Stolen

We needed a few things at Wally World last night so Nicole, Ian and I jumped in the car and off we went.  When we got there, we didn't even stop to get a shopping cart- we just planned on grabbing a few items, and then getting the heck out of there.  (Wal Mart on a Friday night?  Enough said.)

As we approached the 10-things-or-under check out line, I gathered the items Nicole was holding and handed her a DVD from Red Box that we needed to return.  "Here", I said, "you take this DVD and go get in line to return it while I check out."  She took Ian with her as I piled our items onto the check out counter.

When I met up with them again, they were still in line waiting their turn to return our DVD.  We visited for a minute with each other until our turn came, then we hurried off to our car in the bitter cold.

Halfway to the car, Ian said- pretty matter of factly, "I think I stole this."  I looked down at what he was holding.  It was a theater size box of candy he had asked me to buy him.

When I emptied Nicole's arms at the check out line, I had forgotten to check Ian's hands and sure enough, he was still holding the candy, which I had not paid for.

Nicole and I stood there looking at each other for a second trying to decide what to do- I mean it was cold AND we were in a hurry AND it was only a $1 box of candy.

But knowing this was a good teaching opportunity, we turned around and went back into the store.  Ian was worried he had done something wrong and that he was in trouble.  Nicole and I did our best to reassure him that he had done the right thing by telling us and that it was just a mistake  and we would go pay for it now.

As I explained to the young checker why we were back in line again with one box of candy, she just smiled, rang us up, and said the usual, "Have a nice evening".  

As we found ourselves walking out of the store and to our car for the second time that evening, amazingly enough, the wintery air didn't feel quite as cold.

Too cute to spook...

but not too sweet to trick or treat!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Never too old for a nap

I was reading through my friend Shelly's blog the other day as she was describing her distress over her young children and their decision to do away with nap time.  That really is one of the worst days ever.  I remember vividly the days that each of my children did that to me.  Oh the horror!

I don't have babies anymore, not even a toddler or two.  What I do have is two very bored young boys who should be in school, but because of the blasted year round schedule, they are here with me.

I got to thinking about naps today.  I really want one.  But there's more to it than that.

I commented on Shelly's blog (sorry, it's a private blog or I would link you to it!) that even though my little ones had decided that they had outgrown their naps, I still had them take a half an hour of 'quiet time' in their rooms every day after lunch- all the way until they started Kindergarten.

It was heaven.  A lot of the time, they would fall asleep anyway.   Silly kids.

Today as the boys were fussing and fighting over who's turn it was to be on the computer, a light bulb went off in my little head.

"Boys", I announced.  "After lunch, we are going to set the timer and have some quiet time.  We'll each go to our rooms and do something quiet for half an hour."

I will admit that it wasn't greeted with as much enthusiasm as I was hoping for, but after lunch, they each went off to their rooms and the timer was set.  

I am blogging during my quiet time.  Isn't that great?  The boys are in their rooms, reading and playing quietly.  It's a beautiful thing.

The timer goes off in less than 2 minutes (shhh!  don't tell them!), but it sure was wonderful while it lasted!

Happy Thursday!

You call it pathetic, I call it brilliant!

It's been three days since my boys went off track, and we have yet to find ourselves dressed in anything other than our pajamas.  Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration.  I did have to go to school on Monday and Tuesday night, so I threw some clothes on for a few hours.  But other than that- it's been 'pajama day' everyday around here.

See?  I took this picture at 1:30 p.m. today.  

The first day off track Ian said, "I don't have to go to school today so I'm not getting dressed."  I like the way that boy thinks.  

I'm not sure if it is laziness or rebellion that we are all feeling or if it's because inside our house looks like this....

and outside it looks like this....  I know.  I threw up a little in my mouth when I saw it too.

But whatever the reason, we have decided that unless there's something worthy of leaving the house- and it better be darn important- (picking Nicole up from school doesn't even cut it,  I stay in my jammies for that too)- the pajamas will stay on.

