DAY 334

"Don't be afraid to go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is." -H. Jackson Browne

Today I'm speaking more literally than metaphorically. We are on another health kick in the Rasmussen home. Trying to gear up for the holidays. I thought dried fruit would be a good start. We decided to try papaya this time. I must admit I have never opened up one. Inside was quite a surprise. Black seeds that resemble fish eggs. A little gross, but interesting and colorful. We also did some pears and apples today. FYI: you should soak fruit in a lemon juice/water mixture to prevent browning. You can also sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon before adding to the dehydrator. We opted not to this time. I'm anxious to see how they turn out.

In other news: My nephew Nick dropped in today. When did he get so big? He's the youngest of my sister Rena's kids. He's about to leave on his mission and is doing a marathon tour through the country to visit everyone. Sweet perk to have free flying, although he did spend the better half of the day in airports trying to get connecting flights. He finally made it at 6:45PM, but not his luggage.

And it's his birthday. We went to Roadhouse, he opened a few presents, and we had his (and my) favorite- cherry pie. We forgot a candle and had to improvise. Happy 19th Nick!

DAY 333

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” -Lin Yutang

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us crash at your place and Tonya and Dave for your generosity. It was great to see you, if only it didn't require that 8 hour drive!

DAY 332 (Thankful #7)

“Nothing is so contagious as example; and we never do any great good or evil which does not produce its like.” Francois de la Rochefoucauld

I am thankful for examples...

of children's spontaneity

of my sister's kind acts of service

of enduring love

after 48 years of marriage

DAY 331 (Thankful #6)

I am thankful for laughter.

Tonya and Dave got a new mac and we were playing with their picture booth program. The kids are really good at it and we had some good laughs. Maybe you will too.

DAY 330 (Thankful #5)

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Today I am thankful for family.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with all the traditional comfort foods, family and friends, and a lot of nothing. It was wonderful. It was such a treat to have Dave's sister, Laura, and her family there today. We don't get to see them much. All the girls had a fun time together and Sean is really getting big.

Brooke, Casey, Chandler, Pokey, and Gracie. These 5 little girlies had fun together.

These 4 missionaries shared a little Thanksgiving skit. It was creative and amusing and kept the children's attention.

Me and my sister, Tonya. Poor girl was feeling under the weather today, but hosted a meal at her house for 20+ people. She is a beautiful person.

The girls spent a large portion of the day in the playroom. This is their art work on the chalkboard.

The traditional olive pose. I get at least one of these every year. They're a favorite and they sure don't last long.

This is the kid's table and Little Man showing off a mouthful of food. It's nice that Tonya's house is large enough to accomodate so many people together. Thanks Tonya for having us.

Over the last couple weeks I have been sharing daily blessings on facebook. If you've followed my posts you can skip this section. There's really no way to properly express all that I am thankful for and I am glad that I took on this challenge. It has reminded me of the endless blessings in my life that I take for granted on a regular basis. It is something that I am going to try to continue on my own. Some of the things I am grateful for include:

Being with family, being able to chew Thanksgiving dinner (my jaw is better), and sleeping in, interstates that make for safe and efficient travel, Stephanie and Chrisian Nielson, hard times (that make the good even better), good memories, seasons, family, and kindness of strangers, my external hard drive, http://www.mylitterofsix.blogspot.com/, good workouts, warm showers, and weekends, each new day, my camera, artists and musicians that inspire me and enrich my life, friends that lift your spirits and accept you for who you are, an understanding husband who doesn't freak out when I wake up screaming at 2AM, Sunday naps, job stability and good health, a good night's sleep and a good pillow, great communication that allows me to email friends half way around the world in seconds and make phone calls to family for next to nothing, and the sun.

The list is endless. I have much to be grateful for!

DAY 329 (Thankful #4)

“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you." -Christian Morganstern

I am thankful for my mom and dad.

36 years later they still love me and accept me for who I am. Even though it's an 8 hour drive and I've never lived in KY, when I visit my parents it always feels like I'm going home. It's wonderful to feel of their love for me and holidays aren't quite the same without them. They're generous, thoughtful, caring people who still have tons of spunk and character and I love them to pieces.

