I Sang! Andrew Was Grumpy!

A few posts ago I talked about whether or not to sing in the stake choir for conference, my reason for waffling being I wasn't sure if my kids (well, half of 'em) are old enough to be contained by one parent and an older sibling. Well, I decided to sing, and it was actually nice! For me, anyway. I felt the Spirit, listened to all the talks, took notes, all from the stage.
I felt bad for the family, though, especially Andrew, who struggled (and lost the battle) to sit still. I think I saw Kendall sit maybe for 20 minutes of the entire 2 hour meeting, poor guy.

So all in all I'd say it was a possitive experience, and (don't tell the fam) I'd probably do it again. At least in a couple of years when the little ones won't be so little anymore. And Andrew isn't so grumpy.

The New Blog, and Why.

(This is an almost word for word copy of the post on my new blog at meganoliphant.blogspot.com)

So for any of you who have been following along with this blog, I decided that it was time to branch out and have two different blogs, one that shares the family stuff (for all the family that lives so far away), and one about my other passion in life, writing. I started this blog to blog about writing, but family got in the way (doesn't it always?) so I had to start a completely different one.

On the other one I'm going to talk about all the aspects of writing that affect me and my quest to be a published author. Like actually making time to write. Some days I have the writing flu, to the detriment of all else, and other days I forget that I actually can write more than my signature on a check to pay for piano lessons.

I also need to be accountable somewhere else besides my own mind on writing in a more scheduled fashion. I found this cute progress meter from Writertopia, and decided that this was as good a way as any to see some progress. So you can follow along with my struggles in getting this novel done, finally!

The Better Part of Valor

To sing or not to sing...that is the question. I was asked to participate in the women's choir that is singing for stake conference, and because I sang in the choir for our stake Women's Conference, I was on the list.
Because I was called and asked, I couldn't say no. But now we have a dilemma: 5 kids, one parent. Last year it would have been a no brainer, with Benji still nursing. This year, though he's past that stage, he's moved into the refuse-to-sit-still-on-pain-of-death stage. And you add Meri and Andrew to the mix, and it becomes a full blown juggling act for 2 hours.
And have you ever noticed that the kids who can't tell time can last 1 hour and 10 minutes exactly before they start going nuts in Sacrament Meeting? The 2 hours of Stake conference is a study in early childhood insanity!
So do I let my poor husband do this on his own (with Sarah's help, of course) or do I quit to keep our added chaos to a minimum? What whould you do?

Two year old boys

So I just cleaned up the cat's water that Benji spilled all over the floor so he could splash in the puddles. That, and my brother (totally tongue in cheek)commenting at Easter dinner that Benji will be a bad influence on little Alan (as Alan followed Benji around the ottoman, both of them throwing puzzle pieces onto the floor as fast as they could go), made me realize that I have one of those kids that everyone looks at and secretly thinks "Thank goodness that's not my kid!" I guess it's my due, since I was the one thinking that about everybody else. Karma, eh?

Youth Pageant, Writing, and FREAKING OUT!

So Kendall and I got roped into participating (actually directing, producing, and writing) in our ward's youth roadshow. It was kind of interesting, how Kendall was asked to head up our group. The bishop called us in and said, "The stake is putting on a youth pageant, and three wards are combining to do one show. Will you be our ward representative?" And that was it. He didn't know anything else, and neither did Kendall for a week until he met with the rest of the wards and the stake leaders in charge. And after a few meetings with the other two ward representatives, it became obvious to Kendall that he would have to be in charge. Not his favorite thing to do, by far.
So how did I get involved? They needed someone to put all the ideas together and get them a coherent script, and I was available. Actually, it was rather fun, collaberating with Kendall in writing the thing. But then one of the ward's representative is involved with other plays around the valley, and can't participate, and they really needed to have one more adult to help get things organized. So here I am.
Anyway, last night was our first rehearsal. And even though I was trying not to throw up from tension before it started, it went pretty well. Now I have to be honest. Teenagers scare me. Not because I was a teen so long ago, but because I was a teen at all. I know what I was like, and I was a good girl. I'm not sure how to interact with teens anymore (which is why my next calling will be Laurel advisor or something equally scary).
The other stressful thing is having to bring all the kids to rehearsal because our built-in babysitter is in the show. So I had all three of the little ones wander through at various times during the 3 hours we were at the church, needing attention when I was trying to help get things going.
I guess I just had to vent, because just writing about it now is making my heart race and my brain leak out my ears as it melts from the residual stress. I'm sure everything will turn out fine in the end, but for right now I'm FREAKED!

