Gossiping and Rude Comments Tangent

Lately I've not had much time for writing anything on here that's much for content.  A few pictures and a couple of captions (which is great) but I feel like I need to write a little bit of what's been on my mind lately.  So, prepare yourself for my tangent.

(This should come with a disclaimer that most likely anyone who reads this is not an inspiration for my complaining.  Just thoughts as I am raising a couple of girls and trying to make it through life as a woman.)

I've never really been the girl who hangs out with other girls.  It has always been easier for me to go play with the boys than fight the social battle of mind games and verbal fist fights with the girls.  Women are just older girls.  Not a lot changes from when you are 5 to what you are 30 in the girl to girl relationship department.  Some of us have lots of friends and some of us have a few.  There are girls who like to talk about other girls.  There are girls who say stupid things and have no clue that they are stupid things.  There are girls who are generally stupid and because they are "cute" or "popular" people either don't notice that they or their actions are stupid.

On more than one occasion I have found my foot in my mouth.  I think that we are all guilty of it at some point.  Taking a stab at someone or saying something that you might think is funny can be taken the wrong way very easily.  It's interesting to me what some people think is funny.  Personally, I love a good story that involves my kids screaming and running around embarrassing me.  That's life.  I like to share our adventures with our kids because we're not perfect and I want other moms to know that we aren't.  You have to look at it in the moment and laugh a little or you'll just cry and want to run away and hide!

There are some people who make comments that are not appropriate and it's just not funny.  It's important in that moment to take a few things into consideration.

1.)  That person is probably an idiot.  Seriously, sometimes people are just dumb.

2.)  That person has no idea what YOU are really like or even who you are.  This is my go-to for biting my tongue.  It's like, "If you really knew me, you'd NEVER say that to me!"  Think it in your head and plan your revenge for later.  Muhahahaha...  Oh wait...

3.)  Consider who else is a part of the conversation.  It's interesting to me to see how certain people will say certain things only when with a particular group.

As each of us has to interact with others in this life, I hope that we realize that we can land on either side of gossip or an inappropriate comment at any point.  Just because you are usually the one who doesn't get offended, doesn't mean that you won't be.  Likewise, just because others offend you constantly doesn't mean that you have not or won't offend someone in the future.

The key to all of this tangent is how we react to the situation.  Personally, I'm a big fan of dirty looks, weird faces, and the ever so subtle, "Yeah, and so's your Mom!"  Ha ha.  Seriously though, I have been thinking about this a lot lately and it's a never ending battle.  We have to try our hardest each day to be kind to each other even when others are not kind to us.  In a perfect world, no one would be mean to anyone else.  In the real world, we need to be careful of what we say and to who and also be able to brush off a lot of what others say to us.

Busy Changing

We've been busy changing around the living room.  No big before and after pictures yet, but a couple of sneak peaks in here!  I figured I'd better post a few pictures on here so that I don't fall too far behind.

Ian playing with the blind.  He didn't seem to understand why I kept telling him not to, until...

Ahhhhhhhhh!  I'm blind!!!!!!!

 Sort of random, but we had burritos the other night and of the 3 children, he was the only one who held it all wrapped up and ate it without making a mess.  So proud of that little guy!  He's not going to waste the good food!  (Just throw the Cheerios ALL over the place...)

Eryn LOVES library day and reading her books to Brooke.  It's really fun to watch her try to read the words and then just start telling what's happening in the pictures.  Like her Dad, Eryn really enjoys weather.  She likes to read books about storms and storm chasers.

The kids all sitting on the floor with their drinks and popcorn for our first "Family Movie Night" with our new furniture.  We watched, "Wreck-It Ralph."  Great movie, but our little Wreck-It Ralph didn't make it through much of the movie before he was too tired.

As much as changing around things drives me insane, Mike enjoys it.  A new coat of paint and a few things swapped out here and there can really change a room.  We've all ready noticed with more furniture in our living room that we sit around and just talk to each other more.  Even the kids are not as eager to turn on the TV constantly.

The Fuzz Balls

My Fuzz Balls are very different, but related to us in many ways.

The local consignment store and boutique that I can't seem to get enough of lately had a sale on colored jeans.  Eryn snagged a pair in yellow and in red.  She likes the yellow ones better.

Brooke's just too famous for me to take picture of her lately.

