Home Inspection

Today, we had our home inspection for foster care.

I think it went pretty well. We passed off everything on the safety checklist. In fact, we may have gone a little overboard. I think the inspector commented a few times that our home "was the safest she'd ever seen," or something along those lines. She seemed pretty impressed with how in-depth we had been about things.

Honestly, both Grig and I were worried that we were going to miss a bunch of stuff, but I guess we did alright.

She was pretty impressed with how well-trained our dogs were too, especially after they'd calmed down. That pleased me. I really appreciate when people notice that. We've put a lot of work into training our dogs. She was especially surprised when I just pointed at the bed and they went and laid down without me saying anything.

After the home tour, we sat down and had an interview for a while. First she interviewed me, and while we were talking, Grig came home from work. It ended up going from 2-6. She was really pleasant and easy to talk to, and I feel like things went really well.

Kevin was his typical amazing self. He was a bit loud and showed off a bit, but he also was pretty cheerful during most of it. We talked a bit about him and what he's like around other kids.

My favorite part of the entire day was Kevin. At one point, we were talking, and suddenly Kevin spoke up.

"Excuse me," he said, with just a touch of snark.

"Yes, Kevin?" the inspector replied.

"I thought you were going to bring us a baby?" Kevin demanded/asked.

We all burst out laughing. The inspector quickly explained that she was there to get to know us so that we could be matched up with the perfect children, and Kevin seemed satisfied with that response. She told us that she gets asked that question a lot, which surprised me, because I certainly hadn't been expecting that to come out of Kevin's mouth.

I loved it.

She's going to talk things over with her supervisor and submit her paperwork, and within the next 2-3 weeks (it usually is less than 2, but next week is Spring Break, so she said she may not be able to work on it next week) we should be qualified to be foster parents!

That's pretty exciting.

So, now it's a waiting game again. Baring any unforeseen complications, we hopefully will be having some more children join us in our home soon. We're excited to start helping!

Frozen Fruit Snacks

Last Wednesday, we went to the store and bought some groceries. At the store, there was a sale for 3 for $5 on fruit snacks.

Kevin loves fruit snacks, so I chose three boxes and brought them home.

Over the course of the week, Kevin ate all of the fruit snacks from the dinosaur box and the regular fruit box.

At one point, Kevin asked Grig from some fruit snacks, and Grig told him that they were all gone.

I said, "No, they aren't. There's a box of Frozen fruit snacks still."

Grig gave me a funny look, and the conversation moved on.

The next day, the topic came up again, when Kevin again asked for some fruit snacks. Grig once again responded that they were all gone.

"No they aren't," I repeated. "Remember, I told you that there is a box of Frozen fruit snacks left over."

He gave me a funny look again, and then asked, "Did you pull them out to defrost them then?"

Now I was confused. I said, "Why would I need to defrost them?"

"Well," he replied, "if they're in the freezer, don't they need to be defrosted before he eats them?"

Now, entirely confused I stopped and thought about what he was saying. Why on earth would the fruit snacks be in the freezer?

Then, like a bolt of lightening it hit me. I began to crack up. Grig was still confused and didn't understand why I was laughing.

Finally, I managed to gasp, "The fruit snacks aren't frozen! They're Frozen, as in, Disney?"

It took a couple of seconds, and then he began to laugh too.

However, when I actually pulled the box out of the cupboard, I found out they weren't actually Frozen, after all.

"Never mind," I told the others, "they're not Frozen; they're Inside Out."

"That's a weird thing for them to be," Grig's brother Allopex said. "I wonder how they got them inside out?"

The Best Things Kevin Said Last Week

Last week at one point, Kevin was in the bathroom, sitting on the potty. He was talking and playing, so I thought I would go and check on him.

1st Situation: 

Mom: Hey, Kevin, how's it going?

Kevin is holding a foam sword in his right hand and he begins to wiggle the fingers of his left hand at me.

