It's a Wrap!!

Santa is very clever. He figured out nine years ago how to let mom and dad sleep without worry that kids are peeking at their presents early on Christmas morning. He seals off the entry to the room of gifts with Christmas wrapping paper.... when it's time to go in (and we've made them sing a million Christmas carols, taken their picture, turned on the music, gotten the video camera ready, etc., etc.), the kids RUN through the paper (much like a football team coming onto the field) and they burst into the room for the big moment!

The kids love this tradition. The very first year really surprised the boys who were 5 and 4 years old. We encouraged them to run through the paper, and while apprehensive they gave it a shot and actually bounced backward off the paper without making it through! (Maybe too much tape?) This year found Benson leaping over the banister, much to our mixed chagrin and delight... so I think it's ultimately been a roaring success.

We've done this in 5 different places now and each one has posed advantages and disadvantage... here are a few tips we've learned:

1. Watch the airflow. When sealed completely and taped TOO well.... two things can happen: a) This can suck the whole thing down in the middle of the night. (A real bummer at 3 am). And b) the occupied room without airflow can drop a good 20 degrees from the rest of the house.

2. Hanging the paper without an escape route leaves you...stuck inside with the presents. This really is a two person job and takes skills similar to agents in Mission Impossible. Slipping out without dragging the whole thing down takes strategery!

3. Buy specific wrapping paper that hasn't been seen already on presents under the tree. Kids tend to be pretty smart and Santa prefers to stay magical about the whole thing.
4. Hang the paper from top to bottom, not side to side... regardless of the writing/images on the paper. I'm telling you this is where the law of gravity can work for or against you. (Again, hearing the paper fall at 3 am really keeps you from feeling the Christmas spirit).

Can you tell we've learned the hard way? But it's totally worth seeing their faces Christmas morning and the extra deep sleep it allows moms and dads. Once you start this, you'll never go back...

Nativity.... or"Ativity" as Jackson says

This year was supposed to be my year!! I can't look any more like Mary if I tried, being great with child that I am... my agent has some explaining to do. Last night we had our family night nativity with three other families and a five year old beat me out of the part! Never mind that Joseph is only 7 and the oldest cast member was 12. ;-)

I love doing the nativity story sometimes. (operative word: sometimes.) Interesting twists always develop as actors "interpret" their roles in unusual ways. My theory? The older the boy is, the more humor must be inserted into the script somehow. Even our baby Jesus was trying to climb out of the manger and look around at the funniest parts. The wise men are usually wise guys and the inn keeper can't help but be dramatic even in his one line. Our angels were simply that: angels (although, remember Heather the year you and I had to sing as angels and we had the giggles so bad it was pathetic?) Anyway, as much chaos and mishaps as there are, I always am moved to tears as the significance and spirit of the story still reaches me somehow. This year it was Mary who touched me. Other years it's the donkey.... go figure.


I'm truly grateful for this bulge in my belly and the miracle and gift it is to bring life into this world. But far greater is the miracle and gift that our Savior has given each of us with His life and atonement that allows us the capacity to heal and be made perfect.

Merry Christmas my friends.

The following video is a music video by the Tabernacle Choir/Orchestra showing a different group performing bits of the nativity. So cute!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

Last week was over the top-- really a marathon with the Choir Christmas Concerts, especially, on top of normal family life. Michael was amazingly supportive and either came to the concerts or met me afterward every night! It was a lot of work, but I loved every minute of it! I am now officially in the Christmas mood-- this concert is going to make a great CD-- lots of variety. I especially enjoyed the upbeat jazzy stuff we did with Brian Stokes Mitchell.





Jackson has been my big helper wrapping

presents and has taken charge of doing all the writing on the presents. I'm not aware of any child labor laws that prevent little elves like him from participating, so I let him just go for it! I was totally impressed and the presents look so darling.

