My Minute of Fame. . .

The week after Christmas my mother-in-law came to visit us for a few days.  She always flies in on Christmas day, much to the delight of her grand-girls.  It's like an extra special present saved until last and special delivered every year.  It's a tradition the girls look forward to. . . but that's not what this post is about.

While Leesa was here, she happened to be perusing the newspaper and noticed a writing contest.  Turning to me she said, "You should enter."

I have never entered a writing contest.  Why, I can't fathom when I consider it now.  At the time I smiled and said, "Yeah, I should." Then I didn't think of it until after she had left.  Then I thought, "I SHOULD!"

And I did.

I figured the stakes were pretty low.  It was an essay about Astoria in 250 words or less.  I've already typed more than half that in this post.  Plus, I had a story about Astoria.

So I took 15 or 20 minutes and wrote something up.  Then submitted it by email.  Then I waited.

On the day they were to announce the winners I checked the website repeatedly all day.  Then I left and took Hannah to a party and went grocery shopping and got dinner. . .

When I got back there was an Astoria number on my caller ID.  I rushed to check the website.

My name was on the short list . . . of three winners!  (Out of over a hundred submissions).

The only one more shocked than me was Rob.  I think he was inordinately shocked, quite frankly.

My prize? A stay at the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria and a $50 gift card to dinner at an Astoria restaurant.  And they published it in The Daily Astorian.  (You can read it yourself.)  They are planning to publish it in the Oregonian as well at some point.

So what I have learned from this is:  I should enter more writing contests.  Winning is fun. . . and so is writing.

Have you won anything lately?

Nerdie Wordie

I have a confession to make.

I like words.

Of course, this is not likely a big revelation to any of you who actually know me. . . or read this blog with any regularity.  I went to the library to pick up some books for school and stumbled across a book entitled "Confessions of a High School Word Nerd" with the promise at the top to "Increase Your SAT Verbal Score While Laughing Your Gluteus Off".  I was hooked.

So far, I have known nearly all the words.  The only three words in the first couple chapters I was not familiar with were:

1 - Euphonious: adj. having a pleasant sound.
2 - Whang - v. to hit something and produce a loud resounding sound.
3 - Seraphim - n. an angel of the highest rank in the traditional medieval hierarchy of nine categories of angels.  (strangely I feel most like I should have known this one!)

Despite the tendency of the book to feel slightly pedantic (Which is really the point) and maybe a little ostentatious,  I love it!

I may not have perfect grammar, or be able to tell you every time you split an infinitive, (though I do get an inordinate amount of pleasure listening to Grammar Girl Podcasts) but, as a child, I had an apparently annoying habit of correcting my siblings--particularly the older ones--whenever they uttered something incorrectly. . . for which I got scolded (though, in my mother's defense, she probably discouraged my grammar policing antics as an effort to preserve my physical health, rather than from a lack of desire to have well spoken children).

Old habits die hard.

I still cringe when people use "I" incorrectly even when it REALLY should be "me".  For instance: "Julie invited Chuck and I."  Me! she invited Chuck and ME.  Or when people mispronounce certain words.

Let me just stop here and confess that I am really a big hypocrite.  For years I mispronounced SOO many words. . . macabre. . . liaison--because while I had read them (and then looked up the unfamiliar ones in my trusty dictionary that I kept on my nightstand) I had not heard them.

That is, until a few years ago when I discovered my new best friend: freedictionary.com .  It has sound bytes.

So now when I correct my children for saying things incorrectly, I can be sure I am not leading them astray.

But lately two words have become quite irksome to me: Yay, and Wala.

They make me cringe.  Yay has become so widespread that I have reluctantly used it a couple times, but I really just wanted to quickly backspace and type "yea".  And "wala" annoys me for two reasons: it's spelled wrong AND pronounced wrong.

So when my six year old daughter flung out her arms and declared "Wala!" tonight, I stopped what I was doing and said, "There is a "V" at the beginning.  Say it 'voila'."  To which she said, "Oh.  I didn't know. "

So of course I asked her where she heard it pronounced that way and she said a movie, but quickly added: " It might have said voila with a "v" and I just didn't hear the "v"."  She has since said it three times, in context, perfectly correctly.  It makes me smile.

 In case you were wondering, I did sometimes find it cute when my very small child said something wrong. After a couple seconds of appreciating the cuteness, I corrected them.  Small children with large vocabularies are also cute, and as I wrote in a skit recently: "It takes less skill to swear than parry with a large vocabulary."  My kids still recite this line and it makes me proud.

So now that you likely think I am a Nazi Wordie (see I am capable of using words only found in "urban" dictionaries),  I want to know:

What puts chills down your spine like fingernails on chalkboards?    


