Thanks for the swim teams

 

Aren't they cute? lol. I made my kids pose for the professional swim team photos last summer because it was the last time they'd all be on the team together.

I've been reading the nonfiction book Young Woman and the Sea for book club (recommend!) about Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel, and her experience growing up in a world where women weren't allowed to swim competitively. It's made me extra grateful for the opportunity all of my kids have had to learn to swim and to be part of a team doing it. 

Polly in particular has taken to swimming, and she has continued to swim year round this year for the first time. It's a sacrifice, but she loves it, and happily goes to practice twice a week, and she's keeping her skills up, and I think it will pay dividends next summer when she ages up and has to swim 50s in butterfly instead of 25s (something she's been nervous about).

Plus lifeguarding has been a great summer job for my older kids.

So thankful for the swim team and for all my kids' swim instructors who have made swimming such a big and rewarding part of our family life.

Thanks for Polly

 

Oh this little thief of my heart. I am so grateful for our caboose who came to complete our family and fill up the house with giggles. Polly is funny, silly, affectionate, and kind; she swims a mean butterfly; she makes friends wherever she goes; and she made the sweet potato casserole all by herself for Thanksgiving. Hooray for Polly!

Thanks for Lars

 

Matt's description of Lars as a "loose nerve ending" (I think he first said this when Lars was like 3 or 4) has continued to be accurate. He's full of energy and sometimes literally bounces off the walls. He gets his energy out by talking, asking questions, running around, running up and down stairs, wrestling, hiding and scaring people. Oddly enough, he is also super-focused when it comes to household chores and he is my most dependable worker around the house. He is a whirlwind and I couldn't be more grateful.

Thanks for Ida

 

Ida has worn the same shirt, same hairstyle and same facial expression every year in her high school yearbook photo. It's not that this explains her personality exactly, but it is classic Ida. She is funny, silly, generous, observant, extremely clever, extremely intelligent, extremely independent, a voracious reader, a solid wing-woman. I'm so thankful for my Ida.

Thanks for Theo

 

This cute boy is home for Thanksgiving. I love him SO much. When I saw him on Saturday morning he gave me the biggest strongest hug--he's definitely the best hugger out of all my kids! I am so thankful for everything Theo has taught me, everything he continues to teach me, I'm thankful for his goofy sense of humor and his love for sports and for BYU, and I'm especially thankful that he's having such a great start to his freshman year. What a guy. 

Thanks for Harry

 

That's my brother Harry next to me at our nephew's wedding. Do you know what it's like to have a brother who's 10+ years older than you? In my eyes, Harry was always the coolest guy, who had things like a boa constrictor in a glass tank in his room, and purple suede Doc Martens. He left for college when I was only 7. Then he lived with us again briefly when I was in high school before he got married, and I used to raid his CDs for my mixtapes (thanks to him for my love of funk in particular, but also Harry Connick Jr., Madonna, Depeche Mode, and George Michael) and spray his cKone cologne on myself when he wasn't home.

He taught me how to drive uphill in his stick-shift truck. He made a sign for the window that said "SHAQ FOR PRESIDENT" when the Lakers were in the finals. When I was a senior in college he came to BYU for one semester to finish his degree and we took 2 classes together. I am so thankful for this cool older brother who I know loves me and who still teaches me stuff.

Thanks for Noah

 

My "little brother" is obviously bigger than me now and has been for some time. I am thankful for Noah's insights, the connections he makes, the things he notices that no one else notices. He has always been sensitive and funny and musical and super smart. Thankful for Noah!

Thanks for Hannah

 

Sister number three!

This lady is my BFF, my roommate for more years than anyone but Matt, my queen of inside jokes, my confidant and my fashion icon. Love Hannah and so thankful for her.

Thanks for Matt

 I'm not sure how this photo ended up on my computer but I am here for it!

Today on Matt's birthday I am so thankful for the man I married. 22 years later, best decision I ever made. and I'm not afraid to say it's the best decision he ever made too...

Thanks for Phoebe

 

This is a much older picture but I just like it!

My sister Phoebe knows exactly how to make things more beautiful, more fun, more of whatever they need to be. And this is also a good picture for this post because she always makes me laugh. I'm thankful for Phoebe!

Thanks for Bonny

 

Swiping through my photos and I found this darling one of my sister Bonny. I'm so thankful for Bonny. She is the ultimate oldest sister, always making sure everyone is comfortable, always setting an example, always offering a warm welcome to newcomers. I want to be like Bonny when I grow up.

Thanks for the fire

 

OK I figured out how to post photos from my computer... so maybe I'll start doing that again!

This fall I am super grateful for my fireplace. (No, it's not a pizza oven, despite its appearance) We tried using it the first year we lived here and the house got smoky inside so that was a no-go. We had a couple of inspections and realized we needed to completely re-line it and also do exterior work on the chimney. Saved up for that and two years later, voila, we have a working fireplace! I love building fires and I love the smell of woodsmoke and I love the snap-crackle-pop of an active fire. I think this guy will get a lot of use from our family.

Thanks for sleep

Sleep is harder for me than it used to be. I can still sleep like a rock if given the opportunity, but I rarely get the opportunity. Dog barking, kids' alarms going off, my air purifier going on the fritz and beeping like it's lost its mind... then there's all that middle-age hormone stuff that sometimes pops in completely uninvited and wakes me up when it has no business to. 

BUT last night, the fates converged and I slept until almost 9 am. Whew! 

To be very fair, it's also thanks in part to Polly and Matt, who were both already up and dealing with the dog. And it's Saturday, so no alarms. Ida and Lars are both still fast asleep, bless them and their teenage brains.

Thanks for the teachers

I chaperoned Polly’s field trip today and I am ex-haus-ted. It was fun to chat with other parents though as well as her delightful teachers. Gosh, how many teachers have taken care of my kids over the years? I’m going to do some math and figure that out. Thank you, teachers!!!

