forget me not August/Septmeber 2015

Mac

• "I'm really good at being bad then turning it around."
• Pip got hurt and we both reached out to her.  She walked right by me so you could give her a hug.
• When we went bowling your name was Wild Beast.
• On your birthday Aunt Nette asked how old you were.  You said "Nine.  No twelve because of all the years I spent in Heaven."
• "Gaze.  Like I gazed upon the sea yesterday."
• "You know how, like, I'm never scared. . ."says the boy who slept in my bed the night before because he had a nightmare.
• "Mom!  I literally just ripped a hole in the space time continuum!"
• Romeo asked you Are you thinking what I'm thinking?  "I don't know.  What are you thinking?"
• Genius World Record

Romeo

• Telling Poppie "You have boobs.  He has nipples!"
• Poppie was singing 'Old McDonald had a Farm' and was singing about a pig.  You piped in and started singing ". . . but the pig wouldn't listen so he had to kill it.  'Fine I will listen' but it was too late. . .so he had to sell his farm but no one would buy it.  Except an old lady. . .Who said 'this will be a nice home'. . . Then the zombie pig came back. . ."
• You started your Christmas list on August 12
• We were at a restaurant and they had MMA on the t.v.  You asked if it was boxing.  I said it was like boxing but they hit and kick and don't stop.  "Oh. So it's like brawling?"
• Your bowling name was Yoda and you got a strike on your very first frame.  It was the only strike anyone got.
• "I stand corrected."
• "scabenger hunt"
• Poppie was wearing some new clothes and asked you if she looked so pretty.  "Yes.  I mean no.  You look pretty but not so pretty.  Not like if you walk into school and a boy is going to fall in love with you.  Not that pretty."
• "Please bless that there won't be an earthquake or a tornado or fire."
• "Please bless that we won't be mean to people or hit or punch them."

Poppie

• Every time I say Annette you ask "you mean 'uh'-nette?"
• At scouts one day "He actually has a fat belly like Papa."
• "Oh, he's running.  How politeful."
• Mac told you he was smarter than you.  You responded with "You're smarter at being bad!"
• "Mac, wait!  Listen to me! Don't talk. . ."
• "I don't think rabbits ice skate.  I think they just skate."
• "They're called 'scare crows' 'cause when they're scared they're scared crows."
• "Romeo you're really funny.  Or should I say weird?"
• Nonnie said you got Doritos and you said "I didn't get Doritos.  I got chips."
• When we went bowling your name was Rainbow Dash.  And you won!  You beat both your brothers 82-86-90.
• You started giving high fives then turning around, putting your hands behind your back at your waist, and trying to high five again.
• While singing 'The Wise Man and the Foolish Man' you sang "The flies came up and the rains came down."
• "Mom!  A bird is dead on our roof.  Not the garage, the one with the beds."
• Romeo said "I'm a rookie" and you responded with "I'm a Ricky!"
• While poking my boob "bouncy, bouncy, bouncy"
• "Undershirts are the best." Why?  "Because.  They're the best."  Okay, then.
• Singing "He's making a list and checking it twice so forget about good behavior."
• hippopotamus= hippo-o-potomus or hippo-apotamus
• I told you my arm was asleep and you asked "So we have to be quiet?"
• "Princess Luna is so, a, butthole because she is really Sunset Shimmer and Sunset Shimmer is mean."
• After I told you "bless you" you told me "That was a sneeze-cough.  You don't have to say 'bless you' if it's a sneeze-cough."
• All you kids had balloons and Daddy told you all to give them to him.  You asked, "Even me?  Even your Babycakes?"
• You didn't want to get wet while walking to the car when it was raining so you grabbed a crumpled up sheet and put it on your head.
• I told you Come on Sweetheart.  and you said, "You  mean honey?  I'm a 'honey.'"
• After I told you to do something, "I don't understand you.  I'm a penguin."
• I went to check on you and tuck you in before I went to bed and you yelled out in your sleep "I wanna give you a hug and a squeeze and a kiss!"
• Matter-of-factly while playing Mario "Oh.  If you touch the lava you die."
• I wanted you to do something and said thanks for listening to encourage you to do what I asked.  You told me, "But I'm not listening."
• "You're so smart. . .well, usually."
• "You can eat without a mouth.  You just have to take one of your eyeballs out and then put the food in there then glue the eyeball back where it was."

Pipsqueak

• Daddy was lying down on me and you were sitting on top of him.  Daddy put my arm around him and you got mad at me.  You hit my arm until I moved it.
• I put you to bed and tucked you in then went to Poppie and got my "hug and a squeeze and a kiss."  You started saying something over and over and stood up.  I didn't know what you were saying but when I walked over to you you took out your binkie and puckered up.
• I was holding you in front of a mirror and I puckered up.  You turned to give me a kiss.  I did it again and you looked in the mirror and puckered up and said "mmmma" and kissed me over and over again.
• You love to taunt "Catch me, , , "  I love that you say it that way in stead of  "Can't catch me!"
• "You stop!"
• You refuse help with a spoon.  If I put something on your spoon you will dump it off.  You then pick up the food with your hand and put it back on your spoon.
• You held my cheeks in your hands and kissed me.
• You have a Doc McStuffins pillow.  I laid you down on the pillow and you sat up and flipped it over because Doc was upside down.  You did the same thing when Doc was facing the bed and the blank side was up.
• Candy= nan-nee
• I pulled out hot dogs to get ready for lunch and you raised your hands and said "Meee!"
• I put you down for a nap and covered you up.  You started whining and kicking your blanket off.  You sat up, threw your stuffed animals, then grabbed your soft, pink blanket and lied down so I could cover you up with the blanket you wanted.
• You started calling Daddy by his first name.  You're the only one who has done that.  If you're trying to get his attention or he's going too slow you'll call him by name.
• Daddy had something and you wanted it.  I was sitting on the couch with my legs up and Daddy told you to kiss my leg and you could have it.  You kissed my legs lots of times.  Then Daddy told you to lick my leg and you did that too.
• While walking I asked if I could hold your hand so you folded your arms so I couldn't get your hand.
• We got to church at he same time as Sister Speth.  You walked right up to her and held out your hand so you could walk into church with her.  After we sat down in church you walked up to Sister Speth and held up your hands so you could sit on her lap instead of with me.
• While riding in the car I tried to get your drink back from you.  I held out a binkie and told you I would trade you.  You said, "unh uh" then took the binkie, said "thanks," and pushed my hand away. 

