Inktober 2

Blast off!!!!!!

Inktober 1st

I'm pretty embarrassed that it has been so long since I've hand drawn anything.  I use to draw a lot but three kids later I hardly use my hands and just do design work with the computer. So I am doing Inktober with my friend.

le sigh, now when I go to draw my ability to just doodle to draw and it becomes crippling till I lose myself in the glow of my computer reading a webcomic.

10 years gone

Spencer and I are celebrating our ten year wedding anniversary today. A week ago I was writing down what it was like to live in a split faith home, I am sure there is a much more eloquent word for this but I don't yet know it.

The hardest part was in the beginning. This was in 2005 or 2006. Ask Spencer he remembers all the dates

I really wanted to marry a Mormon. I felt that most all problems would be avoided if I found a devoted member.  

I found my husband who is a return missionary who has a long, long history of being in the church. 

Done! everything was gonna be perfect!

When he left I was really angry because I felt like I had done my very best at getting a perfectly dedicated Mormon man. 

He was really angry all the time. He was frustrated with church history and just wasn't feeling anything when he read the Book of Mormon. 

The most difficult part was living in Utah and LDS culture was all around. 

I talked about divorce. Spencer said, "Don't throw this around until your bags are packed and you are walking out the door." So that was our motto basically, there wasn't a quitting option. At least not an option to use in passing or to change behavior. 

I knew I was suppose to be with him. So we tried to make it work.

From this I had to fall in love with my husband again. I had to look at him differently. I had to find all the kindness and good in him and not focus on what I wished I had.

Wishing for an imaginary man is boring and a lot of work. It was much easier to find the wonderful in the man I had.

I felt divine love for him. 

What I wanted most was respect, this is exactly what he was looking for too. 

We've been together ten years today and I am so happy that I have Spencer.

Also I don't know this post especially since I am trying to have a serious post. I will end with this story:

Sam is so frustrating to play with. We try to play trains with him and our train can't "toot" it must "peep" and it can't go here it must go there. Sam will get frustrated and yell how we need to properly play. After just ten frustrating minutes of trying to play Spencer leans over and whispers, "Worst dungeon master ever." 

The EVIL message of Frozen

You know what Frozen has a really EVIL message...

It's a SUPER DARK EVIL message come in the first part of the movie and as much at I try to erase it from my kids minds I cannot. It wrapped its tentacles around their brain and I don't think I will be able to erase the damage it has wrecked on them.

All you need to do is listen to the lyrics of "Love is an open door" and you will know my problem. I cannot get my kids to shut the door. This is Frozen's fault.
It's snowing here and cold. A lot of times when my kids leave the door open I am changing diapers or feeding Brigitta and can't close it. Other times I am on the couch and too lazy. 

Please don't let your loved ones see this movie unless you really do want to be Frozen.

Parks and Rec

Bellingham is great. People really care about getting outside and getting kids active too.
I know this for a fact because I lived by a park.
People were always going to this park. Even at night, in the pouring rain. Exercise was THAT important.
One car would pull up in the dark I would see their tail lights on as they sat there. I assume the kids must be getting out that last burst of energy before bedtime, though bedtime after 11:30 pm seems a bit too late for me.
The car would wait and always another car would show up too.
More people just wanting to get some midnight exercise.
After a short time both cars would leave. I wish I was this dedicated to fitness.

The park was full of art...
Mainly nudes,
...really just a lot of penises. A whole lot of penises.
All over the place.
Most of them were in the primitivism style Maybe to have this on a playground was to explore the potential of spem to one day be children and to play on a playground such as this. Perhaps the artists were were going for pop art style and wanted the phallus to represent the way we see and talk about gender. Way to be current park!

Sadly all good things need to come to an end and us living by the park also ended. We moved to another part of bellingham.

Farewell park in Bellingham.

10 years

Today is the day ten years ago that Spencer and I started dating.

We planned to go out for it. I figured we were going to see Thor 2.
Spencer asked me to pick him up from band practice and we would head out from there. When I went to pick him up he had his bandmates played a song from the band we saw on our first date.
I really didn't think we were doing anything.