OK, so I'm on the home "stretch" of this pregnancy... only 6/7 weeks left to go! I asked my doctor if all the braxton hicks contractions are also working my abs, because if so I will be SO TONED after this baby is born. To my surprise, whoever designed women's bodies did not think to hook them together, and my doctor had a good laugh at me! Not funny. The pregnancy is flying by with all the distractions of Christmas and I have a feeling we will be surprised in January that a baby is right around the corner... maybe we ought to start getting a few things?

Aubrey just had her 9th Birthday!! Where has the time gone??

Aubidob, Auburrito, Aubs, Auby-Dobby, Armed rAubrey (robbery), the Grand Ol' Auprey-- have you got the idea? We LOVE our Aubrey and want to wish her a Happy 9th Birthday!!

Here are some things about Aubrey that you may know or at least SHOULD know about her:

1. Aubrey is very active physically and is constantly moving. In fact I would guess that she is upside down more often than she is right side up- doing cartwheels, hand stands, you name it! She is strong!
2. Although she is quiet and is a thinker, there is a lot going on in that brain of hers. She is a top student and very responsible with her work. I would fall over if she ever got disciplined in school for talking or being silly, since she just focuses. In this respect, she is her father's child...
3. Aubrey is beautiful but has no idea. She dresses cute, but not to impress and most often goes with comfort over fashion. Aubrey inherited this naturally browner skin than the rest of us (probably from my dad), has thick gorgeous hair, and deep sparkly eyes. I'm a little worried about the boys these next 10 years.
4. We had her birthday party this week and I found out a little more about her personality as I watched her interact with all the friends: she makes everyone feel included, she laughs easily, when friends get dramatic she is a peacemaker, and she isn't picky or demanding.
   

How did we get so lucky to have Aubrey? It would take more luck than winning the lottery, because she is truly one in a million. WE LOVE YOU AUBREY!!!

p.s. We had Aubrey's birthday party Saturday afternoon and made a music video with her friends as the main activity. They were so creative! It needs to be edited but we'll post it soon!
p.s.s. I added TWO posts today, don't get overly excited... be sure to read on!

Priorities

If your life is anything like mine, it's beginning to spiral out of control to some degree...I think this is the part where you set priorities (you know, good, gooder, and goodest-- relax, I know how to use good English! hehe)

Here's how I see the difference:

• good: these are things that usually are the most fun to do, but are hardest to justify. This category might include: reading a book, playing with the nativity set, trying out kids video games while they are at school, writing a posting for my blog, etc.

• gooder: the gooder things are kind of important but still not totally essential when you are up against the wall. This category would include: making dinner, checking the weather report, changing out of pajamas, looking for my favorite Amy Grant Christmas cd, etc.

• goodest: this is the noble category, the kinds of things that will make a lasting difference but aren't necessarily the FIRST thing you are jumping up and down to do, including: putting on a birthday party for 10 hyper little girls, brushing your teeth, checking on kids' homework, unloading the groceries from the car, etc.

So, I'm trying to prioritize how to spend my time and finding out it's the little things that count AS WELL as the big things. WHAT??!! No wonder we are all a mess this time of year...

thanksgiving

I Spy

A couple of months ago I asked my friend Amy "what's up with your orange bucket by the garage? it's been there for a few days and it's really annoying." (I like to let her know that I'm paying attention to what she's doing/not doing since we have a running joke that she's stalking me/I'm stalking her.)

Somehow, not really sure how, it evolved into a game where she hides her bucket somewhere in the yard and I'm supposed to find it when I drive by. I might mention that I also honk every time I drive by as a quick "hi", so honking and searching for a bucket while driving isn't really a safe combination for me..... but I like to live on the edge.

The kids are totally into it now, too. Looking for the bucket, seeing if Mom is going to honk... yeah, Amy set up some "pumpkin decoys" in an effort to throw me off. She doesn't realize what she's up against...

It's a gift. Spotting orange buckets in a pinch. Comes from years of I Spy bedtime stories.

(The bonus of doing this blog was that I took pictures of her house from my car.... rather like a real spy don't you think?)

Magically Delicious!

