Nursery

I just realized that I never posted this, but Margaret is going to nursery now. She's been in there for 5 weeks and the teacher tells us that all she does (still) is sit in one of the teachers' laps and watch the other kids play. If any of you know my daughter, then you also know that is SO not her. I'm sort of surprised by her nursery behavior but, to be honest, it's alot better than I had hoped for. At least she's not going around pinching and hitting all of the other kids (which is what I expected her to do.) We didn't get any pictures before church because her first day was also the day of the Young Women's Program and I had to be early to church, but we took lots of pics after church (which is why it was so hard to get her to smile... she was ready for bed!)

Behold Your Little Ones

I just wanted to let everyone know that you can access the new 2009 Nursery Manuals through the church website: lds.org. I have to say that I love this manual. While the old manuals were good, this new manual is excellent. I love how short the lessons are, yet they are still so rich with doctrine. I also love the new lesson topics. Again, while the old ones were alot of fun, the new topics cover so many important things like "I Will Take Care of My Body" and "Heavenly Father Blesses Me Through the Priesthood." I am sad that Steven will be graduating into Sunbeams in January so that he won't have the opportunity to participate in these lessons at church. But one of my favorite resources for our Family Home Evening Lessons has always been the Primary 1 lesson manual, and I'm so excited to get to incorporate this awesome new resource into our lessons too!

Also, I've added a list of links down and to the left that I like to use for planning FHE lessons. There are lots of great ideas at these sites/blogs so be sure to check them out!

Help!

"... I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody."

Okay, just kidding; this isn't a post about The Beatles. But I really do need help... with how to handle Steven's horrible misbehavior. Here is a snippet (abridged) of what played out during dinner Sunday night:

"Steven, please take a bite of your dinner."
"No! Go away!"
"Steven, that isn't a very nice thing to say; it hurts our feelings and makes us feel sad. What can you say to make us feel happy?"
Refuses to say anything.
"Well, please eat your dinner."
"I don't want to!"
"Then please go sit in your room until you are ready to eat some of your dinner."
"Go away!" While walking to his room.
Slam! Slam! (the door) Bang! Bang! (the walls) then screaming at the top of his lungs (honestly, isn't he too young to be doing this?)
After a stern talk with Daddy, he decides to come back and eat.
"Thank you for making a good choice and coming to eat with us."
"I'm sorry, Mommy."
A few minutes go by when he refuses to eat again (he's only had one bite of dinner!)
"Please go to your room until you decide that you can eat dinner with the rest of us."
Slamming and banging and screaming again...
He comes back again, says sorry, and tells me that Daddy is giving him one last chance to eat or he'll have to go to bed without dinner or stories (the real kicker)
After coercing him into taking another bite, be proceeds to spit out all of his food all over the table... aaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh!
So he gets sent to bed early without dinner or stories while the rest of us are still eating. What followed was complete mayhem. (I think I have a new understanding of the term "weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth!")

Though Monday night wasn't quite as bad, he still refused to eat anything and wanted to be sent to his room instead of eating. What's a mother to do? Can anyone PLEASE tell me that my kid is not the only one to have ever done this stuff at the age of 3! How am I supposed to react to this kind of stuff without losing my cool but still be firm enough so that he can understand that this sort of behavior is unacceptable? If you've got any pointers, suggestions, tips, advice, etc... please...HELP!

Song of the Week

"Stranger" by Secondhand Serenade

I've gotta say that I think this is the best song yet by the singer and guitarist, John Vesely. It's touching and romantic, like so many of his other songs, but this time around even the music is sweet. An all around beautiful song to listen to. I love the lyrics of this song, but I'd have to say that the third verse is my favorite: "Your beauty seems so far away. I'd have to write a thousand songs to make you comprehend how beautiful you are. I know that I can't make you stay. But I would give my final breathe to make you understand how beautiful you are. Understand how beautiful you are." It's a song that makes me feel beautiful, as I hope it does you too, so of course I had to feature it! Enjoy!

Remembering 9/11

September 11 is a big day for our family, for several reasons. First and foremost, this is a day to remember those who lost their lives 7 years ago through an act of inhumanity and terrorism.

This is a day for us to remember that evil really does exist and that, no matter how much we might try to deny it or plan against it, evil finds a way to rear its ugly little head (as mentioned this morning by Dennis Prager). That is why it is so important for us to stick together as a country and even more important for us to choose a president who understands this and will do everything in his power to fight evil, in all of its forms. I am grateful for those men and women who serve our country everyday to protect us from the evils of the world and who allow me and my family to sleep safely at night in our comfortable beds. God bless you and God bless America.

