tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29657739554909244642011-12-25T23:19:16.526-05:00Jennifernoreply@blogger.comBlogger1741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-41162017347545614202010-02-09T19:54:00.005-05:002010-02-09T20:56:14.386-05:00

It is currently snowing. We are told we can expect as much as another foot. My sweetheart gets to stay home from work tomorrow. The girls and I played Set this evening. Oldest Girl Child is incredibly good at it. I barely won the first round, which is pretty amazing when you consider that her age is measured in the single digits still and I am ... well ... old, OK?Somebody stopped by yesterday

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-29083000191972862282010-02-07T20:03:00.005-05:002010-02-07T20:55:55.620-05:00

The MailboxThe Schoolbus StopThe StreetPictures of our recent snowstorm. We got about 2 1/2 feet, which is nothing to those of you in Idaho, Utah and other parts west, but is a huge amount here. They shut down school Friday in anticipation of the snow, canceled church today, and have canceled school for the first part of this next week and we may yet wind up having school canceled for the entire

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-23151829375833867692010-01-01T09:45:00.003-05:002010-01-01T10:22:18.076-05:00

We almost didn't make it to midnight last night. Their father and I spent the last half hour of 2009 chivvying the girls into staying awake. Well, kind of. I kept telling them that they were free to go to bed if they wanted to, and he kept reminding them that it was only a few more minutes until the new year. They really, really wanted to blow their horns, so they made it, but they were tucked in

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-40464110287862247542009-12-25T14:19:00.003-05:002009-12-25T14:21:28.724-05:00

Best Christmas present ever:The Light of My Life has today off.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-17447496009697031652009-12-24T10:51:00.002-05:002009-12-24T11:37:58.925-05:00

Somehow, we always wind up wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. I suppose it's a sign of how much I've come to dislike the task that I always leave it until the last minute. That's not a tradition though, just a bad habit!Out traditions include going out on the lawn before bedtime to spread a few handfuls of oatmeal out for Santa's reindeer to snack on while he is in our house. The girls write

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-61919570557242748342009-12-23T10:06:00.000-05:002009-12-24T10:50:35.841-05:00

Once a year, sometime in December before Christmas, The Love of My Life will go out on his day off to fill up the car and come home with chocolate covered cherries. He gets one for each member of the family and hands them out when he gets home, tossing them to each of us, sometimes playing guessing games before handing us our candy.It's the only time he ever buys those, and the only time we ever

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-79033593915428660042009-12-21T10:36:00.000-05:002009-12-21T10:47:12.760-05:00

Conversation between the girls, while playing around and under the Christmas tree, with various dolls and sundry stuffed animals:Youngest Girl Child: Attend (translated: pretend) we had a sleepoverOldest Girl Child: So we can wear our capes!YGC: Yes.OGC: The kitty is alright!YGC: Attend your kitty liked itOGC: Does she like it? I'm glad.YGC: Attend she has to stay in the cage. (pause) Santa came

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-20128631107121285292009-12-19T11:45:00.003-05:002009-12-19T12:06:26.253-05:00

The Little Demon Up The Street was here this morning. There has been snow (much excitement!) and they played outside, then inside, then outside again. Then Oldest Girl Child asked if she could go play at TLD's house. I told her, "No." She accepted it, albeit with a pout, and went back outside.I just went to check on them and there is no sign of any children. I have no idea where my children are,

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-72233131025589905982009-12-18T06:25:00.000-05:002009-12-18T06:25:35.251-05:00

So, y'know, the question of the day is - How do I keep my sweet, darling, precious little angel from being sullied by her association with that nasty little hooligan over there, who is constantly finding ways to lure my little snookums into terrible acts of deception, manipulation, disrespect and general misbehavior?No, really. Stop laughing, guys. I am serious!! How the heck do I keep my kid

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-80029744731733267962009-12-16T09:36:00.000-05:002009-12-16T13:06:54.409-05:00

Around the beginning of November Oldest Girl Child and Youngest Girl Child walked up to me in the kitchen, wearing I-have-something-important-to-say expressions."Mommy," said OGC, "It's about time we start ..."She paused, looking for the right words. YGC helped out with a conspiratorial, "You knooooow ..."I thought rapidly. "Being good for Santa?" I contributed.There were eager nods and grins. I

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-88245301996408595202009-12-14T22:01:00.007-05:002009-12-14T22:55:31.147-05:00

Every year when we put up the plastic tree, we have cookies and eggnog. The kids and I put the tree together, while their father takes pictures. Sometimes the girls like to dress up. We always use multi-colored lights, because I am the one who buys the decorations and that's what we had when I was a kid. I like a tree with those kind of lights.Either Mommy or Daddy puts the lights on, then the

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-76112525680496056722009-12-10T08:19:00.006-05:002009-12-10T09:22:05.214-05:00

A woman I know slightly has been blogging about some steps she is taking to improve the way she treats her husband. She started off by doing something nice for him. He didn't exactly respond well. In fact, his reaction was to accuse her of trying to lay a guilt trip on him. Unsurprisingly, she started feeling like she was wasting her time. She squashed that reaction, though, and reminded herself

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-78349763723199057082009-12-09T08:03:00.003-05:002009-12-09T08:09:31.326-05:00

