Change for the better

Mister is sleeping.  Really sleeping.  Sleeping great.  Really great.  

Mom is so beyond happy. 

It seems that overnight his "sleeping gene" kicked in.  He is sleeping through the night.  He is sleeping longer than 20 minutes at a time.  His naps are an hour or 1 1/2 hours.  He goes to bed at night at 8pm and will sleep until I wake him up in the morning.  

And my house smells like homemade bread.  

Life is so good.

So good.

The Silly Games We Play

Humans are creatures of vanity, aren't we?  When looking at the Maslow's hierarchy of needs, isn't it interesting that "appearance" is not on the list?  I disagree with dear Maslow.  I think that appearance and acceptance of that appearance are core needs of individuals.  I am not referring to the outward "makeup and fashion" type of appearance.  I mean how we appear to other people - how we come across to them.

When telling someone about a disagreement you have had, do you not paint yourself in a slightly better light than the opponent?  Your tone of voice slightly less argumentative than it really was?  Do we not think of ourselves as forgiving, kind, and understanding at all times, regardless of the humanity that says we make mistakes - many mistakes - and we are often selfish and understanding only if it fits our personal views?

If you say no, then my friend, I must call you a fibber.  We all do.  Some more than others, yes, but we all do. It is the need to appear more human, less barbaric than your opponent.

An experience yesterday told me that I am this person.  I would like to think that I will always choose to be who I am and say what I truly think....but no.

Yesterday I was in the grocery store.  A person for which I have had a strong dislike for nearly 15 years saw me down the aisle.  She, too, has no love lost for me and our battle of wills has been fought in many arenas over the years.  Subtly, yes.  A roll of the eyes across the conductor's podium during symphony rehearsal and  many other petty displays.  Small battles that fill the ever-present war between us.  Neither of us has the desire nor the will power to work on this personality flaw.

We could not avoid passing each other down the aisle at the risk of being the one who was rude, so we walked toward each other.  (Music in the background: Theme from the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.)  The following conversation took place:

Me:  Hi!  How are you doing?
Her:  Great!  How are you?
Me: Great! Thanks!
Her: I haven't seen you in rehearsal.  Are you not playing in symphony anymore?  (said with quite the hopeful tone...)
Me:  Well, I have a baby and haven't been able to, but I am excited for the next concert.
Her:  Oh, is this your baby?!   (Looking at Aiden)
Me:  Yes.
Her: He is so cute!  
Me: Thanks! Hey, you are looking great!  Isn't your baby about a year old now?
Her: Oh (giggle) thanks!  Yeah, he is great.
Me:  Well, it was SOOO good to see you.  I can't wait for symphony now I know you are playing.
Her:  Me too!


I am sure during the whole exchange, we were both thinking, "OH MY GOSH, you are SO fake.  You don't like me, I don't like you.  If it weren't in a public place and I would look like a total beast, I would tear your face off."

But, there you are.  And as the saying goes, "Be pretty if you can, we witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you."

So yesterday, I died just a little.

Grammar Vent

Small vent.
Bad grammar rubs me the wrong way.

Two commercials on TV and the bad grammar therein:

EXAMPLE #1:

"When your car needs repaired, bring it in!"

Correction:  

"When your car needs repairs..."  or   "When your car needs to be repaired..."

I hate this recent addition to our already poor grammar. It seems that everyone uses this particular grammatical error.

EXAMPLE #2:  

(Let me set the scene... husband and wife in bedroom.  Husband in bed, apparently unable to sleep.  Wife gives husband "all natural, non-habit forming" sleeping pill.  Husband yawns, places head on pillow and is out like a light...Wife says the following:)

"[Brand X Sleeping pill] works!  (wife looks at snoring husband)  Maybe a little too good."

WHAT!  How did this get past editors?  Really?  This is STILL an issue?

Correction:  

"Maybe a little too well."  (I know it is a fragmented sentence as well, but let's focus on the obvious.)

For those of you who know me well, you know that there is one particular grammatical error that will upset me instantly. A friend and I were in the car at an intersection attempting to turn left across the oncoming lane of traffic.  There was an opening that would have been perfect for us to cross this aforementioned lane.

