We're all a little Nutty

We enjoyed watching Aladdin that the kids at our elementary school put on this past weekend. Dillon was the Sultan. At the last minute, they decided the Sultan should have a turban. 30 years ago this very week, my dad was working in England and couldn't be here for my 8th birthday. He brought home this lampshade (Dillon's hat) which I never wanted to use as a lampshade because I didn't want it to get dusty and ruined. So, it has stayed in my cedar chest, still in it's original bag, reminding me of the sweet gift my dad gave me -- worn occasionally by one of the three wisemen in our Christmas Nativity. I safety-pinned a baseball hat backwards under the lampshade and duct-taped the fringe back above his face, and voila...a Sultan. It made me happy that saving it all these years was purposeful in some way. Because, I may not be the queen of home decor, but I really can't imagine using it as a lampshade now!

18 years ago today, I had my first Valentine's Day with Lee in my life...only I don't think we acknowledged it. I'm pretty sure I spent Valentine's Day that year with my roommates, wearing black as we traditionally did. Lee and I had only been dating for 2 or 3 weeks at that point, and I was still unaware that he was creeping rapidly into my heart. Neither one of us can pinpoint an exact moment when we realized we were in love. We couldn't get enough of being together. We spent at least a portion of each day together. We felt happy being together. And little by little, he stole my heart. Though I don't wear black anymore, I still don't like Valentine's Day much -- but not because I don't have someone to love. I usually spend the day making pink heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, heart-shaped pb&j sandwiches for the kids' lunches, and heart-shaped pizza for dinner -- hoping to raise a generation that isn't negative about Valentine's ...

I was psychoanalyzing myself the other night and came up with two lists -- one of things that make me worn out and crabby and one of things that help me thrive. Since it all boils down to "what do I love?", I thought I'd share some of my findings. Maybe you'll connect, or maybe you'll just peer into my head and run away cringing! What triggers the me I don't like: Pain Fatigue Wasting time Worrying that I've offended or upset someone Feeling that I'm neglecting my kids (real or imagined) Social isolation Pain (I felt it was worth mentioning again!) What brings out the happy me: Helping at the school in meaningful ways Playing basketball with the women in our neighborhood Cooking fantastic food Playing "Go Fish" with Ian Doing home preschool with my friend Yoga DDR or walks (actually I have to run to keep up) with Lee Talking with a friend and discovering we think alike Listening to my kids play the piano Wool socks and sweaters Making people...

4th graders performed for our school board last night to showcase the violin program our principal started this year. Here's the story they put online about it: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/article_279b436d-26f8-5e75-8134-3e98b0359e64.html?mode=video I got interviewed at the end and said nothing intelligent, but...there you go. Scared me to death. The kids did great!