His wife AND his girlfriend...

So, I just had to jot this one down. I just returned from an adventurous trip to Costco with my 4 kids in tow. It looks more like a florist shop than Costco today with Valentine's tomorrow. There are bouquets of flowers everywhere and it seems everyone is buying some. So as we sat and ate our frozen yogurt before leaving, the kids observed how many people were leaving with flowers. They said that we should go buy flowers for Dad for Valentines Day. I explained that Dad, like most men, wasn't a big fan of flowers on Valentines Day. I pointed out to them that most of the people leaving with flowers were men, buying them for their wives. They thought it was cool seeing the different colors, bouquets, etc. Then a man came walking by with two huge bouquets. McKell says to the other kids, rather non chalantly, "Hmmm...must be for his wife AND his girlfriend." I about spit chocolate yogurt out my nose as I watched the other 2 just kind of nod their heads in agreement. I said, "Uh, no. Hello!" They were very perplexed and seemed confused as to why that assessment wasn't okay. I explained to them that it was never good for a man to have a wife AND a girlfriend, to which they all said, "Why?" (At this point, I am speechless and thinking I very well may have failed my children as a mother! How could they not know this instinctively?) I explained that when a man and a woman get married, that they are only supposed to love each other, not other men or women. Before I really thought about it, I blurted out, "Would you guys like it if Daddy had a girlfriend?" to which they all, in unison and with eyes as bright as Christmas morning, shouted, "YES!" (Again, I am thinking I have failed at my job as a mother....not only do they not have basic morals, they now want a second mother!) They thought this whole thing was quite comical. I told them, "Fine, you want a new Mommy? You've got it! I'll let Daddy know that he should start looking for a new girlfriend who can be your new mommy." That seemed to jar them a bit. Then, the little darlings expressed to me that they didn't want a NEW mommy, they just thought it would be cool to have a second mommy. Cayden could tell I wasn't convinced and said, "Mom, we just thought it would be cool for Daddy to have a girlfriend that could come to our house and clean and cook and do all the work so you could just relax and be our mom and play." Hmm...now, THAT is something worth thinking about. I called Rob immediately and proposed it. He now thinks I am more insane than before. I just think he doesn't want to have to buy Valentines flowers for his wife AND his girlfriend.

Valentines Baking

I love Valentines Day. Ever since I was little, I have enjoyed this holiday. I think one of the reasons is because it means that hopefully spring is just around the corner...hopefully. As a child, I have some great Valentine memories. Making those lovely Valentine boxes every year to take to school, decorating Valentines to take to class, cinnamon hearts, etc. One of my favorite memories was "kicking Valentines." We would take Valentines to our friends or family's house, leave them on the front door and kick the door or knock and run. I'm not sure what the point was, but it was fun. I thought everyone did this for Valentines - kind of like Trick or Treating. But apparently not. Another Neilson tradition that apparently nobody else did. Too bad, I still do it with my own kids!

I also loved doing sugar cookies. So, to keep tradition, we made Valentines Sugar Cookies last night. Just me and my girls, including Sadie who was so happy to be sitting at the bar like a big girl with her own mini rolling pin and dough.

The Final Product

Today, it was time to do my treats for the kids school teachers, primary teachers, scout leaders, etc. I hadn't done these for a while, but they turned out really cute. You basically make a normal recipe of Rice Krispie Treats. I add red food coloring for fun. Then, you press them into a Tupperware funnel and dump them out and they are the shape of a Hershey Kiss! I wrapped them in plastic wrap and then made little "Hershey tags" of my own and wrapped them in foil. Just a fun little Valentine's gift.

Here's what they look like right out of the funnel mold.

And here is the final product wrapped in foil and a little tag attached.

The alien we call Cayden...

