Career Women

What is it about women with careers that makes them assume that women without careers are too stupid to have careers? Seems to me that if YOU have to have a job and I get to do what I want all day, I'M the smart one.

Cousins Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

I am determined to exercise regularly when my back is healed so I can keep it strong and uninjured. I hate not being able to move quickly and get things done. It is a good reminder to me to be so thankful that I do not have many back problems and that my health is good.

The kids have done so much today to help with the house and the babies. Henna went to the dds this morning and her mom met us there. Mom says that she'd read that she can come to drs appts and I think it's a good thing. Mom has never been anything but humble and grateful with me and I have no problem with her being around to see what advice the medical people give.

However, her presence doesn't calm Henna much. Today the dds office had me busy with paperwork during nearly the entire visit (which only took about 3 mins). Henna knows that mom gives her what she wants to Henna is extra tantrumy with mom. I don't know if it's my place to advise mom or if I should just let it be.

Henna knows, for instance, not to hit me or she will have timeout. But, she hits mom repeatedly. It's not painful or with any power to it, just a light swipe, but it's that boundary of authority that's being crossed.

There wasn't a good chance today for me to advise mom at all today, but I think next time I will.

Hurting today

I wore a slight heel to church yesterday and it hurt my lower back again. I think I may just not be able to wear heels.

I hate being broken. I feel bad for my husband who has a broken wife who can't even wear high heels.

Sweet Patrick has been helping me all day. Annalyn has also done a lot of my fetch and carry. The other kids are helping, but only after I give them a stern voice and a frowny look.

I think I am not much fun lately. Would like to fix that.

My New Goal in Life

I've decided that I just want to be Lyndee when I grow up. :)

Who do I talk to to make that happen?

getting family photos and other daytime dramas

I found a photographer on ksl.com who says she does family photos for free to get practice for her business. I contacted her and it's not really *free* -- the sitting is free and it's $40 a CD with all the prints, but no obligation to purchase.

We went out on Saturday and got some really great photos, but she had the white balance off on her camera and all the pictures have weird blue/green color to them. Trish says they all look like 1974 Fuji film. :) Also, Dennis says she doesn't use any depth of field so the pictures are flat instead of having the people stand out from the background.

I hoped she might at least let me purchase some of the pictures at a discount to post on facebook even though they aren't suitable for printing, but she was only interested in offering a measly 25% discount for basically ruined pictures. And, she kept insisting that there was a problem with the shade from the trees that was causing the color to be off and couldn't seem to accept that that is a completely illogical conclusion. 1) we took pictures in the full shade, in the full sun, in partial shade, in 6 different spots and facing 5 different directions -- it doesn't make SENSE that they all were affected by "the shade from the trees" and 2) she took pictures of her son in the same spots on a different day and the color on all of them is fine.

She tried to cover up her mistake by saying, "Well, they look decent on the old time color, which is what I prefer anyway..." She didn't initally offer ANY discount -- I had to ask her if she'd take $10 for the CD of ruined pictures. I think she's being a pill about it. It's a shame too because I had her link on my facebook page and had already recommended her to some friends before she started being weird and had to go back and let people know, "Look only use this photographer if you're okay with wasting your time if the pictures don't turn out."

I did end up with 4 of the weird color pictures that she sent me as samples. Oh well. Lyndee will take new pictures this week and get it right. Yeah Lyndee!

shutterfly.com

I have been having a lot of fun lately on shutterfly.com. I find that if I create a project and don't order it right away, they start sending me offers like free shipping or an additional 20% off or a free hardback photo book. This is a system that works for me.

I revamped the point system today. I've been trying to get the printer to cooperate. We have perpetual printer problems here.

Ric got some pictures of Henna covered in peanut butter (Sawyer says, "pinky butter"). I'll post them when he gets them off his phone.

getting away from gardening

I realize that I am a complete inside dog. It just doesn't work for me to be outside. I don't like it and I find nature to be sneezy and sticky and smelly.

No one in the house likes doing yardwork and none of us really knows how to do it well. I can do the cleaning inside the house and keep things orderly and teach everyone and get all things organized. But I never get around to taking care of the yard.

So, I think Ric and I should just use concrete and brick in the yard and put some shade out there and have very few plants and landscaping. I think that's how we would use our yard the most.

I want to find a design of patio that I like and then contact a concrete person and get an estimate so I can start saving to get it done.

I will still have a vegetable garden on the side of the house but will use a square foot garden that's easy to care for. I just don't see a need for grass and plants and flowers and tons of stuff that needs care when none of us like that or want to care for it.