He planned to recreate what we did the first week we were dating.
When we first met he saw that I had a Marvel calendar. He said "oh cool, I like comics."I wasn't sure if he was just trying to impress me, so I asked him where this picture was from:

(it had no title or authors on the picture) 

He knew it was the Wolverine Orgin story and who the writers were. So I took him to the comic store I was going to. This is when we started to hang out a lot.

On the second stop on our date we went to the comic store where the guys there planned a quiz. They were to quiz him and he needed to prove that he was still worthy to be with me. There were some really hard ones like "Where in the DC universe does the giant penny come from...." Anyone reading know without using google?

This is him getting the giant penny question wrong. 

We went to WWU and he read some poems to me. We did that ten years ago but on the BYU campus. 

Here we are paler, older but I have much straighter teeth. Yay adult braces!

I've looked at other "mommy blogs" and have wondered the perfectly coiffed children, the fairy tale relationship and immaculate house full of Martha stewart quality crafts up celebrating each holiday.

Let me clarify some things: The night before this date we weren't even talking to each other we couldn't say two words without boxing gloves coming out. That's what I love most about being with Spencer.

Tiny people

In college there was this guy who wanted to impress me. So, when we were hanging he asked me if I wanted to see his Star Wars toy collection.

Honestly, who, after knowing a girl for about 4 hours asks her to see his Star Wars toy collection hoping that the magic of his plastic toys would make her swoon and desire to date him?
This guy is going someplace he has an R2D2 full of tiny people!

I hate Star Wars..... I HhhhaaAATTttTEE it.
My friends really loved the movies and I tried, I honestly did. But I think it's boring.

I couldn't refuse this invitation.
It's been 10 years now since I went on a first date with Spencer.
I still hate Star Wars.



(There is also a shoe box with more)
Ohh and for our date we saw a band called 'The Anniversary' which since has been very appropriate.

Oh Nos Christmas post already!

I'm even quicker than the grocery stores get ready for the Christmas post in October!

I'm posting this because this is something I collect throughout the year.

My best friend had an amazing wooden advent calendar filled with candy and wind up toys when she was little and earrings and money when she was older. I swore when I had my own kids I would do this.

If you go out in November and buy all the stuff there will be nothing left and will end up selling your appliances and blood to pay for anything else. Instead, when you are at a consignment store get  couple of books for $.50 or make doll dresses or little toys and by November you will have an awesome collection.

Spencer thinks this post is an awful idea. It's too grand and we should save it all for christmas and not get a gift a day and blah blah blah, sometimes I tune out after the first sentence. 
I married Scrooge. I kid you not he use to yell at neighborhood kids to "get off his lawn."
Replace model trains for transformer toys and you've got the classic grumpy old man.

I got this drawer organizer at Michael's. I bought this and some extra boxes. 

I filled the boxes with Trader Joe's Chocolate coins.

 These toys were all given to me by my 2nd mother Liz. She collected these through the year for Adia and showed me how to do this.

I covered them with tissue paper and little cutouts I made with a cricut machine. 

This year my kids will share it. It will be half books and a couple of movies with boxes with candy in-between.

Here is an example of a advent calendar of books http://sarahjanestudios.com/blog/2010/11/childrens-book-advent-calendar/

Sunday school

Spencer asked, "so now that I've showed you a couple of Star Trek episodes do you like it more than Star Wars?" (I don't like Star Wars.)

"yeah"

"ha! you're a nerd now"

"yep," I sighed. "You got me."

"I'm like your modern day Zeezrom… By the way when was the last time you read the Book of Mormon all the way through?"

"When I was 12."

"I've read it more recently than you," said Spencer.

"Look who's still going to church," I tell him triumphantly. "I bet you feel silly now."

Spencer gives me a confused look.

Never forget....

So I've been seeing a lot of this sort of stuff today.

And I am wondering, forget what? Forget that there was a terrorist attack. It would be like someone saying don't forget Kennedy was assassinated, don't forget there were two world wars.  

