Goings On

Here are some things that have been going on lately...

Daisy has been watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Gilmore Girls. We have regular discussions about all the red flags in Rory's love life. Daisy's friend just started Gilmore Girls the other day, and they are now texting regular arguments about Rory's boyfriends. 

Nicky had a pottery piece selected for display in the Utah High School All-State Art Show. That means his work is in a legit museum! We drove down there (Springville) on Tuesday to see it.

Daisy got her learners permit.

Nicky got a significant amount of hair cut off last week and said, "I look like a bully from a Disney Channel movie." (He actually looks like Sid from Toy Story). 

Nicky and I went to a district-wide prom for students with special needs. It was the cutest and funnest thing ever! Nicky wasn't thrilled that I was there, but sorry kid! Your mom is part of your life, and you're just gonna have to deal with it!

The other day I was behind Lightning McQueen in the McDonald's drive thru, and I don't think anything more exciting than that will ever happen to me. 

In addition to the 2,000 piece puzzle I bought from the thrift store, I found a 750 piece thrifted puzzle with all pieces accounted for (I'd still rather have $10,000).

Right now, all I want to do is build puzzles and do word games. 

My kids had a five-day weekend last week. Five days. In the middle of February. 

Nicky's mission papers are almost complete. We are just waiting for his passport to arrive (passports are not required, but Scotty wanted him to have one). 

Update: mission papers are in! 

The other day I snuck 14 pieces of pizza (with paper plates and ranch dressing) into the movie theater. If I have to watch Dog Man, there needs to be sustenance. 

Nicky wins stuff on the radio all the time. The DJ knows him by name. This week he won a $200 gift card to Living Spaces. 

We've had hardly any snow this winter (about which I am not complaining), but Scotty wanted the kids to have a chance to go sledding, so he took them to the mountains on Presidents Day. 

We have a cardboard cutout of Nicky's theatre teacher at our house, and she scares the crap out of us pretty much every day. One of Daisy’s friends left her in our shower the other night.

60 Questions

This questionnaire is brought to you by the usual culprit… me being awake at 4 in the morning…

1. Who do you call and text the most? 

Shannon & Laurel

2. If you could travel anywhere in the world this instant, where would you go? 

This instant? Disney World. This is not my answer for every instant, but right now? In February? During an Utah winter? Send me to Orlando, Baby!

3. Would you prefer to own a yacht or private jet?

Jet! (It comes with a pilot, right?)

4. If money and time were no object, what would you do for a living? 

I would open two businesses:

The first is a day spa where you can get therapy, so all of the aestheticians are also licensed therapists. You get to work through your sh*t while getting pampered. 

The second is a dance academy that offers free tuition and also teaches character building (with an emphasis on body image and self-worth) and includes movement classes for individuals with special needs. 

5. Would you rather be able to talk to birds or sharks?

Birds, but only because I feel like they would have all the hot gossip since they can fly and watch everything! What tea would sharks have? They’re stuck under water. They don’t know nothing. 

6. If you could have one superpower, which would you choose?

Photographic memory/perfect recall 

7. If you entered an eating contest, do you think you could win?

No comment.

8. Which country would you like to live in? 

Where do the nice people live? I’ll go there. Is it Canada?

9. If you could speak a foreign language, which would you speak?

Spanish

10. What superhero would you most like to be friends with? 

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles because there will be pizza.

11. If you were offered the chance to be on the first manned space flight to Mars, would you go?

No. I’m a pansy. 

12. What’s the most ridiculous thing that someone has ever fooled you into thinking was true?

My parents told me that if I cried in the mountains, the “man in the green truck” would come take me away, so I grew up with an irrational fear of forest rangers. 

13. What’s the riskiest thing you’ve ever done?

Got married and started breeding.

14. If you could be any animal for a day, what would you be? 

A gorilla. Because you can be super active or super lazy, and either way, everyone thinks you’re so cool and so amazing simply because you’re a gorilla.

15. If you could be famous for something, what would it be?

For being wonderful. And nice. I only want to be famous if everybody likes me. I don’t want to be famous and deal with people hating me. I have high demands for my fame. 

16. If you had to give yourself a new name, what would you call yourself?

Lil Boo Thang.

Yeah, I’d make it weird.

17. If you owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve?

Ward cookbook stuff. Mormon comfort foods. 

(I have no desire to own a restaurant and have zero restaurant-owning ideas or daydreams)

18. What’s one food you could never bring yourself to eat?

I’m sure there’s something… I just don’t know what it is. 

