Her Mona Lisa Smile

That smile is 100% her during the rare quiet moment.
The following are true events and are about the above angel. Grandma's wrapped present which was on top of the bookshelf (which is taller than me) was obtained by dragging a large step ladder out of the laundry room into my bedroom, then the said present was unwrapped and the packaging styrofoam was picked into a million little static clinging balls. Where was I, the responsible parent? I was blissfully thinking that at 7am in the morning my daughter was entertained while I took a shower. I came out of the shower wrapped in a towel to find my bedroom had experienced a snowfall of styrofoam. "Snowballs, Mommy!", she exclaimed.

And you have it now!

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
-- e.e. cummings


Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
-- Dr. Seuss

Originality is... a by-product of sincerity. - Marianne Moore

Thanks Loralee for sending me this email and photo today! It really made my day!

"You had it in you then..."

Green Christmas Card

Merry Christmas! We are going a bit greener (and saving on postage!) this year with our Christmas card by sending it via email. If you would prefer snail mail, please email me a request!

A Shepherd in Overalls

This past week, my great uncle Bill died after many brave years of being on dialysis. For most people I know, they are lucky to even know the name of their great uncle. I was lucky enough to get to know a bit of this wonderful man who always brought a smile to my face. He and my aunt Caroline are easy to love.
I will always remember Uncle Bill in blue denim overalls and a plaid shirt. I'm sure he will ask for white ones in heaven. He was a gardener. He and Aunt Caroline had a vegetable garden bigger than my whole yard! I am impressed that despite multiple draining trips for dialysis miles away, they kept such a beautiful garden with rows and rows of veggies!
Uncle Bill was a shepherd. I remember getting bum lambs from his flocks to raise. I wrote about these experiences here; I'm grateful for what I learned from raising sheep.
I think Uncle Bill's experiences here on earth made his heart tender. The shepherd in overalls is now with the Shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul.

Who knew!

We watched a Christmas light show set to music last night. We weren't expecting Tucker to love it the most! He watched attentively the whole time!

Thanksgiving!

The holiday season has begun! I'm so thankful for this beautiful life.
Highlights of Thanksgiving Day:
1. The morning began with a trip to the zoo to "Feast with the Beasts"! It was a lot of fun to see the elephants break open huge pumpkins and the bears to pull apart their turkey pinatas. Peapod and I have colds so we were a bit more sluggish this week than usual, but we all had a lot of fun. Of course we had to finish off the visit with her favorite: "Tickets! Da carstlell (that means carousel)!"


2. A lovely dinner with my grandparents and cousin Tyler. PrincessPea slept nearly the whole dinner. Then we all took an outing out to feed the horses some grain. She LOVES horses and was quite concerned that every single horse received their Thanksgiving dinner. "Dey're hungry!" she exclaimed. She has no fear and loves going with the grandpas out to feed.

3. My favorite is watching the National Dog Show! I find it funny how much I love watching this. My favorite group is the terriers. And a Scottish Terrier named Sadie won! Tucker voted for her.

Raw Humanity

I meet around a couple of dozen patients every day I practice. They usually are under duress due to pain and anxiety. Simply said: people are generally not at their best when they do see me. Most have come to my clinic are either referred from the hospital or local dentists due to finances, infection or, in some cases, just being difficult patients to treat for one reason or another. They can be swollen, cranky, many of lower IQ or mental disabilities, smell bad in ten different ways, and come from all walks of life. And, despite all flaws, you have to open a part of yourself to accepting them as a person or they will feel it and not trust you with their health. The elderly and children are my favorite; they are the easiest to love.
I try to make this dreaded dental experience as positive as possible being upbeat and reassuring. I could rattle off my various degrees, knowledge, IQ, rankings, various professional experiences, but although that can be reassuring, what really matters is if you can connect. I like connecting. After a patient says "I hate needles", I jokingly say things like, "Well, if you actually liked needles I would be worried." To get a full health history, I ask them personal questions about their health and daily life. I ask difficult things like: "Are you ready to quit smoking?" or "How did you get this bruise?" and my least favorite, "Will you be able to pick up that antibiotic; it is four dollars at Walmart?" After passing personal boundaries by verbally asking about habits, health, hygiene, and even finances, I pass any personal space barriers as I examine their face, body and mouth.
I am more myself in this role than in most places. I love happily meeting people. A patient gives so much trust to you that one cannot feel any judgment towards them or they to you. It is a trusting give-and-take between two humans despite all differences; I don't even feel this at church. I am good at making them comfortable, helping them. I am positive; I'm glad when a high anxiety patient can laugh as I extract a tooth. I enjoy teaching my student assistants. The only other time I feel as at ease with myself is when I'm in my home with just my daughter and husband. I continue to pray for guidance on what I am to do. It is no secret that I would love to suddenly have no worries about debt or money and stay at home being a mom while my kids are small and donating my time to patients in need; but I just keep going and praying, following. I'm definitely standing too close to my life painting to get the full picture and I just keep trying to do the right brush strokes. It would be easier to go to a foreign country and give my services than to serve those nearby. I will be honest: a few of these patients are not easy to love or, at times, even like. Mostly, we live disparate lives. We are separated by a million things even though we are just people. I may wish for my cocoon of tranquil living but after seeing such raw humanity, I cannot wish for my blind naivete. Now, I'm tired but thinking and my thoughts turn to another man of humble birth. I'm going to have to think about Him and my patients more. Hopefully, this verbal spew-age makes sense in the morning.

