A reflecting experience

This past week I was at Target looking at some clothes. As a mom, you obviously have your baby with you most of the time in your daily life—and this of course includes things like the dressing room. Understandably, it can be hard to juggle everything while you’re shopping—your purse, the cart, the baby, the clothes, the fountain drink I got when I arrived, etc. And this time it was as difficult as it sounds! 

So after picking out some clothes I made my way over to the fitting rooms and at this particular Target there are two family fitting rooms and about 15 more regular stalls. So I get the tag from the Target worker and lo and behold, both of the family fitting rooms are being used and basically all the rest are empty. I was trying my best to wait patiently and after a few minutes one of the stalls became available, and it was a woman that was all by herself using it! I was a little perturbed by this but just let it go (obviously my mentioning it isn't evidence of any lingering resentment...).

But like usual, the sizes I got were wrong, so I had to exchange and return back to the fitting rooms. Once again, both stalls were being used and all the rest were empty. So this time I waited, but not so patiently. Once one became available I started moving my big load of baby and cart toward the fitting room, but as I was making my way—I thought, obviously toward the family stall, this teenage girl passed me and went right into the family stall and locked the door.

Luckily and to my relief, the Target worker saw this happen and went to my defense and knocked on the door and demanded that the girl move to a different stall (vindicated—Yes!!).

I was so grateful that this worker could see my dismay and stood up for me. And then I was irritated by these girls that were so egocentric that I was invisible to them. I couldn’t believe that they were so self-absorbed that they didn't even notice me, and had no thought of someone else’s needs.

But then I reflected on myself. I know that prior to having kids and while shopping alone, I have used these very such stalls. I am mortified to think that a mother and child could have been waiting to use the stall that I so selfishly was using. And I pray that this never happened—but I fear that it has and that I caused grief to another. And I am only thinking about this one area of fitting rooms. Upon further introspection I wonder in how many other arenas have I selfishly ignored others and went about my business?

I hope that I can be more courteous of others and that I will take a look around me at other people’s needs. I hope that not only can I avoid being a burden, but that I can even be a helping hand to another.

James and his new car seat

James has outgrown his infant carrier, so we just bought a big boy car seat. Pretty fancy I know! And my oh my does time fly! I was trying to get him to sit in it to test it out and see how he liked it, but he refused!

But being pretty cute!

And for anyone who wants to see a whiny, tired baby here is a little clip!

In these pictures and that video he reminds me of Dwight Schrute from The Office when he is testing out Jan’s stroller. James is just as skeptical as Dwight was about his travel systems! Such a funny episode! Here is the clip of  Dwight vs Stroller

My Idiomatic Expressions

I always thought I had a good tackle on the English language, but it wasn’t until I got married that my husband ever so kindly made me aware that I use many colloquialisms and idiomatic expressions incorrectly. Whether it is using them in the wrong context, mixing two different ones together, or just making new ones up all together, I never seem to stop surprising my husband and others with my…creativity. I think I find The Office so funny because I relate very well to Michael Scott and his misuse of words and expressions.

*I do feel like I need a disclaimer somewhere in here. It’s not that I don’t know any idiomatic expressions, because I feel like I understand the very common ones like “hold your horses” or “a piece of cake” or “blind as a bat”. However, I, struggle with the trickier ones (at least in my mind) like “till the cows come home” or “have an axe to grind” and a litany of others.

It’s hard to duplicate and enumerate all the “idiotic” expressions that I’ve used because frankly there have been so many and because I think people have stopped correcting me. But here are a few I can remember: (And please don't be too horrified how I could have "slipped through the cracks" (did I use that right?) of the public school system and make it through college not knowing these things.) I guess I'll give it the "old high school try".

