you are a POOHEAD sometimes....

For Family Home Evening last week, at Olivia's bidding, we all passed around paper hearts with our names on them. The point was to write something nice about each person in our family as the heart passed us by. (you know, in order to be "grateful" for the people in our family)


MY heart (the one with my name on it) came back to me with:

"you are a POOHEAD sometimes" ... written on it.



It was anybody's guess who had written that to me. (however, it only took ONE guess to isolate the individual).

One of my OTHER children, who felt so badly that someone had been "so mean" to me, grabbed a pen and for the rest of time left wrote little things all over the rest of my heart,

like:

"you are the BEST mom I ever had!" (not shocking really, i mean considering all the other mothers she has had!)



"you are not REALLY a poohead mom!" (well said!)



"you're so so so so so nice mom" (my thoughts EXACTLY!)


"I would never have a different mom ever mom!" (aw shucks! and I would never want you to!)


well, you get the picture.

The fact of the matter is: I AM a poohead sometimes. Especially lately when it feels like the weight of the world is getting heavier upon my shoulders with every passing day. Somedays it drops me to my knees. (thus, turning me into above mentioned "poohead".)


Fortunately, thus far, I have always seemed to find a way back up to continue forward.

So, Dear (Nameless Child): I am sorry that your mom is a PooHead sometimes. Thanks for loving me anyway! Mom

Thank you (with gratitude in my heart) for my little family, and those friends and extended family, who help make my life bearable when I am being a poohead.

And if I've been a PooHead to YOU lately...please forgive me....apparently I am one sometimes!

O Holy Night...er War...

It comes to this....

the "holy war" of Utah Schools

BYU

vs.

U of U

take your pick!

who's gonna win?

thankful

who doesn't have lots to be thankful for?

even in the midst of trying times in our life...

THIS year i am "thankful" that my two "teenagers" spent 3 whole hours with their family (AKA "us") during the school break.

it was, of course, under great duress and threats of feigned heart failure on the part of their mother. and a few tears. and a little bit of begging. but still, they conceded!

so, this year...i am thankful my teens "choose" to hang w/me for a solid 3 hours.

Josh and Grace, i am thankful for 3 great hours! (and no that is NOT sarcastic).

a just a note for those of you who still have all "young 'uns" at home...that like you. that like to "hang with you"...still.

Please oh please oh please-hold them tight and enjoy every passing moment. they grow up and away far too fast. love them. hold them. hug them. play "tea" with them. and barbies. and Wii. and Lego's. and just enjoy them. :O)

crap, i am a schizophrenic nazi

a brief explanation for all my non "Mormon" peeps. (readers of other faiths and religions, please don't judge all Mormons by what you are about to read! there are some great members of the LDS aka Mormon faith who do not have a hard time refraining from bad language at Church.)


in our church we have a 3 hour "block" of meetings each Sunday. it is not ironically called THE BLOCK. the meetings consist of one hour of "sacrament meeting" (talks, songs, partaking of the sacrament, aka bread and water, in remembrance of Jesus Christ).

this is followed by Sunday School class (one hour) and then a combination of meetings: Relief Society, Priesthood, Young Mens/Womens--you go where you go next depending on your age group. (sorta)


clear as mud?


if you are really lucky and under the age of 12 you go to a 2 hour "class" called Primary where you basically sing songs, learn about Jesus, have a lesson, sing more songs, well you get the picture.



Even more clear? or even muddier?


i have the good fortune of being the "primary president" in my ward which basically means i herd children for two hours every Sunday while the grown ups get a break. (ok, technically this is NOT TRUE...some weeks, however, it is VERY TRUE.)

in truth, i love it! really, i do! the things they say! the things they do! it is really a fantastic learning experience.


we try and teach the kids to follow Christ's example and have fun and sing and all that jazz.


HOWEVER, i find myself on the opposite side of being a "good example" lately.


