Random Thoughts by Jennifer Vos

I've been such a blogging slacker over the past few weeks. We have had a lot of happenings going on at our house. Here's a mini recap:

Emily has been doing great on the West swim team. She practices every day and has had three meets so far with two more to go for the season. She loves it. I love the swim team. Swimming is a great sport. The kids are so positive and supportive of each other and their accomplishments.

Emily getting ready for her event.

About every two weeks I go to the dollar store and buy a package of pencils. I don't like to write in pen because I like to be able to erase my mistakes. I have to go every two weeks because someone keeps stealing my pencils. They also steal my pencil sharpener. Somewhere in my house is a secret room that I don't know about full of pencils. It frustrates me so much that I almost want to cry. That sounds so stupid. Please, implore you, bring back my pencils!

Calvin wore the above shirt for 9 days straight.

This is what Calvin and Christopher call a sock donut. They roll their socks up and this is what it becomes. The sock donut does not get clean in the washer and makes me very angry.

This is Chris wearing the Bumbo as a helmet. Pretty funny.

I must have early onset dementia. I cannot remember anything. Something might be wrong with me. I don't really know. I go to rooms to get stuff and can't remember why I was there. I can't remember to send my kids to school with a beach towel for beach day. I have started tell the same stories to Anna over and over again. I can't remember the names of things. Like regular words. It takes me a second to think of what something is. I'm only 34. What's wrong with me?

I took Emily shopping on Saturday for some new clothes. We went to Salvation Army and Plato's Closet. Emily got a ton of stuff for very little money. I was proud of the wise purchases that she made. While at Plato's Closet, I spotted some cute, longish skirts and pointed them out to Emily. She giggled and whispered to me, "Those are dresses, Mom." Indeed they were. Very, very immodest dresses. Emily got something called skinny jeans that in the 80s were just called jeans. She dresses modestly and that's what matters.

This should be a skirt.

On Saturday, Chris did something that he has never done before in all of our 14 years of marriage. He went grocery shopping. I gave him the list. I gave him a quarter and the bag of Aldi bags. He took 4 boys and headed out. He came back with everything on the list and minimal additions. Everyone came home alive. I am very proud of him.

What Calvin Wrote on His Blog

The bully who bully me a lot.

Two days ago this kid named eddy called my that i have a retarded face and i think he said i have a stopid face because he think s hes cool and thinks that hecan pickon aother kids how are smaller then him . Butt hes not my friend ryan is cool. i hate eddy.
his littel brothertackaled me and he think hes cool when he tackeled me it did not hurt ima football player and football players have to be tough.

Weekly Top Five 3/23/2009

Top Five Things I Miss When Chris Is Gone

1. Having straight covers on the bed

2. Floors always vacuumed

3. Someone to talk to and make me laugh

4. Someone to make the dog behave

5. Snuggles

Thankful Thursday 3/19/2009

Baby Edition

1. Soft, Plump Baby Arms

2. Soft,Plump Baby Cheeks

3. Good Baby Smell

4. Sweet Baby Laughs

5. Pretty Baby Smiles

Yes i love technology But not as much as you, you see But i still love technology Always and Forever

I am having an affair.

It's true. It's been going on since just after Christmas and I am totally enamoured...totally addicted to my new love. My love is small and red and has an easy-to-use QWERTY keyboard and the cutest little trackball. I am having an affair with my Blackberry.

In order to suck you into a new contract, AT&T will offer customers various free phone upgrades. My contract was up in December and I investigated the phones and found that I qualified for a refurbished Blackberry. I decided to give it a try and have been completely delighted with it. After I figured out everything I can do, I am amazed by all of it's functions.

I can take really good pictures and video with it. I can check and respond to my email from it. I can check and update my Facebook account from it. I can update my Twitter account from it. I can text. I can keep a calendar schedule. I can carry all of my contacts from Outlook with me wherever I go. I have set up individual rings for each of these functions and for all of my contacts. When Anna calls, I hear the "90210" theme song. When Chris calls, it's 007. The MSU Fightsong reminds me I have somewhere to be. "30 Rock" theme song tells me I have an email. My mother in law gets a funny version of "Sexy Back." Spongebob tells me someone from Church is calling. I love to hear the ringtones. It reminds me that I'm connected...stuff is happening. Chris doesn't like it so much. Particularly, he doesn't enjoy it at night when he is trying to sleep.

You see, I sleep with my Blackberry in hand.