There was much sorrow in our house this morning. School was not cancelled.There was great hope for a cancellation, since the weather forecasters were predicting an ice storm that would have shut everything down for at least the morning, but nothing of the sort happened, and everyone headed off to work and school this morning just as normal."School is not so fun!" Oldest Girl Child complained to

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-33187999729928743872009-12-07T19:05:00.008-05:002009-12-07T20:26:37.407-05:00

I spent tonight teaching my daughters the fine art of artificial tree branch fluffing.When I was a kid, we always had a real tree. One year it was a live tree, in a wooden barrel half. I think my parents were being ecologically correct that year. (The tree went outside after Christmas was over. I don't remember what happened to it after that, although I would be willing to lay money on it having

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-63859836293838901682009-12-01T08:16:00.004-05:002009-12-01T16:05:51.549-05:00

When I was a kid I was notorious for constantly having a book in my hand. (I still do, it's just not as obvious that it's a book, since I keep my books on my PDA now.) I walked home from school, reading all the way. I walked around the house, reading. I even read while I was supposedly listening to my teachers in junior high school, hiding the book under the desk, on my lap (until I got caught by

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-57671846783558211212009-11-30T07:53:00.005-05:002009-11-30T08:27:52.996-05:00

Oldest Girl Child has announced that she is too old to call me Mommy anymore. Her friends all call their mothers Mom, and she has decided it is time for her to do the same. She let me know this yesterday, and has been working on it ever since. At first, she kept slipping up, but now she is calling me Mom fairly reliably.It's a shock every time I hear the word Mom coming out of her. There's a

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-81834004674201865892009-11-27T09:54:00.005-05:002009-11-27T10:06:22.689-05:00

Yes! The oven is still working! The house has not burned down! The turkey cooked faster than I expected!OK, so maybe that last isn't such good news. But it's amazing how much better the oven works now that it has a new bake element. I hadn't realized just how much the temperatures were off with the old element. The Love of My Life tells me that next time I will know what is happening when the

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-14791245760917657142009-11-24T14:40:00.003-05:002009-11-24T15:05:14.378-05:00

I'm back!A big Thank You to my baby brother (who is considerably taller than me, but who's measuring?) who suggested that I check the monitor. Yes! It was broken!Unfortunately, that was not the only thing that was broken.Another big Thank You to the geeky guy at Geek Squad! When I brought my computer in he told me to call the company that made my computer to order a new recovery disk. He saved me

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-92137223572251877462009-11-09T18:11:00.000-05:002009-11-09T18:15:05.323-05:00

That's right! The vacuum is a major appliance, too. Silly me. I guess it felt left out? That makes three broken appliances this week. Who cursed me?

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-52060462227578468222009-11-08T19:05:00.000-05:002009-11-08T19:13:52.744-05:00

We'll see if this works.Posting through my phone because the computer is not currently working. Neither is the oven, which needs a new element.I am seriously considering replacing the water heater as a preemptive strike, as it is the only major household appliance we have not had to repair in the last year, and it is probably only a matter of time.(I do NOT like trying to type on a cell phone

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-6987253592805063502009-11-06T11:19:00.000-05:002009-11-06T11:19:00.125-05:00

The fat little guy on the left grew up to be the father of my children (who looked very much like this when they were babies.) No idea who the other baby is. A cousin? A friend? I'd also love to know whose hand that is he's holding. I'm guessing his mother.Judging from what I saw the girls do when they were babies, that lopsided grin on his face means he's concentrating on something very

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-2731484501791553592009-11-05T07:31:00.005-05:002009-11-05T08:28:23.734-05:00

The context: Driving past the local high school and the technical institute next door.Oldest Girl Child: (pointing to technical institute) When will I go to that school?Mommy: Well, that depends on what classes you take in high school. Some classes are over there, like if you want to learn to be a mechanic.OGC: What school do you go to if you want to cut hair?Mommy: (firmly) First you have to

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-81378708594913650772009-10-31T08:28:00.001-04:002009-10-31T11:33:55.185-04:00

A few photos from Halloweens past:

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-88994753962356626392009-10-30T13:08:00.002-04:002009-10-30T20:27:43.552-04:00

When last we left our heroine, she had been dropped into the Paleozoic Era by the evil wiles of Professor Periwinkle! Barely had she stumbled from the chamber of Professor Periwinkle's time machine than she was snatched up by the fearsome Nemicolopterus, and hoisted into the skies to be carted home as an offering to its rapacious offspring! Fortunately for our heroine her struggles proved too

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-32007046546208528492009-09-04T21:23:00.005-04:002009-09-04T22:20:15.545-04:00

OK - time to jump back into Vintage Photo Fridays!These old school photos are all of my mother-in-law. The Kilgore referred to is Kilgore, Texas. Later on she became a Kilgore Rangerette, which my husband informs me is a Big Deal and Very Impressive.Genetics crops up again, here. In the first two photos I can really see the resemblance to Youngest Girl Child, but in the two later photos she

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-85962961502274290182009-09-04T06:52:00.002-04:002009-09-04T06:55:32.409-04:00

Amazon is giving away free mp3s to celebrate hitting one million followers to their Twitter feed. You get a credit on your account of $1.29, which is enough to give you a free song (most of them run around 99 cents.) The catch is, you have to use the credit by this Sunday, September 6.Free mp3 from AmazonWoohoo!! I love free stuff!

