I've Been a Bloggin'

To my blog readers (if I have any left) - I have not been the most faithful blogger the past 6 months or so. I have really missed writing and recording the rather ordinary life of the Wallace family. I have also missed your feedback & comments and "involvement" in my life through this blog.  Sadly, I may have lost a few readers due to my haphazard blog posting. I am hoping to improve! Can you forgive this blogging slacker? I have tried to catch up my blogging for February tonight. If you have some spare time, you might want to scroll down through about mid-February. You will find some new posts. If you don't have time to read everything all at once, just come back and visit and catch up with the Wallaces. Our life isn't all that exciting (I'm very thankful for that), but we want to share a bit of ourselves with you, and hope you enjoy reading about the ordinary lives of an ordinary family!

Adios baby teeth

Here is my dear Lacey girl, a couple of short weeks ago just before New Year's. Isn't she cute? Look at that smile. I love that smile. She is extra happy here because she is holding one of her favorite treats in the whole wide world - Grandma Judy's cinnamon rolls. Grandma knows how much Lacey loves her cinnamon rolls, and every time we go to visit, there are, of course, always cinnamon rolls - for Lacey & the rest of us. In fact, rumor has it that Uncle Casey knows just how to get Grandma to make them - even when Lacey isn't around. All he has to do is say to Judy, in his best, little-girl Lacey voice, "Grandma Judy, will you make cinnamon rolls?" And chances are, he can get her to do it! The whole Wallace family is thankful for Lacey's passion for Grandma's cinnamon rolls, because we all enjoy the fruits of her passion!

But - this post is not about cinnamon rolls, so look at that sweet 7-year-old smile up above again. Isn't it adorable? Now - look at the picture below of my 7-year-old Lacey girl. Notice anything different?


Ahhhh! Ms. Tooth Fairy has been working overtime at our house, as Lacey seems to keep losing teeth. Though this new smile is still adorable, I will admit that I did not cheer with excitement when Lacey recently lost her top front tooth. Every time she would wiggle her tooth, I would say, "stop doing that right this instant!" I could have waited for this event to transpire. I wanted to keep that little tooth in tact in her mouth, and if given the opportunity, I would have probably resorted to a little super glue to keep that tooth in place. But those who know Lacey know that she is a very persistent little girl, and that wiggly, annoying tooth had to come out! She would not let it be until it was out of her mouth & under her pillow, awaiting the Tooth Fairy. For me, when those two front teeth go, I know that my little girl goes with them. She is teetering between little girl and big girl at this very moment, and if those baby teeth would have just stayed a little longer, I am sure my little girl would stay longer too. But she is in a hurry, so I guess I will follow her lead, as the big girl inside gradually surfaces from one day to the next. And when the little girl shows her face, I will be there to give her a hug or read her a story and savor those tender moments, which I know, are limited - just as limited as those darn baby teeth!


Speaking of losing teeth, I think it is interesting that each of my girls has had a different way of handling her tooth-losing phase of life. Each daughter's personality is definitely reflected in the way she deals with the presence of a wiggly, wobbly tooth. My independent oldest, Madi, pulled out almost all of her own teeth. Perhaps this was due, in part, to the time, early on in her tooth-losing career, when my dad decided to "help" her pull out a tooth. (This is the same dad who was known to chase his own children around the house and sit on them, all for the chance of pulling a loose tooth -- and yes, I speak from personal experience). He was apparently a little over-enthusiastic as he "helped" Madi, because she ended up swallowing that loose tooth! Madi actually handled that experience rather well for a 5-year-old, but from then on, the number one puller of Madi's teeth was Madi, herself. I remember a couple of times when she asked for my help to rid herself of a frustrating baby tooth, and though I tried, I couldn't seem to accomplish the task. Madi was always happy to wiggle and jiggle, twist and turn those loose teeth, working them free from her mouth as quickly as possible, all on her own.

Katie, on the other hand, is my cautious daughter who leaves loose teeth dangling by a proverbial thread until the permanent tooth practically grows in to fill the would-be gap, all to avoid the pain and blood. No amount of talking, coercion, bribery, or threats will convince Katie to let you gently tug on the tooth, even when it's so loose that a strong gust of wind could blow it out, unless, or course you're her teacher. For some reason, Katie will let teachers pull out her loose teeth. A few times, amid sobs and tears, she has succumbed to my proddings and allowed me to pull a tooth, only to begin giggling the minute she realized the tooth was gone and that she had felt no pain.

And then Lacey - she enjoys losing her teeth. She wants you to pull them before they are ready, and she will wiggle them incessantly until they are finally ready to come out. But then - being the baby sister that she is - she wants someone else to do the dirty work. She has no interest in pulling her own teeth or waiting until they are ready to drop out on their own. She wants the loose teeth out, and she wants them out now, and she wants someone else to get them out. And for Lacey, the fun continues as more loose teeth loom in that mouth of hers. Oh well, even if she loses 5 more teeth in the next couple of months, she'll still be able to eat Grandma Judy's cinnamon rolls, and that's all that really matters!

what's up with me

I have been absent from the blogging world for a while, and have missed it. I have thought on many occasions that I was going to do a quick blog post, and it just never happened. After 1000 pictures taken and 25 days away from home during July, I have a lot to share. I am hoping next week will be my chance to play a little blog catch up. I have one more weekend jaunt - off to big girl's cousin camp - and then I am back for the summer! It's been a fun-filled, family-centered summer and I am excited to share some of our memories. How is your summer going?

Sigh - I want to go back

By about 3:30 this afternoon, after a rather unproductive morning & afternoon, I wondered why I was so unmotivated to do much of anything and why I was operating in slow motion. Despite my lack of motivation, I did manage to exercise, do a little yard work, watch Ben play outside for a while, shower, get dressed, make my bed, and feed the kids. But, it took me till 3:30 pm to do just that! My house was a mess and I had suitcases to unpack. As I questioned my lack of enthusiasm for doing the basic things that needed to be done, it occurred to me that I wanted to be back on vacation. We just returned from almost a week at the cabin late last night & frankly, I want to go back. We had such a relaxing and enjoyable time being together. We enjoyed being in the great outdoors, and every day was virtually carefree and lackadaisical - sleeping in, bird watching, chilling, and playing were common activities during the days last week. So - after that - who really wants to put away suitcases, fold laundry, and clean up? Not me!

