malley alley

Baby Baby

2011-07-18T09:29:00.001-05:00

Before

After

So, yes, we've had a baby! Here are the vital stats:

Eli Grant Malley

8 lbs. 7 oz.

20.5 inches

May 12, 2011

Who knows what time it was--I was doped up

Big blessings this year! Eli was born, Christian was baptized on Saturday. Jonathan gave the talk on the Holy Ghost at the Stake Baptismal Service. It was great. He tailored it for all the little ones getting baptized and spoke right to them. I was a really proud wife, but with my husband, that's always the case. He baptized Christian and he also baptized my friend's daughter. That was really special.

People ask me what it's like having five kids. I'll tell you:

Fun

Fantastic

Loud

Smelly

Stressful

Funny

Spiritual

Mundane

Extraordinary

Spectacular

Messy

Silly

Sticky

Happy

Family Home Evening

2011-01-25T08:54:00.000-06:00

Let me just start off by saying the Primary Presidency in our ward is AWESOME! Last Sunday, they gave each of the kids a blue pillowcase. The seam at the end was covered with a red ribbon with gold lettering that said, 'I Know the Scriptures Are True.' In the center was a yellow pocket sewn to the front and surged around the edges with a poem ironed on:

Precious memories are mine to keep

If I read the scriptures before I sleep

Inside the the pocket was a copy of the New Testament. Inside each New Testament was a bookmark someone had made on the computer from nice paper. I don't have that one in front of me or I'd describe it here. The kids each received this, and they have all been so excited to read their New Testaments.

So, last night for FHE, we sang the Books of the New Testament song. We made up a cheer for the scripture of month (last week the presidency gave each child a laminated copy of the year-one page-with a magnet on the back showing the theme, scripture, and song for each month). The scripture was part of a verse from the Book of Mormon, but it was totally appropriate for studying the New Testament.

"...feast upon the words of Christ;

for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."

2 Nephi 32:3

We talked about where we find the words of Christ in the scriptures. Then Christian gave us a scripture from the New Testament he'd chosen beforehand:

"And when they were come into the house,

they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:

and when they had opened their treasures,

they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

Matthew 2:11

Then we had ice cream. It was totally fun!

Froggy Potty

2011-01-21T08:22:00.000-06:00

This is our Froggy Potty. Cute, huh? Love him. And today, so does Scarlet! Two times just this morning!! Once in the underwear, but two out of three ain't bad, right? Maybe, just maybe, she'll be potty-trained before Kindergarten. Ok, so she won't be in Kindergarten for almost 3 years (darned November birthday!), but still, sometimes potty-training seems a little, what's the word? Oh yeah, ETERNAL.

We have the family coming over today, Jonathan's parents. We're holding a garage sale for Jonathan's aunt who lives in town. We're loading everything over here tonight and having the sale in the morning. Hopefully it's warmer out tomorrow than it is this morning. It was 26 degrees here, in San Antonio! The high is supposed to be 60 tomorrow so that's definitely tolerable. I'm thinking I'll be making chicken and dumplings for lunch tomorrow-YUM!

Washin', Washin', Washin', Keep those Loads A'Movin'

2011-01-20T09:50:00.000-06:00

Not our laundry

All hail the return of Mount Washmore to the Malley household! I try to do at least one load of laundry per day, just to keep up, sometimes two. Well, I fell off the wagon...again. I'm thinking it's at least twelve loads. Anywho, at least when they're clean, I'll be going through everything and doing a Goodwill haul. Lots of Goodwill hauls for us. We just went through some closets. How do I accumulate so much...never mind... Scarlet helped me sort the laundry this morning. Great chore for a three year old. They're actually really good at it, surprisingly, especially if there are a lot of laundry baskets. I need some new ones. Mine are a little beaten up. I'm thinking I might get some bins from Home Depot or somewhere. They seem to hold up better than the traditional baskets, plus they're cheaper. Haha! As I like to say, "Mommy wins!!"

"Sicky Pup"

2011-01-19T09:09:00.000-06:00

This is my FAVORITE baby expression that any of my children have uttered. Scarlet still can't say it correctly and I don't want her to. I dread the day she finally gets it "right." I even call it that sometimes. It makes me smile. Is that bad parenting? I'm sure my education professors wouldn't have been in favor of it. Another favorite "word" the kids have used is "conkulator" instead of calculator. It always made us laugh. Then there are just the out-there expressions. Christian used to say, "Kill that fire!" whatever that means. We think it started when he was outside playing with my mom. She was straightening us our back patio and he was pretending to shoot things. We think she introduced him to the phrase, "Ready, aim, FIRE!" and somehow he translated it into, "Kill that fire!" Kids say the darndest things!

