So *that's* what I was doing!

At school today I decided I would make soup for dinner. I had no specific type in mind. Just soup.

As the onions and carrots and garlic sauteed, I grabbed spices from the cabinet and random leftover bits of meat and veggies from the fridge and freezer. I would add something, taste, adjust the seasoning, taste again, simmer for a bit, taste for a third time, on and on for a good thirty minutes.

The soup tasted okay, but it needed something more. Looking in the fridge on more time I spied a bottle of homemade pepper sauce. Yes! It was exactly what the soup needed- a bit of acid and a kick of heat. I added a few spoonfuls and tasted again.

Then it dawned on me. This soup wasn't just soup- it was Brunswick Stew.

At first I was annoyed. I had spent at least an hour trying to make this soup taste good. I should have just looked at the ingredients on hand, realized I had the makings of Brunswick Stew and followed a trusted recipe I'd used before.

But then, the A-ha.

Lately my life has been alot like my soup making. I've been trying different things here and there, relying on trial-and-error, counting on my instincts to figure out what is good and right for me and mine. Sometimes everything has gone wrong and I'm left with a pot of old vegetables and starchy pasta and over-salted broth and I have to throw everything out and start again.

But. But! More often than not, I'm ending up with Brunswick Stew. Yeah, it'd be easier at times to pull out the cookbook and follow someone else's recipe. But it's only because I know the basics of soup making that I knew what the final ingredient needed to be in order to take this soup from and mediocre experiment to an unqualified success. I don't always need a recipe because I already have all the tools of soupmaking!

I have what I need to get started. The path I take to the final product will be uniquely my own. I- and the soup- will be all the better for it.

Soup's on at six.

Thoughts on a Thursday

 It always makes me laugh when I see a hipster-type in Leesburg. I want to give them a hug and say, "Dude. Don't try so hard."

It's currently 9:30. I thought it was later than that. Possibly because everyone else has been in bed for at least an hour. The house is dark and quiet. Yessssss...

I've been reading the Mary Russell series and loving it. It's basically well-written Sherlock Holmes fanfiction, which is TOTALLY me wheelhouse. It's also helping me pass the time while waiting for the newest Sherlock series from the BBC. WRITE FASTER, STEVEN MOFFAT!! I NEED MORE BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH IN MY LIFE!!

Mmmm...Benedict Cumberbatch

Or, who I like to call Bandicoot Cucumberslice.

Movies I Have Not Seen That I Would Like To See:
Breaking Dawn Part II
The Hobbit
Argo
Les Miserables
Lincoln

I upgraded my sleeping mask a few weeks ago. Best $10 I ever spent. I'm currently on the search for the perfect white noise app. I have two that I like, but I think I can do better. The energy I expend trying to get an optimal sleeping experience is astounding.

We subscribe to more than a few (but less than a dozen) magazines. The only one I read cover to cover within 24 hours of receiving it?

Entertainment Weekly.

And I don't even have the decency to be ashamed.

Dusting off the old blog...

Blogging is *so* 2005, yet here I am. Updating. 2012 went by in a blur of work, school, vacations, road trips, bills, food, and lawn-mowing headaches. The girls experienced their first solo plane rides, I experienced a solid five days by myself, sans children and husband. I read more books in one year that I ever had before, and I got back in touch with my crafty side. I made a goal to have at least one out-of-my-own-house-preferably-without-children-or-husband social event a month, and I think I accomplished it. (This is very big deal for me. Being social is exhausting.) The girls continue to wage war against puberty, peer pressure and preconceived notions. I think they are winning. Jaws is still Jaws. He's not looking forward to turning 40 in November. I make no promises about regular blog updates, other than to say perhaps.

I'm not dead, are you??

I've just been reading. Presenting my 2012 reading list:

Jennifer's 2012 book montage

Jennifer's favorite books »

What happened to Blogger while I wasn't blogging?