***In case you actually go to freedictionary.com and test out "voila" you will note that THEY pronounce it wrong, with a hard "a" at the end.  This caused me a slight amount of panic which sent me googling all over the place until I had confirmed that it IS a soft "a" at the end.  So much for my new best friend! Many other dictionary sites now have sound bytes also.***

Two Peas in a Pod. . . or Two Twillerbees in a Tulip

This post is late in coming, but after I exposed what I was not excelling at in my last post, I thought I would share one success from last November.



Signe has definite ideas about what it means to be friends.  In preschool she learned "To be a good friend you have to tell your friend they did a good job even if they didn't."  And she will play with her friend anytime because "She's my friend, of course."  And she always remembers what her friend likes and wants so that on her birthday or Christmas she can get exactly what her friend will like.

With Grace, the sentiment is mutual.  Those two girls are connected.

So when Grace had to cancel her birthday party last October because she was sick, Signe decided it would be fun if they shared a party in November.

The Theme:  A Twillerbee Garden Party (inspired by the Barbie Thumbelina movie)

The requests:  Grass on the walls to make them feel small, tutus and fairy wings.

I thought I could accommodate.  And I roped Grace's mother into helping me.

You might be familiar with the movie, but if not, the Twillerbees are little garden people who make things grow.  They live a lush garden parkland and baby Twillerbees are born inside the tulips when they open each spring.  They use flower petals for wings.  So we made invitations with flowers that opened, and a poem that set the tone:

The Twillerbee Party

The garden is spilling its springtime delight

of colorful blossoms in golden sunlight

The cadence of fairy songs waft on the breeze

in beat with the feet of dancing twillerbees

Tutus and fairy wings and sweet pink confection

Come join the merriment of girly girl perfection

Then we set to work making paper flowers and tutus and flower hair bows and matching leggings. . . We figured if we were going to do it, we'd do it BIG.  You only turn six once and it really is the perfect age for this kind of party.

Activities:  fairy color pages, find the hidden fairy, musical flowers, and story time (where one girls starts the story and each girl adds to it around the circle).

We also served lunch to our famished fairies.  Presentation makes everything edible, from flower shaped carrot slices to flower shaped ham and cheese sandwiches.  To wash is down we had pink fairy drink (sprite and raspberry sherbet) and added a magical touch with a fairy wand made of a pretzel stick dipped in pink candy melts and sprinkled with stars--followed by flower cupcakes.

My family room was a magical garden with flitty flirty twillerbees who danced around with sweeping grace and filled the air with tinkling girly giggles.

And Signe and Grace brought just the gift they knew the other would want.

It was a magical day.

What Do You Do?

. . .is one of the first questions a lot of people ask when meeting someone for the first time--or at least early on in their acquaintance.  My problem is, saying "I am a stay at home mom" doesn't really scratch the surface.  It certainly doesn't do anything to elucidate what I do--or what so many other SAHMs do.  But what people usually hear is "I don't work."  Which may be why I feel inclined to defend my worth. Believe me, I WORK.  I have written before about how you need paper validation in this world to be taken seriously--diploma, award, publication, pay check.  Maybe that is because those things make what you "DO" so much easier to comprehend.  The degree of variation in SAHMs is great, and the work is constant--whatever it may be.

I often tell my husband he couldn't afford to replace me.  I do a lot of different things.  You have heard them all before: cook, taxi, maid, seamstress, gardener, historian, teacher--plus the stuff I do for fun, but which aid the family in non-monetary ways--writer, photographer, house decorator (it makes a more peaceful, organized home!).  Not to mention church callings and being a student.  Despite my need to defend my value, I take pride in my efforts--in my position as household manager, if you will.

But you know what?  I recently assessed the quality of my work as "household manager", and guess what--if I was my own boss, I'd probably fire myself.  Sure I keep busy and work hard, but I rarely finish anything, meals are hit and miss, the laundry piles up more often than not, the house is rarely really clean, I don't spend near enough time helping my kids with their school work, or reading to them.

Sooo, I decided if I was going to defend my job as a SAHM, I had better DO my job--and do it well.  So I have resolved to take it more seriously.  Since I have started looking at my "job" as more of a "job" (one with a high level of expectation and consequence) I have worked harder and minded the work less.  Weird, I know.

Maybe it's the title. . . it makes me feel important.

Household Manager--it has a nice ring, don't you think?  And since I just did a thorough job exposing my less than stellar performance thus far, I had better not get myself fired!

Live and Learn. . .

Signe is my logic girl.  She has an argument or explanation for everything, and she'll question your logic if it sounds fishy.  Sometimes this is annoying as a parent that is trying to pull a fast one on her, but generally it's useful because it makes her easier to negotiate with. . .plus, it's REALLY entertaining most of the time.