forget me not June/July 2015

Ace

• being so willing to sacrifice to support us and earn some money

Mac

• You were so excited for scout camp (your first year going).  You were much less excited when you found out it was only day camp and not a week long event.
• Even after a long, very hard day when you had run out of medicine I tucked you in and gave you a kiss and you gave me a huge hug and a kiss and told me you loved me.
• When I asked you what you wanted your goal for reading to be this summer you decided on 5200  minutes.
• After watching Pip do something "That's so cute.  Look at her.  She is so cute!"
• My friend and her daughter offered to take all of you guys swimming so I could get some stuff done at the house.  When you found out I wasn't going with you guys you told me "I'm just going to cry the whole time."  You didn't cry the whole time but you did refuse to get in the water.
• Asking me "Does the category of slouching include curling up when you sleep?"
• Another time watching Pip, "Okay, that's just so cute."  I love how much you love her.
• You love puzzles.  At one point you had five going on at once. . .all over the house.
• At the end of school your teacher brought puzzles and games for you guys to play with.  You came home and told me he was going to bring a 750 piece puzzle for you the next day.  I thought it was just for you to work on at school but he brought it for you to take home.  Mr. Smith loved having you in his class.  I don't think anyone else in the class got to keep a puzzle from the teacher.
• "Pain is good.  It teaches us lessons of what we've done."
• On almost getting caught "We were like, 3.45 (said "3 point forty five") seconds away from it being too late." 
• "Are you putting what I said on facebook?"

Romeo

• You said to me one day "I can help you clean your room."  You then threw some shoes in the closet and remarked "There.  I already helped."
• After trying to get the dog in the back yard "Maybe he's not gonna go until someone shows him some respect and we're not going to do that."
• Shocked, asking Nonnie "You remember how to lock the door?!" after she locked our front door (from the inside)
• "Mom?  Do you know why Daddy watches 'The Walking Dead'?  I think so he knows how to shoot a gun.  Against bad guys."
• "This puzzle glows but it never glued before."
• "Poppie not all super heroes have capes.  Green Lantern is a super hero and he doesn't have a cape."
• "Don't try to kick me in the a-word!"
• "What are twins called that are four?"  Huh?  Quadruplets.  "If we were all the same age we would be quadruplets!"
• Telling Pip after I had gotten her dressed "Okay, now you can have freedom!"

Poppie

• You love to watch My Little Pony Rainbow Rocks.  Every morning.
• "Mom, is it a problem that one of our water guns is, um, broken?"
• "Dear Hedda Faddur, please bless that we won't be dead and that nobody with come kill us."
• After finding bubble wrap "How do you pop this?  I'm just a little kid.  I can't pop it.  I used to be able to do it but now I can't."
• "I'm smarter 'cause I have a brain!  And you're not even in charge.  Mom says she doesn't even trust you."
• After Romeo opened the car door for you, "Thank you my brother-man."
• "I undisappeared it."
• Nonnie to Poppie You're cute.  You immediately responded with "You're fat."
• I chopped my hair off and you kept telling me "Your hair is dying since you got it cut."
• "Mom, don't you dare sit on me."  Why not?  "Because you will be mean and I will be flat."
• animals=ammamals
• You were reading your scriptures by yourself one day "Now behold, the king of Hilariun died.  The king needed a new king and the Lamanites were pretending to play really, really hard."
• After exploring in the woods (the empty lot across the street from Nonnie and Papa's house), "Mom!  Look what Romeo and me found.  A shoelace!  Someone died in the woods!"
• "Mom I have the hiccups.  See?"  You then started singing "I Love to See the Temple" so I could hear your hiccups.
• You came in and told me that Romeo hit you and I responded with "okay".  You left the room and told Romeo "I told Mom, she said she's going to spank you."
• "Why does Romeo get to go outside?"  Because he's bad and he doesn't listen.  "I'm bad and I don't listen."  Go downstairs to get in the tub.  Crying, "But I'm bad.  And I don't listen!"
• Monsters Unaversary
• "Yeah, I know.  I'm really smart."
• "I wish Daddy was here so I could hold his hand."
• You asked Romeo if he wanted to play princesses he said no.  "Fine.  I'm in charge of you because I want to play princesses."
• watermelon=wallermelon 
• Romeo tried to shut you out the bedroom door and you complained "I don't want to be like Flat Stanley."
• himself=hisself
• "I put the cubbers on you." said after tucking me in.
• You were hitting your pink blanket against the wall and explained "I'm drying it off because I think a bug peed on it."
• After going potty and just peeing you wanted me to wipe and I said no.  "But I want you to wipe.  What if I go poo?  I'll go poo!"
• awesome=aweshum
• You wanted lotion so you covered yourself with Lanolin.
• After showing Romeo something "Can you do it?  That's good, Romeo.  That's good.  Now, next challenge."
• After hearing me talk about Stan Lee, "Mom, Flat Stanley's real?"
• "There's a storm coming in."
• "The sunscreen didn't work because my cheeks are touching my eyes."  (a.k.a. she's squinting)