Fittingly, the weather today rather suited my mood. We had a nice down pour (here's Lacey checking out the rain) - which reminded me of a couple rainy afternoons we had at the cabin.

Katie in the rain at the cabin (photo by Madi)

Maybe tomorrow will be a little more productive . . .maybe not.

ps - sorry I have been a "bad" blogger once again. I have lots of pictures to post from our eventful last few weeks - so I hope to catch you up on the latest & greatest around here soon enough!

etc.

i am doing something really cool this week. details are coming - later - so stay tuned . . . such cool things make me happy : )

this morning on the way to school, ben let out this really great burp & then promptly said, "i tooted!" silly ben!

my latest inspiration - I want to "treasure the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.
taken from a quote by author Anna Quindlen

katie's classroom is doing their own version of american idol this week. katie has gotten through the first 2 rounds, singing a different song each time. tomorrow is round 3 - good luck katie! she will be singing colbie caillat's "realize".

yesterday, lacey decided to make herself a little drink. she poured some lemon juice in a cup & then added some water & sugar. she kept doing this, hoping for the right combination, but was never successful. after i noticed my feet to sticking to the kitchen floor, i put a stop to the project and sent lacey to the table to drink her recipe. "but mom", she said, "i can't drink this. it's really sour & needs more sugar. can you put some sugar in my drink for me?" i reluctantly agreed, resisting the urge to pour the creation down the drain. then she gave me some very helpful advice. "the sugar is over there in that 2nd container on the counter." gee thanks lace - she has no idea how often i get sugar out of that cannister does she?

is anyone else having a crazy week? we have sooooo much going on. there's that really cool thing i'm doing, plus dance recital rehearsals, a soccer tournament, school parties, and more - just a big week - and then . . . one more week of school and summer begins - i am not ready this year!

i stole a picture from janae's blog of ben's new baby boy cousin, joseph - he is a cutie - look at those lips! i wish i could hold him right now. janae got some great photos - go here to see more!

getting a complex

I am starting to wonder if I did the wrong thing when I got my hair cut a week ago. It's not that I didn't like my hair before, but I like to change my hair because I get tired of stying if the same way every day. (I am unlike my dad - who has had the same hair for my entire life - or Brad - who has had the same hair since high school!) Anyway - the reason I am wondering if I did the wrong thing is because, with the exception of one young woman at church ( & Brad, my girls & my mom), not ONE other person has said anything to me about my hair cut. I see a lot of moms & teachers at the school either daily or at least several times a week, and I have friends I see every week at church. It's certainly not a big deal, but in the past at least a few people have noticed when I've changed my hair style and said something like, "I like your hair" or "you got your hair cut". That's all I ever expected to hear, but this time - nada - zip - nothing - not one comment whatsoever!

I have contemplated the possible reasons -

1. The new "do" looks REALLY bad and no one wants to say anything because silently they are thinking, "why in the world did she cut her hair - that was such a BIG mistake".
2. It seems like a big change to me, but it is just not noticeable to anyone else.
3. I have had similar haircuts before and the way I've worn my hair for the last year is so forgettable that no one noticed a difference.
4. People are just too busy with their own lives to pay attention to (or care about) my hair.
5. Everyone is jealous because I look so hot & they don't want to say anything for fear that my head will get even bigger.

So here's your chance fellow bloggers - take a look at the pictures. What do you think the reason may be? You are my friends, & I know you don't want to hurt my feelings, but if it's reason #1 - YOU BETTER TELL ME! : )

Before

After

I hope you're happy . . .

. . . you David Cook fans - I really hope you're happy because you have caused much grief and sorrow in this household! So all you moms with your David Cook crushes {Janae} and {Katie}- all I can say is, "what about the children?" When you were pushing those buttons to vote for DC, did you not think about the thousands upon thousands of 10-17 year old girls who would watch in heartbreak as David Cook's name was announced as the winner?

Sadly, I was not even there to comfort my girls when that heartbreaking moment occurred because they went to Brinley's house for an American Idol Party - certain that David Archuleta would come out victorious. I was not there to see the utter shock & disappointment on their little faces or to wipe away the tears that streamed down their red cheeks or to hug them and tell them it would all be OK. Brad shared these most sympathetic words with Madi & Katie, "now you know how I feel when Tiger Woods doesn't win the Masters." Oh, I'm sure that made them feel a lot better, daddy! And today - they had to complete their last day of standardized testing - I hope they can concentrate! I doubt they will skew the scoring just because David Archuleta lost!

In reality - it's probably better that David A. didn't win. (just don't tell Madi I said that!) He's still so young, and his life would never be "normal" again - although it most likely won't be normal now, either. Also, I don't think David A. is as ready to be a celebrity (if there is such thing as being ready) as David Cook. Ready or not, I am sure we will hear from both of them again! I just wish I could convince my girls of that.

My high points from last night's show -

1- David C's arm around David A - over the past several shows it appears to me that David C. has taken little David under his wing & watches over him as a big brother. If this is truly the case, I think it's very sweet.
2. The Davids singing together
3. Jack Black - what a hilarious "pip"!
4. David Cook's "Risky Business" Guitar Hero commercial - he definitely seemed more comfortable in this role than little David.
5. Brooke White & Graham Nash singing "Teach Your Children Well"
6. David Cook's "last" song - The Time of My Life

My low points from last night's show -

1. The love guru
2. George Michael - what was with the song that seemed to never end and those sun glasses, and Paula crying - did I miss something? I didn't get it at all!
3. Not getting to hear David Archuleta's "last" song - which all the other idols who got voted off were able to perform.

Does anyone else find this disturbing?

Can I just share something that's been on my mind? . . .

This is Cher - she is 61 years old.

This is Cher & Tina Turner - they are 61 & 68, respectively.

