Last night Eric and I were lying in bed talking when this really goofy mood hit me. We were done talking and he was falling asleep, and I just couldn't resist reaching over and poking him to get his attention.

I didn't even have anything to say, I just had to do it!

And then only a few minutes later I was laughing really hard! There I was lying in bed, Eric next to me half asleep, laughing my head off. I even cried! There was no joke, nothing funny -- I just couldn't help it! Anyway...

I felt very close to my sisters in that moment remembering how goofy we tend to be when we're together. Although most times I was the "mom" of the moment -- watching, smiling, chuckling to myself, laughing at them, but not openly participating in the frenzy.

"Sistuhs" (as mom often says) -- I love you!!

I was chatting with Liz the other day and we talked about a book she's reading about where words come from. Today I thought about that again and wondered if there are books out there about where phrases come from. I was cleaning Esther's face with a wet rag and thought of the phrase, "Don't be such a wet rag" right as Esther was being mad at me for putting a wet rag all over her face. Is that where it comes from, I wonder? What child likes a "wet-rag clean-up"?

I have a hard time getting into scrapbooking because of the pressure I put on myself to make things look perfect. I have spent way too much time trying to get just the right look. It took me SO long to get through the photos I had set aside, that I've turned over a new leaf and my scrapbooking is now very basic, very simple (although please don't ask if that means I'm up-to-date with my pictures....).

My idea of ideal scrapbooking would be to download templates like this one to the right, adjust the text when necessary, add pictures, and hit the PRINT button (or just print and then add physical pictures if they're not already digital). Of course, that would use a lot of ink so that'll have to wait until I don't mind spending lots of moo-lah on the ink.

This feels a little like my first scrapbooking attempts as I've been searching for the right template for my blog. Don't be surprised if the look is different each time you come back. There are just too many colors and set-ups to choose from! But I think I've got it where I like it - at least for today.

• 30% of adults are voracious readers - they read ALL the time and can't be without it
• 20% of adults can take it or leave it
• 50% of adults do not read - they know how, they just don't choose to spend their time reading

• 30% of TEACHERS are voracious readers
• 20% of teachers can take it or leave it
• 50% of teachers DO NOT READ (of course just like the 50% of adults, they know how...)

1. Read aloud to your child everyday (no set time, consistency is the real key here).
2. Have books & magazines around the house.
3. Let your child see YOU reading everyday.
   

Graduate school auditions are ALL done - thank goodness for that.

Now it's on to the waiting...

Where do you think we're going?

USC -- Los Angeles, California
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Northwestern -- Chicago, Illinois
Indiana University -- Bloomington, Indiana
University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor, Michigan
Florida State University -- Tallahassee, Florida

Two blogs into this and I've only just realized where the "Title" option is as I type this up...no need to pass that on to anyone else. If you followed me around for even an hour in a day you'd have plenty of material for the funnies or a comedian's show. Today Eric was laughing as I told him where something was in the diaper bag. It wasn't there and he holds to it that I have never told him the right place the first time when it comes to the diaper bag. (We even talked about rewinding "the tape" after we die to get a final verdict on THE DIAPER BAG SAGA and see if he's right.) Ah well, there are more important things in life right? Right??

I've been planning to post a picture of the shoes I bought last week and I also have some very cute pictures of Esther but the batteries in the camera are dead and I can't find our charger! That feels like the story of my life - I can't find anything! We have so much STUFF. As Marla Cilley puts it in Sink Reflections, clutter can't be organized and only attracts more clutter. I'm slowly making my way through her book and learning fun ways to battle the chaos that IS my life right now! I've gone to Deseret Industries twice with donations in the trunk and have another load ready to go. I've also taken to keeping my dirty dishes under the sink...which Eric loves and finds very funny. I'm sure you do too, come to think of it. Read the book though and then you'll understand. I will say this though, I don't keep many of them there since we have a dishwasher but think about it -- doesn't a kitchen look so much nicer without dishes in the sink? Even if it was just one pot?

I just finished reading a book called The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas a few minutes ago. It was a quick read and I loved it! It's set during the 1950's in a rural Kansas town and has such a small-town, grass roots, feel to it. It made me wish I lived on a farm and had a group of women friends I could meet with every week to quilt with, and share secrets with. :) I can't say anything else about it without spoiling it for others so you'll just have to read for yourself.