Welcome Back, Welcome Back, Welcome Back...or, Random, er, Crap

2011-01-18T15:38:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I guess it really has been nearly a year since I've written in this thing. I guess I've been busy. Maybe I'll do better this year, maybe not. Judge me.

The kids just got home from school. We're doing Family Home Evening tonight since it was a holiday on Monday. Not a holiday from FHE, but well, I guess I don't think of the week starting unless that's when school is in session too. Of course, this doesn't really have any relevance in the summer. Whatev. I'm thinking tonight we'll have a lesson on the sacrament. I'd like for the kids to have more of a focus on the Savior during the sacrament, rather than their coloring books. Maybe I'm being unreasonable. It's not that I think they're not getting something out of the meeting. I know they are, but we can always improve, right? Maybe? Well, anyway, that's what I think we'll do.

One thing I do know, right now, I'd really like a nap. Christian will probably need one soon. He informed me when he got home from school that he woke up at 2:17 this morning. Wha?? That explains the empty bottle of Fresca in the toy closet. Oh yeah, right after he told me when he woke up, he goes, "Fresca's gross." Ok, so why did you drink the entire bottle? When did you decide it was gross? I wish he'd figured it out sooner, cause I could really use some right now.

You know how scent memory is really strong and can take you right back to a certain place in time with a certain smell? Well, Scarlet needs a change and I swear that I could be driving past a hog farm in central Illinois. Lovely. On the bright side, she occasionally decides that the toilet is a good thing to use...as I said, occasionally. Hopefully we're on the path from casual use to habitual use-which, in the case of the toilet, is a WONDERFUL thing.

Yes, Virginia...It Really Does Snow in Texas

2010-01-28T22:54:00.004-06:00

I used to live here. Lubbock. It snowed there today. This is what it looks like there now. Above is Mackenzie State Park. Jonathan and I used to come here a lot and talk when we were dating. We also used to feed the ducks and geese with Ethan and Christian here when they were teeny tots.
This is part of the Lubbock Metropolis skyline. Impressive, isn't it? I know you're thinking, "Wow--it's just like New York City!" (I hope that came out in your head in the same voice as the Pace picante commercials)

And yes, some goofball is actually snowboarding here. My dh says, "There is a little hill in Mackenzie Park, isn't there?"

Ah, yes, the geese. I wonder if the evil one who chased me at Godeke Park 5 years ago is in there. You're lucky you're only in a photo, or I'd be after ya, turkey! (bwahhahahahaha, .....it's funny cause it's a goose, but I said a tur-Oh never mind)
This owl is a Harry Potter reject-they turned him down for being too Texan.
I like to imagine him singing "Frosty the Snowman" in an opera voice. It's his own roadshow.
Sigh....nothing like a West Texas sunset. I'm lovin' the "pillar of light" effect.
A final bow...(no pun intended)

2010-01-27T12:40:00.002-06:00

"I'd like to think that maybe if I were a mother who passed away, that someone would take care of my child, and I was grateful I could do that."

2010-01-25T11:16:00.015-06:00

LDS relief: Utah nurse draws on the power of love and healing to help boy
By Elizabeth Howell
For the Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010 12:07 a.m. MST

Editor's note: Liz Howell is a member of the LDS Church-sponsored medical team providing care last week in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Before leaving Saturday to return to Salt Lake City, Howell recounted a final experience in aiding the injured Haitians. These are her words, as told to the Deseret News' Scott Taylor.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Friday afternoon, some of our medical team were at the clinic at the Centrale Ward meetinghouse while the rest went to Dr. Jeff Randle's Helping Hands of Haiti clinic.

We were to meet at University Hospital at about 5 o'clock. We left Centrale to go to the Carrefour Ward meetinghouse.

We then realized we had only 45 minutes to do any type of a clinic there, which is essentially enough time to set it up and take it back down again.
We asked if we should turn around and go back; we said, "No, let's just go."

When we arrived at the meetinghouse, people were all over the grass, people were inside the cultural hall and we really didn't see any acute medical needs at first.

We had been there about 10 minutes and in comes this little boy. He's in a little, crude litter that had been made from sticks and clothing. It was very makeshift.

The little boy was 4 years old, but he looked like he was 2, just little. He looked like a baby. His mother had died in the earthquake; his father was alive.