Kevin: They're battling.

Mom: Oh, the hands are battling the sword?

Kevin: Yes, they're winning.

Mom: Are you about done? If you come out, you can have a fruit snack.

Kevin (adamantly): No! I'm not done yet. Leave, leave.

He waves for me to leave.

Mom: You want me to go out? You're not finished yet?

Kevin: Nope. Close the door.

So I did.

We pretty much think Kevin is adorable.

2nd Situation:

Then, this situation with Grig:

Kevin, again in the bathroom as Grig is helping him finish cleaning up.

Kevin: You're my best friend, Dad.

Grig: You're my friend too!

Kevin: That's why you get to clean my bum.

Grig: That's my reward, huh?

Kevin: Yep!

3rd Situation:

I was putting Kevin to bed. Lately, when he's upset, he'll ask me, "Can you help me calm down?" but tonight, he wasn't very upset.

I kissed him, and said goodnight and told him I needed to go out.

Kevin: Are you going to work on the computer?

Mom: No, I'm getting a drink.

Kevin: Don't get on the computer!

Mom: I won't.

Kevin: Good. Goodnight.

I think he didn't want to miss out on anything exciting. So I gave him one more hug, and then he started scratching my shoulder.

Kevin: I'm scratching your shoulder.

Mom: Thank you.

Kevin (in a excited baby voice that we sometimes talk to the dogs with): Is that the spot? Is that the spot? Doesn't that feel good?

So, I proceeded to spaz like the dogs do when you scratch them in a certain place and told him that that was, in fact, the spot.

He is a funny kid.

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

Next month is National Novel Writing Month, or as called by those who participate, NaNoWriMo.

Last year, I attempted it, and I just barely didn't get the required number of words written. This year, I'm hoping for a different story.

When I write, I have an idea for a story in my head, but I'm pretty vague on the actual details. I usually have the main character created, and a few major events.

However, this time, I'm trying something different. I've been creating characters beforehand, and story-lining to make sure I know where my story is going. It's been rather enjoyable, and it's been helping me feel ready to write a novel for real this time.

I've noticed that one of my greatest weaknesses when I write is having too much focus on the main character. So much so, that my other characters tend to be two-dimensional. As I've matured a bit, I've realized that books I really enjoy reading have a plethora of characters that I enjoy. I've been working on that lately, and it has really changed my writing. I'm starting to enjoy writing about more than one person. I've also been learning that stories, even more than plot, are about people. The growing, changing, and trials that people go through really are what making the story interesting. A good plot is also important, but if everyone is flat and boring, the plot can't save the story.

 I plan to write between 4-7 in the morning and during nap times. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. Divide that by 30, and you have about 1,666 words you need to write a day. I don't like to write on Sundays, so subtract 5 days. Thus, my goal is 2,000. Totally doable. Especially is I have three hours a day. I type fast and I have the story lined out.

I'm going to do it this year!

Now, for a funny Kevin story.

The other morning, Kevin woke up. He kept saying the same thing over and over, and to my surprise, I understood what he was saying.

"Nana," he said.

"Oh," I realized, "you want a banana?"

He nodded his head enthusiastically and repeated, "Nana."

"We don't have any bananas," I told him. "How about an apple instead?"

He thought about it, and then enthusiastically said, "Apple!"

It is weird when you can start understanding your kids. Suddenly, a whole new side of the personality to revealed.

Also, Kevin has started trying to stare us down when he's grumpy. If you tell him no, he'll put his arms down at his side, and give you a hard glare. It's adorable. However, every time I try and grab the camera, he instantly drops it and says, "Cheese!" and gives the cheesiest grin you've ever seen. This is one of my attempts to get his glare:

His dad tried to help me out. 

No success.

Just for kicks, here's a picture of Arkhon and me.

He sure is growing, and my hair is messy. ;)

Finally, a beautiful picture of our old girl, Dakota.

