Friday, February 29, 2008

Obsessive Personality Disorder

I don't know if it's a real thing, but if it is, I have it. It displays itself in a few different ways:

Cookies & treats -- when they are in the house, I have no self control. I must eat them. And while I'm in the middle of eating one, I'm thinking about how good another one would be so I grab a second, and so on. After a few I'll stop, and then feel sick. But it doesn't take long for me to pass through the kitchen again and remember how yummy they are. Now this is not true for all sweets. I can easily resist things that are not my favorites. But for the things I really like - for instance yellow cake with chocolate frosting or well-made chocolate chip cookies - I have no defenses. Case in point: Note the full jar on Monday and the empty jar on Friday. This was a double batch! I wish I could say I delivered them to all the neighbors, but I didn't. Scott had a few, Brenden had more than a few, Oliver didn't like them, June ate some crumbs, but by far I ate the majority of them. And I'm so sad they're gone.


Reading -- I've always loved reading. I remember going on our big family vacation to France and spending most of the time reading some Orson Scott Card book. In college I realized I could not read for fun anymore because I neglected the rest of my studies. I would read during school breaks and it was a real treat. Then when I had kids, I would neglect the laundry and the meals and the house and so I decided that had to be the thing in my life I would give up completely. I just don't have any self-control and there are too many other things that need to get done. It's just not my phase of life for reading but I will excitedly take it up again "later in life".


Puzzles & games -- I used to love to do jigsaw puzzles - the big 1000 piece ones. But once I started having dreams of the puzzle pieces floating through space to find each other, I had to stop. I went through a phase playing a lot of Word Whomp on the computer. Ahhh that was a fun game. But then one day I was reading scriptures and realized I was taking the letters in the words I was reading and re-arranging them to make other words. So that had to go.

Recently this one has gotten a little complicated as the lines have been blurred with my desire to be a "good mother". First it was Guitar Hero. I'll admit it was a fun game I enjoyed in and of itself for myself. I would play too much and even by myself late at night. But I was willing to give that up. But then there's Oliver. He can't play the game well enough to make enough money to get the things he wants to buy for his character. So I'd help. I'd play a few songs for him just to make him some money. So see, I was helping him - being a "good mother." But the neglect started creeping in and he started telling me he didn't want any more money. So that had to go.

But now I've discovered something new and once again it's all in the name of helping Oliver. It's the Triple Strike Solitaire game on Webkinz. Wow now that's a fun game. It's quick and easy and methodical and deals with numbers. But I can see what's happening and after tonight, there will be no more. Oliver will have to earn his own Webkinz Dollars just like every other kid. But if you are a Webkinz mom and you don't have the same problems of self-control that I do, then you should totally try it.


Is there anything you've had to cut out of your life because of self-control issues? Am I approaching this the wrong way and running away from the problem rather than facing it?

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Spring is in the air!

Listen, I've been a good sport about this whole winter thing. I mean I had no problem with L.A.'s 72 degree round-year weather, but I'm tough and resourceful so I was willing to introduce seasons back into our lives with a move back to Utah. And we did this winter up right. We did lots of sledding, went snowmobiling, snow shoeing, skiing, snowboarding, got some great snow gear, went to a couple cabins, made fires in the fireplace, wore sweaters and jackets and hats and mittens, and drank lots of hot cocoa. We did not shy from the cold. We embraced it - all season long.

But who am I kidding?

I LOVE SPRING.
I HEART SPRING.
I LONG FOR SPRING.
I ENDURE WINTER TO GET TO SPRING.
AND SPRING IS IN THE AIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today the weather was beautiful so I proclaimed that the hours from 4 to 6 would be spent only outdoors. The boys complained a bit - the xbox just got fixed, it's boring outside, the bike ramp is in the basement... But I insisted and pretty quickly they got on board. We inspected the garden. Looks like the bulbs are starting to sprout. Looks like there's new growth on some of the perennials. Looks like there's lots and lots of deer poop everywhere (does that make good fertilizer?). Looks like some weeds were growing under the snow - that doesn't seem very fair! But I even enjoyed spending an hour pulling them and I paid Brenden $2/hour to help me (he only made it 45 minutes). Oliver rode his bike to Joe B's house and played in their fun yard.