It just doesn't seem right that someone in her 60's should look younger than me - at least in some fabricated, Barbie-dollish sort of way. Last week I had a few minutes to myself and decided to watch a DVR'd Oprah episode and happened upon this one, which piqued my curiosity. Cher has been out of the spotlight for years, and I was curious; but when I saw her, I was disturbed.

Cher is my dad's age. My dad looks great! He looks like this -


I will tell you that I am definitely not "anti-cosmetic surgery" and I don't see anything wrong with trying to maintain a bit of youth. I can think of a couple of procedures that I wouldn't mind getting at some point in my life. However, I think there ought to be a little moderation. As my mom always says, "moderation in all things." I will also tell you that I am absolutely for women staying active and relishing every waking minute of their lives. But to me, when Cher was out dancing on that stage, it seemed awkward. I can't pinpoint the reason why because I did enjoy watching Tina Turner, at 68, perform on stage. For some reason, on that Oprah episode, Tina Turner seemed more "real" to me than Cher, although I have no doubt she's had her share of "procedures" as well. On that show, Tina announced that she is going to go out on one more tour. I am sure, in part, that is what keeps her young. I hope that I can be so active at 68. Both my parents and Brad's are very active in their 60's. But - they are not trying to look 30 years younger either. The fact that so many people who are in the spotlight in our society feel the need to look 30 years younger makes me feel really uncomfortable. It perpetuates such an unhealthy attitude about aging.

Take a minute and look at this picture of Lesli's mom. Isn't she beautiful? Beautiful & 63. Lesli titled this photo "perhaps my favorite picture yet of my mom". If Lesli's mom changed her appearance to look the way Cher looks, something very personal about Lesli's mom would be seriously lost. I love Lesli's mom, & to me, she looks just as beautiful as she did when I was a teenager. I love Lesli's mom for who she is inside & out!

I am struggling with the exact reasons this all disturbs me the way it does - so I am just wondering - did anyone else see this Oprah? Does anyone else want to shudder when they look at 61-year-old Cher trying to be 30? Why does it make me feel so strange?

And just a final thought along similar lines - I really don't want to offend any Mariah Carey fans out there, but here she is, Ms. E=MC2 - at 38 years old. There is not one line on her face.


Mariah has apparently launched quite a media campaign for herself, so she is always in the spotlight as of late. When Madi saw Mariah on American Idol, she kept asking me how old she was because to quote Madi, "she looks sooooo young". I certainly don't think 38 is old by any means, but most of the 38-year-olds I know have a few little laugh lines here & there. But then you can't really look at Mariah and think reality - after all, she has a lingerie closet bigger than a lot of houses (again, a small detail I learned from watching a DVR'd Oprah episode).

Nothing personal, but . . .

. . . all I can say is tonight had better be the last night this young dude graces the American Idol stage (sorry Karla - I know you would buy his album if he had one, but . . . )!!!

I know the world is full of injustices. The fact that Jason is one of the top 4 American Idols is one such injustice. Come on now - dreamy eyes and toothy grin aside, he is out of his league right now. To quote Jason from last night when Simon asked him what in the world he was thinking, Jason simply responded "Marley, man - I was thinking Marley!" I think one of the judges labeled his performance as a bad karaoke number - I wholly agree. I liked Ryan's comment that Randy & Simon seemed almost mad at Jason's performance last night. Yea - I'm pretty sure he practiced for maybe 30 minutes during this past week leading up to his performance last night in front of millions. It does seem like Jason is taking it all pretty lightly. I guess you've gotta give him credit for his kick-back, lackadaisical attitude. He has to know he's not going to win, so I think he's just there for the party, to meet hot babes, and have fun. I'm sure he's accomplished all that. So now - let's get him outa there!!!

I just wonder how many lovestruck young girls are out there casting vote after vote all night long to keep Jason on the stage. A lot, I am sure! and I would like to personally find them & sit on their fingers so they can't vote anymore! Girls, this is not a popularity contest, a Bob Marley look alike contest, or a best performance by a cabana boy contest. "This is American Idol"! This is serious, you know. I told my girls last night that we HAD to vote for Syesha because she needed all the votes she could get to edge out Jason. Then we called my mom & told her she needed to vote for Syesha. My mom, of course only wanted to cast her vote for the beloved David A. - but I think we convinced her that voting for Syesha would not hurt David. Based on voting in the past, I figure that the "David's" are both safe & that Syesha was the one that we needed to keep so that we could tell Jason, "bye bye".

If Syesha gets voted off tonight, there will be yet one more injustice in this cold, cruel world of ours! Friends, I really hope YOU all voted for Syesha last night!

david questions

Why is the wallpaper on my office computer a larger than life picture of this kid? Why does my daughter write "I love David A." on the back of her hand, and why does she spend her time searching the internet for and then watching Youtube videos of David? Why did this same 12-year-old daughter beg her dad to buy her an "I love David A" t-shirt for $25 & the even bigger question - why did he do it? Why does Madi know all kinds of trivia about a kid that no one had ever heard of 3 months ago? Why did my mom tell her granddaughters that she would accept David as a son-in-law when her granddaughters are only 11 or 12? My mom loves him, that's why. At least she doesn't write "I love David A." on the back of her hand, but she does faithfully watcher American Idol so that she can see "David Archuletta". Yes, he's cute & yes, he can sing quite well. But still - David, David, David. Enough already!