Donating Double Takes More Time

A couple nights ago, Grig got a call from the Red Cross. They wanted him to donate blood on Wednesday night. He agreed to do so, and they asked if he knew anyone else he could bring with him. (Grig later commented to me that they seem to be hiring return missionaries.)

He asked me if I wanted to go donate blood too, and I thought, "4:30? Sure I should have time before my meeting at  6."

Last night we drove a few blocks to donate and took Kevin with us. The idea was that I would donate first, and then if I had to leave for my meeting, I could leave if I needed to. I was hoping to be done by 5 so I could get home and bake a cake for refreshments.

We got to the church where they were doing the donations at about 4:32. We quickly skimmed through the materials (we've read them a number of times), and I got into a booth. Things seemed to be going swimmingly.

However, while the man was checking my vitals and such, he said, "We have doubles available today. Would you be interested in doing that?"

I'd never heard of it, so he explained that when you do doubles, they take twice as many red blood cells and put the plasma and other non-essentials back in. You can't donate again for four months instead of two because red blood cells take twice as long to regenerate. He told me my iron had to be at 13.5 in order to do so, but wondered if I would be interested.

I asked him if it took longer to draw, and he told me that it was about 20 minutes. I thought that would be good to do, if I could and he tested my iron.

When the machine beeped, he looked at it and said, "Huh. 12.2."

"Too low, huh?" I asked.

"Too low to donate at all," he replied. "It has to be 12.5. I can test you again, and it may go up or down. Do you want to test again?"

I agreed and said a quick prayer in my head that went something like this: "Heavenly Father, if I'm supposed to donate doubles tonight, please help my results to be higher. Otherwise, I'll know that I'm not supposed to donate tonight."

I waited with bated breath while the man put the second test in the machine.

"13.9," he announced. "Would you like to do doubles?"

I agreed, thinking that was my answer.

I finished answering all the questions, and then they took me over to the newfangled machine. The nurse there explained that it would draw 3-4 times, the machine would spin the blood and remove the red blood cells, and then put saline and plasma back into me. It was kind of fascinating to watch.

This isn't me, but this is what my machine looked like. The yellow bag is where the plasma is stored until they can put it back.

The needle was smaller than normal, and I learned that though I have great veins on both sides, my right vein is much easier to work with.

She told me that sometimes when the saline solution is going back in, people will feel a tingling in their lips. She said that if I felt that, I could take a tums and it would go away.

It was a strange sensation when the plasma was put back in. It felt kind of like a buzz under my skin. My lips tingled a little, but not very  much. This happened four times. The last time, the machine took too much blood, so it had to put some back in.

It was pretty fascinating, though I know some of my friends will find the post abhorring.

Anyway, it took a lot longer than it was supposed to. I didn't get done until 5:50. I quickly grabbed Kevin, then kissed Grig good-bye so he could have his turn. I ran to the store and grabbed some cookies for refreshment and then I raced to the church.

I ended up being 15 minutes late. It was okay though. Things worked out. I just felt really bad for leaving my primary president hanging that long.

After that meeting ended at about 7:45, I called Grig and asked him where he was. He had just done a normal donation, and then he had begun to walk home. He had already walked eight blocks. Kevin and I drove over to pick him up, and then we all went home to a quick dinner of hotdogs. (I was going to make lasagna, but it would have taken too long. Guess I have dinner planned for tonight.)

Crazy evening. Grig was supposed to have a meeting at 7, but it cancelled, and we're pretty glad because I don't know how that would have worked out.

The moral of the story is that donating doubles takes more time.  A lot more.

If you're in a hurry, you probably shouldn't do it.

My Adventure with Rock Candy

Yesterday, I had a funny experience.

I went to a lesson with the Sister Missionaries in my ward. We were teaching an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old. They were really cute and excited. The lesson was a lot of fun and they asked a lot of awesome questions.