I'm thinking that I could work my pj's into some type of Halloween costume- and the boys?  Their jammies fit perfectly under theirs. 

In fact, I'm thinking that school isn't even a good enough reason to get dressed.  I'm wearing pajamas to school tonight too!  That way I can just come home and crawl right into bed.  It will save lots of time and energy.   And the best part of this whole thing?  No laundry! 

This is the best idea Ian's ever had! 

Let There Be Light

Thanksgiving is just around the corner my friends- and for those of you who love me, so is my birthday.

But this post is not about me, my wants or needs.  No.  It is about sharing an extremely simple idea that you can easily use for your very own Thanksgiving table (or any other occasion).  Why?  Because I used this idea on Sunday at our family dinner and it brought joy to everyone who saw it.  That's why.

Here's what you do:

Gather every single glass jar (yes canning jars work just beautifully!) you own, scatter them down the center of your table and drop a tea light into them.

Super cute, super easy, way cheap, but very delightful!  By the way, this idea comes from Country Living Magazine, this month. 

Enjoy!

You never know who's listening

I was sitting in sacrament meeting on Sunday, listening to the speaker, while Ian played at my feet.  (Why my boys can't sit on the bench for a little over and hour- when they can sit on the couch at home watching TV for hours at a time- is beyond me!)  Anyway, as I was sitting there, listening intently, a little voice from down below said, "Joseph Smith is dead?"- a little too loudly, I might add.

I don't even recall what the speaker had said that might have inspired this question from my 5 year old child, but as the words left his lips, and I looked down into his eyes, it was like he had just been told that someone he knew and loved had just died.

This year in Primary they have been studying about the Prophet Joseph Smith- everything from when he was a boy to when he became a prophet.   I guess they haven't gotten to the part where he was martyred yet, or they explained it in a way that he just didn't understand.  To him, this man he has been learning about all year is as alive and real as his dad is.  That is until he heard our speaker say something about him being dead.

Isaac, snickered and hurried to answer before I could.  "Yep.  He's dead."  

Ian's eyes grew wide, his lips turned down and he looked like he was going to cry.  "How did he die?", he asked.  

Again, Isaac chimed in- "He was shot!", he said.  And then he snickered again- mostly because he knew that it had happened a long time ago and he could tell that Ian had no idea of this at all.  

Ian, again with the look of horror on his face said, "That is NOT funny!"

I leaned over to Erik and whispered that we had failed as LDS parents, somewhere along the way, by not teaching our son the whole story of the Prophet Joseph Smith.  

I guess as we shared this story with him we forgot to talk about how his life ended.  It's too bad he had to find out that way- in sacrament meeting, but the good news is that he WAS paying attention!  Who would have thought? 

I Love Autumn

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns."

~ George Eliot

"Mums and pumpkins, so rich in their colors. Reminds me of a fall rainbow, after the summer showers."

~ Sheri Bresnahan

Being a Celebrity

I came across a cute top ten list the other day in a parenting magazine.  It made me smile- so I thought I would pass some of my favorite ones along to you!

Here are my favorite 5 of the top ten ways motherhood makes you a celebrity:

1.  Someone's always hounding you for your autograph.  Even if it's just on a permission slip for the class trip to the recycling center.

2.  You travel with an entourage.  Okay, so two of them are fighting over a bag of Doritos and one of them has a crusty nose, but STILL.

3.  You're front and center at every awards show.  Because your 10-year-old would never forgive you for being absent when he wins the school carnival karaoke contest.

4.  You change your clothes 3 times a day.  And it's much more fun if you pretend it's because you're being stalked by the paparazzi, not a messy toddler.

5.  People beg to sleep with you.  Well, only because there's a monster under their bed.

Cute huh?  Now go have a glamourous day!

A Friend's a Friend Forever

A couple of weeks ago, I was reunited with my best friend from elementary school (we met in 3rd grade and remained bff's through 6th grade). 

