The Search

We're definitely moving, which is a shame since the mouse problem seems have gone away. Even better, we have to out by the end of November. Yup, we have a month to find a safe, clean, affordable place to live. We've seen some that are affordable, but not so much with the safe and clean. Bryan and I are both spending all of our free time looking for a place.

Wish us luck. We really don't want to be homeless.

For the Grandmas, part 2

"The Real One?"

Watch this. Seriously.

Salivating Slightly

My friend Jamie is a really good cook (okay, so I don't think I've ever actually eaten anything she's made, but I used to visit teach her and whenever we'd go over, her house would smell oh so very good, and since good smelling food is also often good tasting food, I'm going to make the small jump and say that she can cook) so when I saw her weekly menu posted on her blog tonight I clicked on one of the recipe links that looked interesting. After all, if Jamie was going to make it, that meant it had to be good, right?

The link took me to A Year of Crockpotting, specifically the Brown Sugar Chicken recipe.

I then proceeded to spend at least an hour looking through a few months worth of crockpot recipes, including how to cook beans (which even after a tutorial from my Grandma, I still get nervous about) and how to make your own baby food.

Yeah, I may have a new favorite blog.

Thanks Jamie.

Adding My Support

I don't live in California right now, but my family does. My dad wrote the following and sent it as a letter to the editor for their local paper. With his permission, I'm going to post it here:

Recently a majority of Californians voted to retain marriage as between a man and a woman. When four judges overturned the will of the majority, a very vocal minority rejoiced.

Marriage advocates gathered enough signatures to get Proposition 8 on the ballot to restore the definition of marriage. The vocal minority quickly found large donors to finance a media campaign against the will of the majority. It seemed that this vocal minority was the majority.

Gradually, however, many of the silent majority have spoken up, donating, canvassing, calling, putting up signs, sporting bumper stickers. As this grassroots support for marriage gained momentum, the illusion that the vocal minority were the majority dropped away.

Unfortunately, some members of the vocal opposition have taken to other methods: removing signs and bumper stickers, shouting curses at sign twirlers, even physically assaulting Proposition 8 supporters.

In America even the silent majority has the right to free speech, not just the vocal minority. If some resort to theft, vandalism, and violence, they are only admitting by their actions that they have the weaker argument, the less worthy cause. We should express ourselves respectfully and let the entire electorate work it out at the polls.

Please, if you live in California vote yes on Proposition 8.

Expressions...and Grean Beans

What I Woke Up To This Morning

It's still October, right?

Bending the Rules

My friend Charlynn tagged me. Here are the rules:

Take the 4th picture from your 4th file and post it and then tag 4 people.

I cheated just a little bit. My 4th file, 4th picture was one of Bryan from Halloween a few years ago. We dressed up in 80's garb. He was very Miami Vice. I didn't think he'd love me putting that one up. So instead I chose the 4th file from the end and the 4th picture from the end of that file. It happened to be full of pictures of Peter and Cooper. Can't go wrong there, eh? This picture was taken at the beginning of August.

Thanks for the tag Charlynn. I feel like one of the cool kids.

The Mice Are Getting Bolder

Ten points to anyone who can identify which musical the title comes from.

(Aside: I'm not really keeping track of points, but I wonder what the conversion rate of points to Schrute bucks is...)

Are you tired of reading about the mice in our house? I know I'm tired of experiencing it. I've mentally been writing this post for a few days. There was going to be lots of complaining and ranting about unsanitary living conditions and the burden of carting my kids around in the car for days because we couldn't be home due to the smell of bleach wafting about our house as a result of disinfecting the mouse droppings and about how all four of us have been sleeping in our room (often all in the same bed, ouch) because Peter's room is right next to the kitchen. Yeah, it was going to be nice and angry.

But I've changed my mind. And it's thanks to Pahoran and Captain Moroni.

