I'm practically a Celebrity~! written by Judi

Did you watch American Idol this Season?  I was cheering for Scotty the entire time so you can imagine my enthusiasm when we found out his parents were named MIKE AND JUDY!!!  Yeah...he is practically my son. On a side note, I told Mike that if he sang as deep and as good as Scotty...he wouldn't be allowed to talk in our house...only sing.

Anyways, the reason I bring this up is because I was jealous this season.  I was jealous that I don't have an amazing voice, a body that can dance like nobody's business, an all-American talent, a design knack, a hidden master chef hidden inside me...basically, I'm well, talent less (I'm not talking about the little talents I am sure I have inside me, I'm talking make-you-million's-of-dollars-get to see the world-type talents!~)

Scotty my "son" singing on American Idol.

 When I expressed these green monster jealousy feelings to Mike, he reminded me that being rich and famous is not all it is cracked up to be.   For example you lose your privacy all together and have people constantly screaming at you and trying to grab you as you walk past and ect. ect.

I totally agree.  Imagine how horrible it would be to lose your privacy.



William and Thomas joining in on my "Private" shower.



Thomas brushing his teeth on my lap while I have a "Private" moment on the toilet!

Not to mention people always trying to grab at you when you walk by and pull at your clothes and rip off you necklace and other mementos...

Justin Beiber fans trying to grab him as he sings by them

William and Thomas grabbing onto my legs as I am trying to go out the door.

I mean...you couldn't even go to the grocery store without being noticed.

Linsay Lohan trying to conceal her identity behind glasses and a hat.

Me, trying to conceal the fact that I don't have makeup on and my hair is not freshly done on the way to the grocery store.

 Oh! And how annoying would that be to always have people screaming your name and trying to get your attention.

Crazy fans screaming for somebody...

Can't you just hear it, "MOOOOoooOOOOM!!!!"

 Mike is totally right.  Giving up your privacy would totally not be worth all the other good stuff that comes with the glamorous life!

Beautiful pools, massages, maids...NOT WoRTH it!

Beautiful gowns, adventures...not worth it!

I'm so glad that I have my privacy...oh wait, I don't have any privacy anymore. BUT, if I have to give up my privacy to have the two cutest fans in the world, then I guess it is SO totally worth it!

I LOVE my little BRAT

Last night we went to Jaron's basketball game where he plays with JB, my brother, and Judi's husband Mike. They played a really good team and got behind in the end, but they played well. When the game was over, the kids asked if they could run around. I told them for just a minute. I am usually really good at watching my kids, but Jaron came and started talking to me and then JB came over and I got distracted. The next thing I know is Clark came to me and said, "Mom, what is a brat?" I looked at him confused. He said, "A man out there said, 'Get out of the way BRAT.'" I know this is true because Clark doesn't even know the word brat. I grabbed Jaron's arm and said, "You need to go punch someone. They just called Clark a brat." Clark then pointed to who it was and it was this really, really big guy who outweighed Jaron by a lot (which is hard because Jaron is a strong 6 feet 8 inches tall!) I changed my mind and said to not fight him (as if my kind hearted soft spoken husband really would.) But I was really sad that someone would call my nice little Clark a brat. So I am going to dedicate this post to Clark.

If you don't know Clark, he is the most talkative boy at 4 years in the history of all the earth. His talking is non stop. Even if you ask him to stop talking, he says, "Why mom? Why can't I talk? Why are we being quiet?" It just doesn't stop! Last week I took him to the dentist. My older daughter, Vienna, is so anxious at the dentist that we had to knock her out to get her cavities filled. I was worried that Clark might be nervous. When the hygienist came to get him, he looked at me a bit anxious, but with some words of encouragement, he left with her. As I sat in the waiting room, I started to notice a little voice coming from the back. I realized it was Clark and there was a continuous stream of words. He wouldn't stop talking! I laughed and thought, "How are they even looking in his mouth? He hasn't stopped talking!" After hearing him talk for a long time, they called me back to talk to the dentist. I found my cute boy sitting in the chair. He saw me and with a big smile, said, "Hi MOM!" He was loving all the attention and loving having new people to listen to him! He is so funny.