So, somewhere out of the blue, a stranger has come into my home. He looks a lot like my 9 year old son, Cayden. He sounds like him, laughs like him, etc. but there is something strangely different. It seems like out of the blue, some cosmic change has occured and my son is like a different person. I am not joking about the overnight change. One day he was his happy usual self and out of the blue, he has an attitude the size of Texas. We have tried to analyze it, talk to him, etc. but nothing. Finally, last week, I came to the end of my rope. He and I had a serious sit down. I asked him what was going on, why he was acting this way, etc. He told me, "Mom, you know, I'm not a kid any more." Uh, okay, what are you then? "I am a teenager." HA HA! Okay, so we had a chat about what that meant and that at age 9, he was nowhere near being a teenager. He has been dressing different after school, doing the "peace" sign, etc. and it is really tripping me out! That same day after school, he seemed to be a little less filled with attitude. I asked him again what was going on. He finally announced to me that plain and simple, he is in love. (I should be nominated for a freaking Oscar by the way for keeping a straight face through ALL of this!) I asked him what he meant. He told me that he was in love. He saw a girl at a wedding recently and fell in love with her. He didn't get to talk to her or anything so it probably "won't work out." But there is another girl in his class that he is in love with. (He is telling me this by the way, amidst eating 2 Vitamin C, a bunch of grapes and carrots, and exercising....no, I am not kidding. Apparently he needs to "bulk up" for love.) He then informs me that he will most likely be going on a date. I assured him, he would not be until he was older. He asked if that meant when he was 10? Ha, not even close, buddy! So, we broke through that wall and are doing much better. He still is acting like an alien child, but the attitude is gone. I guess he is focusing fully on being in love. He is downright giddy about it. I am so not ready for this!

I did have a very proud moment with him yesterday. He is reading "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and came to me yesterday very distraught. He said that he loved this book but that there were some words in it that he knew weren't right like "the 'a word', and the Lord's name in vein". I told him I would look at the rest of the book and see if it was okay to read. Meanwhile, he drafts a full blown letter all on his own to the author of the book saying that some of the language in his book is "inaproput" (inappropriate) and if he doesn't stop writing books with bad language, that he won't read them any more. He did the whole thing on his own with no prompting from me and I was quite proud. My little activist for good!

Finally, last night, when I came to bed, there was a note on my bed from him. It reads:
"Mom, I am sorry that you are sick. I think that must be the last straw for you. Is it? (circle yes or no). Anyway, I hope you are better tomorrow. But wait...just to let you remember, because you really forget, I have scouts. I hope I don't have any homework on Wednesday. Finally I can catch up on some other work. Tomorrow is a bery busy day so you better get your sleep. Good night. I love you. Sincerely, Cayden."

I guess I'll keep him...even if he is an alien.

Released

So, it is official, I was released on Sunday from my calling as the primary president of our ward. I was dreading this day for a long time because I have truly loved my calling. I love the kids in our ward and will miss being with them each week. They are awesome kids...ALL of them! It has been a huge emotional roller coaster the past week and I am still trying to recover. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am VERY sentimental, attached, etc. I am awful at change and horrible at endings and good-byes. So, this release has pretty much tapped into everything I struggle with. I was just hoping I could be like the General Authorities and stay in until I die. But, alas, that isn't how it works. I was really confused because a lot of friends and people in the ward etc. have made the comment that I must be really "relieved" or "excited" about the break. I kind of look at them like they are a little crazy. But Rob really put it into perspective last night. I was telling him how odd I thought it was the people thought I would be relieved. He assured me that it wasn't the other people who were odd, but it was me. What? He explained that most people after serving for over 2 years with a primary of close to 200 children and pouring everything into it, WOULD be relieved and happy to finally have a break. He pointed out that I am very much the exception to the rule. I guess he is right. I guess most people might be relieved. I kind of wish I was, then it wouldn't be so difficult. In addition, of course, it doesn't help that I am pregnant, have been so sick every day, etc. which has already put my emotions very close to the surface. I did a lot of crying this past week, mostly in private. After the bishopric left our home after releasing me, I told Rob I was going upstairs to go to the bathroom. My sweet husband, who knows me all to well said, "Are you just going to go up there and cry? I know you are. Please don't." He was right, but I'm a girl and I have to get these thigns out of my system. Rob, in typical fashion, has been incredibly understanding, supportive, loving, and kind. He has let me vent, he has let me cry on his shoulder, and he has listened and listened and listened to the rantings of an emotional wife. He deserves a prize. So, that is the update there. I know I will move on. I know I will have other things to do in the church. But I will never ever forget the wonderful times I have had in this primary. I have learned more with the children of this ward, then any adult classes I have been in. I will miss the true and pure spirit in primary. I will miss the hugs and the smiles and the hilarious comments from the kids. I will miss the music so much. That is one of my favorite parts. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity I have had and I hope that the Lord is pleased with what I have done.

