Win the essential babywearing stash!

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

To cut, or not to cut (and how much?)

I'm thinking about cutting Leonora's hair. It's a little past her shoulders right now and is constantly in her face. Even when I put it up, some strand always seems to find it's way to her mouth. She is always pushing it back, just to have it fall in her eyes again. It's always getting tangled or getting food in it and seems to attract lint for some reason. I'm seriously considering a major chop. But I thought I'd get other opinions before taking such drastic measures.

So, I could cut it like I did last time:


But I was thinking about this type of a look:


Or, I could leave it like it is (this is what it looks like today-after brushing):
What do you think? I'm adding a poll in the right hand column, but comments are also welcome!

A look back to an earlier post

This is one of my favorite posts. It's also one of my earliest posts, which means, unless you've got a lot of time on your hands for reading past posts, most of my current readers probably haven't read it. So, I wanted to share it again!

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Catch Them While They're Young

I was sitting here thinking of what I could babble to you all about, when I heard a sound. It was the sound of chiming music. It sounds so nice, but in reality it's a wolf in sheep's clothing! It's the ice cream van. Our appartments get several visits a day from various ice cream vendors, and they always pause at the children's playground, which happens to be just 25 feet out our back door. These guys are like the Pied Piper-you know, the one that led all the rats from the village, and when he wasn't paid as agreed, led all the children away from the town with promises of a blissful land. The kids all go running for their change or (like the kid who lives above us) yelling through the window for money from their mothers, so they can get their treat. As for me, I know that I really shouldn't eat that stuff, and if I were to eat it, I wouldn't buy it from them at their high prices. However, I've been trained like Pavlov's dogs, and I suddenly start craving something cool and sweet. All I can say is that obviously this type of marketing is extremely effective; train them when they're young, and they'll never forget it.

Posted by Kara at 3:45 PM
Labels: Me

What we did today

William has this book of Disney stories. A few of the stories have craft ideas that go along with them, and last night, he decided he wanted to make "Under the Sea Pasta Creatures" from the Little Mermaid story. So today we went and got some colorful pasta to make our sea scapes. Here are the results:

William's blue ocean



Leonora's Yellow Sea



And my Pinkish purple ocean



I was trying to draw some fish fins around some of the shell. I'm not sure that they look much like fish though! Leonora helped me with mine.

Happy Birthday America

I hope everyone had a good time celebrating however you chose!

It's official, and not a moment too soon!

Well, Aaron has changed employers. He's still selling cars, but has switched from the Dodge/Chrysler dealership to the Toyota dealership. One of his previous managers recently switched to the Toyota store and sort of recruited Aaron. Things have been kind of falling apart at the Dodge place for a while. Aaron was doing okay as internet manager, but it was becoming increasingly more stressful due to management and owner issues. Not to mention that Dodge is known for it's high performance vehicles and trucks. Not really the best market to be in right now. They are great vehicles, but it doesn't matter how good your product is if no one is buying it. Toyota, on the other hand, is well known for thier fuel efficient cars. And the dealership he's going to was recently bought by a local man who already owns a few dealerships in town. His business is growing and prospering compaired to the Dodge place-cutting back and shrinking fast! We're both pretty happy with the job switch.

Toyota vs American car companies article

Our Story: Part 3

Our first Date

This is a fun story to tell! It was the begining of November, which at my high school, meant the Sadie Hawkin's dance. It was girl's choice, but there were a bunch of other rules you had to follow. Boys couldn't just be asked to the dance, they had to be "tagged." And if they were successfully tagged, they couldn't say no, unless they had already been tagged. No one could be tagged on school property, during school hours, or during other school sponsered activities. The girl who wanted to do the asking also had to be the one to do the actual tagging.

Although some like to make it a little more difficult, most guys aren't that difficult to tag. The previous year, I had called up a guy's house and told his dad that I wanted to tag his son. I asked if I could come over after drama (he was in drama too) and tag him at the house. His dad helped me by sending him into the office where I was hiding behind the door. That was pretty easy. Aaron decided before hand that anyone who wanted to tag him was going to have to work for it, and I got no such help from anyone in his household!

