MIKAYLA

Mikayla is officially an adult. The Young Women leaders asked Todd and I to write up some info about her for them to read Sunday. Here's what we sent:

 

Eighteen years ago today, Mikayla Harris reluctantly entered this world. After hours of labor, it was discovered that she had her hand on top of her head. A C-section was scheduled. As the C-section progressed, the doctor saw that she did indeed have her hand on top of her head, but also the opposite foot! We wondered if she would grow up and become a contortionist! She has not shown an interest in that but she is still very limber. For a few days after birth, she sported an indentation on her forehead where her arm had been resting (squished) during labor.

In spite of her reluctant entry, Mikayla has been blessed with a personality that allows her to jump into life and new situations without hesitation.

Mikayla needs to have something to do to occupy her time. She doesn’t like a lot of down time.

She is a good listener and is considering a career in counseling.

Mikayla has a desire to be obedient. She will sometimes try to stretch and sweet-talk her parents into her way of following a rule, but is obedient in the end.

Mikayla loves all aspects of life! The good because it’s GOOD!

She doesn’t let the not-so-good things of life get her down for very long because she recognizes that challenges present opportunities for growth.

We feel blessed to have Mikayla in our family and to have watched her grow and mature into a beautiful woman inside and out.

For real?

While looking at a blog for freezer meals, I noticed (how could I not?) a link to "Squatty Potty." I clicked on the link and then...well, watch this if you dare.

http://www.squattypotty.com/

No further comments.

Deja Vu

I have been walking at the park this summer with a friend. It is much better than walking down my road by myself. This morning, she was not able to be there, so I decided to head on down to our stop sign and back for my daily exercise. Then it happened. The wave. Just like 2009. http://twinfallsharris.blogspot.com/2009/07/hola-amigo.html This time there was no conversation, just the enthusiastic wave. But, as an added bonus today,  the other workers in the truck were looking at me like wolves look at a fat sheep. Creepy.

Seriously MOOving, Politically Incorrect and Sacreligious Post

I was teaching a lesson in Family Home Evening about prayer. I read from True to the Faith, "You will be able to secure for yourself and for others blessings that He is ready to give if you will but ask in faith."
That is so great--the blessings are there just waiting for us to ask. I asked Dallin how he felt about this concept. "It's like taking candy from a baby."
(Duck to avoid lightning strike)

At school, my 2nd grade group read a story about a Chinese (?) girl named Chinlow. She is from Singboat. (Yeah, it was a long O day)  They kinda laughed at the names at first and then we moved on. After reading, a boy asked me how Chinese kids get their names. I told him from their parents, just like American kids. With a slight smirk on his face, he said, "I think the parents drop coins on a table and whatever sound it makes is the name they use for their kid. Ching! Chang!" Holy smokes! He was so sly sneaking a joke into normal conversation. I have to give him credit for that.


Last week I was reading with a first grader. We had a lot of words that day with the "ow" and "ou" spelling. The reading program we use has an animal card for most sound spellings. "Ow" is one they haven't learned yet so I pulled out the "Cow" card to show her.


Me: Oh! You need to learn about the cow card to make these words easier. (get out card) What is this animal?
Her: A HORSE!
Me: This is the cow card. What animal is on the cow card?
Her: A COW!
Me: Yes. What sound do you hear at the end of the word cow?
Her: MOOOO!
Me: In the word "cow" you can hear /k/ /ow/
Her: "OW"
Me: Yes. "OW".  I see in the picture that the cow has been hurt. A bee stung it's back. What do you think the cow said when it got hurt?
Her: MOOOO!
Me: (flustered) Um, what do YOU say when you get hurt?
Her: MOOOOO!
Me: I say "OW" when I get hurt. Do you?
Her: Yes. "OW".


Phew! Never a dull moment at the Oregon Trail corral!

LOL (may be offensive to sensitive readers)

I have had the giggles all afternoon. And evening. It all started this morning.


Round 1: Two first grade girls walked by me in the hall, one sporting a bandage on her chin. I asked what had happened and she answered that she hurt her chin. (obvious, but OK....) The other little girl didn't want to be left out to she pointed her chubby little hand to her chin, covering it completely with her jacket sleeve.  "Look, Mrs. Harris!" Since I couldn't see anything but her sleeve, I asked "what's wrong?" She proudly replied,"I have a zit!" Now, what was I supposed to do with that information? Offer to pop it?


Round 2: After recess, the first graders like to tattle on ANYONE who may have done ANYTHING out of line. It's really annoying and the teacher is working hard on teaching them the difference between when it's important to report a crime and when they're just trying to get someone in trouble.
A girl who usually is not a tattler had a story today, complete with hand motions!
"Teacher!  At recess, "J"  put his hand down his pants (swooping hand motion down pants) and stuck his finger through the weiner hole (wildly wiggling finger near zipper) and he  told the girls--oooh, look at me!"
I held a straight face while the teacher calmly said "Thank you for telling me. I'll talk to him." I then moved quickly to the back counter to gain my composure. I couldn't get the phrase weiner hole out my head but did manage to get the quirky grin off my face. When I turned around and caught the eye of the teacher, however, composure was lost!

For forty years I've been under the impression that it was simply called a zipper.

Broken

Things that have broken since mid-December:

1. Water heater
2. Computer (new one is from this decade, not the 90's)
3. Dishwasher (new one comes Friday)
4. Crockpot
5. Dallin's wrist

All breaks have been heart-breaking. The water heater and computer because of the big bucks needed to replace. The dishwasher because I've been handwashing for over a month (and the $) The crockpot because it has been around for 21 years. Dallin's wrist because IT HURT!

Most breaks have also been a source of humor.  The computer because we now have a sleek new flatscreen instead of a mammoth monitor. I'd haul that monitor to the dump but I don't know if it will fit in my van.
The dishwasher because it broke a few days before Dallin got in HUGE trouble. He was the #1 dishwasher for a full week. Gee, I guess our choices do have consequenses. It made me just a little bit happy to have such a nasty job available for his punishment.
Dallin's wrist because of his comments. He broke it on President's Day. The stars aligned that day: no school, key to church in Mom's van, Mikayla and Jordy willing to drive, basketball in hand.  Then something happened and those stars  misaligned. Dallin attempted to slam dunk with the help of a folding chair (to get some sweet air). He slammed it, hung from the rim, feet swung under him with too much force and he crash landed on his left wrist. He now has on a red (O'Leary colored) cast. At his basketball game Tuesday he found out what it's like to sit on the bench. (not good)  A teammate's mom was talking to him after the game. She asked if he was out for the season. He said yes. She said, wow, that stinks. As she turned to walk away, he piped up with "Yep, it does. I hate to disappoint my fans."

Here's Your Sign

At JCPenney:

Me: (laying a sweater and receipt on the counter) I need to return this sweater.

JCP Associate: (picking up and looking at reciept) Is this the receipt?

Me: Yes.

The End.

Agh! Why couldn't I come up with a witty remark followed by "here's your sign"? Sad thing is, after 24 hours, I still haven't come up with one. Help me out friends. What would you have said?