The other day we had this particular conversation while she was sliding down the stairs in a sleeping bag.  As a parent I am thinking, "Oh no you don't--you're going to crack your head open!" But I remember doing just what she is doing as a child, and we had really steep stairs with a wall three feet from the bottom and no hand rail.  So part of me is also thinking, "Hey, it was FUN--and I survived, right?"

In this situation I try to get her to make a smart choice for herself.  Here is the result:

I sit at my desk, with a front seat view of Sig's activities, and consider the afore mentioned conundrum.  As I watch Signe go whooshing down the stairs we make eye contact between the rails. . .

Signe (as she reaches the bottom): You know how we make up fun things and then you tell us we can’t do them? Well that’s just wrong.  Because it is lots of fun and it IS safe. 

Me: Why do you think I tell you not to do it? 

Signe: ‘cause I might hurt myself.

Me: Do you think you will?

Signe: Maybe, but maybe not so much that I cry.

Me: Are you going to stop?

Signe: Yes, when I hurt myself I will stop.  

(after which she immediately scratches her back)

Me: Are you going to stop?

Sig: Yes. (As she climbs the stairs one more time. . . and slides down again.)

Me: When?

Sig(Upon reaching to bottom): Right now.  

She walks away. . .

Two minutes later she comes back for the sleeping bag.  As she drags it away she eyes me at the computer.  

Sig:                 I am going to try another one. . .this one is safe.  (then, loudly, as she walks away): I need lots of pillows. . . 

If I had to make a guess I would say my couch is about to become a launching pad. . . 

New Year Assessment

Clearly the new year is under way and resolutions have been made--I know this because every time I pass by the gym the machines are full, not that I am on one of them mind you. Who has the time?! But I did make a few resolutions. . .a whole wall of them. I lost track of all the things I am behind on to the point of needing an entire wall to write them all down. We (Rob and I) affectionately call it "The Wall of Shame".

I actually bought a large board and painted it with chalkboard paint. It is leaning against the wall in my bedroom so it's the first thing I see each morning. The idea is that all the things I need to do will be forever present in my thoughts and that will lead to me DOING them. In theory. I like to think it's working.

All this thought about goals made me look back to last year to see what I had actually resolved to do in 2009. . .generally if you can't remember what you vowed to do you probably didn't do it. But surprisingly, I did a lot of the things I resolved to do last year. The list was not nearly as long as the wall of shame list, but that was the trick--the less I tried to do the more likely my success, right?

Let's reminisce, shall we:

1 - Finish my degree-- I extended one semester, but I will be done in May. I start my FINAL semester on Monday. Two English classes and one lone, irksome lab--stream monitoring of all things. Apparently I missed a lab somewhere along the way. So technically this goal will slide right onto the new list, but I'm counting it anyway because I took 8 classes last year and got a whopping EIGHT A's. Plus, I had a teacher give me an A+ on one critical theory paper and suggest I publish it. Yay me!

2. - Remodel Kitchen. . .Check.

3. - Organize rotating obsessions, I mean hobbies. Well, what can I say. It is an on going problem. Hello, my name is Jenni, and I am a hobby-aholic. I am sure I COULD be really good at something if I didn't try to do everything. I do think I am more organized though. Maybe. I am working on it. That's all I have to say.

4. - Exercise. I did. All summer. I even ran over three miles--straight. . .once. . .maybe twice. Does it count if you run for three months of the year. . .? Those three months were a terrific effort. (I know, it's already on the new list. . .)

5. - Finish my novel. I started a new novel. . . I won an essay contest posted in the Oregonian--That totally counts (except I won it this month. But I WROTE it in December--so I am counting that for something--plus I get a free night in a hotel in Astoria and dinner for two so SOMEBODY is counting it!). I am determined to finish my new novel this year though. Right after I graduate.

6. - Return to my roots. . .my BLONDE roots. Check. Blonde IS more fun. Or at least it gets more compliments ;)

7. - Work on Photography skills and buy more lenses. Check. I even got three photography books for Christmas and did a "photo shoot". It WAS a free favor for a neighbor, but still. . .

8. - Become more decisive. I think I have. Maybe I have. Have I? I have more concrete plans for what I want do with my life and all that. So, Check, I think . . .

9. - Make more time for friends. Check. I even have a hoard of new clothes from a couple shopping trips I took with friends this year. It helps that all my new friends are also the parents of my kid's friends. It just makes life easier. And hanging out at Signe's dance class is more entertaining.

10. - Be more positive. I should really ask Rob if I did this, hold on. . . I got a "Yeah, probably."