That's right...in my hand. Chris hates getting woken up all night long with Twitter updates from Ryan Seacrest, Good Morning America and LiberalMormon. But not me...I like to know. I like being connected. I like knowing that Teresa has picked up Darrin from the hospital the minute it is happening. I like knowing that Anna had a good day today. I like knowing that there is a $7 coupon to Meijer out there from Alicia if I should want it. I like being able to communicate with friends from all over the world that I would otherwise see every five years at a class reunion or never.

Why is this connection so important to me? I think it has to do with my father. I remember a fireside we had when I was about 13 and the speaker asked if anyone was still friends with people from grade school. His whole purpose was to talk about how friendships can be fleeting so don't let friends influence you to make bad choices. I remember my dad was the only one there who raised his hand to say that he was still in touch with someone from grade school. It struck me at that moment that connections with people must be important to my dad and so they needed to be important to me too. The more I think about it, connections were really important to my dad. He talked all the time about a guy that he trained with at Ft. Benning in the '60s. Talked about how the guy still owed him a case of beer over the '68 World Series. That guy, Eddie Gokan, sent an arrangement of flowers for my dad's funeral almost 40 years later. My dad carried a card around with him of the first missionary to ever contact him. That card is now in my possession and if anyone knows William Jay Nielsen from Lehi, Utah, who served a mission in Lansing, Michigan in the late '50s-early 60's, let me know. More than once I was taken to homes of people that he knew in high school, college, former co-workers etc... He always wanted to arrange family reunions to get everyone together. If my dad were alive, he would have more friends than I do on FB.

You can make fun of Facebook and Twitter and Texting and Blogging and Techonology, but without it I wouldn't be able to communicate so easily with so many people. My first YW leader, my best friends from HS, a former crush and his family, people I went to Kindergarten with, friends that have moved away, family members who live in other parts of the world, kids I babysat, kids who babysat my kids, former YW...all of these I know and feel like we communicate often. Last month, I got together with some HS friends that I hadn't seen in about 5 years but it felt like I had just talked to them because I had been keeping up with them through technology! And I'm not only connected to those far distant but to those close by.

So if you need to get in touch with me at any time of day or night...give me a tweet or text or post on my wall or send me an email. I've got my sweet little Blackberry in hand. I'm going to have to get Chris some earplugs...

Random Thoughts by Jennifer Vos

Yesterday we had a really great RS lesson and I learned something very important about myself: I am not a peacemaker. If you doubt this ask me about what happened when we moved my Dad's stuff after he died, or about what happened with an Institute class I tried to take in Ann Arbor, OR about a letter I wrote to a girl once who offended me that has since moved into the same ward that I live in and I like her very much now because she really is wonderful and I wish I could take it back OR about what happened when I didn't like the boys who took art at my high school. All of these instances are me not peacemaking. AND I COULD GO ON AND ON... So I'm setting a goal to be a peacemaker like Joseph Smith. If someone comes here to kill me, I'll shake their hands. Just smile and wave, boys, just smile and wave.

The only thing that keeps me from having baby number 7 right now is that I would be secretly branded a freak by the rest of the world. I would be one of those women who has babies just a year apart. Seriously the only thing.

Today at Aldi, Cameron was screaming because I would not buy him four Cars cars. It was a full-on tantrum. Anna was done bagging and she offered to carry him out with Lucy and get them loaded. Cam was holding a candy bar that I was allowing him to buy but hadn't been paid for yet. Anna took it from him and was going to toss it to me. She was at the front door and I was at the checker...maybe 20 feet? She tossed the KitKat and it hit a lady smack in the face and knocked her earring out. Anna felt terrible and I did too but inside I was laughing. What is wrong with me??

PS: The woman that the KitKat hit was really mean to the checker at Aldi so don't feel too badly for her.

I've been praying that I will love the kids that I teach in my SS class. Miracle of miracles, it's working. I'm starting to love them.

Weekly Top Five 3/16/2009

Top Five Card Games I Like

1. Euchre

2. Canasta

3. Spades

4. Hearts

5. Bullcrap

:(

I guess no one really wanted to play my game.

I had two entries to the quiz. Anna and my cousin.

Anna wins. In case you are wondering, here's the answers.

BEST IN SHOW 1. This? This is a fish. This is a fish! You know what? Just shut up.

SOUTH PARK 2. I am socializing r-tard! I'm logged on to an MMORPG, with people from all over the world and getting XP with my party using teamspeak.

DIRTY DANCING 3. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

BABY MAMA 4. I'm sorry I farted into your purse.

TROOP BEVERLY HILLS 5. Her recommendations for a campsite were totally unsuitable. There were no outlets. And there was dirt, and bugs, and... and it rains there.

BREAKFAST CLUB 6. Could you describe the ruckus, Sir?

CLUELESS 7. Put on some baggy pants and take their greasy hair - ew - and cover it up with a backwards cap and like, we're expected to swoon?