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-5060414247773232892009-09-03T10:25:00.004-04:002009-09-03T15:42:16.123-04:00

Travelin' Oma's School Days Seminar - Day 4 HomeworkI missed yesterday's homework assignment, as you might have noticed. Busy, busy day. Much to do. Not to mention a nap to take. Wheee!!~List at least 25 of your unique abilities and qualities. Words that might apply: caring, aware, generous, hospitable, tactful, open, able to teach, good cook, listener, optimist, creative, etc.Good at

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-51223753988205721932009-09-02T12:01:00.000-04:002009-09-02T12:01:00.441-04:00

I am sitting in the house, nearly alone. The Boy Child is the only one here and he is leaving soon to go hang out with some friends. My Sweetheart has gone to work, the girls are gone to school. I have been working on shoveling out the living room, which was left in a more than usual state of chaos this morning.Except for the buzz of the computer fan and an occasional metallic clack from the

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-13349858394466470302009-09-01T09:39:00.004-04:002009-09-01T11:07:11.045-04:00

Travelin' Oma's School Days Seminar - Day 2 Homework~Blog about a trip that was a disaster. Ideas: "Our honeymoon should have been perfect, but" or "I woke up in Disneyland with chickenpox."To be honest, my memory is a little hazy about that trip. Or maybe not hazy. Maybe I've just repressed large blocks of time.We had gone travelling the previous summer with The Boy Child. I was 7 months

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-11483860171154581492009-08-31T22:41:00.005-04:002009-08-31T23:39:14.358-04:00

I ran across a link to this and decided to participate. It's 12 weeks, so that's three months of hopefully not pulling a blank on what to blog about. Right? Maybe?First Day Homework Assignment: ~ Write a page about you. Introduce yourself. Prompt: If you were a character in your own book, what would your name be? Describe your inner self and your outer self. Prompt: "He saw her sneak into the

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-51377842976700709812009-08-31T07:08:00.006-04:002009-08-31T11:43:56.311-04:00

I've been reading Kira's blog, Kiwords, for years. Not only is she a brilliant writer, it's a fascinating glimpse into life with little boys, something of which I know very little. (The Boy Child was no longer particularly little when his father and I married.)In Kira's latest post (about triumphing over a video game that had given her trouble) she says:"Can I try now?" Raphael wanted to know. "

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-39991497866799892632009-08-26T15:47:00.004-04:002009-08-26T15:55:01.391-04:00

I'm trying to figure out where I got this song from. I think I remember my mother singing it to us when I was a kid, but the memory is fuzzy. I started singing it to my children in the mornings when I was getting them out of bed, several years ago.Good morning!Good morning!Good morning!Good morning I say!Good morning!Good morning!And have a good day!Is anyone (siblings o' mine, chip in, please!)

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-46242520183676320142009-08-12T12:26:00.005-04:002009-08-12T12:37:20.329-04:00

I need to blog. I really, really do. I have neglected the blog shamefully for the past couple of weeks. And I have things to say, I really do. In fact, I've taken to noting them down, listing the ideas as they hit me.Someday I might actually do something with those ideas. Today, however, and probably for the next little while to come, every time I sit down to write all I can think about is, "

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-36750952657486926242009-08-10T07:40:00.000-04:002009-08-10T07:40:00.604-04:00

Yes, yes, I have mixed feelings about Youngest Girl Child going off to school. We all knew this was coming. No matter how excited I get about once again having a life that does not involve being continually on stage, having to scrutinize myself constantly to assess the example I am presenting, I am still letting my baaay beeee! (sob) go away from me for hours and hours a day, five days a week,

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-19819119441802527642009-08-05T14:24:00.005-04:002009-08-05T14:51:37.012-04:00

One of The Boy Child's best friends is getting married, so I've been going through the loving couple's online registry this afternoon gauging how much we can afford to spend on a present (and rather surprised at the modesty of their list - the most expensive thing on there is a $100 vacuum.)Funny story - years and years ago, before dinosaurs walked the earth, I had a roommate who was getting

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-47387425236070456752009-08-03T07:38:00.006-04:002009-08-03T08:01:00.721-04:00

So we wound up getting the new transmission instead of the used one, because we realized we didn't know how many miles would be on an old transmission and what was the use of getting the transmission replaced if we were just putting in something that was also going to run out of miles soon, too?Which turns out to be a good thing.Yesterday, driving home from church, the car gave a huge jerk /

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-18703470639879627272009-07-27T10:32:00.003-04:002009-07-27T10:39:35.986-04:00

"Beyond the wall, the waves picked up light, rolled it into scrolls and unrolled it again, like a spell in some forgotten language across the sand."The Cygnet and the FirebirdPatricia McKillip

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-62922270466501573142009-07-24T18:44:00.002-04:002009-07-24T18:45:46.744-04:00

You might have already seen this, but I thought I'd share it anyway. How fun!