Do you ever make something so yummy you surprise even yourself? I made some buttermilk syrup (thanks Nana for the recipe!) the other night for our breakfast for dinner and since we had syrup left over we simply had to have it AGAIN the next night! I'm going to give you the secret family recipe, one time only....

Buttermilk Syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 tsp baking soda

Slowly bring the first three ingredients to a boil for 5 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the baking soda (this makes it frothy). SWEET NELLIE that is goood stuff!

OK, so it's not super healthy, but TOTALLY WORTH the admiration children and adults alike will adorn you with. I mean, if you make your own syrup you MUST be capable of many more magically obscure creations...

Dress-up is So MUCH FUN!

Within 24 hours of each other, the Rice family was dressed to impress TWICE.... that would be Halloween and the Annual Family Portrait. Yes, totally different "costumes" of course. Here is a little of how that went down:
Halloween-- the kids went easy on me this year and designed/re-made their own costumes for the most part (I couldn't help myself but get involved a little). The highlights:
1) Jackson wore Josh's old Buzz Lightyear costume.... yes, the VERY costume that Josh at the same age wore daily for 3 solid years! This brought back memories and I had to look twice more than once to double check that it wasn't Josh after all. (no, YOU do the math)
2) Aubrey wanted a bone for her hair since she wanted to be an authentic cave girl. It wouldn't have been Halloween if I didn't sew something. (I learn all my sewing techniques, trial by error, on costumes... thank you, please hold your applause.)
3) Jessica wanted to be a face card, the Queen of Hearts to be exact. This does not go to show that we have facecards in our home, but we made the exception and held back our carnal nature to play poker with her. We took a photo of her face, printed it up life-sized, and turned it upside down on the card opposite of where her face would show through. Wahlah! The Queen of Hearts!
4) Josh came up with the clever idea to keep his candy container looking empty by hiding the majority of his loot in a backpack under his cape. "People feel sorry for me, mom, and I get more candy that way." ....Only a 12 year old boy.
5) Benson went to a party as a truck driver. I made him a mustache that had long, droopy handlebars and a nametag that said "Mack". It actually scared me, since he looked a little too real and comfortable in the role...
6) Michael looked as dashing as possible as "Dwight Schrute" from the Office. Enough said.
7) This was the first year EVER that I did not dress up. All I could think of was how much my stomach looked like a pumpkin, and I wasn't in the mood to have everyone else think the same.
I have to say, I really would have loved wearing some long sparkly fake eyelashes if I had had the fore-thought.
8) With our new home and new yard we had all kinds of new possibilities... so we started our own spooky graveyard, complete with floating ghosts and a funny epitaph that has reference to a practical joke played on me a few years ago. Long story short, I was coaxed into calling a funeral home 3 times asking for "Myra Maines".... I realized I had been played when the director hung up on me and I finally figured out why... thanks, mom and dad. VERY funny.

We had our Halloween Jollies Friday night, but dressing up wasn't over until we had our family photo shoot the next day. This came with it's usual mishaps and stress, but overall it worked out just fine. Highlights:
1) Benson's hair. I believe I have discussed his hairstyle in another post. His "pinecone" was in FULL glory, let me tell you.
2) Very first picture, we all knelt/sat in the grass on squishy cherries. Mmmm. Yeah.
3) Everyone was so cooperative, I didn't even have to bribe or threaten. Total miracle.
4) With the photos in raw form still, there are opportunities to play I SPY until Photoshop gets a crack at it. Here is the list: a man sitting on his porch in the background, a car driving along (how dare they use roads), a letter V on Michael's shirt, etc.
5) I didn't think about the fact that a RED shirt on me might accentuate things, so now forever I shall have to point out that I was 6 months pregnant in that portrait, just to be clear. I don't mind capturing this moment in time for us, we are thrilled and love my bump, but you know how it is...

So, dressing up "had it's day" in the 24 hour period this weekend for us Rices. I'm calling it good for the year. Phew!