When they found the boy, they found him with a dead body — another boy, maybe a brother. His aunt and his father, who lived up in the hills, walked for hours with this litter and the boy, looking for a place to stay.

They were near the church when they were spotted by one of the LDS members, who the previous day had been given the responsibility to find people in need of medical help. The member said there would be help, and so he waited for only two hours until we showed up.

The little baby will probably lose his hand; his bones were exposed. He had lacerations so deep we could see the bones, and even that was necrotic.

He had lacerations on each side of his torso, chunks missing from his scalp, and his left ear was kind of hanging there.

He had a real high fever; he was just burning up. By the time we got him, it appeared he was septic, full of infection. I think maybe he would have had two days, if that, before he would have passed.

I knew we had to take him to a hospital right then and there. He was so scared and in such pain. He was dirty and crying. I bandaged him, cleaned all of his wounds and gave him antibiotics.

We wrapped him up and he held me. He didn't understand English, but I just kept telling him that I loved him and that we would take care of him, that we would make sure that he would receive the best care.

We wrapped him up, and with the rest of the medical team, we went into University Hospital. He just held on so tight to me, and I held on; he just whimpered all the way to the hospital.

I asked (Ogden emergency-room doctor Jeremy Booth), who was in the back seat, to give the baby a priesthood blessing. He did — and in Creole, he blessed the baby.

We heal with our hands, but there's also a healing we have access to that comes in times of need.

I don't have children. I don't know if I'll ever have children. I don't know if that's the Lord's will for me. But I'd like to think that maybe if I were a mother who passed away, that someone would take care of my child, and I was grateful I could do that.

We went into the pediatric ward and were meet by Swiss doctors. Right now, the Swiss have revolutionized a procedure and have done marvelous work in reconstruction. Without looking at the baby's wounds, they told me they have not lost an arm yet nor have lost a foot yet in all their surgical procedures.

As I was getting ready to go, I looked him in his big, brown eyes and told him, "We love you, and you're going to be taken care of." And I left him in the care of the Swiss and have every confidence he's going to live a productive life.

I'm grateful the Lord led us to him, that the members were in tune enough to find him and bring him to us.

I think the people I have been most impressed with during this entire trip is the native Haitians. They are resilient.

They're putting their lives back together. They're going through compound grief, but they're resilient, and they will get through this.

Help Haiti

2010-01-23T13:39:00.002-06:00

Young Women Handouts

2010-01-09T12:10:00.004-06:00

I just made these for YW. The pink one is for Manual 2, Lesson 2-Spiritual Gifts, the other is for a topic that's been on my mind a lot lately for our girls - Modesty.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T11:35:00.003-06:00

So what did I do in 2009?

December- Jonathan got his Master's-hallelujah! Sang Hallelujah chorus at the Stake Center. Hosted In-laws and 4 missionaries for Christmas Eve. Married 9 years, and did the charleston with a bunch of teenagers

November-Celebrated 2 kids' birthdays. My oldest was baptized-and I had raging PMS.

October-Mema, then Grandpa Bob passed away within the same week and Mr. Malley and I made the trek (ya know, in an airplane) from Houston to Chicago, sans kids. Made 3 spider costumes and I survived.

September-the 3 year old became a 4 year old

August-The 3 year old started Pre-K since his birthday is the cutoff date. The house has never been so quiet. In YW we had the "Back to School Blessings Banquet" and miracles happened.

July-We saw fireworks with my wonderful YW counselors and their hubbies in San Marcos. Great day. The 5 year old became a 6 year old and we saw Harry Potter.

June-I had my last "20s" birthday. Went to Girls' Camp for the first time and had a blast. Missed the family for a week.

May-Stressed about girls' camp.

April-Put together the YW rummage sale-and survived-barely.

March-Celebrated St. Paddy's Day & our family's Irishness.

February-Hubby's Birthday (32-he's practically a fossil, I know)

January-Who can remember?

September Memory

2009-09-03T11:51:00.000-05:00

Bad Day? How About a Cute Animal Pic-Me-Up?

2009-08-11T19:29:00.003-05:00

I May Not Live in the Jell-O Belt, But My Jell-O Belt Lives with Me

2009-07-20T23:37:00.002-05:00

I carry it around, sort of like a permanent fanny pack. Well, I guess it's not *technically* permanent...

*For those of you who don't know, the so-called "Jell-O Belt" is an area of the United States concentrated in the intermountain west where Jell-O sells the best and is consumed the most. This is due to the area having more children than average because of its high concentration of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

So I was reading another blog last night and someone mentioned the "Jell-O Belt." We had a pie with Jell-O in it for our Family Home Evening Treat last night. Does that make it official? We Mormons love our Jell-O I guess.