Sheesh. A girl steps away from her blog for a few months and all hell breaks loose. Why the changes, Blogger? Don't you know I hate change? As if I didn't already have enough to deal with. *rollseyes* I was going to write an awesome post, but instead I have to use this time figuring out how to add pictures to what was sure to be a ridiculously boring post.

Twelve

We haven't had any babies around here for a long time, and that's been cool. Our family is awesome just how it is. Yesterday, though, I kind of wished we had some short people running around.

You see, my baby turned 12 yesterday.



With her big sister getting ready to turn 14 later in the year, it's clear to me that I might not be ready for these girlies to spread their wings as soon as they might want. In fact, that are both preparing to spend almost the entire summer away from us, their parents. Bella is going to a horse camp in Utah with a friend and Madeline is riding along so she can be dropped off in Arizona with their Sauls side of the family, and then she will FLY HOME ALONE. o_O

I guess I better be getting ready for those girls to fly.

Humbled

Today I really, truly got a taste of what my mom has been doing for the past year or so as she cares for my aging grandparents. It was only a few hours and I was wiped out. My mom is made of much sterner stuff than I.

Today I gave thanks that one of my brothers and my sister were LISTENING and HEARD the voices calling to them, telling them to check on my grandparents. Miracles happen. If you don't believe me, I know a few people you can talk to.

Today I watched my own girls jump into the fray to help anyway they could. Isabella rubbed lotion all over Grandmom's itchy back (more than once!) and Madeline volunteered to stay the night at the hospital so Grandmom wouldn't be alone and Mom could get some rest. I thought about how grateful I am that my 12 yr old cousin Catie has been just as willing to help time after time. None of these girls has even flinched when they've been asked to help in ways that would probably disgust people three times their age.

Today I listened as these two proud, amazing people apologized for needing so much help. As if it isn't a blessing to take care of them now as they have taken care of so many before!

I'm only on the fringes of it all. I'm only carrying a tiny portion of the load. My job is to mostly pray and give relief to the weary when I can, which isn't often enough to be honest.

So I'm humbled as I watch angels, both literal and figurative, do God's work.

"As I have loved you, love one another"

It's no secret that I'm not entirely satisfied with the teachings of the LDS church. However, I've been told that this church has the answers to any questions I might have and I'm willing to wait for those answers all while passionately and faithfully agitating as I seek.

With just as much passion, and regardless of my feelings toward 'the church', I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I take His words seriously when He said "Love they neighbor as thy self".

Yesterday I posted this quote from Stephen Colbert on my Facebook wall.



I believe this with all my heart (or as you might hear in an LDS testimony meeting, "with every fiber of my being".) I also made the request for people to contact me if they had the desire to actually put Christ's words into action. I'm sure you can imagine my disapointment when the quote got numerous "shares" and "likes" but only one person- and not even an LDS person- contacted me.

I want to issue the call again, here on my blog, for the whole world to see. If you want to be a true follower of Jesus Christ and His teachings and not just pay lip service on Sunday in the pews, then here is something you can do.

Tracy McKay is a blogger, writer and artist in the LDS blogging community. She is a single mom with three children, one of which has special needs. She has been putting herself through college with an eye toward graduating in June then moving onto Grad School. She has been writing about her journey for several years now, and it never fails to move me. (Her essay in Dance With Them absolutely shattered me.)

This week she was informed by her bishop that the church would no longer be able to help her with her rent payment. She was already facing the Herculean task of paying for the GRE, applying to Grad Schools and an out-of-state move.

People in the LDS blogging community are trying to figure out ways to help this sister who has done nothing but continually pull herself "up by her bootstraps" and out of poverty so she can make a better life for her children and herself. Feminist Mormon Housewives has set up a scholarship fund for Tracy with an eye toward doing just that.

If you read the comments in the post at FMH, someone says that this is the definition of "Relief Society" in the purest sense of the word. I agree wholeheartedly. Another commenter at Tracy's blog said that "the church" might not be able to help her anymore, but since *WE* are truly the church, then it is time for us to step up and help a sister in need.