Edit:

This is not counting church, seminary, piano, voice etc. teachers. That would probably be another 50+…

They each went to 2 years of preschool with about 4 teachers each = 8

3 of them went to 7 years of elementary school with 2 teachers each year (I’m counting IAs, but many classes did have 2 fully licensed teachers) plus PE, music, band, art, and STEAM teachers; and Polly has been there 6 years.

3 of them went to 2 years of middle school with 6-10 teachers each year (10 for Theo, 6 for the others)

High school, 6-10 teachers each year (10 for Theo, 6 for the others); 4 years for Theo, 3 for Ida, 1 for Lars

It’s been a minute since I had to do real math but that is APPROXIMATELY 100 unique teachers who have helped my kids in school since we started Theo in preschool in ~2010.

That’s allowing for some repeats. It might be more like 60, if I really sit down and figure out which teachers had more than one of my kids. (I adjusted for this with the elementary specials teachers.) Approximately 60-100 unique teachers plus a whole bunch of the church and music variety. BLESS THEM ALL.

Thanks for the plumber

 Our hot water started acting weird back in like August. It would sometimes get hot and sometimes stay lukewarm. An appliance guy looked at the water heater, then a plumber, then another plumber, then my dad when he was here visiting. It seemed to stump everyone and so we got a couple of quotes to replace the entire heater (not cheap) but then something the second plumber had said about a shower cartridge stuck in the back of my mind. I experimented a little with the flow of the hot water and reached out to that second plumber (who had given me his cell phone number in case I had questions) to see if he could come back and investigate some more. This is becoming an unreasonably long story but suffice it to say that he did come back (twice actually), and he did solve the problem, and he did save us over 5 grand in the process. Bless you, Mike the Plumber!

Thanks for the veterans

Always always. I will never forget.

This article in the Post (gift article) about a gathering of WWII veterans was really nice.

And this one about Barack Obama greeting an Honor Flight was nice too. I used to bring my kids to Honor Flights on Veterans Day when they were little. There weren’t any scheduled for today this year, unfortunately. We’ll do something else to honor veterans today. Grateful for their sacrifices every day.

Thanks for the day off

Am I sensing a theme? Whew, I am grateful the kids have the day off school tomorrow and I have the day off work. I am really relishing the opportunity to have a slow morning and get some tasks done in the afternoon. I am planning to enjoy it.

Thanks for the day of rest

I was so tired today. I went to bed way too late and woke up too early. But this afternoon after church, I changed into sweats and hung out at home, took an accidental nap, played a game with my family. Most Sundays are actually a tiny bit busy, but I was able to take a rest today, and I really needed it.

Thanks for November weather

Sunny blue November skies and pinky orange purple November sunsets can’t be beat… and the weather has been extra nice this November. Throw in the supermoon this week and you’ve got yourself a stew!

Thanks for the TVs

I am going to set an alarm in my phone to write these because otherwise I will keep forgetting!

Ok today’s thanks is for something kind of funny. (To me.) I grew up in a house with one TV that was rarely on. I have never been a big TV-watcher and don’t get excited about it. However, over the years I have somehow been convinced that having more TVs would be a good idea. So we currently have 3 TVs in the house plus a projector on the back porch. 😂 

And guess what? I kind of love it. I still rarely watch them, but when I do, it’s almost always with Matt or with the kids or with the whole family and we’re doing that together instead of being on separate screens. So yes! I am thankful for all the TVs!

(And when you read that in your head, please pronounce it TEE-vees instead of tee-VEES… just for fun)

Thanks for the life

Busy day today, lots going on at work and at home and at school and at church and anywhere we are involved there’s lots going on. I complain sometimes when everything collides at once but you know what… most of the time, I love it. So satisfying to fill up our lives with good things and I’m grateful for every opportunity to learn something, earn something, do something.

Thanks for the vote

 I wonder if I am extra thankful for my vote because every November I write about how thankful I am for it? 🤔 Regardless… there is something soothing about the changes that come around each fall that are ideally reflective of the will of the people. From the state senator to the county comptroller: however they got to the ballot, they made it across the finish line because enough people decided that’s what they wanted. May it ever be so.

Thanks for the quilts

Of all the posts not to have a photo! I really need to figure that out.

I saw my SIL Deb yesterday and she gave me a gorgeous quilt she had made just for me with an autumnal theme in honor of Thanksblogging. I told her that would be my post for the day! Of course then I didn’t post yesterday so here’s the makeup post.

I will add photos if I figure out how, but for now you will have to imagine the beautiful quilts that I have in my home, many made by Deb, and several made by my mom, and a few others made by friends. And two (!) made by me. :)

Quilts are such a rad form of functional and cozy art. So thankful for them and for the quilters who quilt them!

Thanks for the love

Welcome back to Thanksblogging!!

I’ve been taking a human development class (long story short, I am trying to get a teaching certificate) and the most recent lessons have been about attachment theory in young children and how secure attachments to a loving caregiver have a lifelong impact on kids. One longitudinal study even showed a 50% difference in heart problems among adults who had once been securely versus insecurely attached kids.

I’m so grateful for early strong attachments to my parents and for the gift of providing that to my own kids. Honestly probably the best gift of my life, other than the gift of life itself, that my parents offered freely to me and that I was able to give to my kids. I feel so so grateful.

#3 in the bag

Did I mention the blogging app I used doesn’t work anymore? Rude. I have to use a regular browser and that’s annoying.

I ran my third marathon yesterday, and I feel good about it. I’d feel better if it had been a PR (it was 1 minute longer than my fastest marathon time) but that just gives me something to shoot for next time.. right?

This quote from a WTOP article about the race made me laugh… because it’s so true…

Tyler Stratton was running with Federico and said they decided to cut holes in trash bags and wear them to keep warm. They’re both active duty Marines.

“We woke up at four in the morning to run 26 miles in trash bags so we’re feeling good,” he said.

Stayin’ alive (BeeGees voice)

 I remember when my newborns were learning how to live life on the outside, and I’d have a small window of time during the day where I decided whether sleeping or eating was more important. More often than not I’d stare into the fridge, grab whatever I could see and choke it down (a handful of deli meat? a couple squirts of whipped cream straight from the can? the only standard was “fast”), then go collapse on my bed, crashing hard into REM, until the baby woke up. 