A little history:  I lived on the 'west side' of town and Lana, lived on the 'east side'.  The west side kids were bussed (1 hour each way!) up to an elementary school just below Skyline High School.  The east side elementary school was in jeopardy of being closed because there were not enough children to populate it.  I still remember the drama of it all.  

The 'east' didn't want their children coming out to the 'west'- because you just DIDN'T do that.  And so off we west-siders went.

There were no kids in my neighborhood that were my age, so I made friends with the east siders.  And Lana was one of them.  

I always loved being around her.  She seemed so mature.  So wise.  Yet she liked to have fun and laugh.

I remember the first time I was allowed to walk home from school with her and stay at her house.  I can still remember what her house was like.  I remember what her bedroom looked like.  She had bedroom furniture that I would have killed for.  Her bedroom seemed so mature.  Full of breakable trinkets that seemed off limits to me.  

She was a baton twirler (not sure if that is what they are called) and she had pictures and trophies and ribbons all around her room.

I looked up to her.  And not just because she was so much taller than me.  But because she was an old soul.  She was kind, wise and good.

And then I graduated from 6th grade.  The 'west side' kids were no longer needed on the 'east side' so we were sent back to schools near our homes.  I had to start all over again in the friend department.  It was awful.

I still have a few letters that Lana sent to me after 6th grade.  They are full of 'I really like this boy, he said hi to me and pushed me in the hall yesterday' and 'tell me who you like!' kinds of things.  I love them!

After a year or so, the letters became infrequent, in fact I'm not really sure how often we kept in touch with each other.  I do know she came to my bridal shower- but then we moved on with our lives and we lost touch.

Enter Facebook.

I got a notice from Lana asking if I was the Becky West that went to her elementary school- and that was that!  We have been emailing and filling in the gaps from when we last saw each other, ever since.

So a couple of weeks ago, we met for lunch.  We both admitted later that we had butterflies in our stomachs- not sure what each other would be like after all these years.

When I first saw her, the years fell away and she was exactly the same girl I remember admiring so much.  

As I sat across from her at lunch, talking way too much about myself, I looked at her face and thought, 'Yes.  This is my friend.'  

Our faces may show the years that have passed, but her eyes were still the same.  We are both mothers now and have had many experiences in our lives that have shaped who we are today, but deep down- we are still those same little girls who liked to play chinese jacks at recess.  

It is always wonderful to feel that connection with someone- that no matter how much time has passed since you last talked to each other, you still can look into each other's eyes and know that they are the same person that you knew and loved.

       Me and Lana now
and then.  (Our third grade class picture.)

I am on the top row, second from the left.  Lana is on the second row from the bottom, third from the right.  

We have promised to keep in touch- it will be fun to now be a part of each other's adult lives.

Thank you Lana for finding me again!  Let's do lunch again soon!

My Bed

         My bedspread today.
When I was just a wee girl (so little in fact, that I don't remember),my mom, or was it grandma?, made my sister Terra and I, matching bedspreads.  We shared a bedroom and if I think hard enough, I can see in my mind exactly what our little room looked like with our beds brightly covered by our twin bedspreads.  I am sure my bed had several stuffed animals and a doll or two lovingly placed on my pillow and a blanket folded at the foot.

The other day, I was looking for a blanket for Nicole's new bed and found my old bedspread folded neatly in a bag at the bottom of our 'blanket box'.  I hadn't seen or thought of it for years.  I am not sure why I even have it.  I know I had many different bed coverings during my growing up years- but I am sure this is the only one that was hand made.  Mom must have saved it hoping it would be used on a granddaughter's bed some day.

It's a little late, but I did pull it out and put in on the spare twin bed in my craft room.  Just looking across the room at it brings back many memories of mornings trying to get my bedspread to look just right.  I don't remember the last bed I made that way- you know the kind that you have to tuck your pillow in?  Everyone uses comforters these days.  Just pull it up and plop your pillow shams over the top.  No more tucking.  There's something to be said about tucking.  I kind of like it.

