Sunday, October 28, 2007

Happy Birthday Joey




Happy Birthday Joey!


Oct 29th!


Saturday, October 27, 2007

Just a friendly reminder to visit the temple this month.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Jakers most Favorite time of the day:


BATH TIME!!
realized that we haven't had much about him out to everyone, so thought we would post a couple of pics. Sometimes I think he rubs his dinner in his hair just so he can take a bath.
That's right JAKERS, Mommy is on to you.....



Thursday, October 25, 2007

my punkin


















I am deciding between these two designs...
not sure what it says about me....
more cool ideas at this website : extreme pumpkins

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

What kind of person are you?

How long does it take you to carve your Halloween pumpkin? Are you someone who cleans it out and then carves the face in a few minutes? Or do you spend most of the evening and into the next day making the face (and you use more than one tool)?

Monday, October 22, 2007

My Dilema

What do I do if I spot an endangered animal eating another endangered animal...who is was eating an endangered plant...?

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Supportive

Sometimes parents can be too overzealous in talking up what their kids have done. Sometimes they aren't supportive enough and their kids think they don't care. But what do you do when you want to be supportive of your kids even when they do things beyond the edge of reason?

Yesterday, I went to check on Hudson, (Who has been learning to use the big-boy potty) who had been in the bathroom just a bit too long for a #1. When I opened the door (first clue something was amiss, he closed the door), he leaped up from the toilet, arms, face and chest completely soaking wet. I wasn't sure what to think so I busted up laughing and walked back out (Insensitive, I know but what can you do?). He was still shaken up from getting 'caught' and just stood there soaked. I went back in and plopped him in the shower just in case the water wasn't as clean as it looked.
Now... this isn't a new thing for him. He's been caught giving himself swirlies (he likes to hear the echo his voice makes when his head is in there) and swatting at his pee stream when ever he gets a chance (meaning, when no one is watching). But this time took it to a whole new level.
I guess I brought this on myself; I knew my progeny didn't have a fighting chance from this type of stuff.

But what do you do when your out among the other 50 parents with kids your same age (this is Utah, remember)? Someone will start with: "Little bobby just memorized the constitution last week", and then someone else adds, "Little Suzy just ran her first triathlon, and took second".

"Little Hudson successfully peed on four different household appliances with no hands" automatically puts him on the 'do not date my daughter in 13 years' list.

So when people ask me what's new with my kids I tell them "nothing to report" and quickly change the subject. Its for his own good. His 16 year old self will be thanking me someday for keeping these stories (relatively) to myself.

Nerds, Scientists, or Snake Oil Salesmen?

Sometimes I wonder about stuff like this... is it just a way to get my email address for spam or is there actual calculations going on?








Saturday, October 20, 2007

What I want to be when I grow up By Sarah Pyrah

In my last post I stated, I was "done" and "programmed". Somewhat true and mostly self denial. In reality, at the end of everyday I lay done to sleep and the day floods through my mind. Things I said, people's expressions, words I read, things I did wrong, people I love, and on and on the reel runs.
I was working on my RS lesson tonight and the first statement reminded me of this: "Determine where you are and what you need to do to be the kind of person you want to be. -Elder Joseph B Wirthlin "Life Lessons Learned" April 2007.
A long while back we had a Blattman reunion and the reunion motto was something like, Sometimes the longest way around is the shortest way home. There are days that I feel I just ran 20 miles but only made it 2 blocks. Life is hard, but I guess just because it is hard doesn't mean it can't be fun too.
I began thinking through the statement, though. Seems like the starting point; whether daily, weekly, or whatever; is important. "Determine where you are...". So I need to take a breath, meet the day and think: I am starting here. (Imagine a X marks the spot). And this spot is calm, this spot is reading my scripture, this spot is a morning prayer, this spot is kissing my kids goodbye and off to school with good feelings in their hearts, this spot is hugging Chris before he leaves and holding on just long enough that our breathing matches pattern, this spot is being happy with where I start...
"Determine...what you need to do to be the kind of person you want.." Seems pretty easy statement. But I just don't know every next step. I want to, ooh, I want to. Controlling every moment would make me very happy. But I am not sure knowing the steps are as necessary as my state of mind. I know I want to be kind, I know I what to be smart, I know I want to resourceful, I know I want to make a difference. Now I need to watch for the opportunities...and work on my availability and capability.
So I will say one more cliche "You can't get where you are going, unless you know where you have been..."
It is kind of like when you drive home from work, going the same way every night, oh the monotony. And at some point you become alert for a moment and can't remember if you stopped at that stop signal, was it red??!, or can't remember if you made that right turn, but you must have because you are now at this point....but there is a brief sense of panic...

Friday, October 19, 2007

Parent Teach Conferences

Chris and I went to Parent Teach conferences last night for Emily (2nd Grade) and Morgan (K-garten). Sometimes you walk in holding your breath and thoughts of strange stuff your kids do at home that you pray they did not do at school. Case in point: Morgan likes to fart and claim it, and Emily likes to read aloud VERY Dramatically.
Both are doing fine academically and the teachers gave us some good advice on how to help them get over some conceptual hiccups. Not the ones to be confused with cures of glasses of water, plugging noses, or eating peanut butter.
Both teachers complimented our kids on their kindness to others, their ability to make friends, and their focus to work. Morgan's teacher said that she loves to do projects and won't give up till it is done. Emily's teacher said similar statements.


I was very proud of them. "Their Mama [and Daddy] done brought them up right".