Too many fairies?

So Rob and I are having a discussion. This year, I wanted to start something new for Valentines. I got the idea from my gal pal and sis in law Juliann. It is the Valentines Fairy. Her kids told my kids about it last year and we've been obligated ever since (Thanks Juliann! You can flutter your cute little butt out here tonight with Valentines magic for my kids!) So I told Rob about it. To add an extra twist (and quite frankly get something out of it for myself) I decided that they had to earn their surprises from the Valentines Fairy. They had to show love and service to each other each day or the fairy would leave no surprise. It has worked wonderfully today. All I have to say is, "Is that showing love?" We have willingly switched seats at dinner, we have shared candy, we have drawn pictures for each other, etc. I tell you, it is a freaking love fest on day one of the Valentines Fairy debut.

Cayden's response when he saw the note from the fairy this morning? "Uh, Mom, I don't think so. I know who this really is." We quickly had a one-on-one in the laundry room where I quickly reminded him that he didn't have to believe in anything, but whether it is a real fairy or not, he still better show love and service etc. because whether it is a fairy or me, he still wants the treats, right? He quickly caught on and swore to keep his opinions to himself. I can guarantee he'll be the first one looking for his surprise in the morning.

So, here comes the "discussion". I tell Rob about this and was quite proud of my idea. His response? "Why does it always have to be a fairy?" I guess I see his point. We already have the tooth fairy and at our house we have the cleaning fairy (she comes once a week on random days. If their rooms are clean, she leaves them a treat. If not, she just leaves a feather on their bed. Again, it is a great incentive and actually works for us.) So, I guess Rob has a point. We are a little fairy overloaded here at the Peacock home. But what else do you do? Easter already took the darn bunny and it's not like I can reinvent a big jolly fat man riding in a sleigh to bring Valentines joy. I thought of the "Valentine's Gnome" but that just gets confusing. We already have a leprechaun come at St Patrick's Day which is a lot like a gnome. So, much to Rob's dismay, we are sticking with the fairy.

Yes, I am a Mormon woman...

Okay, so I have a confession to make. I'm sure it will be shocking to some and bring downright horror to others. So....here goes. I am a Morman woman and I do NOT own a Crock pot. There. I said it. (Giving a minute for the gasping and shrieking to stop.) I am not kidding when I say that this statement is usually met with complete shock and confusion. I hear comments like, "What!? How do you cook without a Crock pot!?" "Have you EVER even tried it? Once you do, you will be hooked for sure!" "There is just NOTHING like a roast cooked in a Crock pot. The meat just falls apart in your mouth!" I have decided I could walk into a room of my fellow Mormon women and proclaim, "I have no temple recommend, I'm an alcoholic, and I smoke weed." and that would be met with less shock than "I don't own a Crock pot." I'm waiting for it to become one of the temple recommend questions.