I had similar experiences in early pregnancy when food sounded like the worst option but I knew I had to eat, so I’d force-feed myself a hard-boiled egg before falling asleep sitting up at the table.

I was remembering this today as I blearily decided whether to get up sooner and cook a full breakfast, or stay dozing until my alarm urged me up and then grab some string cheese and granola bars on my way out the door to work.

And that is just one of many ways that training for a marathon while working and taking a class and raising teenagers is bringing me back to those early days of pregnancy and newborns. Always tired, always hungry, often a little bit nauseated, and hoping it would all be worth it.

September morn

 (SpongeBob voice) Three - months - later…

Don’t worry, I’m an elder millennial librarian who only knows that reference from social media context clues, so I googled it, and now I know that the voice is technically Frenchy, aka SpongeBob’s French Narrator who lives in a submarine.

Anywho, it’s September now. Theo went to college, Lars and Ida are both in high school, Polly is in fifth grade and somehow now has homework every night. It’s strange and lovely to witness them grow up like this.

Raffi is on the naughty list, so don’t ask.

I feel called to write more and post less, and yet am I actually writing more? Not really. Posting less, yes. Maybe I’ll sit down and write something one of these days. But life keeps life-ing, so I’m sometimes posting, rarely writing, always moving, always thinking.

Busy getting dizzy

I’ve had a busy month. Went to California twice 🤩🤩 to celebrate a wedding (my niece), a birthday (my mom), and a high school reunion (me)! 

Welcomed my parents and in-laws as houseguests.

Got our little boy graduated from HS and registered for college. 

I’ll casually mention the end-of-year field trips, field days, concerts, recitals, meets, and banquets, the May and June birthday parties, the transition from spring to summer sports, the chores that never end, all on top of the normal school, work, and family things, and how we’re treading water the best we can. 

Time is flying like it’s never flown before. Soaking in this season, trying not to drown in it but just to get through it and even enjoy it! 

I had a moment of vertigo yesterday (I get episodes once in a while, pretty sure it’s genetic) but on the upside, I followed that by sleeping 14 hours (a common side effect of these episodes, in my experience) so I want to say it was kinda worth it??

We have more visitors next month, and then we are going to California (and Utah) AGAIN a few weeks after that.

My cup runneth over.

Polly quotes

Polly quotes are coming fewer and farther between 😭 but I have a few from the past few months.

(Noticing “Mariah Carey” on the car dashboard) “What?! I thought Marie Curie was a scientist, not a singer.”

*** 

“What is today? I mean I know it’s Friday but what ‘the’ is it?”

 (It was “the” tenth of January)

***

Polly: “I don’t like casseroles.”

Me: “You like some casseroles! What about baked ziti?”

Polly: “I don’t like other casseroles, like apple casseroles.”

Me: “Apple casseroles?” 🤔 

Polly: “I don’t know, I feel like that’s a thing.”

To the left, to the right

I feel that it is important for each generation to pass its knowledge down to the next, and it’s easiest to do in a natural and low-pressure setting. And that is why today in the car on the way to piano lessons, I taught my children the names and ages of the Hanson brothers at the time of MMMBop, and then later during Family Home Evening I taught them how to dance the Tootsee Roll. Not just the basic move mind you but they also learned to slide and dip. Just don’t pay too close attention to the lyrics.

You keep using that word

Image by Micah Player

Today I have been thinking about two of my most memorable college classes: Communications Theory and History of Civilizations.

Comms theory was particularly memorable because I had to retake it after getting a D the first time (my freshman year was rough, OK! I had to retake a few classes...). 

I specifically remember learning about semiotics, or the study of signs/symbols and their interpretations. An American flag, a Star of David, a traffic light, a dove, a thermometer... etc. etc., they are at once an image and a multilayered statement. Anyway. That class was also when I learned the word "paradigm." 

(I remember asking the TA, "You keep using that word... what in the world does it mean??")

History of Civ was a two-parter, and I really loved part two (1500-present), where the professor used various novels, films, and nonfiction books as our texts. One of the texts was the book Imagined Communities, a book by Benedict Anderson that explores nationalism as a... you guessed it... community that exists in our imagination, a social construct.

I saw the above image today posted by one of my favorite illustrators, Micah Player, and immediately my thoughts turned back to those two classes. Ever since I was very young, and certainly when I was my most fresh-faced and optimistic as a college-age kid, the Statue of Liberty has communicated layers of meaning to me about justice, bravery, opportunity, First Amendment freedoms... maybe even our friends the French. ;) And another layer I learned about in college: Emma Lazarus’s poem that’s engraved inside the statue’s pedestal, “The New Colossus.” 

Ultimately all of those concepts together form a three-dimensional image that, perhaps next to the American flag and maybe fireworks (runner up: bald eagle), is the most iconic, most recognizable symbol of modern democracy modern democratic constitutional republic that I can think of. 

It hadn't particularly occurred to me that it might mean something else to other Americans, something more exclusive, something more narrow... like, concentrated presidential power or white Christian nationalism or isolationism or the prosperity gospel or “curated” opinion sections in a national newspaper. 

But “America” can mean whatever anyone wants it to mean. 

I just really don't think it means what those people think it means.

News

Big news, that I haven’t put on social media yet because of reasons, but I feel like if you’re here on my blog, you genuinely want to know the good, the bad and the ugly: 

Theo got in to BYU. Like, sleeping in the dorms, taking the classes he wants to take, living his life 2,000 miles away making his own choices.

Wow it was a long road, a winding road, a red dirt road, the broken road that led me straight to you…  pick your country song about roads, that’s what it was. (Is?)

It’s not over, hard work is always ahead, but 10 years ago, 5 years ago, 1 year ago, I would not have foreseen this huge achievement. Not sure he would have either.

