LifeGem

So I stumbled upon a disturbing thing while I was looking around on the Internet. Apparently you can take the cremated ashes of a loved one or a lock of their hair and the LifeGem company will make a diamond out of it for you. That sounds absolutely creepy to have the remains of someone parading around on your finger. I get the concept, but I'm still creeped out by it. I just think the money would be better spent on something to honor the person's life, like a donation to a cause or something that the deceased was passionate about. What do you think?

Reflections on Teaching Jeremy

So, so far the biggest challenge of homeschooling is figuring out what Jeremy grasps right away and what he is challenged by. I have worked on homework with a number of different children when they came home from school, and it's amazing how different the children all are and how they all have different strengths. I know it's good for everyone to experience the basic elements of learning, but I wish somehow we could celebrate each child's accomplishments and strengths without comparing them to how others are doing. They can't possibly all excel in the same things, and it's good, because we need different kinds of brains in the world. I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to work with Jeremy and not rush him through concepts he may be having trouble with and whiz by things that are so easy for him. Nothing makes him learn better than my positive input and response to his efforts. I'm really excited to be able to expand our program after the baby comes and take advantage of all the opportunities that will make his school experience a great one! So many groups to interact with and fun things to do to learn and grow that just require me to feel good, so we can go experience and conquer! I'm so grateful for a supportive husband who gives his input on what he wants for Jeremy and boosts me up with confidence that we can do it! I'm so grateful for a sweet boy who loves me despite the many mistakes I make in learning how to be the best parent for him. It is such a solemn responsibility to be entrusted with a child sent from our Heavenly Father, and David and I fast and pray over all the life altering decisions we make in behalf of Jeremy. We would never think of doing it alone, because only our Father in Heaven knows what is best for each and every one of His children. He will always guide us if we ask for His help and direction. After all, this is the experience that He wants for us, to learn and grow and to be happy. Seek and ye shall find, ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Poll Results

So the majority of you are most irritable from lack of sleep. That's my number one trigger, followed by lack of food, rude people and waiting in line. They all make me grumpy, oh and the heat and nosy people and kids who scream just for fun and the rising cost of groceries and gas...it goes on and on. I guess I just need an attitude adjustment sometimes, how about you?

7 months

Per my BIL's request, here's an updated photo of the huge me. I feel enormous and I still have 2 months left. But I just keep thinking this is the last time!

Wii Bowling

So this was not a good bowling night for David and the Wii. He was doing so badly that he started goofing off, doing a wild spin as he threw the ball. He got 3 strikes in a row, it was hilarious! I told him not to try that in a real bowling alley or he'd knock somebody out!

Beach Day

So I decided to go to the beach with Jeremy this afternoon since it was going to be warm. My SIL and her kids came too and the kids had so much fun together! Amazingly we made it the whole afternoon with no potty runs! The kids ran races and built sandcastles. We all had a lot of fun watching the kiteboarders. They were amazing, all their flips and jumps in the ocean. There was a ton of them out there today, despite the San Diego shark attack.

Big Jump!

Big Red Mama and Jeremy

Ring around the Rosy

Where's the butterfly?

Jeremy wanted to take a picture of the butterfly in the backyard that kept landing near him. Can you see it? We obviously need to work on his zoom skills. ;)

Lonely grouchy day

So you notice my new poll is all about grouchy. I think it came to my mind today because that's how I feel. David has been gone all week and the friends that actually call and spend time with me are gone away, and I feel totally no desire to do anything. I was a good girl and went and took care of our friends' mail and animals and took Jeremy to the library to get the books he wanted and did school with him, but I feel no enthusiasm or joy. Anybody else have days like this?

The Magical Red Hair

So I've noticed that when I talk to most mothers, at some point in their baby's life always say to me, "My baby's hair looks red today!" They seem very excited about it. I think it's funny. It's like this magical color that everyone wants or something. I understand, I think red hair is amazing! But I also think it's so funny that we get so much more excited about it than any other color hair. You never hear any mother exclaiming, "My baby's hair looks brown today!"

Jeremy's latest drawings

So I thought I'd post some of Jeremy's latest drawings since that's how I save them. He's been really into drawing mountains lately and now he always puts snow on the top and our family in front of the mountain. He even draws the baby in, how cute! Also there's a volcano, a cat and a zebra.

Poll Results

So the vast majority of you prefer your chocolate milk made with chocolate syrup. I agree, that is the best, but my pregnant belly is really hooked on Ovaltine Chocolate Malt flavor right now. Yum Yum!