He says, "Dang.  I should have went."    (enter sound of fingernails on a chalkboard)
I giggle.
He says, "What?"
I say, "You should have gone."
He says, "Yeah, I should have went."
(The adult in me says that I should just let it go.  The perturbed student of Ms. Reed's English class in Junior High says I can't let this go.  What is a person to do?)
I say, "No, pal.  It is 'I should have gone'.  Not 'I should have went'."
He says, "Whatever".

Or the ever-favorite Tooele expression:
"What did you did this weekend?"

I am sure that I have my fair share of bad grammar (Ken would say "funnier" and "funniest" are a problem for me), but there are just some obvious ones that should be removed from the English conversation.

Now I'm gunna go to bed.  Okay, okay... I am going to go to bed.

Shocked I am still single.

We stayed home again for an entire weekend.  I have always been the person who loves to get out and do things.  But today we didn't even get out of our pajamas until 3pm.  Aiden has been teething again and still has thrush, so it was just fun to snuggle in and keep his fussiness at home.

This is how we sleep.  (The laptop was for a movie we were watching...).  Where does Mom sleep?  Anywhere she can find room!!!

I am, frankly, shocked that I am still single.  Especially after this last weekend.  These are the highlights of the weekend:

Friday night:

TV dinner

I watched the biography of Freddy Mercury until 2am.  

Ironed my sheets

Didn't put on makeup

Saturday:

Took the garbage from the diaper pail out.  (yay!!!)

Made bread

Cleaned windows (see below)

Clipped Aiden's fingernails

Didn't put on makeup

Sunday:

Slept in until 9:17am

Folded laundry

Watched the biography of Don Knotts

Didn't put on makeup

With a swingin' weekend like this, why am I still single?  Hmmmm....

The right side was cleaned 4 times!  The one on the left not cleaned.  I am so embarrassed.  YUCK!!!

After cleaning one side of the window.  Gross!

But it was lovely to spend the whole weekend with my baby and I enjoyed every single minute of it.

The First Seven Months

Happy 7 Month B-day, big boy.

(taken during our nightly feeding - messy face, but happy boy)

Aiden is 7 months old today.  We have learned a lot during the last seven months.  

Aiden likes puppies who lick his hands.  (Yuk...)

Mom likes having Aiden sing back.

Aiden doesn't like canned turkey and gravy by Gerber.

Aiden is lactose intolerant, probably gluten intolerant, and sleeps like a first-born baby (not great...).

Aiden can sit by himself, but prefers laying on his back.

Aiden can roll over back to front, but prefers laying on his back.

Aiden has learned to eat finger food (see below...) albeit messily.

Mom has learned to read baby food labels and pre-treat baby clothes.

We learned that Soy Ice Cream is actually ok.  Not great, but ok. (See below)

More than anything, we have learned that there is more love in our little family than we had thought possible.  

If you can, please do.

For anyone who still has not reached out to the people in Haiti, now is your chance to give a little something that will be a big something to someone else.

For those who need just that extra nudge, the LDS Church presidency asked that each member do something to help.  You can donate on a tithing slip and give it to a bishopric member or...

In case you need just a little more push, here are some great places to donate or to see where the benefits go...

www.redcross.org
www.unicefusa.org
https://secure3.convio.net/ldsp/site/Donation2?df_id=1861&1861.donation=form1&s_src=14703 ( the LDS humanitarian website)
www.worldvision.org

or wherever else you can give that is a reputable organization.

For those who watched the celebrity telethon, my favorite number was Stevie Wonder singing "Bridge over Troubled Water".  I have always thought of it as a love song, but now it means much, much more.

See it here...

http://vodpod.com/watch/2914546-stevie-wonder-bridge-over-troubled-water

*sigh* Football.

I don't know why I think these pictures are so funny.  Maybe because Aiden is FREEZING after his bath and maybe it is because his bright eyes are so tired in the picture below.  Overkill to keep him warm? I don't know.

I don't like football.  This is because I don't understand football.  And for 31 years, I have had absolutely no desire to understand nor to like football.

Enter Aiden.

I feel I have to at least try to understand it.  Then maybe I will learn to like it.  Then maybe he will like it.  Then maybe he will be like every other boy out there.  Now we need to pick a favorite team.

Go Vikings!!  Oh, wait.....