Childhood TV Shows

Skinna-ma-rinky-dinky-dink
Skinna-ma-rinky-doo
I Love you,
Skinna-ma-rinky-dinky-dink
Skinna-ma-rinky-doo
I love you.
I love you in the morning and in the afternoon
I love you in the evening and underneath the moon
Oh, Skinna-ma-rinky-dinky-dink
Skinna-ma-rinky-doo
I love you
Boop boop be doo! (Blow Kiss)

These are the lyrics (that I typed from memory!) to the theme song of one of my favorite childhood TV shows. This one in particular was a show on Nick called "The Elephant Show," and it has hand movements that go with the words which I also still have memorized (I'll show you if you ask nicely.) This of course was one when I was really little, but even for a "baby" show it kicked butt. What I want to know is, what happened to TV??? Remember when we were little kids and TV was so awesome? Now kids are watching shows like Pokemon, Dora the Explorer, Teletubbies and all sorts of stupid stuff. I cringe thinking about the day when Adelyn is old enough to watch TV. When we were kids I bet our parents liked watching shows with us...I'd still watch them now if they were on. The other day I watched an episode of Hannah Montana (just to see what all the fuss was about) and it sucked so bad. She can't act, she can't sing, she's not that cute and does anyone else think that her relationship with her dad is a little weird? Anyways... I think maybe I won't let Adelyn watch the new junk...I want to try and find all the old good stuff. I know that will give her a small social handicap...but isn't it worth it???

I just wanted to do a little reminicing and remind people about the good ol' days...for me being the late 80's to the middle 90's (Miles don't forget that you're like 7 years older than me!) This is a tribute to Growing Pains, Who's the Boss, Charles in Charge, The Wonder Years, Doogie Howser, Full House, Saved by the Bell, He-Man, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Carebears, Chip & Dale's Rescue Rangers, Gummy Bears, Duck Tales, The Flintstones, Garfield, Inspector Gadget, Jetsons, My Little Pony Tales, Winnie the Pooh, Rainbow Brite, Simpsons, Smurfs, Animaniacs, Batman, Tom and Jerry, Captain Planet, Doug, Reading Rainbow, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Pinky and the Brain, Tiny Toon Adventures, Where on Earth is Carmen San Diego?, X-Men, Yogi Bear, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, all the Classic Disney stuff, Transformers, and so many more that I just can't think of right now (yes I did just pull those from memory.)

Update

I've had an overwhelming amount of requests to make a blog for updating people on what's going on in my life...or should I say what's going on in ADELYN'S life. My response to that is that I don't have enough energy or concentration power to keep up on two blogs...so instead, I will do an update post every now and then on this blog. Besides, blogs are boring if all you ever write about is your kid. If I had to come up with Adelyn material all the time it would come down to describing the inside of her poopy diapers (a little like runny yellow mustard) and how many times she poops each day (it's every time she eats)...information that, in my opinion, is only interesting to a very few number of people. If you're one of them, let me know and I'll text you hourly updates. Anyways...

Jared is taking a lab for spring semester two days a week and still working at Chrysalis...which makes me and Adelyn lonely at night time. However, I only go to school now from around 3ish to about 8ish, so we have a lot more family time during the day and before Jared goes to work, which we are not used to. So instead of seeing eachother one hour a day, we get a lot more! If all goes as planned, we'll be looking forward to Jared graduating from BYU in December. Jared is wonderful with Adelyn and always helps with diapers and baths. He is the best at making her laugh. She's definitly going to be a daddy's girl (just like I am). My favorite part is when Jared dresses Adelyn...she always has something on backwards. He doesn't really understand how girl clothes work yet...but he'll get it. Besides school, I'm just enjoying being a mom. I got really lucky to have a very low maintenance, happy and chill baby. She's very good-natured and really only cries when her basic needs are not met in a timely fashion. When it's not storming in the middle of freaking May, we love going on walks to Kiwanis park. Adelyn loves to sit in the shade while me and Jared practice routes and play in the sun. One of my goals is to always be able to do the gymnastics I learned as a cheerleader in high school...I haven't done a flip since getting pregnant (over a year ago). I tried earlier this week at the park and almost killed myself. So when I'm old and my children think I'm lame and boring, I'll simply tell them it's their fault. We are looking forward to going to Lake Mojave with my family at the end of the month, and miss having Jared's parents live so close.

