What is Kira up to at 10:00 at night?

I know that you've all wondered what I've been doing at 10:00 at night the last couple of nights. Well here you go-

That's right- crafting.

You may now shout out in shock and awe. :)

Gratitude challenge

This challenge comes a few days before Thanksgiving...coincidence? I think not.

I few days ago Liam got a cold. He began coughing a nasty cough, so I kept him home from school. Four days into keeping him home from school I got a call from the school nurse. She told me that I needed to go get Liam checked for whooping cough. When I got off the phone with her I began thinking about what I knew about whooping cough. I had read about it several times, but I decided to get out my books and read about again and then research on the internet and see what it had to say about it. I was/am positive that he did not have whooping cough. I made a few calls to a few other medical-savvy friends and they agreed with me, that Liam did not have any of the symptoms except for a cough.
That's when I became frustrated. I thought, How can his school tell me what to do with my child? I knew it wasn't whopping cough and I wasn't going to spend the money, I didn't have, so the school knew it wasn't. I had made up my mind.
...I didn't sleep well that night. I knew, if I didn't call, the school nurse would be calling me in the morning and I wasn't excited (I hate confrontations). I kept going through the scene that I was sure would play out. Me screaming things like "You aren't here! You don't even know!" "You have no place to tell me what to do!" "This is ridiculous!" "When you want to fork out the money to pay to have him tested for something I know he doesn't have!" And the scene always ended up with me in the principals office yelling at the principal and then being asked not to return.
The next morning I wanted to just get the anger and humiliation over with. I quickly said a prayer and then made the call. I explained my position to them and then as they began to retaliate (okay I don't know if they were really retaliating, but they were going to say something:) ), I cut them off and said something I had not planned on saying. I expressed heart felt gratitude for their concern for my child and his well-being.

You could almost feel the whole atmosphere change. A phone call that could have ended in yelling and tears ended in thank-you's and love.
It's amazing what gratitude can do. James E. Faust said, "A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness. It is an expression of humility. It helps us develop such virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness, love, and well-being. Said the Lord, “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more” (D&C 78:19)."
I sometimes wonder what would have happened with my horrible online book purchase experiance if I had not have gotten so angry, but expressed gratitude to the person on the other line for helping me. I don't know that I would have gotten much back but, I am sure, I would have felt much better afterword. For anyone who has ever worked in any job dealing with customers you know it is much easier, to work with someone who is kind and thankful that you are helping them. And it is much easier to be willing to do more and bend over back words for that grateful costumer.

So, this is where the challenge comes in. I challenge you, all three of my readers (Hi, Mom!), to find that one person, or experience throughout the week, that you know you want to blow up at and find something to thank them for. It could be the check out lady that rang up and charged you for your green beans three times instead of just once. I could be your husband who, after asking him repeatedly, still left his stinky, sweaty, socks in the middle of the floor. It could be that snotty neighbor who continually tells you, in the sweetest voice and words, that you are a failure at keeping your yard and house and children clean. Find them (and you know you will), and tell them thank you for something-- It doesn't have to be huge, it can be gratitude for their time, for their willingness to help, for their smile-- And see if the experience, your attitude, or the entire atmosphere changes.

Okay, off you go, scoot!

Happy Thanks Givings!

The perfect storm

Let me tell you a little bit about genetics. When you take my laidbackness, Tony's I-could-care-less-what-people-think-of-me and throw in a little bit of both of our goofy/awkwardness, you create a perfect storm for this little gem-

That's right, My Luna Lovegood, Emma. I have always called Emma my Luna Lovegood since she was just a wee thing...But I never realized how right I was.

A few days ago while riding to Walmart I picked up on Liam and Emma telling jokes to one another. Of course I tuned into their gigglings and chatting right as Emma told this joke

E: Why did the chicken cross the road?

L:Why

E: Because it wanted to get run over by a car...and it's blood come out.

Odd? Morbid? True. and absolutely Hilarious!! I couldn't help it- I bursted out laughing! Where does a three year old come up with these things?

