Missing in Action

If I only had a brain. . .

This week has been filled with the lost and the found. Things have gone MIA so often this week, I feel like I've lost my brain. But I know what happened to it: I must have put my brain in a 'safe place' for future use; and now I don't know where that 'safe-place' is.

I admit that misplacing things are peppered throughout my past. My mom can attest to that: "Mama, where did I put my glasses case?" "Mama, where is my book?" "Mama, what did I do with my homework?" But this week. . .this week. . . was I loosing it.

Here are just a few examples:

Case 1

Exhibit A

Isaac's "Guy Blanket"

He had it for his nap yesterday. We--Isaac, Tom, and myself--could not find it anywhere after dinner. It went MIA for almost 24 hours. We searched in all the obvious and not-so-obvious places. We checked all the closets (upstairs and down), in nooks, in crannies, under beds, in the bathtub, the minivan. We scoured the floors and the empty spaces under the sofas. But to no avail. I was sure Paddington Bear came to life and walked off with it.

Exhibit B

The boys room.

Exhibit C

UNDER THE PILLOW!!!! Where was my brain?!
*shakes head* . . . under the pillow. . .

Case 2

Where is Isaac's diaper bag? I know it was in the car, but now it's not. Where or where can it be?

Exhibit A

I looked all over the laundry room before combing the house.


After a week of searching. . .

Exhibit B

Didn't look hard enough I guess.

Case 3

Exhibit A

Car Keys

Okay, I admit "loosing my car keys/phone" can be a regular occurrence in our household. However for this instance, I was sure they walked out the door. I looked, no searched, the kitchen, my bedroom, the kitchen again. Couldn't find them. I had to resort to the spare keys--which, surprise! I was able to find.

That night. . .

Exhibit B

Out in the open. On the table. Anyone with a brain would've spotted them like. . . THAT.

As proven in the cases above, my brain was/is on hiatus this week. If someone comes across it, please return it to my lost&found. I am in dire need of it.

Added March 9, 2009 9:43pm. . .

Just wanted to add that I 'misplaced' these cute leggings-that I just bought-for Leah. FYI: This happened right after I posted this thread. Searched everywhere. I searched the hamper basket with her folded clothes (the place where I thought I put them in) not once, not twice, but thrice! Couldn't find them. I was quite distraught: I really thought I wasn't going to find them until it was too late for Leah to wear them.

Found them today!!! Guess where?!

In that same basket.


Please if anyone has seen my brain, I really really really need it.

A Ranting of an Aimee

2009 is here, and I'm already behind on my blog. Isn't that life? You get caught up on one or two things, yet fall behind on other stuff. I'd like to take a moment and contemplate on past year. I've been advised that "One should always assess the previous year to see where you've grown and blossomed, but to see what you need to improve on as well ... etc..."

2008 was a big year. We were promoted to a 3 kiddie family. Bought a mini-van. Went camping with 3 kids. Survived a lay-off. Weathered through Isaac's terrible twos. Followed and participated in the Presidential Election. What does this all mean?

I don't know.

Which has sidetracked me to this point: Life is filled with "I don't know"s and "It's not fair"s.

There have been many articles implying or out-right saying:
Our generation and those following us are the self-indulgent, self-seeking, and self-interested. We don't know or understand the words sacrifice and hard-work. Everything must be fair! AND if we don't get it now, let all hell break loose. On top of this narcissistic emergence, we don't seem to know what we want.

We we we. . . me me me. . . us us us. I think the articles may be right.

I find myself caught up in this narcissistic web many times: What about my career? Why is the grass always greener on the other side? I WANT that grass (Literally and figuratively). Why must everyone else get the breaks, but I'm the only one suffering?? ME Me me!

But logic and reasoning usually set in. Reality slowly and surely comes crashing down. KaBAM!

Life isn't fair. It's that simple. Some 'bad' people get the breaks while good people suffer. The rich get richer. The poor usually stay poor. Reality can be harsh and cold. BUT. . .

deep breath in
deep breath out

There's always a but. :) Despite the unfeeling of reality sometimes, there is always a silver lining. I see kindness in the smile of a stranger. Good people do get breaks. Affluent people help those in need; who in turn help others. Goodness and love abide in the world.

Life may not be fair, but life is worth living.

What's my point in this ranting, you ask? Well, 2008 may or may not have gone the way you planned.