Questions and Answers

Readers (all 3 of you): I get asked several questions very regularly, so I thought I’d answer the top 10 once and for all:

1) How do you have time to write your blogs? It’s easy, just find a random blog on the net, change the names to your family, and whalah! You don’t have to actually have real family experiences to draw from. If you do have actual family experiences, it is best to change the names anyway, to avoid personal embarrassment.

2) How is your pregnancy going? Well, it’s not going away anytime soon, if that’s what you mean. If you are asking how my health is going, well, that definitely IS going. Actually, I’m feeling quite well, if having what feels like a gremlin fighting it’s way out of your belly is normal.

3) How do you manage six kids??? Here’s the thing: teach them to fend for themselves at an early age. They become self-reliant and will do very well if they are ever stranded on a deserted island.

4) The holidays are approaching fast, so what is your secret to staying sane? Light some candles and BREATHE, holding your fingers out in séance mode. As you do this, your family will instantly notice, and think you are going insane. This begins the “let’s keep mom ok so we can have a Christmas” mission. The kids will actually hold secret meetings to divide up chores and assign individuals tasks such as giving mom compliments, making dinner, and smiling for pictures. This also improves their chances with any elves that are watching (be sure to remind them of this often in a casual, non-chalant way.)

5) You don’t seem old enough to have six kids—how do you do that? First of all, don’t get all matronly. We all think we are still 22 in our mind, why not act well thy part?

1) Don’t act mature. (listen to the radio really loudly, learn phrases such as “that jank be bonk”- translation: that thing is weird or “chillaxin”- hanging out and relaxin’)

2) Try new hairstyles. It’s just hair, if you don’t like it, it will grow out! Plus there is no reason to keep that old 80’s hairstyle just because it got you far back then.

3) Dress up fun. Sweats and pj’s work at home and if dressed up with some crazy tiger slippers, they are acceptable for embarrassing your kids when you drop them off for school. Otherwise, you probably have at least one fashion consultant amongst those 6 kids—use them to your advantage so you don’t accidentally wear stirrup pants with jelly shoes when you go out on the town.

6) What are you having? Do you have a name picked out? We were told that the chances of having a boy were 50/50, but having the ultrasound confirmed that actually 100 percent it will be a boy. As far as a name goes, no, he is not named. At least not appropriately for the schoolyard. Some names really don’t go well with Rice: Wyatt Rice- no, Bryce Rice- no, Plato Rice- no…. so we are open to suggestions! My rules right now include:

1) no more last names for first names, especially if it ends in “son”. We already have a Benson and a Jackson. They both come when I call either name. Handy? Yes. Annoying to them? Definitely.

2) no more “J” names: We have Joshua, Jessica, and Jackson. You should see me when I get tongue tied calling for the kids. It isn’t pretty.

3) nothing that rhymes with Jack. Since Jackson is the closest in age, I assume I’ll be using their names together. So, that crosses off Zach, Black, Barack, Mack, Lack, Tack, Wack, and Knack. That’s half of the names out there… sheesh!

7) Who is coming to perform with the Choir for this year’s Christmas Concert? How can I get tickets? Yes, they just announced yesterday that Brian Stokes Mitchell will be singing with us. If you don’t know, he is a legend on broadway and just oozes personality and class. Please don’t confuse him with the Brian David Mitchell who sings in the Utah courtrooms regularly at his hearings for having kidnapped Elizabeth Smart. He is oozing with personality and weirdness, however. As far as tickets go, I will receive a few tickets but I strongly recommend you register for the random ticket selection process (tickets are free!!) since I doubt I’ll have extras. You may do this anytime between Saturday, October 25^th through Tuesday, Nov. 4^th at mormontabernaclechoir.org. For those of you far away and unable to attend, REGISTER ANYWAY so you can hook up your friends, pass them on to me to give out (bonus points), or sell them on ebay (yes, the demand is so high, there are actually people who do that—totally unreal!).

8) What are you fixing for dinner? My favorite meal is YO-YO (you’re on your own). But I occasionally think ahead of time and come up with a weekly menu that I don’t really follow very well. (I’m sorta going on a whim most of the time—I hate doing what I’m told, even if it’s me telling myself).

