Tuesday, September 9, 2014

I Shampooed My Couches Today (and ten other random facts)

Fact #1: The other day I tried an Xtend Barre workout. I thought that the former dancer in me would enjoy it ("enjoy" as in "tolerate," for I am not one who falls in love with any form of exercise), and I was surprised to discover how much I didn't like it. It was a fantastic workout, and I have been sore for four days from it, but it reaffirmed that I am no longer a dancer - not in body nor in mind. I am far more suited to push-ups, jumping jacks, and burpees.

Mind blown.

Fact #2: Zoe (now 22 months old) has finally discovered how to say "yes" (or "yaw" - in her dialect). This is very exciting because we've been having major issues interpreting what this child wants, and the fact that we can now ask her 20 questions, and she might say "yaw" to one of them is a huge step forward.

What would have previously been a twenty-minute tantrum over breakfast is now a simple:

Zoe: Ba ba ba ba, Mama!

Me: You want me to take the cherries out of your cereal?

Zoe: Yaw!

Fact #3: Daisy, on the other hand, has recently learned the phrase "shut up." This is not good. Not good at all.

When Nicky discovered "shut up," it took one brief explanation of why I don't want him to say it, and he never had a problem with it ("poop" and "butt" are an entirely different story). Daisy, though, can not be taught by logic. Explaining why we don't want her to say "shut up" is a lost cause, and asking her not to say it will encourage her to say it ten fold.

I think we have many language issues ahead of us, as words are always Daisy's weapon of choice.

Fact #4: As of last night, Canning Season is officially OVER in the Brittish household.

Fact #5: I don't want to see another peach or green bean for the next six months.

Fact #6: We had our first (non-surgery) stitches in the family over the weekend.

image

(My apologies to the squeamish)

That, my friends, is my son's precious face after being sliced open with...

Wait for it...

A SLAP BRACELET!

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Fact #7: Five stitches.

(But I think he really needed six or seven, and I debated taking him back on Monday to have them look at it again because the bottom of the cut is still gaping).

Fact #8: Have I told you that I'm going back to school?

No, I haven't. Because I don't want to talk about it.

But I can tell you this: It is possible to decide on July 22 to apply for a bachelor's degree program, get accepted, and start school in the Fall.

Which is the short version of the "Holy Crap I'm Going Back to School!" story.

Fact #9: Remember how I shampooed my couches? (see title) There is a weird brown spot on one couch that was very obviously not poo, but now that it has been shampooed, it looks very much like poo.

Perhaps a follow-up picture is in order.

Once you've gotten over my son's gaping face wound.

Fact #10: Daisy turns five on Sunday.

Whoa.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

It's in my Genes

For the past couple of months, I've been trying to find out how I'm connected to a very obscure relative.* I know he's in my family history somewhere, I just haven't been able to find the exact line.

Family History is big in my church. We are encouraged to find out who our ancestors are and learn about their lives. It is a fascinating thing, and I have found that I am related to some very cool people:

Amelia Earhart (12th cousin, 3 times removed)
Bing Crosby (14th cousin, 4 times removed)
Charlemagne (37th great-grandfather)**
Elias Disney (14th cousin, 4 times removed)
Emily Dickinson (13th cousin, 5 times removed)
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) (14th cousin, 7 times removed)

Just to name a few.

I'm also related to:

11 of the current 12 apostles (everyone but Quentin L. Cook)
President Henry B. Eyring (11th cousin)
23 of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence
15 prophets of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
21 Presidents of the United States

Not bad, eh?

*This relative was mentioned in a talk by Henry B. Eyring. He is President Eyring's great-uncle, Gaskell Romney, who gave President Eyring his patriarchal blessing. I have multiple patriarchs in my family line, so I want to find out how I'm related to this particular patriarch.
**I am directly related to over 100 members of European royalty