Perhaps you son didn't get potty trained as fast as you like. Perhaps the candidate you voted for didn't win. Perhaps, you received a speeding ticket or two. Perhaps someone ran over your foot. Perhaps your souffle collapsed! On the other hand, perhaps you've become closer to that special someone. Perhaps the tree you planted early in the year has survived for at least another year. Perhaps you finally finished that project that's been sitting in your garage for the past 3 years.

Whatever bad may have happened, if you look hard enough there's always something good to counterbalance that.

I do not welcome the challenges that collide into my life, but I am grateful for the lessons I've learned from those challenges. I am a better person because of "Life isn't fair" and "Life is hard".

As I plan for my 2009, I'm going to try to be less egocentric and more self-sacrificing. I do this in hope that my children may see their mom as a giver and not a taker. Perhaps it will rub off on them, and they'll be better people when they're older.

fini


None of my rantings are meant to offend or hurt. When I rant, I rant in general.

2 Down 1 To Go

That's right! Two holidays have sped past in their holiday splendor. Halloween was a hoot. Thanksgiving was a dieter's nightmare--or dream come true depending on his/her outlook on life. Our little family--I guess it's not "little" anymore. Technically we're larger than the average American family. But I digress. . . *clears throat*

Our slightly-larger-than-average family was able to give thanks and gratitude with both sides of the family. Two Thanksgiving dinners in two days not only stretches the stomach, but is a reminder to me of how grateful I am to be a part of two great families.

Now that I have finished the formalities of given due respect to Thanksgiving, lets move on to the biggest and better (imo) of the holiday trifecta: The Birthday of our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ. Lets stop and think about that. We are celebrating The Birthday. The gifts the Jesus wants are not the iphones, ipods, Rockband Revolutions, but the gifts of love, of charity, of hope, of forgiveness. As we give gifts to those we love, let us remember to also give gifts that go beyond the material and temporary. Again I digress. . .

I love everything about Christmas. I love the songs. I love the family get-togethers. I love the smells. I love the cold--brrrrr! I love the decorations. I love the lights! I love the food! I love even the shopping.

This is our first Christmas with a big Christmas tree. I'm so excited. Tom was kind enough to let me decorate before the 1st of December. I'm not a holiday decorator, but Christmas is (and should be) the one exception. Our living room is very festive.

*sigh* This is such a wonderful time of year!

Me Mosaics

I found this concept on Jess's blog. Her Mosaic was cool looking. And so of course, I wanted to look cool as well. Thus the Mosaic. It's really easy and fun. It's kinda of nice see 'me' visually. If you have the time, give it a try. :D See if you can put the answers with the picture.


The Concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Aimee
2. What is your favorite food? Chinese Food
3. What school did you go to? BYU
4. What is your favorite color? Red
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Christain Bale
6. Favorite drink? Boba Drink
7. Dream vacation? European Cruise
8. Favorite dessert? Peach Pie
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Entrepreneur
10. What do you love most in life? Tommy-boy
11. One word to describe you. Unique
12. Your nickname. Aimers

Thoughts and Such. . .

I'm back! :P

After a 2 month hiatus from the world of blogging, I think I'm ready to come back and entertain the masses. *huge grin* Well not entertain per se, but more to give my friends and family yet another blog to peruse.

While unloading the dishwasher--which by the way is one of those things that has no end, like laundry. No matter how many times you put away the dishes, wash & fold clothes, clean up the toy room, or mow the lawn; the dirty dishes to continue to pile up, clothes continue to be worn, toys are toys thus they're played with and strewn across the floors, and grass just keeps growing. . . *sigh* I digress--I thought about what to write/post on the blog. Do I:

• Catch everyone up on all the activities, fun stories, and progress made over the summer?
• Pretend the last two months didn't exist and start on what is happening now?
• Write about random things like politics, adolescent hormones, and the annoying next door neighbor tree that won't keep its branches to itself?

Then the thought occurred to me, it doesn't matter what I write about as long as I write something. What a relief that was.

