A mother's Day Tribute - Mother with Style

Whenever I get frustrated with my looks, my tired eyes, my dry hair … my wardrobe .. I think of this quote by Marjorie Pay Hinckley, wife of the late President Gordon B. Hinckley:

"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 a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors 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

When I think about ‘living life’ I can’t think of anyone but my mom. She raised 17 kids and helped us with everything. So here is a tribute to my mom. As a background here are some stories that I reference in the poem:

• My mom insisted that my dad dig up some good horse manure compost for her vegetable garden and flower beds!
• My mom was at a charity benefit and they had oysters on the hard shell. She felt so bad that my dad couldn’t come and eat it, she wrapped them up in a napkin and put them in her purse! Her purse smelled like a rotten fish for weeks!
• My mom was a church leader and one of my friends came straight from her caddying job to an activity at a skating rink. She had been walking in puddles and mud. My mom felt bad that her feet would get cold so she made my friend put her wet muddy shoes in her purse!

Mother with Style

I know an old women

Who lived in a shoe

She had so many kids

She didn’t know what to do …

… but for real …

I know a great women

Who lived in a house.

She raised 17 kids

While wearing a jean blouse.

French toast, oatmeal,

eggs, and pancakes to share.

Mom took us to school

With curlers in her hair.

Dark pants, turtleneck

A jean button-down shirt.

Her outfits were ready for anything

Even manure-filled dirt.

Schools, sports, church,

Errands and more.

Heals, shoes and socks

Were more of a chore

Bobby Socks, squashed heals,

No time to waste.

My mom had class,

She had great taste!

Working, cleaning, helping

Sharing.

Instead of pampering her self

She was always caring.

No time for salons,

She permed her own hair.

Although life was crazy,

She always made time for prayer.

Lipstick at a stoplight,

For lips and rouge.

Her mouth was always kind,

She never was rude.

A women’s purse,

Full of treasures to choose.

My mom shared her purse

With fresh oysters and muddy shoes!

She may be Silly.

She may be Tired.

But when I think of my mom

I feel Inspired.

I know a great women

Who lived in Style.

She raised 17 kids

While wearing a Smile!

So chin-up everyone! We aren't meant to look like models and wear the latest fashions. We can look our best by simply wearing a smile. That's what our kids will notice most. Like the song on Annie, "you're never fully dressed without a smile!"

Birthday wishes

I found this taped to my door, and I am thinking, really a stick of gum . . .

its been a year and it still cracks me up.

Losing a mommy Stripe

I am a new mom, and when I accomplish something in the mommy world I never thought I could (like cleaning poop out of the tub), l give myself a mommy stripe.

Tonight I lost one of my stripes. My little girl and I went to a wedding, since we were dressed up and it was a beautiful sunset, on the way home I stopped to get some quick shots.

My daughter, being all of 16 months old, did not think this was a great idea and did not participate. I could not get a shot because she wanted to run the other direction of me. Finally, I found a walkway I figured I would get ahead of her and then just snap a bunch of pictures with the sun in the background, I am sure something will work, (yeah not my best idea).

So she is running, I am snapping shots,and she comes to a pile of leaves, I am at the end of the walkway, 10 feet away trying to get her attention. She always stops for leaves and feels them. Finally after about 20 seconds and me not watching her, just looking through my viewfinder on my camera, and relieved that she is coming towards me. She is smiling, the sunset in the back, and I am clicking away.

At this point, I figure we are done, put away the camera, her and take a long walk back to the car. I hear this noise like she is chewing on something, I thought this is weird how is she chewing on a leaf or a pine needle and not spitting it out. I didn't see her put anything in her mouth.

I bend down get ready to stick my finger into the tiny jaws that have left scars and what do I pull out of my little sweet, adorable, innocent girls mouth?? A cigarette butt. At this point I am gagging, she finally lets me get the filter out of her mouth, I am grabbing her bottle of water to wash her mouth out, and with her other hand she tries to put a 2nd butt in her mouth.