I am so proud of that kid. Who is legally an adult now btw. Whew…

Still sick

Well, I’m still sick. I have bronchitis. Boooo

That’s it. Just wanted to complain for a second.

But here’s a picture, unrelated

Wellness

Starting a week or two before Christmas 2024, I took “wellness tablets” several times per day: generally two pills, three to four times a day. If you’re unfamiliar, this legendary concoction is part of the T——— family lore which I believe has its origin story in one of my brothers’ partners from work.

If you choke down these terrible-tasting tablets, also known colloquially as “garlic pills” (I actually prefer the capsules, they don’t taste quite as bad as the tabs) especially in conjunction with a few other delights like zinc and vitamin C, your immune system gets an extra shield, and it has been anecdotally known within the family for years now to ward off even the most contagious bugs.

Anywho, so I pounded these babies for like 3 weeks and felt great. I resisted the pull of whatever terrible cough was plaguing my own kids, including a franken-virus Polly had, as well as my dad’s pneumonia. We got back from California and I got sucked into the vortex of fire news, generally neglecting the wellness tablets other than once a day or so. And then a week later, the sore throat began. And the progression continues.

I’m pretty sure it’s just a cold, but it’s been so long since I got sick (Covid last August) that I am quite unaccustomed to the sensation and not at all pleased.

Photo unrelated, except to document that this was my Disneyland souvenir this year (usually I get a magnet 🤷🏼‍♀️) and now I’m going to force myself to get out of bed and drink some tea out of it.

You know what’s weird

You know what’s weird, is visiting LA and then trying to get out quickly before the biggest snowstorm of the decade hits DC and THEN before any of the DC snow has even thought about melting, the biggest fire of the decade hits LA.

I spent most of today glued to my phone texting with family, tracking their evacuations, and reading the news updates of the fires, while also supervising Polly sledding. Most of the texting had to happen with voice to text because it was too cold to take my mittens off.

Life is wild. My family is OK. ❤️  LA is not. 💔

To all who come to this happy place… welcome.

Whew!

We spent 17 hours at Disneyland yesterday. That is not including the ~2 hours of drive time but it is including the parking and rope drop.

I have pictures but my phone, iCloud, and Google account are all so full of GBs and MBs I can’t download upload crossload or frontload anything.

(Please imagine me saying that last sentence like Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive says “warehouse farmhouse henhouse outhouse or doghouse”)

I’m a Disney adult and I don’t care who knows it ✨

Thanks for Ida

I missed several days in November (although not as many as last year!) so we’ll just keep the fun going for a little bit.

Ida is a joy and a light, and frankly she is also a machine. I don’t remember ever being a fraction as busy in high school as she is… but that’s because she is just interested in so many things, she always wants to learn and try and experience everything. I’m so thankful for her.

Thanks for the doll hospital

Samantha (born circa… 1992?) has seen better days. I had been meaning to take her in for a “refresh,” and then her leg came off, so that was the impetus we needed. Carlene at the AG store was SO lovely. I wish I had asked her to be in the picture too. She got Samantha all dressed in her hospital gown so that she could be shipped off to the hospital in Wisconsin. We might see Samantha back before Christmas or maybe not until January, but she’ll be all fixed up. Don’t worry, we’re keeping her original Pleasant Company head! 😍

Thanks for the sleep

I’ve been a little behind on sleep lately. 

Yesterday I took a late nap after dinner. 

Then last night I wasn’t feeling great (likely the result of so much sugar plus low on my sleep stash), so I went to bed around 10 pm and slept until 10 am. 

Then this afternoon I went to see “Wicked” with Ida and Polly and promptly slept through about half of it. 

Now I’m going to bed at a fairly reasonable time again. Whew, my body really needs sleep, and I’m so grateful to have caught up on some over this holiday.

Thanks for Theo

Ah Theo, my firstborn son: most likely to make me laugh, most likely to make me cry, most likely to surprise me again and again.

Thanks for the road trips

In the last 10 years, we’ve been across the country and back 4 times now in our van. From sea to shining sea to shining sea x 8.

(If you need route tips we’ve taken the northern route and the southern route and the straight-through-the-middle route and they’re all pretty long but some are more interesting than others…)

We’ve been up to Canada and back, down to Louisiana and back, up to Maine and back, down to the Outer Banks and back… in our van.

Maybe this post should be thanks for our van??

Road trips are so much work and so much fighting and so much crying but I would never ever trade the happy memories that float up to the top.

Thanks for Polly

Polly… what a gift to us and to the world. I can’t even express it. 

Thanks for the little things

Behold, my current collection of Christmas wrapping paper. Is it over the top? perhaps, but I just really like Christmas wrapping paper, and I have a hard time resisting when I see some that I love. It doesn’t look like much when it’s all shoved in my storage room, but it makes me happy to think of it wrapped around boxes under the tree. 

This collection is half last year, half this year, and I can see some consistency… muted greens, dark reds, some pinks thrown in. I usually get wrapping paper at HomeGoods, but Target and IKEA came through with some winners this year. The funny thing is of course that we are not doing a lot of gifts this year, because we’re going to Disneyland… but wrapping paper doesn’t expire, so there.

Thanks for Lars

I feel like Lars must be what Matt was like when he was 13. He’s just so funny and smart and goofy and gets the job done. Like ordering Instant Underpants as his gift for Matt’s birthday. Just add water!

Lars truly drives me insane sometimes… like daily… with his teasing and his nervous energy. But he is also so great. Just a little loose nerve ending (as Matt calls him) who channels that power into doing stuff like running the fastest mile in the school. 

Or, the most recent example of the Power of Lars: yesterday afternoon (Friday) he was musing out loud that baked ziti sounded good for dinner. He asked if he could go get the ingredients for it and make it. I pointed him to my recipe book, and he found the recipe. Then he…

Made a grocery list. Got Theo to take him to Wegmans (he asked me if he could borrow my credit card, which I was happy to contribute to the cause). Came home, cooked up the onions and garlic and beef,  chopped some spinach, boiled some pasta, and mixed it all together with cheese and sauce and what have you. Baked it. Cleaned up the kitchen and set the table for four, because Matt and I were going out to dinner.