DAY 327 (Thankful #2 & #3)

So, I'm a day behind on Becky's week of Thanksgiving via picture tribute, so I decided to combine. There weren't just two things that stuck out, so I decided to do a random collage for days 2 and 3. These are the things that I am most thankful for today.

1. Re-reading a great book with the kids. Love this one. It is a story of love told from the perspective of a rabbit. Very sweet.

2. Smiles and silliness.

3. Magic eraser and soft scrub spray cleaner (a new favorite). They have both saved me on numerous occasions, particularly the magic eraser. I am also thankful for the ability and time to keep a clean house. Thanks mom and dad for being such great examples and teachers.

4. A handwritten note in the mail from a dear old friend. What a wonderful surprise.

5. A fridge filled with food. We are blessed to have plenty and then some.

6. Super Target. Love that store. I am able to find unbelievable clearance deals year round.

7. Knee length tube socks. Perfect for cold days in Iowa.

8. Beautiful sunsets.

9. A wonderful husband who loves to be in the kitchen (even with a bum back). He made portuguese kale soup tonight.

DAY 327 (Thankful #1)

I've been racking my brain today trying to think of a good picture of the day. Then I read Becky Higgin's blog and she suggested that we take pictures of things we are thankful for this week. I thought this was a brilliant way to focus my energies. I love Thanksgiving and the opportunity it gives to really ponder on those things that we are most grateful for. After having a trying day with the children at home it hit me. I knew exactly what it would be...

I am thankful for my role as a mother and the teaching opportunities that present themselves in all sorts of unplanned ways, morning and night. As much as it tries me and exhausts me, I know that I can be very influential in the lives of these two special people; hopefully for good.

This is the very first thing I did bright and early thismorning. Turns out that Pokey left a wad of tissue in her pocket and somehow I missed it the first time through, so I spent the next hour shaking each and every article of clothing and then reshaking until most of it came out. It wasn't like a receipt or movie stub, this didn't want to come off and really stuck to the clothing. (The photo was taken about half way through.) Still doesn't compare to the crayon nightmare, but not a fun wakup call. It gave me yet another opportunity to talk with Pokey about the importance of not leaving things in our pockets.

She is going through a crazy paper phase, if that's what you want to call it. She's obsessed with it and leaves trails everywhere she goes. Whether it's cutting or stamping or gluing or writing or drawing... she's on it. But her projects are left and distributed around the house and the car. She also leaves wrappers of all sorts. I finally had to start taking away tickets for every wrapper she left out. I removed 4 today. Now I need to figure out how to get her to pick up paper.

So far the ticket reward system is going well. Little Man now has 66 and Pokey has 48. Pokey really wanted to cash in 25 to go to the dollar store, but decided to wait. So, for now they are both saving up for something that requires more tickets.

DAY 326

"Femininity appears to be one of those pivotal qualities that is so important no one can define it." Caroline Bird

Pokey has taken to writing lately... anything and everything. She made Haldan a "get better soon" card today because his back is out. We have the computers set up to print from anywhere in the house. Having said that, I was sitting in the office last night when I heard the printer start up. Out comes a note that reads, "This will be the best Thanksgiving ever I know it Just still love me if I make a wrong choice." She doesn't use punctuation very often and she always chooses very girly type fonts (mostly cursive) that are very hard to read. She's something else. She also loves writing lyrics to music and stories right now. Anything that little mind of hers can thing of... but it's all very different than what Little Man concocts. Sweet and feminine.

Free Christmas Cards

I actually did this and it works - 100 free Christmas cards! You do have to pay shipping, which turns out to be $6.38 ($3.19 for 50). I already designed two different cards, but this was too good a deal to pass up. It includes the envelopes too. Every year I spend way more than I should on ink and envelopes and then still have to pay for shipping. My husband will be so proud of my frugality.

It's only good through November 30, 2009, so you need to act fast! If you're not planning to send out Christmas cards this year, you could use these as gift tags. Or use the codes to create birth announcements. Or come up with another creative idea for these totally free photo cards!