The other day as we were getting into the car, Vienna and Clark started yelling at each other. I told them to both sit in their seats and not to talk. After a while Clark said, "I like being quiet." I thought, "This must be the first time in his life to sit quietly. It must feel so new!" I hope in Sunbeams he sits quietly and listens but with him, you never know!

Clark is a good mix of a boy. He loves bugs and to wrestle. He often has an ant crawling on his hand as his pet. He is also so sweet and nice. I was pulling out baby clothes for our little girl coming in August and he saw some cute shoes and said, "Those are so adorable!" He is a fun little boy. He now is going to be surrounded by sisters, so we will need to get him involved in boy things, but he is a good brother and a good little boy. I LOVE MY LITTLE BRAT!

Recipe of the Week: Rice Chex Treats (Gluten Free)

I couldn't find a good version of Rice Krispies, but I know that Rice Chex are Gluten Free, so I made Rice Chex Treats this week and they were YUMMY! Here is the recipe

1 Bag of Marshmallows (Great Value Brand is Gluten Free)

Rice Chex

2 TBSP of Butter

Instructions:

Put the butter and marshmallows in the pan and cook on med low heat until all melted.

I don't measure my cereal because I like them to have a lot of marshmallows, so I just pour some in at a time until there is a good amount of cereal but a lot of marshmallows. Stir well and then pour into a coated cake pan. I put butter on my finger tips and spread around and pat down. Let it cool and then eat! YUMMY!

Track Meet

Today is not my day, but I had something to say so here goes...

I don't love the Elementary Track meets. I was never very fast and got too nervous. I was never last, but certainly never first. Then came James(my oldest)...we would run and practice for the meet and pray that the track meet would be respectable for him. As we were praying that he would not come in last, I wondered who I was hoping would take this dreaded position.

Enter Jeff. Jeffrey has been telling me for weeks that he was winning the practice races at school. I then asked, Who are you racing? How many kids are racing? Do the teachers tell you you win or do you just think you are winning (Jeff tends to follow Kyle's optimism). I didn't know how Jeffrey would do, but I was hopeful. Then I remembered that they run with others in their year, not necessarily their grade. I didn't want Jeff to get nervous, because is so young in his year, so I didn't tell him.

Brynn on the other hand has be scared for weeks. We have jogged, gone to the track, and talked strategy a thousand times.

Wednesday dawned bright and beautiful. I got everyone ready and kissed them good bye, promising to see them at the meet. I rushed to school, taught my class and rushed out right on time so I could hopefully see Brynn, who was running the 800 which is the first race. As I got in the car I called Kyle and asked him if it had started, He said yes, drive fast and I might catch the end. Good thing the track meet was at Dixie College! I parked and ran like crazy, just in time to see Brynn run the last 200 yards. She closed in on the leader and almost overtook her, but ended in 2nd place. We were so proud of her. She ran really fast and strong. She was seriously tired. We hugged and helped her walk around. She is a very good runner and looks really good while she is running.

Jeffrey ran the 100 first. We had taken the kids to the track on Monday night to practice and talk about technique (if we know any!!). Jeff beat me and Brynn and Kyle really had to try hard to not get beaten. As he was waiting Jeff told me that one of the 4th graders had informed him that he would not be able to beat 4th graders because they were older. I just whispered to Jeff that I thought he could beat all of them. He finally lined up. The gun went off, Jeff shot out. He started running and looked so smooth and good. He pulled out in the clear lead. He kept pulling out farther and farther. He won by a considerable distance. We screamed and cheered and were soooo happy.

Then Jeff decided to do his long jump. He went and jumped 6 feet! That was long enough to take first place!!! He then lined up to run the 200. He was in the first lane. The gun shot, Jeff ran. By the time they came out of the turn and into the straight away Jeff had passed everyone. He ran so fast I couldn't believe it. He probably won by 30 yards!! It was so fun for Jeff and us!! Then we had a little break until the finals. They even broke for lunch. I brought Jeff home and fed him a light carb lunch and he rested. We went back to run the finals. Jeff lined up with the 8 fastest boys, in the 100. He was in lane 4. The gun shot, Jeff didn't get the best start, he pumped his arms hard, stuck out his chest and ran. By about 30 yards he took the lead, he and another boy ran out in front of the others, Jeff in the lead. We screamed and screamed. Jeff pushed on until he crossed the line first. Oh we were happy!! What a fun day! I guess track can be fun. I should say winning is not everything, but it is sure fun to win.


