You know you're watching too much American Idol when:

Miranda: (whispering) Mommy, I have a secret to tell you.
Me: (whispering) Oh, okay. I'm ready. What is it?
Miranda: (Right in my ear...loud whisper) I'm going to HOLLYWOOD!

vogue

you KNOW they get their fashion sense from Fernando

Carousel

"Carousel" by Floyd Albert
Photos by me

If I weren't so frenzied and frantic,
So foolish and fol-de-rol,
I'd give up this dizzying antic,
I'd get off this carousel.


But the circle is stronger than I am,
And my head is all in a whirl.
I cling to the dashing pink horses,
My vision wound up like a curl.

I will ride while the music is playing
And the bell goes on Ding, Dong, Ding.
Oh, I'll never get down from this merry-go-round
'Til I've captured the last brass ring.

When I've captured the last brass ring, boys,
And silenced the last brass bell,
Then I'll drop from my horse like pink applesauce
And be done with this carousel.

on being an American

Putting politics aside and any trepidation I feel about possible upcoming legislation...

I appreciate being able to witness history.
I appreciate that in this country dreaming is encouraged not as an escape but as a means to an actually acheivable end.

My grandma told me once, we were in Nauvoo, that she believed that wherever great sacrafice has been made, an umbrella of the Spirit exists over that place forever. When you go to places like that (Nauvoo, D.C.--she lived there, cemeteries, Pearl Harbor, Ground Zero), you feel it. I always think of her, a person who is familiar with sacrafice herself, and what she said when I feel it, wherever I am in the world. I felt it in Peru at the strange, stacked gravesites of my husbands grandparents whom he never met and I never knew at all. I appreciated so much at that moment the sacrafice of my mother-in-law's father, who encouraged her and made it possible for her to come to America. His sacrafice changed my life forever.

Today I noticed that the same sort of Spirit umbrella extended over the swearing in of an African-American president. The Spirit of the sacrafices, dreams, toil, and bondage of so many people hovered over that moment. I appreciate being able to feel it.

I appreciate living in a country where prayer using the name Jesus Christ is part of a national ceremony broadcast by the media to everyone here and all over the world.

I remember when we lived in Italy, Brother Mazzolari took me to a BYU Touring Orchestra performace at a castle. Brother Mazzolari didn't speak English, except one phrase: "My wife is a witch." He loved saying that over and over. During the concert we were sitting next to each other and several other members of the Italian ward. Late in the program the Orchestra played, "The Star Spangled Banner." I felt a little hesitant making a spectacle of myself, since I was already a foreigner and out of fashion and color. But I stood. And when I stood and sang and put my hand over my heart, I felt something. I felt a strong gratitude, a strength...I felt the Spirit. No one else stood, even though there were other Americans there. It may have been uncooth. But it was a valuable experience for me. Brother Mazzolari told Fernando later to tell me how impressed he was with my patriotism and how he wished Italians had a tradition like that.

I feel blessed to be an American. People in our country volunteer to fight abroad for freedom. I feel so grateful God led people to this place, people who wanted something different.

I watched my little children dance to the John Williams number during the inaguration today. An Asian, a black man, a white man, and a woman played the number in a quartet. I watched my childrens' little bare whitish-brown legs springing across the carpet and I felt grateful that they can feel free to acheive.

Conchas

One of the many many highlights of our visits to California (and the culprit for pounds of weight gain). No, it's not Sammy. It's what he's holding:

Have you ever had one of these carbohydrate mammoths? They are covered with a sugary stiff but not hard frosting, and are filled with airy, sweet goodness. Fernando calls them conchas and Miranda calls them sweetbread. Sam calls them "dat."

I've bought them at various places in Utah, each time holding onto the hope that they will fulfill all that we've come to expect. Alas, we haven't found one to match the kind we can get at the Seminario house in CA. My mother-in-law buys them at Vallarta, fresh. They're not so good stale. If anyone knows a good place in Utah to buy them, please tell us. Or don't. Any plans for healthy eating in 2009 might be obliterated.

These cute little faces are not acting. The conchas really are that good.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTA

In honor of a wonderful aunt, sister, sister-in-law, dweeb, etc...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister KT. Those of you who know her know how lucky I am.

Last week she took the kids to the Children's Museum downtown and they had so much fun. She even gets an A PLUS because she fed them healthy snacks and made sure they put away what they got out. She gets an A MINUS because she bought them a prize each and she didn't need to do that. But people like Aunts and Grandparents and stuff have prerogative to do those sorts of things, and it's also her birthday, so I'll reinstate the A PLUS.






We love you Katie!