Today at school with Mommy, sad after getting her shots

Adelyn is four months old today and can now totally support her head and can almost sit up by herself. She still slumps over to the front a little. She's also really good at standing up with Mom and Dad's help. She can roll completely over from her back to her tummy, but her bottom arm gets stuck underneath her and she get's so frustrated she rolls back over...so we haven't seen a "for real" roll over yet. She's constantly babbling nonsense and laughing. She's had a few really good giggles, but mostly it's still funny squeaking. She's been sleeping through the night since she was only about three weeks old. She is fascinated by her feet, she loves grabbing them, staring at them and wiggling her toes. Her favorite chew toy is her entire fist...she often tries to stick both of her whole hands into her mouth at the same time. We're slowly introducing solid food now. She eats just a little bit of rice cereal once a day. And we've discovered that she loves sharing a little of our Otter Pops! She had a doctor appointment today and got four shots (two in each thigh)...she did not like that. She wore herself out screaming and crying. As of today she weighs 14 pounds and 13 ounces and she's two feet long exactly. The doctor also told us that she has a big head...which we know she inherited from her daddy. She loves jumping in her jungle jumperoo and playing on her playmat. And her very favorite thing is being outside. At her grumpiest moments, simply walking out on the front patio will calm her.

Stay tuned for another update at a later date!

Beautiful People

I'm a firm believer that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nobody is ever going to agree 100%. For example, Rebekah's #1 is Johnny Depp...while I do appreciate him, he's not one of my favorites, however, we do both agree on Brad Pitt. It doesn't mean she's wrong about Johnny, we just have different taste. I decided to compile a list of some of my favorites. I'm not going to say that these are my absolute favorites or that my list wont change, because I haven't seen everyone that is or has ever been famous. And I've found that the more old (and new) movies I see, the more people I find attractive. Also...good looking and attractive are two very different things. For example, Angelina Jolie is a very beautiful (if not flawless) person, but she didn't make my list because I just don't like her very much...it's something in her eyes, she's missing something for me. While Daniel Craig (newest James Bond) is actually not that technically good looking...but there's just something about him that works! So below are those I thought of...agree or disagree, I don't care.

The Girls
It turns out I like brunettes...

Alessandra Ambrosia Grace Kelly
Audrey Hepburn
Gene Tierney

Catherine Zeta-Jones

The Men

Definitly into the scruffy cowboy/James Bond type

Daniel Craig

Josh Duhamel

George ClooneyBrad Pitt

Hugh Jackman

Terence Hill

David Beckham

Raindrops on Roses

These are a few of my fav-or-ite things:

Sleeping in clean sheets and a freshly made bed
Gum balls
Adelyn's goofy smile
Clean house
Snuggling/holding hands/kisses/etc.
Sleeping in
Macaroni Grill bread
Taking pictures
Clementines
Softy
Summer and being tan
Flip flops
Dad's Sunday steak
Skinny jeans
Adelyn's bottom lip pout
When Jared doesn't have work
Mascara
Going home
Ice from Sonic
Movies
Seinfeld/Simpsons hour before bed
Adelyn in the morning (happiest time of day)
California
Buying baby clothes
When Jared puts his arm around me during church
Silly dancing in the living room
Talking on the phone with my mommy
When people play with my hair
Fireplaces
Minesweeper/Backgammon
Goofy play with Jared
Painting my fingernails
Double Fudge Brownie and Chocolate Malted Crunch Ice cream
Pretty front/back yards with patios
Everything Adelyn except diapers/spit up/screaming

And the Oscar goes to...

I'm on a quest. While watching the Academy Awards earlier this year, I realized I have not seen very many of the "Best Picture" award winning movies. This year marked 80 years of Academy awards...80 years of great movies. So I have a lot of catching up to do. I'm not in any hurry, but before I die I'd like to see them all. Below is a list of all the Best Pictures. The ones I have already seen are typed in red, while the ones I have not seen are in blue. Out of 81 movies (the first year-1928- "Best Picture" did not exist it was separated into two catagories, so two movies for that year making it 81, instead of 80) I have seen 18. If you want to watch one with me..let me know! Movies I have seen since writing this will be changed from blue to green.

To learn more about a movie, click on its title
No Country For Old Men 2007
The Departed 2006
Crash 2005
Million Dollar Baby 2004
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King 2003
Chicago 2002

A Beautiful Mind 2001

Gladiator 2000

American Beauty 1999
Shakespeare In Love 1998

Titanic 1997

The English Patient 1996

Braveheart 1995
Forrest Gump 1994
Schindler's List 1993
Unforgiven 1992
The Silence of the Lambs 1991
Dances with Wolves 1990
Driving Miss Daisy 1989
Rain Man 1988
The Last Emperor 1987
Platoon 1986
Out of Africa 1985
Amadeus 1984
Terms of Endearment 1983
Gandhi 1982
Chariots of Fire 1981
Ordinary People 1980
Kramer vs. Kramer 1979
The Deer Hunter 1978
Annie Hall 1977