June was a little perplexed and stunned by the experience. This was her first post-crawling venture outdoors. I sat her down in a comfortable spot on the grass (far from any deer poop) and gave her my keys and a small ball to play with. Oliver offered to be in charge of making sure she didn't crawl into the street if I would be in charge of making sure she didn't eat the grass. I decided a little grass was probably ok so left her on her own for a bit while I weeded. 45 minutes later she was still sitting in the exact same spot. It hadn't even occurred to her to move. Finally she was getting a bit discontent but rather than crawl over to me she just started reaching and wimpering a bit. Funny girl. Guess it's going to take a little getting used to.

So I'm sorry, Scott, but we're embracing Spring around here. I know it means the evil Summer is on it's way, but I'm choosing not to focus on that right now. For now we will enjoy the lovely inviting cool warmth complete with new growth and a slight breeze. Spring is in the air! Can you feel it?

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

how could I resist?

There are two things I crave every day:


#1 for Scott to ask me to do something for him


and...


#2 cookies



Today I woke up with a resolve to eat better. This was going to be the day I was going to keep track of everything I ate and stick to a 1200 calorie diet. I was going to lose those new baby love handles starting today! And I was off to a good start. I stopped at one bowl of cereal. Pulled out the raw carrots for a snack. Had a yogurt for lunch. But at 3pm when Scott called and ASKED ME (#1) to make COOKIES (#2) for him to take to his home teaching families, really, what was I to do? Fate was telling me today wasn't really my day.

But on a positive note, I think I made a break-through in my continual search for the key to good fluffy cookies. I've tried using shortening, room temperature ingredients, plenty of mixing, following EVERY step meticulously, but finally today I tried the high altitude alterations, and by golly I think I've got it. They are perfect.

C.E.O. Brenden & his trusty assistant

Today Brenden was sick. I let him stay home from school for a half day. This is a rare and noteworthy occurence as I am not a very compassionate nurse and am not quick to give in to the requests to stay home from school. But he was coughing and we got the note home recently asking to keep them home when they are symptomatic so I gave in. He set himself up in the guest bedroom in front of the TV and all day long Oliver stayed by his side as his trusty assistant. Every so often Oliver would come down with a request: "Brenden would like some orange juice" or "Brenden would like the computer" or "Brenden needs a vitamin to get better." It was actually quite sweet.

p.s. Brenden did choose to go to the second half of the school day since I told him that if he didn't go to any school he couldn't go to any after-school activities. He has long been looking forward to going to Progressive Power Tumbling today, so he made a miraculous recovery after lunch.

Monday, February 25, 2008

all good things must come to an end

Well yesterday sadly marked the final installment of Sarah's Birthday Celebration Week. We knew it would come eventually, but we were still sad to say goodbye to a good run.


Scott is the envy of all gift-loving wives. He shops at all the right stores, asks the sales girls for suggestions, and even saves up money in his own bank account so I don't have to know or feel guilty about how much he spends. It sure is convenient how close Soel Boutique is to the studio! Thank you Scott!


Tuesday day I got to spend with June & Oliver first at the doctor's office for Oliver's 5-year-old Kindergarten checkup, and then, to make up for the fact that he had to get 3 shots, at Chuck E. Cheese's for lunch. Although it is NOT one of my favorite places on earth, at least we got a few free tokens since it was my birthday.


Tuesday night Scott took me to the lovely Tree Room restaurant at Sundance. This IS one of our favorite places on earth and we go for one thing: the Pepper Steak. Honestly, once you have had this, NO other steak will compare. It is so wonderfully seasoned and so tender and the spinach- mashed potatoes-mango chutney accompaniment is sublime. Scott says just like how the Indians(?) have 10(?) different words for Love(?), we should have different words for food, because this steak, and Oliver's daily frozen pizza should not have to share the term. It is not cheap, but well worth it for a birthday splurge!


Thursday night, Rachel surprised me with a night out at the ballet. We saw Ballet West's Cinderella at the beautiful historic Capital Theater. It was awesome. It's fun to get dressed up, rub elbows with the Salt Lake socialites, and I could spend all night admiring the classic old building. We had a great view of the orchestra, and the costumes, scenery, and above all the dancing were breathtaking. (And it was only a little bit gay this time - the step sisters were played by men, but that was just for comedic relief.) I just love seeing people being passionate about developing and sharing their talents. It really was a treat. Thanks also to Scott & Christine for sharing babysitting duties to make it possible.


Friday night our great friends Ryan & Emily made the trek down from SLC and took us out for a lovely evening of thai food sans kids. The Pad Thai was delectable & the company delightful. Sure wish we lived closer. We tried to sell them on the house next door (we've tried to sell all our friends on that house!) but they are Salt Lake people through & through (but we won't hold that against them!).