This morning Brad commented that he hoped that David would stay in the competition for a while so that the $25 t-shirt was not a complete waste. I bet he will.

survival mode

i just looked at the date of my last blog post, and has it really been 10 days? i am in shock. i can't believe it has been that long. life can sometimes become a blur for our family (or at least for me) this time of year. this tax season has been more difficult emotionally and mentally on me than some in the past. we (i) go into survival mode and we simply work to get through until the 15th! yesterday was the 15th. maybe, just maybe, i will be able to start answering people when they ask me the question "so what's it like to get your husband back?" in reference to his being released as bishop. until now i had to just say, i really don't know. even then - the question is not my favorite because i have never felt that i "lost" brad, so i am not actually getting him back. thankfully, he's been here all along, we just haven't spent a whole lot of time together - especially lately!

yesterday, as i drove with brad to his firm's "after busy season" dinner celebration, i felt completely spent. i felt drained in every possible sense of the word. i had that feeling you get when you've been holding it all together for so long and trying to just suck it up & get through whatever it is you have to get through that is a pain in the butt to get through, then when you know you don't really have to anymore, you just want to let it all out & bawl like a baby. I wanted to do that, but i didn't. i still just might do that. i doubt it, but we'll see. the fact that our school book fair is happening this week (and i am in charge of it), that the wind fiercely blew all day (which I despise - it is draining in itself), and that ben has thrown up at least once a day for the past 4 days (the last time being just hours before the dinner while in his car seat on the way to the school to go to the book fair) certainly contributed to my "spent" feeling last night.

i still feel drained, but i feel relieved. i am looking forward to completing a few projects around the house that have been put on the back burner for about the last five years because there was never time. i am looking forward to some evenings together as a family. i am looking forward to brad going to a few soccer practices while i stay home & make dinner. i am looking forward to brad sitting down with katie to help her with her math homework or with lacey to listen to her read a story. i am looking forward to brad picking up katie from dance sometimes or madi from young women's. i am looking forward to hanging out with brad after the kids go to bed & just being next to him and spending time with him. yes, i am looking forward to abandoning survival mode for a while.

True Confessions

I've shared a lot with you about me and this family of mine over the past year, and I think we know each other well enough that I can share something a little more personal with you. I want to tell you a few things about myself that I think will provide somewhat of an insight into a forthcoming post.

Do you ever wonder why you are a certain way? Do you ever wonder what makes your brain behave in the way that it does? Do you ever get frustrated that you are a certain way and that your brain does behave in the way it does? I do. I wonder about myself all the time, but truly the things I want to tell you are part of who I have been for as long as I can remember. That doesn't mean I can't change, but these things belong to the core of who I am! When some of you read this post, you'll probably say, "oh, I already knew that about you LaRae, and I still love you". Others may be completely surprised. I don't think these are necessarily admirable traits, and many will find me slightly loony, or at least boring. Maybe you can relate. Maybe you can't. If you can, do tell, because I often feel like I am the only person on the planet who's like this!

Brad & my mom tell me I don't like change. I guess they're right to a certain extent, but there is a lot of "change" that I think is great! I love a change of season, moving around the furniture, painting the wall a new color, changing my wardrobe to reflect the latest style, changing my hair, changing my sheets, changing Ben's diaper - you get the picture. I think you could sum it up by saying that if I'm in charge of the change, I'm just fine with it. However, there are other components of "change" that I fight with every ounce of might that I can muster. As you will see, so far in my life, I can say that certain things have had to happen, and I can say that I have fought many of those things every step of the way! Believe me, there are many days that I wish, I weren't this way . . .

I don't like transitions

• When I was growing up, I wanted my mom to walk with me to my classroom at the beginning of every school year. By 5th grade she tried to convince me that I was getting too big, but I didn't agree. By the time I hit 7th grade, my mom refused to walk me into the school, even though I desperately wanted her to. That's a good mom!
• At the age of 12, I denied all possibility of approaching puberty. I hated the word puberty (still do) and refused to grow up. I did not want to grow up. I did not want to become a teenager. I did not want my body to change. ("what?? I need a bra?? No way mom!) My poor mom would try to convince me that growing up was a good thing, but I did not want to hear it!
• For the first six months of my Freshman year at BYU, I was miserably homesick. I could not handle the fact that my family was home, going on with "business as usual", while I was all alone, learning this new college life. (I guess this could be considered a good thing since my homesickness is what sparked a thought in Brad to write me a quick letter. That letter was the beginning of a faithful correspondence & look at us now!)
• When I got married, I think I adjusted to my new life quite well. However, the whole changing my name thing was a little disturbing. When I was first married, I always got annoyed when I got mail addressed to Mrs. Bradley Wallace. Who is that? Where was I in all that? Though, I still don't enjoy getting mail addressed to Mrs. Bradley Wallace, I no longer get annoyed.
  
• When Brad was first made the bishop of our ward, I struggled for at least a year (maybe two), trying to figure out this new phase of life. At that same time, I was no longer primary president (a calling I had for over 2 years - double whammy!)
  
• I hate the fact that I have left behind my years of "child-bearing" to enter a phase of solely "child-rearing". (that being said, it took me years to actually transition into the phase of child-bearing - so yes, this is a vicious cycle.)
• My kids go to a school where they can stay from preschool through 8th grade - keeps things simple & there's much less transition for me!
  

I don't venture far from my comfort zone - case in point -

• I basically live on the same side of the valley that I did when I was growing up
• I live just down the street from my mom
• I only left the Las Vegas area to go to college & then I was back!
• I married a guy who went to high school with me (top of my list of "things I want in a spouse" included - someone I am friends with first and someone whose family I know - so there you go!)
• I like Mondays because they are a return to the routine. I can clean my house, get things in order from the weekend & feel normal again. (OK - I know I'm weird, and I admit that when I was a student as well as when I was working outside of home full-time, I did not feel this way. In fact, I kind of hated Mondays. But as a mom, I love Mondays!)
• I will serve on the PTO board at my school as long as they need me - you see, I am comfortable there.
  

I don't like good-byes or endings. No, no, no I don't! . .

• When I was a little girl, my cousins would come to visit from out of town & when it was time for them to leave, they would literally have to sneak away in the wee hours of the morning, just so that a major scene (provided by yours truly) could be avoided. I could not bear to part and have the good times end.
• Again, during my childhood, we took a trip to Idaho to visit friends. When it came time to leave, I cried and threw enough of a fit that my parents decided to do the whole "let's pretend to leave her here and then she'll get worried and be happy to get in the car & go home" strategy. Unfortunately for my parents, this little plan backfired, because as my family drove out of the driveway, I couldn't be happier. I was even more upset when they drove back about 5 minutes later to take me home!
• When my parents sold the home of my youth, after a night of packing, I stood in the carport and wept with tears of sadness (on my dad's shoulder) just wondering how they could have done this to me. How could they sell this house? This was the house that I lived in all through jr. high and high school. This was the house where Brad proposed to me. This was the house where we were back door neighbors with the Harris'. We never used each others' front doors & I loved that. And, this was the house that had a little live pine tree planted in the backyard that I gave my dad for Christmas one year.
• When our friends the Bracketts moved from our neighborhood several years ago, I could not bear to look inside their empty house as they finished packing. For months it felt like torture to drive past their home, knowing they were no longer there.
• I really don't enjoy the end of a school year because it means my kids are older & getting ever-so slightly closer to the time when they will leave me. My mom has already told me that I am not going to be a good empty-nester. (The end of a calendar year is no better - for the same reasons).
• I don't even like the end of a day because it means I have to go to bed & I can't finish everything I wanted to do that day.
  

