This Year's Entry

Happy Halloween!

Full-On Harry Potter Dork

Harry Potter Movie Premier
All of us
Full costume
11:59 pm showing

Either the coolest or dumbest thing we've ever done as parents.

The whole cast + a renegade snow white.
I would really recommend enlarging this photo for full detail.
Snape's dark mark is awesome.
Fluer is adorable (she made that costume by the way).
Luna is appropriately spaced out.
Ginny and Harry are appropriately adorable (I know that I already used that adjective but it just seemed to be appropriate, again).
The Weasley parents look very...parental.
Umbridge is creepy (shout-out to Heather, who, before about a month ago, had never seen a Harry Potter movie).

But Hagrid is my favorite for sure.

Sophie is not happy with this photo. Not nearly "Bellatrix" enough for her.

This was after Hermione's second diet coke (hey, it was a midnight showing).

Freaky.

Nice shorts, Voldy.
Truly though, he was quite the hit on the dance floor at the pre-show bash.
Voldemort doin' some pretty sweet 90's dance moves.
Totally classic.

And... the most popular girl of the night.
Little Dobby is probably pasted on more facebook pages than Will and Kate.
By the end of the night, she was waving like a movie star on the red carpet.


Our dorkiness knows no bounds.

My proof

Run, Dirty Girl, Run!
Four fabulous miles of mud and muck with Emma and our buddies.

Pre-mud:




Post-mud:







Definitely makes my "Top-five-favorite-things-I've-ever-done-with-Emma" list.
She was a total stud.
And, so was I, if I do say so myself.


As my friend Jessica said, "this proves we're athletes...right?"

What can I say

I'm kind of a fan.

My Medical Chart

*WARNING*
Once again, this may include far too much information. If you have a weak stomach, you may not want to proceed.

Also, this is not a plea for any sort of "on-line sympathy". Everything is fine. I'm a healthy girl. However, I will accept sympathy for my patheticness.


Patient: Me
Complaint: I feel old. Plus my heart hurts and I can't keep track of all of my moles anymore.


Appointment #1-Mole Mapping with Dr. Grossman

What's mole mapping you ask? Well, let me tell you all about it. When you have a lot of moles, like I do, you have to keep track of them. It's all about avoiding skin cancer, which I'd really prefer to do. So, there is this fabulous new "technology" that I qualified for at The Hunstman Cancer Institute where they map all of your moles and then some kind of software compares them every time you have an appointment. It cuts unnecessary biopsies by 82% (which, again, I'd really prefer).
"Genius!" you say? Don't be so sure. My little adventures in mole-mapping proved to be nothing more than
Me.
Buck naked.
Standing in front a blue sheet.
And a digital camera.
And 28 close-up photographs.

That's right. This angel is a centerfold.

At the end of my, a-hem, "photo session", the nurse assured me that on my next appointment I would get my own copies of the photos so that I can do my own mole-comparing at home.

Fabulous.


Appointment #2-Mammogram

First mammogram.
Everything I hoped for and more.

That's all I have to say about that.


Appointment #3-Stress Test and Echo cardiogram with Dr. Zito

I've been having some mysterious chest pains (probably from stress and mourning) so my Dr. ordered a bunch of tests which included an echo cardiogram (and the above mentioned mammogram). When I went to the appointment they informed me that we would also be doing a stress test.
"No biggie", I though.

Oh, it's a biggie.
Let me paint the picture.

Me, a hospital gown on top, jeans on bottom, and my beloved chuck taylors.
Lots and lots of chords attached in various locations on my upper body.
A very large belt holding a very heavy little box tied around my waist.
And a tread mill.

Did I mention that the hospital gown had to open in the front?
Did I mention that I had to get my heart rate to 168?
Did I mention that I couldn't wear anything under the gown on top so as not to interfere with the many, many wires hanging from my body?
Did I mention that I had to run, really hard, uphill, on the treadmill, for a long time?
And, did I mention that the gown opened in the front?

Not a pretty picture, I know.
Imagine how the two nurses felt.
I think I should probably send them flowers.

Patsy Ruth

This is my grandma.

Patsy Ruth Peterson Green.

She died last week.


I've decided a few things since then.

I've decided that I'm not really a big fan of death. Not a fan at all.
I've decided that funerals can be cathartic. But snowball fights are even better.
I've decided that seeing your parents sad is, well, pretty sad.
And, I've decided that my grandma was the greatest woman I will ever know.


A little story...
The night after her funeral was tough. Especially for Emma. She is named after my grandma and has lots and lots of memories with her. We have cried and talked a lot together. She and Sophie and I were talking about how hard it is to see the people you love sad, especially their grandpa, who, admittedly, they love more than me. They don't like seeing him cry. I explained to them how we need to allow everybody time to be sad. I told them that it's OK to cry and feel sad and it might take a while for that sadness to get better.

Sophie looked at me and asked,
"Mom, can people die from crying?"
"No." I said.
"Mom, can people die from being sad?"
"No." I said.
"Everyone is going to be fine. It just might take a little while and we have to let grandpa be sad. It' called mourning. Have you guys ever heard of that?"

Emma's face lit up. She looked at me with utter clarity and beauty and said,
"Mom, it's just like in the scriptures. "Mourn with those who mourn", just like Jesus said."

Just like Jesus said.


My grandma was probably 10 in the picture. Just like Emma.
I think she looks just like Emma. And me. And I love it.

When I can't find her voice in my head anymore, when I can't picture her if I close my eyes, all I have to do is look at Emma. And listen to her wisdom.


I love my grandma.

Sugar and Spice....whatever.

People are always saying to me...

"Oh, you wouldn't know about yelling and fighting, you have girls."
"Oh, you wouldn't know about dirt, you have girls."

Or,

"Oh, you wouldn't know about total obsession with all bodily functions, constant descriptions of them, repeated recreations of them, and hysterical reactions to all of them. You don't have that at your house, I'm sure."

whatever.

Case in point.





*Please Note
1. Wade is so proud of this, he actually posted it on YouTube.
2. Lily's got serious skills.