Turkeys for Daddy

Medium: paper, glue and crayon

The World is Awesome!

So true.
This is such a great video by the ever awesome Discovery Channel! Perfect way to start my day, thanks Laughing Lion!

Holidays are around the corner..

and I'm glad, because I need something to distract me from the cold!

Baby Tucker!

Kristie sent me this pic of Tucker as a pup today! This was his awkward stage when his ears couldn't decide whether to stay up or flop down. He's always been a cutie. Thanks Kris! Missin' you can can't wait to see you for Christmas! Dah-hoo-dor-ay!

All that Glitters...

...could be your daughter! Just minutes alone during a Young Women's meeting and PeaPod managed to procure and sprinkle more glitter than Tinkerbell has fairy dust. PrincessPea was a lovely pink shade of glitter and her bed sheet was a lovely glittering sea of glitter. Her pigtail part was covered! Hilarious.

Today

One Tough Girl

Well, here is to one tough week! We were preparing this afternoon to have the Young Women and Young Men over for a pumpkin trebucheting party. You would think that it would be one of the teens that would leave my home in route to the hospital; but no, before any fun chucking of pumpkins could occur, PeaPod tripped on the non-carpeted basement stairs. I was right behind her and knew from the sound of the fall, that this wasn't just any toddler toppling. She didn't move. I cringed inside and said a silent prayer as I lifted her up to look at her face. Not too bad, I thought. Gushing blood, but really, I thought: it could be worse. Teeth - check. Bones - check. Deep gash below mandible open to submandibular space - yep, that's going to need stitches. Hospital again. Stop bleeding. Put her in car seat. Call Daddy, call Papa. Peapod is very upset, so let her talk to Daddy on speaker phone while I drove. She just kept saying, "I'm o-o-o-o-k-k-k-aaay." over and over again to her daddy all the way. I know she is one brave girl because I have many adult patients who would never say that!
We did the routine emergency room paper work and waited for the topical anesthetic to work. She was fine by then, bouncing and playing. The doctors and nurses watched and said, "She's an active one!" Yep, that's her! Then came the hard part: the papoose board and the stitches. I just have to say this: My girl is a fighter! Don't mess with her. She put up a fight that surprised the nurses - including gnashing of teeth.
She's got spunk. I knew that, but I really know it now.
When the doctor was done suturing (which took quite a while since he had to do layers and she was not cooperative) she hugged her Papa and lifted her little fist in the air with mine and cheered "I'm tough!" She even thanked the nurse. Love this girl.

We had Eggs for Breakfast

I had a little help deciding what to make.

Conference at the Cabin

We spent Conference weekend at the cabin. It was blissfully peaceful and beautiful. We even had some rain Sunday afternoon! It was great to listen to the prophet - whether it was on the radio while we were out-and-about or on the television when we were inside all cuddled up. I had too many favorites to list; it was awesome.
PeaPod loved being out there. She loved driving in the Ranger, mooing at the cows, singing with the MoTab, bouncing like a deer whenever she saw some, and exploring outside. Grandpa baled a TON of hay this year; so we took pics amongst the outside haystack. You should see the inside of the barn that holds the rest of it! I like to call it the "airplane hanger for hay". Everything look gorgeous and we came home to real life relaxed.