Here's how to get 100 custom photo cards with envelopes for free: Just go here to set up an account with SeeHere (or login if you already have an account) and then upload and create your photo card. After you've set up your photo card, be sure to save it. Then put 50 photo cards in your cart and go to the checkout and use coupon code newbaby and you'll get all 50 free cards, you pay $3.19 shipping. Log back in and click on your saved items and order another 50 photo cards this time using the coupon code from Freebies4Mom here. (I used freebies4mom-1109) Again, you should get 50 more free photo cards, you pay $3.19 shipping. And that's it!

Need some custom address labels to go with the photo cards? Order 140 herefor only $3 shipped

Thanksgiving recipes and other free downloads

Here are many wonderful downloadable ideas and recipes for Thanksgiving! They come from http://mylitterofsix.blogspot.com/2009/11/free-thanksgiving-recipes-and-ideas.html.

Go here to download a free ebook with healthful Thanksgiving Recipes in it. (Note: You'll want to sign up with an extra email address and click "No Thanks" on the offers.)

Download a free ebook here with 30 different Thanksgiving-themed craft projects including home-decorating and gift-giving projects and ideas as well as fun crafts to do with children.

Download a free ebook here which contains 30 different Thanksgiving recipes.

Go here to download a free Holiday Hosting Guide from Paula Deen.

Go here to download a free copy of the Martha Stewart Thanksgiving Hotline Recipes cookbook.

Access the digital edition of the October/November Taste of Homemagazine here. It features many Thanksgiving recipe and photos of every single recipe.

Go here to download a free Holiday Idea book from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. There are loads of craft and educational ideas and even some freezer meal recipes!

Want some fun Thanksgiving ideas to do with your children? Check out the links and ideas here.

DAY 325

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” -Joanne Kathleen Rowling

I woke up craving donuts, instead we went for a run, even Pokey. Tough life choices. It wasn't a fast run, but we all ran a little over 2 miles. Then we did a succesion of sprints and Little Man put me in my place. Pokey cried because she wasn't the fastest. Haldan had back pains. But we did it.

I carried my little canon power shot today and found several amazing picturesque settings. Love that little thing. The above picture was one of them.

I'm including this photo even though it's not the POTD because:

1. I like it

2. I need a 2nd picture for my book.

I have 4x6 slots, so in order to make the vertical ones fit I have to do one in a 6x8 size or two in a 3x4 size.

If you haven't done Project 365 this year, you should start thinking about it now. It's a hard project- not gonna lie, but you can make it as little or as much as you want it to be. It doesn't have to be magazine worthy photography and it's an amazing way to document your life. Check out Becky Higgin's "Project Life". I am not going to be doing Project 365 exactly the same next year; still formulating my plan, but I've already ordered Becky Higgin's kit because I missed out on it last year and I thought it would simplify my life some.

DAY 324

“Part of being sane, is being a little bit crazy.” -Janet Long

I watched Twilight on Blue-Ray from 8-10PM. Then I ended up with tickets for the 12:01 AM showing of Twilight: New Moon due to a series of blonde moments. I arrived an hour early and it's totally nuts. The line is out the door and that's just to get into the show. I still need to claim my ticket. I'm standing in line surrounded by hordes of people having flashbacks to the concert I passed out at and got trampled (long story) all the while thinking, "these people are crazy." Then it suddenly dawned on me... I was one of them, whether I'm a die hard fan or not. Thanks Amanda for saving seats. It was a fun night with the girls. (Wendy, Devon, Lisa, Amanda, Pam) What makes the story even crazier is the fact that I actually went again today with another friend (Tycia) because we already had plans to go. Yes, I saw New Moon twice in less than 12 hours. I actually liked it better the 2nd time around too. So, to quote myself from facebook, "I'm officially a hypocritical, Twilight nut case and I haven't even read the books." Now I'm debating whether I should get them. But, I'm going to have to sleep on it 'cause I'm feeling a bit tired.