I told Chris that he and I are "done" and "programmed", not much you can change about us. The kids still have many years left to decide and gather information on who they will become. I just hope they get the right stuff and their firewall is built to block out the poo poo.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Happy Belated Birthday to Autumn

Autumn,
I realized I missed your Birthday! But wanted to wish you a Happy one!
lots of LoVe from the Pyrahs!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Knighting Eyring

Since there is a lot of Mormon Folklore out there, I like this one since it has a photo to prove it:
Per Deseret News:
After President Hinckley finished with the sustaining of the officers of the church during the Saturday morning session, Elder Eyring had moved into his new seat on the stand. Unfortunately, they didn't show this on TV, but when President Hinckley turned around, he stood there for a moment looking at Elder Eyring (probably with the little twinkle in his eye), then picked up his cane and "knighted" him on his shoulder and head. Truly one of the funniest things I've ever seen him do.

My favorite Halloween

I don't know where the book came from, I think it was a Weekly Reader purchase. In my memory, I paid for it but I probably begged Mom and Dad for it (just like my kids do). It was a whole book on home-made versions of movie monster make up. I don't remember much about it, but there was one where we made wolfman fur by dipping cotton balls in unsweetened chocolate and then gluing it to your face with corn syrup. There was another were we made fangs from cheese wax, drying off your tooth and sticking it to the tooth (never stayed on for more than a couple of minutes). But the part I liked was the step by step, pictures of how to put each part of the Dracula makeup. The ultimate costume though was the guy with the melting face. It had cotton balls glued to your face with corn syrup, and then this oatmeal-like mixture than dripped and stucked to the cotton balls, making the face look all puffy and oozey. I think all of us that year go one or more versions of the costumes in the book.

I can remember going to the store with Mom, feeling weird as we walked through the makeup aisle, buying stuff for my costume (eyeliner, cold cream, etc). But, those were the best costumes of all time!

We lost the book (or maybe Mom threw it out, like a beloved dead goldfish) and since I don't remember the name of the book, I've never been able to replace it.

Frankenstein hands, XXXL softball uniforms, fake hobo cigars, or sequined MooMoos


How is it that we always found ways to dress up? Halloween was always our time to show off what we had already been working on and perfecting ALL YEAR.
I don't recall any of my friends having dress up bins complete with plastic Frankenstein hands, XXXL softball uniforms, fake hobo cigars, or sequined MooMoos.
*Come on guys, admit it, you remember those items.*
And the dress up was not limited to the bin o' misfits, it soon evolved to looking for clothes in closets, bathroom cupboards, and the garage.
Who knew you could create wonder with half a plastic kick ball and roll of scotch tape. We did, that's who....

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Blogging accessibility

So I thought for the blogger beginners like unto myself it might be a good idea to clarify that anyone who registered based on their invite is allowed to post an entry or comment. I made invites based on emails that I had available to me, but if I forgot or did not have an email, send it to me and I will send the invite. I think I need one for Negin and Toni.
Don't hestitate to make a new POST, we would love to hear from everyone.
The POST option is at the top and the COMMENT option is available on each entry. You can POST something new or COMMENT on someone else entry and continue a conversation on that entry through comments.

Sharpemily

Emily decided to go as Sharpay to the "High School Musical" theme B-day party.

The dress up clothes bin seems to come in handy in a pinch!

Monday, October 15, 2007

First time blogger

Once I got a ham radio license and started sending out cq cq cq (seek you), da di da dit, da da di dah. Then when someone came back I found I couldn't think of a single thing to say. I just sat there staring at the radio. I guess not much has changed for me in 35 years.
You would probably be embarrassed to know that I have been down at the river with my $7 yard sale bow and arrow with a string on it trying to shoot carp. I hesitate to tell people about my secret passion but it is fun. One has to be very stealthy in order not to frighten them. I've gotten off several shots but have nothing to carp about yet.

Sunday Low Down

Okay, so I added some pictures in the halloween spirit. Is that sacreligious to say Halloween Spirit?
Anyway, Will is off and running: showing off with his hotlinks and what not. Not everyone has to show their hotlinks on the first post entry....
Here is our Sunday Low Down, as I like to call it, the "stuff" that Sunday's are made of:

Morgan came home from church. After asking her to change her clothes, I asked her and Emily to pick up their scripture bags, shoes, and other misc childlike items. She got real excited and said, "Mom, that's service! I learned about service today at church. We watched a movie and this man got punched in the face, and all over and another man helped him and took him to a restaurant."I was impressed So I asked, "Did you learn about Jesus and why we do service?" She replied, "Yeah, Jesus was in the Movie too, but that movie was long and my eyes were getting tired and sleepy....so I don't remember after that."I love Morgan, she is a simple person who doesn't need a lot of entertainment to get to the point.On Sunday we discussed the gospel resevoirs in our family. As Chris and I prepare to move to Nevada, we have thought about the kids and the impact it will have on them. I felt comforted that our family would have the spiritual resevoiur we need as we move to make sure our children remain happy as long as we keep on the path that we are trying to so hard to be on.

Who's a booger?

At least I stopped picking them... So... home=springville, job=teacher(her) and fake engineer(me), kids=2(plus a live in nanny), and hobbies=disc golf and photography.
That's our life in once sentence. Beat that!

On a funnier note:
If you haven't seen this show, you should... Jake has and he's never looked back.
Hey team,
I know Will is a blogger, or as I might call them: Boogers. So thought it would be fun to use this as a what's what and who's who for family updates. I rarely get to talk to you all, but this would be awesome to exchange stories, updates, pics and news. I am sending out invites and you can register to blog away.