So, I had bought my ticket/tag, and worked out a plan with my friend Tess. Neither of us had driver's licenses, so we begged her mom to help us on the appointed night. I'm not sure where my mom was, but she wasn't available. Even if she were, I don't know if she would have done it. Actually, I'm amazed that Tess's mom did! Anyway, the plan was to drive over to Aaron's house after rehersals and wait inside. Sound familiar? I figured it worked once, why not try again? Well, it probably would have, but Aaron's foster dad decided he was on Aaron's side, not mine. After telling Tess and I we could wait in the living room, he went outside. When Aaron came home, he let Aaron know there were a couple of girls sitting inside waiting to tag him. Aaron took off running after his ride, and Tess's mom came running up to the house to tell us what had happened. And just to make things a little more fun, she also told us that there was someone else who seemed to be showing interest in what Aaron was doing...

Okay, sorry to do this to you, but I've got to get going! More coming soon!

Why?

Why do I have curly grey hairs? I know why they are grey, but why are the curly?

Did you see them?

They stick out way more than the straight ones.

What a Konfusing language

This morning William asked me what the word "cow" starts with. He knows the sounds that the letters make, so I asked him what he thought cow starts with and repeated the word back to him, emphasizing the first sound. A little while later, he told me that "cow" starts with a "C" and a "K." Hmmm... I tried to explain to him that they both make the same sound, but that "cow" only starts with "C."

I don't think he believed me.

Okay, this is pretty far overdue, but I finally got Leonora's birthday pictures from the camera to the computer. Here's a video from her party.

Plants

I got some plants the other day. When we moved here from Seattle, I had to leave all my plants behind. I actually had a bit of a collection. Probably not as many as some, but for someone who moved around a bit and lived in little appartments, I think I had a few! I had this big pot for my porch that had an assortment of spring bulbs and some pansies. It seems like I planted other things in there a couple times, but they were short lived. One year I had a bunch of morning glories and sweet peas. I've always been into viney things. At the time we moved, we were living on the ground floor and I planted a bunch of nasturtiums (not at all sure if that's spelled right, but oh, well.) I had a couple in hanging pots, but the ones that did really well were right in the dirt around our back porch. They trailed all over the place. I wish I had pictures on my computer. I thought they were rather beautiful!
Since moving, and abandoning all my plants (indoor and out), I haven't really restarted my collection. My mom gave me a pot with some pansies last year. I think I'm not used to haveing to water as much as you need to around here! After Renee's birth/death, I was given a couple of plants: a "Mum" and a nice indoor flowering plant that I can't remember the name. Both died while Leonora was in the hospital. So, I'm starting over again. I got some house plants. It's just too hot to try starting something outside right now. So I got two hanging plants and three other smaller plants that I'm hoping will grow quickly! It makes me happy to have plants in my house again!
My new plants.

Long post- what my kids are up to

So I realized I've been kind of a slacker with posting about my kids. I have some pictures from Leonora's birthday party that I haven't posted-unfortunately, they will have to wait a little longer. Aaron borrowed my camera for work and hasn't returned it. Probably should have uploaded those pics a while ago, but like I said, I've been kind of a slacker. But I thought maybe I should give you all a little update anyway.
William's been excelling at being 4. I think he's trying to get as much mischief in before his 5th birthday as he possibly can. Last Sunday, Aaron ended up bringing him home from church because he was out running in the hallway when he was supposed to be in primary. I was in nursury and didn't find out until after church. This week he must have done better-at least he wasn't out in the hallway when he wasn't supposed to be. This brings me to one of his favorite things to do-run. I cannot stop this kid from running! He spends half the day running laps up and down the hallway in our appartment. I wish we had a yard to send him out to. Of course, his other favorite thing is still Superman. He talked to his grandpa on the phone yesterday. He told him happy Father's Day, and then spent 20 minutes talking about how Superman can fly, he's strong, he has super-eyes and ears, etc. Funny boy.
Leonora has been potty training. Some days she does really well, others not so well. We are almost out of all pull-up and diapers, but I think I'm going to have to get more for bedtime anyway. When she's awake, she's pretty good, but, so far, a dry night is pretty rare. She also had her 2 year old check up last week. She has gained back all the weight she lost in the hospital and more! She's right at 50% for her height but about 75% for weight. The doctor said we don't have to worry about making her finish everything on her plate. The thing is, it always seems to me like she's hardly eating anything! I hope she's just saving up for her next growth spurt. Oh, and she still has a big head-in the 85th %. She got 4 shots- 2 in each leg-and spent the rest of the day and some of the next crying about her "owies." Poor girl!
Well, I'm sure there are other things I could write about, but those are the "big" things going on right now! Oh-I just remembered-Leonora is also having major issues going to sleep when she should, but that could make for a really long post. I'll have to complain about that later. :)

A Drive Through Zion

This is a paper I recently found in a box of random stuff from my past. I wrote it my freshman year of college for my English 1010 class. I was thinking about it this week when I was driving near Zion on the way to a family gathering.