In other news:

The sun made a debut here today. It was wonderful! So, for those of you who have been a little deprived lately... I'm sending some sunny thoughts your way. And a picture to tide you over. (Can't you just feel the warmth?)

White Chicken Chili

Delicious comfort food for a cool, rainy day- more like a southwestern chili. It's a fun alternative to the traditional version and my family all loved it. Pokey went back for seconds. Thanks Susan for sharing this one. It's the easiest soup ever. The only thing that takes time is the chicken and you could opt for canned chicken instead. It's a winner.

DAY 323

"You can map your life through your favorite movies, and no two people's maps will be the same." -Mary Schmich

I'm not a huge Twilight crazed person like it would appear the rest of the general population is, but it was ok. I watched it at the second run theater with my mom (she's read all the books). I decided it might be nice to get a refresher course before going to see New Moon. Just so you know, blockbuster has a deal going right now.

3 movies (DVDs or Blue Ray) + 2 boxes of candy + one box of popcorn + 2-20oz sodas = $15

DAY 322

"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us." Ashley Montagu

This morning as we were getting ready to leave for school I asked Pokey if she would snap a quick picture of my hair. My appt was at 9 and I was thinking of going drastic. Pokey insisted on using her own camera (Nikon Coolpix L10) and Little Man would not cooperate. He wanted to be sure to be in every picture. After at least half a dozen attempts I finally gave up on the idea of a picture of my hair and had fun with him. The kids were late for school and I was late to my hair appt, but we had a moment.

My appointment went well. My mane was tamed. I chickened out and kept the length. Only 2 inches off today. My stylist talked me out of it again. This keeps my hair styling options wide open and it may not be the right timing for drastic measures ;).

This buck was on our driveway when I got home today, but I was too slow on the draw. In my defense, It's a tricky thing capturing a moving deer at dusk.

DAY 321

"The eyes indicate the antiquity of the soul." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's been a rough couple months for me personally which is starting to drift into all aspects of my life including my sleeping patterns and creativity or lack thereof. Perhaps an inverted tree with a black back ground and red bulbs hanging form the white branches might me more festive. I'm feeling in a bit of a bah humbug sort of way, which is not really like me. (My husband and I have had role reversal.) I do love Christmas, but am tired of the commercialism and expectations. As much as I try to simplify- as a woman, wife, and particularly mother there is always so much more to do than I would like. It's a rough time of year for a perfectionist suffering from SAD.

So, incase you don't follow me on facebook, I'll share some other scary Alicia quirks. I woke up a couple nights ago in the dark at 2AM with my heart racing a hundred beats per minute wondering why my husband was talking to me. Turns out I actually woke up screaming bloody murder and was even hitting him. He said it sort of freaked him out. I also woke up with only one sock on, which is becoming more of a night time ritual that occurs while sleeping. If you look closely at my eye picture you'll see the small red lines in my eyes that show up even in black and white- indicative of an unrestful sleep. I constantly have freezing cold hands, which may be why they couldn't draw blood from my fingers the other day. I also don't like to have lights on in the morning and my husband is convinced that I'm a vampire. Except that I hate the cold!! I would give anything to be able to live in a warm, sunny climate. I also seem to be cursed with strange ears. I've gone through at least 5 different set of earphones and have yet to find one that stays in my ears... makes running frustrating. Even the children's sizes seem to be too large. Haldan wants to get me those humungus ones that would cover half my head. Afer talking with my brother I learned it may be a Barnes thing. I could go on, but maybe that's enough quirks for one day.

DAY 320

"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." -George Washington Carver

I was on my way to the gym this morning when I looked up and saw this small patch of blue sky through the gray clouds. It made me smile for a moment. It's the small things. And let's face it, what else is there to photograph outdoors in November besides the trees and the clouds? It might be the hardest month yet, but I'm pluggin away.

