Haircut

(Before)

The last time we cut Henry's hair was in July and it was pretty horrific. The lady had never cut a kids hair before and Henry, of course, decided to help by screaming and intermittently flailing his body around. The result was a really uneven and bad look for Henry until his hair grew out a bit.
Since he was getting a tail again and I wanted to make sure his next haircut was a good experience we decided to take him to Cookie Cutters out in Lehi. They have planes and cars and firetrucks for the kids to sit in, with tv and dvd players to watch a movie of their choice; they also have a little play place with a slide in the waiting room. One of his friends was due for a hair cut too so we planned to meet up with them and let the boys get their hair cuts together. I thought with all those distractions, no way could it be as bad as last time.
Problem 1. I got the directions on googlemap before heading out. It was only going to take around 30 minutes so we had plenty of time. In fact, by the time we exited I was afraid we were too early and it would be hard to make Henry wait the extra time. But, never fear, our directions took us west of the freeway when we should have gone east. We ended up in Saratoga Springs ( I think). I called my friend who was taking her son in the same day and asked what the place was next to. She said Wal Mart, Anytime Fitness and Chase bank. I look at all of these and still, to no avail do I see the place. And then....
Problem 2. The car starts to overheat. I'm talking smoke coming up out of the hood and all. We pull into the Wal Mart parking lot and luckily my mom is with me and has ample experience in this department. She goes in to get the coolant while I call the actual hair place to ask for directions. I tell her I'm in the Wal Mart parking lot and she says just keep going in that parking lot and I'll find the place. Its right there. At this point I'm really having a hard time because we had circled that thing three times already. I hang up anyway without clarification, Henry has had it and is screaming to get out of his car seat. My mom comes, we get the coolant in. The smoking subsides and things with the car are looking a bit less grim. I call again and the same woman answers and figures out I went the wrong direction and tells me they are east of the freeway. We head back in that direction and finally find the place and my friend there with her son and daughter. Phew. I'm still amazed that there were all the exact same gyms, banks and stores in the shopping center we were lost in only 10 miles down the road. uhg.
Problem 3. Henry is so excited to see this place! He is happy, happy, happy. He picks a Thomas DVD and gets into his airplane and starts steering and making airplane noises. Then I go to grab the camera for my mom who wants a picture of it. And then I hear the blood curdling scream. Apparently Henry remembers exactly what having a cape put on means and he is not down for it. He is waving his hands and yelling, "NO, NO!" while my mom and the woman about to cut his hair are trying to calm him down. So we decide to go cape-less and then out comes the water and the scissors. At home if I flick water at Henry while doing dishes his giggles with delight. Not so this time. Basically he cried the whole time with a few moments of calm in between when I could get him to talk to me or when I could ask him questions like if he wanted to call "Nana or Bry Bry" (his aunt and uncle) after to tell them about his haircut.

(During)

Thanks to the patience of the lady cutting his hair, it didn't turn out too badly. She just trimmed it, per Johann's request and it looks a lot more clean now. He was happy as soon as the scissors stopped going and he and his friend could run around hitting each other with their balloons and go down the slide.
So after having three different hair cutting experience with Henry, I've decide next time, I'm shaving it. =)

(After)

Oh man...

Today Johann picked Henry up from nursery. When he did, the nursery leader informed him that if we found anything green in Henry's diaper the next day, it was because he ate a green crayon. Really Henry? Really?

Time suckers

One of my friends posted this article on facebook; its a good reminder about how I do spend my time and how I want to spend my time. Anyone else have great suggestions about how to avoid those time suckers? I'm thinking one of my time suckers is my getting ready in the morning process. Maybe I'll start timing myself and seeing if there is a way to streamline it. One that I plan on incorporating right away is getting my name off of email subscriptions for places I never order from but will waste time checking anyway everytime I see a new email in my inbox. Also, I need to find a number of times to limit checking my gmail. I'll let you know how my plans pan out. Wish me luck.