I am not kidding or exaggerating. Lucky for him he’s so cute and so efficient, due to the aforementioned bouncing off the walls. Obviously we’ll keep him. That’s the Power of Lars! 🎶 🎸 

 

Thanks for November

I’ve written posts about November before. It’s sort of a magical month. Leaves on the ground and snow in the sky today. I actually read something recently that the sky looks bluer in the fall: it’s due to drier air and the angle of the sun. That wasn’t true today… overcast and big fat snowflakes… but it is overall true. Anyway I love November 💙

Thanks for my job

I’ve been working on a project at work that requires the use of these little “Not Ready” signs. It feels very relevant to my life in general. 😆

Overall, even with its ups and downs, I have loved my job and have been very thankful for it for the past 18(!!) years.

Thanks for my dog

I opened my heart up to this dog a little over a year ago, and he drives me loco crazy 80% of the time, but I would absolutely do it again. Thanks, Raffi!

Thanks for the Duo

Whew, getting behind again on the blog posts. I guess I’ve been too busy also getting behind on my Duolingo streak. I’m thankful for Duolingo, including for the streak repairs that I constantly have to use. Over the past 3 years I have practiced French, German and Spanish. Duolingo is addicting and so satisfying. Kids and grownups love it so!

Thanks for the running clubs

Well; what do you know? Photos suddenly work in blogger again?? (Or maybe not suddenly… I haven’t tried posting one in over a year.)

I’m thankful for my kids’ running programs. I signed them up for cross country back in 2019 when the older kids’ soccer teams reorganized and I needed something they could all do together. It clicked, and we kept going back.

They have all done cross country and track, in a club and in school, and it’s been so great for all of them. Our county’s middle schools have never had sports until last year, when the superintendent and school board instituted cross country and track across all the schools, which is so great for so many reasons. Theo and Ida both ran in high school and Lars is planning to do it in high school too. (Which is next year, if you can believe that.)

I’m thankful for the lessons they have learned from running, the friends they have made, and the fun that we have all had (I have been a coach with Polly’s age group and younger since she joined at age 6). Yay for running clubs ❤️

Thanks for Matt

I usually write my thankful post about Matt on his birthday, since his birthday is in November, but I’m going to write it today, because I feel like it. Just try to stop me!

Also I’m going to try a photo and see if it works. (Most likely scenario is that it works for a few hours and then disappears but we’ll see)

I was reminiscing to a friend today about how Matt and I met. That was almost exactly 23 years ago. Crazy right? Since I’m only 41. That’s a chunk of my life.

If you didn’t already know… we met at the BYU library, where I worked in college. I specifically worked in the special collections department, and he, as a history major in his final semester as a graduating senior, was working on his capstone paper, which was about the history of Black athletes at BYU. 

And there’s some super interesting history along those lines, which is kept in a vault in the Wilkinson papers in the special collections. And you couldn’t make copies or anything, you had to just take the papers into a reading room and take notes with a pencil, like a caveman. Because there were no smartphones in 2002 or even cameras on cell phones.

Anyway, so I love that about how we met. My friend Alex said once something about the root of our relationship being in social justice research, which is funny and true. 

We had also randomly run into each other several times that semester on and off campus (or was it random… 🤔) before we actually even knew each other’s names. I think we both had at least one class that semester in the old Talmage building, plus we both spent a lot of time in the library, and I also saw him at Macaroni Grill once when I was on a date with someone else. Lol. Good times.

I love him so much. Sure, I smother him a little sometimes when he would prefer to have a little space, and maybe I also ignore him sometimes when he would prefer to have my attention… but I think we mostly have a pretty good balance.

We have a fairly traditional setup where he makes most of the money and I run most of the household. But I also make little bit of money and he does plenty at home. And I’m mostly the go-to for kids stuff and was fortunate to be home with them when they were little, but he is very involved in their lives and does a lot of the thankless stuff there too. 

He can always make me laugh and he can always calm me down.

He can fix pretty much anything.

He knows random facts. Like I’m surprised sometimes, he’ll say something about the most random things and I’m like how in the world did you know that?

He loves sports, especially BYU sports, and I love that about him even though I just don’t get it. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 

He wants our kids to learn to work hard, and he is willing to work with them to show them how it’s done.

He cares about people, remembers details about their lives and their jobs.

He loves me.

I think we have a good thing going.

Geez, I am so thankful for Matt. 

Thanks for the memories

I had this random memory when I poured myself a bowl of cereal today…

When I was 19, I studied abroad in Vienna, Austria: a foundational experience for me. Everything about that experience, even the most difficult stuff, has taken on a sparkly sheen in my memory, and it’s all happy.

One difficult thing about my time in Vienna was that I didn’t have a lot of spending money, and I also didn’t have much of a food budget. The woman who hosted me in her home for the semester was obligated to provide me and my roommates daily breakfast and one dinner a week, and she did not offer beyond that. So I tried my best to stuff myself at breakfast so that I could last until dinner. 

Every single day, breakfast consisted of cornflakes and whole milk, a variety of breads and rolls, spreadable cheese, and jam. I used to eat as many bowls of cornflakes as I could stand, and then fold up the rolls and cheese and jam packets into napkins and stuff them in my backpack for lunch. (Random aside: sometimes I would buy a bell pepper at the market and make a bell pepper and cream cheese sandwich for my lunch. I did that a lot.)

Up until that point I had never regularly drunk whole milk; I grew up drinking 2%, and got in the habit of drinking skim in college. I still don’t drink whole milk that often; Matt always buys it, but I get 2% at normal grocery stores and only buy whole at Costco because Costco whole milk is delicious (I don’t make the rules).

Anyway so that is a long background to tell you that today I ate a bowl of cornflakes with Costco whole milk, and it transported me to 27 Mariahilferstraße in the fall of 2002. Some of my very best memories. Some of my hungriest memories, but man. What a life.