Pip

• binky=ginkey or geekeey (said with a hard "g")
• When you go to bed you always want to hold a binky in your hand and you love to switch them around, taking the one out of your mouth and replacing it with the one you're holding."  They're all the same kind of binky.  I have no idea what the difference is.
• puppy=pup-pa
• You love to dance.  You always have one arm sticking straight across your chess and you spin around.
• When I rock you to sleep you'll relax then tense, arch your back, and scream to put up one last fight.  When it doesn't work you quickly succumb and go right to sleep.
• You are obsessed with your toes.  You inspect them at night and if there is anything between your toes you either clean them out or, most often, shove them in my face and say "owie".  If I don't respond you scream at me that you have an owie.  You can sit and inspect your toes for 20 minutes (and long after they're clean).
• You love to talk on the phone and you get so mad if you can't hold it while you're talking.
• You tried to gargle after seeing me do it once.
• I went in to your room again one night after having already put you to bed a couple of times.  I gave you a binky and told you to lie down and you plopped right down and didn't move.
• One day after getting you buckled in the car I leaned in to give you a kiss.  I kissed you a second time.  When I kissed you a third time you grabbed my neck and held me to your lips.
• You said your first prayer on June 23.  When I say it's time for family prayer you always stop what you're doing, run to the ottoman, kneel down, and fold your arms.  You're usually the first one ready for family prayer.
• pizza=pete-ta
• When I'm holding you before I put you in bed you have your head on my shoulder.  If I readjust you to lay you in my arms before I put you down you move back to sitting up in my arms with your head on my shoulder so I can't lay you down.  You know that after I lay you in my arms I'm going to put you in your bed. 
• You wanted to take a shower with me one morning so you walked into bathroom, lifted the toilet lid, and put the potty seat on.
• While we were visiting Nonnie and Papa you shared a room with Romeo and Poppie.  There were two nights when you were up talking and playing in your bed long after your brother and sister had fallen asleep.
• One night you were talking and playing in your bed.  I walked in to put you back to bed and you immediately screamed "Ginkey!" as soon as I walked through the door.
• After you saw me put a pizza in the oven (at Nonnie and Papa's) you excitedly shouted "pete-ta!" then ran over to the cupboard and got a bowl and a spoon.
• I go to tuck you in again at night and I tell you to lie down and you do.
• You said you wanted to go potty.  You sat on the potty.  For 25 minutes.  And you did nothing.
• You came up to me while I was sitting on the couch and I uncrossed my legs in anticipation of holding you on my lap.  You crossed my legs again so you could sit on me and bounce.
• We watched "Mary Poppins" one day and when you saw the dog you told him to "sit!"
• While rocking you to sleep you took your binky out of your mouth, lifted up your shirt, wiped your binky on your belly, then put it back in your mouth.
• You like to hold hands going up or down stairs.  One day you had your hands full so you gave me your index finger and we held fingers going down the stairs.
• I changed your messy diaper and asked you if it felt better.  You responded with "unh uh."  I asked if you wanted your poopy diaper back on and you nodded your head yes.
• You do not like the sprinklers and ran away from them.

forget me not May 2015

Ace

• One word- GRADUATION!!
• "You'd think old people would drive faster since they don't have as long left to live."
• You graduated with honors.  I had no idea until I saw your name in the program.  I'm not sure if you knew about it either.
• You changed one of your classes to a pass/fail because it was a general, you weren't interested in the subject, and you wanted to focus on your other classes for your final semester.  You ended up getting a 95% in that class and you thought you may have graduated with honors if that class had been factored in to your GPA.

Mac

• You are so proper in your speech.  You always say "a bit, straightaway, extremely, and literally". ("I just have a bit more" or "I'll come home straightaway." are common phrases.)
• You are always trying to have a vote and to persuade (manipulate?) your siblings to vote your way.
• You ask Daddy if he knows how to make a top.  "The spinning kind. We can make a wooden one.  It's called a dreidel."
• After I told you to find a spider and kill it, "Who votes for survival?  Survival!  Survival! [chanting]  I don't think it's fair that spiders don't get to kill us."
• You got a math award at school again this year.  We are so proud of you!  Your teacher said, "Mac has developed a number sense that keeps him at the top of the class in math chapter test scores.  He is a master with critical thinking, two step problems."
• You have started putting a lot more thought into your prayers instead of just racing through them.  It's nice to hear.
• "It's nearly done."
• "What's a quadrilateral?  Just kidding.  Of course I know."  Smarty pants.
• "Wow.  You're really good at puzzles.  Like, really good.  I'm surprised at how good you are.  I had no idea you were that good."  Thanks for the vote of confidence, Kid.
• You were emptying the dishwasher and started to feel dizzy so you left to go play basketball.
• "How did they come up with all those mythical creatures?  Nobody's imagination is that good except ADHD imaginations."
• You are very into puzzles right now.  You put together a 500 piece puzzle and a 750 piece puzzle  really quickly and you didn't get frustrated when Pip ruined the edges on one and you had to redo a lot of the puzzle.  Your teacher gave you the 750 piece puzzle but I'm pretty sure you're the only one in your class who got something from him.

Romeo

• "Come on little spider we have a surprise for you. . .it's killing you!"
• "If we get to move some place next to the Lego place can we go there if we get money?  Yippee!  I can learn to drive.  'Cause they have cars there."
• You got piña collada cotton candy and kept calling it pina colladi
• You were reading scriptures by yourself one night.  When you came to the word 'disciples' you guessed it was 'despicable.'
• Whenever you fight with Poppie you always threaten "I'm never going to play princesses with you again!"  You're usually playing princesses with her 10 minutes later.
• You are really the only kid who will try new foods.  Daddy will ask who wants to try something and you almost always volunteer even before the bribe is offered.

Poppie

• Watching everyone march in for Daddy's graduation you said, "They look like a bunch of little ants!"
• During a conference with Papa he asked you if you were going to graduate and you said yes.  He asked what you were going to graduate in and you thought for a minute then said, "Ummm, flowers."
• Computer= be cuter
• While driving in the car "Mom, you know why I don't like bumps?"  No, why?  "Because, Mom.  I don't like them."
• You kept asking if we could go to the human park (as opposed to the dog park).
• hankerchief= hanky-chif
• After grabbing an apple from the fridge you licked it and said, "Mmmm.  Fresh."
• "Mac sometimes bees mean to me."  Romeo sometimes is mean to you, too.  "No, Romeo bees mean to me a lot and sometimes."
• Daddy said you could have a brownie or cake.  "Yay!  That means I can have both."  Not 'and,' 'or'.  "Brownies and cake."  You can't have both.  Pick one.  "C'mon, Dad.  Just say 'and.'"
• Watching a Universal movie with Earth at the beginning "Look, Mom!  Earth! That's where we live!"
• Daddy and I were both trying to go to the neighbors' house but I had to do something first and I told you kids not to let him leave.  You and Romeo stood in front of the door and you said "I won't ever be your Baby Cakes or give you a hug or a squeeze again if you leave."
• "Mom!  Romeo felt a spider on his leg and now it's inside his body!"  No, it's not.  "Yes!  It just digged a hole."  As you ran back downstairs I heard you report, "Okay.  I told Mom the plan."
• At Yellowstone "If one of those buffalo come towards my window they will break my window and I would bleed and I would need a cast."
• Trying to sing 'Bingo'- "E-I-N-G-O."
• You had to go to the bathroom while we were driving around Yellowstone so we stopped at a rest area.  Daddy took you in but you came out a minute later.  You refused to go because it "smelled like Grandma."
• "Romeo, truth or dare?  I truth you to. . ."
• necklace= neck-a-less
• "There was a bug on your seat so I said 'ahchoo.'  I mean 'shoo!'"
• I asked you if you were going in the stall by yourself in a public restroom.  "Yeah but I want to lock it because if someone doesn't know I'm in here they'll come push me off the toilet."
• After Daddy telling her she was going to get spanked, "Who will be your Baby Cakes?  Will I be your Baby Cakes?"
• We found our neighbor's dog while they weren't home and you wanted to keep him.  You came up with the name "Beanie!  You know.  Like bean and the jack."
• "Oh, Mom.  I love you."
• "When I was a two year old girl I had a puppy like that but he had purple and pink. . .fur."
• "Two pairs of toast-tis" instead of two pieces of toast
• You fell asleep on the couch and as I was putting you in your bed you woke up (kind of) and asked  "Why are you doing this?"
• Your pillow case has Minnie Mouse on one side and Daisy Duck on the other.  You refuse to sleep on Minnie.  If I have Minnie facing up you always turn it over.  One night I purposefully put Minnie on top when I carried you in to bed after you fell asleep on the couch.  You woke up at some point during the night with a bad dream and flipped your pillow back over to Daisy.
• "Please bless that no one will step on cute rollie pollies and that no one will eat dogs or babies."