Saturday (well this wasn't really for my birthday, but super fun and noteworthy nonetheless) we took the boys (and Rachel) up to go tubing at Soldier's Hollow. It was amazingly warm (read: beach-intensity sun, clear skies, tank tops, continually removing layer after layer down to the basics) and we all had a great time.




Then Sunday afternoon Rachel, Christine & Scott put on a great birthday dinner - featuring my Sunday traditional favorite: pot roast & mashed potatoes. And for dessert, you just can't beat yellow cake with chocolate frosting.



Thanks for everyone's well-wishes and generosity! I do indeed feel well feted, special, important, and very blessed indeed.

my top 4

Annee has requested my list of top 4 hates (see previous post) so here you go:

1) I hate a messy car. I clean it out between every stop and get it washed and vacuumed as often as I can.

2) I hate naggy and whiney wives. I have no sympathy or tolerance for them (probably to a fault).

3) I hate it when people mess up my piles when I'm doing the laundry (although everyone's getting much better at this now).

4) I hate the idea of being early. I have to say "the idea of being early" because a)I haven't actually been early often enough to know that I hate the actuality of it and b)the few times I have been early it hasn't really been that bad. But in advance I always think it will be so boring and wasted time that could have been better spent doing something else.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

HATE is a strong word

Oliver is our most "passionate" child. His mood swings are extreme and he does not mince words - he has no problem letting you know exactly how he's feeling at any particular moment. Yesterday when I picked him up from school he was excited to tell me all about how a dentist came to their school and we needed to brush his teeth in small slow circles. Then he pulled out the free toothbrush the dentist gave him and became quite disturbed when he discovered that he got a pink one. It started with confusion, then frustration and disappointment but very quickly it escalated to a full-on fit. I tried to suggest that maybe the dentist knew he already had a lot of toothbrushes (I think he has about 7 of various themes) and that June was getting some new teeth so maybe it was supposed to be for her. But this argument didn't go over well. He was mad. He wanted to stop and get a new one. I said no. He yelled. He thrashed about. He threatened that he wasn't going to wear his seatbelt (a few extra sharp turns changed his mind).

When Oliver gets mad, he wants everyone to know he's really mad. Often at home this means running up to his bed and then yelling/crying loudly. In the car yesterday, he started making a list of things he HATES. Hate is a strong word and the kids are not allowed to use it towards people and generally I encourage them not to say it at all. But this time I was slightly amused by his list and I didn't really feel like adding to the episode. So I listened... and took notes. Note that these things don't have anything to do with what we were talking about or doing on that particular day or for that matter for at least a week.

1. I HATE TRAINS! They are for babies and they are boring! Today as we were driving up Provo Canyon he was really excited to see the Heber Creeper steam engine.

2. I HATE GOING TO THE GAP! He actually loves the Gap as he's figured out that's where his "coolest" clothes came from.

3. I HATE GOING TO BLOCKBUSTER! He asks to go to Blockbuster almost every day to get a new Max & Ruby (cool?!) DVD.

4. I HATE CABINS! This is an obvious reference to our recent trip to Kingfisher Ranch where he had the time of his life.

Oliver's poor, timid little friend Jaden who we carpool with was a bit shocked by the whole thing and brought to the brink of tears as I dropped him off. But by the time we got home, Oliver had forgotten all about the toothbrush and went inside and was perfectly fine for the rest of the day.

So it makes me wonder... if you were mad, what would be the top 4 things on your list of hates (completely unrelated to the thing that originally made you mad)?

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Kingfisher Ranch

the drive











The drive wasn't too bad - about 3 hours through Provo Canyon & Heber then to Evanston and on to the ranch. We saw several moose, deer, Oliver pointed out all the black cows and horses. We were delayed slightly by a modern-day cattle drive down the highway. We left early and arrived at Kingfisher Ranch in Wyoming on Saturday morning.


the snow
















It was cold and VERY snowy and the ranch was beautiful. The accommodations were perfect and it was relaxing and so great to get away. Right outside the door of the main cabin was the perfect place for icicles and snow angels.


day 1











For outdoor winter activities at the ranch, we could choose between snowmobiling, sledding, tubing, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing - and we tried them all. On Saturday Scott, Paul, Brenden, Oliver & I took the snowmobiles out for a run and then stopped to do some sledding. It was a gorgeous day with a sky full of sun and fluffy clouds. Paul showed us what a daredevil he is (Oliver kept saying "don't do it" while Brenden egged him on) going on a couple sled runs down the highest cliff. The snow was waist deep so the trek back up the hill was hard work but the boys still managed to get quite a few runs in (the adults did a few too!).