I love going to church meetings when we are planning a dinner for something. Inevitably, because this is a group of Mormons, something will need to be done in a Crock pot. This is when I get to make my infamous statement about not owning one. It's almost become fun to see the reaction. Rob has even gotten in on it. Just last weekend he was at a scout meeting planning the Blue and Gold Banquet. The decided menu was pulled-pork sandwiches, which require what? Yep, a Crock pot. This time it was Rob's turn to get to tell the room full of Mormon women that we wouldn't be able to help with the meat because we don't own one. (Which, by the way is a definite perk in a crock pot free world - you get out of a lot of food assignments!) I think Rob thought I was exaggerating in the past. He walked through the door after his meeting and said, "I'm supposed to tell you that we need to buy a Crock pot. Does that make any sense to you?" I had to chuckle a bit and explain the "Crock pot phenomenon" to my poor confused husband.

Just for the record, I grew up in a home and somehow my mother managed to feed 9 healthy children and never used a Crock pot. She is an amazing cook and somehow did it all with no crock pot. I vaguely remember her owning one when I was growing up and it sat nicely on our kitchen counter. I think she used it to store recipes and gum in. Rob and I actually got a Crock pot for our wedding. It was either re-gifted or returned. I since have succummbed to the pressure and purchased 2 or 3 Crock pots over the years. They remain in the box and I end up taking them back. I just don't get it. I used to have an easy out by blaming it on the clean up factor, but wouldn't you know that someone has come up with Crock pot liners so there is no good excuse now...it probably was a Mormon woman who came up with that idea.

So, I will continue on in my Crock pot free life. I can say that I make a mean pot roast...in my oven - in my Magnelite Roaster just like my mom. It is tender and juicy and some might even say it rivals a Crock pot....GASP!

Random Thoughts

No real rhyme or reason to this post. Nothing monumental to write about. Just some random thoughts.

Our biggest challenge this week was the house appraisal. We are just refinancing our 2nd mortgage so we had to have an appraisal. This maybe wouldn't have been as big of a deal, but because I have been feeling so incredibly lousy, exhausted, etc. with the accident/pregnancy, my house has quite frankly gone to pot. So the thoughts of some random person walking through every room of my house with a camera made me a little anxious. All in all, it was a blessing in disguise. Just the kick in the pants we needed to get our house back to being organized and tidy. The kids finally had to start doing their daily job chart chores and it is amazing how much more peaceful things are when the house is in order. Today I spent at least 4 hours helping Ashlee & McKell get their room dejunked, organized, and cleaned up. It is SO nice. Cayden has done a great job cleaning his own room. So our goal is to have daily clean ups so it doesn't pile up again.

I have been feeling so-so this week. It is really frustrating when I feel "tricked". I will have a day like Monday where I actually am feeling quite good. Not much nausea, more energy, etc. It gives me a glimmer of hope that the worst is behind me on this pregnancy. But alas, no, then comes Tuesday and BAM! Right back to square one. To make matters worse, I took my last Zofran (my heavy duty anti-nausea meds) on Thursday and dropped off a refill request at 2:00. Rob went to pick it up at 8:50 that night, only to be informed that they don't have any in stock and won't have any until noon today. This was NOT what I wanted to hear. So, last night I went "Zofran free" and it really reared its ugly head today. I was so nauseous, sick, etc. until I was able to pick up the meds. Not fun. Other than that, things seem to be going well with the pregnancy. I had my check up and things looked right on. I had to take the blood test that gives heads up for Downs, etc. and it came back normal which is a big relief. We are now anxiously awaiting our ultrasound on the 19th of Feb when we will find out the sex.

We had some not so good news a few weeks ago when Rob's work announced pretty substantial pay cuts. Not fun. We are still refiguring out our budget and realize that we are blessed to at least have a job. We are trying to save a lot right now, get our food storage in order, etc.

Sadie has been sick all week with a bad cold. I hate it when babies get sick! She has tried to be a trooper, but I can tell she is run down and not feeling well at all. She has found a new attitude and uses it often. It's hard not to laugh. She is the first one to fold her arms during prayer and is very serious to keep them folded until we say amen.

So, that's about it for the random thoughts for the week.