So there's my confession - pitiful, I know. You probably don't know whether to laugh or to cry. Don't worry, neither do I. Intellectually, I know that the only consistency in life is change (and all it's components including transition, endings, good-byes, and getting knocked out of my comfort zone). In hind sight, I know that probably every situation I mentioned above resulted in lessons learned, growth, and better things for me as I finally transitioned through the uncomfortable moments of change. So, there is always hope that I will change how I react to change, but given my track record, I just don't know . . .

Wallace Words of Wisdom turns ONE!

It all began here one year ago today - my little blogworld was born with my very first blog post. Now it is a whole year and 158 blog posts later! I am thrilled to have kept a record of my family for an entire year. I wish I would have done this a long time ago, or at least been a better journal writer. I am just happy that we have a record from 2007 going forward, and that I have found something that gives me a desire to keep a fairly up-to-date record.

Not long ago, Katie told me that she thought I was not nearly as excited when she lost her first tooth as I was when Lacey lost her first tooth. I tried to remind her of my delight and interest as I picked her up from school and she told me the story of how her teacher pulled out her tooth at lunch time. I was thrilled, to say the least, that someone - anyone - finally pulled out that tooth, which was hanging by thread for days, and which Katie guarded very closely, making sure no one at home came near it! Anyway, Katie said I wasn't that excited because I didn't even put anything on my blog about her first lost tooth. I tried to explain that I didn't have a blog when she lost her first tooth, but this still didn't satisfy Katie. Obviously my kids are equating my elation about an event or occurrence with whether or not I write about it on my blog. To a certain extent, this is a fair assessment, and I am sure that had I had a blog when Katie lost her first tooth, I certainly would have created a post for it.

In celebration of this blog's b'day, I thought I would reminisce by sharing links to some of the posts of the past that are the most important to me. If you have been with me since the beginning, you might remember these . . .

my thoughts on motherhood

more thoughts about mothering

thoughts on stillness

appreciating the little things

I love the video in this post

And - do you remember my encounter with Fran last summer? I told you about how she asked me for $40, which I gave her, and then found out she was basically a crook After that experience, I decided to send an email to everyone in my area who I had an email address for to share the story & warn them of this fraud. I thought that if I saved just one person from being scammed, then what happened to me would be worth it. Well - I never told you that this past fall, a mom I know at the school came up to me to tell me that she was approached, at an ATM, by a woman that she & I believe was Fran. Because of my email, this mom knew right away that Fran was a fraud. She told her to go away or she would call the police & that she knew that Fran had taken money from her friend & wasn't going to take money from her. Then, this mom rolled down her car window & warned those behind her at the ATM, where dear Fran was approaching, that Fran was a crook! I've hoped to run into Fran again some day, we'll see if that ever happens.

When I told Brad it was my blog's birthday, he said he thought I'd been blogging a lot longer than a year. I'm not sure why it seems longer to him, but to me, it doesn't seem all that long ago! I've enjoyed having a place to record my thoughts & the events in my household & to share them with my readers. I have truly appreciated the opportunity this blog has brought to allow family & friends (near & far) to stay in closer in touch with our family. I know who a lot of my readers are, but I suspect there are some I do not know. I hope that you have all been uplifted at times, found something you could relate with, or just had a little fun by reading my blog. As crazy as it seems, having an audience is what keeps me motivated to keep writing. So thanks for being my audience & thanks especially to my family and friends for commenting when you relate to something I say! I love hearing from you. Happy blog birthday to Wallace Words of Wisdom!

The world of ONE

there is much to be done
in the world of one
top of the list -
keep your mom on the run.

remove all the cans from the pantry
create a tall tower & squeal with glee
time to move on-
don't you agree?

there is much to be done
in the world of one
make a train out of legos

what could be more fun?

Just open the hall closet
a new best friend is right there inside it.
A vacuum to hug and take apart
An added bonus - suck up your sister's hair - every bit!

Oh how much to be done
in the world of one
walk in dad's shoes
oh you've just begun

Most precious little son

the world is your oyster, your future awaits
what will you (and I) become
after you leave this world of ONE?

Ya Gotta Wonder

Are you ever faced with the little mysteries of life that cause you to just shake your head with wonder?

There are times in my life where these mysteries seem to multiply & I wonder what cosmos in the universe are bringing such weirdness to my household. Take the case of the mysterious toddler tantrum that happened just this morning. Ben woke up & was happily chattering away in his crib, like usual. When Brad got him up & attempted to change Ben's diaper, he launched into a true, blue, terrible two temper tantrum. Why did he go from perfectly happy & content to totally insane? He's not even two yet! There was no logic to the tantrum, and simply no clues as to what ignited such emotion. He did keep saying "diaper" - but we had no idea what the problem with the "diaper" could be. Brad thought that maybe Ben had a problem with the particular diaper Brad had picked out (though they are all identical). So, Brad told Ben to go & get a new diaper. Ben happily went to get a new diaper, so we thought the tantrum was over. However, as soon as Brad attempted to put on the new diaper, the tantrum began again. I took over & tried to put the diaper on myself. Surely he would let his mother put on his diaper, right? Wrong!

Perhaps Ben just wanted to be naked. Maybe he wanted to join a nudist colony. Perhaps he wanted to put on his own diaper, or perhaps he wanted to be potty trained. I can question the origin of the tantrum all I want, but the mystery remains, and only the cosmos of the universe will ever know the real answer to such a mystery. However, I am happy to report that Ben did not run around in the nude all day, and we eventually were able to get a diaper on his naked behind!

