Pants on Fire

Max has started to lie. Any good lesson suggestions? Currently he has the biggest problem when it comes to flushing the toilet. For some odd reason he doesn't want to anymore and then says he has. Anyway I want to nip this lying in the bud before it becomes a life long habit. I think it took me about twenty years before I realized it was just easier to not lie in the first place.

Baby vs. Lunch

Super Cool Party People

So Mae decided to wake up at 4:30 this morning. The cause is still unknown, but her not going back to sleep was probably because the batteries in her Rain Forrest Projector had gone out. So Super Jeff seeing that I was deep in sleep went down and got her out of her crib. She was changed, fed, and watered, and allowed to watch a Baby Einstein. Around 5 I heard a squeal, saw that Jeff was up and went to relieve him of duty. Arriving on the scene I sat down next to Mae and attempted to take control. Mae gave me no notice, played for a few more minuets and then grabbed her bunnies making a B line for the stairs. Jeff put her down and we all went back to bed. Now I am thrilled that the event ended before I really had to do anything, but really? How can I not take that personally. It is like I totally crashed the party. Like Mae was saying, "Oh she's here, well not much of a party now better get some rest." I totally feel like a loser.

Emily in Time Out

So I did the almost unthinkable last weekend. I actually paid to be in a room full of weepy hormonal Mormon women and listen to sappy, cutesy, prepackaged gospel. I went to Deseret Book's Time Out for Women in Oklahoma City. As you can tell from the set up I was a bit apprehensive about the experience from the get go, but I decided to go for the following reasons.
1. I liked to idea of getting away on the cheap by myself.
2. I wanted a quickie spiritual boost. (Like those free boosts you get at Jamba Juice that are supposed to give you energy or shiny hair.)
3. I thought it would be good to get off my self-important cynical high horse and do something I wasn't exactly comfortable with, (especially something that seems to works so well for so many other women.)

So I left Friday morning, (Hooray for Super Jeff who took a vacation day to watch the kids!) and drove out with some ladies in my ward. I have to say it was the shortest that 3.5 hour drive has ever felt. The fun conversation made it even better then when I have taken the trip with just Jeff. We arrived at the temple to do a session but the combination of it being our Stake Temple Day, and probably the Time Out for Women, made it super crowded and we got bumped from the session. For those who have never been to a mini temple, let me just say they mean MINI! Not that there is ever a bad temple, it is beautiful and you do feel the wonderful Spirit there, but they are small and when crowded you feel like you might get squished to death. I am NEVER going on a stake day again. I really didn't mind missing the session though, I have zero problem doing something else there, so I did some inititories and it was great. Cause really there is not a bad thing to do at the temple. I would have jumped in the font if they needed it.

Then we went to the Cheesecake Factory and all I can say is MANGO KEYLIME CHEESECAKE! Um Yum! It was really painful to actually see Pottery Barn Kids just across the parking lot and not go in, but traveling with four other women I knew they were anxious to get to the conference and I did not want to impose my wants on the group.

THE CONFERENCE
Okay so if I had to give the conference a letter grade it would probably be a C+. Which considering what I was expecting that ain't bad. And remember, I worked at the bookstore for 3 years of women's conferences and education weeks, so I had some serious reservations and pre judgements. The speakers and performers were actually pretty good. Props to Deseret Book for bringing out their big guns. No B listers there. I got some good things to chew on from the session. My big problem was the venue. FAIL Deseret Book! Held at the Cox Convention Center, I felt like I was at a convention or something. The room was a huge warehouse with crap lighting that made the whole thing feel dank and dingy. It was so bad that it actually distracted me from the spiritual message of the conference. I feel that for the money I paid they could have looked around for a better place, and probably easily found one.

The Hotel
I booked us a two room suite and it was nice. The website and the people at corporate we called to confirm that there were enough beds lied, but two people were willing to share so it didn't end up being a big deal. The experience was fine. I will say that I do not, and never will, understand night owls, but all things considered- 5 women in one suite it went very well. A-

The Second Day of Conference.
I was still dismayed by the venue but again the talks were good. There was a break for lunch, which was also time to do a service project, which I might have done had I known about it before hand. Lunch was good and then we went to the most fun cupcake/party store that was adorable and cheerful.

Change of Plans
I was really starting to feel my pregnancy by the end of the conference. I was told after lunch that our group was going to see the Oklahoma City Bombing memorial after the conference. This bugged me, not the going so much, but that it wasn't asked it was told. Ummm there are five people on this trip. I would have at least like to have been asked or considered. Plus kind of a downer after the spiritual high of the conference, and I had already been there. Luckily I found a friend who had also come to the conference and was able to get a ride home with her. So whatever it all worked out. I was home to see Max before bed.

It was all a fairly good trip, especially considering my reservations going into it.
I am glad I went. Due only to the dumpy location, I don't think I would have done it over again knowing what I know, but that is the only reason. I enjoyed the company, food, and the Spirituality. And hey, it is always good to get away from the kids.

The following picture came from one of the speakers blogs and gives a good representation of how dingy the venue was. I have no idea who any of these people are. Yeah it wasn't the flash on the camera it was that DANK at the place. Totally made it hard to feel the Spirit would have been cheaper to just have it in a cave for the same effect.

Each Flower Reminds Me of You

A short shout out to the most beautiful person I know, my mom. My mom is lovely. I could write a book about how wonderful my mom is but I am hot and tired so I'll have to just go with some short thanks and notes.

Thanks mom for taking me to classic skating so many times. Roller rinks stink.

Thank you for giving me my love of art. I was just telling Jeff that I don't think I ever took a family vacation without stopping at at least one art museum. I have been missing them lately.

Thanks mom for making me so many pretty dresses as a child and young adult. And thank you for making my children such beautiful clothes. Just about every women who walks into my house gets shown Mae's blessing dress, whether they want to or not.

Thank you for drilling the mantra, "When you leave a room just look around and see what you can take with you," into my head. Best advise ever! Poor Jeff hears it at least three times a week.

Thank you for driving me all around Omaha for auditions and rehearsals.

Thank you for passing down your perfect fingernails down to me. They are my favorite physical feature, so no surprise that they came from you.

Thank you for loving my children almost as much as I do. It is nice to have someone to call and share all the adorable things they do.

Justice

There has been a lot of talk about justice recently in regards to Osama Bin Laden and all that. I don't want to talk about that. You know what justice is? Justice is driving down the freeway and seeing the Benton County Prisoners picking up trash. They even wear the black and white striped suites of old school prison movies. This could possibly be my favorite thing about living in Arkansas. Is it weird that it brings me so much joy to see these guys, and sometimes gals, out there picking up litter? It just feels so right and gives me a huge pick me up every time I see them. In a world where wall street tycoons make billions for cheating, where banks get bailouts while my property values fall, where some jerk stood outside his car to chat with his friends didn't vacate his good spot til after I had pulled by, there is some justice in the world.

Mae day, May day, Mayday

They all work. Mae was sick last week and we all came down with it this weekend. Poor Max is taking the worst of it. I have such a hard time when my kids are sick, I think it is just that I am weak. I have been very blessed to have two reasonably healthy kids. Haven't had to rush anyone to the hospital yet, knock on wood. It was really hard to be sick this weekend cause I am just so tired of us all being sick. I just wanted to rise above it and get something done. I also wanted to celebrate May day, cause you know me I am the world's biggest sucker for Puns! We will be fine and by next week we will have a whole bunch of different issues. Oh yeah, and I am turning 29 this Friday. I got my closet shelves so I am quite happy in the gift dept.