CADDYSHACK 8. Pool and a pond...pond would be good for you.

FRIENDS 9. Well, like that, only that instead of a chair it's a pile of garbage. And instead of a jacket it's a pile of garbage.

THREE MEN AND A LITTLE LADY 10. Are you pretty, Lizzie?

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES 11. I can't forget it. I am sorry. I had no idea it was your cab. Let me make it up to you. How about a nice hot dog and a beer?

A CHRISTMAS STORY 12. Holy smokes. Do... Do you know what this is? This is... A lamp!

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY 13. My heart is, and always will be, yours.

BABE 14. I suppose the life of an anorexic duck doesn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things.

IN HER SHOES 15. I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart.

SEINFELD 16. You're a rabid anti-dentite.

UNCLE BUCK 17. I'm not pushing your buttons. I know me. I know what I like.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS 18. Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.

THROW MAMA FROM THE TRAIN 19. Chapter one: The night was humid.

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 20. That Parthenon backdrop is optional.

NFTB Great Post Title Quiz

So, here's the deal. Most of my post titles are either movie quotes or tv quotes. Send me an email back with your best answers for what movie or tv show these come from. I will send you a totally awesome prize. No joke. A really great prize. Email me at siriusblack13 at sbcglobal dot com. Have fun and thanks for playing.

1. This? This is a fish. This is a fish! You know what? Just shut up.

2. I am socializing r-tard! I'm logged on to an MMORPG, with people from all over the world and getting XP with my party using teamspeak.

3. Nobody puts Baby in a corner.

4. I'm sorry I farted into your purse.

5. Her recommendations for a campsite were totally unsuitable. There were no outlets. And there was dirt, and bugs, and... and it rains there.

6. Could you describe the ruckus, Sir?

7. Put on some baggy pants and take their greasy hair - ew - and cover it up with a backwards cap and like, we're expected to swoon?

8. Pool and a pond...pond would be good for you.

9. Well, like that, only that instead of a chair it's a pile of garbage. And instead of a jacket it's a pile of garbage.

10. Are you pretty, Lizzie?

11. I can't forget it. I am sorry. I had no idea it was your cab. Let me make it up to you. How about a nice hot dog and a beer?

12. Holy smokes. Do... Do you know what this is? This is... A lamp!

13. My heart is, and always will be, yours.

14. I suppose the life of an anorexic duck doesn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things.

15. I carry your heart with me. I carry it in my heart.

16. You're a rabid anti-dentite.

17. I'm not pushing your buttons. I know me. I know what I like.

18. Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.

19. Chapter one: The night was humid.

20. That Parthenon backdrop is optional.

Weekly Top Five 3/9/2009

Top Five occupations whose uniform I think I’d enjoy wearing

1. Flight Attendant

2. Nurse

3. Ninja

4. Cheerleader

5. Crazed Person attempting to Take over the world for the Good of the Human Race

My Hero

Wait, listen to me. I'm 13!

Thirteen years ago, a baby and a mother were born.
The baby, soft and sweet, set out on her adventure called life.
The mother followed, loving, nurturing and treasuring each moment.
The baby turned into a child and ran away from the mother eager to make the most of each new day. The child learned that there was nothing like the safety of a mother's embrace and returned often.
The mother let the child run and explore and learn and always welcomed her back.
The child met with obstacles and learned how to climb and how to go around and when to ask for a boost.
The mother watched with tears and pride and fear and love and learned when to boost and when to back away.
The child turned into a young woman and sometimes there was drama and sometimes there were tears and usually there was responsibility and always there was love.
The mother felt like the clock was turning unusually fast and wanted to slow it down.

The young woman still runs away from the mother eager to make the most of each new day.
The young woman sees a future bright with hope and opportunity and fun.
The mother knows there is fun ahead along with rocky shores and obstacles. The mother knows that her baby, her child, her young woman will return often for the safe embrace. The mother is content with her role to know when to boost and when to back away.

Thankful Thursday 3/5/09

1. Free phone upgrades from AT&T

2. Blackberry

3. Movies and Games at the Library

4. Plymouth Ward Playgroup

5. Bumpy Cake

Weekly Top Five 3/2/2009

Top Five Dreams I've Given Up On

1. Sending my girls to St. Ursula

2. Being a neurosurgeon

3. Being a size 8 ever again

4. Donating new pictures to the church for the building libraries

5. Being fluent in Latin

Top Five Dreams I'm Holding On To

1. Vacation to Disneyworld

2. Finishing College

3. Having a house with a mudroom

4. Having a Dominick Labino glass collection

5. Taking a bike ride as a family with everyone on a bike