Great Balls of Fire

This is what happens when a bunch of men camp out in the dessert with a trebuchet, pumpkins and something flammable. Yep, that's my husband.
He reminds me of this quote: Word art via Rhonna Edwards' wonderful 21 day challenge. She is my hero. Thank you!

Puppy on a String

Autumn is Kicking In

There is no doubt after today that tomorrow will be October. We awoke to snow covered mountains, a crisp rainy morning and congested noses. I love autumn although I hate saying goodbye to my garden in full bloom. There is a sense of anticipation with the changing of the seasons. Flocks of birds were constantly flying to and fro in my backyard. A flicker hid from the rain by one of the windows. A pheasant called. A doe waded in the middle of the river.


When the rain let up, PeaPod and I escaped outdoors despite our colds just to feel the crisp air. We kicked around a soccer ball,planted some leftover bulbs and harvested a few of our pumpkins and gourds growing around the yard.


Oh, and Tucker got stuck yet again in the neighbor's yard.



-- Post On the Go

A Secret Study, Handel, and Learning

Yesterday, I went to my voice lesson with PrincessPea. Usually I don't take her but I didn't have a babysitter. Rebecca was wonderful and handled the typical two year old interruptions well. She is a marvelous and exciting instructor who is extremely patient with my lack of theory. Her patience and love of teaching I especially appreciate considering she has a PhD in music which is completely opposite of mine in science. I truly appreciate having her not just as an instructor but also as a role model. While I was singing through an Italian piece, PrincessPea wandered into the other room. I wasn't too worried because she was particularly enamored with their dogs who were in the other room.
I completed the piece and went looking for her - but she was no where to be found!
I called and heard a high pitched little, "I'm okay Mommy!".
From where did this little voice herald from?
None other than the worst possible place for her to wander:
Mac Wilberg's personal, private and very secluded study!
I did not dare to go up those stairs and see what my lovely two year old had done to the esteemed composer and conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle's sanctuary!!!
My thoughts tumbled about bringing horrified visions of toddler fingers holding permanent markers and scribbling all over brilliant compositions, and strewing sheet music all over the floor.
I could not enter the sanctuary.
I couldn't be the first to see the damage wrought.
I let Rebecca go up there to survey the damage. She laughed when she went up and said, "You have to see this!" I went up the stairs still worried about what I would see. The room was spotless! (Whew!)
On the couch my daughter was sitting prim as a princess with a big red book open in her lap.
She said, "I'm reading." What was she "reading"?
Oh, just a little light reading about the composer Handel. My daughter may have to teach musical theory to me!I am glad that, from watching those around her, PrincessPea knows the value of reading and learning. John and I both love to learn - even if it is something that stretches us in a different direction (like singing!). She is very aware and watches those around her closely. I'm glad she has so many family members and friends with many different types of knowledge and abilities. I'm excited to see what she learns in the future. No matter what, I will have to play The Messiah a lot this Christmas!

A Bear Know Best

I have loved classic Winnie-the-Pooh forever. And I don't think I will ever stop loving Milne's classic characters. Each character has enlightening characteristics and they never fail to make me smile. I started collecting classic Pooh as a teenager because I loved Tigger's contagious postitive energy and Pooh's surprisingly profound statements for someone with grey fluff blown into his brain. All the characters are timeless. And our nursery - made up of my collecting - is what inspired this blog's name. I was thinking of a title while playing with baby PrincessPea (who truly was just a pea pod) two years ago and was inspired by how I had lined up the stuffed animals Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, Eyeore, Kanga and Roo, Rabbit and Owl on the windowsill. "They look like they are on parade.", I thought.


So here are some of my favorite quotes of my favorite most knowledgeable humble bear and his fluffy friends:

If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you.

Just because an animal is large, it doesn't mean he doesn't want kindness; however big Tigger seems to be, remember that he wants as much kindness as Roo. - Kanga

Those who are clever, who have a Brain, never understand anything.

They're funny things, Accidents. You never have them till you're having them.
When late morning rolls around and you're feeling a bit out of sorts, don't worry;
you're probably just a little eleven o'clockish.

Tigger: I’m so happy I could bounce! (ThePea does this, just jumps in place for over a minute, happy to be alive)

When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.
You can't stay in your corner of the forest, waiting for others to come to you; you have to go to them sometimes.


A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference. - Eeyore


Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.

How long does getting thin take?

Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known.

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.

It's so much more friendly with two.

As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.

Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. "Pooh," he whispered. "Yes, Piglet?" "Nothing," said Piglet, taking Pooh's paw, "I just wanted to be sure of you."

Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon

A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise

Sometimes it's the smallish things that take up the most room in our hearts. (This one I want to put in vinyl words in the nursery someday..)

That's what Tiggers do best!

And I know it seems easy," said Piglet to himself, "but it isn't everyone who could do it.

"Tigger is all right, really," said Pooh. "Of course he is," said Christopher Robin."Everybody is really," said Pooh. "That's what I think," said Pooh. "But I don't suppose I'm right," he said. "Of course you are," said Christopher Robin.

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.

"How do you do Nothing?" asked Pooh.
"Well, it's when people call out at you just as you're going off to do it, `What are you going to do, Christopher Robin?' and you say, `Oh, nothing' and then you go and do it. It means just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."

Some people care too much, I think it's called love.

My Sunshine Pup

It takes a Mom to Know

Last weekend, I had a chance encounter with an old neighbor of mine, Jennifer B. I hadn't seen her since she was a teenager and I was around seven. TheMan, PeaPod and I had had a very productive day and were ready for some fun. We went to the local town park and brought along some dinner for a picnic.
Note: PeaPod absolutely loves parks. There isn't a day that goes by without her asking to go to one. If we pass by even the smallest of parks in the car, she knows it and voices her wishes that we would go to the park instead of our chosen destination.
PeaPod was ecstatic. She ran onto the playground as soon as we arrived. As usual, she found some other children, and asked them to "Come p'ay". These cute older girls were happy to play with her. Their mother came and sat down on a bench next to TheMan and I. I had not taken a good look at this mother since I was talking to TheMan, busy setting up the picnic and watching the Pea, but we started up a bit of conversation about our daughters.
Once the other mom started talking, I knew her. And then I quickly turned and truly looked at her. Over twenty years may have passed, but I knew it was her. I exclaimed, "Jennifer B.?" and introduced myself, since there was no way she would recognize me from the girl I was at the age of seven. She was as amazed as I was. So there we were! She had six kids ranging from the teens to age three. All were cute-as-a-button blondes just like her and very polite. I came to find out she was homeschooling her children. I find this absolutely an amazing endeavor especially considering how social her children were. As a child, I was impressed by her doing daring tricks on the trampoline; now I am even more impressed by her skills as a mother. We discussed family, what everyone was doing, and how life changes. It was a lovely chat.
She shared a story that I thought was so true and could have happened to any of us. She said that once my mom called her to babysit for just a few minutes. My mom desperately needed to go to the grocery store for something but didn't want to take all four of the small girls along. Jennifer said that my mom was truly in need of someone, but she was a typical teenager (like we all can be!) and didn't want to go. She had the usual excuses of being tired after a day at school etc. So she didn't go. Years later, Jennifer stated, she was in the same position with four small children and needing to go to the store but not wanting to drag them all there. And that is when she remembered the day my mom called and thought, "Oh I am so sorry S.!". I'm sure my mom never thought twice about that conversation years ago and either found someone else to tend or took us along. But Jennifer remembered and I love this lesson for me. It takes a Mom to know doesn't it? It generally it takes being a Mom to know what being a Mom really entails. All the beauty, the love, the work, the sacrifice, the fun, etc. It takes a Mom to know.

Conversation with a Hummingbird

I had a lovely conversation with a hummingbird today. I was in my backyard picking zinnias for a bouquet, when she came whizzing by. She stopped midair not ten inches from my face! I backed up a touch - so startled was I by her friendly demeanor. She hovered there looking at me, then turned to my zinnias and then turned back at me. She was wondering if I would be so kind as to share my zinnias. I held up my bouquet slowly as a nectar offering to her. (As much as I love Midsummer's Night Dream I have no need of nectar and felt free to share.) She then partook of each of the six picked zinnias! On the largest one, the coral pink one which is a personal favorite, she landed her petite little feet upon a single petal. Then, for just a half of a second, she stood still upon the flower as I held it! Ahh! It was such a thrill to watch at such close proximity God's beautiful, flitting creature! Such a "be still and know that I am God" moment!
When she had had her fill, she then gave a little throaty trill of thanks and went on to the zinnias I had not yet picked.