I actually really liked this other picture later in the day too. It was very dark and cloudy and I tweaked it in photoshop and got the photo below. I thought it was a beautiful picture and better yet a great idea as a Christmas card. If you don't have a nice family photo or don't have time to get one, you should look at photos you already have or try snapping one of some trees. Could turn out to be your Christmas card. Unfortunately it probably won't be our card because my husband thinks it looks like a "barren waste land" as he put it. Um, that's sort of the point. This is Iowa. Anyhow, I've already been working on another idea. I guess this will be a back up should my other one not turn out.

In other news:

I called Shutterfly today and talked to customer service regarding the 7x9 book. Turns out that you had to receive the email with the promo code, or in other words spend lots of money there to qualify. But I must be a convincing sell or the middle eastern guy doesn't understand english well (he sure didn't speak it well) because somehow I got them to give me the free book anyhow. They added the code to my account and I ended up only paying tax. Sweet! So, I was all prepared to diss Shutterfly and now I really have nothing bad to say except that their advertising is misleading. You can see my book here.

DAY 319

"The best portion of a good man's life - his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." William Wordsworth

One step forward, three steps back... so goes the story of my jaw. It was feeling a little better, so I did a little too much too quickly and I have reverted backwards a bit. My sweet husband took it upon himself to make these fan tans (because they pull apart into tiny bite sizes) and mashed potatoes for dinner. He wanted to make something that would be easy on my jaw. He thought of perfect comfort foods, so thoughtful. Soup and slimfast are getting old.

I think I forgot to mention that I am now the relief society pianist. I got the calling several weeks ago now, but I swapped with the primary pianist one Sunday when her parents were visiting and Stake Conference was last Sunday. It went ok, but I really don't know the hymns well. I'm actually missing the primary and I think I'm going to have to spend more time practicing now.

Shutterfly Update

I'm not sure why, but the MYBOOK promo code that I posted on my blog that is supposed to give you a free 7x9 book isn't working. I apologize to all that attempted. I know it's time consuming trying to make a book. I spent several hours myself on it. I read on one site that it was only available to the first 10,000 people. Another blog said that you had to have a share site with shutterfly (more like a shutterfly blog). I started an account, but the promo code still doesn't work. It does say in fine print in the beginning that it is available to select Shutterfly members only, whatever that means. Sorry for the confusion, but I'm going to call them tomorrow and give them a piece of my frustrated mind. You should too. Shutterfly 1-888-225-7159. I'm still going to print it even if I don't get the deal because I worked so long on it, so even more frustrating! I made a "Search for Sun Adventure" scrapbook from our trip last month. It was so much fun to look back and revisit those memories. Good times.

Apple Crisp

So, I was excited to try this new recipe I found for a project at work. It was called "Best Apple Crisp Ever" from allrecipes.com, but when I was about to make it I realized that it didn't call for oats or nutmeg. So, I went back to what we know and love from Betty Crocker. It's super easy and what's fall without it?

This is in a 4x6 format, just print it out.

DAY 318

con·fu·sion
a. The act of confusing or the state of being confused

b. An instance of being confused

There appears to be some confusion with the weather lately. It's November and yet the children are scootering outside in short sleeved shirts, there is green grass everywhere, and some of my plants think it's spring (see below). Yet, there are barely any leaves left on the trees out there. We had spring rains in October, a short cold spell, and now when you'd expect it to be freezing it's been jacket weather at most, even for me. If this is global warming, I'm loving it (and hoping it sticks around).

In other news:

The children are venturing into uncharted territory. Last night Pokey was on the phone for almost an hour with a friend and she had several friends calling her. Are we already there? She's only eight. Little Man started making videos with his camera today. I think he made 7. Some of them were pretty funny. I'll have to download the lego one he set to music. They are both having some serious attitude too. Pokey does this head swinging thing with her mouth all funny when she's being sassy and Little Man is constantly correcting my vocabulary. He told me tonight I should have used the word skimming rather than browsing, when in fact I meant browsing... Seriously? I'm constantly reminding him that I am his mother and have more schooling and life experiences than him. Very disrespectful. I asked Haldan when this happened and what we did wrong. No answers. Still looking for the right solutions. Sigh. Parenting is so exhausting.

Project Life Launch

Becky Higgins just released her 2010 Project 365 kit.