Did Joseph Smith know this? Was it revealed to Brigham Young after he'd crossed the plains with the pioneers and arrived in the Salt Lake Valley and said, "This is the place,"? Did they know that the Restoration of Gospel would lead to increased consumption of jigglers? The Jell-O creations at potlucks, let alone the funeral luncheons?

My Husband Got Off the Hook WAAAAAAAY Too Easy!

2009-07-10T09:36:00.000-05:00

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This ...

2009-05-07T23:08:00.002-05:00

Wait a minute-no she didn't. She said nothing of the sort. You know why? I never even thought about doing any of the insane things my kids do to me. So, Mom, I hope you appreciate how non-insane I was (I know I was pretty insane in other ways, especially in high school-sorry). Here's a great, funny recipe for all you moms (especially moms of little boys) out there. Happy Mother's Day!

Mom's Brownies
Remove teddy bear from oven and preheat oven to 375.
Melt 1 cup margarine in saucepan.
Remove teddy bear from oven and tell Jr. "no, no."
Add margarine to 2 cups sugar.
Take shortening can away from Jr. and clean cupboards.
Measure 1/3 cup cocoa.
Take shortening can away from Jr. again and bathe cat.
Apply antiseptic and bandages to scratches sustained while removing shortening from cat's tail.
Assemble 4 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups sifted flour.
Take smoldering teddy bear from oven and open all doors and windows for ventilation.
Take telephone away from Billy and assure party on the line the call was a mistake. Call operator and attempt to have direct dialed call removed from bill.
Measure 1 tsp. salt, ½ cup nuts and beat all ingredients well.
Let cat out of refrigerator.
Pour mixture into well-greased 9x13-inch pan.
Bake 25 minutes.
Rescue cat and take razor away from Jr. Explain to kids that you have no idea if shaved cats will sunburn. Throw cat outside while there's still time and he's still able to run away.

FROSTING
Mix the following in saucepan:
1 cup sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup margarine
Take the darn teddy bear out of the @#$% broiler and throw it away
far away.
Answer the door and meekly explain to nice policeman that you didn't
know Jr. had slipped out of the house and was heading for the street.
Put Jr. in playpen.
Add 1/3 cup milk, dash of salt, and boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Answer door and apologize to neighbor for Billy having stuck a garden
hose in man's front door mail slot. Promise to pay for ruined carpet.
Tie Billy to clothesline.
Remove burned brownies from oven.

You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover

2009-04-14T15:47:00.000-05:00

This video brings me absolute JOY!

Susan Boyle on Britain Got Talent
by dwarthy

An Apostle's Easter Thoughts on Christ

2009-04-14T09:03:00.000-05:00

Better late than never, right?

If You Want to Know Why I Believe What I Believe...

2009-03-16T20:30:00.002-05:00

This is Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in the General Conference of my church last year. He first says a few words regarding the recent sustaining (kind of like approval) of the President of the Church, Thomas S. Monson, following the passing of his predecessor, Gordon B. Hinckley. Elder Holland's actual talk, or sermon, doesn't get started until about 1:49.

Hello, Hello...Are You There?

2009-03-11T08:49:00.003-05:00

Yes, yes, I know, I haven't written any posts in forever. I'll be better at it, I promise. I'll be putting up some pictures soon...let's see what's new? Well, Jordan flushed a candle (contained in glass no less) down the toilet last night. We got it out, with only minor injuries-no not to Jordan. Sorry, no pics, didn't think of it-BAD BLOGGER!

The Fa-Malley

2008-12-03T11:25:00.002-06:00

Thanks to my super-deluxe-photographer-extraordinaire dad for the pic.

Treat Your Mother Right!

2008-12-02T10:27:00.000-06:00

2008-11-18T10:40:00.003-06:00

It hasn't been very long now (only a couple of months or so), and I love working with the Young Women of our ward. It's such a blessing to be with them, answer their questions, witness the growth of their testimonies while strengthening my own. In every calling, I truly believe the Lord gives us the opportunity to flourish. Learn and grow, learn and grow. This calling is particularly exciting for me as I will be "going through" the YW program for the first time myself. As they work on their Personal Progress (a program in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the Young Women), I will be working on mine as well. This year my goal has been to write in my journal and read my scriptures every single day, and so far I have done that (year's not over yet...). That has been a blessing and a strength to me and I feel as though I may accomplish any goal I set my mind to now. So, I'll be blogging about my Value Projects/Experiences for Personal Progress in the coming year. Wish me luck!