Stu and Ariel Got Married

in the Bountiful Temple this summer! Better late than never! I had just a few pics on my camera and just barely downloaded them. Of course my camera died before I took any of the bridal couple. Ariel's dress was amazing and Stu looked pretty dapper himself! I am so glad I thought to bring PeaPod's paper parasol because it was HOT. That little parasol did a surprisingly great job of shading us from the direct sun. There was a couple from Japan getting sealed that day and their wedding party were all in love with the fact that the "little blonde" had a parasol.
I love this photo. Here she is with Grandma Maurine (her great grandma) waiting for the newly weds to step outside the temple doors. She was sitting with her for quite a while until (of course!) I grabbed my camera for a shot! And below is me. I'll have to find some photos of the stars of the day later since they were not on this camera.

All I need to know I learned from the Robinsons...

TheMan and I LOVE the Disney animated movie, Meet the Robinsons.
We love the undeniably-without-bounds-love and generosity the family has for one another, the inspiration, the positive outlook on each other as well as on the future and their creativity.

I even tear up at a number of different scenes when I watch it! So, I was super excited to find out that another blogger friend, Katie Scarlett, felt the same way. She wrote down some great lessons to learn from this movie which I just had to post!

All I need to know I learned from the Robinsons:

Lesson #1: No family is perfect. We all have our issues, but that doesn't mean we can't be happy together because family loves each other no matter what. I mean, this family has a cousin that's so big, he can't get out of his chair and just lives in it all the time, a grandpa that dresses backwards, and an uncle that is married to a puppet. And yet, they are still happy and optimistic. Whether your family is biological, adopted, or put together from people you love and trust, stick together and love each other despite imperfections.

Lesson #1 part B: Always be welcoming and inclusive to someone outside your family or circle. One of the family members, Franny, says upon meeting Lewis, "We need someone on maracas!" It is like saying, "hey, there's a place here for you!" And this different, eclectic family seems ever ready to expand its love.

Lesson #2: Don't be afraid to fail. "You failed! And it was awesome! From failure, you learn. From success, not so much." Failure is not a bad thing that you need to be ashamed of. It means you tried, and it means you learned. Don't let fear of failure stop you from trying new things. Just keep failing and learning until you get success. We all have dreams and goals. Trying and failing and trying again is the path to achieving them.

Lesson#3: Keep Moving Forward! Don't let stumbling or falling down make you so discouraged that you give up. Try to take it in stride and keep moving forward. That is the key to any achievement. Don't dwell too much on looking back, but keep your eyes to the future and what you have ahead of you.

Lesson#4: Don't dwell on injustices or offenses from other people. Being bitter and unforgiving really only hurts yourself in the long run. It's easy to blame others for our failures or hurt, but it doesn't help us, and it shuts out others who try to reach us. "Hmmm, take responsibility for my own life, or blame you? Blame you wins hands down!" This attitude will only make you lonely and sad. Be the one who reaches out and lifts rather than the one who hard hearted.

Lesson #5: Believe in yourself. If you have an idea, or a personal goal, or dream, pursue it. Don't let others tell you you're crazy, and don't tell yourself you're crazy for dreaming it.
Lesson#6: Carry around a notebook to write down all your good ideas!

Lesson #7: You have a bright future ahead of you. Believe it, and make it happen!

Sleep Aludes Her

...At least for an hour due to a pint sized hurricane. Yes, we have read how to "feberize" your toddler and we have read "Happiest Toddler On the Block" and other lovely stories. The Nanny has nothing on us since we have counted putting her quietly back to bed 72 times before. No, I'm not exaggerating, I counted.
We have the ritual. We have the bath time, scriptures, prayer (that had to be moved up from right before bed due to the negative connotation in her mind that personal prayers = bedtime thus precipitating a whole month of refusing to fold her arms), storytime, tuck in and good night ritual. She has added to this ritual 15 minutes later: loudly exclaiming "Mommy" and "Daddy" as well as many other incoherent things, sticking fingers under the door, and singing.
The problem is that she is the happiest, busybody on the block. The child should be the Energizer Bunny for Halloween. Fact: ThePea can just function on less sleep than most toddlers.
She would sleep through the night as a baby, but she wouldn't be logging in 12 hours and then 2 long naps in a 24 hour period like some other mythical babies I have heard about.
The girl likes to know what is going on at all times and preferably be part of those goings on. So, for the first hour of her "wind down" time, we isolate her in her room through physical means (i.e. she is locked in her room to read books, or sing or do whatever she pleases). Then, when all is quiet, we sneak in and tuck in the now blissfully drowsy little angel into bed.