• I said that someone was the spinning image when it is the spitting image
• Rob from Peter to pay Paul—I used two different names
• Barking up the wrong tree to mean that some one was gay
• I said by the sweat of your brow when I think what I meant to say was by the skin of your teeth (I’m not sure what I meant that time…)
• To wet your palette, when it really is whet your appetite
• I often say the point is mute, when the correct word is moot
• Begging the question—Yeah, I still don’t get that one

Just this week I used one of my idiomatic expressions when talking to Brian and our conversation continued as follows:

Brian: “What did you just say?”

Me: (Trying to defend what I just said) “You must not know that expression.”

Brian: “You’re right; you use a lot of expressions I don’t know...”

Thanks honey. Well all of this to say is that sometimes I sound dumb and blond—I just hope not too often. I just wanted to give some insight into a problem of mine and that I am always trying to improve my written and spoken English. And hopefully no one thinks too much less of me after my confessions. Check out these two websites to see more of what I’m talking about, and maybe I’m not the only person that messes these up :)

Butchering Common Expressions

Misused, Misspelled and Misunderstood Idioms

A Pleasant Surprise

Have you ever had house guests that come and stay and eat all your food and leave you a mess to clean up? I think most people have. This may sound terrible, but I tend to expect the worst of guests and then in turn I won’t be annoyed when I am left dealing with guests who are inconsiderate and bathrooms to clean.

This past weekend we had some college girls that were friends of family come and stay with us who we didn’t know. They were visiting Vegas for the BYU tournament and needed a place to stay. I was skeptical how respectful college kids would be with my baby’s nap schedule, (mine too for that matter) and I worried about if I needed to feed them like every meal for 4 days.

But they were great and so nice! I was impressed with how courteous and grateful they were during their stay. They were quiet when they came home late, and they chatted over breakfast. I was especially surprised by some thoughtful gifts they left for us: A nice card, a bottle of Diet Coke on the counter.

I guess they noticed it’s my favorite—maybe it was the picture I have framed of it in my kitchen. Nope, not a joke.

And in the card it said there was something in the freezer which was some Fat Boys. (Which I don’t like, but I kept calling this bowling ally in Provo Fat Boys which name is really Fat Cats—I guess they thought it was funny…or dumb.)

 

So all of this to say, is that it’s really nice to be pleasantly surprised! 

So Sad

A sick baby is one of the saddest things! They are just so helpless and fragile. James looks so green! But I do love how cuddly he is when he’s not feeling well!

As you can see we are using that pink bin the hospital gives you after you deliver as the throw-up bin. This bin is very multifunctional in our house—I wish I had 10 of them! And I also loooove that pink cup with the handle the hospital gives you—I use that all the time! I wonder if you have twins if they give you two of each…I think that’s worth looking into…

And in case you are not sleeping with worry, James has made a full recovery since these sad pictures were taken.

Fun in the Sun

James loves anything that has to do with us going outside. So we are seen at the park several times a week. And of course I don’t mind getting some sun either—I’m pretty pale from the winter. 

 It’s so much fun to see babies learn and discover new things and being outside in nature is the perfect environment (pun initially not intended) for this.

And despite how it looks in some of these pictures, James really was having fun. 

But I love how he’s just lounging back and enjoying the ride.

My Sister Jenny Comes to Visit

My sister Jenny came from New York to come visit us in Las Vegas. We have been having so much fun with her here—and James just absolutely loves Jenny! I think he loves how exotic she is. When she looks at him he gets all flirty and laughs. It’s so funny!

Jenny got us to go down to “the strip” on Las Vegas Boulevard. Brian and I are home bodies and I don’t like crowds of people. We prefer to just stay home and play Settlers of Catan. And when we are feeling a little more on the wild side we will get a Redbox.

We had fun walking around and seeing some of the casinos. But we only got to see part of the strip so we are going to go back and see the rest. And as usual it was so nice and sunny here in Vegas, and so as usual my sensitive eyes we closed in almost every picture! My dad would have been annoyed if he were here! But Brian has taken his place in being annoyed that I ruin every family picture because my eyes are closed!