19. Have you ever stalked someone on social media and accidentally liked a photo?

Stalked? Yes. But I don’t think I’ve ever accidentally liked a photo. I’ve accidentally sent a friend request before, though. 

20. What song could you listen to on repeat forever?

My namesake, Lil Boo Thang, obviously.

(But really, there is no song I could listen to on repeat forever. I would go absolutely mad within an hour).

21. If you could be in charge of Amazon or your favorite sports team, which one would you choose?

Seriously, what kind of question is this? Why would I want to be in charge of either of these things? Do people actually sit around fantasizing about being in charge of Amazon? 

22. If you could shop for free at any store for the rest of your life, which would it be?

Walmart. I gotta be practical here. If I need tampons, a mouse trap, new tires, and milk, ain’t nowhere else got my back like Walmart.

23. What famous person would you love to have dinner with?

The Irwins.

24. What’s the stupidest way in which you’ve hurt yourself?

25. What’s hobby would you like to start if you had more time?

After googling and reading several lists of hobbies, I’ve come to the conclusion that I already have all the hobbies I want. 

26. What’s one book you could read over and over?

The Book Thief or The Giver

27. If you started a religion what would you call it? 

Our Lady Lil Boo Thang.

We’d have lots of potlucks.

28. If you won the lottery what would you spend the money on?

How much did I win? I need a budget to work with. Let’s say a house and an epic vacation. Am I out of money yet?

29. What’s the silliest thing you’ve ever done in your life?

I’m not sure, but it probably involved costumes. 

30. Have you ever called into work sick when you weren’t really sick? 

No, but I faked sick to get out of school sometimes.

31. What three people from history would you like to have a drink with with?

Joan of Arc, Queen Victoria, and Harriet Tubman

32. Do you know how your parents met?

No

33. What’s your favorite karaoke song?

I’ve been on the hunt for my karaoke song for many years and have yet to determine what it is. Since I sing karaoke NEVER, it’s hard to know. But almost every game night, we take turns trying to hit the high note in “Take On Me,” and that’s about as close as it gets. 

34. What’s your favorite jungle animal?

The kind that sings Hakuna Matata.

35. Do you count your daily steps?

I check my steps on my watch occasionally, but most days I don’t bother or care.

36. Which animal would sound the most intelligent if it could talk to us?

The bonobo because they are smart enough to clean their own poop out of their cages, so obviously they would have something intelligent to say.

37. What’s the worst meal you’ve ever cooked?

Lentil sloppy joes.

38. Do you like scary movies? 

Some. It depends of the nature of the “scare.” And the plot. 

39. Who’s your favorite influencer?

(Insert thirty minute rant about influencer culture here).

(But I like Brooke Romney. She is the only influencer I follow). 

40. Do you prefer home cooking or eating out?

I love it all!!!

41. How often do you wash your bedding?

No comment.

42. What’s your favorite movie?

This post can help answer that one. 

43. What’s the best place you’ve ever been on vacation?

Honestly, I have enjoyed local road trips as much as far away places. So the best place? Can be almost anywhere if you make the most of it. 

44. Do you enjoy roller coasters?

Yes indeed! 

45. Have you ever or would you ever try online dating?

Hell no.

46. Have you ever dumped anyone?

Yes

47. Do you think it’s ever okay to tell a white lie?

Yes

48. Are you still friends with your first best friend?

No - somehow I have lost touch with all of my preschool homies. 

49. What do you think happens when you die?

I don’t know. As a religious person, that’s not what my answer is supposed to be, but I don’t really know.

50. What are your dreams for the future?

Pay off our house. Pay off our van. Be financially secure and comfortable. Then decide where to go from there.

51. What’s your favorite childhood memory?

I have no idea. 

52. What’s your best family memory?

Again, I have no idea. But you can’t narrow these things down to one answer.

53. What’s your favorite time of year?

The two weeks after Halloween and the two weeks after New Year. I get a burst of energy fueled by “Hallelujah, it’s over!” and I get a ton of stuff done. 

54. What’s a bad habit you have that annoys you the most?

I don’t know if it’s really a “habit,” but clearing my throat. 

55. If you could make one rule for the family, what would it be?

I can make any rule I want. It doesn’t mean anyone will follow it! So let’s assume this question means the rule will be followed. If I could choose one family rule to always be followed, it would be to clean up after yourselves. I would choose that over no fighting. Go ahead and yell at each other in my clean house!

56. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever had to face and overcome?

I can’t designate anything I've experienced as "the biggest challenge" or God will give me a bigger challenge.

57. Are you good at waking up early?

Yes

58. Who’s the cleverest member of your family?

They’re all clever in different ways. 

59. Do you consider yourself an organized person?

Yes, but I am also very messy. I am a messy, organized person. 

60. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Rocky Road

Our Top Board Games of 2024

At the end of every year I post a list of our top board games for the year. I never got around to posting our top board games of 2024, and I've been getting countless texts and emails about it (and by that I mean I've gotten exactly zero text messages and emails about it). 

Since you've all been harassing me about it, I carved out some time this evening to finally write my board game post for 2024. 

First, let's look at some of our top board games from years past:

2019: 7 Wonders

2020, 2021, & 2022: Wingspan

2023: Ark Nova

We still play Wingspan all the time, but it doesn't make our top ten list anymore because we play it exclusively on our phones (and not at Game Night). It's definitely still our favorite game. 

At the end of 2024, we were shocked to calculate our top ten board games because there were so many games that we didn't play at all! Like 7 Wonders! (we made sure to play it last week after a long hiatus). Time flies when you're having fun! (and it's easy to skip a few board games without even realizing it). 

Here are our top ten from 2024 as determined from our Game Night Ledger:

#10: Puerto Rico

#9: Qwirkle

#8: Agricola

#7: Princes of Florence

#6: Viticulture

#5: Azul

#4: Bohnanza

#3: Quixx

#2: Five Crowns

#1: Ark Nova

The Ledger has spoken. 

Ark Nova reigns for the second year in a row (and is already thriving in 2025)! It was a brutal one to learn, but now that we know how to play it, we love it. We don't care much for the Marine expansion, though, and have stopped using it. I'm finding that I don't care for many expansion packs to board games (the Wingspan ones are okay, but a lot of the other games' expansions cease to impress me. I usually like the original game better). 

Here's to more excellent gaming in 2025!

The “Win”

Last week, I mentioned that I could really use a “win” (see Fact #4). I decided to try manifesting positive things and paying close attention. Surely if I looked for the good, I would find it. 

I’m not gonna lie… I was hoping for something on a significant scale, like finding out I’ve inherited ten grand or being cured of neuropathy. I didn’t get either of those wins. 

Instead, I did a 2,000 piece puzzle that I purchased from the thrift store for $1.50, and all the pieces were present.

While this is indeed miraculous, I’m broke, and my feet still hurt. 

So I will continue manifesting…

Important Things

The other day I came across this post on instagram:

…and it made me think about what kinds of things I do that meet that description.* 

Here are some of the important things I do:

-Pull light-hearted pranks on people

-Rearrange my home decor or purchase something “new” for my home (usually thrifted)

-Make myself a snack plate 

-Lay down with a heating pad on my feet, legs, or back

-Paint my nails

-Use a body scrub

-Drive around the block blasting the van heater (or the A/C)

-Marco Polo my friends

-Sneak food into the movie theatre (like seven-layer dip or a baguette with butter)

-Bake

-Blast music of my choice

-Paint something (as in furniture or decor - not anything artsy)

-Play board games

-Talk in an accent

-Look at recipes

-Do word puzzles 

-Do fooding 

-Binge watch 

-Run away from my family

-Freshen up with a bidet

-Check the paint mistints at the home improvement store

-Send the memes

-Dance

-Buy gifts for people just because

-Scrub my face and put on the creams

-Sneak my favorite movie quotes into my speech

*But I have to say… I can’t think of anything I do that “serves no other purpose.” Everything I do has some purpose in addition to making me happy. 

It’s Already Mid-February (and ten other random facts)

Fact #1: I often wonder how many people have to look at me everyday on Facebook as a “people you may know.”

Fact #2: It just dawned on me the other day that since I come from a blended family, I have siblings who don’t know each other. Like… my brother Brock has no idea that I have a sister named Liz, and he could see her walking down the street and have no idea they share a sibling. 

Fact #3: Speaking of Brock and Liz… Brock cut his hair this week, and Liz got married.

Fact #4: I’ve had a lot of things not go right lately, and I really need a win. Can I have a win this week? Just a little somethin’ somethin’ to hold me over for a while? I’ll be waiting and manifesting, Universe. Feel free to jump in.