"The Young Victoria"

This week I went on a "girl date" with my friend Rachel. We went out to dinner, saw The Young Victoria, with plenty of treats, and got frozen yogurt after. Though we both felt a little naked at first without our kids or diaper bags, it was so much fun! I cannot remember the last time I went to a movie with a girlfriend. It was great. Thanks to Johann for watching the kiddos so we could have a night out. We're hoping to make this a monthly tradition.

I really enjoyed the film. In the beginning they throw a lot of names and their relation to Victoria out but if you just wait it out for a bit you catch on to whose who after not too long. In addition to enjoying the beautiful sets, costuming, acting, etc I really appreciated what I suppose could be called the "moral of the story," namely: a marriage that accomplishes anything is about sharing in each others successes and roles, and working side by side. It was kind of like a "girlie" Howard Zinn spin on history, using historical happenings to inform the public in current issues. The film shows how Victoria gave up some of her traditions, childhood comforts, and I think most importantly, her pride to make it possible for her husband to feel apart of her life. There are a lot of interesting points to note about gender roles, especially because of the 'role switch' of the wife being the one with a high power position, but I won't bore anyone with that! =)

Something Rachel and I were both wondering about after the film is what is it that seems so inherent in us that when we watch a dancing scene from these films, see them sitting around sipping tea and eating biscuts, or at the opera we think, "ah, I wish." Is it just the romanticizing of the past, the trapping of films, or is it something more in us that sees something lovely and desires it? Is it that tap on the chain of past life that ripples all the way to our little piece of life welded on that chain? Did those people of the past hit on something that appealed to what we knew was really how we should or will be? Is there anything eternal in the waltz?*
Well, I think it goes without saying that I recoommend the film; the sequencing is a little rushed and thin at times, but everything else compensates. Its an enjoyable hour and forty-five minutes if nothing else.



*see Elder Callister's devotional "Your Refined Heavenly Home." September 19th, 2006:
"Today I would like to peek behind the veil that temporarily separates us from our heavenly home and paint a word picture of the virtuous, lovely, and refined circumstances that exist there. I will speak of the language, literature, music, and art of heaven, as well as the immaculate appearance of heavenly beings, for I believe that in heaven we will find each of these in pure and perfected form."

Women Faculty and Student Forum

Peter Vilhelm Ilsted, Woman reading by candlelight

At the beginning of the semester, Johann got an email about a women faculty forum for graduate students taking place towards the end of January. He forwarded me the email and though I'm not a grad student, I thought I could just slink into the back, listen, take notes and then be out of there.
Of course, my dream of slipping in and out was not to be realized. I showed up at the room in the Tanner Building and of course it was the small ballroom; tables with flowers, starched table cloths, and a buffet of sandwiches, fruit and dessert. I stared through the full wall of glass doors for a while, vacillating between just sitting at a back table and keeping to myself or going home for fear of embarrassing myself.
"Well, I'm already here, I may as well go in. I can always say I got confused, cover my face and run away."
I sat down at a back table and stared at the floor. Then, "Hi, my name is R____. I want to invite you to come sit with me at that table over there." Yup, you guessed it, the one right in front of the panel of faculty members at the front of the room. Who was this girl to be so friendly?! I tried to mumble some stuff about being anti-social, etc. but she actually had my elbow and was already guiding me over to the table. I'm such a wimp.
I won't drag on any longer about the awkwardness of explaining four separate times (including to the student in charge of it) that I wasn't in a graduate program but just interested; or how I made everyone else at the table feel awkward by not eating because I would have felt too guilty. They were all very nice though, I must say. So. Lets move on to the actual panel.
There were six women, five with PhDs and one with a masters. Two were in communication disorders, one was in sociology, one in recreation management youth leadership, one in microbiology and molecular biology, and one in chemistry. I was a little dismayed not to see any representation from history, english, or humanities, but I guess it is BYU and their graduate programs in those fields are not exactly polished (from what I've heard).
I was not sure what to expect exactly but I think I was impressed, annoyed, and satisfied on some points.
Firstly, I was impressed by what all these women were able to do in managing family life and an academic career. Dr. Bridgewater (one of her students was recently awarded the Gates scholorship) had all four of her children while pursuing her PhD, while her husband was launching a business. Can you imagine? Dr. Forste also had two of her children while in grad school in Chicago.
Secondly, I was annoyed by the fifteen minutes one professor spent talking about, "I don't wear my PhD on my sleeve. That way people will treat me normally." I understand what she thought she was saying, but does she think that maybe her belief that wearing a PhD on ones' sleeve should mean different treatment, might have something to do with getting treated differently in said instance? hmm? Does her PhD give her some superhero powers worthy of reverance? I think we all know intelligent people who do not feel the need to suppress or induldge their every intelligent bend. I think this professor might do well to assosiate with some of those people a little more frequently. Or maybe she threw the statement out without thinking it through. Oh wait, her superior intellect should have checked that. Ok, so I was REALLY annoyed by it. Moving on.
Thirdly, I was satisfied with the overall messages that came out of the forum. I don't necessarily mean that I think they completely answer the questions facing women in higher education (with emphasis on LDS women) but they seem to be heading in a positive and honest direction.