Thanks for the veterans

For the first time since before Covid, I’m taking most of my kids to the Mall today to visit the war memorials for Veterans Day. (Ida and I went just the two of us in 2021.)(she can’t come today, because of school stuff.) last year and the year before, we were in Richmond for marathon/half marathons. 2020, I can’t remember whether I went or not. I wish we could greet an honor flight like we used to, but there weren’t any scheduled for today. :(

I’m looking forward to it. It’s not “fun” but it’s an experience and it helps to really appreciate the day and the history of the holiday, to be there in DC by the Vietnam, Korea, and WWII memorials, among veterans and other patriots, who are remembering those sacrifices and all the mixed feelings that come along.

Thanks for my house

I always have a Thanksblogging post about being thankful for my house. And I am! I have been so grateful to have had a cozy and affordable place to live for our entire marriage. I love to be home. I love coming home. Our current house is finally starting to feel like home after a year.

If I’m totally honest, I’m a little worried about the future of the housing market where I live, if the blustering promises about gutting the federal workforce turn out to be true… if major changes do happen and jobs move out of this area, the local economy could either eventually or suddenly take a big hit.

But I am hoping that it turns out to be bluster after all and that our local economy, public school system, job market and housing market will all stay stable. Here goes nothin’.

Thanks for a lazy Saturday

I can’t remember the last time we had a Saturday with no meets or games, no church activities, no volunteer events, no obligations outside of yard work, house work, and keeping up our Duolingo streaks. 

Technically, Ida did have a stage crew work day at school, but she thinks that’s fun. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Also Polly dogsat our friend’s dog, but she thinks that’s fun.

It was nice today to sleep in, tune in, turn on, and drop out. (Jk about those last 3, I’m a little bit hippie but not full hippie.)

Thanks for the poms

I’ve always loved pomegranate seeds as a snack but did not enjoy the work it took to get them out of the fruit. They’re pretty easy to find packaged these days though, and I love them as a tasty tangy treat. 

Thanks for the candy

I mean… sort of.

We have so much candy.

I brought all the Halloween leftovers and rejects to work and the college students were happy to partake.

Do you know how much candy Lars collected?

…20 pounds of candy.

805 pieces of candy. (of course he counted)

One king-sized pillowcase full.

I wish I could still post photos easily on the blog, because I’d post a photo of him in his creepy mask, bent under the sagging weight of his pillowcase. 😂

It’s over the top but I mean he’s 13 years old and it’s all about the thrill of the hunt; what’s a mom to do? 

Thanks for the bikes

It all started when my brother-in-law Bruce gifted me a vintage green Schwinn. At the time, Polly was just about a year old and big enough to sit up in a bike seat. So I bought one. She rode in that thing until she was 4 years old. 😂 Fortunately, by the time she was 5, she had learned to ride her own bike. My other kids all have bikes too (well, Theo did until he left it unlocked and it got stolen… smh…)

We live close enough to the pool, the park, and 7-11 to bike any of those places, and we do! Not so much in November… but it’s a long hot and happy summer on our bikes. And during the year, they can use the bikes to get to school. Plus there are some bike-friendly trails nearby too. Hooray for the bikes!

Thanks for the rest

Because it’s the end of the first school quarter—which (I think purposely) ended with a half day on Halloween and the second quarter will begin the day after Election Day—my kids have had a 5 1/2 day weekend. It’s been glorious. Have I gotten much accomplished? No, but I needed a rest. Also, wouldn’t it be nice if Election Day were a federal holiday? Let’s get the people voting.

Thanks for the process

I’m a little anxious waiting for the results of Tuesday’s election… but I think I’m less anxious than I was in 2016 and 2020. I’m trusting the process. So far, it’s held up. Bad things and good things will happen. I am hopeful that Kamala will win and that we’ll get some moderate sensible people in Congress and in state legislatures, but if those things don’t happen, I am also hopeful that the checks and balances will grind away as they are supposed to and we will be OK.

Thanks for safe sleep aids

It’s that time again! Thanksblogging time!!

I take Advil PM (which is basically Advil + Benadryl) a couple of times a year, whenever I’m too sick to sleep well (awake with coughing, etc.) The two nights after my marathon I slept terribly! I was up coughing—allergies? A cold? Who knows—but all my body wanted was to rest. I felt bad enough on Tuesday to stay home from work. So I took Advil PM for the next two nights and got 10 straight hours of sleep both nights. Phew, I feel so much better.

Warm October nights

Just popping in since apparently it’s been 3 months since I wrote a blog post, yikes!

This is a busy year. College applications and driving lessons and piano lessons and voice lessons and cross-country practice and marathon practice (13 days away) and kids growing like weeds, not to mention that darn dog leaving his toys everywhere for me to trip over. I have been working more and volunteering more and yet somehow can’t figure out why I’m so tired and don’t have time to do house projects…

But, life is good. even when it feels like I’m on a freight train barreling toward some unknown destination.

Infinite value

Part of my volunteer work includes sharing a devotional at community meetings. I have been thinking a lot about “the worth of souls” in recent months, and those thoughts made their way into my most recent devotional. It’s nothing fancy, but I was struck by the wealth of verses across world religions that focus on how important each person is. And I thought I’d share it here. ❤️

These are verses about the value of each individual person, or the infinite worth of each soul, from the holy texts of various religions including Sikhism, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Bahai, Islam, and Christianity. You may recognize some of them.

The worth of the soul cannot be described.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

A true yogi observes Me in all beings and also sees every being in Me. 

As a mother would risk her life to protect her child, even so should one cultivate a limitless heart with regard to all beings.

Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.

Whoever has saved a life, it is as though he has saved all of humanity.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.

Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.

Each person has infinite value, and this is why we do the work that we do. Amen.

Polly quotes

Time for some 2024 Polly quotes.

(Pausing to pray before drawing a playing card) “Please help this card to be a 7… and make everything ok… and thank you for your service.”

(Lying on the ground on an extremely humid night) “I could just go to bed here because the whole world is like a blanket.”