Pipsqueak

• I found some size 2 diapers that we had forgotten about and they fit you perfectly.  You are so tiny!
• One week you stood in the aisle at church.  The YW president was looking at you ('cause you're so cute!) and you stared her down, stomped your foot, and scowled at her trying to get her to stop looking at you.
• When Daddy first turned your car seat around you drove around waving and saying "bye" to every car.
• You came in to cuddle with me one morning and when you heard a car drive down the street you started waving.
• I went in to the bathroom one day and left the door open.  You followed me in and said "bath?  Bath?"
• You say my name so well but when you want to be held or want something you shout/whine "Mommy" to whoever you're talking to.
• I ask you for a kiss and if you tell me "no" I kiss you tons and ask again.  Now a lot of times when I ask for a kiss you say no and smile.  Eventually I wear you down and you give me a kiss. 
• You got goosebumps and didn't know what they were.  You showed them to me and I rubbed them to warm you up.  Even though they disappeared you pointed again and said "owie."
• When I hold you before putting you in bed you wrap your left arm around my neck and hold tight.
• I asked you for a kiss and you moved your cheek to my lips.

forget me not April 2015

Ace

• I don't particularly like peanut butter.  You know this.  One morning after getting Pipsqueak situated with breakfast you came to cuddle.  I told you  "Don't go eat peanut m & ms and then come back and cuddle," which you had just done.  You then let out a huge sigh and breathed peanut butter nastiness in my face.  Someone may have thought this was a sigh of exasperation.  I am not that person.
• This semester!  The last three weeks getting home at 9:00 was an early night.  The last two weeks you were out until 10:00-10:30.  The last week of finals you stayed until the library closed every night.  I don't think you got home before 12:30 any of those nights.

Mac

• You were the only person in your class to pass off your addition, subtraction, and multiplication math facts at the February parent/teacher conferences.
• You were so nice trying to encourage your brother to learn to tie his shoes.  You told him "If you do it I'll give you a dollar. Even if it's not tight."
• A girl that we take home from school saw a boy walking home and said he was a crybaby.  You stood up for him and said, "That's good that he is.  Because he's just being himself and that's who he is."
• One night you sat next to me before we read scriptures.  I told Poppie to come sit by me and you said "No I want to."  That never happens.
• One day in the family prayer "Please bless Daddy to make enough money that when we go to the store we will have enough left over."
• One Saturday morning you gathered princesses and baby toys and told me "I'll take care of the little kids so you can go back to bed."
• I then overheard you on the baby monitor say to Daddy ". . .I'm really the only one, huh? Well, except for Mom.  Unless it's early in the morning and she's grumpy.  She's not really a morning person, huh?"
• During scriptures one night Poppie read two verses then Romeo was in a mood and not reading his verse.  I got fed up and told everyone to go to bed.  You told me "I want to finish Romeo's verse.  I'll read it."
• Crazy bath hair.

• You did awesome at your first pinewood derby race.  Your car won almost all its heats.  It started losing after a little bit but you noticed that a nail was slightly out of place and you pushed it back in and won everything after that.  You were a great winner and a good sport when you weren't coming in first place.  I'm so proud of you!

 Romeo

• "I'm going to live with you forever."
• "Just because you're Daddy's 'Baby Cakes' doesn't mean you can do whatever you want!"
• You don't say it anymore but you used to call a computer a "be-cuter."  I miss it.
• You told your teachers we are moving.  You even wrote a note to me telling me "I need to give Miss Micnel (McNeil) a note saying I'm moveing or moveing to a difnt house and not liveing here."  I don't know where this came from.  Daddy hasn't even graduated yet.
• Poppie complained "Romeo hit-ted me!"  You followed this statement up with "That's because she keeps calling me 'Sweetie!'"
• You are so loving and sweet.  My cousin teaches fifth grade at your school and you look for her.  When you find her you always run up to her and give her a huge hug.
• You love your baby sister and are thrilled any time you can get her undivided attention.
  
  
  
  

Poppie

• "I fink." You fink?  "Yes.  I fink  Fink is a word."
• On taking a nap, "Okay but I'm warning you, I won't like it."
• After falling, "Mom, sometimes brownies make owies feel better so can I have some?"
• You did not want to ride the pony at Baby Animal Days but then you loved it and didn't have anyone walking next to you.
• "Mom yes we are going to live with you forever and even when we're dead.  We're going to be angels."
• You have started growling when you're frustrated.  It's equal parts funny, cute, and annoying.
• The boys were talking about death one day in the car and you got concerned and asked what would happen to you all when we died.  I told you we would be watching over you and you asked "Will Jesus be watching over the kids before their parents die?"  Yes.  Yes He will.
• One night at bedtime, "Awww.  I forgot to play the big computer today."
• Calling out "jumping goose!" every time you jumped to pop bubbles one day.
• "Can we go to the mall if I promise to get my ears pierced?"
• "She just touched me with her little germ hands!"
• As we got in the car after running errands you told me matter-of-factly "Mom.  Kids who were good in the store get a movie" as you opened the dvd player and got in your seat.
• You asked where we were going and when I told you we were going to the dollar store you immediately and excitedly said "to get me a dollar?" 
• I sang "Adam was a Prophet" (aka "Follow the Prophet") and ended with "...he knows the way."  You chimed in with "(singing) back home.  Always sing 'he knows the way back home,' Mom because Jesus know the way. . .when we are lost."
• I told you one night that you could have something tomorrow.  You woke up the next day, remembered, and said "Mom said I could have one tomorrow."  Mac told her it's not tomorrow.  You responded with "Today is tomorrow day!"
• "Mom do you know what makes your secrets?  The brains."
• "Mom when I was a little girl I pet-ted a eagle [seagull] and before it flew away it bit me.  But it was just Shayla [her cousin] in a costume.  Okay.  "No, Mom.  For real."
• Yelling me as I sprayed the ants "Mom.  I like ants.  Don't spray them!"
• milk= milka-milka  I'm disappointed this has recently stopped.
• Crows= scarecrows "because they scare the other birds" and "because when the people are out they just fly away.  That's why they're scarecrows."
• Fabulous= fabalus
• "Eenie, meenie, minie, moe.  Catch a tiger by his tail.  My mom says to let him go and you are not it!"
• When you get in the car you lean out the door and yell "All aboard the choo choo train!"
• "Mom look what I can do."  That's so cool!  (with attitude) "I know, Mom."
• "Mom what are boy kids called when they're babies?" Boys.  "No.  Girls are called 'Sweetie' and 'Honey.' What are boys?"
• You love sidewalk chalk.
• And you got into your brother's lubrication powder for his pinewood derby car.

