Daring Young Mom

Recently Jessica wrote that her Parenting Magazines were talking to her. The same sort of thing has been happening with my Palm.

Tonight I was using the calculator when the thing freaked out, turned black and asked me if I wanted to erase all data. Hmmm….let me think about that. My entire life plan is contained on that little piece of equipment and if all data were erased, I’d most likely disappear in a puff of smoke or crumple to the ground like the wicked witch, “I’m melting. I’m melting.”

“No thank you,” I replied.

My data was not lost but I had to reset all my preferences and when I went back to the calculator, it had the number 666 on the screen. Do do Do do Do do Do do. Freaky, eh?

A more uplifting message came during my anxiety-ridden weeks shortly after Magoo was born. During that time I became super, uber religioso, hoping to pray my way out of a chemical imbalance. I’d downloaded my scriptures and hymn lyrics to my palm and was reading them one day when my Palm lost its mind.

After resetting and recovering the little computer, I reopened the scripture program and it had skipped from the scripture I was reading to this hymn:

The Lord Is My Shepherd
1. The Lord is my Shepherd; no want shall I know.
I feed in green pastures; safe-folded I rest.
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.

2. Thru the valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since thou art my Guardian, no evil I fear.
Thy rod shall defend me, thy staff be my stay.
No harm can befall with my Comforter near.
No harm can befall with my Comforter near.

3. In the midst of affliction my table is spread.
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er.
With perfume and oil thou anointest my head.
Oh, what shall I ask of thy providence more?
Oh, what shall I ask of thy providence more?
Text: James Montgomery, 1771—1854; based on Psalm 23

These words brought me a lot of comfort when I really needed it. Maybe the spirit controlling my Palm is a good one afterall.

The first story seemed more creep-propriate for Halloween, though. Happy Halloween everybody!

Cause it’s inspirational quote day on Daring Young Mom and this one’s definitely worthy of inscription on a table runner or pilla’ of some sort.

Take a minute, bust a prayer and you good to go.
~M.C. Hammer~

Surcie has inspired me to talk about what the heck our kids are subjected to on the radio lately. I personally think it’s quite precious that Laylee (Little-C) says “Bob Marley is my favorite mutsic.” I especially like it when she quotes him in casual dinner conversation.

“Mommy, stand up for your rights.”
“Okay, I will.”
More seriously now, “Don’t give up the fight.”
“Okay.”

She’s not quite old enough to ask about drug use or civil unrest and uprising. We’ll have to grow into that one.

She is REALLY good at picking up on lyrics and lately she’s started singing along with Lenny Kravitz, Raffi, John Mayer and Green Day, anybody that comes on the radio and asking me what they’re talking about.

As much as I love the Kravitz, I don’t want my kid singing or saying the F-bomb.

Raffi is excellent. “Robin in the rain, what a saucy fellow.”
“Mom, what is saucy?” I’m totally on it.

We love the John but I don’t think “Your Body is a Wonderland” is something I want to explain.

Green Day? I’ve listened to them on the radio since junior high but I pretty much want to steer clear.
“What did he just say?”
“Oh, they bleeped that word out. That’s why it sounded funny”
“What word?”
“Let’s listen to Raffi again.”

Lately we’ve been listening mostly to church primary songs in the car. She begs for the Apricot Corn Song — Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree. I was a bit confused when she asked me to please do the “Asians” while we were listening to it this week. (Mother as mind-reader strikes again — she wanted the Actions!)

Yes, that’s right. I am willing to take one for the team and obscond with your exquisite bedroom set. You know, the extra one you ordered from Pottery Barn “just in case” and now have no idea what to do with?

We’re still in the free furniture stage of our marriage. I’m not really sure if we’ll ever exit this stage as long as our friends continue to be so generous. We are sort of the babies on the block and have awesome friends who’d rather share their belongings than sell them when they upgrade.

We don’t yet have the money to buy the pieces we REALLY want and we don’t want to waste money buying half-steps, so we just go for free, and a lot of this free stuff IS what we really want. We’ve scored bigtime!

Oak dining table and chairs — The Matsonites
Bookshelves, end tables, dresser, reclining rocker, file cabinet and piano — Dan’s parents
Office furniture, side table, chest of drawers — Hi and Ri
Dresser, crib, bookshelf, our mattress and box spring (from wedding budget), handmade hope chest — my parents
Toddler bed — J.K. not Rowlings
Changing table — Leese
Armoire for children’s books — Target gift cards from our wedding
First free couch — Jules
Upgraded free couch (sorry Jules) — Dan’s work classified adds
Entertainment armoire and TV — Jud Ed

Now don’t be hatin’! We’ve actually purchased a few things here and there, several bookcases, storage armoires, old furniture we’ve refurbished, slipcovers, etc.

One thing no one has found it in their hearts to give us is a bedroom set or a headboard, which brings me to a point — Friday Show and Tell.Here’s my bed — with a few “embellishments” courtesy of my kindergarten-level abilities with Paint:

I would like to mention that our beautiful quilt was also a wedding present. Sadly patriots, you will not find another star or stripe of any kind scattered throughout our room, not for lack of free gifts but because I don’t want to sleep in the Fourth of July (you know, fireworks and all).

If you’d like to see any improvements to this lovely picture, please send bedroom set — STAT!

I have no scientific or genealogical evidence to prove this theory but I do have a strong feeling that my stomach originated in the country of India. When I was pregnant with Laylee, the only food I enjoyed and could consistently keep down was Indian food from my favorite restauraunt.

I would like to stop at this juncture and give a shout out to the Bombay House Indian restaurant on University Ave in Provo, UT. Can I get a “Whoop, whoop!”? I do not think I can over-emphasize their role in my healthy pregnancy.

When we moved to Washingtonia, I greatly mourned the loss of this fabulous eatery. Then Real Simple got several hundred chefs from around the US to vote on the best cookbooks representing the foods from various countries. I rushed to the library and got the one they suggested for Indian Cooking. After a couple of weeks of dining ecstacy, I purchased the book and have loved everything I’ve made from it.

Jessica, in answer to your question:

“I love indian food but can only find really lousy recipes. Do you have any good ones?”

I have two words for you — Madhur Jaffrey. Everything in this book is absolutely fabulous. The Rogan Josh is our favorite, served with Aromatic Yellow Rice and Gujerati-style carrots and cabbage. One little hint: fresh green coriander = cilantro. That took me weeks to figure out. None of the grocery stores around had ever heard of it and she uses it in a lot of her recipes. I finally found a produce guy at an upscale store who looked at me like I was a moron and said, “It’s right over there….cilantro.”