Just as Jesus Christ taught us.

Hola, Blogateers

How long can one go without updating one's blog before one's audience completely loses interest?

The end is just a beginning of something new...

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
- Dr. Seuss

Whinging Wednesday

PART A
1. Jaws went out of town yesterday until Friday. I'm pretty furious about it. He knew I didn't want him to go and he chose to go anyway. What?? You're shocked that I'm posting frustrating marital problems??!??! It's not all sunshine and flowers all the time??

Nope.

I sent him a text telling him if he wanted to make amends he'd better come back home with something pretty and shiny for me, paid for out of his own money and not the family fund. Oh yeah. After 15 years we've resorted to threats when one of us is acting like a jackhole. (And in this case it's HIM.)

2. But Jennifer, why didn't you want him to go spend four days getting training (NOT FOR WORK BUT FOR HIS VOLUNTEER SERVICE IN THE UNION I.E. NOT THE JOB THAT PAYS HIS SALARY AND IS THEREFORE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE) on an all-expenses-paid trip to Myrtle Beach, complete with a private ocean front room??

Because.

Oh, you wanted more reason than that? Because UNO- it's what we call "CRUNCH WEEK" in the theatre world- SEUSSICAL opens in 8 short days. We have practice everyday until late at night, and that takes it's toll. AND DOS- he didn't HAVE to go, but he really WANTED to go. So basically he has jetted off leaving me to handle EVERYTHING, even though I asked him NICELY to please not go.

Seeing as how Jaws never reads my blog (even though I've invited him to, and even asked him to post!!) I guess you will never hear his side of the story (which would be WRONG WRONG WRONG anyway) and you'll just have to take my word for it that my anger is throughly justified, and besides, when have you ever known me to be anything but pleasant and loving and understanding???

I rest my case.


PART B
1. I've decided to get an iPhone when I'm due for an upgrade next spring. Yep, I'm going to actually PAY MONEY for a phone.

My iPod died this summer after 6 years of loyal service. I've missed it. I've also realized that from here on out, until the girls leave home, I'm not going to be at home NEARLY as often as I'd like to be. Since I've been working on SEUSSICAL stuff (opening November 4th! See me for ticket info!!) there have been MULTIPLE times on MULTIPLE days where I've needed to access my email, a website, my back account, a bill, etc and I won't be able to access a computer for a few hours. If I had a smartphone I could do all this.

Yeah, this is TOTALLY a first world problem, I know. But you know what?? I don't care. I live in the 21st century. I'm GLAD I don't have to wait six months for a letter to arrive just so I can hear news from my family. I'm glad that I don't have to measure my words carefully so I can send the cheapest telegram possible. I'm glad I don't have to wait until after 9 pm to call some long distance number at a good rate.

I don't get people who moan and groan about technology and how it isolates us and how life would be some much better if we were without instant access and earbuds and no one ever talks anymore. I'm pretty sure those people are just boring and no one wants to listen to them anyway!

Peace out, hombres.

Freedom

Wanna know what's awesome??
Doing something you really, REALLY want to do.

Wanna know what's not awesome?
Doing something only because it's expected of you.

I didn't realize it 10 months ago, but this has been destined to be the year of me stretching my wings in a way *I* want to rather than doing the same old, same old out of a sense of obligation.

OHMYGOSH It feels SO good. This isn't to say I haven't had challenges or struggles, because I have. The point is that the challenges are making me a happier, BETTER person instead of a resentful, bitter person.

In other news, Seussical Jr opens in three weeks (*cue screams*), I think I might have developed adult-onset allergies (BOOOO!!) and the air finally smelled like Fall tonight.

Things That Make Me LOL

1. I love Late Night WIth Jimmy Fallon. I love Simon and Garfunkel. I *heart* Black Simon and Garfunkel.



2. More Jimmy Fallom. This is ten years old and it still makes me roll.

12:30 Am Lightbulb Moment

Parenting teenagers is almost like living your teenage years all over again. It's just as painful and awkward and tear-filled and fun and life-changing, but in a different way.