When I helped Emma out of the car she had donned the glasses. I thought she would take them off or something before we got into Walmart, but no. She walked very casually into Walmart, and acted like she wasn't wearing giant bug eye glasses.
The best part about the glasses? They only have two tiny holes you can see out of. So if you talked to her, she would have to swing her head around blindly until she found you in the little peepholes. Hilarious!! We got a few odd looks :)
This is not the first Luna Lovegood moment at the store. A few months ago, we were out shopping and every person that walked by she would casually say "Well hey there, Little Lady." And then walk on. I don't know. I don't know where she gets it from. But I love it!
And finally yesterday I was singing the "Be a Man" song from Mulan. It starts out- "Lets get down to business, to defeat the Huns." I sing the last "to defeat the Huns," and Emma looks at me odd and says, "Tootie feet?" Liam busts up, I figure out that she misheard "to defeat" as "tootie feet," and start laughing, and Emma gets a sly little smile on her face. Oh, man, she keeps me hopping.

But it must run in our genetics (or at least the genetics the kids get from Tony and I mixed) because in the same song they sing, "Tranquil as the forest, but on fire with in." And Liam starts giggling and says "Butt on fire!! Wahahaha!"

Genetics...what can I say? Tony and I create Lovegood kids...Looney Liam, Looney Emma- hmmm. I think it has a nice ring to it. :)

I love my Looney Lovegood kids.

couple of things

First off, Fox finally cut his first tooth today...that's right at 13 months, and two days, he finally has his first tooth. He has about five-six more that are coming so he's not the happiest kid right now...at least around me. He cries and whines any time I am around and is happy and smiley for everyone else. stinker.

Second- Tony finished another class last Monday and got 98.25% in the class. How cool is that!! He's the coolest (and most attractive) student I know.

Third- I went for the very first time to get my hair cut at a salon. I'm two months shy of turning twenty-six. That's what happens when your Mom is the best hair cutter (and totally free) you know!! :) The lady that cut my hair made fun of me and my twenty-six year old virgin hair. I will not be going back to her. :) But I think it turned out pretty good. what do you think?

Memo to you: It's a cheesy, mac, self picture that was taken about 1 minute ago. My make up is smudged, I know one eye is bigger than the other (Tom points this out to me in most of my pictures [darn little brothers]), and I'm tired- BUT :)- notice the layers...that's the only difference, but I like it :).

Fourth-stay tuned for tomorrow in which I will be doing a post all about my child-Luna Lovegood. Believe me, it'll be worth coming back for.

Good night everyone! Happy Day Light Savings end time...The end

Here's Emma singing her new favorite song they sing in nursery. I need to get one up of her singing "I love to see the temple!" She's awesome at it!!

I posted a little while ago about Fox dancing. Well, I was doing the dishes a few days ago, while listening to music and when I turned around I found Fox dancing. I quickly grabbed my camera and this is what I got. (Sorry, the camera work is so shaky. I was dancing, trying to get Fox to dance :) )

WARNING!!!

Warning! Do not read if you are easily disturbed, or have any sort of queasiness or hatred towards bugs...any at all. This'll just make it worse.

So these are the new little beauties we have found running around our house.

Want to puke yet? I sure do.

I have found three of them in the last three weeks...that's plenty enough for me.

The worst part?

Two of the three were on the ceiling until they lost their grip and fell. eeeehhhhhh (shutter)

The red ones are bad enough (we've had a few of those also). But these ones with their nasty, long, hairy legs-gah! And they can move like you've never seen! It takes them about .2 seconds to run across the room! They freak me out!!

When I was 8 or 9 I shared a bedroom with my little brother, Tommy. One summer he caught a horny toad and for some reason, unbeknownst to me, my mother allowed Tommy to keep that lizard in a shoe box in our room! While we owned this "pet" Tommy would go out to a barn behind our house and gather up millipedes and feed them to it. I HATE bugs with many legs. Millipedes are no exception! One night Tommy told me that one of the millipedes had gotten away in our room (a few months ago, Tom told me he was lying about that stupid lost millipede! Just to scary me! Stupid!!). I had nightmares for weeks! I would wake up in the middle of the night and swipe my hand across the bed to get off the ugly bugs that I had so vividly dreamed were in it!

Well, my friends, as a grown woman with three children, these stupid "house centipedes" made me scream and run like a little girl, and brought back some the stupid nightmares. I'm sure Tony thought, 'what is my crazy wife doing letting loose on her pillow and bed?' But I was sure a centipede fell from the ceiling into my bed.

The next day I had my house sprayed. End of story. End of nasty, hairy legged centipedes.