.::still blinking::.

:: being safe ::

:: naps for me and the boy ::

:: remembering one year ago ::

:: and two years ago ::

:: learning to be an adult :: trying to be a good and smart parent ::

:: pulling out the summer clothes :: basking the the just warm enough sun :: leaving the windows open :: digging :: finding rocks and sticks all over the house that little hands have brought in ::

:: singing about alligators :: ernie on the moon :: itsy bitsy spider :: bumble bee :: rubber ducky ::

:: new friends for me and gentry :: watching to little bodies run around the yard ::

:: this suitcase ::

I packed a Mr. Bento lunch for jj yesterday.

In jj’s lunch there is edemame with a small container of soy sauce, sushi pizza, dried mangoes and Carob Fudge that is to die for, and a sliced apple.

Mr. Bento is a Japanese lunch box. It comes from the Japanese way a cooking and compartmentalizing different foods. You can view here, here and here.

Mr. Bento is especially nice because it has four different containers that you put in a larger stainless steal container. We put the stainless steal container in the fridge over night and it keeps the food that we put in it cold all day long. It also makes you feel very on top of things to have lunch prepared the night before, you can just grab it and run out the door. The smaller containers each have different purposes, there is the rice container, the liquid container with a rubber ring around it to keep things in or out, and then two smaller container for what ever else you would like.

We initially only bought one for jj, but I go out occasionaly and felt left out. So we got me one also. Usually jj just rotates between the two. When I need one I fill it with food for me and Gentry to take. The other day we went to Discovery Gateway, up where they have the helicopter on the deck we pulled it out and ate it. I had a spinach salad with raisins, cashews and blue cheese dressing. Gentry had his usual of corn chips and salsa. We shared an orange and some mango slices and were ready to go and play some more. It was also nice because it fit in the backpack that I had with me and I did not have to pay the astronomical McDonald’s prices for the food that was in the museum. The food was also nice and cold, like I had just gotten it out of the fridge.

We are a bento family, always on the lookout for good things to fill our bentos with. You can see what people are doing with their Mr. Bento’s here.

Carob Fudge (from Simple Foods For the Pack)
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons carob powder (I just used cocoa powder)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon water

Put seeds in a food processor and grind to a powder. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Store in a lidded container.

Optional: Add 1/4 cup shredded coconut.

:: when we asked him what she was doing, he said she was loving ::

:: spending time in Logan :: taking relaxing walks while holding little hands or bodies ::

:: driving home in a misty blue storm ::

:: ikebana flower arranging :: this one and this one also ::

:: Dado Cubes ::

:: play with me mom :: dig with me mom :: chase me mom :: hold you ::

I read the Book of Mormon on occasion. I am no scriptorian, but it has been recommended that as a Mormon I should read it everyday. I am closer to once a week. In my weekly reading, I read in the Book of Ether about Akish. Feel free to correct me at anytime here.

Generally, how I remember it is Akish was the daughter of someone who was in power. To get her father out of power she danced (probably a little like the Pussy Cat Dolls) for a guy. The guy decided he wanted her to be his wife. She told him that she would marry him if he brought her her fathers head. I have not finished this tale or I don’t remember how it ends, but I would have to say that it is more than a little gory. And this is recommended reading for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I believe the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, but it is bloody. I was telling jj about this this morning and he said if they made a movie about the Book of Mormon it would be rated R.

So last night at my book club, we discussed These Is My Words. Which I have talked about here. It is a story of a woman at the turn of the century when Arizona was being settled. There are wars with the Indians (Native Americans), people are killed and scalped by them. There are bandits hanging around waiting for times to rape women and children. It was a lawless time, a time when you took care of yourself.

So, a woman (who happens to be in my ward) came to the bookclub and had not read the book. Every time we said killed or raped or died, she scrunched up her face and said things like, I am glad I did not read it. When the talk turned to sheepskin condoms, which I guess was a form of birth control back then, she got up and left. I was more than a little irritated. Real life is rated R, not by choice and you hope those things never happen to you. But they do, and pretending that things don’t happen doesn’t make them go away or not happen. Facing the issues and being prepared is more productive and more realistic than wishing them away.

Annie did a great review of the book, which I also recommend.

My, my. What do you have here? Could it be bananas in little boy slippers?

Obviously, where else would you keep them? This is similar to the time I found my clog full of raisins, somehow I prefered the clog filling more than this.

Trying to thwart anymore attempts at black eyes.

:: the idea of the boy eating actual food ::
:: the book that may make it happen ::
:: boots like superman that can help you fly to the things you want ::

:: mangoes ::
:: the sun coming out to warm me ::
:: warm little bodies to snuggle with ::
:: going outside to play ::

Remember this lady.

I want to keep going to the playgroup, but I am getting frustrated with other moms abilities to watch their kids, or lack there of.

One child at the play group was putting hula hoops around other kids necks and pulling them over. He is like five, everyone else is two-ish.

What do I do about this? What if the mom’s are not punishing their kids? Do I just give up and stop going? What do you guys do when people are mean to your kids? It is so frustrating to me. Can I tell other peoples kids what to do?

Also, I put Gentry in the daycare at my gym for an hour this morning while I worked out. He came back with an extension to his black eye. It now extends down his cheek and is really blue. Several people asked me what is wrong with his face today. I did not beat him. I wouldn’t. Do I let the gym know that my son came back with a huge bruise on his face today or is that just part of leaving kids in daycare?

I get the child food. It’s what I do, it is almost what I live for. The other day I was getting him some completely nutritious and natural snacks out of the pantry, Hershey Kisses.

To reward me for my kindness he came over and bit me on the butt. It didn’t really hurt, it mostly just scared me. But I yelled at him because I was startled by the pincer in an unexpected area and jj made him have a time out. When I was safely out of his site I burst into laughter, the silent and deadly kind. I did not want him to know he was so hilarious.

That is the last thing I need. A land shark who thinks he is funny. I keep imagining his little teeth sinking into my ample rump.

I had a great big list of things to do today, including visit Ross (the store, not a relative or friend) that just opened up near us. So exciting. Something that was not on the list, pruning the bushes in the yard. But the kitchen floor was just mopped and I could not get around to get other things done, so Gentry and I headed outside for just a few minutes to do a little yard work and diggin’.

The pruning went very well, so well in fact that I cut off the tip of my left thumb. I did not really see it happen. I just put it in my mouth and ran to find jj. I told him I had hurt myself and did not want to see it. He made me put it under running water and looked at it. It is not bad. I don’t need stitches, but I think that I am definitely going to miss the tip of my finger. I don’t think that it will grow back normally, I will always have a little indention. Fortunately, you don’t need your left thumb to type.

jj took over the house work for me and finished making a lovely St. Patty’s Day feast. We had corned beef and fried cabbage which is strangely like candy, and whole wheat biscuits. Besides being my nurse he turned into my personal chef, what a great guy.

While he was making dinner and I was supervising, Gentry was running around looking through a view finder and ran into a wall. He is going to get a black eye. This one is not from us, I would just threaten it with my mind powers. When we put him to bed tonight he had major purple and blue bumps around his eye socket. In the morning he will probably be completely black and blue. I feel so bad. He did not really care though, so we went outside and he ran around like a crazy guy.

We will have to survey the damage in the morning, on both of us.

I keep thinking of things that I am going to have trouble doing. Changing diapers. Flossing. Unbuttoning my pants, I already had to have jj do that for me. I am sure he minded terribly. I may have to wear stretchy pants for several days in a row now.