The mysterious toddler tantrum is just one of many strange occurrences as of late. For example, why did I find my deodorant in Lacey's bedroom on Sunday night? Why was did it leave the cozy and calm shelf in my closet, where it peacefully sits every single day, and walk all the way to Lacey's bedroom, jump up on her window seat, and crumble itself into many pieces, leaving a trail of deodorant as it went? Truly this is a mystery. While we are on the topic of personal care items - why did Ben decide to unravel my dental floss on the same day that my deodorant ran away from my closet?

And, does anyone happen to know where the case for the movie "Hairspray", that we rented from Blockbuster, may have decided to go? I don't believe there's a convention for DVD cases in town right now. After all, the NFR is here, and you can really have only ONE major event of this proportion in the city at a time. It is now a week late going home to Blockbuster, and I do believe it must have really been unhappy there. Why else would it leave the way it did? The DVD is here, but it's case has simply vanished. Wherever it is, I'll bet it's in the same place that the apple corer/slicer thingy and Lacey's black Sunday shoes all happen to be. I may never know the answers to these mysteries, but I know that someone knows the answers. I wish they would share it not just with the universe but with me as well!

Space wanted . . .

"blog crazy, photo obsessed mother of of 4 seeks extra storage space for her digital photos. Seems that she takes so many photos of her "four" that she has filled up her computer's hard drive as well as her allowed photo space on blogger. Along with extra storage space, professional help would be appreciated. Those with extra space should respond to this blog post. Those with similar obsessions, who have successfully conquered "space" issues are welcome to respond as well."


Yes, I have to upgrade my blogger account because it seems that I have 500 pictures in my Picasa Web album (my digital album where all my blog photos are stored). 500 pictures, my friends, in less than 1 year! And even worse, I have 5,622 photos stored on the hard drive of my computer - & that's in a little OVER a year! I think I need professional help. I have purchased an external hard drive to house all my photos, I just have to figure out the best way to get them all transferred over.

Why is there never enough space - either physical or digital? I need more space in so many areas of my life.

As a fun side note -

I just love Lacey & her generally upbeat personality. She is so bright and so sweet. She just brought me a poem that she wrote. It goes like this -

Violets are blue, Roses are red, trees are green, and I am happy!

How delightfully simple and assuring to a mom to know that her child is happy! The cutest part of the poem - she spells "trees" as "chres". She is not my first child who thought "tr" ought to be "chr".

My little Lacey - I am so glad you are happy!

Time Tug of War

Hi! How are things? It's been a while, I know. Sorry. It's not that I haven't wanted to update my blog, because I have. So what's my problem, you ask? Hard to say, exactly. Just life, I guess. Just figuring out how to budget my time better, I guess. What's that? You want to know why I can't budget my time better when all my girls are in school all day & I only have one little toddler at home. Hmmmm - good question! I think I can blame the clocks in my house. Yes! I am sure they are all against me! They seem to be moving faster than they're supposed to! Have you ever had this problem? If so, maybe you can help me with this little issue. We have to s-l-o-w down these clocks! Whenever it seems that things should slow down, I miraculously find more to occupy my time. It would be nice to learn how to relax a little, wouldn't it?! I fear it's not in my blood - makes me think of a quote from one of Judy's recent blog posts. President Hinckley's quote rings true -

"Our lives become extremely busy. We run from one thing to another. We wear ourselves out in thoughtless pursuit of goals which are largely ephemeral. We are entitled to spend some time with ourselves in introspection, in development, in thinking, meditating, pondering things."

So I must admit, I have way too many ephemeral pursuits and I am wearing myself out, as the quote says. But still - if those clocks would just slow down . . . it might help . . . maybe. Anyway, this past Sunday Brad taught a lesson in church to the women (which I missed!) and this topic was part of the discussion. Well - I should say the lesson included a discussion about "the good things in life (I guess you could say the ephemeral things in life) that take up our time and distract us from the truly great and eternally important things we should be doing." He told me the lesson went really well because he had lots of participation. Well, of course there was an abundance of participation! What woman cannot relate to this idea? When Brad introduced the topic for discussion, one woman immediately piped up and said this was her life, exactly - "time filled up with good things that keep her from the great things". You know there were probably 20 more who thought the exact same thing - she was just the first one to express it. Since I wasn't there to participate during the lesson, I participated at home as we discussed my frustration with the "good" things I do that keep me from the great things. The problem is, the good things are important and do bring me some personal satisfaction and make for a fulfilling earthly life, but they certainly occupy too much of my time and often keep me from the things with an eternal perspective. So now I am trying to sort out - are these things largely ephemeral? Do they have value in the eternal realm?

1. Can we start with laundry? How about cleaning the kitchen & preparing meals and everything else I do around the house. Does a clean house really matter in the eternal scheme of things? Probably not, although I guess it is important to keep a "house of order". There must be some eternal principle I am learning here, right?

2. What about things like taking kids to soccer practices & dance lessons? Again - I am not exactly sure how much eternal significance these things really have. Sure there's some as they help my children gain knowledge, but how much? and is it knowledge they will need in the next life?

3. What about all the shopping I do to keep this household of 6 living, eating, clothed, and functioning? - there's a lot of time eaten up with this category, though I can't wholly ignore it! It seems like someone always needs something. Of course, my trips to Target for necessities often end in perusal of other aisles and items that aren't necessary at all!

4. What about my volunteering on behalf of the school, which feels more like a part-time, unpaid job right now. Does it really matter how many families I motivate to participate in a particular fundraiser? Does it really matter if I coordinate the school book fair, or if I'm the "kindergarten mom" for Lacey's classroom? Eternally? I don't think so. Although, I certainly like being in touch with the pulse of the school, and I like being involved for the sake of my kids.

I am rambling, aren't I? And all you asked is why can't I budget my time better. Sorry - I guess I'm a little sensitive to that question. Everyday I tell myself I am going to do better tomorrow. That counts for something, right?