It seems that whenever i stand up at the pulpit to speak into the microphone (which by the way is SO LOUD it carries to, oh, say, TEXAS!) i inadvertently blurt out some word that you probably should not say in church.


over a pulpit.


into a really loud microphone.


for example, one week MY Leaders were visiting (making sure things were running smoothly and we were doing a good job.)and i somehow managed to work the word SCHIZOPHRENIC into my vocabulary. I mean, really? i actually said that word in church? over the microphone? Schizophrenic? who says THAT in church? certainly i offended some family dealing with mental illness.

then another week i was whole heartedly, and LOUDLY over that darn microphone again, comparing myself to a NAZI.


again, really? am i trying to get myself released from this calling? again, some Holocaust survivors grandchild probably went home weeping at my bad example. what parent needs to worry that their small child will yell an inappropriate word during the Primary Program when they have MEEEEEEEEE??? I am single handedly taking care of that myself!


and this week, after reprimanding the kids last week about their language in church i practically YELLED the word CRAP! over the mike. (okay, so i DID yell the word CRAP! over the mike)


so for those of you who read my blog, and especially those who leave your children with me each Sunday for two hours, just know that they are getting a word education beyond your wildest dreams. My fear is that each time I utter a stray word, or one slips from between my lips, or i hiccup a word so sublime, someone will start asking for definitions.


So far, no one's asking.


Maybe next years Primary Budget should include a muzzle for me? that would solve a lot of problems!

new moon

so, grace "treated" me to the NEW MOON

movie today with her babysitting money.

it was an early "birthday" treat.

(although not sure if it was HER treat

or MY treat, kwim?)

she is "team jacob".

i am "team edward".

(and remain unconverted even

after rippling pectorals

and 6 pack ab's

on Jacob.)

Let's just say both men are great looking.

However, Edward appeals to my more

"mature" tastes.

The best part was of the whole movie

experience was listening to the squeals

and sighs and swooning and drooling

over both Jacob (especially! Jacob)

and Edward. It made me laugh, a lot!

Our review: even better than the first.

not nearly as "cheesy" (although let's

face it people, the whole thing runs a

bit on the cheesy side-right?)

We loved it!

TWO THUMBS UP from the Nielson girls!

Poor Stephanie Meyer, she just

made like another gazillion dollars

this weekend.

Anyone want to go again?

i'm free tonight!

word soup

bompie (aka olivia): "mom, my new favorite word is revolting! i LOVE that word!"

me: "wow! really? do you know what it means?"

bompie: "yup, it means disgusting and gross."

me: "can you use it in a sentence?"

bompie: "dads farts smell revolting."

me, seriously giggling.


next...

bompie: "mom, what does 'warship' mean?"

me: "well, you know like in a war when people are fighting and there is a ship helping with fighting, that is a warship." (i sorta fumbled on that explanation, i know!)

bompie, puzzled look on her face: "hmmmm, well we talked about it at church today."

me, even MORE puzzled: "you talked about WARSHIPS at church today? what were you talking about?"

bompie: "well, it was about warships and God."

moment of silence...

light clicks on...

me: "OHHHHHHHH! you mean WORSHIP? like WORSHIPPING God?"

bompie: "yes!"

me, thinking of all the other "utah" words like carn (corn)
and Lard (Lord)and "LIAR" (lawyer) and "window SEAL" (window SILL).
i guess i can now i can add WARSHIP (worship) to the list of mispronounced "utah-ese".

just for the grandparents...josh dance pictures (well anyone else who wants to can enjoy them too)

Dear Grandma and Grandpa-

Here you go!

(Blame the delay on your grandchild that

forgot to pick up his pictures in the

office for a LONG time now.)

We still love him.

Josh's Dance pictures.

The first set is Josh and his date for the

Monster Mash Halloween Dance.

His whole group went as "Lifeguards."

Each couple wore matching colors.

Josh and date were in pink.

I have a feeling that this picture could

be used for some really great blackmail

at some point in the future.

We loved how much personality and fun

the kids show in their pictures!

This next set is Josh and Whitney (THE "girl") at Homecoming.

Also pictured (2nd picture) is the group of kids

that went together to dinner and the dance.

Enjoy and you're welcome!

He has ALREADY been asked to the NEXT dance.

Winter Formal....
sometime in December.

More pictures to come.

i see hoops in our future....

hoops

and basketballs

and sweaty socks

and smelly shoes

and olympus logos

and tall boys all in a row!

Josh made the Oly High School

Basketball Team!