The first point: the myth of balance. Here are a few statements on that:

Dr. Goates (chemistry)- "You're tired all the time."
Dr. Forste (sociology)- "I've never felt it's balanced. It's a juggling act. "
Dr. Freeman (rec. management)- "Balance implies it's all equal. It's not."
They went on to have a discussion (somewhat trite) that if you're not the best cook or scrapbooker because of your career, that's ok. I understand what they're saying, but the tone could have been improved on this one too.

The second point: higher education leads to greater flexibility

Dr. Forste- "Academic life is more flexible with schedules."
Dr. Brinton- "The more education you have, the more options and choices you have."
They then discussed how the more qualified you are, the better your profession, the chances that a 9-5 work schedule won't be restricting you, and you'll be able to make your own schedule more often than not.

The final point, seems to me, to be the lubricant I've been looking for in what seems to be an uncomfortable rub in counsel I heard while at BYU: "Get all the education you can. Go out into the world and be successful. Be in the home to nurture you're family." I had heard the "times and seasons" response from a lot of people, but it never seemed to fit, especially when leaders would encourage family life to begin right in the midst of higher education. It seemed to me if it was times and seasons, then as soon as I got pregnant I should have postponed school for a much later date. While some receive personal revelation that such is the case, I did not.
What I think it comes down to is the idea of sacrifice to attain that higher education so you can meet the standards being set. Cutting out certain things besides family and education can often help bring the time; sleep and hobbies come to mind. This post is getting much longer than I like to normally do, but I think it is something important to consider and I would love to hear what everyone else has to say on the subject.

FREE nursing covers!

My wonderful friend emailed me a promotion for free nursing covers from uddercovers.com . I had one of these while I was breastfeeding Henry and they are fantastic! There is still a shipping & handling charge of $9.95 but the covers are usually $32.00 so still seems a pretty good deal to me! Just use the code Family2010 and you're good to go. Just wanted to pass on the good deal.

An Explanation

My facebook has been flooded with status updates about The Bachelor. Will someone please, please, PLEASE explain to me why anyone watches this show? Why do former/present Young Womens' leaders watch this show? Why do mothers and daughters have special parties to watch this show? Is the premise not a bunch of women falling all over one man, routinely making out and doing degrading 'challenges'? Why didn't one of them catch swine flu and pass it on to everyone else through the bachelor..? Ok, maybe thats just spiteful.
I have a feeling if this show was based in some Middle Eastern local with women in veils, everyone would be crying how awful it is, but because the women are "independent" and can dress and act as brazenly as they like, its suddenly ok?
But really, if someone has a legitimate reason why you or anyone else you know watches it, or thinks it is somehow ok to promote, could you please enlighten me? Because for now, with the information I have, I'm pretty disgusted. Thanks.