“If Dad is my dad… then Jesus is my… great-grandfather?”

“Do you know what I want to be when I grow up? A person who takes tiles off of roofs. Because it’s super satisfying and you get paid.”

Thank you very much, goodnight everybody!

Go me

Did I tell you I am training for another marathon? Well… I am. Glutton for punishment I suppose, but also I want to beat Oprah Winfrey’s marathon time of 4:30.

This will mean “shaving” 45 minutes off of my marathon time of 5:15. But I think it is very doable as long as I work on speed training, which I did not do last year when my only goal was to finish.

Today was my first real speed training day where I actually stuck with it. I use an app called Runcoach, which is similar to the Nike Run app which I really like, but because it’s connected with the marathon I’m running and the “coach” bot knows my current pace and the pace I’m working toward, it has specific training instructions for me which play in my ear as I’m running. 

Today I got about halfway through my speed workout (which was 8 sets of 400m at a pace that’s about 25% faster than I normally run) and decided I would just do half of it. I was going way slower than my assigned pace (which the bot was sure to tell me after every split, lol) and I just felt terrible. It was hot and I had a cramp.

Instead I decided to keep going… not sure why… but I proceeded to run my last 4 splits at increasingly faster paces, all faster than my assigned time.

Why did this happen? I don’t know. At some point in the process I made a decision to go against what my body wanted to do, and it was like a switch flipped. These kinds of experiences are why I think people get addicted to things like marathon training.

I have a longish to-do list today, but if I don’t get to the rest of it, I don’t even care, because I’m so pleased with how I pushed through this morning. Go me!

The pirate ride, aka still crazy after all these years

Well hello there. Still here, I see! I just popped in to assure you that I am alive.

I feel like this winter/spring has been a tiny bit of a rollercoaster. I am on day 19 of my cycle and that means I’ll feel overwhelmed for the next 10 days. I can’t be sure but I think the extremes of my rollercoaster have amped up in the last year or two. 

I’m told this could be the beginning of perimenopause. 

Frankly I was pretty sure I was starting perimenopause around age 35, yet every doctor told me no I was not. Well… I guess it doesn’t matter, except that if I meet 35-year-olds in the future who are like “am I crazy?” I’ll be like, well with this data set of two people, we can confirm that the midlife rollercoaster can start ramping up by mid-30s despite what the doctors say.

I remember having super broad mood swings as a teenager when I would feel so ecstatically happy after my period started, and so horrifically grumpy a few days after it was over. And then I had my encounter with birth control around age 21-22 that messed me all up, then I had all the babies and the postpartum hormones, and then I got diagnosed with PMDD, and now there’s this perimenopause thing. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is just my lot in life…

It’s the pirate ride.

https://lizer.blogspot.com/2010/08/girl-talk.html 

Hashtag pirate ride life. 

That’s showbiz, baby!

Thanks for the lessons

I learned a lot about myself last year when training for a marathon. I specifically learned that some days will just not work. Some days I just have a terrible run: sometimes there’s a discernible reason, sometimes not. When this happens I plow through. Done and done. Try again next time.

Today’s run was not so great. I felt heavy and bloated. It was fah-reeeeezing cold and windy. But I needed to do 11 miles (doing a half marathon with Lars in a few weeks), so I did, and it was over eventually. 😂 (after like, 2.5 hrs…)

But last Saturday’s 10-miler was amazing. Beautiful weather, and my body felt strong and fast.

Good days and bad days happen and it all adds up. I know I sound so cheesy, but I just really loved the experience, and don’t tell Matt, but I might train for another marathon next year. I keep thinking I can improve my time. Of course the amusing thing about that is that I have continued running regularly, with the goal of shaving off at least 1:30 per mile off of my marathon time, and I have changed exactly nothing about my training. Hmm, I wonder why I haven’t been getting any faster? 😂

See what I mean? Life lessons. This is the good stuff!

Thanks for the books

Second week of February and I am on my 8th book so far this calendar year. I’m not sure I’ve read this much this quickly since college! I think I’m mostly avoiding work that needs to be done around the house, but even if it is an avoidance strategy, reading books feels more virtuous than watching TV or scrolling through my phone.

Thanks for dog food

Raffi was barking at Matt as he made himself his dinner. Polly went in to give Raffi his dinner and I overheard her soothing words to him:

“You can’t have Dad’s food. Let’s give you some dog food. Ever think of that, bud? Be thankful for what you have, don’t be mad about what you don’t have.”

Thanks for a new year

I love January. Have I said this before? I used to hate it and now I love it. Fresh starts. First snows. Cleaning up alllll the holiday detritus. I could do without the flu season thing, ok and could also do without Seasonal Depression, but otherwise: 10/10 would recommend January.

Thanks for shelter and rest

Ok so I was thinking about how grateful I am to have a warm place to lie down and not to have to work, or really do anything, while I am sick. That is a pretty huge blessing. 🙏🏼 

Thanks but no thanks

Well I still have a few Thanksblogging posts to catch up on 😅 I’m just here to complain for a minute. I have Covid. Bah humbug!

I realized that the first time I had Covid, it was the week after Easter (2022), and I was pretty sure I caught it from church. This time, the week after Christmas, I’m also pretty sure I got it from church. Well, that or the airport. Or the airplane. Or any other crowded, coughy sneezy place I’ve been in the last 5 days…

I was so exhausted after we got back from our trip late Saturday night that I pretty much spent Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in bed. Well not ALL day every day but like… all afternoon and evening. I told myself I was catching up after six months of never resting, but it turns out I was percolating Covid.

Anyway, I actually am thankful for kids who are old enough to take care of themselves—and the dog!—and for Matt who has cooked all the meals this week and brought me up delicious leftovers tonight after working all day at his office.

I am especially thankful for Matt because it’s our 20th wedding anniversary today. Whew! Good job us!

I am also thankful for our bedroom, which is nowhere near as cozy as our townhouse bedroom BUT it has the same comfy bed and someday I’ll put away all the boxes and fix it up Cozy 2.0.

