I saw this and just had to share it. What a powerful message for all. How true it is that the desire to create belongs to all. I know I am not an artist but this video inspires me to continue to follow the very special creative urge I have been blessed with.

Also how often I not only take for granted, but hold in contempt the body I have been given- I hope to be more thankful for all that I can do, for all that I pocess, to be more aware of the perfect and amazing creature that I am.



PS- for those who don't know this is the Dieter that Beckett is named after. Alma heard him speak right when Beckett was due and came home and said "we are naming this baby Dieter" and if we lived in Hamburg I would have agreed, so he settled for it as a middle name.

Little Bill had juice pops yesterday, so of course his little mimic promptly started asking for them as well. I decided to get out this great pop-up set from Williams-Sanoma I bought just for moments like this. It is great when your real life is actually better than your imaginary life. I bought these before we were even married- hoping to someday make treats with my imaginary kids. We put in some strawberries and then poured over orange juice. I am glad that despite the tunnel of pain yesterday I took some time to do this with Coen. I think we will continue to make more of these through out the summer. I have lots of yummy ideas.

I Will Survive

I woke up today in pain. Actually it started last night but i was hopeful a good night of sleep would take care of it. But alas and alack not so. I kept thinking yesterday haw I hadn't had a bad day in weeks and maybe I was finally getting better. I should know better than this by now. So started the day with vicoden, and plan on taking it very easy today. Poor Beckett. He likes to be held all day and that is just not possible. Pain is starting to fade but still very pleasant.

I read a book in college called The Gift of Pain. It was very good. Maybe I need to reread it. Remind me why God designed us to have pain.

Now I know all of my faithful readers are wondering "How did Polly finish up the week long celebration of her wonderful self?" So dear readers I will inform you.

1. I was supposed to go to mom's and meet up with the sister types- but due to rain and illness that was canceled- which was a bummer/relief. I just have to comment here that the last 4 years or so Becky has canceled at the last minute every single time that we plan something for birthdays. (Hmmmm Becky a pattern? A conscience or subconscious wish to avoid us? Just saying it is getting suspicious.) Also last year this resulted in me going to St George ALONE WITH MY MOTHER. Which surprisingly was not the end of the world. I think the other sister types really backed out of this one because they thought my vacation idea was lame- HA (triumphant I told you so ha) it was not. Mom and I even had fun. ANYWAYS- I stayed home. OH- and to prove the the world is coming to an end and we have entered into some kind of twilight zone- NO ONE thought to call and tell me the zoo trip was canceled EXCEPT MY MOTHER. And she only thought to call hours later as I was backing out of the driveway with the car loaded and packed for the trip and Coen psyched out to see Lukey and Marshall ( I tried to add Charlie into the little I'm going to see Lukey and Marshall song, but he kept editing the girl cousin out- sorry Charlie you are a girl and there for less fun to shoot at.) For those of you who don't know the Conley sisters our Mother is never the thoughtful remember she has children type- very shocking and that both my sisters who call a billion times a week failed to call with this little tid-bit equally shocking.

2. Monday (actual birthday) Tried to go run errands in monsoon- which sounds unbirthday like but I love nothing more than a busy busy Monday that gets all my urgent have to dos out of the way preparing for the rest of the week to be lazy and fabulous. But Alas and Alack the monsoon drove us home. It was just too wet to keep dragging the boys in and out of the car. The rest of the day was spent watching our yard turn into a lake, reading and napping. I then made my favorite pre-marriage meals steamed broccoli and rice (only I added terriyaki chicken for the men in my life who don't think rice and veg is a meal). I knew I was having birthday cake later in the week but I still wanted a treat so I made ice cream sandwiches. All-in all a good day.

2. Tuesday- Becky called-apparently against our advice Cody still wants some of the thousands of red envelopes in my garage for his wedding announcements (don't ask- one of the "perks of your business going under is you get random crap like this in your garage). I told him he could wait a day because it was raining even harder and I wasn't going out. Period. Was a slacker the rest of the day totally sans guilt (my gift to my self).

3. Mailed Cody's stupid envelopes, in the snow, with three car seats in back because I had Summit, got pulled over by cop, panic, only brake light burnt out, Coen thrilled with the lights and sirens- me less so, snowing like crazy as I unload boys and reload boys, little trip takes 1 whole hour due to extra child. Cody someday you will have little babies and toddlers and even then you won't realize what I did for you today but I am sure JJ will, and she will fall to her knees and say why why did we make this poor woman do all this for 300 ugly red envelopes, why bless her soul. Due to above stress and weather ditch grandma and the library. Refuse to feel guilty (this was a great gift to self). Made lemon cream cake for birthday party on Friday.

