The trifecta of fear

 

I thought that I was doing well in overcoming my arachnophobia, but the other day a new friend came over and (for some unknown reason) we started talking about spiders.  She told me story after story about when she was bitten, climbed upon, found one in her bed, and how she currently has black widows living in her garage (eeek!).

In the beginning I confidently stated that I wasn't afraid of spiders behind glass (such as they are exhibited in the aquarium or zoo), but as the conversation progressed, I felt myself having the chills, feeling like I was being walked on by something creepy, and even sweating.  I tried to change the conversation several times, but it seemed to last forever. 

That same day I went to check my mail (something I do once or twice a week) and found that Clancy had received another ZooBook, and the subject was (you guessed it) SPIDERS!  On the cover was a nasty, close-up view of a hairy spider with eight eyes staring at me.  I gave the magazine to Clancy but threatened to throw it away if I found it laying around or if they showed it to me. 

Luckily I didn't find out until the next day that Clancy had chosen an inch-long black plastic spider from the treasure box on the very "arachnoidic" day.  I found out because he ran to his backpack before I placed his homework in there to pull it out.  He told me, covering the toy with his cupped hand, "I didn't want you to see what I got from the treasure box", but then he showed me anyway. 

Let's just say that I am going to let Andrew spray the inside of the house around the doors and in the basement (something I have not allowed him to do for fear of even more chemicals in our environment.  It is a inside/outside spray, I am just paranoid).

Doctor Doctor!

Clancy: Doctor, Doctor, you took out my tonsils, my adenoids, and reduced my inferior submucous turbinates!
Doctor: That's enough out of you!*

*This bears no resemblance to an actual conversation that occurred.

Hair Loss

In the beginning

So Sylvie is experiencing a bout a baldness. Some people were surprised to hear this when I pointed out her baldness since, for a baby her age, she actually has a significant amount of hair. I am afraid I am at a loss for how to style this fro. It looks to me like she has a toupe on an otherwise babyish head.


Still growing
 

sparsening



Sometimes referred to as "muppet hair"

Before the intervention

I did give her a haircut (very unskillfully I should say), but it didn't seem to help much.  Here's to hoping that it will grow back.

Happy Pi Day

While checking the news, I was reminded that today is the day that we celebrate 3.1415 (sorry I am not one of those who know pi by heart)....... and remembered this picture of my little guy with this enormous Pi sculpture in the San Juan Islands. I hope your Pi day is filled with geometry and yummy desserts (of course I know they aren't spelled the same way!).

The New Girl

Chloe is officially a big girl now. She had her first day in the nursery at church and LOVED it. As soon as I took her into the nursery room and set her free, she ran for the toys without looking back. When I came to get her after nursery I expected a squeal, a smile, a hug, or something of that nature to show that she missed me but instead I was greated by her outstretched arms with someone elses shoes in each hand. I guess she felt quite "at home" in nursery because that is exactly what she does at home. Her special "Heavenly Father and Jesus Love Me" badge was pinned to her chest and you could tell that she was proud to have been adorned. Her pride at her role as a "big girl" was short-lived since she fell asleep just seconds after being strapped into her car seat. Clancy was so excited to ask her what she learned in nursery and told me later that she will be coming to "Sunbeams" (his nursery class) in a few weeks.

Happy Easter

I just wanted to say Happy Easter...after all I did start this post on Easter...

I love Easter, a celebration of spring and new life. This year what has meant the most to me is that because of Jesus Christ and His miraculous resurrection ALL mankind can live again after we die. What a great promise and what a comforting thought.

I recently watched "My Sister's Keeper" a very sad and touching movie about the family that had a specially genetically selected baby in order to help treat and possibly cure their older daughter's cancer (a true story and available at RedBox). I remember reading about this story in the "Reader's Digest" as a teen-aged snowshack worker and shaking my head at the parents' ethically challenging decision. As I watched the movie I just felt so terribly sad for the family for so many reasons. I don't know if I have ever wept about a movie before...teared up possibly but never wept. Today as I listened to the General Conference talks, and specifically the one about the boy who died right after his brother left to serve his two year mission, those same feelings came back to me. I just can't imagine losing a child or a sibling. I imagine even while knowing that you can see them again it would be terrible and painful for a long long time, but I can't imagine how it would feel to think that you will never see them again. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and the miracle of resurrection.

The kids enjoyed Easter (mostly the chocolate), egg-hunting, dyeing hard boiled eggs and then breaking them, and having friends to play with at dinner, but I know Clancy learned about resurrection too. I am so glad.








After a little verbal prodding by my mom, I went to Target for an Easter dress for Chloe. We found some cute, inexpensive and brightly colored knit dresses and Chloe was really excited when she saw them. I held them up for her to choose from and she pointed and said "Dat". She probably changed her mind a few times, so I got two for her. When we put them in the cart with her she hugged them and said "Pleeeeeeze?" with her cutest and sweetest persuasive look on her face. I don't know where this girl came from...certainly she's not much like me.

Seeing Colors

Something has got me seeing color...not that I have ever been color-blind or anything. It's just that lately I have really noticed all the beautiful color in the world. Maybe it was those rainbow cupcakes that were pleasing to the eye than they were delicious or maybe it is because spring has sprung (yesterday it was 68 degrees here), or maybe it is because Andrew is finally back to around 45 hours a week instead of double that. Whatever the cause of my new vision, I am grateful for it.

I couldn't, in good conscience, walk around appreciating the impeccably manicured lawns, well-groomed flowerbeds, and perfectly trimmed hedges of my neighbors and return to the long-neglected trees, flowerbeds, and lawn (now several inches tall in patches) without feeling just a smidge hypocritical...so on one beautiful afternoon, I put the kids in their room for a nap and busted out the lawnmower. After edging and mowing, I started weeding, and could have happily worked at it all day...but I thought I heard the laundry monster inside causing a ruckus. Oh well, there will be more beautiful afternoons and more naps (fingers crossed) and more weeding.

In honor of my visual cortex, I am planning to add some life to our bathrooms in the form of some "natural" pictures. Having been inspired by Aimee and Todd (a couple of fantastic photographers and interior designers with side gigs), I have comissioned some original works from Andrew. In addition to hosting Andrew's online gallery, I am selfishly posting these so you can help me choose some pictures to frame and hang. Send in your votes and then come visit us when they are hung!

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...And, just for fun here are the candidates for the other seaside bathroom:

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