Yes/No?

Also, what difference does it make (if any) that I am a fairly young-ish (buy modern, western-culture standards) mother of teens? My teenage years still seem just like yesterday (even as I celebrated my 15 wedding anniversary today, hard as it is to believe that it's been 15 years). Does that make me more sympathetic to the teenage plight or more naive and inexperienced because I personally have experienced less of life?

Someone I admire once told me that the best you could hope for when it comes to your children is that they grow into adults that you yourself would want to be close friends with even if they weren't related to you. I think that's a pretty good philosophy. So far my teens are people I'd want to hang around with even if they weren't related to me. It's a start.

On the other hand, things still have time to go arse-over-kettle, my DNA may win out over my more logical self and I may driven to an unhealthy relationship with the bottle. And probably not a bottle of Dr. Pepper, if-you-know-what-I-mean-and-I-think-you-do!

But, as I explained to Jaws today, I am not a naturally negative person. (I'm an anxious person, and yes there is a difference.) So I am confident that my teens and I will make it through the next few years just fine, just as we did the first decade or so of their lives.

...In Which I Ruminate on Things

Today I learned that my mom was also once addicted to TMZ. Learning this fact made me love her even more. Learning that she was embarrassed by this fact made me want to blog about it! Hah.

When we arrived in Tifton this morning, there was no French Toast waiting for us. There was a pseudo-hashbrown casserole and cinnamon rolls, but no French Toast. Cinnamon Rolls are great, especially homemade ones. But they don't hold a candle to French Toast.

Are you noticing my blog is becoming less and less about anything and more and more about whatever-is-on-my-mind at the moment? Yeah, me too. Every once in awhile I wish I had something exciting to announce (vacations, new babies, new jobs, a scientific discovery that will end poverty and simultaneously make me uber-wealty, etc) but I don't. I just write about my life, which isn't terribly exciting. It's my life, though, so sorry folks if it's not more interesting.

This week at preschool I was told that my "face [is] very scary right now" (it was- it was my angry face, and the child agreed with me that he didn't want to make me angry and see it again.) I was also told I was "too fat to sit in [my] rocking chair". As I was sitting in said rocking chair at the time, I disagreed with the little stinker. He still looked sceptical.

Oh! I just thought of an exciting annoucement! Almost one month into the school year and I have yet to be vomitted on! HOORAY!!!

On that note, I think I'll log off. It's almost time for the Emmys, and I'm hoping that Friday Night Lights FINALLY FINALLY gets some love.

Crazy...But That's How It Goes

Things I Have Been Thinking About Lately:

Power Naps...Lulu...How to avoid strangling a drama parent before Seussical is over...Joseph Smith's plural wives...Cooler weather...Why Ginger Ale is an amazing cure-all...Is it time to cut back on my depression/anxiety meds?...Probably not...Creative ways to teach four year olds...Cooking...Reading more...Eating better...keeping the romantic spark alive...IKEA...Medium rare steaks...Being the mother of teenagers...Trying not to be Judgey McJudgerson and failing miserably...My feelings about the LDS church versus the Gospel of Jesus Christ...waxing my legs and armpits instead of shaving...What I know at 34 versus what I knew at 24...The lemons on my neighbor's tree that are almost ripe...Jed graduating from high school...he was our "first child", you know...Finally buying a Digital SLR camera

I haHad A Witty Title Planned But I Forgot It.

1. Hey look- school started!



Two middle schoolers. 6th and 7th grades. *sigh* School started for me, too. But no one took my picture on the first day. (Actually, a lot of my parents did, but no one has sent me those pictures so you are out of luck.)

This is my 5th year at Covenant, 9th altogether. I have decided that I have worked long enough in this field that I have a CAREER as a preschool teacher. Makes it sound more interesting at least. I hgave 16 kids this year, which is more than the 9 we had last year. (Because I have a CAREER as a preschool teacher I know that 16 is WAY A LOT MORE than 9.) New challenges, to be sure.

