Hunks and Heartthrobs

Ok. So Wednesday night I was watching American Idol, and Joe Jonas was the guest judge. They were making a big deal about him being a heartthrob, and I just looked at him and though, "Really?". I just wasn't seeing it. I also struggle to see Edward Cullen (as portrayed by Robert Pattinson) as a hunk. So it got me thinking. Back in the day, when I was a tween/young teen, who did I think was a hunk? You want to know who's picture was on my wall, right up there with the MormonAds? Here you are: Ralph Macchio. That's right, the Karate Kid himself.

Pretty hilarious, huh? So, women blog readers, tell me if you dare, who was your celebrity crush, you know, back in the day? I'm curious to see who the heartthrobs are through the years that would be represented. I wasn't paying attention to celebritiy hunks anymore when some of you were tweens. If you're brave enough, post his photo on your blog : ). Not to worry, Rick, you are my only hunk and heartthrob since 1993 : ).

*Just a note to anyone who was a participant in the conversation at TGIFriday's a few weeks ago. Do not confuse this discussion with that discussion, if you know what I mean. Back in the day.

How Often Does That Happen?

How many times have you taken your car in and left spending less time and money than you anticipated? I took the van in this morning to Midas on Glen and War Memorial for an oil change. It's also been making this whistling/squealing noise that I was concerned about. A few months ago I had taken it to Toyota, where I had taken the van since we first bought it, for routine maintenance and mentioned the sound. They told me there was a belt that needed replacing. After talking to Rick we decided to call Midas, where he had been taking his truck, and compare prices for replacing the belt. Midas was cheaper, so we went there. Midas told me then that the belt was fine. The front brakes, however, needed to be replaced. The noise has increased in frequency since that visit, so I thought I should mention it again when I took the van in for another oil change. They checked the belt again today and told me that the belt was making the noise, and that I could replace them (actually 2 belts) for $129. He then told me that they were not BAD, just noisy. I asked him if I would just be paying $129 to stop the noise, and if everything else was fine. He said, that yes, that was the case. I asked how I would know when the belts needed to be replaced. He said that they would keep an eye on them and check them out at each oil change. Seriously, how many places do you know who would have told you that you could save the $129 and deal with the noise? In my experience, most mechanics would have said, "yeah, those belts are making the noise and need to be replaced." The end, right? Is that also your experience? I was thrilled to walk away, only paying for an oil change. I'll save that chunk of change and deal with my squeaky belts. So, Peorians, if you're looking for a place to take your vehicle. I recommend Midas on Glen. You can tell them Charity sent you.

Teaching Children Self Reliance

The upside: my children know how to cook and feed themselves.

The downside: an entire pound of bacon was consumed after Church today.

I Love Watching Their Brains at Work

Daniel woke up this morning and told me that he had dreamed about playing Lego Star Wars with one of his friends. He really liked the set, and wanted to know if we could go look for it at the store. Intrigued, I asked him if he had ever seen it, or if in his dream was the first time. Indeed, the dream was the first time he'd seen the set. I love how their little brains work. If he saw it in a dream, then it must be at the store, right? I explained that our brains can think of new things, especially in dreams. Then I suggested that he contact Lego and tell them about his idea, then maybe they would make it and put it in the store. This led to a whole different discussion about companies and how they get ideas for things, and then they make them and send them to stores to sell. These were all new concepts for his 4 year old brain, and it was so fun to watch him try to soak them all in.

Read-A-Thon

Yesterday we had a day off. No school, and no work. We decided to have a family read-a-thon in the morning. When we got up, we stayed in our jammies, and found a spot to snuggle up in the family room, with pillows, blankets and books. Rick built a fire in the fireplace, and kept it going. And we just read, for about 3 hours. It was so much fun!! Occasionally, someone would pipe up with something to share from their reading. I hope to have more family read-a-thons!! I was going to take pictures, but unfortunately, I was taking my turn with the rapid succession stomach flu that was making its rounds through the family, and didn't feel up to taking any.

Mom, or Professional Juggler

This is not a new topic, nor do I claim to have any new insights into it. However, it's currently on my mind, and I thought perhaps I had a few readers out there that might appreciate reading these thoughts, and maybe even adding their 2 cents in the comments.

I am convinced that motherhood is more about learning to juggle than it is about changing diapers, cooking or cleaning. In my 14 years of doing this job, I have had many different tasks and responsibilities, and they have moved around on my list of priorities, each taking their spot at the top at one time or another, it would seem. When I was pregnant, naps took priority over doing the dishes, for example, since I felt the most important thing I was doing at the time was growing a baby, and that baby needed for me to take care of my body. And yet, on some evenings during other times in my life, doing the dishes was a higher priority than even stopping to resolve a squabble amongst the children, because, quite frankly, they could work it out themselves, and my sanity at the moment was more about waking up to a sink devoid of dirty dishes. Other moments required leaving whatever I was doing, and maybe even being late to a meeting or appointment, to console a whimpering child, because I knew that he/she needed me at that very moment. On the flipside, there are times that I drive away from the house with Rick for a date, fully aware that someone is crying about the fact that I'm leaving. Are you getting the idea? These "priorities" bounce around all over the numbered list of what is most important at the moment. Personal sanity, clean house, physical needs of my children, emotional needs of my child, quality time with Rick, Church callings, catching up with friends or family, the list goes on and on. The fact is, I haven't figured out a good system yet, other than juggling. I just keep flying by the seat of my pants, changing around that list willy-nilly, hoping that by doing so, all the balls stay in the air, and each one gets the attention it needs. One trick that I KNOW, but don't always live by, is to avoid getting too many balls in the air. Too many balls, or things on your plate, and one of them is going to crash to the ground.

Somehow, I don't think this idea of juggling is limited to mothering. It's probably one of those life lessons we all need to learn, no matter what walk of life we are in. I don't know the answer of how to do it, but I'm certainly working on it ALL THE TIME. I guess the trick is just like in juggling. Keep the balls moving, keep practicing, and if one of the balls falls to the ground, just pick it up (after determining that it is, indeed, essential)and try again.

Time Well Spent

One of the things Rick and I spent A LOT of time doing during this Christmas break was puzzles. We just completed this one last night. We got it at Barnes and Noble with gift cards from Rick's parents (thanks!!). We spent many hours working on this 3000 piece wonder. I did not type an extra 0, that's really 3 thousand!! Impressive, eh? The kids came in occasionally and worked on it, but for the most part it was Rick and I. It was a very relaxing activity that we really enjoyed.

And here's a shot that gives you a better idea of how big it is. This was after we had already done a 1500 piece and a 500 piece puzzle (thanks, Wendy and Brian) over the break. Guess we enjoyed it : ).

Winner or Loser?

Do you think I'm a loser for keeping the same header and background on my blog, or do you think I'm a winner for bucking that trend? I mean, do you find comfort in knowing that when you come to Cougar Blue Jeffs, you know what you'll find, or do you click on that link thinking, "maybe, just maybe, she has changed things up a bit", only to be disappointed when you arrive? Just wondering.

Does it HAVE to End?

So, tomorrow morning, it's back to "normal" life. Rick heads back to work, the kids go back to school, and I go back to a more scheduled day. I'm usually ready for this, but this year I'm not. I could use another week. I have loved being home as a family, having the occasional outing, staying in pjs a lot, etc. I suppose a return to routine will be a good thing, and maybe it's better to have it end this way, wanting more rather than begging for it to end. Either way, I can't stop it. Back to life, back to reality.....