Fact #5: Over the weekend, Nicky went to Sweethearts with his first girlfriend (four years later).

Their little fling lasted about three months in 8th grade. They had an awkward year after that, but they recovered and have been good friends ever since (Read more about their romance here). 

Fact #6: I chaperoned the dance and didn’t tell Nicky I would be there. Here’s his reaction when he found out I was there:

Fact #7: I’ve been trying so hard to get back into reading. It’s been about a year since I lost my reading umph. I hope someday I enjoy it again, but for now, I’m still having a hard time reading. I just want that part of me back, so that’s why I can’t just let it be!

Fact #8: Parenting is kicking my butt right now. 

Fact #9: Things I did at 3:00 this morning when I was wide awake:

• Made photo collages
• Composed a text message to the theatre teacher with my recommendation for the musical for next year
• Cast the entire musical for next year (but did not include my casting in the aforementioned text message because you don’t tell the theatre teacher what to do, but she did tell me to let her know if any musicals crossed my mind because sometimes someone will bring up one that she hadn’t thought of)
• Had a belly ache (the smoked meats from our Super Bowl party left me feeling like a flock of charred animals attempting to escape a wildfire crawled into my stomach and died there)
• Ruminated over all the things that are troubling my heart
• Googled some shit
• Tracked some packages
• Worked on this blog post 

Fact #10: Daisy got her drivers permit last week. We’ve really dragged our feet in teaching this girl how to drive (she’s been eligible for her permit for five months already). Now that she has it, we have taken her out driving exactly zero time. 

Non-Resolutions

I actually really enjoy making New Year resolutions, but for the last few years, I’ve become really bad at goal setting. I’ve turned rebellious, and if I set a goal, I self-sabotage and revolt against it. It’s almost like a part of me says, “You’re not the boss of me!”… to myself. 

One thing that is complicated about New Year resolutions for me, personally, is that my birthday is on January 1st. With my devotion to free birthday foods and the opportunity to use my birthday as an excuse to indulge in a few purchases, that’s a terrible time for me to try and set goals! So several years ago I decided to push all of my resolutions to Lunar/Chinese New Year (if I make any). 

This year, I didn’t make any resolutions (save for one small one that I’m not going to share til the end of the year). Instead, I made a list of “If I were going to make resolutions, here are some ideas of what they might be…”

Basically I brainstormed and refused to make any commitments, but if I happen to accomplish any of these things this year, I will be quite pleased. 

My non-resolutions, if you will…

Spend at least 30 minutes daily doing something educational

Decrease social media use (especially in front of my kids)

Buy less (be less of a consumer overall)

Quit soda

Get off blood pressure meds 

Invite people more (bring people together and be more social)

Eliminate negative body talk

Be more true to myself (stop adapting to other people)

Spend better quality time with my kids

Get the house paid off

Eat out less

Eat intuitively (and less emotionally and habitually)

As mentioned, I’m not committed to any of these things in an official capacity, but if I am able to review this list at the end of the year and feel like I made progress in any of these areas, I’ll go ahead and pat myself on the back. 

Things the Kids Say: Episode 34

“The oldest song I know is ‘Footloose’ which was written in 1621.”

-Zoe

—————

“Vacation Dad is as good as Dad gets!”

-Nicky

“Vacation Dad”

—————

“Wow! First Class people don’t know how to clean up after themselves!”

-Eva to the flight attendant (who nodded in agreement)

—————

Me: Eva, what’s 12 times 5?

Eva: You have a brain and a calculator. Why are you asking me?

—————

“I learned a lot about pee from a poster in the bathroom at girls camp.”

-Zoe while lecturing me about hydration

—————

“I love human beings.”

-Eva

—————

“My stomach feels better. I dropped a big bomb and drank some water. I was in really bad constipation.”

-Eva

—————-

Eva: Can we listen to Enya?

Zoe: No, I hate Enya, she doesn’t even sing any good songs!

Eva: Yea she does! ‘Baby Shark!’

The Way That I Am

Sometimes I’m flabbergasted at the way people are different from me. Even after being alive for 41 years, I occasionally respond with surprise when someone tells me something about themselves that differs greatly from what I think/believe/do. It’s intriguing sometimes to learn another’s perspective. Sometimes I get it, and other times I just flat out don’t understand, and I wonder (in the words of Michael Scott) “Why are you the way that you are?”

In celebration of weirdos everywhere (myself included), here are some ways that I am:

I am not a germaphobe.