It is called "Project Life" and it is even cuter than the original P365 kit. Last year the kits that CK released sold out in just a couple hours and I missed out. Becky is no longer affiliated with CK and I have no idea how many kits are available, but don't wait to get this kit... The price is $40.

For those of you that wanted to do project 365, but didn't... this is a great way to start. It's supposed to be easier and more adaptable than the P365. I think it is worth trying. It's been hard, but will be so rewarding in the end.

Click on the above link or go to http://beckyhiggins.com/projectlife/ to find out more or watch her video.

Free book from Shutterfly

Photo books are the best presents!
Now until November 16th you can score a free 7x9 photobook for FREE.
All you have to do is pay shipping, which is very low.
Use promo code MYBOOK click HERE for more information.

I made one of these last year as a year in review for 2008 and love it.

DAY 317

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." -Theodore Roosevelt

After taking hundreds of pictures for a couple photo shoots today I realized that I had no photo for my own POTD. So, I improvised. I photographed the Brands today. Some of you may have heard of Tom and Terry Brands. They are wresting coaches at the University of Iowa. I went to high school with Michelle, Terry's wife. I spent a few hours this morning with their lovely families. The children were troopers and did a remarkable job.

DAY 316

"Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise." -George Washington Carver

I've been in a bit of a creative rut so to speak... I look around the landscape outside my windows and see barren, colorless trees and wonder what in the world I can portray as beautiful today. Another 49 days to go...

The children's student led parent teacher conferences went fine. It still bothers me that they are "student led", but for the most part everything was very predictable. Little Man is gifted intellectually in every subject and is currently in a special advanced reading program and a math league, but still struggles with behavioral issues. His teacher accepts him exactly as he is and embraces his quirks and intellect and allows him to do alternate work and projects that challenge him. My concern is that subsequent teachers may not be this tolerant or accepting of him. He was recently asked to be the 5 Live News anchor man at their school. They had to apply and be interviewed for the position and he is excited about his coveted position. Pokey is a social butterfly with very little desire for most things relating to academics. She's average in that department, which is fine by her. She is a wonderful speller and reader though and enjoys writing stories. I'm happy to announce that the neighborhood map that I helped her with a couple weeks ago received a perfect score. I think they are very unique children and I'm proud of their efforts.

DAY 315

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.” -George S. Patton

That's what I'd like to call it. We were enjoying another unseasonably warm, sunny day here in Eastern Iowa today. I don't often spend time in the office in the afternoon with the bright sun that comes in the large picture window, but I have many projects brewing and I really needed my desktop. I was sorting through cds of pictures for one project and getting very frustrated with how difficult it was to see the photos. So, I concocted a plan. It was rather warm and I didn't want anything too thick, so I grabbed a pillow case. Perfect solution. (It was just large enough to cover me and the screen.) That is until Haldan got home from work early and surprised me. He grabbed the camera before I realized what he was doing... and that is how the POTD came to be.

On another note, Haldan and I had health assessments today. Cigna will discount insurance premiums for all Duane Arnold employees and spouses that get these done, so Haldan scheduled them. It was supposed to be a quick finger prick and an immediate print out of the results. Unfortunately there is no such thing as quick and painless for me. After milking two different fingers for some length of time and coming up with not enough blood another nurse was called in to prick yet another finger. Luckily the 3rd try was the charm, but tonight my fingers are bruised and a little sore. Luckily my results came back great. Haldan was a little jealous because his numbers were not as good, but he's gentically predisposed to high cholesterol. I told him it wasn't a race, but after reading through his results I'm a little concerned and he's more determined to get back into a fitness regimen.

Haldan and I spent the afternoon catching up on V (for "Visitors"). For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's a spin off the original V from the 80s. House has been the only show that we both watch together and I really only do it because Haldan likes it. We're hoping that this might be another one that we can watch together. So far we both like it, but only 2 episodes in. It's on Tues nights on ABC if you want to DVR it.