Pip

• You have started looking sheepish or embarrassed if we catch you doing something.  Hopefully I'll get a picture of your expressions.
• When you had pneumonia you did such a good job taking your medicine.  The first dose was a little iffy but after that you were a champ.
• I gave you some medicine at bedtime for teething.  I got it all measured in the cup and squatted down to give it to you.  You waddled over with your mouth open and your tongue sticking out.
• Your big sister told you "no" one day.  You stood there and stomped your foot then walked over to where your sister was, stood next to her, and stomped your foot repeatedly in protest and frustration.
• If you don't get what you want you will sit on the floor and kick your legs back and forth/in and out and will refuse to get up or move.  Sometimes you'll lie down on the floor and kick your feet to prove your point even more.
• Daddy has been studying super late and usually you kids don't get to see him except in the morning before he goes to school.  You cried out in your sleep one night after Daddy had gotten home late.  I went in to give you a love and a binkie and to put you back to bed.  You heard Daddy say something and freaked out.  You refused to go back to bed until Daddy came in to hold you.
• You are 18 1/2 months old and wearing a 9-12 month dress.  You looked like Shirley Temple

• You watched puppy videos on YouTube one day and told the dog in the video to sit.
• One day Poppie said "let's go jump on my bed!" and you took off running for the bedroom.
• You get hurt and run over to me, bow your head so I can give you a kiss, then waddle off.
• I was putting lotion on you after a bath and asked if you were ready and you shouted "Go!"  I didn't even know you knew that word.
• You were brushing crumbs off the couch.  I grabbed a big crumb and moved it.  You screamed "Mine!  Mine!" until I put it in your mouth.
• When I sit on the rocking chair you come over and want to be picked up.  When I set you down next to me you start rocking back and forth trying to rock the chair.
• You love to put your hands on the dog's back or bum then follow him around in circles.

forget me not February/March 2015

Ace

• Working so hard to do everything.  This last semester is a doozy.
• Noticing my depression one day, holding my hand, and trying to talk me through it.
• Coming home and making dinner on the nights when I just can't or don't want to do it.  You never complain.
• Going to a study group on Valentines Day then showing up a few minutes later with flowers and chocolates.  Your stuff was cancelled so you grabbed something for me on your way home.
• Having a company contact you and ask you to apply for a job they posted.

Mac

• Dropping you off for school in the morning and seeing you hold the door open for everyone.  You were there for quite a while and waited for anyone you saw that was on their way into school. You even did it one day after I told you to hurry because you would be late.
• Told you boys to get in the car so we could get to school and not be late.  You asked, "But what about prayers?"  Thanks for remembering the family prayer.
• Asking for "suspensers" instead of a belt.
• After finding out she was sick, "I'm sorry you're sick Poppie.  It's no fun feeling like you're going to throw up, huh?"
• I loved going to your parent/teacher conference. You have straight As and your teacher loves having you in his class.  He is amazed at how smart you are.  
• "Mom do you know what a slope it?"
• You were in bed and asleep and heard Pip crying in her room above you.  You told her "Pip. Pip.  It's okay." Then sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "ABCs," and "Adam was a Prophet [Follow the Prophet]" to calm her down.  I'm pretty sure you were asleep during all this.
• Everyone was playing outside one day and Romeo and Poppie had taken off.  You went inside and grabbed some princesses for you to play with Pip.  You even started talking in a high-pitched voice to make the princesses talk to her.
• "Mom you know how some kids say, like if there's a show called 'Gladiator Transformers' they'll say 'gladiator transformers is the best thing ever!'?  Isn't that stupid?  Being alive is the best thing ever."
• "Please bless the food that we don't choke and if we do choke that we will stop choking before we die."

Romeo

• You- "Mommy."  Me- "What?"  You- "I love you."  All. the. time.
• Poppie didn't want to wear the dress that I had picked out for her for church and I asked you to tell her it was pretty.  You were up for the task.  "Poppie!  Look how pretty this dress is!  Don't you want to wear it?  You should put it on!"  It worked.  Thanks, Bud!
• Volunteering to do dishes.  I love it!  Once you volunteered to load the dishwasher when I gave you and Mac a choice of loading or unloading.  All the other times you just tell me you'll do the dishes for me.
• You had extra valentines after you got them ready for your class.  You wanted to give one to the principal and one to Miss Nancy,  the secretary.
• Randomly coming up to me and giving me hugs.  Sometimes you have really bad timing but I will take it while it lasts.
• "Please bless that the food will spankin' our bodies."  You've recently stopped saying this.  I'm going to miss it.
• Making a bracelet for Pip during After School Club
• Giving me a plastic ring from ASC.  You always are finding jewelry and flowers to give to me.
• Always drawing pictures to give to me at school, church, or just at home.
• After seeing the stripes Poppie had drawn on her arms, "If you think you're a tiger, you're not!"  You were very serious about it.
• "I'm a cow-man." Not a cowboy.
• I sat next you at dinner one night and after thanking me for making dinner you sat and patted and rubbed my back.