However, at the end of the lesson, the little girl said, "Just a moment," and ran into the kitchen. She returned a moment later with a styrofoam bowl with what looked like dye on the side and was full of many different colors of rock candy. I followed the example of the Sisters in taking a piece and chose a pretty green one.

As I moved the candy toward my mouth, I said, "That's pretty cool that you know how to make rock candy."

As I popped the candy into my mouth, the little girl looked at me with confusion and stated, "That's not candy."

Instantly, I popped the rock back out of my mouth and, with embarrassment, thanked her for the beautiful rock. It was too late though. Everyone was already dying of laughter. I joined in and then asked if they wanted me to show them how to make rock candy.

They said they already knew how and we all continued to laugh.


Well, at least I now had the cleanest rock of the bunch. It just tasted like a rock. It's a good thing I didn't bite down.

I am fairly good at providing comic relief occasionally.

This is a picture of me with my new rock that is NOT candy.

Also yesterday I stopped by the library to pick up a book that I had put on hold. I was so stoked! It in the new book by Kristen Britain called Mirror Sight. I really like it so far.

Explaining "Funny"

The other day, I was watching an episode of Studio C with Kevin (he loves it for some weird reason), and Havelock stopped behind me to watch it with us. Havelock has a different sense of humor from me, and he didn't understand the satire behind this particular episode. So, he asked me why it was supposed to be funny.

As I tried to explain the joke behind the episode, I was reminded how difficult it is to explain the "funny" behind something. It's like trying to explain salt without using the word salty. You can  talk about the satire behind a concept, the irony, the joke, but if it isn't funny to someone, it probably won't be after you try and explain it. If fact, usually that just makes it even less funny.

Here I will tell you a story. You may have heard it before, as I told this story during Top Ten Injuries in My Life: The Weird, Wacky, and Serious.

Once upon a time, I was walking with a group of friends down the sidewalk. I was very engaged in the conversation, and there were too many of us to fit on the sidewalk, so I started walking on the grass. One moment I was on solid ground, and the next my foot was plummeting through the ground. I may have been mid-sentence. My leg disappeared down a manhole up to my thigh and I fell on my face. One leg was down the hole, while the other was bent at a 90 degree angle. I laid still for a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened and if I was injured. I was fine, so I got up and we laughed about that for the next ten minutes.

Why is this story funny? It had an unexpected twist that resulted in slapstick comedy. However, if you don't find the thought of my leg falling down a manhole funny, I can't change that. It's like trying to explain the punchline of a joke that someone doesn't get. Sometimes they do understand, and laugh, but usually it just makes the joke less funny for everyone.

Babies seem to think slapstick is hilarious. I've never known a baby that didn't laugh when they were swinging in a swing and I pretended that they kicked me every time they came close. Kevin loves to sword fight right now. We babysat a couple of boys from our ward last night, and Kevin, Grig, and the younger boy engaged in an epic sword battle while I and the other boy painted. Kevin laughed and laughed as the other two pretended to be hurt or injured.

Where does humor come from and what makes something funny? At what age do children decide what they find funny and what they don't?

I thought for a while that humor was learned. However, Kevin will laugh at things that Grig and I would have never thought about laughing at, and once he starts we can't help but join. He has an infectious laugh. Sometimes we'll ask him, "Why is that funny?" However, just like me, he is incapable of expressing the humor behind the situation. At least he has the excuse of the language barrier. I'm just stuck with being incapable.

I love laughing and being happy. Grig makes me laugh quite often, and so does Kevin. Life is a lot more fun when you can find something to laugh about.

In my parent's family, we didn't like to be sad. Even in the midst of tragedy we'd find something to laugh about because we just didn't enjoy feeling bad. So, to others, we sometimes laugh at inappropriate times, but really it's just a defensive mechanism. Laughter can shield and help you recover from tragedy faster than any other tonic.