A Drive Through Zion

September 3, 1999

The red, cinder-paved road reflects the heat of the summer sun, as it winds its way up the majestic canyon. The bright double yellow lines that the road wears discourage speeding up to pass the cars ahead of you. Pullouts along the road are filled-as usual-with visitors and tourists who have come to see the towering pink cliffs of Steamboat Mesa, the royal, Great White Throne, or the bright orange and "blood" stained Great Arch.


At the base of the Great Arch, a wide switchback begins the climb-halfway up the mountainside-to the tunnel. The road continues to twist and turn, up the hillside, into the small pine-scented juniper bushes and the occasional wide-leafed tree, whose leaves laugh in the breeze. As you round the last switchback-still creeping upard-you're met with an un-moving line of cars, waiting for their turn to enter the low, narrow tunnel. Near the place you stop, there is a trickle of water that seeps from the smooth red sandstone, bringing relief from the dry desert to the mosses and wild flowers. Soon the bus, motor home, or other large vehicle passes through the tunnel, and the line of cars moves forward when signaled by the ranger who is on duty.
Inside the tunnel, there is shelter from the blazing sun. The air is cool and dark. Often, car horns can be heard echoing and re-echoing off the walls of the tunnel-along with the occasional holler from a would-be-yodeler. Up ahead there is a splash of light from one of the windows that peak out of the vertical face of the cliff. They make beautiful frames for the picturesque view of the canyon walls. Cement borders block the pullouts by the windows now. Stopping is prohibited, but you can slow down to see the painted, sun-lit world outside.

On the other side of the tunnel, the air is noticeably cooler, and the breeze coming through the rolled down window is fresh and relaxing. The scene here has changed from solid vertical cliffs to the almost liquid, rolling hills. The orange sandstone seems to flow down the hills like waves that have been frozen in time. To the right, is a small, sandy-bottomed canyon formed by flash floods. After a rain storm, a rivulet of water can be seen trickling through the white sand. Further to the right are more flowing hills. Dark reddish-brown stains show where the water has been. Often the hills are cheked with cracks. Sometimes plants will grow in the cracks; their gnarled roots spread across the sandstone. None of the cracks are so neatly patterned as those in the white walls of Checkerboard Mesa. The even squares rise above its surroundings-standing proudly-like the white king of a chess set.
As you near the exit of Zion, the red rocks become more hidden by the always green juniper bushes. A dark brown sign, suspended from a rock pillar, proclames, "Leaving Zion National Park" in clean, white, capitol letters.

Teacher's notes:
Kara, you have an excellent foundation of writing. Your skill level is what entering College Freshmen should be. Perhaps now you can work on refining your style. For example, you can concentrate on improving verbs, etc
"A"

I have to say that I'd do this a little differently now than I did then. I don't think I'd use "you" for one thing. As I was re-typing it, I was really tempted to add to and change it, but I tried to leave it as it was originally writen. It was fun to find and read again, and I hope you enjoyed it! Sorry if it was a little long!

Note: None of the pictures are mine. Unfortunately, I don't have digital copies of any Zion pictures, and the ones I have didn't fit with the essay. So, these are all pulled from various internet sites.

China

When I was younger-say early to mid teens-I saw this china creamer sitting on my grandmothers countertop. It was white with this delicate swirl of pink, peach and yellow flowers around the top. I liked it. I told my grandma. "Take it," She said. I was a bit surprised by this offering. It wasn't something I'd seen her do previously. She had a tendancy to hang on to things. I think it was after she married my step grandpa that she started being more generous. I once told him I liked one of the many bolo ties he used to wear. He took it off and handed it to me. I have never figured out what I was supposed to do with it. Maybe I should have told him it looked good on him! I digress... So I took home this cute little creamer. It was a few years before I realized there was a set of dinner plates, cups and saucers, desert bowls, and salt and pepper shakers that went with it. When my grandmother died, my mom was nice enough to get the set with me in mind. It all sat in my mom's cupboards, occasionally getting used, until recently. It technically became mine when I got married, but I wasn't able to take it with me when I moved to Seattle. It has been in my possesion for quite a few months now, but I don't get much opportunity to show it off in person. So, here are a couple pictures that I stole off ebay! :)