9) I can’t imagine having a teenager. Isn’t that scary? Um, no, the trick is to have them think YOU are the scary one. But since that doesn’t work around here, it is also a good idea to remember they are really still kids in big bodies doing all the same things—trying to get your attention, pushing limits, and figuring out what they like/don’t like. Don’t forget, the world revolves around them. This is handy information!

10) I’d like to bring you dinner sometime. What does your family like? Fine, that’s not actually a common question but go ahead and ask it all you want! I can at least look forward to this when the baby is born, right? Just don’t bring it WHILE I am in the hospital because then I miss out on the benefits. (Remember YO-YO? Yeah, they’ll be fine.) We like lasagna, pizza, soup, rolls, and ice cream for dessert.

I want to state for the record, I am taking no more interviews by the media. However, close friends and family are always welcome to call and chat, soapbox, and solve the world’s problems with me—it is a favorite pastime.

Tag I'm It?

Thank you Rachel, for tagging me... I haven't been tagged since tag was a game you played on the blacktop at school, so I feel hip, young, and frankly half my age for doing this!

Here goes! Why not?

5 THINGS

5 Things I was doing 10 Years Ago...

1. Putting Michael through MBA school

2. teaching violin

3. living in married student housing at BYU

4. had a 6 month old, 2 year old and 4 year old

5. bought our first “big car”, a dodge caravan minivan

5 Things I Need To Do Today...

1. Take Aubrey to gymnastics

2. Go to the grocery store

3. Send Benson off with the scouts to go caving for 3 days

4. Go to rehearsal tonight with the choir/orchestra

5. Finish painting Jackson’s letters of his name (actually he paints, I preserve the clothes/kitchen counters etc.) then we will hang them in his room.

5 Snacks I Enjoy...

1. anything chocolate—thank you Halloween candy!

2. Cinnamon popcorn

3. cold milk

4. pb and honey sandwiches

5. moose tracks ice cream

5 Things I Would Do If I Were A Millionaire...

1. go on a cruise

2. save for the kids college/missions/weddings

3. buy a mini cooper

4. re-landscape the front and back yards, complete with waterfall

5. buy a grand piano

5 Places I Have Lived...

1. Gladstone, Oregon

2. San Ramon, California

3. Provo, Utah

4. Phoenix, Arizona

5. West Jordan, Utah

5 Jobs I Have Had...

1. violin teacher
2. dry cleaners front desk

3. receptionist

4. administrative assistant

5. recording gigs

5 People I Tag...

1. Becky

2. Heather

3. Cynthia

4. Kimberley

5. Jen

Rules: Each player (the ones I just tagged-- now you are it!) answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let them know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

NEWS FLASH

Yes, we really did have snow this past weekend, and here is the PROOF!

Feelin' Fairly Fallish

The colder weather is bringing about various levels of elation/panic in our household:

1. Our wardrobes suggest we don't know if the weather is warm or cold, with quite the mix and match... Jackson has been seen around town in his snowboots and shorts, the girls wear flip flops and sweaters to school, and it goes on and on....
2. We are reviewing all of the projects that need attention before the snow comes, and lo and behold the weatherman goes ahead and forecasts an early snow for this weekend. Times UP!!
3. The "outside" cat that came with the house when we bought it had babies this past spring (a pre-existing condition) and will hopefully teach her nearly full grown offspring how to survive outside through the winter-- we are all allergic-- or they will need to find new homes. This is a big worry to all of us. Josh is bound and determined to finish the treehouse before winter so they will have an "indoor" place to be.
4. We finally broke down and bought a snow blower from the neighbor who owns a pawn shop. This new driveway of ours is VERY steep and longish and we will all be grateful for the relief it will bring. Especially the boys!
5. I can't WAIT to start having the fireplace going, actually. I love a good snuggle in a blanket with a good book by the fire. Pure elation. Now the only panic is to narrow down which books I'll be reading this winter! I'm taking suggestions, by the way.
6. Our last home wasn't conducive for much sledding, so the kids built up the snow around the 6 front stairs up to the house and made a permanent ramp/liability suit packed with snow, making it nearly impossible for guests to approach the house properly. Since our new house is built on a hill, there are MANY more sledding possibilities in the back and front yards, so I am determined not to repeat the stair-packing practice. Word is out that Benson and his friends are building a snowboard grinding box-- another addition to our backyard (see earlier post about all of the amenities we currently have back there!).
7. We haven't finished pulling out all of the overgrown landscaping in preparation for our spring garden. As it stands, we have so many deer in our yard that I fear it may be tricky to grow much anyway. Does anybody know any tricks with deer? No, we do not have hunting permits.
8. I haven't gotten in my fall drive up the canyon yet, and the color may have passed already. This is truly my favorite season, and I was hoping to take the family and a camera and create.
9. I'm ready to bake more --complete with yummy soups, chilies, and stews. Who needs special candles when you can cook up real aromas?
10. As much as I look forward to all of the holidays, it is always a challenge to eat right. This year will be even more of a challenge since I'll be ROUND anyway, and eating for two! I'm definitely sensing elation and panic combined when I consider my favorite party foods...