I do like the fact that in President Hinckley's quote, he doesn't say we should avoid all thing ephemeral. I think he infers that these things are just a natural part of earthly life. I think he is trying to remind us that we need to take the time to be quiet and still & ponder and pray & think and meditate. We need to find the time to focus on things eternal amid all that we do that is so temporal. I'm trying, really I am. Sometimes I just feel like there is this tug of war going on and I am the rope and there are 5 different teams pulling on me - each pulling an arm, a leg, or a head! Who is going to win?

What do I look like? The Hall Monitor?

When I was a new, little seventh grader at Cannon Junior High, I learned to fear and loathe the very appearance of the school hall monitors. I had never experienced hall monitors before and these folks were flat mean (and a little freaky looking, I might add), and I did not like them. If I ever had to be out in the hall during class time, I prayed that I could avoid the meanies! They were particularly rude when it came to directing traffic in the halls between classes. We had "one-way passing" - so if you passed through the halls going the wrong way, you would meet with the wrath of the resident hall monitors. Who did they think they were? Talk about a power trip! All the trauma of these distant memories came flooding to my mind yesterday after a little experience in the hallways at church . . . and sometimes, well, you just have to vent . . .

Sunday School was just getting started and I was walking through the halls, which were mostly empty. I came across a young mom, new to the ward, playing with her very chunky, almost-one-year-old little boy. He is so chunky that you just can't resist rubbing his chunky belly - which I did, in a most friendly, motherly, and loving manner! I chatted with the mom a minute and then she quickly told me that she was just waiting for her husband & then they were headed to class. Oh - that's nice. Wait - what did she say to me? Did she just tell me she was going to class? Who does she think I am - the HALL MONITOR??? I promptly told her that I wasn't going to class, but was headed home because I had to get something my daughter left there. Seriously - what did she think I was going to do - run & tell the "bishop"? He was roaming the halls himself, keeping track of his own one-year-old, a certain Mr. Benjamin Bradley.

As I drove home here's a bit of what went through my head -

"why does she think she has to tell me that she's going to class? Does she really think I care? The only people I care to make sure are in class would be my own little people - Madi, Katie, & Lacey. Other than that, do what you want! I know she's young and new and doesn't really know me, but still. Am I just the matronly, "mother of the ward" in her eyes, making sure that all the ward members go to class? Apparently so! Doesn't she know I'm totally normal? Come on - my kids were undoubtedly the worst behaved of anyone's during sacrament meeting; I wanted to wring Lacey's neck multiple times throughout the entire service; and I forgot to fast & it's fast Sunday. I'll show her - just for that, when I get home, I'm eating a piece of chocolate and playing a quick game on the computer before I go back to church - so there!"

So - when I got back to the church (after I had 2 pieces of chocolate & 2 quick games on the computer), there she was sitting on the couch in the foyer, with her husband. Hmmmm she didn't go to class after all and she was caught by the illustrious HALL MONITOR, Sister Bishop! What would be her excuse this time, because you know she's going to give me one, and she did! Of course, the excuse was just - we're playing hooky today. My response - "Get used to it! You'll be playing hooky for the next six months till "little guy" turns 18 months & can go to nursery. I don't think I've been to Sunday School more than 25% of the time this year thanks to my little guy!" (See, I'm normal, ok?!)

OK - so now I've vented, you already know I'm normal, and that makes me so very happy! In time she'll probably figure that out too. Now I just need to bury those "hall monitor" memories again & hope they don't surface for a very long time!

a funny thing happened on my way home from the . . .

PART ONE

. . . bank this morning. I had a little experience this morning that I have to share -

As I drove up to the drive-thru ATM at a Wells Fargo not far from my house, I noticed a rather old & rickety car driving up right behind me and pulling into the ATM next to me. The car looked so thrashed & I was really curious to see who was driving such a beater. For some reason, I was surprised to find that the driver was a woman - probably in her late 50's (maybe 60's). With that, I turned to the ATM to get my cash & didn't think another thing about the car next to me. As I was getting my money, I looked up to find the driver of the car standing right beside my car window. I must admit that I was a little rattled by this and probably looked a bit shocked. It is a bit unnerving to have someone walk up to you at the ATM. The woman seemed a little rattled herself & asked me if I could help her. She said that someone had just hit her car & she needed to get it towed. She said that she wasn't a CRAZY lady & could I please help her! (she told me she wasn't crazy several times - I assume to put me at ease) Then she told me her story . . . She had borrowed her friend's car to come to the ATM to get $36 to pay for the car to be towed & discovered that she didn't have her bank card. Could I please loan her the money & she would find a way to pay me back. She seemed quite distressed by all these events and really looked like she could use some help. She told me her name (which I didn't remember), told me that she was a nurse at a nearby hospice (she was wearing scrubs), told me she made $30 an hour & she just couldn't believe this was happening.

After listening to this story, I wasn't quite sure of what to do, but felt that I should help her. I thought, "If I were in her shoes, I would really appreciate it if some kind stranger helped me out." I asked her how she planned to pay me back. She asked for my number & said that she would call me tonight. I had nothing to write on, but she said she did. So, I pulled into a parking spot & she drove up beside me & handed me a paper & pencil. I wrote down my name & cell phone number & asked her for her name, since I had forgotten it. Fran. OK Fran - here's $40. I smiled. She smiled. She shook my hand and thanked me & said she would call me tonight. I felt really good as I drove away. It felt good to help someone in need and I looked forward to hooking up with her again when she repaid me.

At about 6:00 I wondered what time she might call. I walked around all night with my cell phone in my pocket so I wouldn't miss her call. At 9:00 I checked to see if I had missed a call somehow or if I had a voice mail message. No missed called & no voice mail. Now it's after 12:30. Fran hasn't called. I don't think she's going to call. It's not that I cared that much about the $40, I just wanted to believe in the integrity of Fran. I wanted to believe that strangers can help each other out & that honesty will prevail. Am I naive? Am I idealistic? Maybe. I just hope that Fran truly needed that $40 more than I did & that she spent my money well.

PART TWO

a funny thing happened on my way home from taking Katie to soccer camp this evening . . .