11. - Ummm. . . let's just quit while I am ahead!

I think I will take a lesson from last year and make my resolutions list short this year. So. . .

In 2010 I will:

- Finish my book--do something big with my writing. . . and also post regularly on this here blog.

- Finish all the house projects we started this year, plus remodel the bathrooms.

- Finish school.

(Are you sensing a trend here. Apparently I've got the starting down.)

- Be a better House Manager (More on that later.)

- Spend loads of quality time with my kids. I'm thinking we should also take one REALLY great family vacation.

I think I will leave it at that. I will let the wall of shame hold the rest of the To Dos for now.

What are you going to do this year?

Better Late than Never. . .

. . .or is it really "now or never" that is more applicable? Either way, here is what we did for the 11th - 25th days of Christmas:

We walked the streets of Bethlehem. . .basking in the glow of twinkle lights. Our Ward Christmas party was quite a bash, with dried fruit and nuts and pita sandwiches. Story corner was a hit, as was the coloring booth and the bead hut. Had the weather been warmer I am sure the donkeys and goats would have garnered more attention, as it was, we kept our party mostly inside, under the flatteringly dim lights, spending our coins and socializing with the other gown clad city dwellers. . .

We kicked off our annual puzzle night--or nights, because we never finish it in one sitting. In fact, this year we opted for a 500 piece instead of 1000, due to last year's puzzle never actually getting completed. As we worked on it I kept thinking of the year Sig and her neighbor friend Luke made it rain puzzle pieces when we were oh so close to finishing. Even that year we finished--during our second attempt. We figured we would stack the odds in our favor this year. And it worked--we finished!

On several days we made candy and holiday goodness, but at least once each year we make a night of it and whip up several dishes--some Rob makes and some I make. Then we make the kids taste each thing blind folded and choose which candy is the best, not knowing who made it. Rob always wins, but this year the girls picked my super simple peppermint bark. Yeah me! I actually liked the English Toffee. I have been trying to make it for years, so of course Rob decided HE will make it this year and it turns out great--though I would have added crushed almonds to the top.

We actually got most of our Christmas shopping done early this year and that meant I had one REALLY big wrapping party one night. I always love making the packages match with cute tags and ribbons. This year my favorite this was this bucket of 60 chipboard tags I got at Target for a couple bucks. I used almost all of them!

Hannah's grade did a Christmas program before their class party this year: Elfis and the Sleighriders. She didn't get the part she wanted, but it was pretty entertaining, none-the-less. One of her two best friends got a singing part and that girl could belt it. Afterwards, they had a gift exchange in their classroom--it was shocking what those kids found to buy each other under $5.

On two nights we did neighbor and friend gift exchanges. It amazes me how well these kids know what each other wants. I should be such a good and observant friend. . .or wife for that matter ( though I did better figuring out what Rob wanted this year than I have for YEARS).

We also did a few other fun things that managed to not get photographed (or not photographed well!) The girls got their teachers soup bowels with packages of soup in them. We drove around and looked at the lights (I wish I had gotten a picture of our neighbor's house--holy light show! she will not be outdone). We had our family movie night--which is different from the nightly Christmas movie in that it is kid friendly and done BEFORE the girls are snug in bed, which is when Rob and I watch our movies. And of course we took the girls shopping for the gifts they gave each other and us and their friends. Plus many nights were spent practicing the songs the girls were learning for their Christmas Eve piano concert.

Christmas Eve we fulfilled our traditional ringing of the bell--it never fails to put us in the Christmas spirit. . .

Then we capped the night off with our formal candlelight dinner, (Crab dip on baguette slices - Ham, broccoli, creamy Yukon potato gratin - lemon cake with lemon sauce and whipped cream) followed by placing our place name tags where we wanted Santa to leave our gifts. And for the first year ever we had our long awaited concert: Hannah & Rob - Carol of the Bells, Signe and Rob - Silent Night, Hannah & Signe - Jingle Bells. Then they opened the traditional one present before bed and hit the hay. Of course we stayed up and watched It's a Wonderful Life, as we always do. And we loved it. . .again.

Then. . . MERRY CHRISTMAS! to us. Signe walked right past her Santa gift--the doll house taller than her--and went to her stocking. We asked her what Santa brought her and she just pointed at her stocking. We redirected her to the HUGE house about five inches from her shoulder. She was thrilled. Hannah got her much requested sewing machine--which I will be borrowing since it is better than my ancient thing. Then we ran to the airport to pick up Manna before lazing around all day playing with our new stuff and being together. The only thing missing was the snow. . . it didn't make an appearance for three more days.

I hope your Christmas was merry and bright!