Isn't this the most fantastic season? It just goes by too fast for me, and I can't believe we are supposed to get SNOW while I am still watering my flowers. We are all ready for the change and know that it brings us one step closer to adding our new little son to our family at the end of January. I'm feelin' fairly fallish!!

Sweet Virginia

Michael & I just got back from a weekend getaway... and I'm LOVIN' Virginia!! Getting the kids all set up took a bit of coordination, but other than that this might have been our easiest "drop everything and go"! We stayed with Michael's sister, Cindy and her husband Aaron who couldn't have been better hosts/tour guides-- we had a fancy dinner in downtown Leesburg, took a boat up the Potomac to DC, spent a day exploring the monuments/memorials there, visited their ward, walked around the DC temple, and visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum-- all in 4 days! What did the kids do at home?? Who cares!! Actually, technology is amazing because Grandma Wilson took the kids to Lagoon and shot some video of them saying hi to us, which I was able to receive instantly across the country. We missed the kids a little and they missed us-- not at all!! This is my big shout-out to Grandma Wilson and Nanna for helping keep the kids in line-- thank you so much, and take it from me, I know it ain't easy! :)
One of my favorite things about this trip was the opportunity to really get to know the Cases, in their environment. Their kids have virtually grown up apart from the rest of the family and we miss them! This way we got to spend one on one time with each one and I think by the end of the trip they knew that we are their goofy aunt and uncle and that we love them. I am finding that each family has it's own unique culture and there are always new ideas to adopt and implement to us. The Cases are generous and speak quietly to each other (not that this is a foreign idea, but just uncommon in our loud household). I was trying to figure out what is dominant about our family culture, and I guess I'll have to study that more. If I were to guess, it might be (first I have to get past the initial negative thoughts) that we like to laugh and show each other new things/ideas. I'll have to survey my sister and her family who are coming this weekend for general conference. So take note, any of you who have had us in your home... I am extracting family traits and tricks because you all are amazing!