This blanket may be more than 30 years old, but it looks brand new.  No fading, no tears, no stains.  There something to be said about polyester too.  That stuff is amazing.  Why don't we make kids clothes out of polyester anymore?  Too itchy?  Not soft enough.  Oh brother.  This stuff is made to last!

It's funny how something as simple as a bedspread can bring back memories.  I'm glad my mom held on to it and gave it to me to keep.  And now it lays on top of a bed once again- beckoning someone to come lay and take a rest.

I think I'll take my bedspread up on it's offer.  Sweet dreams.

Me (5 yrs, old)  and my bedspread.  Awww.  There's something to be said about thumb sucking too.

Weekend Update

This weekend, Erik and I ran away to Midway, to stay at the homestead.  I am still in shock that I didn't get my camera out once!  The view was breathtaking with all the colorful fall leaves and the scarecrows welcoming you on the front lawn.  We were able to spend time with good friends and meet new ones, enjoy a couple of meals, and learn how to do laughing yoga- all thanks to the UHF! 

On the way home, we stopped here:

and bought these:
and yes, they do make you happy.  And make you gain 10 pounds.  Wow!

Later that day, Nicole and I went to Bountiful for my niece's baptism.  Here's a photo of her with her new scripture bag from her grandparents.  :)
Erik stayed home with this little boy who had the croup.  He ended up taking him to instacare where he was sent home with this cool Darth Vadar mask. 
And that's a recap of our weekend.  Wonder what this week will bring?

Mystery Solved

It looks like we have ourselves an American Kestrel, a little falcon.  This is good news for us.  They like to eat mice.  We have noticed that a few mice have taken up residence in our backyard by our wood pile, ever since construction began behind our house.  

So if we can put up with a little poop, our little friend should be able to keep our mice problem under control... Yeah!

Thanks dad!

The birdie on our front porch

Pardon the use of my blog to try to identify what type of bird has taken a liking to our front porch ( in every way....notice he is using it as a potty too!).  I needed somewhere to post pictures of it so my dad can go to work figuring out what it is.  Take it away dad!  Anyone else want to take a crack at it?  All are welcome!

Never Enough

In my opinion, I have found that you can never have enough.....

warm, comfy jammies,

hugs and I love you's from your family,

beautiful fall days,

kleenex when you are reading your grandmother's journal and the notes your grandpa has made in it since she passed away,

good friends who listen,

brain cells to help you learn physiology,

good soup recipes,

phone calls from your mom and dad,

time to shop at Tai Pan,

lip balm from Bath and Body Works,

hours in the day,

hands to help clean up after dinner is over,

packages in the mail with your name on them,

new dishes,

time to read all the blogs I want,

and for that matter, things to blog about,

vacation days,

quiet time,

patience to endure difficult trials,

peace,

and last but not least, comments.  Ok, that was bad, but it is true!

Ingredients for a perfect weekend!

First you take a drive up Provo Canyon to Big Springs Park.  Bundle up and don't forget your camera- it is beautiful up there!

Next, stop by and visit the grandparents, ours just happen to live in Provo.  Isaac and Ian spent a great deal of time looking through Grandpa's Cabella's catalog looking at animal traps.  I know what is going to show up on Isaac's Christmas list this year!
Now add a little bit (or a lot) of good food.  We ate at Lon's BBQ in Provo and stopped by our favorite yogurt place, Yogurt Vibes, on the way home.  Yum!
Now, buy a couple of treats for your home.  A really yummy fall scent to melt in your Scentsy Pot (I chose Spiced Raisin), and this amazing new CD, Nearer- I am in love!  It's all my favorite hymns with an indie vibe.  Go listen NOW.  It's so good!
Finally, add a sprinkling of conference- oh so good!  Stop by here, if you missed any.

Add it all together, mix gently, and what do you have?  A wonderfully unforgettable Fall weekend!