Sunee

PS We lost the pacifier at the track meet. It was our last one. I vowed to myself I would not buy anymore. We have now gone to nap 2 times and bed time once with out the pacifier! I'm not sure I'm thrilled about it, and I cried when she cried out "pacifier" , as if I had forgotten to give it to her!! But at some point we had to give up the pacifier and yesterday was the day!!

Odds and Ends

Hi! It's Rindi, again. I am at a loss (for once!) about what to say. So here are some odds and ends about my day yesterday:

Austin (just barely 2 years old): I pushed him in my deluxe double stroller to the park. It was a beautiful day that just screamed for some time outside. He mostly wanted to swing. The whole time. I don't mind swinging my kids, but he wanted me to grab the swing each time, pull it back and let it go! That would make him squeal with delight. It was harder than just pushing; it was like weight-lifting all morning. Somehow, all of that swinging wore him out, because he took a lovely three-hour nap. Then he watered all of my plants on the back patio. He does that job any time I'll let him. Everything ends up pretty wet, including him, but he thinks he is doing something great. And I don't have to worry about watering! He learned how to open the back gate and get out, so now he is no longer safe in the back yard. He also learned how to turn on the neighbor's water! Keeping up with him is a full time job! I love Austin!

Miles (my 5-year-old preschooler): Miles chose to walk all of the way to the park and then played really hard. He got very tired and wanted to go home before Austin was done swinging! Miles said, "I've had ENOUGH fresh air!" Miles is a bit of a home-body. So, I'm always telling him that he needs to get out and get fresh air. Apparently, you can have too much of a good thing. Miles has gotten really interested in Ocean Animals. He's watched lots of documentaries about the ocean and has a couple of sets of ocean animals (a new one from our recent trip to Sea World). I was napping on my bed yesterday, while he sat next to me watching Disney's Oceans. At one point, I opened my eyes and got so fascinated, that we both ended up watching it. He and I have been talking about sharks, whales, and other animals endlessly. To get him to eat his food (Miles is very picky!), I've been making up stories about a Beluga Whale in the ocean. At each intense moment in the story, I stop and tell him he has to take another bite before I go on. He'll be hanging on my every word, and then I'll stop and he'll have to take another bite, and he DOES! We've gotten through many a dinners lately, including last night, with the help of the adventures of the Beluga Whale! I love Miles!

Julia (my seven-year-old first grader): She has a lot of reading homework every day. Yesterday, she was reading about the history of Chicago and she called to me in the other room, "Mom, were you alive in 1779?" I burst out laughing. For some reason, the seriousness of her voice made me laugh so hard! I quickly cleared that up for her! Julia loves to ride her bike or scooter to and from school. We live almost a mile away, so it is a good ride home. She always comes in sweaty and red-faced and drops everything to the floor and then flops herself down to rest. Julia is a happy soul! Monday was crazy hair day and she LOVED the way I did her hair. She couldn't stop posing in front of the mirror, absolutely delighted with herself. Yesterday, she did bubbles in the backyard for the boys and I loved hearing the laughter through the windows. Every night at bedtime, once everyone is tucked in, she asks me to rub her back. I usually say the same thing to her that I say to all of the other many bedtime requests, "Not tonight, Jules." Then she nicely goes to sleep. Thank heavens! She used to be a nightmare to get to sleep. She is so sweet, though, that maybe tonight I'll rub her little back for a minute. I love Julia!

Emma (my nine-year-old): She also had a heavy head of hair piled up top for crazy hair day. She looked so cute. When Emma gets home from school, she is the first to run in the door and immediately yells, "Mom?" She's never too hot or tired to make sure I'm waiting for them. :) Yesterday, I took them all to the grocery store and Emma was thrilled. She loves to shop! Lately, she thinks I am so cute (pretty crazy, huh?). I got a new dress on the Sisters' Weekend Shopping Spree, and when I came home, Emma couldn't stop complimenting me. That night as I kissed her in bed (she'll never let a night go by without getting her goodnight kiss!) she said, "Oh, Mom. By the way, your dress was so cute today!" Thank goodness our own children think highly of us. It is fun to have Emma growing up! Yesterday, we practiced volleyball with the new ball I got her. She accidentally hit it over the wall into the neighbor's yard. We had to go get it, but she is getting very good at volleyball. She loves chocolate, or any treat for that matter. So, because she wanted a chocolate ice cream bar last night, we all gave in and had one too! Emma is super competitive in sports. She ran some awesome races in her school track meet, and now she can't wait to get her ribbons in the assembly. I love Emma!