GO JOSH!

we are so proud of you!

a wind and a prayer...

i feel a little bit uncomfortable blogging about some of my personal feelings and experiences as we travel the road of unemployment.


i just feel compelled to write my experiences, so that (hopefully) someday when we complete the journey, i have documentation to look back upon.


i am a "wordy" person and this is my outlet.


sometimes, it is too painful to type what i am feeling (but i do!) and sometimes it is immensely personal (and STILL i do). Type, that is.


This past week after the hustle and bustle of getting the kids up, and ready, and gone, for another day of school-- i found myself alone in the quiet of my home and sighed *a deep sigh* and gathered myself together to face another day.


the south wind was blowing, the temperatures were mild for November. the leaves, orange and red and yellow, were blowing across my lawn in miniature whirlwinds. lifting off of the ground and resettling elsewhere, no thought given to their journey.


i stood in my front doorway, the wind gently blowing across my face and lifting my hair, and a heaviness filled my heart that no wind could blow away. i felt lonely and frightened and sad and vulnerable. i wanted to somehow telepathically send out a message to someone, somewhere.


i NEEDED to know that someone cared. (sometimes, you just do.)


Please, i said. and then i let the thought blow from my heart and across the yard, into the wind, and i shut the door.


i continued on with my day, actually forgetting my moment of sadness, and that little thought as it went scurrying on its way.


my doorbell rang well into the afternoon and there stood a friend. dt. dr pepper and cookie in hand.


"i was thinking about you today," was all she said.


they were beautiful words to hear. it was enough.


my cup was filled.


a while later, someone called. a trip to Costco was in their future and did i need any "little old thing?"


milk would be great, after all i do live with "Mr. I Can Drink One Gallon of Milk A Day" boy.


a gallon of milk would be great. thank you very much.



now my cup was topped off, milk will do that.


even later still, my doorbell rang again (believe me ladies and gentlemen--this is NOT a common occurrence at my house.)


someone stood there, bearing a gift that defies description.
and i won't describe it because i don't want to embarrass them (not that they read my blog--they do NOT!) and i am still a bit overwhelmed by it anyway.


they loved us and were thinking about us. i set the gift on the table and stared at it for a while. my heart was very full. my cup even fuller now, in fact over flowing.


somehow, somewhere, someone heard the plea of my heart and not once, not twice, but THREE times that plea was answered that day.


i like to think that God heard it. i like to think that 3 people listened to His promptings to love me that day when the wind carried my prayer away.


i like to think that i am one blessed lady.

family home evening; the great mormon experience (experiment?)

For any folks who read my blog that are NOT of the "latter day saint" persuasion (mormons), I will explain an event called "family home evening" that us Mormons have on a regular basis.


It is supposed to take place on Monday evenings. An event where one gathers together the family to have a lesson on a gospel principle (faith, charity, etc.), sing a song or two, and if you're REALLY lucky--have a treat. It usually opens and closes with a prayer to set the mood.


how it GOES in MY house....


grace prepared a lesson on GRATITUDE (good choice for the month of November and upcoming Thanksgiving).


the opening song is sung in 3 different keys with an occasional person (josh) quacking in some variant high pitched "duck" voice...singing every 4th word REALLY high.

instead of "setting a mood" we are all giggling by the end of "I Am A Child of God." (quack quack)


We are trying not to giggle through the opening prayer.


An opening prayer is given.


Grace starts into her "lesson" (mind you this is about a 2 minute affair in our home).


Eliza is mad and refusing to be "grateful" for anything.


Olivia is reading a creepy Halloween story during the lesson.


Josh is threatening to water board Eliza is she doesn't quit being so grumpy.


Kyle somehow shares a story about using an outhouse all week during his latest unemployment job...we claim he should be GRATEFUL he is not a WOMAN using an outhouse all week. It is way worse to be a WOMAN than a MAN using an outhouse, trust me on this one!


Grace laughs so hard she snorts.


Josh tackles Eliza, wraps in her a blanket, and a headlock, and begins to explain the water boarding procedure to her.
He then gives her the mother of all wedgies.


Eliza runs from the room in tears, permanently damaged from the teasing of her brother....calling him mean names.


We sing a closing song, say a closing prayer and survived another Family Home Evening.


Not sure we learned a blessed thing~
Unless you can count what Josh taught us about water boarding?

If so, then we're good~