Fate and the Italian Language

I read the other day in the blogosphere (don't remember who or where, or I'd link it) that Jodie Foster would get the most amazing desire to work out, hard, right before she was offered a big movie. She didn't know what movie, no advanced notice from an excited agent. It was her own intuition, her life path giving her a heads up about something coming.

I'm sure everyone has these kinds of moments, something that starts to rattle around in your brain, telling you to get prepared, because a big life change was coming to adjust your perceptions. I remember specifically having the bizarre desire to learn Italian in college. I struggled with the language, mainly because I couldn't figure out why on earth I was taking it. I even audited the class a second time, trying to pick up on what I'd missed the first time around. Then after several weird and painful years, I found myself in the MTC, desperately cramming Italian and the discussions into my head, wishing I'd taken that prompting a little more seriously. I would have been a much better missionary had I just followed through and been prepared.

I've also gotten those pushes from fate and made the conscious choice to say "No, thank you. I'm not interested in whatever this means for my life." And the promptings have gone away, and I've moved on through my existence, with no knowledge of what great experience I had missed because I said no.

I think (pray) that this time, I will listen and do what the whispers say. I don't know what is coming, but I know it's big, and I know that this time I want to be prepared for it. So I'm going to take the classes and learn the theory before it's time for my lab work to begin. Wish me luck.

Cleanliness, Godliness, and the Unholy Mess

So I don't know how many of you have troubles keeping a house clean. I've never, ever, been keen on keeping house. I never understood my mother's desire, need...no...Obsession...to keep a clean house. Until I realized that I really do like things tidy. When I'm not stuck by my guilt over having a messy kitchen, I can get all sorts of things done. Theoretically.

I guess the old adage "Cleanliness is next to godliness" has some foundation in truth. My brain is as scattered as my house is. Or is it my house is as scattered as my brain is? But when it's not scattered and cluttered with the surface things, with the other stuff that really doesn't matter, I am able to be centered and find that well of feelings and emotions that scream out to be explored. So I guess what I'm saying is that I let my life get cluttered with extranious stuff so I don't have to deal with the unholy mess that is my well of feelings and emotions. How's that for catartic revelation?

Rice, Bacon, and Conference.

It is that time of year again...General Conference. And for the first time in years (not since we lived in AZ), we are on our own for conference.

Now you have to understand. It's a family culture kind of thing. My grandfather and grandmother on my dad's side both come from West Virginia. They lived here in Utah for all their married lives, but brought some of their culture and food traditions with them. And one of them is Bacon and Rice. You cook up rice and serve it with bacon, and there you go. Thinking back on it now, it seems like a poor man's food, the kind of stuff you have when it's the only stuff you have. My understanding was that my grandfather used to eat the rice and bacon with the bacon grease poured over the top. All I can say is Eewww.

But then I guess our tradition isn't that far removed. For as long as I can remember (and I remember being 2) we had this for breakfast on Sunday morning. We take the cooked rice, crumble bacon on top, sprinkle sugar on top of that, and pour milk on it to create a warm, salty/sweet meal. I think the toasted English muffins with raspberry jam and grape juice came a little later, but it rounded out the meal.

To any newbies to this post, you may be saying Blech. And I would understand. There were years where I would eat the bacon on the side, but not add it to the rice and milk. And to this day the bacon has to be the right level of crispy or I won't add it, because there's nothing worse than soggy bacon. It 's like eating straight fat.

We used this meal as a litmus test for all potential in-laws. If they could eat it without gagging, they were acceptable. It was always funny to see the first bite reaction. I don't know what my other siblings did, but I gave my future hubby lots of info before his formal introduction. And he actually likes it now (better than I do, I think.)

So for years, every conference, we, and as many siblings as were around, would come to my parent's house for the traditional breakfast and Conference. Three of my four brothers moved out of state this past year, and my parents are in California with my VERY pregnant sister, so we get to do it on our own. The food won't change. Not a bit. And since I'm cooking the bacon, it'll be perfect.

I feel a little forlorn, though, realizing that yes, at nearly 40 and with 5 kids, I guess I'm finally a grown up and can do this on my own. But on the other hand, it's kind of exciting being handed the baton, carrying on the torch of tradition. So onward Oliphant family, along the well-tasted path of tradition. Yum!