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.