day 2












The next day we went on a cross-country ski and snow shoeing hike. It was amazing how well they work to keep you up on top of the deep snow. We saw moose tracks, fancy cows, and wrote messages on the frozen-over pond. 8-months-pregnant Holly was such a sport. Oliver was pro using his own snow shoes from Aunt Stephanie. Scott and I were on skis which brought back some vague memory of cross-country skiing with Mom along the Potomac River (someone please corroborate this memory??).


day 3

Before leaving on Monday the guys got in a little more snowmobiling - this time pulling each other behind on sleds and tubes. Scott and Paul showed off their 360s and jumps (and wipe-outs). Oliver and Brenden did some great stunts too.


june

June spent most of her time in the warmth and comfort of the cabin. Paul & Holly were an eager and captive audience for all her new tricks - waving, clapping, "nigh-nigh" (first words?!), and of course plenty of treats.


thank you!!!

Thanks so much to our gracious hosts, Paul & Holly Jacobsen. Guess it's about time to start working on the next album so we can go again soon.

Friday, February 15, 2008

misc

June has decided Valentine's Day is her favorite holiday since people tend to leave chocolate kisses lying around within her reach.



We had a fun, albeit much too short, visit with Grandma & Grandpa Z this week. We were sad to say goodbye but we're looking forward to getting together again this summer at the beach!




Oliver and Joe B. enjoy a glimpse of sun



p.s. We're packing up to go to Paul Jacobsen's family's ranch in Wyoming for the holiday weekend. We'll post some pics when we're back on Monday.

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day




I'm a sucker for homemade Valentines cards. This year I took my inspiration from my new favorite blog (it's all so beautiful I just want to make everything!) and modified it a little so the kids could help. They got to pick the paper and punch out the hearts and do the writing and assembly. I did the cutting and sewing (yes that is a machine-stitched outline around the heart). Then we put them in cellophane envelopes with a piece of candy. I thought they looked great. The best thing was we had all the supplies on hand so it didn't require any trips to the store!

When we were growing up, there were plenty of things we didn't do and our house was sometimes chaotic and disorganized, but I have a memory of always handmaking Valentines cards. Wasn't that normal? Isn't that what you're supposed to do? In both Brenden and Oliver's classes there were only 1 or 2 others who made them. So I'm sure one of these years they'll ask for the Spongebob pack so they can fit in better and then my fun will be over.

Last night, after all the parties and delivering dinner to a family in the ward, Scott and I went to Solid Ground in Salt Lake where he played a show with Atherton. They were playing with The New Frontiers, touring from Dallas. Both bands were fantastic. It was a great show. While they were setting up I drove to the mall and spent a couple hours browsing on my own and got takeout from Pei Wei. That was a treat.
I love you so much, Scott. You make my life happy and funny and interesting and complete. You are my Valentine every day and I am so grateful for you. (And you are a sexy bass player!)

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Oliver Zackrison Wiley

Presenting the family's newest 5-year old...


The new 5-year-old Oliver likes:
the color black
cheese pizza
his friends
his faux hawk
monster trucks
cool clothes & shoes
rockin music






The new 5-year-old Oliver knows how to:
read
do 100-piece puzzles
ride his 2-wheeler bike off curbs
play the piano
build legos
play chess





The new 5-year-old Oliver is:
creative
passionate
smart
curious
cool
funny
sensitive
thoughtful
brave
strong
a great brother





Oliver's school teacher called him:
a true leader
a great friend to everyone
quick to learn new things
intent on always doing his best work
fun to have in class







Five Years Ago Today...
we've come a long way



To celebrate Oliver's birthday, I took him to the mall to pick out a new outfit. He was so excited about it he said, "I don't think it's fair that at my party I get to wear cool new clothes and all my friends don't, so maybe we should get them some too."

He's particularly excited about his shoes:

We had a party with 5 friends at our house before school. Oliver planned everything including that everyone needed a nick name (his was Tony Hawk Travis Pastrana; others were Spike Ball, Killer Whale, and Bulldog). He carefully selected and turned on the background music (Naked Brothers Band). We played freeze dancing, red rover red rover, Hullabaloo, and balloon toss, and we made the annual traditional monster truck cake. It was a blast!










Happy Birthday Oliver
We love you!

p.s. Tonight as Oliver was going to bed he said contemplatively, "I like being bigger. I think I can climb to the very top of the rock climbing wall now."