Goals check

January and February flew by for me. I could never keep track of the day of the week. I suppose thats rather usual since I've been out of school though. Anyhow, since we are now 1/6 of the way through the year (yep...thats a standard form of dividing up the year...trust me) I thought I would just do a little check up on my goals for the year. I've rarely made any new years goals or if I have, I never planned on how to actually keep them up. This year I think I've done a bit better. Little by little and all that, right?

1. Complete Henry's 1 year memory book
So far I have the majority of pages done. To be completely honest however, it shouldn't have even taken this long considering it was a premade scrapbook my brother bought me as a Christmas gift the Christmas before Henry was born. I just need to print some more pictures that are small enough for the certain spaces.

2. Make 72 hour kits for the family
Zilch. But it is on my weekly check list so I plan to start making a list of what we need in our kits this week.

3. Hold weekly family home evenings and plan them a month in advance
Partial on this one again. We've had them but January and February were not planned a month in advance. However, I rectified this with March and came up with a "curriculum" if you will for each Monday of the month to follow which will make planning so much easier.

4. Get second blog up and running
Remember Hamlet? Remember thinking, "HAMLET! Stop brooding and planning and thinking about it. JUST DO IT. DO something, ANYTHING." Yup. Inaction. I think about this constantly but can never get myself to do it. sigh.

5. Forget all my stupid and embarrassing moments in the past; sans the ones that make me laugh rather than cringe
Check. Done a pretty good job with this one surprisingly. Maybe my daily stupidities and embarassing moments have finally become sufficient for me. hooray.

6. Attend the Temple as a couple monthly
January, check. February, fail. Actually I thought about not even making this goal because we've been pretty consistant for as long as I can remember. Maybe February reminds of why it needed to become a goal.

7. Go to ward activities
Haven't been any. This isn't really an activity crazy ward. Can't say I'm disappointed by that.

8. Learn the new family search
In progress. I got all our info on and immediate family and added a line worked on by one of Johann's aunts. I'm still working on the whole finding new ancestors thing though.

9. Read through the standard works
Yup. getting close to finishing The Book of Mormon and the New Testament. Kind of cheating on this one because I had already started both before the new year. I need to give myself plenty of time for the Old Testament though.

10. Accept help
I think so. Last week Johann noticed the toll staying inside for almost two weeks straight with a sick toddler was having on me and said, "Next week, you and Rachel go out to a movie or something and I'll watch Henry and Abigail." Instead of saying, "No I'm probably just being a baby" or something like that I said, "thank you. I will take you up on it." And so we have a girls night planned. yay!

11. Take a family portrait
We're scheduling it for April or May depending on the weather. I've looked at a few photographers online but anyone have any reccommendations?

12. Read 15 novels from master book list and 5 scholarly texts
This is the one I'm surprised at myself about. I thought, no sweat but I have managed to slack way more than I thought. Part of the problem is I meander into portions of other books I've read just for a bit and then go back. I've been doing that a lot with some C.S. Lewis stuff.
So far I've got Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights finished along with one of my scholarly texts- History in Practice by Ludmilla Jordanova. I'm almost finsihed with Stories of Anton Chekhov. I cannot even explain how much I am enjoying it. Now I don't know how the other translations are, but I love this one by Volokhonsky and Peaver. I need to decide what I'll move on to next.

13. Clean up no more than twice a day (minus the kitchen, my OCD just won't allow that to stay dirty for very long quite yet).
Yup. Pretty proud of this one actually. And I even used the dishwasher a couple times. Usually I can't because I get annoyed how half the time it just doesn't do the job. So I'll pat myself on the back for this one.