Movie Review

My Neighbor Totoro

When I've talked about this movie and other's by the same Japanese studio, I've sometimes gotten the response, "Oh, I didn't know you liked anime." This response has always been a bit puzzling to me. I don't consider myself a fan of anime. My first exposure to this style of animation did nothing for me. I was extremely uninterested. I never cared to see anymore of it after that. (Sorry, Natalie!) Even though I've enjoyed most of the films I've seen from this particular studio, I still don't like "anime." What I do like is a good story and beautiful art in any genre.
My Neighbor Totoro is a magical story. When I was much younger, my brother and I walked to school. But we didn't just walk. We had adventures to school! One of my personal favorites was when we rode triceratop dinosaurs to school. It always took us forever to get there. We lived about a mile from the school, left about an hour before school started, and rarely made it with any time to spare. This movie reminds me of those imaginative years of my childhood. Anything was possible. Any shadey corner was a secret place. Magic was everywhere. The same is true for the two sisters in the movie. When they move to a new house, there are all kinds of possibilities. The shadey path becomes a tunnel of trees, and the idea that their house might be haunted is not frightening, but exciting! This story to me epitomizes the immagination and excitement of childhood. Anything is possible.
The art is beautiful as well. It is set in the Japanese countryside. Everything is green and beautiful. I find it difficult to describe what makes it different from mosst animated movies... I think what makes it different might be how easy it is to watch. It's almost like the trees and bushes are quiet characters in the movie. They are important-not just background. I have now typed and deleted a few different descriptions. Perhaps, you will just have to watch it yourself to see what I mean!

Here's a clip:

Mamma, Dadda, Baby

Last night, Aaron and I had a little treat. Leonora, (who should have been in bed, but she took a late nap yesterday) helped us eat it. She was so cute when she asked, we just had to give in! She would say, "Mamma, Dadda, shoclate?" Dadda was the one with the spoon, so I told her, not "Mamma", "Dadda." She then pointed to Aaron and said, "Dadda," pointed to me and said, "Mamma," then pointed to herself and said, "Uhm Bebe." We laughed, which gave her enough reason to repeat the performance a couple more times. (This is one of those moments I wish I had on video-my description just doesn't do it justice.) Since she's turned two, I've been trying to convince William that she's not really a baby anymore, but she knows she's the baby around here!

Our Story Part 2

How We Met...
So Aaron had made it to this funny little corner of Utah. When school started, Aaron was looking for some extra curricular activities, I guess. He registered for band, choir, and something he'd never tried before, drama. I had been participating in the high school drama program for years, but for some reason beginning drama had never fit into my schedule before. This year, it did, so I took it. Aaron and I sat on opposite sides of the classroom from each other. I remember when he introduced himself to the class. He had registered for school late because they had had to work out guardianship issues with the family he was staying with. He said he was from Seattle, which I teased him about later because I found out he was not from Seattle proper. His parents actually lived in an area that was trying to become a city, but hadn't quite made it yet.
... And got to know each other
It was easy to learn the basics about him in drama class, but we didn't really start getting to know each other until we both auditioned for the musical, "Hello, Dolly." For me, this was nothing unusual: I auditioned for everything. Aaron was dared into it. He'd never been in a play. We both made it into actual rolls. He played Barnaby, and I was Ermagarde. I got to whine and cry a lot. So, in the beginning of rehersals, we were required to be there a lot, but for some reason, we never did anything. There was this huge opening scene that seemed to take forever to figure out, and Aaron and I were not in it. I think our teacher kept hoping to finish this scene and move on, but everyday, we sat there with nothing to do but get to know each other better. Which is what we did for at least a week's worth of three-hour-a-day rehersals. We learned enough about each other to become pretty good friends.

Birthday pictures

We got Leonora's pictures taken yesterday! Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Happy Birthday, Leonora! (a day late-oops)

A long two weeks after her due date, Leonora finally made her appearence in this world. My midwife and mom were telling me they saw lots of hair as she was born, but I was still surprised when I saw that beautiful, hair-covered head! She was a sweet baby, even if a bit more demanding than her brother had been! As a two year old, she still is-more than ever actually! But she's still a loving little girl. She loves to snuggle with mommy when she's tired, and runs to daddy when he comes home from work. She even loves her big brother and wants to be just like him-except prettier!
Happy Birthday Leonora! I love you!

obligatory post

Hello, this is probably going to be very uniteresting, but I realized how long it's been since I posted, and thought I should post something! So here it is. I haven't fallen off a cliff or anything, I've just been boring! :) or bored? Next week will be busy, but hopefully I'll have time to post a little. It's Leonora's birthday next week! Yay! so I should at least get pictures of her on there sometime! :)