Can't sleep...



Random thoughts running through my brain keeping me awake:



* Preston told me tonight when he gets big he is going to have sixteen brothers and sixteen cars. Hmmm. I clarified, "sixteen brothers or sixteen sons?" Sixteen brothers. Guess he'll have to get another mom, and dad for that matter- one that can afford sixteen cars. These aren't regular cars. They will have two TV's each. Then he informed me that the policeman was going to give him sixteen brothers. Phew. What a relief, that is, as long as he is going to raise his own brothers.



* Ever tried CrossFit? Let's just say it puts P90x to shame. I guess, as my brother-in-law says, it's like comparing apples to oranges. But, after ten minutes of a "toned down" workout every muscle in my body was sore for days. And I thought I was in pretty good shape... Hah



* Consider the amount of times you say the word "like" in one day. It has become quite a versatile word with all kinds of meanings. You can insert it into nearly every sentence at least two and maybe even three times. I've never heard the likes =} I had a competition this week with my niece and Emi to see who could go twenty-four hours without saying it. Emi won. She ended up taping her mouth shut to make it the final two hours. I think the longest my niece and I were able to go was two hours. And, whenever we were engaged in a real conversation we couldn't make it more than two sentences. It was, like, pitiful.



* Thought I was ready to get back into some classes. Modern political philosophy was the only one that sounded interesting. Great Political Thinkers, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Tocqueville, and Rousseau didn't sound too intimidating at the time. Then I bought the books. Hmmm. Maybe I'll reconsider and start with a literature class.



* My sister has been suffering from postpartum depression for the last five months. It's a scary thing, for those suffering from it and those witnessing it. Been thinking about it. Our lives are all so unique and individual and, yet, so similar. It's easy to think no one has experienced what I am going through and no one understands. While our experiences may be unique I think the feelings they produce are common. I think we can relate and empathize with one another more than we think we can. It's easy to stand on the outside looking in and think we have all the answers and know exactly what the other person should or shouldn't do. But I think that judgement distances us from our fellow human beings. At least, it certainly doesn't create compassionate feelings. Maybe the only hope of unity and influence is to set aside our trite opinions and really just get in there and love and care for one another. I think we have a lot more in common than we think we do.



* To go along with it, and this is a touchy one. Have you ever heard a juicy bit of gossip and thought you couldn't breath until you had gotten it off your chest. Or maybe it was just some interesting bit of information. Of course, always preceded with, "don't tell anyone, but..." I know I have, and plenty. It's irresistible. It's exhilarating. It's harmless, right? At least, we never intended to hurt anyone and probably we even intended to help. It wasn't until fairly recently I have come to know the true nature of gossip. I mean, we all know the scriptures say we shouldn't. But, seriously, how much harm can it really cause? A lot. I know from personal experience. As much as we think we know the truth of what is going on in another person's life, we don't. Maybe we know some interesting facts or grimy details. Maybe these came from some third party person and maybe these came from the first person. If they came from a third party person you can almost guarantee the facts have been misrepresented and certainly shouldn't be shared with another third party only to be further misrepresented. And if they came from the first person, that person probably was trusting you were someone they could talk to without fearing you would spread or discuss the intimate details of their life and feelings with someone else. Take it from someone whom gossip has severely wounded. And, next time you're tempted to pass it on, don't. It really hurts. No matter how much of an authority on the information you think you are or how much you intend to help. If you really want to help first, put a stop to the gossip {or don't start it} and second, go directly to the person and just be their friend. Have a real and sincere relationship with them. Be someone they can trust. Heaven knows we all need more of those people in our lives.



I'll get off my soap box now ;}



* What is it with kids and selling, or is it just my kids? I think I finally broke them of selling old trinkets they found around the house door-to-door. Last year Luke wanted to sell a pea pod for six dollars. He ended up getting ten cents a pod. Still a rip off. There was another time they didn't even try to sell anything but knocked on doors asking for donations to help the poor {it was after we had had a lesson on helping those in need. Maybe I drove the point a little too deep.} Even better was the time they knocked asking for help so we could adopt. Oh my goodness. It was a little better today. There is some dignity in selling hot chocolate and knitted hats. The questionable part was charging extra for marshmallows or sprinkles and putting a jar with the big letter "TIPS" taped across it.