I don’t care if you wear shoes in my house. I never expect people to take off their shoes. Do whatever you’re comfortable with. You can’t hurt anything. 

I prefer loading the dishwasher over unloading the dishwasher.

I answer text messages. I can’t say I never get backlogged or miss a text, but it’s rare. 

I don’t pack excessively for trips. 

Not me

If I like a clothing item, I buy it in multiple colors.

I’m always on time. If I’m late for something it’s usually on purpose, and I’m probably still on time, but I do weird things like circle around the block ten times or sit in the parking lot and watch the clock until I’m “late enough.”

I never skip breakfast.

I can do frumpy. I don’t need my hair and makeup done everyday. 

I never make my bed (sorry to disappoint you, Admiral William H. McRaven).

I don’t like rope dropping. 

I am not tempted by Target. 

Not me.

I love the randomness of thrift stores and places like Ross. I thrive on “the hunt.” I only recently learned that there are people who hate shopping like that (these people tend to love Target).

I like scents - perfume, candles, etc. 

I don’t like being wet. 

I know how much everything costs and can usually guess the total of my grocery store list within $10.

I’m a morning person. 

I don’t like watching the same movies over and over. Even movies I like, I want a 5-10 year break in between viewings. 

Real life conversations I have with Scotty:

Him: Do you want to watch Home Alone with me?

Me: No, we just barely watched that three years ago! 

I leave my cupboard doors open when I’m in the kitchen. 

I’m really messy and clumsy. I leave a trail everywhere I go. 

I love a clean house, but I hate cleaning. 

I get depressed during the summer instead of winter. 

——

Maybe I’m a little weird and hard to understand. Or maybe I’m pretty normal. I’ve never figured it out.

Currently (February 2025 Edition)

Reading:

(I like what she’s preaching, but a book is completely unnecessary. A fifteen minute excerpt from her Ted talk or a podcast would suffice). 

Wearing: a Costco sweatshirt that has lime juice splatters on it.

Eating: taco rice.

Suffering from: post vacation blues. I’m not really “blue,” but that’s still a good phrase for it. I want to plan another vacation so I have something to look forward to. 

Annoyed by: my blood pressure. It’s all over the place. 

Craving: salami. I have a bit of a meat/cheese/crackers habit these days.

Needing: to trim some abnormally long posts of some earrings I bought, and the fact that this is even a thing annoys me. Why are they so long? They stab me in the neck! What foolish design is this?

Buying: a few thrifted items for my house - some funky mirrors and a TV stand, to name a few.

Watching:

This was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I made my girls watch it over the weekend.

We are also watching Titanic in half-hour increments (with a bit of fast forwarding) at Eva’s request. This experience comes with frequent pause sessions wherein I give historical lectures on topics such as:

• The CGI in Titanic in 1997 was iconic for its time
• Molly Brown was a real person
• This is the size of the Titanic in comparison to an average modern-day cruise ship
• This is a map of where the Titanic sank

We are also watching Celebrity Jeopardy each week. Daisy is counting down til the episode with Kirk from Gilmore Girls. 

Dreading: parent day at dance class. We have this once a month, and I have to sit through three dance classes. 

Proud of myself for: sticking to a meal plan since we got home from our trip. I’ve swapped meals around a bit, but the main goal is to use up what we have and not eat out. 

Enjoying: no snow. This was my same answer in January. I am no sad one but about the lack of snow we are having this winter. 

Working on: getting Nicky a passport.

Curious about: why my neighbor wears a mask to walk her dog when she doesn’t go near anyone, but she doesn’t wear a mask to church when she’s around hundreds of people. 

Playing: 

I bought Zoinx a while ago, and we just tried it yesterday for the first time. We give it a big thumbs down, which is a bummer because we really like Gamewright’s other dice games like Quixx and Bloom. This one has some major design flaws, in our opinion.

Drinking: no soda. I’m one week sober. Again. But gosh, I want a Diet Dr. Pepper something fierce. On Saturday night I was nearly in tears over it. 

People often ask why I won’t let myself have some once in a while. It’s because with me, there is no such thing as once in a while. I can’t moderate it. 

Sick of: school dances. We have one about every two months, plus Nicky is constantly getting asked to go to dances at other schools. We ask and answer for dances all the time, and I’m a planner, so it’s really hard for me to sit back and watch my kids try and plan dances with their friends because it’s usually a hot mess. There’s always some sort of group drama, too. 

Grateful for: my van.