So here it is, I'm writing about something. No one told me how mentally and emotionally draining it is to have 3 cute children running around the house--well technically the 3rd can't run yet, but you get the picture. It so much harder than having only 2 children running around. To have to care for 5--that's right! FIVE-- separate, sentient minds, each with their own physical and emotional needs is very draining mentally. Perhaps that's why I avoided blogging. I just didn't have enough mental strength to write out those few sentences needed to post. I didn't even read blogs! Can you believe that?! I love reading about how your day went or what you did the week before. And yet, I stayed away from the blog world completely because I didn't want to feel guilty about not updating my own blog. Silly me! :P *rolls eyes* I've missed so much. Anyways, on to the next subject! :)

I feel very bad that the TV is my number 1 babysitter, but somethings just can't be helped at the moment. I am in awe and most importantly give props to those moms--Francoise, Karen, Diane, Stephanie just to name a few--who seem to have an endless supply of energy to take their kids to fun exciting places and have time and patience to make dinner afterwards. Tell me the secret please! :P Oh, to have that strength! I am happy perhaps a bit proud to say that my house isn't as chaotic or messy as I envisioned it 3 months ago. It's actually quite clean.

Leah has grown in leaps and bounds. Isaac is leaving the world of toddlers and entering the little boy phase of his life. And Benjamin is constantly surprising Tom and I by the things that come out of his mouth. The way he can put 2 and 2 together or even 567 & 32 together is amazing.

Life continues regardless of the new and exciting. It continues when the sad or the bad happen. It allows us to heal, grow, learn, and watch. What a wonderful gift our Father in Heaven gave us! I know He knows what I'm capable of and pushes me to work harder and strive to the better person I can and should be.

I hate to say this. . .

we are now a . . . *choke*. . . a . . . *sigh*. . . a minivan family. . . DUM DUM DUM!


How did this happen?!? Why did we let ourselves get sucked into the minivan vortex of no return?!? Who brainwashed us?!? Such a tragedy, you say!?!

I don't know why it happened, but it did. Tom really likes it. I enjoy it. I have to add that the sliding doors are very nice. I don't have to worry about dinging other vehicles when trying to install the soon-to-be 3 kids. Ben and Ike can get in and out easily. We get decent gas mileage. It's a 2005 Toyota Sienna LE. We got it for a decent deal--as decent as you can get when going to a car dealership. I'm not a huge fan of the color, but one can't be picky when buying used. :) Overall, I'm happy with it. There's tons of trunk space. It's an 8 seater. We're quite thrilled with that. Honestly, I can't find much fault in it other than the color is sooo common and it's a minivan. (That isn't our minivan to the right. It's just one that looks just like it.)

We've been thinking about getting another vehicle. We tried fitting all 3 car seats in the Trail Blazer. It fits, but would be a huge pain carting 3 kids around in it. I guess that was our main motivation.

So that's that. We are now more than ready for the baby. We won't have to worry about curious fingers poking eyeballs while driving. That's another plus (add it to the list!). We can carpool now. Heck, we can even drive a basketball team around.

Clean Clean Clean!

So the nesting bug has finally reared its horrible, yet wonderful, fangs and bit--bit HARD! There comes a point in every pregnancy where the mother gets 'bit' by the bug and needs to prepare the nest for the long awaited infant. And so here I am cleaning, organizing, and trying to DI stuff. I don't understand the chemical/hormonal changes that occur when the "Nesting Bug" attacks, but I am quite grateful for it. When would I find the motivation to do all things that 'need' to be done? The answer to that question is: Hardly ever. :) But with the bug, there is motivation and the need.

My kitchen is in fairly good order. I can see my counter top! I have fresh flowers on my table WITH a table cloth. Yup, a table cloth! My bathrooms are bleachy clean. My desk is no longer a mess, but an organized clutter of papers and whatnot's. My laundry room/mud room no longer resembles a storage unit. The beds are made daily. The summer clothes are out; while the winter clothes are put away in labeled bins. My living room is no longer a toy room. I must confess there are toys out and about in that room, but they're no longer the main attraction. The boys' room is clean and tidy. You can see the floor in my room. :P Vacuuming has become part of my weekly vocab. The clothes get folded within 3 days instead of 7 days. (I have to laugh at myself. Laundry is one of those things you can't avoid or put off. Yet I try.) The storage room shelves are organized and neat.

Ok ok. . . so you're probably saying to yourself: These are chores she should be doing all the time regardless of her hormonal motivation. Well, I shamefully admit that I don't do these chores all the time. :( It's something that I'm working on. :) Organization has never been my forte.

I still have a huge list of things to get done before the baby comes. I'm sure I'll tackle them within the next few days/weeks.

Can you believe I'm about 32 weeks along???!!!! This pregnancy has gone by faster than The Flash himself. I'm a bit scared. A girl is sooooo. . . how do you say. . . DIFFERENT than a boy.

Let the count down begin!!!