4. Went to work- all you can eat sushi for lunch. Yum. At home- cleaned and made key lime cloud pie. Double Yum.

5. Birthday cake at work (while singing/cake eating going on drug rep keeps bugging me with sales pitch- and we even waited all of lunch in hopes that they would go away- only upside they may pay for dinner meeting for NAPNAP- and I got lots of leftover fruit salad for party at home- I hate drug reps). Got home and had hour of stress as we set up for and finish cleaning for party. All of family comes- lots of food and fun. I just love watching all the kids play together. And I let go of my self imposed guilt/perfection problems and embraced the frozen lasagna dinner because I worked that day and it was my party people. Cake was a big hit- pie was a little too tart.

6. That should have been the end of the week but Andrea felt sorry for the whole I had to plan my own party and make the cake and the dinner thing. Alma's only assignment was to call and invite his family- which he didn't do. (as a side note I have learned to embrace this part of my husband- refuses to plan any thing for my birthday and usually fails at the gift giving as well- any other time for gifts- valentines, Christmas, anniversary he does great -birthdays- ugh. for my 30th I was very specific about what party I wanted who I wanted to invite who was willing to help him plan- nada nothing zip. And this year as is typical- no gift (he told me later I can have a spa day) supposedly he bought a card, and a back up card in case he lost the first and he lost both- so not even a card. I will find them in a couple of weeks and put them in his sock drawer where he thinks he put them originally- with the pile of cards he has bought me over the years and lost before giving them to me, ahhhh Alma) So anyways she planned another little party at her house on Sunday with all our friends. So birthday week is really birthday 9 days?

Reading over this I can only guess that my dear readers will skip half of it because I can't imagine that anyone cares- Oh well I refuse to worry about what others think (part of the guilt free week gifted to myself).

Kicking Off the Birthday Week

What a perfect start to my self proclaimed week of celebration of me. (Don't worry- Alma is the only person required to participate.) We spent the morning just hanging around the house. I watched a hokey old musical, knit, played with the boys, ate pancakes- just chilled. Then I went to the library while Alma cruised around downtown Grass Valley with the boys. I then wandered through a couple of my favorite shops while I pretended to look for my family. And I discovered that Debbie Bliss has a magazine! I recognize that to non-kniters that sentence meant absolutely nothing. I got a pastie for lunch and then we went home for naps (and some cuddling with Alma) and some reading time. Then we dropped the boys off at the Greens- ate dinner at India Oven and watched Slumdog Millionaire. (Hush you judgey judgers). Alma and I were both really moved by the movie. It was so powerful. I was just heartbroken for all the pain and abuse in some children's lives and at the same time overwhelmed with such amazement at all I take for granted. Tonight when we tucked Coen in for bed there were some heart felt prayers of thanksgiving for the bounty in our lives, for our freedom, for the innocence of our children. I highly recommend it. The rating is for the painful realities shown in the movie and a little 8 y/o nudity. There is no sex or language- the violence is tastefully done and appropriate for the story. But it is a difficult movie to watch- but worth it I think. It made me think of a book I read last year about the boy soldiers in Africa. Just about how evil in this world steals the innocence and wonder from children's lives. I didn't mean for this to be all about the movie- sorry. Looking back at this post it doesn't seem like such an amazing day- but it was- just absolutely perfect.

Here are some pics of the monkeys wrestling- their new favorite game.

My Sweet Little Boy

You can't tell by looking at him but this sweet little baby is possessed by an evil spirit. This little guy had one of his screaming days. No naps longer than half an hour. Crying and crying unless mother is holding him. I am EXHAUSTED. (this may have something to do with me staying up late reading last night.)

Good thing he is so cute.
The next couple of pictures are of the outfit I told Becky I would post for her.

I don't have any pics of Coen in the last couple of days- he isn't as good a poser- but he is still cute. He says "Oh Man!" all the time when things don't go his way. It is very funny. Whenever any one suggests it is time to eat he suggest donuts. He is on the go all the time and insists on wearing his fireman boots everywhere.

Carey Grant's cockney accent is awful.

A Collection of Funny Little Things

We have been reading Alma's copy of Are You my Mother with Coen and he loves it. The other day we were cooking and I asked Coen to hand me the eggs and he said "Here is a little baby bird for the pancakes." and every time I cracked an egg he would count the "little baby birds" I was using to make the pancakes yummy. A little disturbing.

The recipe I was making was from Gourmet- and it was a little odd. They were like pancakes but had a texture more like an omelet. I still can't decide if I liked them. I won't make them again though because they took soooooo long to cook. Coen loved them and ate more than a dozen. If I did make them again I would like them better with a citrus curd or a little zest in the batter and powdered sugar on top. I didn't think the syrup recommended quite worked.

Also- wondering what the best way to get Alma to help clean up the house? Invite people over for cake. This is also a great way to make a fruit dessert with out having to eat the entire thing by yourself. So I woke up early this morning to a clean house (except master which I got cleaned up while watching a show about red carpet fashions from last night). Joseph came over and hung out before school.

On Saturday when it was time for his nap Coen stood on his bed and chanted "No More Naps" for about half an hour. Thank you Little Bill.