In honor of Veteran's Day, I just want to thank all the veterans, both past and present that work hard to serve and protect this country. Today I am particularly thinking about families who have lost a loved one or have sent them into harms way to ensure our freedoms. My heart goes out to you. You, too, should be honored.

I also want to thank my husband who spent 6 years serving in the US Navy. As I wrote out those 17 memories the other day, I revisited some of those days in the military. It was definitely not the easiest road we could have taken; some memories good and others painful. I think it is great that communication is so much easier and more affordable these days for military families. I got 8 family grams/patrol and they had to be 50 words or less (including my name and his name). Many times by the time the message reached him it was completely different. We also didn't have cell phones yet and phone calls were about 10 cents/minute. If he did get to port he would call and we would have to keep them brief because of the expense. Some ran over $200, which was a lot of money on a military budget. Often times I wasn't home when he would port and was unreachable. So, emails and cell phones are a blessing in a time when so many loved ones have to be away from their families.

DAY 314

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." Albert Einstein

So, Little Man has expressed interest in playing the guitar. I decided it would be the perfect Christmas gift. I saw a great (50% off) packaged deal in a Target ad, but when we found it we realized it was a very large guitar and probably not suitable for a small 10 year old. It was then that we realized we knew nothing about acoustic guitars, so we stopped by Music Go Round today to ask some experts. We were right in our assumptions- size is important. A 3/4 size seems to be a perfect fit for him.

He's a funny little boy. He is so easily influenced. It seems every year with each new teacher comes a new habit. In 3rd grade he started walking with his hands behind his back because that's what his teacher did. For some reason this habit disturbed Haldan and it was only after school was out that the habit dissipated. 4th grade was especially grating to me - Little Man picked up a very obnoxious habit from his teacher. He mouthed words while we were talking to him, perhaps in anticipation of what we were going to say (not sure), but it's a habit that has been hard to kick and I still find him doing occasionally, even after an entire summer has passed. This year Little Man has a teacher that plays the guitar. He incorporates his music into teaching. They've learned cute little jingles to almost every different grammar rule. He's had a lot of fun learning them and being timed on his memorization of them... a fun way to learn. Needless to say, this is where his infatuation for the guitar comes from. Not such a bad thing, at least not yet. As I watched him hold that guitar today I realized that most of his teachers have been good influences in his life in one way or another. Children can be so impressionable. They soak up the quirky little habits, but also the good.

On another note, Pokey asked me the other day how she can become famous. I asked her why she would want that. After several days of thought she told me that she's not sure that being famous would be that great because she would always have to look good and people follow you and take your picture all the time. She's still been writing music lyrics and songs like a crazy person, but maybe more just for fun now. When she sings her songs they are mostly all one or two notes except for a really high one thrown in here or there. I'll have to try to capture it on video one of these days. Her Halloween song was hilarious. Her fashion sense has been exceptionally painful for me lately. I realize that she's only 8 and this is but the beginning of a long road of clashing taste in clothing. She's been in tears multiple days over clothing choices. Luckily Haldan was around yesterday before ice skating to help her find something a little warmer and not so loud. I'm trying really hard to let this battle go, but I still have my moments...

They are so full of personality- original, stubborn, bright, quirky, witty, funny, sensitive... and I am trying to allow them to be themselves while leading them in the right direction and oft times it seems they overlap and it's hard to know how to be the best parent I can be.

Yesterday we finally got the H1N1 vaccinations. It was after much deliberation on my part. I know there have been contradicting views and opinions. I have done my research and felt like as a parent it was the right thing for my kids. Little Man has started exhibiting his annual pre-asthma symptoms and I know that it can create complications should he get the virus. After carefully weighing the risks with and the risks without the shot I decided to do it. Pokey got the flu mist.

