Some thoughts:

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Some thoughts

On Birthdays: Today is Jason's fake birthday. (It is really on Sunday, but we are celebrating today). Noelle and I have had a lot of fun planning it. During "school" (I tell her it is school and then we just do crafts and read books) we made him a birthday banner and some birthday hats. Some of Jason's friends are coming over for a "fiesta" tonight. Noelle is going crazy with excitement. Her birthday is on Thanksgiving this year so we are celebrating it on a fake day too. (The 24th). I've decided that I really like birthday's. They are fun to break up monotony and to celebrate a years worth of growth. I'm not a great party planner, but I am learning. Jason doesn't even know what he is getting this year which is EXCITING to me. (The little sneak checks our bank account all month, but I outsmarted him this year!)

On that note: He just walked upstairs and told me he bought a new expensive tool that he needs to make Noelle's Christmas gift. THAT is exactly why it is hard to buy him gifts. HELLO! That would have been good to mention when I was TRYING to think of a birthday present for the man!!!! Sheesh. Amazon.com is killing me.


On Nanowrimo: It is kicking my butt and my butt is kicking back. Ha ha. That reminds me. Today I told Noelle to kick the lights on. She said, "Oh mom. That would be not nice. We surely don't kick." She is so literal about everything! Back to Nanowrimo: I am learning loads--mostly that my dream is feasible but that it will require a lot of patience and diligence. Like a lot a lot. A lot. Oh, and I have some more book ideas for when I finish this one. All I have are titles thus far:

• Feeding a Moving Target: A how to book for parents who have kids who won't eat. Chapter 1 will be something about leaving dried up bits of left-overs on the floor and then plating a nice meal on the table as just a decoy.
  
• Diapering a Moving Target: A how to book for parents who have kids who won't hold still. Chapter 1 will teach moves from wrangling calves to employ during high stress diaper sessions.
• A Clean House: A guide to keeping your house clean with kids. Chapter 1 will quote the Survivors Guide (a real book) that teaches that "The optimistic die first." The rest of the book will be about using your vacuum to clean everything, including stoves, furniture, kitchen floors, and children.

As you can see I have a lot of material, so my writing career will never have want for material.


On my life: I think I have overcome the jaded cynicism that I have been nursing this past month. (I don't know where it came from but WhEW! Its gone.) Even though I really feel compelled to someday return "home" to Utah, I really like it here. There are amazing people in my ward. We are busy with callings, but I love how involved we are with missionary work. I can see Jason and I doing things we wouldn't do if we were in a comfortable place. Even I am improving. Yesterday was a super busy day of meetings, dr's appointments, hectic shopping, feeding the missionaries (which at the rate I feed them I need to change our budget for food to reflect four adults...) Anyway, to manage all of this I had to travel on three major freeways with two kids that had just gotten shots AND I DIDN'T EVEN SWEAR ONCE! I know! I might just get translated now because that is pretty near perfection!

On kids: Noelle didn't cry yesterday at the Dr's when she got her shots. In fact, she asked if she could give Jadon HIS shots. This is the irony of my child. She gets poked with a long needle? No crying. I tell her not to lick the floor at Costco? Full blown meltdown. I will write more about her later this week for her birthday.

Jadon is a doll. He LOVES his dad. Loves Noelle. Loves me. It is really great to see them play together--which is more like Jadon playing with toys and Noelle swiping them, but hey. They have fun. Did I mention Jadon is a doll? I love to feed him because he acts like I just gave him the best five-star meal ever. His eye-lashes flutter, he sighs....it is so sweet. I need to laminate his poor cheeks because they are getting worn out from all of us kissing him.