Well, enough about my kids. Have a lovely day,

Rindi

Walmart

Another Krazy Tues. with Katie

I just want to say I love Walmart. We go there many times a week. I can walk around and look at everything from plants, decorations, toys, clothes and food. My 4 year old and I shop for hours sometimes. She brings her own cart and pushes it around and all the senior citizens think she is sooo cute (which she is). The only problem with her own cart is that she thinks she can put whatever she wants into her cart and I have to buy it. We always have to make a compromise.

Even my puppy Prime likes Walmart. He sits in his bag in the cart and is so happy. He watches everyone and never makes a peep. I think it is so adorable.

So if you are lonely or bored just go to Walmart. :)

It's My Birthday and I'll Cry If I Want To...

Spicin' up Saturdays with Joni Today is my son's birthday. Because we weren't able to be together on this day, (I am off on my sister's weekend :) we celebrated it on Wednesday. I woke up thinking I would make it a great day. I got him a hat that he could wear all day making sure everyone knew it was his birthday. I planned the day to decorate his cake, decorate the house, get ready for a fun party, have a fun party, and end the day with opening presents. It was going to be a great day and I was going to be a great mom. There was only one problem. The birthday boy was a grump! He didn't want to do anything. He would throw the decorations. I would set up a game for his party, only to find it messed up. Many times he was on the floor flipping around in anger. This was so difficult. By the time the party even began, I was ready for this birthday to be over! So I learned why we sing the song, "It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to" and why we give birthday spankings. After forcing him to bed and Jaron having to use some discipline, I was happy to conclude the day. As I reflected on the day I was almost in tears. This was suppose to be a great day. This was my celebration of bringing my perfect baby into the world. This was my celebration of enjoying the last four years of his life. Instead, it was a long day with many tantrums and lots of grumps. I don't know if being spoiled for one day is too hard to handle. Maybe it is an emotional overload. So I am glad we have that behind us. Hopefully my extremely sweet boy will return to me. Next year, I will hand him a sucker at the end of the day and say, "Happy Birthday!" Recipe of the Week: Hard Shell Tacos (Gluten Free) I haven't eaten Hard Shell Tacos since elementary school, but I brought them back when I found it was an easy meal to eat gluten free. Ingredients: 1 lb Hamburger Salsa (Pace Picante Sauce is gluten free) shredded cheese (shred your own, or Great Value brand says their shredded cheese is GF) shredded lettuce Sour Cream (Great Value brand is GF) Hard Shell Tacos (Ortega brand provides gluten free hard shell tacos, but not sold at my Walmart. I buy these at Maceys) Instructions: Brown the hamburger. When it is cooked through, add 1 cup of Salsa and heat up. I use the salsa as the seasoning since it is hard to find GF seasonings. Build your taco - add the hamburger to the bottom of the shell, put on cheese, more salsa, sour cream, lettuce and enjoy!

Like Little Children

These pictures are of my own sweet children being "child-like" in San Diego, California!

About eighteen months ago, I was called by our Stake President to serve in the Special Needs Mutual as a Young Women’s Advisor. Not only was I previously unaware that such a calling even existed, but I think it is safe to say that I was quite nervous and even a little afraid of what this new calling would be like. Well, it only took one Thursday night with the special needs young women to realize that my life would be richly blessed by this experience and that I had absolutely nothing to be nervous about. In fact, I have felt right at home, realizing that my experiences as a mother have been the perfect preparation for working with my class. I recognize the same child-like joy and eagerness in their eyes when I show them a picture of the Savior that I see at home with my young children.