Who Are the Brave?

2008-11-17T18:58:00.008-06:00

It's never too late to honor those who serve, so better late than never . . .

Happy Veteran's Day

Who are the brave? Those who go to war.

Who are the brave? Those who fight no more.

Those who gave their lives, protecting freedom's shore.

Who are the brave? Those who serve in war.

Who are the brave? Those who live with pain.

Who are the brave? Those whose lives are plain.

Those with healthy bodies, those protecting the unsure.

Who are the brave? Those who serve the poor.

Who are the brave? Those whose speech is free?

Who are the brave? Those loving liberty.

All those with heart and mind, protecting all they find.

Who are the brave? Those who serve mankind.

These are the brave.

-lyrics by J. Paul Williams

So Beautiful . . . Please Watch

2008-10-29T08:14:00.001-05:00

To Mourn with Those that Mourn. and Comfort Those that Stand in Need of Comfort

2008-10-23T18:43:00.015-05:00

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at baptism we covenant, among other things, to "mourn with those that mourn, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." We pray these times are few and far between, and yet, this is mortality, and so come they do. We believe that before each of us was born on the earth, we lived in Heaven with our Heavenly Father where we learned and accepted the plan He had for His children. That plan being we come to earth to obtain a physical body, learn and progress, and eventually, because of the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ, return to the presence of the Father, along with our families - never again to be separated, but united for eternity. One of the Church's governing bodies is known as the "Quorum of the 12 Apostles." Its members are regarded as special witnesses of Jesus Christ. One these men, Russell M. Nelson, gave a talk dealing with this subject. In this quote he cites a scripture in our canon known as the "Doctrine & Covenants" which we consider to be commandments given to the Church, through the prophets, principally Joseph Smith, from the Savior.

Irrespective of age, we mourn for those loved and lost. Mourning is one of the deepest expressions of pure love. It is a natural response in complete accord with divine commandment: “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die.” (D&C 42:45.)
Moreover, we can’t fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now. The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life.

This family lives in Lubbock, our last town, and though we did not know them well as we were in different wards (congregations) in our stake (comparable to a diocese), we would like to say from many miles away:

We think of you

We love you

We mourn with you

And we pray our prayers

to the Father that we share

Will comfort you

They Just Make Me Smile

2008-10-23T12:02:00.002-05:00

My Mosaic

2008-10-22T11:59:00.007-05:00

This is based on the answers to these questions:
1. What is your name? Heidi
2. What is your favorite food? Thanksgiving food - I picked cranberries cause they're purty!
3. Where did you attend High School? Allen High School - this is of the band-the "Escadrille"-of which I wasn't a part, but it was a cool picture
4. What is your favorite color? RED!!!!!
5. Celebrity crush? Matthew MacFadyen (this is a bust of him as "Mr. Darcy" from my favorite movie "Pride & Prejudice." Do you not think him a handsome man, miss? Yes, yes, I daresay he is.)
6. Favorite drink? Egg Nog, this time of year anyway
7. Dream vacation? Ireland
8. Favorite dessert? Baklava
9. When I grow up, I want to be _____________? Peaceful.
10. What do you love most in your life? My family. There aren't enough members of this "snow family," but they were cute so they made it in anyway.
11. Optional Square = I LUUUUVV the snow (and the red berries of course)
12. What's the one word to describe you? Creative, or so I've been told

-Thanks to my friend Carrie for this great idea!

Can't Wait!!

2008-10-21T09:28:00.002-05:00

provided by: www.allthingschristmas.com

Yummy!

2008-10-03T07:39:00.006-05:00

I signed up for this program where I get to test food products. This was one of them that was really good.

There was a soup recipe on the back of the box and I had some of the ingredients and I sort improvised with the rest. It had some leftover chicken, stewed tomatoes (drained), a can of peas (drained), and a package of that steam-in-the-bag broccoli. I put it all in one pot and heated it up with a dash of salt and onion powder. Then I made some rice real quick on the stove to go with it. I was kinda nervous about what my boys would think about it with all the visible vegetables and what-not, but they all loved it! They all said, "Mommy, this is gooooood!" There's nothing better than those words at dinner time. Well, except maybe, "Relax, honey, I'll do the dishes. You go lie down."

Whoa Mama . . .

2008-10-02T17:33:00.003-05:00

I don't know what to say about this. Happy Halloween maybe?