Poppie

• Tucking you in one night and out of nowhere you declared, "Thanks, Mom.  You're the best!"
• "Mom, don't even think about it."
• During nap time informing me, "Mom, you can snore however you want."  You then proceeded to fake snore in order to prove your point.
• After getting scolded- "Mom, when I started crying you broke my heart."
• Playing with the stuffed animals while we waited at the pharmacy- "These are lovely things."
• Asking you sister "Pip is there anything I can help you with?"
• Naming a stuffed lion you found "Tiger the Tiger Likes Me"
• Elephant=ephelint
• I didn't get your sheets dried in time for bed so I grabbed a different (plain white) pillowcase.  You looked at me and with an air of disgust said, "a colored [read: plain] one?"
• "Mom, look.  I can speak wolf.  Aaaaooooooo!"
• Pip was standing on the bathroom stool and you needed to wash your hands.  I told you to wait so I could help you but you picked her up, set her on the ground, and stood up on the stool in front of her.  You had packed your toys in your backpack and had it on.  Pip hit your backpack a couple of times and you said, "It's not a doorknob, it's a backpack!"
• Before we read scriptures I always ask what has been happening.  Your response? "They were going to drink some blood!"  Every night.  For about 2-3 weeks.  At least you're picking up something.
• You always want to give a hug and a squeeze and a kiss.
• One night you squeezed me so tight you tooted.  You thought it was the funniest thing ever.
• "Ummm, ye-ah."  Said with all the sass you can muster.  It's even more funny because you don't even realize you're giving attitude, it's just your typical response.
• pretzels=prencils (like pencils)
• Cuddling in bed with Daddy and me one morning.  After climbing in to bed with us and getting comfortable you started singing "Families Can Be Together Forever."
• You love to zerbert your sister when she is getting her diaper changed, especially if she is crying.
• We headed to Hobby Lobby one day and after seeing the Rs on the front of the building you excitedly said "It has an 'R' for [your name].  It has lots of Rs.  That means I can go in there.  Can I please, Mom?  Can I go in?"
• "Mom, look.  I have a new phone for you.  You can use it and Dad won't be an idiot on it."
• "Mom, Romeo is not letting his big-sister-four-year-old do it!" Mac piped in with "You're not his big sister."  You would have none of it. "Yes! I'm four!"
• "I wanted my own chapstick so I took yours.  I should have told you before I took it, huh?  But now I told you so I can keep it, right?"
• "I have a surprise for you, come see.  Surprise, surprise!  Open up your sunshine eyes!"  Where did that even come from?
• Calling windshield wipers "wind wipers"
• After trying to get you ready for the blessing for lunch and getting a little frustrated you asked, "Mom, what comes after 4?"  "Fold your arms."  "Fold your arms comes after 4? 1 2 3 4. . .fold your arms." 
• Singing "Adam was a prophet, first one that we know.  In a place called Enid..."
• "For lunch I want prenzils, and Cheetos, and fruit snacks, and marshmallows."
• After getting in trouble for something, "I'm sorry Mommy.  I should have asked first, huh?  Are you still going to hold me?"
• "I want to think downstairs."
• "Dear, Hedda Faddur."
• "I was going to throw up but I had my mouth closed like this and it bounce-did back!"
• "I'm as brave as a knight.  Except if I don't have a night light in my room."
• You were walking around outside on a windy day with your mouth open and explained "I want to get the wind in my mouth 'cause I don't have enough air in my mouth."
• "Please bless that the food will make us super duper super duper duper duper super super duper duper super healthy and strong."  That's pretty important but you prayed this at bedtime.
• Sometimes when I ask you if you have done something or if you will do something you give me a thumbs up and a smile.
• Most days I'll put Pip down for a nap then have you get in my bed with me so you can sleep.  One day you were going through Daddy's pillows and as you would throw them off the bed you would say, "You're not fluffy.  You're not fluffy. . .you're fluffy!"
• You found Pip's blanket instead of getting into bed one night and told me "I was just sniffing it out with my sniffer nose.  That's what my nose is called.  Sniffer."
• We went to the rodeo and you called it a hoedown.  When we called Nonnie and Papa to tell them about it the next day I asked you where we had gone and you called it a hootenanny.
• "You're breaking Jesus' heart!" said to your brother when he was picking on you.
• "Please bless that Jesus and Santa will love one another."
• I asked you all to keep Brother and Sister G in your prayers because their baby boy had died.  You said the blessing on the food and immediately asked if you could say another prayer because you had forgotten to pray for Brother and Sister G.
• You had a nightmare and I went to check on you.  You were still asleep and told me, "Mom I want to be myself but I only have this sleeping power."  Okay.
• I told you something you didn't like and you replied with "You're making Jesus sad!"
• Animals= amamals
• Supposed to= appose-to
• Papa told you you don't know how to spell your name.  "Yes I do! Errr-ay-gan!"  Take that, Papa!
• You kept asking to take a bath one day and I couldn't figure out why.  You wanted to wear your swimsuit we had gotten the day before.

Pip

• Sitting right outside the bathroom door and leaning against it.  As soon as I opened the door you immediately walked in to the bathroom and sat down on the floor so you could be with me.
• At bed or naptime I give you a binky and stand next to your crib.  You always turn your head and put it on my shoulder.  Usually you do it without me saying anything but if you forget I tell you to "Go night-night" and you immediately assume the position.
• When I put you in your crib you always roll onto your left side and wrap your arm (and sometimes arms) around your stuffed animal.
• You love to go stand in the dog cage, grab the bars, and look out at us.
• You are the only one the dog always tolerates.  You love to climb all over him and lie down on him.
• Teething!  You are FINALLY getting your third tooth.  You're only 16 1/2 months old.
• Me- "Pip, say 'Mommy'." You- "Puppy!"
• Bringing you to bed with Daddy and me one night while you're teething.  While trying to get comfortable and flopping all over you smacked me in the face.  It even made a "smack" sound. One minute we're both relaxing and I think you're finally falling asleep again, then "SMACK!"
• Puppy=puppa, bye-bye, Mommy, uh-oh, hi, cookie.  You have all the important words down.
• Saying "hi" back and forth with me
• I've been changing your diaper on your bedroom floor lately.  A few times I've said something about let's go change your bum.  You follow me into your room and sit on the floor patiently waiting for me to get your clean diaper and lay you down.
• Whenever I ask you for kisses I always say "thank you" after receiving them.  One day I asked you for kisses and you gave me your cheek to kiss and said "thank you."  The only way I knew what you said is because you used the exact same inflection that I use when I say it to you.
• When you take a shower with me you always sit right at my feet no matter how much I move around.  You move right along with me.
• I asked you for a kiss and gave you my cheek to kiss as you moved in.  You kept moving your head around so you could kiss me on the lips.
• Every night when I check on you before I go to bed you are curled up with your legs tucked under you, bum in the air, and on top of your blankets.
• One day for lunch I was getting your food and you pointed on your tray where you wanted me to put everything.
• Calling to you in the house.  I didn't know where you had gone.  I called your name and heard a tiny knock.  You had gone into your room, shut the door, and couldn't get out.
• You look so cute in your nightgown.  You looked even cuter wearing your sister's old 3T nightgown.  It went down to your ankles and you loved it.
• One day while I was getting breakfast ready you weaseled your way between my legs and the counter, pushed on my legs to push me backwards,pushed me back again then stood there with your arms raised straight so I would pick you up.  It worked.
• Every animal that you play with growls.
• Every animal you see is a puppy.  You repeat it over and over and are so excited to see whatever the puppy is.
• You love to say "hi" to yourself when I hold you in front of the mirror.  Over and over again.
• If we smell something we'll ask you if you're poopy.  You nod your head and you look like you're going to fall over because you do it with such force!