I'm right at the end of the book of Alma in the Book of Mormon in my personal scripture study. In chapter 60 Moroni sends off an epistle to Pahoran, the Chief Judge of the land. This letter is full of all kinds of righteous indignation because the armies that are fighting to defend the liberty of the Nephites have not received any aid from the government. Moroni wants to know why and goes so far as to accuse Pahoran of being more concerned with obtaining power than protecting his people. It might sound odd, but this is kind of how I've felt towards our landlord this week. I don't think he's after power, but I haven't felt that he has our best interest in mind.

Pahoran could have been just as upset with Moroni for accusing him like that. He could have written an angry letter back. But he doesn't. Chapter 61 is his reply. He says he has been run out of the judgement seat and that's why Moroni hasn't gotten the supplies that the army needs. But he is so glad that Moroni has such strong feelings and is working in the defencse of his people.

I can only see the rodent problem from my perspective. Who knows how our landlord sees it. It's true that my landlord and I don't see eye to eye on the mouse thing, but I don't have to write a crazy post complaining about it. Who knows, I still might if the problem persists. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't like the problem, but maybe I can't see the whole picture. We won't put the boys in danger by staying in a place where there mice spreading disease, but I don't have to completely condemn the landlord for it either.

Maybe this is part of the lesson that I needed to learn from this particular trial.

Fighting Mice

I'll be back soon. I hope.

No Reason, I Just Like Looking At My Boys

Thanks for taking these pictures Ian and Amanda. Hope you don't mind that I'm borrowing them.

Critter Update

We found the mice. They appear to be living in our stove. We won't be potty training today.

The Obligatory Potty Training Post

For the most part, I am not a lazy mom. Notice how I started that with "for the most part"? I've come to the realization that I am kind of lazy about one thing:

I really don't want to potty train Peter yet.

The fact that he is still in diapers makes my life much easier in so many ways. I can nurse Cooper without having to jump up and rush Peter to the bathroom. We can go shopping without leaving our loot unattended. I don't have to clean up any accidents. Yes, I do have to change diapers, but they don't really bother me. Plus those messes stay pretty well contained.

But I keep hearing about all these little boys that are younger than Peter and have successfully finished wearing diapers. If they were little girls I wouldn't be concerned. After all, don't boys have a reputation for taking longer to hit this particular milestone? But they're not girls, they're boys.

Peter has been telling me since April that he wanted to stop wearing diapers. Lest you think I've put him off for six months, know that I have tried. Kind of. We went out and bought a special little toilet, pull-ups, awesome Lighting McQueen big boy underwear as an incentive. But none of it seemed to make much of a difference. I think that his mind was ready, but the rest of him was not. He's spent lots of time trying, with some success, but not much.

And so, the underwear remains unworn, the pull-ups have been used when we've run out of diapers, and I saw Peter carrying around the inside of his little toilet today as a handy tote for his sippy cup. It was clean, but still gross.

I've begun to wonder, is he not potty trained because he's not ready, or because I'm not ready? It is with this thought in mind that I've been toying with the idea of potty training him this weekend. It's General Conference, so we don't have to go to church on Sunday. We can stay at home and follow Peter around with towels.

And if it doesn't work this weekend, I think I may be content to wait until the next General Conference.

To Do or Not To Do

So, I know I've already posted briefly about Mormon Mommy Blogs. My original question about it was because I thought that the whole idea was kind of silly. I mean, what was the point of all those blogs listed together? It seemed like a "look at me, look at me" kind of site. And then yesterday I went and checked it out again. And I read their purpose.

And I kind of agree with it.

This is part of their mission statement:

I originally called this site "Mormon Mommy Blogs" because I was kind of tired of hearing other Mormon bloggers derisively talking about mommy bloggers, as though we were all just a silly bunch of non-consequential fluff-meisters. (I mean, in my case, YES, TRUE, but still.)

I thought it would be fun to put together a site that showed how many of us there are, and how varied and unique we all are. The Mommy tag was more of an in-your-face thing, less of an actual label, although I wear it with pride. "I am Mommy Blogger, hear me roar."

I'm mature enough to admit when I'm wrong. But now I'm faced with the question: since I agree with what they're doing, should I show my support by adding my blog to the list? And the additional, somewhat anxiety-ridden quandary: into which category would my blog be placed?