Rantings of an Aimee

I WAS going to rant and rave about how it feels at times that our nation's government is in the hands of selfish, politically driven, narcissistic people who only have their self-interests in mind. Then I WAS going to go on and say how our nation's (and much of the world in comparison) people only think about themselves and their bank accounts and not about the long term consequences of selfishness and idiocy: It's all about ME ME ME. Hardly ever about YOU YOU YOU. Lower my taxes, but I want to have more government funded programs. Something isn't right, it must be so & so's fault and not mine: I didn't vote for him/her. WAIT, I didn't vote at all! And finally I WAS going to complain about the narrow mindedness of those who consider themselves open minded.

As you can tell, quite a bit of negative energy. I don't feel like this all the time. Lately, in the news, there's just been a huge vibe of negative karma: politics, rapes, homicides, mistreated children, politics. Where are the good furry news that instills confidence and trust in our nation? The media has placed a foundation of extreme second-guessing and utter lack of respect & support towards those in office. Don't get me wrong. There needs to be responsible questioning and thorough evaluation of government, etc. That's what makes the US of A, the US of A. I'm all for the constitution. But the blatant disrespect that is becoming a norm is ridiculous.

Alright, I'm done. Nothing shocking, I hope. :) On a positive note, spring is just around the corner. :) I'm planning my yard makeover and garden endeavors. One thing our yard needs are trees. Big shady trees. Mmmmm. . . I just suddenly got a huge craving for chocolate. . .

A Christmas Poem

I received this in an email and would like to share it with you. I was bawling at the end--that's mainly the hormones fault. However, the sentiment is clear. This poem is a great reminder of the sacrifices the men and women--past and present--serving our country give that allows us to live in relative safety and peace.

Whether or not this current war is right or wrong,
let us always remember them in our prayers.


A Different Christmas Poem


The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.


My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.


The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near ,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.


My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.


A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.


"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"


For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,


I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.
So that your family can sleep without fright.
It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.


No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers"


My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.


Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.


I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..


Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."


"But isn't there something I can do , at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."



Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed
themselves for us.

LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN

30th Naval Construction Regiment

OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum, Iraq

Music in our home soon...

I'm so very excited for Tuesday!! ...hehe... Why you ask?

My piano is coming....... dum da dum dum DUM!!!!

Woohoo! We got it yesterday. Alisa (who was so kind to help me look... thanks again!!) and I looked at pianos Saturday morning. It was so much fun. I'm glad Alisa was there to help. Without her expertise and ear, I'm sure I would've picked out a dud. It's a 48" Brodmann. Black. Sleek. The sound---to my liking very much. Loud. Deep. Soft when needed. Oooh, just thinking about it makes me want to play.

Isn't it purty?!?

I can't wait for Benjamin and Isaac to play it. They'll have so much fun. Tinkling of the ivories in our home.... I can't wait for that sound!

Twilight Series

Okay, I know I'm four years too late, but here I go anyways. I cannot get enough of the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer. The books are one of a kind. Seriously. The series is geared toward young adults, but frankly, I feel anyone any age would enjoy the books. Her writing is refreshing, simple, yet very intense and descriptive. The intrigue is drawing and persuasive, the action scenes are intense, and well Edward is well Edward. *sigh*


Don't laugh, but it reminded me how I felt while dating Tom. I'm hoping while I'm writing this that I'll get over this silly obsession and move on to another book. It's been about 3 weeks since I've bought the series at Costco, and I still can't put it down. :( Help me. When first told about Twilight in the summer, I thought to myself: "Why would I want to read about vegetarian vampires?? It's certainly not my kind of book." As I realized that more and more of my friends read it AND enjoyed it, I finally gave in. I needed something to distract me from my nausea anyways. A good book sounded like the right remedy. It did it's job, and now look where I am.

Here I am, posting a blog about a trilogy--no, soon to be quadropology (is that even a word???)--that really shouldn't have this affect on me. After all, it is about vampires. So if you haven't read them--what till you have the time to start, cause you won't be able to put them down--and go read them! After your done, check out her website: www.stepheniemeyer.com. She has more yummy tidbits on the characters. It gives you a deeper understanding of the interactions of each character.

There. . . my rant is done. Perhaps I can find the strength to go read Les Mis or some Anne of Green Gables. Did I tell you I'm thinking about naming our next son Edward. :)

First Blog Ever!!

I've been sitting here for 5 minutes, and I've still got nothing. I'm as dry as a stream bed in southern California. Oh well, maybe next time.

Bye