MAYLIN2007

I NEVER win anything. I am not kidding you, but guess what....I finally won something. And something cool. A very talented seamstress (handmade by hooli is her blog) had a drawing for a free purse and I just found out I won! You can purchase her things from her blog or etsy and she does do give-aways. Her things are amazing. By the way I just won, one. Did you hear? Hee he hee. Wow. I am amazed and totally thrilled!!! Also I wanted to give an update on my reading. I read The Princess and the Hound . This was beautifully written, absolutely wonderful, interesting, exciting, romantic, couldn't stop reading it wonderful! Wow. Read it if you have a chance. Stargirl This was great too. I loved it. In fact I bought the second one today called, Love, Stargirl It was a joyful book. It made me sad, even though it was joyful...get that? But it was about a girl who is different and people don't like her, yet she still loves herself! To be like Stargirl.... Also, I finished The Princess...

Tonight at dinner Maylin said she had a story to tell us. It went like this: "One day a kid went to his grandparents." McKenzie asked, "Is the kid a boy or a girl?" Maylin said, "Its a boy and a girl." Kenzie said, "Oh, there are two kids?" Maylin said, "No one kid. Its a boy and a girl on one pair of legs." By that point, we all started to laugh and none of us really heard the rest of the story. All we can tell you is that a giant and 14 pigs were also involved.

I was thinking about getting Maylin a Barbie for her "berfday" which is coming up. I really thought she needed one of her own. She loves all the old Barbie's from her sister, but I was thinking she needed one that was definitely all her own. Last night, she lined up all her Barbie's on the couch, putting them in families. When I saw them all: WOW! I think I changed my mind. Does any body have any other ideas for a "Berfday" gift?    

I love to read, but that love does tend to wax and wain. I remember periods I would read and I wouldn't get dressed or I wouldn't sleep because I had to get through that book. I also remember times (okay years) when I never touched a book. Lately, I have decided there has to be a balance. I can read, but still take care of my family and get dressed. I don't have to read every day, but I do have to read every week. Since our cruise, I have found this balance. I took a book on the cruise and loved it! Since then I have read 6 books. No one has been neglected. And my brain has been stimulated more than it does when I take those years off. I think it is because of the weather. Any who, here is what I have read. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George. She lives in Provo, Utah. She has two kids. It is a very fun book! A great read for anyone 10 and above. Highly recommend this book and its sequels! It is about a girl named Creel whose Aunt throws her to a dragon so she can be res...

Jay loves to be funny. He is always posing, wearing funny hats, and other humor provoking things. How do you not smile at least once in a while with him around? These were taken at a Chinese New Year's Party. He actually is the party! Don't cha think he and the camera have a great relationship?        

Today we went to a Chinese New Year's Party. Thanks Circe! While there, I talked to a lot of great people. One lady said she loved my blog and I had so many happy things going on. Of course, I told her I usually don't blog about the yucky things. Obviously, I do to a very small extent, air my unhappy or dirty laundry, if you will, but mostly I keep it upbeat. Maybe it is because that is what I want to remember. Maybe I don't want the world to know how truly dysfunctional I feel I am. I know I am my worst judge and I tend to look at the bad more than the good, but whatever the reason, please know my life is not perfect. I struggle. I struggle a lot, in fact. Since January, I have been suffering from something. Some may call it seasonal depression or the hazy day blues or the BLAHS. Whatever it is called it sucks. My sister called me the other day. She too is suffering a smidgen from the blahs. It was nice to know I am not alone. Talked to one of the moms at the party, they w...

In honor of President's Day, our kids' school has a yearly Patriotic Program. It shows the events in history that led up to the creation of our county and ends with a speech by Abraham Lincoln who is played by the principal. The 5th grade performs it and the other grades sing in the supporting choirs. It was Alex's turn to be in it this year. He was a Baron that worked to get the Magna Carta signed. Today I helped at the matinee performance and got some great shots of him. We are going as a family to watch the evening performance. Here is Alex with his friends, Benjamin Franklin, a chief judge and another barron. The last picture he is with his teacher who serves as a narrator.        

The Brown's invited us to their county's Families with Chinese Children celebration. We were so glad they did. We had a great time. We had a potluck dinner (everyone brought homemade, but me), a dragon parade, lots of great crafts and fireworks. Everyone had a great time!         Maylin loved the evening until after the parade. She started to get a bit nervous and asked to go home or to a different party. It was funny, about that same time several of the kids started to get emotional or nervous. We went out to the fireworks and the noise made her nervous, but the rest of the kids loved it. By the time the fireworks were over, she was excited again and back to her normal self. Maylin made plenty of crafts and loved playing in the dragon heads. Watching the fireworks. You can tell Maylin doesn't like it. After a few minutes, she ran to me and asked to go in.

I have a bloggy friend whose girls climb. I was laughing the other day at her blog showing her daughters on the TOP of their playhouse. I was so glad that it wasn't me. Maylin climbs and does gymnastics on swing sets, but never has she climbed on TOP of something. For the record...I spoke to soon. The other day Maylin was supposedly watching her favorite show (Phineas and Ferb), but instead she was doing a high flying trapeze act on the TOP of my canopy bed. After I caught her and about peed my pants, I ran and got my camera. You know, all good moms get their cameras at moments like these. After a few shots, I had her get down and we had the "Don't climb up there again because you could break your neck or my bed" talk.I am still amazed at how she sat up their so effortlessly. I think, no I know, I am in trouble. And I am still trying to imagine how she got up there in the first place. Maybe I don't want to know.      

For those of you looking for something to do with your little one, may I suggest these. Found them at Hobby Lobby. $4.99. Well worth it. We spent all day making this "Roarer Coaster." When the big kids got home they were interested too. I had a hard time pulling them away from the action. Maylin didn't do more than hook them together so I did the flowers and the house, but she loved just sticking them together in different ways. All you need is a damp paper towel or sponge. Then you tap the end of the nuudles to the damp object and stick! These come with a 5 star rating from me. No mess! Lots of fun! Cheap!        

This morning my hubby and I went to the kids' school to hear Aus give the "State of the School" speech. He is the Vice-President. He did amazing and doesn't he look handsome?! They also announced the 3 science fair projects that would be moving on to district. Austin was one of the 3!!! Yippee. Not only does Aus get a ribbon, but he gets scholarship money too. We think Aus, is the MAN!