterday I took him in for a well-child check and he received the chicken pox booster. So, at about 11:30 pm I hear him crying, coughing, and gasping. I go to check on him and he was trying so hard to breathe he looked and sounded as if he were trying to throw up. This is actually common for my childrens' asthma attacks. Bear and I treat it as asthma and quickly gave him albuterol which did help. But then I was prompted to look at the informational sheet about the vaccine. Under moderate to severe reactions it listed trouble breathing and that I needed to get him to a doctor. I said a quick prayer and decided to call the nurses hotline. The nurse told us to give him benadryl and take him to the emergency room. Apparently reactions to the vaccine can come as late as four weeks after the shot. And if there's been one reaction they can have a more severe reaction within the next eight hours so it's best to have him seen.

I get to the hospital and each nurse listens to his cough/breathing and tells me it's just croup and treats me as if I am overreacting. I do not think I'm an overreactive parent in regards to medical care. There usually has to be a lot of blood or a misshapen limb before I'll go to the emergency room. Otherwise they can wait until the office opens the next day. I've never taken Mona Lisa to the ER for her asthma so although I was getting a bit annoyed I didn't ever feel I was wrong for being there. (Fortunately, Mona Lisa does have an asthma plan and is under an asthma doctors care and we have the supplies to have her treated at home over the phone.)

Finally I see the doctor who gives him a nebulizer treatment and before he releases Ratchet tells me it was a high possibility that it was a reaction to the vaccine since it is a live vaccine and has different binding agents than other vaccines.

I am glad I took him to the ER, but I also don't feel I made a mistake to have him vaccinated for chicken pox. I actually had chicken pox twice as a child.

Mostly I'm feeling very blessed that the spirit has always been there to advise me in times such as this and that Heavenly Father knows my childrens' bodies and special needs. I'm also feeling very blessed for the insurance plan we have. As I checked out in accounting they had the amount owed written in red on each of the forms and I saw copays for $100, $200, and even $500. And it is always such a blessing to hear them say that I'm free to go because my insurance will take care of it.

So, it looks as if I'll have a buddy tomorrow. I told him he could help me do laundry and he said and maybe some shopping. I asked if he really wanted to go shopping and he said, "If there's a toy store there." Gotta love his sense of humor even when he's not feeling so well.

2:56am and finally starting to crash. My ramblings are about to come to a close.

So, until next time . . .

~And The Winner Is. . .~

Alisa!!!!!

So, e-mail me with what you desire or let me know if you want me to surprise you! I already have a few ideas in mind.

The overall consensus for a reality show for me was Project Runway. Which Mona Lisa also votes for but Bear says it's too high stress for me. (For the record, the Bear's very quick answer was Beauty and the Geek. Which of course I immediately thought, "He thinks I'm hot." Then I thought again and realized that the Beauties are stereotypically self-centered. . . ) And I do thank all of you for not saying Supernanny. Although it wouldn't be too far off.

And now, just for fun and because I do know each of you, I'm going to give each of you a reality show:

Shannon: I almost disqualified you for the Biggest Loser answer--I second Alisha's whatever. So, I'm going to place you on "I Want To Look Like a High School Cheerleader Again." I checked the application and it requires a current bikini shot. ROFL.

Alisha: I see you on "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" because with your research skills I feel you are full of useless bits of information that would help you kick butt!!! Jenny: I would love to watch you on an episode of "Wife Swap" although I'd never wish that on anyone. But, hey, controversy sells. LOL.

Alisa: I actually do see you on the Amazing Race, but that's not fair. So, I see you on CMT's The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search. Singing and dancing on a bar while refusing to serve alcohol. Rock On.

Tricia: Without a doubt, HGTV Design Star. And I'd want you to practice on my house first!
You ladies are awesome. Thanks for playing.

On another note, I still don't know what all the answers will be for my high school reunion questionnaire. Last time for my achievements my answer was "I moved away. If you're born there you die there." So, I'm thinking that for "How many miles will you travel to attend our reunion?" my answer will be "5 miles is all I'm willing to travel to attend our reunion." Because I'm just not interested in attending. In the last memory book less than ten of us lived outside of Idaho or Utah. And none of the approximately 50 percent who still lived in my hometown had any education past high school. I'm not sure I would have enough enjoyment to qualify the time and expense of it all.

What experiences have any of you had at high school reunions. See if you can convince me it's worth it.

~High School Reunion and Give-away~

Today I received a letter regarding my high school reunion this summer. In it was a questionnaire to fill out for a "Memory Book." I have to admit some of the questions surprised me.

For a bit of background, I grew up in a predominantly Mormon town. Out of 140 graduates, only two were not members.

Here are the questions:
1. Are you married or single? If married, what is your spouses' name? (Notice that the apostrophe on spouses indicate more that one spouse.)

2. Do you have any children? If so, what are their name(s) and age(s)? (There was a lot of room left for this answer.)

3. What is the furthest you have lived from our hometown?

4. Did you attend college? Where? How many years did you attend? Major?

5. What kind of work do you do? Where do you work?

6. What was your favorite song in high school? Movie?

7. Do you have any tattoos? If so, how many?

8. If you could be on any reality TV show, which one suits you best?

9. Have you ever had a brush with fame? If so, tell us about it briefly? (They put the question mark, not me.)

10. How many miles will you travel to attend our reunion?


Why would they ask about tattoos? I wouldn't be so surprised if there were only two Mormons in my high school. But then again, would a school with only two Mormons even care about tattoos? Should I tell them about the time I almost had a CTR sign tattooed on my ankle? (Which I didn't do because I realized I was only doing it for shock value and not because I wanted a tattoo. Oh yeah, and the pain it would cause was also a factor.)

But, here are questions for all of you:

1. If you could be on any reality TV show, which one suits you best?

2. Which reality TV show do you think suits me best?


And because I really want answers, I'm going to do a drawing for something handmade (by me) for those of you who answer. I'll even let you ask for something specific -within reason- if you win or if you prefer, I'll surprise you. The drawing will end Sunday, April 13 at midnight.