There are moments when it is completely inappropriate to laugh, and I've had to work hard over the years to learn when those moments were. I'm sure my father will remember back a few years when I and my older brother were in the car. We were almost back to our house when flashing lights appeared in the rear-view mirror. My father pulled over, but since I had never been in a car that had been pulled over before, I got really nervous. Unfortunately, when I get nervous, my first response is to laugh.

My father really didn't appreciate the two giggling kids in the background while the officer informed him that his taillight was out and he needed to replace it. We weren't doing it to be immature or rude, we were just plain anxious. It all turned out okay, but sometimes it's hard to shut off the giggle when it begins.

Man is that he might have joy. Laugh more often. Smile more frequently, and find the humor as often as is appropriate.

You'll live longer, and be much happier...even if you can't explain why it's funny.

Funny Nap Time Story

Mondays are always hard at our house.  The weekend seriously throws off our schedule, especially Sundays because Kevin seldom gets the nap he needs because we are at church during nap time.

However, yesterday was going pretty well.  Kevin and I woke up at 7:30 a.m.  That was actually sad because I meant to wake up at 3 with Grig, but I couldn't fall asleep Sunday night until after 11.  I have this problem where I can't shut my brain down at night, especially if I'm excited.

I finished our tax returns on Saturday and we found out how much money we were going to get. We realized that with that money we were going to be able to pay off most of our school debt!  We also realized that I could finally buy the computer that I've been saving up for.  That means a vast improvement on our videos and I can actually do some of the family history projects I've been meaning to do.  Also, I've been looking at new animating software besides flash (because it's super expensive and I can't afford it yet) and I was excited to get started on making my movie that I've been planning for ages.

All of these things combined made it so I couldn't sleep.  Creativity is very hard to shut off for me. If it isn't my movie I was thinking about, I think about story plots for my books, or things that I'm going to work on the next day.  I'm getting better and picturing blackness and trying to fade into it to go to sleep, but it is very difficult when I'm excited to make things.

Anyway, we woke up at a good time and we got a lot done in the morning.  Then, Kevin fell asleep. It was a good nap where I worked on creating some things that I wanted to work on. I am trying to improve my landscapes.  Here's what I made yesterday:

Yes, the tree is upside down.  It's meant to be.  I'm experimenting with a word where the roots stick up in the air and the foliage comes up from the ground like grass.  I'm learning to use the programs I already have as well.  I drew this particular one on Photoshop Elements.  Still needs work, but I liked the final product.

So, I'm working on my art, and suddenly I hear this strange sound. It sounds familiar, but I can't place what it is.  I stop what I'm doing and listen. 

Suddenly, I realized what the sound was! It was a little stormtrooper toy we have.  When you push the buttons on the back it says catchy things like, "All units make for that shuttle!" or "Your orders, sir?"  I realized that the last time I had seen that toy, it had been on the bed with the sleeping Kevin.  I quickly walked into the bedroom to see Kevin still sitting on the bed pushing the buttons.

It was pretty funny. That was the only reason I even knew he had woken up.

Also, here is a cute Kevin/Dakota picture for you, just because the two of them are adorable and they are such good friends.

Another funny story for you.  We've recently discovered that Kevin LOVES Puff Cheetos.  The other night, we were having ham sandwiches for dinner, and we were sharing our food (as we always do) with Kevin.  He had a mouth full of ham when he spotted the bag of Cheetos and pointing to it, began to make the noise he makes when he wants something.  I told him, "You can have one after you finish what's in your mouth."

So, Kevin pulled the ham out of his mouth, walked over to Dakota and gave it to her.  She happily ate it and we started laughing because he is such a smart boy!  Then, he came back over and asked for some Cheetos again.  Technically he had finished what was in his mouth, so we gave him one.  It was pretty funny.

Have you had any funny stories with your kids/nieces/nephews/grandchildren?

Crazy Weight Loss Program! I Lost 10 lbs in a Month!

You're not going to believe this.  I didn't, when I heard about it, but this is a true story.  On my new weight loss program, I've lost over ten pounds in one month!  It's the simplest thing I've ever tried, and it works!