disposable

    I think that's the best word to describe how I've been feeling the last few days.  Thursday I had a doctor's appointment and Ace came home to find the girls gated off in the basement and me in the fetal position in bed.  Before anyone attacks the frazzled mom let me assure you I  closed every door downstairs and made sure there was nothing the girls (read: baby) could get in trouble with.
    I texted one of my friends a couple months ago to let her know I was thinking about her and to tell her an early "happy birthday"- I figure the chances of me remembering on her actual birthday are pretty slim so I should take the chance whenever I can. She had no idea who I was.  My first text was to make sure she hadn't changed her phone number since it had been a while since I had last talked to her.  She had the same phone number but she didn't have my number saved anymore so she had no clue who this random person was who was talking to her.  I waited for a few texts to see if she could figure out who I was before telling her and laughing it off.  She said she would save my phone number again for future reference.  I should probably text her randomly and she if she was telling the truth about that. . .
    Last week I thought to call one of my roommates completely out of the blue.  I also haven't talked to her in years but my Ace is getting ready to graduate and I wanted to pick her brain about what her husband does for work.  This time I called.  Even though I had her number saved into my phone I was nervous that she would have changed it.  Are you noticing a pattern here?  Am I the only person who is concerned about changing phone numbers and that I will always have the wrong number?  Probably.  But I digress.  Again, she didn't know who I was based on my phone number.  I'm pretty sure it's the same number I had in college.  That may or may not be true but I do know for a fact that I have talked to her with my current phone number.  This time I didn't make her try to figure it out on her own; she said hello, I asked if I had the right number, she hesitantly said yes, and I told her who I was.  We visited for a little while and I got a bunch of my questions asked.  She was one of the roommates I loved and it was fun to visit with her again.  But, again, she didn't know who I was when I called.
    Maybe I'm at fault.  How long do you keep phone numbers in your phone?  I am always afraid to delete the numbers of people, especially friends, even if I haven't talked to them for a long time.  I always worry that I'll need to contact someone, someday, for some reason and I will have deleted their information.  Is there a statute of limitations on things like this?  If you haven't talked to someone in 3+ years are you obligated to delete their information, never to contact them again?  I do the same thing with just about everything.  What if I might need it one day?  I would hate to have to go buy something that I used to own.  Part of it is because I'm really cheap.  But I like to tell myself that it's really because I'm practical.  On a completely, not-at-all-related-to-what-I'm-currently-talking-about note, I can totally see myself becoming a hoarder if something ever happened to Ace.  You think I'm joking.  I assure you that I am not.
    As if all this wasn't bad enough (really, not that bad at all but my current mental state is apparently all sorts of out-of-whack), this weekend was my niece's baptism.  Over 2,000 miles away.  My sister, the one whose daughter was getting baptized, generously and so sweetly offered to pay for me to fly out for the baptism.  They wanted family to be there if at all possible and she knew we didn't have a snowball's chance in Hades of flying me out for the weekend.  I talked to Ace and he was all for it.  I would take the baby and he would hold down the fort back home.  The boys are in school until 2:30 then attend the After School Club until 5:00 so Ace would be able to make all his classes and get studying done.  After looking into it more seriously we realized we had one, small, obstacle to me leaving.  Poppie.  She wouldn't be able to go to school with Ace and we couldn't afford to get her a ticket to come with me.  I was so upset when I had to call and tell my sister that I couldn't make it.  I wanted so badly to be there.  She understood and was great about it.
    That all sounds disappointing but not that severe, right?  Well, my oldest sister was able to make the few-hours-long drive to be there.  My other sister (yes, there's another one but she's the last one) and my brother (yup.  I got one of those, too) and my parents were all able to fly in for the main event.  That meant my entire family was together.  Without me.  And I remembered that my mom's birthday was Saturday.  So everyone was together for that as well.  Again, without me.
    My siblings did call me Saturday evening to let me know I was missed.  I appreciated that.  A lot.  Really, I did.  But it hurt more than it helped.  They had no idea.  No one but Ace knew.  I had been struggling, really struggling like I haven't done in a long time, since Thursday and there all my siblings were.  Together.  Laughing and joking and having so much fun together.  Without me.  They tried to include me and I recognized that for what it was and did appreciate it.  But it hurt.  I even decided to not call my mom to wish her a happy birthday.  I know it sounds selfish and horrible and it is.  But I didn't want to call to talk to her and hear the party going on in the background, another reminder that I wasn't there.  I didn't forget my mom all together.  I know it's not the same but I did send her a text message on her birthday.
    And now, today.  Ace's birthday.  His presents sucked.  I had no idea what to get him or what he wanted.  He told me he didn't need anything but I just felt like a failure.  If I really cared about him (I do!) I would know the perfect gift to get him.  But I didn't.  And when I asked him what he wanted for dinner he said he and one of the boys had decided on chicken pot pies.  The frozen kind.  That you cook in a microwave.  So I made spaghetti and meatballs instead.  And his cake wasn't a cake.  Turns out it was brownies.  Which is actually a good thing because we don't really eat cake.  But Pip's birthday was over a month ago.  It was her first birthday.  And I didn't make a cake.  So I have pictures of my other three children eating cake on their first birthdays.  But not Pip.  So I was going to make Ace a birthday cake, but let Pip have first crack at it for the photo op.  But the cake wasn't cake.  It was brownies.  And it stuck to the bottom of the pan (I doused that thing with cooking spray!) so I couldn't get the what-was-supposed-to-be-cake-but-was-really-brownies out of the pan to decorate.  So no one had birthday cake.  Or birthday brownies.  So I cried.  On Ace's birthday.  Because I wanted everything to be perfect.  And none of it was.
    And that brings me back to disposable.  I had two friends somewhat (okay, not really at all, technically) forget me recently.  And my family doesn't need me around.  And I can't even make a decent birthday cake, or even brownies.  It's kind of a lot.  It's really not fun.  Most, if not all, of this is made worse by the fact that I'm currently coming off one medication and starting another one.  But I don't get that.  I'm coming off my first medication but it never really worked.  But if it never really worked then why am I having such a hard time?  It shouldn't make much difference to be stopping it because it wasn't very effective in the first place.
    I haven't struggled this badly, for this many consecutive days, for a long time.  Nothing is as bad as it seems, and I know that.  I have just had what seems like one traumatic bad thing happen after another, each new event piling on to the unresolved emotions of the previous event.  Now I just need to find some time to recover from these really-not-all-that-bad experiences so the next thing that doesn't go as I had planned doesn't seem worse than it really is.