Why do they need to tell me not to forget? Maybe this is a in general don't forget things. Perhaps this is a campaign against Alzheimer's disease. 

I do feel it's odd that an attack has a slogan.

This eagle will never forget and you shouldn't either. 

Bill Watterson advice

When I have a project lately it paralyzes me.  I love what I do, I love my clients but lately my work doesn't manifest quite how I envisioned it.
I wasted time instead and found this. It's great
http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/browbeat/2013/08/27/watterson_advice_large.jpg

Fortress of Destitute

My kids found a fort on the beach. Inside someone had written.

And I must admit the times in my life that I have felt the most forsaken and have had a huge existential crisis has been in a driftwood fort on a serene beach.

Why driftwood fort? Why?

feels like yesterday

If you are reading this you are AMAZINGLY dedicated!
I don't think I have written here in two years. I think I stopped when I my parents divorced which was three angst filled years ago.

I've had another baby in that time!

Here is a story about a three year old.

(This three year old)

Today Sam grabbed a piece of meat from his plate, bent it into an arch and gasped, "… a meat rainbow," he said. It took him a while to fully grasp this concept. "A meat rainbow!" he shrieked delightfully. He began to kick his legs and twist his hand like he does when he is super excited.

"Sing the rainbow song daddy!" I started to sing 'Rainbow connection.' Sam gave me a glare, "No! not you I asked daddy. Sing the rainbow song daddy."

Spencer began to sing and Sam swayed happily holding his meat rainbow with a happy smile plastered on his face.

Magical Meat Rainbow.

I am posting him with a smore since I don't feel like a meat rainbow is what people want to see.

Here is Adia with the newest addition. World, meet 'Briggles.'

Here is the birth announcement

(This is edited from a Barberella picture. )

See you all in another two years.

R. R. Muffins

Spencer has waited six years to read the latest George R. R. Martin book, "Dancing Song Dragon Sword Ice Game."
Several days ago I made him these to enjoy his book.
The R's stand for Raspberry and Rhubarb.
I really enjoyed these books as well but I didn't want to keep reading after the red wedding. I feel like there is so much drama already in my life I don't want my entertainment to torment me.

Speaking of, I haven't written in well over a year since having my new baby and my parent's divorce. There was a lot going on and whenever I thought about making a post it was really preachy.

I am your king

I feel so lucky to live where I do.

We had a home visit from the midwife yesterday. There were some rather personal exams to do. So after all the outside work was done Spencer took Adia out of the room and the midwife and I fished the rest of the exam.

Later Adia wanted to play midwife and mommy.

"What's your midwife name?" I asked Adia wondering if she would pretend to be Kim, her nursery teacher.

"Fishy Turtle King, but others call me Katelyn." She said this like it was something I would recognize.

We checked blood pressure and listened to the heartbeat.

"Okay now the scary part," said Adia.

"What scary part?" I asked.

"The part where the midwife puts on the gloves." (This was the last thing Adia saw as she left the room.)

I couldn't think of what to tell Adia. The truth seemed way too complicated to explain plus I don't want her to play that kind of midwife and mommy with her friends. So I told Adia the midwife had to take some blood samples. It also seemed like someone who held the name of Fishy Turtle King would be an expert at drawing blood.

On another note: Mormons believe there is still more great knowledge to come. My sister has a theory that it is how to live as a global community.

I found this video last night about our empathetic civilization. I found it very beautiful and thought on what my sister said.

I really love this idea of viewing everyone as your countryman.

Ghost Rider... Word

I don't believe in karma there are some truly awful things that happen and I know it's not because of their actions.

Still, it's satisfying to see people get what they deserve.

I have a brother and he's older than me. No hallway or doorway was safe. You never knew when he was going to jump out. On several occasions shoved his socks in my mouth after football practice. He gave me welts by making his ring finger go perfectly limp, then whipping me with it. He chased my sisters and I on a moped and the fact that it was pink didn't lessen the fear (well maybe a little).

The other day I was talking to my brother's wife. I heard a scream in the background and sigh from the sis-in-law.

"What is it?" I asked.

"It's child #2 he isn't happy unless child #3 is upset."