The Energy Crisis

Yeah, we're having an energy crisis. It's called TOO much energy in our household (well, some more than others these days!)! Talk about untapped natural alternative resources! Jackson's turning 4 is a perfect example of the energy needed to run this country for the next 20 years. I'm sure many of you can relate. Want to boost energy levels? Add "sprinklers" (sprinkles) on a cake, "fire" on the candles, balloons, and a couple of presents, and you're sending a man to the moon!
Funny, birthdays seem not to have the same effect on me these days... I did receive what I perceive to be a mixed compliment from Josh after my hair appointment this week. I came home with way too much blond in my hair and he told me I looked like Hillary Duff. I actually don't know who she is, but I have an idea that she is a teenage icon, for good or bad I really am not sure. The point is, looking like a teenager isn't really what I was after...
Speaking of looks, our little Aubrey has hair that people pay good money to achieve -- highlights and lo-lights... plus she's got much darker skin (tanners would be jealous) than the rest of us. One of her nameless siblings was teasing her and calling her "brownie" so Josh told them all that it is illegal to make fun of people with darker skin. I'm so glad he's sensitive to her "ethnicity", since she is from the same two parents.
Benson has his own look this last year as he has a special ability to swoop the top/front of his hair into a perfect point, which I fondly call his "pinecone". Apparently his friends have tried to duplicate it, but they don't have his natural ability! It defies all laws of gravity and has become his signature style, plus it makes him look even taller than he already is. I was cutting his hair tonight and he wanted me to make sure I left enough for the pinecone. Maybe I call it that because it is pointy and sharp and could easily be mistaken for a small weapon...
So bringing my point back to my original thought, looking like Hillary Duff (and therefore looking younger-- I think I'll take that as a compliment after all) does not necessarily mean that I have the ENERGY of a teenager. I am more tired than usual this pregnancy and so I ride on the waves of their energy to get me by! If only we could bottle it up, and find a way to run our vehicles on it-- perhaps like the Flintstone's vehicles, by foot... that's some forward thinking for you right there.
p.s. As I am not truly a tree hugger but more of a wallet hugger, I would encourage you to look at really getting a vehicle that runs on alternative fuel. We purchased a used suburban a few months ago that runs on natural gas ($0.85/gallon in Utah!). I know, I know, the irony of an oversized SUV that saves the environment...
p.s.s. I just googled Hillary Duff, and I look nothing like her (thanks anyway, Josh)...

Appreciating NORMAL Drama

Routines are settled, things aren't so crazy anymore... so what makes life exciting? Other people's drama. That's right, friends and family can create quite a lot of entertainment. Just look around: we have single cousins going out on crazy dates, a friend with a stalker, and my sister who just stays one step ahead of the law (now THAT would make some kind of blog entry). It's a lot easier to watch the drama than to have it be happening to you. I'm thinking that my turn for drama will come soon enough, but in the meantime why not enjoy the break?
Oh, you really bought the idea that we have no drama in a household of seven (soon to be eight)? We've got drama, but just normal drama. Here we go, I know you want me to go back to the stalker story or my sister's wild lifestyle. But think about it: Why is it we're all drawn to drama? What with the news, the latest movies out.... I'm here to tell you, enjoy your normal drama. Maybe you can relate to some of ours until you get your own:
1. Michael is looking for another car to buy that runs on alternative fuel.....ooooo, drama. (well, it is exciting in a techno-moneysaving-way).
2. Emily (me) is trying to find clothing that either minimizes my looking fat or accentuates the fact that I am PREGNANT so that I am not accused of hitting the twinkies a little too hard.
3. Benson is trying to convince an English teacher that she needs to grade his homework so he doesn't lose his cell phone privileges. She says she gets to it when she feels like it. The horror of not having a phone!!
4. Joshua is trying to avoid having me cut his hair. He thinks the grown out hair looks like sideburns, real manly if you ask him. Dodging the scissors-- real drama...
5. Jessica had to memorize the preamble "We the people......" and was just sure that watching it over and over on youtube was the best way to learn. Since when has youtube become an educator?? "Mom, it's not fair! All the other kids get to learn it from youtube!"
6. Aubrey is frankly drama-less. She goes with the flow on everything. No stirring, no problems. But if I were to really dissect what gets her "uppity" it might be... she worries about us forgetting to pick her up from activities. Now why would a fourth child worry about such things?
7. Jackson creates his own drama regularly, i.e. "Oh, no! Mom! My leg is cut off!" (It's actually tucked up behind him). Or "My nose is yellow!" (yeah, just playdough stuck to his face). "I'm starving!" (throws himself to the ground in a near-death pose). If he were to actually have a true medical emergency... heaven help us.
We live in a day where the news on the front page is so outrageous that we can't appreciate normal drama for what it is.
Perfect example JUST NOW..... the girls and Jackson just came running in to tell me there's a SNAKE UNDER THE FRIDGE!!! Really? It's not the water hose? If there IS a snake.... oh, the drama of family life!