We must all hang together!

I am still without dryer. The part is hopefully on it's way, but in the meantime we've been having some fun (along with too much ironing). I was searching for hanging laundry tips and found these quaint pictures of laundry around the world:

Scotland:

France:

Italy:

Then there's us:




It's such a novelty for the kids that they beg to help! It is kind of fun, if I can learn how to get less wrinkled clothes out of it. Another problem is the weather--it's supposed to rain all week. I was shocked to learn that a lot of homeowner's associations will not allow you to have clothelines outside. Thank goodness I'm not part of one! I do get the neighbors dog barking at me a lot when I'm hanging clothes out. He'll get used to me just when the part comes, I bet.

The Latest Brit Lit Chick Flick: Emma

This is the second version of Emma I've seen, and although I prefered Kate Beckinsale as Emma more than Gwyneth Paltrow, I thought the other version with Gwyneth made in the same year was better overall. Here's scenes from both to compare:

Emma-with Kate



Emma-with Gwyneth



In both versions, Mr Knightley has hair issues! Anybody seen either one?

The Post Just to Have a Post

Wow! It's been over a week since I've posted. I guess life is pretty mellow for us now. I have nothing grand to write about, which can dangerously lead to rambling. The most notable part of our week is that our dryer isn't working. We are waiting for the part to come in the mail. In the meantime, we have clothes hanging everywhere in the house to dry--on shower rods, kids bunkbeads, the garage, and even the underwear out on a clothesline in the backyard. The great thing about it is that everywhere I go in the house it smells great! My favorite smell is clean laundry and I'm surrounded by it!! Just think, if I did this all the time, I could save money on utilities and expensive air fresheners. The downer is that a lot of things need to be ironed.

I also have recently come up with a solution to a big problem in our house. We have so many cups being used at any given time that I can never remember which one is mine. Does anyone else have that problem? So one day I was looking at a mini paper clip, and I put it on my cup so I would know it was mine. The only problem with this is that I felt like I was going to poke myself in the eye. So Anna came up with the wonderful solution of putting a rubber band around it. Perfect! Of course then everyone wanted to do this with different colors, but I said that wouldn't work because then I wouldn't remember which color rubber band was mine and I'd be back at square one. That's when things started getting out of hand: three rubber bands on a cup, one with an eraser stuck in it, or a plastic bread tab, and even a Frito.

What else? The outside of our house has been half painted for a couple of weeks thanks to weather. I watched the 1931 version of Dracula. I did another dinner exchange and brought back home taco salad, pork sandwiches, spaghetti pie, broccoli-cheese soup, chicken noodle casserole, and meatball and sausage spaghetti sauce. I have been to one board meeting for Young Women and one 3-hour planning meeting for the youth. Dan and I have walk/jogged three times. I have an annoying pain in my upper lungs that has lasted for a month and I would like to take a vacuum and suction it out. Three of my kids have science projects due this month, and one has just finished a history day project. I did scrap booking with good friends this afternoon and got 3 pages over the "brain-pain" hill. As usual I talked too much and put on display all of my faults. I shouldn't admit this but I have read six books so far this month. It's a natural byproduct of trying to "cut expenses." Oh, and I almost forgot--my toenail fell off.

Family Portraits

Here are some pictures of the family that the kids drew in church last Sunday:

The first is Jeremy's. Notice his depiction of Kaylynn and the caution tape wrapped around her waist. I should also note that we do not have a hamster.


This is Anna's. Notice the picture of a baby with a line through it and how demented Jeremy looks.

And Amy's. I think she did the most accurate drawing of Dan's and my hair.

From my previous life

Chris emailed this drawing to me from a letter I wrote to him while he was on his mission. Jeremy was about 7 months old and Kaylynn was 2. I know my life may seem cushy now, but I've paid my dues! And this was just my second child. I thought this went along with the mommy questionnaire:

1. How long have you been a Mom?
13 1/2 years (that makes me feel old)
2. How many kids call you mommy?
4
3. When you were pregnant did you know what you were having?
Kaylynn-no, Jeremy-no, Anna-yes, Amy-yes (the first two because Dan didn't want to know, the second two I realized I was the one carrying them and going through labor, so I had the right to find out.)
4. How old were you when you became a mom?
2o or 21, I don't remember exactly and I'm not capable of mathematical computations since becoming a mother
5. How long were you in labor?
Technically, I'm in labor for a month--I dilate about a centimeter week until I hit about 5, and then it's usually just a couple of hours after that. I've never pushed more that once or twice.
6. What’s your favorite thing about being a mom?
Reading with my kids, hugs, seeing them doing good things
7. What’s your least favorite thing?
Sickness. When we thought Jeremy might have cancer was really hard, and croupy nights are unbearable for me. Luckily that doesn't happen much anymore.
8. Do you want more kids?
No. Although I would rather have a child than a dog, I learned this year, and that's saying a lot.
9. Have you ever taken your kid(s) on a trip?
Road trips: Albuquerque, NM, Denver, CO, Minot, ND and all of the places to and fro. Other far away places: San Simeon, Big Sur, Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Salt Lake City, Nowhere, Arizona, Lake Tahoe.
10. How many times have you been peed on?
Those are distant memories I don't care to recall.
11. How many times have you been barfed on?
Again, best left unremembered
12. Are your kids named after someone?
Kaylynn Glenna-first name grandma's middle names put together, middle name-after Great Aunt Glenna; Jeremy Daniel- middle name Dad's name; Anna Kathryn-Anna is kind of like my middle name, mostly just liked the name and had it picked out before I even conceived her; Amy Ruth- Ruth after Dan's grandmother. If I had another baby (which I'm not) I have already picked out a name-Joshua Dennis-Dennis is my dad's name. But I would probably have girl, for which I have no name.
13. When is the last time you had a sitter?
We've got a built in one now.
14. When your kid gets in trouble, who is the bad guy?
As Voldemom, I guess that would be me, but Dan always backs me up
15. What is the longest you have been away from your kid(s)?
I was away once for about five days for girls camp.
16. Are your toes painted?
Half-way-it was done a few months ago and is growing out.
17. Last movie you saw in theater?
National Treasure 2 (last Friday)
18. One thing you will not give up just because you’re a mom:
Reading too much
19. One thing you did give up now that you’re a mom?
For a while there I felt like I gave up my identity. I felt like my personality was in the witness protection program or something. I remember thinking that the person that I really was had no purpose in my life of being a mom. It's starting to get better now that the kids are growing up, but it's a process.
20. Favorite Cartoon?
I am generally not a cartoon person, but I would have to say The Simpsons
21. Favorite Snack:
Unhealthy: chex mix, walking tostada Healthy: Triscuits with Hummus
22. When the kid(s) are napping, you are:
Naps? All of my kids gave them up when they turned 2.
23. Where is/are your kid(s) now?
Kaylynn is asleep (she babysat until 12:30 last night), Jeremy is playing Game Cube, Anna is coloring, Amy is also coloring.
24. If I could do it over, I’d do this differently:
Everything has turned out well, so I can't complain, but I sometimes wish I had spent some time before marriage and motherhood going away to college or traveling, because you can never get that individuality back. You can still go places and learn, but you will always be thinking and worrying about your children.
25. What is a lesson you’ve learned as a parent?
What? Was I supposed to be learning something through all of this??