Now I am gagging, throwing things on the ground, prying her fingers open to make sure there isn't any more. And trying to wash her mouth off, while wrestling her in a dress on a grassy hill. Well, I think we got it all. I am exhausted. I get to the car, and call Poison Control, they guy kind of chuckled when I explained and said she would be fine, the little pieces she swallowed she probably wouldn't notice.

Cigarette at 16 months, yeah that will cost you a stripe!

Sew Not Fun!

After 3 years and 3 babies these bum genius diapers are still good...... that is except for the elastic.  Henry's been peeing straight through the gap around the thighs.  The good news is now he recognizes the feel of pee but I'm not ready for full fledge potty training right now.

Instead I'm unpicking all the diapers and replacing the elastic.  I surprised they don't smell too bad as I open them up and even more surprised I haven't thrown this whole pile in the garbage (yet)!

My sister Mary says they have good re-sale value, maybe $7 - $10 a piece - instead I'll just keep them for the next baby to grow into.  Can you imagine buying second hand diapers?  or worse, unpicking that old pile of diaper?  We moms are crazy!!!!!!!

Music Lessons

Hope you enjoyed the concert on the moon! (I'm trying out new features of the iPhoto booth).

So, I saw a little violin at the thrift store (DI). It is a 1/8 size violin that would be perfect for ages 4 to about 6 or 7. I don't know why but I had to have it! My sister ran through the questions you are supposed to ask before buying something: "Do I need it?" (no) "Do I have room to store it?" (yes ..kind of) "Do I have time for it?" (NO!!). But then this same sister called me back and said, even if we can't answer yes to every question, we sometimes kick ourselves for NOT buying something.

I started violin lessons when I was 8 or 9. I remember at the recitals I was pared with the 3 and 4 year-olds who were playing the same songs on the smallest violins! Maybe I want Phillip or Lily to start playing songs on a tiny violin! ha! I took lessons until I was about 14. I stayed in the orchestra through high school. I wasn't very good, so I haven't played since I graduated 10 years ago.

So, maybe by buying this violin, I will get my butt in gear to look up some music lessons for my kids? What age? piano first? suzuki method? I still need to figure it all out. It's another thing to take up our time, but I think it's important. I was involved in music for about 10 years growing up. I'm pretty mediocre at it, but I had a lot of fun at the festivals, concerts and I had good friends in the band.

I know that I am on a precipice of a HUGE time commitment. (lessons, practicing, recitals...) HERE I GO!!

Any advice? Know any good teachers?

Pregnant or Chubby?

Here is my current awkward "MOM LOOK." At 17 weeks pregnant with baby #5 and up 15+ lbs of motherly storage, I am feeling so awkward! I am at that stage where I don't obviously look pregnant (especially since the weight I have gained is all over - not just my belly). I don't yet have that cute pregnant ball that tells people my reason for being Fat. So I feel like everyone who doesn't know me or know that I am pregnant, is looking at me and thinking:

"Is she pregnant? or just getting chubby?"

My answer to that would be... "both!"

To add to my awkwardness are some skin issues - eczema on my face and breakouts. The really depressing thing to think about is that I will probably still look like this in Oct/Nov (months after the baby comes).

But it will all be worth it... right?

Kids and Teenagers with Cameras

Cathy's earlier post reminded me of a few unflattering pictures that my son took and tag me in on Facebook. I did not know these pictures were on Facebook until I had an email from some friends from high-school saying they enjoyed seeing our family Christmas celebrations. Josh did post some other good pictures of the family with these and did not understand why I flipped out after seeing the above pictures. I guess he does not scrutinize the pictures that get posted on face-book, like I do. Face-book is like going to a virtual 20th high-school reunion.

*First picture--"What happened to the Twinkle in St. Nick's Eye?"
Christmas morning and like Cathy, no make up, tired and unwashed hair. (kids do not wait for mom's to get ready when presents are waiting).

*Bowling picture--"Failure to STRIKE a pose"
First, I had my groovy gray bleach splattered corduroys (totally 80's my daughter has informed me)--but comfortable. Second, the shirt makes me look like I have numerous side fat rolls which I will say I don't have. The side hip fat roll, however is real. On the bright side, if you notice the bowling ball, I think I hit a strike in this pictures. It's not all bad.