I am reminded of the numerous times in the scriptures we are admonished to become as a little child. In Third Nephi, Chapter 11, verse 37, the Savior says: “And again I say unto you, ye must repent, and become as a little child, and be baptized in my name, or ye can in nowise receive these things. And to add special emphasis, He repeats his commandment again, almost word for word in the next verse: 38 … ye must repent, and be baptized in my name, and become as a little achild, or ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God.

I have often thought about what it is to become like a little child and I think there is so much we can learn from watching these 'special needs" children of God. Here are a few examples that I have seen:

First: If they love you, they tell you…and they tell you often, never wondering or worrying about what you might think of them in return. It takes a moment to get used to the fact that they want to hug or hold hands or kiss your cheek when they are happy. It is difficult to feel lonely or left out when someone is always linking arms with you, or grabbing your hand to walk to class, or sitting so close to you that your arms are pressed together. When Santa Claus visited our class at Christmas time, one of the girls in my class was terribly frightened; she jumped toward me and buried her head into my shoulder. I hugged her tightly until she calmed down. There have been times in my life when I have been new to a ward and felt shy and lonely as I entered a class for the first time. Can you imagine how different I would feel if someone sat right next to me and put her arm around me? Or if she grabbed my hand warmly and asked if we could be friends? Or how about if I was feeling scared about something in my life and I knew that I could turn to the sister sitting next to me and she would embrace me until I felt better? Because that’s what these special needs participants would do. They don’t love you for what you wear or how you look or how successful you seem. They just love you. They are unreserved in sharing love and friendship…and I think that is what the Savior would do as well.

Second: They smile and are happy about the simple things in life. They aren’t bogged down with their fears for the future or regrets from the past. They are living in the here and now, enjoying life to the fullest. When we visited a farm, many of them climbed on a sort-of-homemade, makeshift merry-go-round of sorts and with huge smiles, they rode around and around, never minding that they were clearly too big for the ride. A part of me wanted to jump on and try it too! Every week, I watch as these special friends arrive early, with smiles on their faces, ready to enjoy whatever it is that we have planned. Think of how different our lives would be if we awoke every day, happy and excited for whatever the day might bring. We all have so many blessings and so many reasons to be grateful. That positive outlook, that fresh start to every new day is a great attribute and one that would bless our lives if we could develop it.

Third: Their testimonies are sweet and simple. They know they are special. They know about their Savior. Most little children seem to believe these simple truths as well—displaying pure, unwavering faith. Each of my own children could tell you today that they are children of God and that they are special. I know that they don’t doubt it. They just know. Perhaps that is what the Savior meant when he told us to become as a little child—to have the faith of a little child, to love as a little child, and to enjoy the journey of life, no matter what the difficulties might be. Each day is a gift.

One evening we were practicing the song “I am a child of God.” My sweet friend Melanie, one of the young women in my class, was snuggled up close to me as we sang. She loves to sing and knows many of the hymns that we sing. As loudly as she could she was following along, verse by verse, singing words that might seem unclear to anyone who is unfamiliar with the song, but were perfectly clear to me. It felt like together we were singing our hearts out. Just as we started the third verse, I was reflecting on the sweet spirit she was bringing to the room, when I felt Melanie’s arm next to mine break out in goose bumps. I smiled to myself, wondering if she was feeling the spirit as strongly as I was. Finally, the song ended and the music leader decided to have us practice it again, much to Melanie’s delight. So, once again we started, singing our hearts out. Just as we got to the third verse, in the exact same spot, I felt Melanie’s arm break out again in goose bumps. It seemed as though something about that verse was particularly special to her. The spirit was strong as we sang the words: “I am a child of God. Rich blessings are in store, if I but learn to do His will, I’ll live with Him once more.” That night, for me, those words took on new meaning. We’ll live with Him once more. I know that we are all children of God, and that we all have the opportunity to live with Him once more. I have felt the Spirit confirming that truth to me.

I am thankful for the opportunity that I have had to be around such special people. I’m not sure if my young women have gained anything from me, but I have certainly gained a lot from them. They are facing life with a different set of challenges than most of us. Their challenges aren’t easy, but they give it their all. If they can smile and be happy notwithstanding their difficulties, then hopefully, so can I and so can each of us! After all, we all have special needs. I know that my Savior lives. I know that our Father in Heaven loves us and wants us to live with Him once more.

Have a Happy Day!!

-Rindi