And, now back to lying on my comfy bed, staring at the TV in between dozing. I am simultaneously exhausted and bored out of my mind.

Thanks for the names

Still plodding along with my Thanksblogging catchup…

I love names. I love choosing names for people and animals, I love judging the names other people choose for their people and animals 😜 I love acknowledging that the names I choose, which are mostly off the beaten path, are not everyone’s favorites but that’s the beauty of this big beautiful planet in the sky, we are all different.

Anywho, I was scrolling through my to-do list and saw my Puppy Names List in the same document. What was that? Did you say you want to see my Puppy Names List? I will happily share it.

Raffi Ramirez

Snoopy, Eeyore, Figaro

Bruno, Rico, Diego, Tony, Cosmo, Uncle Jesse

(Axel, Shep, Linus, Jude)

Ziggy, Siggy

Axel, Shep, Linus, and Jude happen to be the names we were considering had Polly been a boy. I stuck them in the running because why not?

Raffi was the clear winner. Yes, his last name is Ramirez; that's a story for another day…

Thanks for Deb!

So thankful for this sister (in law) of mine, on her birthday. She’s a dollface too and since I can’t post photos anymore you’ll just have to take my word for it!

Deb welcomed me into the family with open arms 20+ years ago. She checks in on me, is interested in my kids, is GREAT with kids, gives an over-the-top amount of candy to my kids 😂😂 gives great advice, cheers me on consistently, is hilarious, makes gorgeous quilts, makes delicious food, is so so thoughtful, and approaches everything in life with a matter-of-fact humor that I just adore. I love you so much, Deb!!!

Thanks for the purpose

This is by far the most dates I’ve missed in Thanksblogging. I blame the move/marathon/puppy/ also not being able to post photos on my blogging app anymore (boo).

I am about… 20 days behind on my posts 😂 and I truly believe that this November habit has made my holiday seasons and winters go better in past years. So I am going to do some thankful post blitzing today.

Along those lines, I have often thought of this quote by George Bernard Shaw which I ran across when Ida was a baby:

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

The specific line that echoes in my head is “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.” I am trying to be better at resting so that I have the energy to do all the things I want to do in life. I am grateful for a strong body and mind and the will to try so many things and to connect with my community and my family. 

Thanks for Matt

Two days late and multiple dollars short: I am so thankful for Matt. Twenty years later, he continues to show me that marrying him was the best decision I ever could have made.

Thanks for Raffi

Is this cheating because I already did a puppy-related one where I’m thankful for the vet?

I guess there’s no cheating when it’s a game I made up and I’m the only one playing.

Raffi is the funniest little guy and I am so thankful for him even though I’m so tired. 😂 he is a clumsy skinny little pile of fluff and I love having him in our family. “oh, snuggle puppy of mine, everything about you is especially fine!” (Where my Sandra Boynton fans at?)

Thanks for Polly

I mean… sheesh. What a dollface.

You may or may not have noticed that my posts don’t have photos lately, I blame Blogger/Google; anyway, if you read this blog you already know Polly is a dollface.

Something fun about Polly lately is that she loves to go to bed. You read that right, she really does! Ever since she got her own room with a queen-sized bed. 😂 She still wants me to put her to bed at night (versus her siblings who retreat to their corners of solitude), and I am more than happy to oblige.

Her teacher told me that Polly is exactly what you think of when you think of a third-grade girl, which is so true. Piles of friendship bracelets. Multicolored Tevas and a jean jacket. Messy hair. Nose stuck in a comic book/graphic novel. Doing flips on the monkey bars. Writing notes to her friends. 

I’m telling you. Dollface. So so thankful for her.

Thanks for my legs

I attempted to go on a 2-mile “shakeout” jog today (been a week since the marathon) and ended up shortening it to 1 mile because my legs felt like rubber. I am trusting that they’ll feel normal again eventually; everything I read says it takes about 3 weeks for a novice marathoner to get back into the groove of running.

It was still a nice little jog, even though I felt like Gumby. Or maybe one of the Blockheads. Which one was your favorite? Do you know who Gumby and the Blockheads are? Or Pokey? (I actually had to Google Pokey because I forgot his name.) Random memory, when I was little we had a shampoo bottle shaped like a Blockhead.

Anyway I’m thankful for my rubbery Gumby legs, and I’m looking forward to running gingerly on them again soon!

Thanks for the gems

I enjoyed this interview with André 3000, whose new album dropped today. I liked his thoughts on anxiety, and I liked his thoughts on art. Emphases mine.

And as far as anxiety and that kind of thing, yes, I have been diagnosed with that. But I realized that, like, life is life, man. Our grandparents didn't have these terms to describe these things, you know? They didn't have these diagnoses to describe these things. They may have been going through similar things, but they just had to live through it. That's what it is. Life is life and life will come at you in different ways, and it's for you to pay attention to what's happening. I don't feel worse or better than anybody else. I feel like what comes to you is for you.

I just use it as an instrument, just like it uses me. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for these, what they call "ailments" and all this kind of stuff. I don't want to lean on it. And a lot of times, because now we have a name for it, we're starting to lean on these names and kind of like really dig into these names and really just try to just figure yourself out. And I'm not sure if sometimes you may give yourself a disservice once you start calling the boogeyman, the boogeyman. Then you start looking for it. So it's like, just live and take it day by day, man. Everything won't be great. The only thing I can say: Learn how to ride the roller coaster. The best thing you can do is learn how to ride the roller coaster with your hands up.

****

As an artist, you got to have really strong antennas. And that's really what it's about. So where I am now is where I'm supposed to be. I couldn't plan it. And here's the cool thing. Yes, we can plan it, our limited human brains can plan it. But it's always greater and more magical when you're surprised by these things... I've seen artists transcend themselves and I get emotional about it.

When I see rappers go to a certain level, I'm sure they didn't know. Because I didn't know. So I know they ain't know. But that's the magic. So y'all just looking at the magic show, and it's nothing special. I'm not special. Everybody has a certain kind of magic show.