This is also an important day for our family because my grandmother died on September 11, 2000. She died from cancer and the decline of her health was very painful to watch. For those that read my tag post a few weeks back, this is the grandmother that my grandfather wanted me to drop out of college to come home and take care of while I was in school. But, being at the selfish stage in my life that I was in, I didn't do it... and I have regretted it ever since. My grandmother, Margaret Ruth Baugh, was one of the most amazing women that I have ever known (which is why my daughter shares her first name.) She had a knack for making you feel like YOU were her favorite grandchild and that her love was for you alone. Every summer I looked forward to spending a whole week at grandma and grandpa's house all by myself; something that she did for each of her grandchildren every year. While there, she made my favorite breakfasts every morning and took me to do fun things and to eat at fun places that I had never been to before. She also taught me how to clean (well), how to appreciate the outdoors, she instilled in me a love of gardening and yardwork and taught me how to appreciate beautiful art. My grandmother discovered very late in her life that she was a skilled painter and I am so blessed to have some of her art work hanging in my home. Some of my fondest memories of her are when we were all older and she would gather us in the kitchen to show us how to make one of her favorite recipes: swedish stolen bread (sort of like fruit cake, but more bready and not as fruity). Christmas time was my grandmother's favorite time of the year and her house was always filled with the most immaculate decorations. The last few christmases that we were able to spend with grandma, she started giving all of us glass ornaments (her favorite) to decorate our trees with when we were older. Those are now my favorite tree decorations and I love to pull them out from time to time and think of her. I love you so much, grandma... I miss you.

And lastly, we celebrate September 11 because this is my nephew, Andy Barney's, birthday. He was actually born just a few hours after my grandmother passed away, which helped to relieve some of the pain of that day. Andy turns 8 this year and he'll be getting baptized (I can't believe it!) I remember when that guy was just a little baby and I was still the "cool aunt"... man, how things change! Happy Birthday, Andy! We love you!

Song of the Week

"Spam" by Save Ferris

I love ska and I love this song. It's so lighthearted and downright silly, but very catchy and fun to sing to. Ska at it's best! :)

My New Blog!

I just started a new blog dedicated 100% to music called Audible Infatuations. It's still in the beginning stages, but come and check it out!

Fender Bender

I like to consider myself to be a safe driver... fast, yes but very safe. But even fast, safe drivers are bound to have accidents. For instance, before yesterday the only collision I had ever been involved in was when I was hit by a house. I kid you not! An 18-wheeler was pulling half of a double-wide mobile home around a corner (that was obvious to everyone watching he wouldn't clear) when the house started getting really close to my car (I was stopped on the street that he was turning onto... a very narrow two-lane road.) I tried to back up, but there was a line of cars behind me. Rather than stopping to wait for me to move, the driver kept right on making his turn and sat there and watched while my car was slowly pushed off of the road by his house (during the process of which my windshield was broken, side mirror dislocated, front bumper removed and side door given a new, very stylish concave design.) Fortunately, my mom and I were fine and the driver's company just paid for everything up front rather than having me file a claim with their insurance. No harm done.

But as luck would have it, I had another accident yesterday (also while I wasn't moving... I'm noticing a pattern here.) But the real kicker? I wasn't even driving my car! I was test-driving a brand new Saturn Outlook! I wasn't even planning on buying one (yet), I just love the car and decided to take one for a spin while mine was getting an oil-change and inspection. I was in Lewisville, about to get on the service road to I-35 to head back to the dealership when, just as I started to pull out, this black car shot out of nowhere and almost crashed into the car that I was going to pull out of behind. Well, any SAFE (and sane) driver would apply the brakes so as not to RUN INTO that little black car or the car behind it that had to slam on his brakes. Following which there was a nice little SLAM! sound as our car was pushed forward several inches by the SUV behind us. Fortunately, there was more damage done to his car than the Outlook (especially since the cop asked in a very joking manner "So, is this one of those "You break it, you buy it" kind of deals?" (ha, ha.... nice one) But the thing that really got to me was when the guy WHO RAN INTO US proceeded to yell at ME and tell me in some very strong language that there was no traffic and that I need to learn how to drive. I tried to tell him in the nicest voice that I could muster that, as far as I'm aware, the rules of the road state that, at a yield sign, you can't go unless the car in front of you goes... period... the end. (He didn't like that too much.) Those of you who know that I don't like confrontations also know that it isn't because I'm afraid of them but because I always rise to the occasion and make matters worse. I must say that I'm very proud of my performance yesterday. Given the circumstances, I only yelled back at him a very little bit (I mean, don't tell me that your running into me was MY fault, but if you're going to insist on it, at least take your stinking bluetooth phone piece off of your ear before you do it!!!!) Needless to say, I sat in the car while waiting for the police officer to show up. What's the moral of this story? I give the Saturn Outlook 5 stars on its safety features as I have tested them personally! :-)

Yeah for Scanners!

John and I finally got a new scanner so that I can load our wedding pics and his mission pics onto the computer. 'Cus... you know... digital is better.... right? Three cheers for scanners! :-)

The Lovebirds (picture #1 is proof why you should never go on a diet right before your wedding...and after the fitting.)

This is pretty much the only picture of me that I actually like.

My GQ Man... Ouch!!!