I laughed maniacally for a long time.

Why are you even talking to me?

Me: Adia, why are you naked?
Adia: Cause I am.
Me: Sorry for asking such a stupid question.

I'm already being sassed my her. Guess I need to take back the pink backpack birthday gift and get that Prada bag she wanted.

I haven't written for a while since there have been too many things going on that would reduce me to ranting rather then what ever else I do here.
I drove to Utah and saw my little sister give birth which was beautiful but her hospital and staff were so barbaric and cruel.
My older sister moved so I was helping her pack and get rid of stuff (into my closet.) Her daughter and mine are best friends and I love my sister. This is going to be a hard move. It's great to have a friend you can fight with and it means nothing the next day.

Adia got to call her cousin where the conversation was mainly Adia telling Eva how much she liked grapes. I wish I could call people tell how much I love kombucha (pregnancy craving) and have them in tears because they don't understand why I am not over there hanging out with them.

two in a week is it your birthday?

Adia had a nightmare that the new baby ate all the yogurt.
Didn't even save her the empty carton to lick out.
Every night brings a 4am panic of being bumped.

She likes to take off her clothes and crawl around making annoying babble noises and refuses to ask for what she wants. I played along but I so sick of it. She even woke up screaming that I need to turn her big girl bed back into a crib.
I'm scared as her last effort she is going to try and crawl back into my uterus.

So mothers or two children how in the world can I get her to sleep through the night confident that I am not growing her replacement?

This is what I have done already:
I tell her I love her, she is still my little girl and I will always be her mommy. She is excited too she talks about the new baby and wants to be the one to hold the baby. I never call her the big girl or act like she needs to man up. I've read books about dealing with two kids today we are heading to the library for movies and books on kids getting a new sibling.

The girl with the rub on dragon tattoo

This will most likely be a boring post. When it comes to my kid I have no idea what's entertaining and what isn't.

Adia climbed into my bed around 4 am wiggling and kicking more then the baby trappedin my uterus.

I got fed up with my lack of sleep and asked her if she wanted me to go back to her room so we could talk about what was scaring her. I thought I would figure out if it was something in her room.

"Is there something in here that scares you?" I asked once we were settled in her room.

"Nothing in my room is scary," she says. "There's a dragon who is my friend and talks to me."

"What color is he?"

"His eyes are pink and his squares (think she means scales) are purple and his hand are purple and he has toesies and feet and his sticks (think she means spikes?) are purple and he has a tail... and wings. He's nice."

"Is he big or little"

He's big and there is a little dragon who is nice too and a yellow dragon is shy."

"When did you first see them."

"When they were happy... They live in a big hole and they come out and make scary things go away... Scary things like alligators and Tinkerbell."

"Wait, Tinkerbell is scary?" She's never seen Peter Pan but she has me read the picture book quite often.

"Yeah when she's mad."

We talked about it and she caught Spencer and I watching the special features on the making of Pushing daisies. I tried to explain that it's a halloween show where people dress up. She loves Halloween and wants to check out books and movies (Max and Ruby) about Halloween. I guess it didn't work the makeup job just looks too good on that show.

I need a following

Adia likes to pull the blankets out of my basket, curl up inside and fall asleep. She calls it her chickadee nest (for the worried moms out there the sides are loosely woven).

Today I watched kids climbing up the slide having a really good time about it.
I turned to the parents and said, "I love that you let your kids climb up the slide. It drives me crazy when parents make such a big deal about kids playing on something the wrong way. They are just having fun and getting exercise."
I was a little confused on their reaction I watch faces more then I listen to the words so when they said "Foot in your mouth."
I came to really confused on what that conversation was about.
I hardly listen to people when they talk.

Spencer told me that while the kids were climbing up the slide the parents were yelling at them to stop. I had congratulated them on not doing what they were doing.
I then watched the dad get up and scream in the little girls face about not climbing down the rock wall.
I'm really glad I didn't pay any attention to what he was saying. I'm a much happier person when I don't listen to people.

Also, Kids need to play more without parents dictating how it should be done.