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-35125017777278860382009-07-20T08:37:00.000-04:002009-07-20T08:47:50.267-04:00

The context: The Best Daddy Ever had been gone for a week. Youngest Girl Child cried every day on my shoulder about how much she missed her Daddy. His daily phone calls were momentous occasions and the Ceremony of Crossing Off the Remaining Days was an event not to be missed, lest there be floods of tears and storms of weeping.Daddy: (walks in the door, home at last)YGC: (racing up and throwing

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-66367110683105421442009-07-17T10:04:00.003-04:002009-07-19T00:00:03.827-04:00

Emanuel Lupkin, the cute little guy in this newspaper clipping, grew up and had a band. He's the guy standing up on the left. We don't know what the name of the band was, or what kind of music it played (my husband says, "1920s kind of music.") We do know that they did a certain amount of traveling, and that Emanuel played the violin. That seems to be an L and a B on the front of the music stands

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-58076474481660374682009-07-13T22:27:00.006-04:002009-07-13T22:59:17.589-04:00

According to Youngest Girl Child, it is impossible for her to sleep, "...because it's too dark." This just scant hours after having told us that she was too tired to participate in Family Home Evening. She was too tired, she informed us, "...because I didn't get enough exercise today."Recently YGC has taken to staying up until around 11 p.m, which means that at least one of her parents also gets

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-28471586174630537252009-07-11T15:16:00.003-04:002009-07-11T15:19:54.037-04:00

My old template broke. I couldn't figure out how to fix it. There was no reason for it to be broken and nothing I tried produced any magical improvements. So, I've given up. I'm going to be working on something prettier and better, but for right now, this will have to do.Because it's always good when people can actually see the words you've put down on the computer screen.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-9777720801884760742009-07-11T10:49:00.000-04:002009-07-11T10:49:00.784-04:00

I ran across this video and the article explaining the story behind it while I was news surfing. Very funny and well-done. As The Boy Child said when he saw it, "Don't mess with talented people."This group is called Sons of Maxwell.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-54168673398888397892009-07-10T08:14:00.002-04:002009-07-10T08:14:00.768-04:00

Alonzo Bryson, Jul 23, 1840 - Feb 29, 1920, and his wife, Valeria Wright Bryson, May 21, 1839 - ????. I found the pictures at the Upper Mississippi Valley Digital Image Archive when I was idly Googling for Alonzo Bryson one day.I was hoping to find information on a different Alonzo, the father of Dow Gilbert, but didn't mind getting distracted with this photo of his identically named

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-42939248276353877892009-07-09T07:56:00.003-04:002009-07-09T07:56:01.285-04:00

More financial disaster. Now we need a new transmission for the car I drive. $1,750 for a used transmission (which does not include the cost of labor), or $2,550 for a new transmission, good for 100,000 miles (and the price includes labor).Except that my car has (last I checked) 88,000 miles on it. Since I don't use it for much - just to the grocery store, doctor appointments, driving kids here

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-19512951519475056812009-07-08T08:26:00.005-04:002009-07-08T08:48:01.428-04:00

The context: It had been a long day and she was tired.Oldest Girl Child: (sobbing)Mommy: Honey, what's wrong?OGC: I don't want my hair to change!Mommy: What?OGC: When I get old! My hair will lose its color! (increased sobbing)Mommy: (goes into a long and rather frantic explanation of hair coloring techniques, the beauties of graying hair, and a rather sheepish explanation that it's simple vanity

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-60514643655651827332009-07-06T10:25:00.000-04:002009-07-06T10:55:56.395-04:00

I made a quick run with the girls to the grocery store last Saturday. They were wildly excited about the holiday and, before we'd gotten past the bakery section, were dashing wildly about playing some sort of running and shrieking game. They were admonished once as we passed the deli, twice in the produce, and again when we went down the salad dressing and condiments aisle.In the soup aisle, I'd

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-76468967460905440852009-07-04T06:45:00.004-04:002009-07-04T07:05:44.881-04:00

Yesterday was Friday, wasn't it? And I spent all day yesterday thinking it was Thursday. But no, it has to have been Friday, because today is Saturday. Which means tomorrow is Sunday, and I haven't even looked at my Primary lesson.So, no Vintage Photo Friday yesterday, sorry.Happy 4th of July, everyone! I plan to spend the day letting my children play with dangerous explosives. (Just kidding,

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-70937505708675448982009-07-03T15:54:00.005-04:002009-07-04T07:06:11.070-04:00

Lately, every time I run into an acquaintance I haven't seen for awhile, the same question comes up."So, what are you going to do come fall?"At first I danced around the topic, distracting my questioners by talking about refocusing on my writing career again. I felt like I had to justify my existence, now that my full-time stay at home mom gig was dropping down to nights and weekends. I worried

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-7665187928601634632009-06-30T11:21:00.000-04:002009-06-30T11:22:21.429-04:00

One hour waiting to see the doctor.Five minutes (maybe less) spent talking with the doctor.And yet, I left the doctor's office completely happy because she confirmed that Oldest Girl Child wasn't going to die within the next 24 hours, or lose her foot, or any part of her foot. She wasn't bitten by a venomous snake, she wasn't bitten by a venomous spider, there was no poison coursing through her

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-13507045354470236622009-06-26T07:29:00.004-04:002009-06-26T07:29:01.372-04:00