DAY 313

“Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living..." Bruce Barton

So, it was time to change things up a bit. As a mother it seems I am always trying to think up new ways to make life easier and to make less conflict and more results. Ever since we added additional household responsibilites this summer there seems to be more and more whining. Several times now I've let dishes set for days or forced myself to tip toe around a dirty kitchen floor to allow the children the opportunity to complete the task. Many times though I've just given in and cleaned myself; I just couldn't take it. So, even though they don't get allowance for these "household duties" as we've called them, they do get an allowance for a few other things that involve their rooms and their own space. So, I told them that to be eligible for that allowance they had to complete their other household duties first. It worked for a while, but soon they started to slip and didn't much care. Frustration set in and that's when I saw this chalkboard at Target 75% off. They both seem to thrive on positive incentives, so I've devised a new plan. This is our 3rd week now and it seems to be going better.

They each have their own responsibilites every week (that alternate) and then there are those that are the same for both of them; hence the photo of both of them. I bought colored chalk thinking they could each have their own color, but the chalk doesn't show up on the board, so I decided to draw a line down the middle so they could each have their own space; Little Man to the left and Pokey to the right. It seems to be working. If they do any of the tasks they get to make a check and for every check they earn a ticket. (Very cheap at Wal-Mart.) Last week Little Man earned 13 tickets and Pokey earned 15 tickets. The children participated in making this list of incentives. They can cash them in at any time or keep them for the larger ticket items/activities. I'm not sure they can hold out that long, but the potential is there for them to be earning about 25+ tickets/week.

25 tickets

$1 store

redbox movie

game night with mom and dad

50 tickets

$5 toy

movie night at theater

ice cream

bike ride with mom or dad

75 tickets

restaurant of choice

boat ride or fishing with dad

1 day pass from pictures

sledding

100 tickets

$10 toy

bowling

date night with mom and dad

ride a horse

250 tickets

planet x

DS game

campout

chuck e cheese

500 tickets

concert

train ride

I'm hoping this plan works for a while, but only time will tell. I've placed it in the kitchen right by where they eat with the hope that it will serve as a constant reminder. I'll keep ya posted.

DAY 312

“One of the best things in the world to be is a boy; it requires no experience, but needs some practice to be a good one” -Charles Dudley

Today was Stake Conference, but we overslept. It was another beautiful day, 70 and sunny. Probably one of the last we'll see for a while, so we packed it up and headed out to Palisades Kepler. We did some light hiking and the kids enjoyed climbing some trees. I'm really wishing I had that anti shake lens about now; could have made a difference with this photo.

DAY 311

"An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow." Author Unknown

Nothing special this year. I made Haldan a list of "17 memories for 17 years" and he brought me home a box of glazed pecans from GA. Love them, so very sweet. We went out to Biaggi's tonight. I thought I might be able to eat pasta, but the bow tie noodles were a little tough on my jaw. (Thanks Tom & Marilyn for the gift.) We wanted to go to a movie, but couldn't find anything worth seeing. I would have watched a couple of the scary ones, but it's not Haldan's thing. So, instead we went to his favorite place- TJMaxx. We walked, talked and spent 4 1/2 hours without kids. It was fun. What can I say? We're old and lame. We tried to have Little Man snap some photos of us before we left, but they were all blurry. So, we resorted to our waitress and this is what we got. Not my favorite, but out of options tonight. It was a gorgeous day here today. 70 and sunny. Wonderful! So, we aired out the house, cleaned out the garage, and did some spring cleaning on this beautiful fall day.

DAY 310

“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me..." Virginia Satir

We tried a new hair style on Pokey today. It didn't turn out perfect, but a fun style. Maybe this should be for crazy hair day next year. I took the idea from one of my favorite fellow bloggers here. (http://paperpassionpixels.blogspot.com/) If you are in need of some new hair styles for your daughters, you should check out this blog here. (http://cute2tryhairdos.blogspot.com/)

Another favorite. It would appear that the blog is currently having technical difficulties, but it has great ideas. Definitely worth a look.

The other photo of Pokey was a must for today. She has recently taken to making these "fortune tellers" as she calls them. I don't remember calling them that, but I do remember making them as a kid. She has tons of them and she constantly wants to tell me my fortune. It's still very cute. I'm sure in a week it will start getting annoying.

In other news: I've almost survived the week. Haldan returns home late tonight. My jaw is still very sore, but appears to be on the mend so long as I keep nsaids going and don't talk or chew.