Then snotty little Ian is like, "Wait if I wear glasses, you'll take my picture?  Oh yeah...  Rockin' the shades!" Except he looks more like Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory than really cool, but hey...  He's still adorable!

Time keeps flying past me and even though it's been colder lately, I've managed to squeak out a few jobs here and there taking pictures.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'll never get rich as a photographer, but just a little bit here and there just when we need it sure helps!

Christmas Morning and others

This guy makes the BEST faces!  He's definitely related to MY side of the family.  We're all face makers and can spend hours in a mirror.

Eryn hugging her new dress.  (I found a couple really great deals on Black Friday sales on JCPenney's website and thanks to Grandma & Grandpa they all got at least 1 really nice new outfit!)

Ian got his very first tie!  Welcome to being a guy and getting a tie for every present holiday.

She had to pose and show off her new dress.  It's a mint green with ruffles and black tiny polka dots.

Ian discovered that Santa put Skittles in his stocking and then no longer wanted anything but those.

Brooke in her Brave dress. (Which she wore for the next 3 days straight.)

No idea why, but Brooke really wanted a Lalaloopsy this year.  They proved more difficult to find than we thought.  I'm not a huge fan of them, but she sure loves it!

It's amazing how a couple of lip glosses from the Dollar Store can make Eryn so happy!

Although this picture doesn't show it off well, I bought a shelf just for the stockings this year.  They were all displayed nicely on stocking holder hooks and not tapped to the wall as in previous years.  It's the little things that make me feel more "high class" like not using duct tape in decorating for the holidays.

Mike was so excited to play Legos with his son!  Ian pushed this box around with his blocks and plays with them all the time.  Sometimes I just hear them smashing together in his room and then him laughing.  It always makes my heart melt.

One of our children has OCD and the other doesn't.  Wad of Blankets bed on the left belongs to MY child and the neatly made bed with decorative pillows and a collection of stuffed animals belongs to Mike's child.  Ha ha!  Mike doesn't have a collection of stuffed animals, but he does like the bed to be made neatly and I could honestly care less most of the time.  It's a funny observation, but one I thought that my mother would appreciate.  All those years she tried so hard to get me to make the bed...  For some kids it just comes instinctual and for others Wad O Blankets is perfectly acceptable.

THIS is what the holidays are really all about, right?  Ahhhhh...  Cold pumpkin pie for breakfast covered with whipping cream and some nutmeg.  Oh it's so good!

I still have a few pictures from Andrew and Dayna's wedding to post, but that can wait until another time.  No point in getting all crazy and neglecting my ability to procrastinate, right?  He he he...

Christmas? Yep...

Because I'm just a little behind here are some of the events of December and Christmas all thrown together and not in order.  Muhahahahahaha!

We made Christmas Tree ornaments together with felt and some buttons.  It was really easy and the kids liked it, even though they couldn't use the hot glue gun.

 This is what they look like closer.

We also made pink bulb ornaments out of felt to give to the cousins that we drew this year.  My Grandma Crawford always used to give ornaments as gifts attached to packages and even though others might not think that they are very special, I like to give them to honor her tradition.

 These 2 are trying so hard to be friends and nice to each other praying for LOTS of presents!

I took this on Christmas Eve of the 3 kids getting ready for bed and looking at the tree.

Bird Watching

I've often said that my obsessive love of bird watching/stalking came from my father.  Lo and behold while driving to a photo shoot the other day I spotted these 2 hanging out in the same tree on the side of the road.  Like a crazy woman, I pulled over and jumped out with my big telephoto lens and snapped a few!

I swear that I've seen them before, but never such an obvious Bald Eagle pair in Utah!  Especially so close to my own home.  Totally made my day!  Mostly because soon after that, I ended up stuck in the snow with my van and then needed to call for back up from the local Police Chief and his wife.  Long story short- when you need new tires, get them and carrying a bag of salt in your vehicle is a good idea.

Posting From Another

This is kind of a test post to make sure that I have solved my online storage problem.  Plus, I don't have time right this minute to post more.  This is more just proof that I am able to solve my own problem.  Hooray for MEEEEEE!  Ha ha.

I bought this wood project from Chelsie's sister's store and the girls helped me paint it and mod podge some craft paper on it.  Super fun project for them.  They really love painting and making things.  If only I were more patient to do things like this with them more often!