2. Is it weird that Lulu LOVES ice as a treat? If so, don't tell me. Ice is cheaper than Milk Bones, Beggin' Strips or Denta Stix.


3. Over the summer, I developed a guilty, GUILTY pleasure. Two actually.

UNO:


The TMZ television show is AWESOME. It's funny and snarky and everything Entertainment Tonight wishes it could be. I feel guilty for loving this show as much as I do. Wait, no I don't. It makes me laugh, so there.

DOS:


I am seriously addicted to this show! Animal Cops: Houston is the bomb. The other Animal Cops permiations (Phoenix, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia) don't even compare.



This is Jim Boller. He used to be the Senior Investigator for the Houston SPCA. I like to think of him as my reality TV boyfriend. Why am I so attracted to this man? I don't even like moustaches!

3. The girls are doing a fall community show through their old elementary school. James is still on sets while somehow I got roped into being on the executive committee??!?!? I am hoping this translates into me being all-powerful and getting a name badge.



4. I can't think of a fourth right now. I'll get back to you on that.

TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!

WOO-HOO!!!

Since my mailbox wasn't overflowing with presents, feel free to tell me in the comments how awesome I am and all the ways you love me!

'Twas the Night Before the Night Before School Started...

The girls had open house at their school last night. We were SUPER LUCKY that a torrential downpour started just minutes before the start of said open house, so we met the new teachers with mascara running down our faces, clothes throughly soaked and hair that was literally dripping.

On the bright side, we weren't sweaty!

I think we are going to have a great year (she said optimistically). Middle School is old hat to Madeline, and Isabella seems to be taking everything in stride. Her teachers were the great unknown, but we've heard glowing third-party reports from people we trust.

Two middle schoolers. TWO! I can hardly believe it.

My class roster arrived on Monday, and I have sixteen little darlings this year. That's a big jump from the nine I had last year! I've been switching to a bigger classroom over the past few weeks, and I finally got around to working on some nitty-gritty stuff today. All of the kids but two were at our preschool last year, so I'm hoping for a smoothe transition to my class.

Have I mentioned that we are doing a fall production of Seussical Jr.? Because we are! The director is the same one we've been working with for the past few years. The fall show is open to kids up to age 15, so even though the girls are no longer Twin Oaks students, they can still be in the play! YAY!! Auditions are this Saturday. James will be building sets again, and somehow I ended up on the Executive Committee in charge of Communication. I'm still not sure how that happened! We've never done a fall show before, so there will be a LOT of adjusting around here the next few weeks as we get back into a school routine AND a show routine!

I see lots of sleep deprivation in our future.

They say all good things must end, someday...

For all intents and purposes, summer vacation is over. *sad face*

The girls came home today after being in Tifton for almost two weeks. I'm pretty sure they were gone more than they were here this summer. We checked the mail and found postcards from the school with their teacher assignments on it. If that's not a sign that summer is over, then I don't know what is.

Technically school doesn't start for them until the 12th, but there's already a shift in the winds. Earlier bedtimes (for me especially!), sorting of school supplies, back-to-school haircuts and picking out back-to-school clothes; all rituals that tell you that the long lazy days are over.

I'm pretty sure this is the fastest summer on record. It was busy, but not in a really-great-we-had-so-much-fun way. We've had TWO car accidents to contend with (did I forget to mention here that a window in my van was broken the same week James wrecked his car?), which meant a lot of hurry-up-and-wait-ing all summer long. We purchased two vehicles to replace James' car (it's a long story). It seems ridiculous that we now own four vehicles for two drivers. (Two and a half of those vehicles work, but that's another long story.) People keep telling me that having four cars around is a good thing because Madeline will be driving in just three years.

Three years?!!??

It seems like a long way off *now*, but if this summer is any indication on the passage of time, then it will be here before I know it.

P.S.- Could this post HAVE anymore parenthesis?? I think not.