This is my mother-in-law's class photo, probably taken around 1944. She's the little girl in the front row with the black pinafore. She grew up to be a strikingly beautiful woman, as you can see in this prom photo from 1952 or '53. She's the dark-haired girl in the middle of the picture.To see other vintage photos check out Paper Dolls for Boys.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-55409883232676818492009-06-25T12:34:00.000-04:002009-06-25T12:34:00.705-04:00

Absolutely my favorite photo that I have ever taken. I just wish I'd had a better camera back then. This is pretty low resolution. We were living further south at that time, and this was an unusual January snowfall. It shut down the city, which amused this Idaho girl no end. It was the first time I ever got to see Oldest Girl Child play in the snow. I dragged her in kicking and screaming when she

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-73441735457737107352009-06-24T08:15:00.000-04:002009-06-24T08:15:02.538-04:00

The tree had so many blossoms you could barely see the branches.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-2272966403271678922009-06-23T14:16:00.000-04:002009-06-23T14:16:00.698-04:00

I'm sure each of these colors represents a different strength of line, but I just liked the way the colors worked together. We were on a ferry and this boat was behind the car next to us.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-64869771313000107622009-06-22T09:46:00.001-04:002009-06-22T09:46:02.168-04:00

If you look carefully at this photo, you'll see a second rainbow over the first one. We were at a family reunion when someone called to come see the rainbow, so several of us ran out onto the front porch to see this. It's the only time I've ever seen a double rainbow, although I'd heard of them. (Note that the colors are reversed on the second rainbow.) This was two full rainbows, too. I wish I

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-62250357807840166332009-06-20T11:21:00.005-04:002009-06-20T11:36:20.595-04:00

I like having photos on my blog. Posts without pictures just seem kind of boring. Pictures are so much more fun! So I thought I'd spend the next week posting some of my old pictures. I'm blank anyway, lately. I can't write at all, so I'll let pictures speak for me.Here's today's photo. I took it a few years ago when we were visiting the beach.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-11729618818992153562009-06-19T14:03:00.001-04:002009-06-19T14:03:01.089-04:00

I got this photo from a family member. I believe she has the original. According to her these people are (from left to right):George Washington Boylan, Lou McKinnis, Winson Elson Boylan, Lide Boylan, Della Boylan Green, Della's son (name unknown), and then some guy with no head. And the little girl in the front with her dad's hand on her shoulder? That would be my grandmother!I have no idea who

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-53771470803739974062009-06-14T10:03:00.005-04:002009-06-14T10:16:53.770-04:00

If you are going to be spending much time in a car with small children this summer (and even if you're not planning on a big trip, let's face it, summertime + children = lots of car time) you might be interested in knowing that Robert Munsch (yes that Munsch) offers free mp3s of some of his books at his website. We listened to them last summer as we ran around town, and I plan on plugging them

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-15314764346267234152009-06-12T08:03:00.000-04:002009-06-12T08:03:00.741-04:00

This photo isn't very clear, I know, but you should see the original. Meet Emanuel Lupkin, age 5. I scanned this photo from a crumbling 94 year old newspaper, where his picture was printed in the Children's Page section of The Commercial Appeal newspaper, on June 6, 1915.This picture was, obviously, taken before his sister took scissors to his hair and cut off all those curls. According to the

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-26229466557197973292009-06-10T13:54:00.004-04:002009-06-10T14:39:07.147-04:00

This is day 3 of my 80 day sentence. So far it's been much worse than I ever dreamed. I think I might have a case for cruel and unusual punishment. If I take it to court, do you think I can persuade the judge to put me in solitary confinement?The quibbling and nitpicking started soon after everyone rolled out of bed Monday morning. It hasn't let up for more than a few minutes since then. Nothing

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-15984339474212580112009-06-08T09:17:00.004-04:002009-06-08T09:23:48.934-04:00

The context: Driving to church yesterday, talking about their uncle's upcoming birthday.Youngest Girl Child: I love Uncle S. He's so nice. I just love him! (pause) When is he going to be dead?Mommy: (Laughing)YGC: I just want to know!Mommy: (Still laughing)YGC: (very indignant) Why are you laughing at me?!

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-58153895541095528852009-06-05T08:13:00.000-04:002009-06-05T08:13:00.626-04:00

This is a picture of Addie Lee Clark Bryson and her three daughters. I'm not sure, but I think Addie is the woman in the dark coat without a hat. I don't know who the other woman is.The tallest child, in the plaid coat, would have been Minnie Elizabeth (probably named after Dow's mother, Lelia Mae Minnie Rolph Bryson, 1857-1924.) The little girl in white, with a big bow, would have been Edythe.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-89687156105018433302009-06-04T12:22:00.004-04:002009-06-04T12:38:39.143-04:00

When I was little I was desperately jealous of the the mail my parents would get. All those mysterious, inviting envelopes, containing who knew what delights. Nothing was more exciting than to get something addressed to me, and often, when there wasn't anything for me (which was most of the time), my mother would let me have a piece of junk mail to open.Mom always used to tell me that when I was

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-47669915864395227072009-06-03T08:41:00.004-04:002009-06-03T15:52:00.167-04:00