Something about a Picture and 1,000 Words?

2008-09-29T20:59:00.015-05:00

Anyway, I finally loaded the pics from my camera to the computer, so I thought I might as well share some (in no particular order).

Jonathan & I at my 10 year high school reunion.

Jordan "fishing" at Nan and Papa's

Ethan at swimming lessons this summer

Christian at swimming lessons

Blue-eyed girl

Never Forget . . .

2008-09-11T11:07:00.003-05:00

That's What Friends (and Family) Are For . . .

2008-09-10T09:16:00.008-05:00

For those of you who've noticed my new "Donate to NieNie" button on the sidebar, here's the backstory:

My Favorite Song

2008-09-08T11:48:00.004-05:00

Sarah Barracuda

2008-09-04T20:47:00.009-05:00

John McWho? Look out Joebama!

Implicit Association Tests

2008-07-29T11:03:00.010-05:00

You''ve got to try these. Coolest. Thing. Ever. Harvard came up with this series of tests designed to reveal any prejudices one might have, conscious or subconscious. They're really kind of fun - revealing too. Here are my results:

Native American IAT- I have a SLIGHT association of "White American" with "Foreign" and "Native American" with "American" - meaning I view Native Americans as more authentically "American" - makes sense I guess.

Gender/Career- SLIGHT association of "Female" with "Family" and "Male" with "Career"

Obama/McCain- SLIGHT preference for John McCain

Presidents- SLIGHT preference for George W. Bush over "Other Presidents" (In this case the "other president" was Thomas Jefferson - I chalk this up to being more familiar with GWB's face as opposed to TJ's)

Skin-Tone- LITTLE TO NO preference for light skin over dark skin, and vice-versa

Race- LITTLE TO NO preference for Blacks or Whites

Asian-American- LITTLE TO NO ASSOCIATION of "Asian" with "Foreign" or "American"

Arab-Muslim- SLIGHT preference for "Other People" over "Arab/Muslim"

Age- SLIGHT preference for "Old" people over "Young" people

Disability- NO AUTOMATIC PREFERENCE between abled/disabled persons

Weapons- SLIGHT association of Black Americans with weapons compared with White Americans

Religion- STRONG AUTOMATIC PREFERENCE for "Judaism" compared to "Other Religions"

Weight- MODERATE AUTOMATIC PREFERENCE for "Thin People" compared to "Fat People"

Sexuality- STRONG preference for "Straight" people

Gender/Science- MODERATE association of "Female" with "Science" and "Male" with "Liberal Arts"

Bonus IAT: "3 Countries" (Japan, India, and China)- I prefer the 3 countries in the following order, starting with my strongest preference: 1. Japan 2. India 3. China

It's Generational

2008-07-29T08:39:00.007-05:00

Two photos, both alike in dignity . . . I guess I have Shakespeare on the mind. Oh well, as promised (to my Uncle Kurt) here is the photo of my Uncle Kurt with me in September of 1980 and a picture of him with my daughter, Scarlet Elisabeth, in June 2008:

My Favorite Things

2008-07-09T16:28:00.004-05:00

In no particular order:

The book Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall and Illustrated by Barbara Cooney
Red
Autumn
Stevie Wonder
Sting/The Police
Christmas
Pride and Prejudice
4th of July and a pork tenderloin sandwich with fireworks in Chenoa, IL
Date Ball cookies
British Comedies on PBS
Snow
Quiet, early morning when the sky seems overcast before the sunlight really hits
New England (this is really more in theory since I've never been there)
Smell of fireplaces being used for the first time, while standing outside in the neighborhood
Pie
Fredericksburg, TX
Apple Orchards
Applesauce made from Transparent Apples
Baby Smiles
New makeup

There are lots of other things I love. Too many to mention really. What are your favorite things?

Honnneeey, the Smoke Machine is Broken!

2008-07-03T21:36:00.007-05:00

Ok, so, yes, it's been waaaaay too long since my last post. My little sister got married last weekend, so I've been busy. Actually, she was already married. Is that confusing? Sorry, long story involving deployment, JP ceremony, Iraq, etc., etc. Anywho. They finally had their wedding. It was originally planned for about a year ago.

It was beautiful. Just wait til you see it. I know you'll agree. Really. Can I get a huh, huh?

But, how can we see it? Are you going to post a video?

No, no my little brussel sprouts. It's going to be on a reality show.

I have now been (or will be, I should say, in September) on a reality show. "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" on the Style Network. Which I don't even get, by the way.

