Blog-aholic

I'm feeling brave enough now to admit this, but I think I am a blog-aholic. I've yet to invite anyone to read what I've been writing, and already I'm nervous that I say too much. Bear with me. Either I have a lot to say, or I just haven't got the hang of it. Soon I will. In the meantime, the question for my friends is simple: To read or not to read. I'm okay either way. I love reading about you, and hope I don't bore you with us! WRITE ON!

You're Gonna Miss This...

Last night I was watching the final episode of CELEBRITY APPRENTICE. It's not really my thing, but I was a bit curious, and Phillip was at class. In the midst of the final boardroom, Trace Adkins sang a song called "You're Gonna Miss This", and it put my week into perspective. Let me share. Lately, I've been feeling a little left-out and green with envy. Phillip is taking a couple of college courses, so it keeps him busy studying. Whitney is finishing her semester in Provo, then leaving for a 7 week study abroad program in Londdon. 12 Shakespearean plays, Josh Groban in concert at Royal Albert Hall, and a sidetrip to Ireland. Cassidy has been spending her spring break in Chicago with a friend, taking in all the sights, including WICKED, which she said was FABULOUS! I've been home with Eli, entertaining little boys, and feeling a lot invaded by wii tournaments, light saber battles, web flinging, and circus training. (I caught two of them balancing one-legged on the back of my sofa!) I'll admit, I was a little bit grouchy, and a lot in need of some hormones running through the house to balance out the testosterone. Then along comes this song and it really got me to thinking. Every moment of every day is filled with so many great and wonderful things, why am I wishing them away, looking for something better to happen tomorrow? I'm glad my girls are getting opportunities that I've never had. I'm glad my son has two legs so he can balance one-legged on the back of my sofa. (If he keeps it up, maybe I'll bargain Phillip for a new one!) Yesterday the snow was back and the roads were slicker than ever, but my yellow and purple crocus were peeking their heads up at me and reminding me that spring is coming! I remember planting those bulbs when we moved here 10 years ago, and wondering what our life in Idaho would bring for our family. It brought us back together...no more traveling for Phillip. It brought new ways for me to stretch and grow (several time-consuming but much-loved church callings, a long-awaited and much anticipated pregnancy, a few new jobs, new friends and a bigger porch to chat on). It brought brought new experiences and challenges for Whitney and Cassidy, and they have both come out on top, beautiful and bright, and better than ever. And, yes, it brought Eli, who completes us, keeps us growing,(mostly older), and always keeps us smiling. As I snuggled with my son last night, I was glad I haven't missed any of it...and I look forward to not missing any of what's to come!

Coolest Mom on the Planet!

Yesterday the local radio station was having people call in and say what made them the coolest moms around. Not wanting to be passed over, but also not having a voice to speak (see yesterday's post!) I have decided to give my secrets away for what makes me the coolest mom...in the house, on the block...on the planet! Keep in mind, this is only me voting for myself, but I have it on good report (i.e. my own kids and all of their friends) that I rank right up there near the top.

1. Food, Glorious Food! "Feed them often, feed them always!" A motto worth adopting if you anticipate wanting the teenagers to return again and again. Our frequent visitors love anything and everything, so that makes it easy. My only restriction...don't eat our cold cereal on Sunday night if it means there will be no milk left on Monday!

2. Learn their lyrics! Growing up as the 'Fab Four', (now the 'Fab Five' with the addition of Eli) I find that singing along in the car makes you VERY COOL! You never know when it will come in handy. Case Study #1: No one will ever forget the day I walked out of my tent at girls camp and started singing at the top of my lungs, "Don'cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" The young women in our ward still call it one of their fondest memories of Sister Sorensen. Case Study #2: A tent of boys on a trek, begging to be sung to in order to get them up and moving. They didn't think I would do it. They were wrong. At 6:05 a.m. their 'ma' is outside singing, "Stop, collaberate and listen, Ma's in the camp and you'd better go on missions!" (A bit of creative re-writing to ICE, ICE BABY!)

3. Make movies! Lately I have been trying my hand at making dvd's and mixing music to fit the photos. This year our kids got two snow days within two weeks. Cassidy's friends were hanging out at the house and started an impromptu snowball fight. I took about 120 pictures, rearranged them on my movie program, added HOLIDAY IN MY HEAD by Smashmouth and made them each a copy of the dvd. THEY LOVED IT! So much, in fact, that the following week I did it again when the opportunity arose. More photos, HERE IT GOES AGAIN by OK Go, and more dvd's for the friends. It was a TON of fun and I plan on doing it again!

4. Show a little gratitude! I had a prompting not so long ago to write letters and give cookies to all the parents of the boys who spend a lot of time at our house. I wanted the parents to know that their sons were respectful, and kind, helpful and funny, able to have conversations with us, and even willing to spend time with Eli playing Pokemon or Teen Titans or Star Wars. We are lucky that she has such a good group of friends. They are all stalwart in the gospel and good examples of youth who are raising the bar. Several parents have called to say how much they appreciated knowing what goes on when they are away from their own homes. I plan on doing it soon for the girls also. It's always nice to hear what good kids you have!

5. Watch what you wear! This goes without saying. I hope to remain a cool mom by NOT wearing my new swimsuit around the house when friends are over! Thank goodness the snow is gone today, or I may have had to follow through with yesterday's threat!

For anyone who's reading, I KNOW you are also all the coolest mom's around, so if you get a chance, make a post on your blog of what makes you as cool as me. With all these ideas floating around out in cyber-space, we can't help but raise the coolest kids ever!

I HATE SNOW!

That's right. I have had it. No more will I sit and wish for those fluffy, white flakes to fall from the sky. It has been a long, hard winter and I am ready for some signs of spring. Two days ago I had little purple crocus poking their heads up in my front flower bed. Today they are buried under another three inches of that fluffy, white stuff. Not two, but three times I went spinning across roads and slick bridges in my van, jeopardizing my own life and the lives of those people coming towards me in bigger, better SUV's. (No wrecks, luckily, just some white knuckle driving!) This week I really cleaned the van, willing warm weather to come my way. Now it is covered in black, slushy gunk, and the mats are home to all those annoying micro-sized black rocks that keep coming back to haunt me! I got some steaks out to cook on the grill. I could almost smell the scent of beef barbecuing the in back yard. Not to be. Tonight it will be hot soup and warm bread, another staple of winter that I am ready to surrender for a few seasons.

Last but not least, I AM SICK! I have survived the entire flu season while others around me have succumbed to fevers, coughs, headaches and bodyaches and the introduction of a high-priced, nasty tasting elixir by the name of TAMIFLU! (Apparently, I should have bought stock in this company last fall. My neighborhood has single-handidly kept them afloat for 5 months now!) MY throat hurts, my body aches, I have no voice, (maybe that's a good thing) and I want to sleep for hours at a time. Why me and why now? Why not back in January when you're supposed to get sick? Well, I'm done moaning. If summer won't come to me, then I'm going to go out and find it. How, you ask? Well, I went to one of those 'come-to-my-house-and-buy-something' parties today and bought a brand new swimsuit! Don't let the visualization of this make you sick, because there isn't a drug out there to cure that image, but if it's still snowing tomorrow, I'm going to put on my new swimsuit, go out in my garden, find that crocus, put it on my patio table, wash the car in the driveway for all the neighbors to see, grill a steak, drink a big, tall glass of lemonade, and watch the flakes fall from my chair on the front porch. Maybe winter isn't so bad afterall!