Squeeeee!!!!Guess who called me last night?!(No, nobody that dramatic. Sorry. Didn't mean to get your hopes up.)My mother in law's cousin!! (Trust me, it's far more exciting than it sounds.)My mil was an only child. On her mother's side, she was the only grandchild. On her father's side, she wasn't the only grandchild (obviously), but she didn't have a huge number of cousins. Many, many aunts and

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-17567089730972017812009-06-01T17:55:00.000-04:002009-06-01T18:10:49.045-04:00

Goals For This Summer:Start the girls on the first steps toward doing their own laundry.Go to the park once a week.Go to the library once a week. (Corollary: Do not lose any books this summer.)Teach Oldest Girl Child how to sew a straight seam. Help her make something simple.Start teaching OGC how to cook a dinner.GardeningCanningGet the girls in the habit of keeping their room clean - no going

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-70890180932393537712009-05-29T14:08:00.001-04:002009-05-29T15:05:13.831-04:00

One of the things that I really enjoy in doing genealogy is finding out things we didn't know. Like this lady, Fannye Lupkin. We had no idea that great-aunt Fannye had been a beauty queen until I ran across this old newspaper photo online*.It turns out that 18 year old Fannye was the 1924 Queen of the Arkansas State Fair, and Miss Arkansas at the American Legion National Convention in St. Paul,

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-51743539225623555582009-05-28T23:15:00.004-04:002009-05-28T23:55:01.218-04:00

Well, well, well. Guess who signed my guestbook at *one of the many high school reconnect sites*?Back in 5th grade my family picked up and moved to another state. I wasn't wildly thrilled to move - I left my best friend behind and thought I'd never be happy again - but I started to adjust. Happily for me, a few weeks after school started a new family, with a girl my age, moved into our ward*.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-67524883631806854022009-05-21T09:32:00.000-04:002009-05-21T09:35:50.122-04:00

"I’ve had cheap pedometers and expensive pedometers, and I just must walk weird, because I’ve never yet had one that was remotely accurate." (Quoting myself, from a comment over on Segullah. )My first pedometer was a very nice one, a gift from my mother when I was complaining to her about my post baby weight. It was nice, but I had the darndest time keeping it on. It had a very small clip and had

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-26867532592665765632009-05-19T15:36:00.008-04:002009-05-20T19:30:41.455-04:00

I went to pick up my new glasses today. After all, Walmart had called me to say that they were ready to be picked up. It was reasonable to assume I could go in and get them, right?On the other hand, I also though it was reasonable to pick up something on the shelf at Walmart and try to buy it.*So, there I am in the Walmart Vision Center, watching while the very nice white-haired little old lady

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-28596030819552123382009-05-18T12:43:00.004-04:002009-05-18T12:57:25.804-04:00

Youngest Girl Child is outside on the swingset, intent on whatever game of make-believe she is playing. She waves her hand over her head, looking rather like she is trying to do some fly-fishing; then she will bring her elbows close to her side, hands in fists in front of her chest as her lips move rapidly. Her feet beat in some complicated rhythm against the ground under her and she twists the

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-3113042597212800232009-05-11T10:26:00.000-04:002009-05-11T10:27:00.167-04:00

"...even if they saw him, he must look like just one more in a place full of weary and perturbed guests who had long exhausted every welcome except the one to leave."Alphabet of ThornPatricia A. McKillip

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-52680473684135397582009-05-07T09:55:00.001-04:002009-05-07T09:55:00.433-04:00

One of the advantages of being a stay at home mom is lazy mornings snuggling with little people. Cuddled up to Mommy, they'll talk and talk, pouring out every thought that crosses their minds. I try to encourage this as much as possible; when they're teenagers I want them to be used to long conversations with me. Not that I have much hope of actual conversation during those years, but I figure if

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-48403195144749124862009-05-06T08:21:00.005-04:002009-05-06T08:35:35.741-04:00

Oldest Girl Child informs me that they are having Career Day soon at school. She also informs me that she has changed her mind about what career she wants to have. Before today she wanted to be a Queen or a mother. This morning she changed her mind, and has decided that she wants to be an animal rescuer. (This would be inspired by Diego, for those of you who do not have small TV watchers in your

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-23083472380529428932009-05-03T15:40:00.004-04:002009-05-03T16:24:36.106-04:00

My peas are finally growing, and so is the lettuce. I don't know what's happened to the corn. There is no sign of it. I'm going to replant and see if I can get it to sprout this time.I have some tomato and pepper plants that I bought at the local nursery. It wasn't until after I paid for them that the nursery owner warned me not to plant them that day; it was supposed to get below freezing that

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-88723826800386087052009-05-01T19:32:00.002-04:002009-05-01T19:32:00.998-04:00

Every school morning we have scripture study / reading time before Oldest Girl Child goes to school. We would, and should, do this on non-school days, but it's easier to wrangle family members on a school morning, and I tend to forget about it on non-school mornings.Yesterday morning, the Love of My Life was able to join us.* Youngest Girl Child was unrousable** so OGC sat between her parents as

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-46071576340495843432009-04-30T08:15:00.002-04:002009-05-03T14:49:34.830-04:00