Snowshoeing 2009

I feel some sense of continuity at the moment with this blog thing because I posted about snowshoeing last year. Nice. Our experience this year was different in bad and good ways. The bad ways: Patrick and Xiao Yu weren't there. Even Miranda said, when we got out of the car, "This is the place we went last year! Remember Patrick carried me on his back?!" You were missed you guys! And Fernando was at work and couldn't go. Another major loss. And sometimes Miranda's face looked like this and she let her whole body go limp and said, "Carry me!!!"

But let's cut to the good. She was able to use snowshoes this year! And she did great! And even though we went right during naptime, as soon as I started singing "Into the Woods" and she decided to be Little Red, her listlessness evaporated and she sprung through the snow as fast as the rest of us.

Another bad I forgot about: Mom had to go slow because of her ankle-foot-thing-residue that she still deals with from her YW Corn Maze Activity gone wrong. Good: She didn't mind going slower with the kids :).

Katie was the most spry snowshoer, although she stopped to make a snowbeau for herself. Miranda liked him too. He was VERY cute, if a little "cold". Get it? Had to use the pun there. Forgive.

Sammy's got a great workout as you can see.

Pa is an excellent packhorse. Sam's hat is brought to you by Great Grandma Betty's mad knitting skills.

Do not eat snow or you will turn out like this!!!

Or this!

Sammy did not like being carried while everyone else was free to tromp about in the snow and scoop up snow to munch on whenever fancy struck. So we let him walk all the way back and he did great and loved it. He doesn't weigh enough to need the snowshoes. Not that I do.

It was a lovely outing and worth all the layers we all put on. I wish I were the sort of mom who just woke up in the morning every Tuesday, put her toddlers in the car and drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon, and Snowshoed for 2 hours without an entire team of support for my endeavor. As justification and a comfort to myself it probably wouldn't be safe for us to go up there alone. But still, it would be fun. Maybe when they're teenagers.

PRIMARY!

We are getting old! Miranda went to Primary at Church on Sunday! Oh dear. She was ready to leave Nursery but she kept telling me she was excited to go to Primary because then she could be with her mom. I kept reminding her that I go to Relief Society, but I guess she felt that Primary was one giant step closer. I appreciate such devotion, believe me.

She has wonderful teachers, loved introducing herself in sharing time, and when I saw her in the hall she was beaming and monopolizing her teacher. Ever since I thought of the word "monopolize" in trying to describe what might happen with Miranda and Primary I have worried a little. But Fernando did extensive 8am training that morning (complete with drills) on raising your hand before talking, obeying the teacher, waiting your turn, etc. According to the teacher it actually worked. Although the teacher did say "She's hilarous!" Vague and dangerous words.


I feel so blessed to belong to a Church where people are willing to accept assignments to teach other people's kids, or even just to feed other people's kids snacks and sing songs with them.
And I feel blessed that our Church provides manuals with which to teach our children, and that we believe very seriously that these little people have hearts and souls open and ready to receive goodness and light and truth...even more open than ours are. This is a great blessing.

As I sit there in Relief Society learning and growing from the wonderful lessons and also taking a rest from my life as a mom, I am always aware that there is someone taking care of my children a few doors down that is not resting or receiving a lesson, but instead is just giving and working and not expecting anything in return. I appreciate that so much and I look forward to any chance I ever get to do similar service.


This has been a bit of a serious and contemplative post. But I don't do it often, so I guess it's okay. I guess I can mention for humor's sake (the value of which should NOT be underestimated) that I had to instruct Miranda the night before Primary that she should not use the word "Wedgie" in Primary. Important life lessons.

crazy kids at a work party

Let me start by saying THANK YOU to an institution that considers the presence of kids (otherwise known as mayhem) while planning their Christmas party. My husband works for really nice people and a really good place.

Miranda got to make Gingerbread houses with some big girls. Note 1: She thinks she is a big girl, as was demonstrated by her laughing knowingly and with timing at every teenage joke she didn't get. I see this as a valuable skill as it can be very important in life to pretend you're "in the know" when really you have no clue. I myself still need a lot of work in this area. Note 2: Miranda did not contribute much to the creation of a gingerbread house but instead ATE the various elements. Look closely to see frosting all over her chin as evidence.

Samuel and Daddy having a moment.

Samuel stood on step of the stage and threw decorative spiced pinecones down at other children and adults who were close enough. He ran laps around the room. He also made his mark with the teenagers by repeating on cue his famous Sammy-catch-phrases, the most popular of which was "Ohhh bebe!"

ahhhh CANDY...

Happy New Year 2009!

HAPPY NEW YEAR from us to you. We're back from California (we go there for Christmas every other year) and have lots to tell and pictures to boot.
For tonight, thank you for checking up on us and caring about us this past year. We hope to see you here this year too.
Here are some pictures from our family shoot my sister did for us with my uncle's beautiful camera. I think they are lovely pictures for the price: FREE.





Hope you had a lovely Christmas holiday and that you are all organized and prepared for the new year. Of course we're not. But we're happy anyway.