My career as a model had been going downhill.  My agent told me that if I didn't lose weight, I was going to only be used for commercials as Bertha the Blue Whale.  I found it very frustrating, and I was having a hard time feeling my inner beauty.

And don't mention those beach parties!  I just didn't feel comfortable strutting my stuff when other people were around.  Sure, if it was a rainy day and everyone else was inside, I didn't mind going out in my bathing suit, but I just couldn't handle it when others were watching.

Finally, though, I found a weight loss program that works for me!  I had heard about it on television, but I didn't believe it would really work.  A friend of mine was going through it, and she told me that if I would give it a try, I would really see results.

They call it the Starving College Student Plan (SCSP).  It's so simple.  Here's how it works:

You don't make very much money and you have a tight budget for groceries.

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Wrong!  I tried it and I saw crazy results!  Grig and I were on such a tight budget that we didn't have money to go out to eat.  It was hard at times, and I really missed fast food, but I can't deny the results. 

Also, we suddenly had to eat more vegetables because we had family who had their own gardens and were giving us free fruits and vegetables.  Our diets improved by 100%.  With all the fresh food and lack of high fat, I found myself feeling better than ever before!  We also began to use our meat sparingly because we couldn't afford to buy it very often either. 

On the SCSP, I didn't see instant results, but as I kept at it, I have begun to lose weight! 

The best part?  You don't even have to be a college student to use this plan.  Simply eat more fruits and vegetables, eat out less often, and eat meat sparingly. 

Oh, yeah.  I forgot one last part.  We also have been trying to exercise more.  A walk here, a jog there, it's not much but it sure adds up!

A healthy diet and a little exercise go a long way.  The SCSP worked for me, and it can work for you too!  Call this number to begin your free trial:

(555) Tnk-Ifny

And yes, I do think I'm hilarious.

(As a side note, I haven't lost as much weight on this plan as I did the Nine-Month-and-a-Baby-Plan (NMAABP), but that plan doesn't work for everyone, so I recommend this one instead.  Though, you do get to lose all the weight in one day, the SCSP doesn't requires you to gain a bunch of weight first before you can lose it.  Plus, those stretch marks are torture!)

:)

The True Use of Pillow Cases

Saturday night, Grig was in a deep sleep.  He had a dream, most of which he doesn't remember.  However, he does remember that for some odd reason, he was banned from using tissues, paper towels, toilet paper, or anything to blow his nose.  And so, as an act of defiance in his dream, he ripped the pillow case off his pillow, blew his nose furiously in the pillow, and threw it in the dirty clothes hamper.  A truly epic tale.

Great dream right?  Except Sunday morning, my pillow case had been pulled off my pillow, thrown on the floor, and covered with Grig's mucus.   Grig's pillow was fine.  When he explained what happened we spent the next ten minutes laughing.  It was really funny. 

The second great thing that happened the weekend (besides church) occurred Saturday.  Grig and I were on the way to the LDS temple.  We were taking Kevin to the babysitter and as we were leaving our apartment, we ran into two ladies and a two-year-old boy.  Kevin got really excited and wanted me to put him down.  I set him on the ground and he stayed standing as he and the other boy examined each others faces with their fingers.  Eventually, the two-year-old got bored, and turned to look at Grig.

That's when Kevin spotted the two ladies who were watching and laughing.  He looked at them, and then he took off RUNNING toward them.  Arms waving, little feet toddling, he was running as fast as he could toward the complete strangers.  He'd never done that before.  We were in shock, and he made it 4-5 feet before he face-planted in the dirt.

He immediately began to cry.  One of the other ladies reached him first, and when I took him back, he had a mouth full of dirt.  We were really impressed!  In the last couple of days, Kevin has really mastered walking!

So, that was our weekend.  We're so strange.

Also, if you haven't seen our new video, check it out.  It's great!

New Video! Check it out!