A few days after this post, our television died while the Love of My Life was watching it. This was just hours after the power cord for his laptop died.He was not having a good day.It wasn't a surprise. We knew the TV was dying, we were just hoping it would hang on for awhile longer. A year or two. (Just like we were hoping the refrigerator would hang on for another year or two.)Since having a

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-79072114630973264942009-04-29T12:23:00.003-04:002009-04-29T12:30:05.822-04:00

I just opened the freezer of my refrigerator. Everything in there is thawed out. The fridge part is feeling suspiciously not-cold, too.The TV broke a few days ago. Now the refrigerator. We are still paying off the new heat pump we had to put in last fall. Plus all the money we've been paying to the mechanic the last few months. Throw in the major dental bills we have also incurred recently for

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-12534015788345109632009-04-29T09:47:00.003-04:002009-04-29T09:51:45.930-04:00

Youngest Girl Child: I don't like white. I like the white that has colors.Mommy: White doesn't have colors, honey, that's why it's white.Youngest Girl Child: Yes, it does. (pause to think) My favorite is the white that is purple.Mommy: (speechless with laughter)

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-17611683343643030512009-04-27T11:01:00.000-04:002009-04-27T13:24:02.169-04:00

There is a certain member of my family, whose pseudonym shall not be revealed (but said person does not own one pink article of clothing and has never been married) whose idea of a bowl of cereal involves a mixing bowl and three quarters of a box of cereal.Which is why, when my sweetie and I saw 17 Again (on a date! an actual date!) I laughed until I couldn't breathe, during this scene (starts at

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-57634668489711078612009-04-24T07:15:00.000-04:002009-04-24T07:15:00.568-04:00

"He continued his appraisal and something within me looked for words to wear, failed, ran naked away through the night."The Hand of Oberon, Book Four of the The Chronicles of AmberRoger Zelazny

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-77616403921607919372009-04-23T22:15:00.001-04:002009-04-23T23:01:09.461-04:00

The Big Step. Point of No Return. We are there. We took that step this week.Of course, I suppose it's been a point of no return ever since Youngest Girl Child was born. After all, it's not like I ever had the power to turn back the clock and make her even one day younger.This just seems so much more final, though. Not that I'm weepy or anything, but then I wasn't when Oldest Girl Child had her

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-23817006400182518392009-04-22T14:53:00.008-04:002009-04-22T15:27:15.837-04:00

Youngest Girl Child walked into the kitchen, where I was up to my wrists in meatloaf, and said, "There's stuff on the screen of the... The... Of the..." She paused to think. "The TV.""Do you want to dust it?" I asked.She nodded. "Yeah."She probably wanted the feather duster, but she couldn't reach it and I didn't feel like stopping to wash my hands, so, "I know just what you need," I told her,

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-5936406156952787382009-04-17T21:22:00.006-04:002009-04-17T22:11:06.850-04:00

You know, I really thought I was ugly back then? What I wouldn't give now to look that again. OK - minus the acne.Of course, this was my senior photo, the big one, the one that was going in the yearbook! So, I was wearing makeup, and had just come from the salon where I'd gotten a brand-new cut and perm. (And, considering it was the 80s, I'm surprised it looks that good now. What? No BTS?* What

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-71080514889981419512009-04-09T09:57:00.004-04:002009-04-09T10:12:31.883-04:00

The picture for this puzzle is mine, taken a few years ago, when the girls were much younger and we lived in a different state - one where we had a ton of azalea bushes lining the front of the house!We have a couple of azalea bushes in front of our current house, but they barely flower and look wildly ill. Azalea fertilizer hasn't helped. I think it's just not warm enough here.Azaleas Jigsaw

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-87258403869353885282009-04-08T07:57:00.005-04:002009-04-08T08:33:04.173-04:00

We have a breakthrough, and Oldest Girl Child couldn't be more excited.She has learned to tie her shoes!Right now she is sitting in the middle of the living room, in her pajamas, wearing her new shoes (black with hot pink detailing), carefully double-knotting the new laces. They are beautiful laces, black with pink and sparkly white stripes. She is tying them, then untying them, then practicing

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-26359453052075870112009-04-07T20:19:00.006-04:002009-04-07T20:41:39.325-04:00

I have been fighting a long term battle with the girls over food in their bedroom. I forbid; they ignore. I tell them, "No,"; they sneak the food in when I'm not looking.I have a huge problem with it because they cannot eat without getting crumbs everywhere. Neither does the food that goes into the bedroom come out of the bedroom. And I really get uptight about finding half-rotted apples anywhere

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-1609109070131183842009-04-06T16:22:00.002-04:002009-04-06T16:24:59.139-04:00

Evidently, I am channeling Princess Leia.So, Cannwin, does this mean I can use this as my self-portrait?