25 things about me

I remember a couple of years ago everyone on Facebook was posting lists of 25 facts about themselves.  On of my sisters-in-law completed her list and then tagged me in her post so I was supposed to make up a list about myself.  Well. . .I never did it.  Not because I don't like my sister-in-law, I just didn't really do that much on Facebook.  I mostly just looked at my friends' and families' updates and that was about it.  I am trying to be better.  I always wondered if she thought this was some slight on my part and a complete admission of my distaste for her (HINT- it wasn't).  But I figured I'd finally get around to posting my list of probably not-so-unusual-and especially-not-all-that-interesting list about myself.  Here goes.

1. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago.  It will always be home to me.  Always.

2. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly referred to as being "Mormon").  I know it.  I live it. I love it.

3. I am the youngest of five kids.  I have three sisters and one brother who is right, smack dab in the middle. . .like The Cosby Show.

4. My parents' names are Mike and Carol. . .like The Brady Bunch (ok, so technically this one isn't about me but really about my parents.  But it's my blog.  My rules.)

5. I love musicals, both the movie type and the Broadway type.

6. I wish I was a singer.  I won't sing in front of anyone, not even my husband or children.  But if I am alone, in my car, and not stopped at a light or anywhere else someone may see me, I will belt out a song with all the heart and soul I can muster.  And then go on my merry little way as if nothing out of the ordinary just occurred.

7. I went to Brigham Young University and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development.  I may not be a "True Cougar" but I do bleed blue.

8. I should have studied harder and more often when I went to school.  My grades were good, I just wish I retained more of what I learned.

9. I grew up in a village.  My town is literally called "The Village of ____."  Insert jokes about the village idiot here.

10. I hate, hate, HATE the movies Annie, The Wizard of Oz, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.  My children have never seen these movies.  Or Dumbo or Pinocchio.  Not a big fan of those either.

11. My husband and I knew each other for less than three months before we started dating, we dated for 2 1/2 months before getting engaged, and we were engaged for 3 1/2 months before getting married.  If you did the math correctly that means on our first anniversary we had officially been married longer than we knew each other before our marriage.

12. When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up.

13. I have clinical depression and anxiety.

14. I hate drama.

15. I have only kissed three guys and I'm really ticked about one of them.  Stupid jerk.

16. I have only been pulled over twice in my life.  Once for a routine check when I was 17 or 18 (I passed and I think all the other people who didn't have the proper documents were ticked as they saw me driving off) and once last year to be told one of my brake lights wasn't working.  That last time I was pulled over in front of our friends' house.  I tried to go up the street from them but after seeing the flashing lights their daughter decided she needed to "check the mail" and totally busted me.  Fun times.

17. I am very organized but it's not always obvious to other people.  I'm a "piler" but I can tell you where things are in a pile or what pile they're in.  It's more of a chaotic organization or an organized chaos.  Nope.  I like the first one better.

18. I sometimes have a hard time throwing things away.  I can attach sentimental value to anything.  Seriously.  Try me, I dare you.

19. I love traditions.

20. I served an LDS mission and was called to the Belgium Brussels/Netherlands Mission.  Unfortunately I was in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) when I was diagnosed with my depression and anxiety so I never made it to Europe.  I served the eight weeks in the MTC and was sent home to get better.  Because of this I am obsessed with and love all things Dutch.  My dream trip would be to go to the Netherlands.

21. I had 18 different roommates in college and lived in four different apartments.

22. I have studied taken 4 years of Spanish in high school, 5 semesters of ASL in college, and 8 weeks of Dutch in the MTC.  I suck at all three languages.  I wish I could "speak" ASL and Dutch fluently, though.
23. I was lucky enough to be raised in one home.  We moved into it when I was 10 months old (apparently our old house was only a three bedroom and they thought four girls in one room was a bit much- I concur.) and my parents just sold it about three years ago.  I still have not forgiven them for this great atrocity and quite frankly I don't know if I will ever recover.  See #18.
24. My sweet Grandpa performed my marriage.  He did it for almost all of my siblings and cousins that had gotten married before me (I think only one cousin missed out on this).  I was the last grandchild whose marriage he performed.
25. I typically start casually listening to Christmas music in about July or August and then start listening to it all day, every day in about October.  At least I did before I had children.  Now I'm afraid it will just confuse them and I'll have to deal with five months of getting Christmas ideas and hearing, "For Christmas I want. . ." and "Can I get..."
26. I am fiercely loyal.  Friends.  Family.  Beliefs.  If it's important to me I will guard it and hold it sacred.
27. I don't get offended easily.  If you want to offend me (you Jerk!) you need to attack my family or my religion.  That's about all that will do it.
28. I am a college graduate and I can count. Again, my blog, my rules.
29. Until I had graduated from college I had never been east of Ohio and even then I had only been to Ohio once and only to meet my dad on a business trip and drive home with him.  Probably a grand total of less than 24 hours.
30. I really enjoy debating.  I loathe fighting.  I don't want to fight, I want to discuss.
31. I am still friends with a girl (now woman) that I met at the bus stop on the first day of kindergarten.  Awwww.
32. I am cheap.
33. I love learning about medical stuff.  And etymology.
34. I have been described as the most "non-confrontational person you will ever meet."
35. I attended a religion class at 6:00 a.m. every day in high school.  I never missed a single day in all four years. . .well, except for that time I was stuck in a blizzard on my way back from Spring break.  I hate Laramie, Wyoming.
36. I am extremely opinionated (about most things.  Other things I really don't care about and it really drives my family crazy sometimes).
37. I am a rule follower.  Always have been.  Some people in my church call it being a "Molly Mormon" and use that term in a derogatory way.  I see nothing wrong with doing what I believe is right.