My day ended with another random learning experience, and another experience that put a smile on my face. I was driving home with Lacey & Ben in the car after we had taken Katie to a park to learn soccer skills for 2 1/2 hours. Lacey said, mom, "let's go somewhere for dinner - just you & me." (Brad & Madi are on a little daddy-daughter trip for a couple of days, so there was no one to worry about at home) I immediately started thinking of all the reasons NOT to go to dinner. Lacey, Ben doesn't have any shoes. Lacey, your hair isn't combed. Lacey, I don't have any extra diapers & what if Ben poops. "No, I don't think we should go." There's plenty to eat at home & we really don't need to spend the money." Lacey, of course, did not care that Ben was without shoes or an extra diaper or that her hair wasn't combed. A couple of minutes went by & I thought, we should go to dinner. I pulled off a freeway exit so we could go to Metro Pizza - not far off the freeway - on our way home - it's early, so we'll beat the crowds - it's rather convenient & good food! Why did I even think this was a bad idea? I didn't tell Lacey what we were doing, and she didn't realize what was happening until we walked into the place.

Once seated, Lacey said, "We're on a date, mom, but Ben is with us too." She told me she wanted to order all by herself, which she did - spaghetti. Our server brought her soda in a "big person" glass, which Lacey thought was pretty cool. We had a great time, just the three of us. As I sat there, I learned my lesson that I need to embrace these opportunities. With 4 kids it's not easy to spend time with just one (& a half!). I was so happy I took that freeway exit & I was sad I didn't have my camera to take a picture of Lacey eating her spaghetti. But my cell phone (sitting on the table patiently waiting for Fran's call) saved the day. I love a quality photo, but sometimes, it's just great to preserve the moment!

THE LESSON

I am glad that these "funny things happened on my way home" today. Fran may have been feeding me a line (I'll give her the benefit of the doubt & will just assume that she does not have the money to pay me back), but if her story were true, she really did need a little help from a stranger. I was glad to be there to "help". I was glad to be there for my daughter, who wanted some special time with mom. I am thankful for those little whisperings in our minds & hearts that tell us to go beyond what is "convenient & comfortable". I like these kind of lessons, and I think my kids do too!

Tag - I'm It!

Who starts these things anyway?

Thanks to my sister - this is my second game of tag since I've been blogging. Thanks sis! I do want to know who starts these things - who decides the questions & who decides how many answers we have to give - & why are we inclined to answer them?! I don't know why, but I can't help myself and feel that I must answer the questions, though I may not give as many answers as I'm supposed to give. We'll just have to see what happens - so here you go . . .

1. What was I doing ten years ago.....

Mom of one - the most brilliant of all almost-two-year-olds, my amazing Madi, who sang & counted & knew her ABC's - her favorite song was the theme song from Barney - "I love you". I might add that she was also a master tantrum thrower. Whatever Madi did, she did BIG!

Director of marketing & inside sales at Valley Foods. It was a good time & a good job - I had lots of friends all at similar stages of life. Sadly, I don't keep in touch with anyone from that time of my life. I run into them around town occasionally & get a Christmas card here or there, but that's it!



2. What was I doing one year ago.....

Mom of four - enjoying my 3-month-old baby boy, Benjamin - quite a novelty after 3 girls! Of course - his sisters were having a lot of fun with him too as you can tell by this picture of Ben & Lacey. We were also doing many of the same things last June that we are doing this June. We had our last day of school and we also had Lacey & Katie's dance recital (only w/ a different teacher & different location). Lacey was our little ballerina, dancing to "Music Box Dancer" and Katie danced a tap number as well as ballet number (Honey Rag & Portrait de Fleur). She was center stage both times & we were proud!







3. 5 snacks that I enjoy.....

Seriously - there is no logic in the questions - how do you go from what were you doing 10 years ago, one year ago, & then get to snacks? I don't get it! But because I am compelled to answer these questions for some unknown reason - here you go - & be warned, they are NOT healthy!

a handful of chocolate chips w/ a handful of nuts - cashews or almonds are my favorite
Hershey's nuggets - dark chocolate with almonds
string cheese - if I'm trying to be good
cookies - if there are any around
a handful of dry cereal - usually the sugary ones we have around like Frosted Flakes, Corn Pops, or Fruity Cheerios

4. 5 songs I know all the lyrics to.....

Foolish Games - Jewel
With or Without You - U2
I Love to See the Temple - This has been a favorite of both Katie & Lacey, so we sing it all the time for FHE.
The theme to the Brady Bunch
The theme to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air

"Now this is the story all about how my life got twist-turned upside down. I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there, I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air. In West Philadelphia born & raised on the playground was where I spent most of my days . . ."


5. 5 things I would do if I were a millionaire

Pay off my house - then buy some land and build a new house (paying cash, of course) with a big back yard and a big playroom on a safe street where the kids can ride their bikes & I don't have to worry about someone running them over because people in my neighborhood drive up & down our street WAY too fast! (yes, this is definitely a run on sentence)

Invest plenty of money for retirement

By then I would probably be out of money unless I was a multi-millionaire - a million bucks doesn't go all that far anymore!

6. 5 bad habits....

procrastinate - check out my sisters' blogs & you will see this is a family trait! (Dawnae / Janae)
stay up too late
Underestimate how much time it gets from one place to another (this is inherited from my dad - he is the master!)
Not eating properly
That's good enough - I am sure that I don't have any more bad habits - oops, maybe that's a bad habit!

7. 5 things I would never wear again

Little girl panties with lace on the bum (obviously as a little girl of 7, I was excited about these!)
a wedding dress
pajamas with feet in them
a perm!
dresses inspired by "Little House on the Prairie"




8. 5 toys I love

My iMac computer
Software on my Mac - iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie
Scrapbooking supplies
The satellite radio in my car
My really cool Canon digital camera


9. 5 people to tag!

My circle of blogging buddies is quite small & Dawnae tagged most of them - so I will tag who I can. For my "infrequent" blog posting buddies, maybe this will give you an excuse to make a post! Go for it - Lesli, Linda, & Heather!