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-6293151995579678412009-03-31T17:16:00.005-04:002009-03-31T18:09:27.452-04:00

My sister wrote this in her book review of Under the Tuscan Sun:This is the kind of writing I want to do. I find it difficult to write fiction because it is, generally speaking, used for entertainment purposes and lacks the power to motivate one's life or stir one's soul. I want to write to stir the soul.Now, I've never read this particular book, but I've read similar books. They were interesting

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-53642526871416288412009-03-27T08:27:00.006-04:002009-03-27T08:42:37.527-04:00

Just got a call from school. Oldest Girl Child left her lunch at home.They are having sloppy joes today. She hates sloppy joes. That's why she decided last night to pack her lunch today.The school called to ask if I was going to bring her lunch to her. I had the principal on the phone with me, and I had to decide right then if I was going to make her eat sloppy joes, or climb in the car and bring

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-89094474845333303692009-03-19T16:51:00.011-04:002009-03-19T20:03:29.189-04:00

It's a cliche, yes, but may I just point out that raising two little girls to be strong, independent, confident women is an uphill battle?Bratz are banned from our house. They have been ever since I became aware of them, which was well before the girls started asking for them. Once the girls realized their existence, I quickly put them in the We Don't Do That, Buy That, or Watch That category and

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-42648402423962638382009-03-12T19:49:00.005-04:002009-03-12T20:09:45.574-04:00

If I feed my children fish often enough, they will learn to like it. Don't shake your head like that. They will. Honest.Stop laughing.I know this is true because I read it in an article once. Children don't like new things, it said. After you introduce a new food, you have to present it several times - I think the number of times was something in the low double digits, like 15 or 20 - before they

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-11808339912669102352009-02-28T15:01:00.002-05:002009-02-28T15:01:00.205-05:00

When I was a kid, getting a splinter was a traumatic affair, fraught with terror, filled with agony, heralded with much screaming and throwing myself around in hysteria. And it was all my father's fault.I would go to unreasonable lengths to keep my parents from discovering I had a splinter. It didn't matter how big the splinter, or how much it hurt, anything was better than having them find out,

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-26430652906149813732009-02-23T07:26:00.000-05:002009-02-23T07:26:00.770-05:00

In this era of HDTV and Blu-Ray, I am still stuck in the VHS age.We only got our first DVD player a few years ago. Currently we have a VHS/DVD player that I stalked for months before snaring it in an after Christmas sale last year. Since then I've been trying to get all our old tapes recorded onto DVD. Just in time for DVD to go out of date. Of course.I love technology. I just can't afford it.In

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-55364668607775801502009-02-20T07:24:00.005-05:002009-02-21T14:25:33.690-05:00

I don't know if it's a consequence of teaching the CTR 5 Primary class, having two small children in school, or The Boy Child working at the local grocery store (although it's probably the fiendish combination of all three) but I have been sick more often this last winter than I've been in years. It's all very annoying.Last night, my visiting teacher called, wanting to set up an appointment for

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-41973011929589415472009-02-16T19:58:00.003-05:002009-02-16T20:42:56.542-05:00

I find it way too easy to get out of the habit of blogging.So, what's up with us?A major windstorm blew the screen door off our back door and knocked over our mailbox.I dug a new hole for the mailbox and put it back up. It has not yet fallen down (yay!) but needs more work done to make it completely stable.*Valentine's Day resulted in humongous amounts of candy - and that was just the loot from

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-12195363428093946092009-02-13T13:42:00.005-05:002009-02-13T21:55:01.702-05:00

We bought a new (to us) car a few weeks ago. It seemed a good time to go car shopping. It was the last week of the year and the economy wasn't exactly doing so fantastically. We thought this should translate into better prices. When you throw in that my darling was driving a car with 216,000 miles on it (original engine*), it just seemed like an even better time to look into car prices.We came

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-9889977018848692502009-02-09T12:57:00.002-05:002009-02-09T13:02:08.065-05:00

Free is almost always a good thing. Not so good if it's junk that someone is trying to Freecycle in order to save themselves the cost of taking it to the dump, but good when it's coming from Amazon. They are currently offering three free games - Build-a-lot, Jewel Quest II, and The Scruffs.Just in case Akinator wasn't distraction enough.

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-90789372096548154372009-02-06T09:02:00.004-05:002009-02-06T09:14:47.607-05:00

I have run into an absolutely delightful time waster. Akinator is a website where you can challenge the program to "guess" what character you are thinking about.I noticed it is heavily weighted toward things familiar to people in their teens and twenties. The Boy Child introduced me to it, and the two of us took turns choosing characters. He tended to pick people from animes, mangas, video games,

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-61493768003757780642009-02-05T10:07:00.005-05:002009-02-05T16:31:45.941-05:00

We have a lot of dolls around here. A lot of dolls. Literally buckets and boxes full of dolls. More dolls than you can shake a stick at, though why you would want to shake a stick at dolls, or anything else, is beyond me. Not that I have a stick on hand at the moment.Yes. Well. Anyway. Dolls. Lots and lots of dolls. All of them completely and utterly unclad. Nekkid. Shamelessly bare, displaying

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965773955490924464.post-9494134213934417632009-02-03T10:57:00.004-05:002009-02-03T11:22:09.792-05:00

To be done during the two and a half hours Youngest Girl Child is in preschool:Drive to mechanic.Sit around while the new car is inspected, so that we can drive the freeway safely.Rejoice in our legality.Drive to the downtown library.Drive around fruitlessly for several minutes, wasting gas, while I try to find a parking space that is closer than a 15 minute walk away.Sneak overdue book into the

Jennifernoreply@blogger.com1