The Pregnant Man?

This is our friend Kevin. He has an unusual talent of being able to puff his stomach out as far as mine! I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but it's pretty incredible; he can set a cup on it. At first I told him it was creepy and not to do it, but now I just think it's funny so I took a picture on Sunday.

Newest Library Patron

When I was a kid, going to the library was definitely a top highlight of our week. Being homeschooled, we got a lot of books from the library and of course lots of fun books too. Well today Jeremy joined the ranks and got his own library card. He's been asking me to go to the library for a while, and I just have been lazy, because it's kind of a trek for me to walk around and look for books in there with my big belly and tired legs. But today we went and got books on volcanoes, cactus and the solar system, which are his current passions. I also got him some fun books. Look how happy he is!

Poll Results

So New Kids on the Block won the poll. I didn't vote because although I'm not a huge boy band fan, I love love love to hear men's voices singing together and every once in a while I get in a boy band mood. For those of you who voted other, leave me a comment and let me know who your favorite is!

Last week in pictures...

Me waiting for the doctor. Everything is great with the baby and the doctor said my weight is right on schedule!

Jeremy making friends at our homeschool group. He had so much fun playing with the other kids, especially this sweet little girl.
Daddy and Jeremy making a snake with the straw wrapper at Denny's.

Daddy and Uncle Jon rocking out to Guitar Hero.

Jeremy loves Uncle Jon's headlamp. It has different colors, so cool!

Jeremy helping Daddy test the new brake light on the car. I was a little nervous to see him behind the wheel until Daddy told me what was going on.

Conference Weekend

It was so great to have General Conference this weekend. Saturday we stayed home and watched it. I listened on the computer and got a ton of scrapbooking done since I do it on the computer now. Here's some samples of the pages I got done. Sunday we watched at Jon and Brooke's house. We went over for breakfast and ate lunch with them too. Then we took Jon with us to David's parents house for dinner. Jeremy had a really rough day with his head. He hit his head hard 6 times. They were all his fault, he was just going too fast, not looking where he was going, but it got to be funny and kind of sad after a while how he kept hitting his head. He started off in the morning opening the car door and running his head into it. Then he hit it a couple more times at Jon's house. At Grandma's house, Jon was playing the Wii and Jeremy ran in front of him when he was swinging at a baseball and then ran into the hardwood entertainment center. Jeremy wanted ice for that and then when he went to put the ice on the table he ran into the wall. Poor little guy. I wasn't sure how his brain power would be after that, but other than being exhausted last night, he woke up this morning raring to go and happy as a clam. That's my boy!

Poll Results

So the results were pretty tight. The majority went to personal chef. I want a personal chef to cook all the foods I like and make them all healthy but tasty and make sure I get all my veggies and eat a balanced diet. Plus I get the benefit of someone else cooking the food, which I love, without having to get dressed and go out! Be sure to vote in the next poll!

Pallbearer for Hire

So yesterday when I was visiting my friends I overheard them talking about what I thought was getting a job as a pallbearer. So I said are you going to be a pallbearer for hire? I'd never thought about that, but somebody has to do it and what if you don't have any manly men to do it in your circle of family and friends? Then they informed me that the casket actually is wheeled out on some device and the people don't carry it anymore, they just walk beside it. Well that's boring. But they weren't actually talking about being a rent-a-pallbearer anyway, just getting a job. Oftentimes I find myself overhearing things and my mind plays tricks on me and I think they said something far more interesting than they actually said. The other day in church they said something about Easter morn and I thought they said east end boys, you know like in that Pet Shop Boys song. It was so random. And I know they didn't say it, but I couldn't figure out what they had said, I had to ask David. I wish I knew what part of my brain that was, it's kind of fun to hear things that are more interesting than what they started out to be. :) I know you're thinking I'm crazy, but that's okay, aren't we all a little bit?

Wednesday

Yesterday was a busy day for us. I got the wild idea to go get Jeremy's 5th year pictures taken. After all his birthday was only 3 months ago. Then I thought we'd do some mommy and me pictures with my big belly. Well we had so much fun and they did a great job so needless to say we came home with a lot of pictures! But we haven't been in over a year, so I figured it was like I was saving up all my money for that visit. Plus we had Jeremy's birthday pictures and our mommy pregnancy shots so it was like two visits in one. Anyway, here's a few of them. Then we went to our friends' house the Whittams since they live in that direction and we don't get to see them often. At night I went to the Young Women dinner and broadcast and Jeremy went to Grandma & Grandpa's house to play, so we both had fun!