And in case you see it, just so you know (in case you hadn't already guessed), it's a "reality" show (emphasis on the air quotes).

Have you ever played that get-to-know-you game where you're supposed to tell everyone something that "nobody knows about you"? This is so going to be my answer now. Oh, the humanity, I'm going to get to see myself on national TV. Isn't there some country that wants to shoot down our satellites? Can I send them money? But then I wouldn't get my HGTV, and how can I live without my "Designed to Sell" and "Design Star"?

Oh, and one more thing, I think the camera really adds about 25 or 50 pounds.

UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!!
The show is set to air on October 28, 2008 on the Style Network - Heaven help us all!

I Heart BYU

2008-06-20T09:00:00.011-05:00

I think this is one of the best ideas ever. What a way to bless this part of the world - that needs it so desperately. I think this is the start of something great.

Check it out:
http://byunews.byu.edu/archive08-Jun-Ghana.aspx

Post Haste-Post Mortem-Post Toasties

2008-06-16T12:20:00.005-05:00

Ok, so it's been too long since my last post. I can't stand it when I visit a blog, and there's nothing new to read on there. My birthday on Friday was fun. DH gave me some "Burt's Bees" goodies and chocolate-covered cranberries, blueberries, cherries and almonds. My sister sent me flowers, I got a gorgeous pendant from DH's brother and his wife, cards and $ from my parents and in-laws. Awesome!

I was very sad to find out that Tim Russert died on that day. I'm a big American history buff. I love politics and government. He was one of my favorites. I didn't get a chance to see his program very often because I'd be at, or getting ready for, church. It's been touching to see all the tributes to him and how he was thought of, above all, as a great family man. I love people like that. As accomplished as they may be, they know what's really important.

Father's Day was kind of a bummer for DH. I was sick, so instead of him getting all the TLC, he spent the day taking care of me. Maybe we can have a Father's Day "Do-over" this weekend.

One Track Mind

2008-06-11T13:11:00.006-05:00

My birthday is coming up on Friday. People keep asking me what I want. I'm not too particular about birthday gifts usually. However, when my husband asked me this year what I wanted, there was only one thing on my mind . . . I want the house cleaned. All clean. At the same time. And I want it very clean, baseboards, ceiling fan blades, organized closets. THE WORKS. Most importantly, I do not want to be the one to do it.

So of course, being the wonderful man that he is, he called a service and scheduled them to do an estimate on our home. He later called the house and said, "Oh, by the way, the cleaning people are coming by at 3 pm to do an estimate, that OK?" And so, of course, I said, "Are you crazy? I have to clean the house before the cleaning people come!" I made him call them back and cancel. He, obviously, thought I was crazy.

DH: "You have to clean so the cleaning people can come?"

Me: "Uh, yeah"

"Then what are they going to do?"

"Clean the house"

"But you just cleaned it"

"No"

"OK"

"Just reschedule for later in the week"

"If you say so"

I know, poor guy, he just doesn't get it.

Going Green or Something Like That . . .

2008-06-05T12:19:00.004-05:00

Lately I've noticed that I am growing fond of all things environmentally friendly. I just feel like there are certain things I can do that are very easy, and it makes me feel good to be able to help. I've purchased the $1 reusable shopping bags for both stores I use, I have energy star appliances, I try to turn off lights I'm not using and try to conserve water. My dream is to get a hybrid Tahoe, but I can't afford that right now. I don't actually use compact fluorescent bulbs because I don't want to deal with the kids breaking them. I'm ashamed to say that I don't really care that much about global warming, but I do like the idea of not being wasteful.

Anyway, lately I'm thinking of taking this thing to a completely new level, and this is big. Very big.

I'm thinking of switching to CLOTH DIAPERS!!!!!!!

Of course, I'm definitely going to have to get my washer fixed first. I think I'll still use disposables for when we're away from the house. I just think we could probably save a lot of $$, and it is kind of gross to think about how many of those things our family has contributed. I don't think it'll be that much more work - I'm already doing a ton of laundry anyway. What's another load (no pun intended-yuck!)?

Things I Would Not Have Learned If I Didn't Have Children

2008-06-03T10:02:00.006-05:00

Ok, so if you think this is a post about how I found out that my heart could live outside of my chest, or how a child wandering off can make you feel like you're dying till you find him, or how I became a whole new person by having kids, you're WAY wrong.

No, this is about how I learned that . . .

. . . little boys + Sonic's "Ocean Water" or dark blue Gatorade = Day-Glo green poop and giant amusement.

. . . if your children decide during naptime to become Picassos in their bedroom, and their medium is poo, it's OK to shut the door on it to make your husband deal with it when he gets home (ya know, to protect your sanity), because it turns out that dry poo cleans up more easily (use the vacuum hose to scratch it off).

. . . making dessert may become a criminal offense. Diet guilt? No. Last night my son told someone we were eating "toddler". No, son, it's cobbler. (On another note, why the heck is it "cobbler" anyway?).

What about you? What have you learned from your children?

I'm Back!

2008-06-01T20:06:00.005-05:00

Well, for the longest time my computer, or the website, or something, was not allowing me on my very own blog - UGH! But now, the stars have all aligned and the Blog gods ("Blods"?) have deigned to allow me back on. Yippee! Ok . . . so . . . what to write?

Hmmm . . . Since I've been gone, my refrigerator, washer, and DVD player have all crapped out. Oh, the joys of useless machines! I am happy to know that we have definitely met the requisite 3 things breaking at once quota, so we should be good for awhile now (knocking loudly on wood, though it's that cheap self-assembly stuff, still, wood-"ish"). Oh yeah, school gets out on Wednesday for the kiddos. I am not, I repeat NOT, prepared for this.

My 6yo son just made a mess in the kitchen with the sugar. I now have sugar-coated feet. Ok, that phrase is kind of making me laugh, but still, see what I mean? Totally NOT prepared.

My Wedding Shoes

2008-05-14T16:41:00.007-05:00

The shoes I will be wearing as matron-of-honor in my sister's wedding. They're actually a lot more comfortable than they appear.

UPDATE: The shoes are ABSOLUTELY as uncomfortable as they appear. Good thing I had gold flip-flops for the reception

"B" as in "Butt"

2008-05-14T15:58:00.006-05:00

Today Ethan got a "B" on his daily citizenship calendar.

A "B" is the best you can get. They've been pretty few and far between this year. He has had some issues this year, but really, I think most kids get the "G" for "good" by default. Anyway, he's received 2 of them this month already. His reward for it is getting to play with water outside, which he is doing right now with his brother, Christian. Brother #3, Jordan, is asleep in the living room, and Scarlet is asleep in her crib. DH sees therapy clients tonight. Blah. I was going to make a turkey roast, but I need a meat rack for it. I tried to get one at Walmart. No luck. I'll have to go to HEB.

For anyone outside of South Central Texas who reads this, HEB is the main grocery store chain. It's headquartered in San Antonio. If you think HEB is a strange name, it only gets stranger. Is it a person's initials? Yes. What do they stand for? Well, the man's name was H. E. Butt. Yes, really. It could've been "Butt's Groceries" or I guess, just plain old "Butt's." Anyway, in Ethan's class, if "G" is for good, what does "B" stand for? Best? Beautiful? Bodacious? No, No, and No. It stands for . . . wait for it . . . "Outstanding"! Yeah, I know. Actually it corresponds with a color system:

B = Blue = "Outstanding"
G = Green = "Good"
Y = Yellow = Numerous Redirections
R = Red = Severe Disruption

Is it me? Should the letters match a word that fits the behavior? Like "Y" could stand for "Ya coulda done a lot better." I guess that's bad grammar though. Seriously, when I was a kid it was:

E = Excellent
S = Satisfactory
N = Needs Improvement
U = Unsatisfactory (or "Under", as in, hide under the bed, because you're going to be in big trouble*)

*I'm just being dramatic here, I never received a "U", so I don't really know what would've happened, though it wouldn't have been too good.

This is the system they use on his report card. So much for consistency. Oh well. Any thoughts?

Me? A Blogger?

2008-05-13T10:43:00.006-05:00

Well, ok, this is my first post on my brand new blog. Weird. I guess I should sort of introduce myself, which is a little strange because right now I feel like I'm talking to myself. Add to that the fact that the only people who will probably ever see this are related to me or are my friends, so they obviously already know me. But, whatever, here goes . . .

I am . . .

HeidiAnn

Wife to a very hard-working man and full-time grad student. He studies Marriage & Family Therapy . . . hopefully we won't be seeking therapy by the time he's done, just kidding :)

Mother of 4 (3 boys, 1 girl)

Older sister to my new-military-wife sister

Bad Housekeeper, Decent Cook

Born Mennonite, raised Presbyterian, adult convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Wannabe decorator, amateur musical arranger, novice pianist, floutist, and artist

I think RED is the best color EVER!

Trying to be a little better every day

Oh, and I guess now, blogger?