Rocky 1976
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1975

The Godfather: Part II 1974
The Sting 1973
The Godfather 1972
The French Connection 1971

Patton 1970
Midnight Cowboy 1969

Oliver! 1968
In the Heat of the Night 1967
A Man for All Seasons 1966
The Sound of Music 1965
My Fair Lady 1964
Tom Jones 1963
Lawrence of Arabia 1962
West Side Story 1961
The Apartment 1960
Ben-Hur 1959
Gigi 1958
The Bridge on the River Kwai 1957
Around The World In 80 Days 1956
Marty 1955
On the Waterfront 1954
From Here to Eternity 1953
The Greatest Show On Earth 1952
An American In Paris 1951
All About Eve 1950
All the King's Men 1949
Hamlet 1948
Gentleman's Agreement 1947
The Best Years of Our Lives 1946
The Lost Weekend 1945
Going My Way 1944
Casablanca 1943

Mrs. Miniver 1942

How Green Was My Valley 1941
Rebecca 1940

Gone with the Wind 1939
You Can't Take It with You 1938
The Life of Émile Zola 1937
The Great Ziegfeld 1936
Mutiny on the Bounty 1935
It Happened One Night 1934

Cavalcade 1933
Grand Hotel 1932

Cimarron 1931
All Quiet on the Western Front 1930
The Broadway Melody 1929

Wings (Most Outstanding Production) 1928

Sunrise (Most Artisistic Quality of Production) 1928

P.S.

Languages of Love

"The Five Love Languages" is a book, by Gary Chapman, that anyone who is in a relationship, has ever been in one or will ever be in one should read. Here are the basics.

You need all five forms of love, but there is usually one (or two) that is your primary language of love. Your love language(s) is evident in two ways: you speak it more often than the other languages, and you feel most loved when it is spoken to you. If your partner does not speak to you in your love language, you may not feel loved, even if they are speaking to you in THEIR OWN primary language of love. The other person may love you totally and completely, but if they aren't expressing it in your language, you won't be interpreting what they say and/or do as love. The same is true for them- if you do not use their primary language, they may feel unloved too. So, you need to learn to speak to your partner in their love language, and help them learn to speak to you in yours.

The languages of love are:

1. Words of Affirmation- Verbal appreciation, words of encouragment, praise, kindness, or simply saying "I love you."

2. Quality Time- Spending time together, undivided attention, being in the same room, taking a walk, planning a special evening for your partner, reading together...just being together.

3. Gifts- visual or tangible symbols of love. To be effective it must be something that would please the other person, also if it is unexpected (rather than for a birthday or holiday). A letter, flowers, something they've said they wanted, something you make etc. Does not need to be expensive or of any monetary value.

4. Acts of Service- When you do something for the person you love, things that take planning, effort, time and energy. Taking the trash out, doing the dishes, washing their car, helping with the kids, laundry, keeping the house clean, cooking dinner, etc. The most important thing is that they do not have to ask you do it (or at least not have to ask for it more than once). And you can't complain or make them feel bad for you having to do it. Also, different kinds of service have different value to different people. For example, a husband thinks that his going to work is showing love for his family...while a wife thinks that is what he's supposed to do anyways. Or a wife cleans the house really good and doesn't have dinner ready, and the husband would rather have had a nice dinner than a clean house.

5. Physical Touch- This is a basic human need, however, some need it more than others to feel loved. In a romantic relationship, sexual intimacy is a big part, but its much more than that. Standing or sitting close together, eye contact, holding hands, scratching your back, playing with your hair, massages, cuddling, hugs, kisses etc. Once again different things are more important to different people. For example, a husband and wife are intimate, and the husband goes to bed feeling happy and loved, while the wife is sad that her husband didn't cuddle with her.

I think my love language is acts of service. If I ask for something to be done and it never gets done, it's not that it annoys me that I have to do it myself...it actually makes me feel that you didn't do it cause you don't love me or you're mad at me (Irrational, I know, but true). If I spend the day cleaning and then you come home and make a mess, that hurts my feelings and makes me feel unappreciated. To make me feel loved all you have to do is do something (anything) for me, but the most important part of the service is that you do it without being asked and that if asked, you do it happily. Another big thing is after I've done an act of service, I need to feel appreciated. I could really get into this but that would take forever. So I'll leave it at that.

My Pet Named Peeves

Not in any particular order:

1. Squeezing toothpaste tube from middle, rather than bottom.

2. Dirty dishes in the sink (instead of next to the sink), so that you can't do the dishes until you move them and you can't use your sink for anything else.

3. When hubby leaves trash on the kitchen counter instead of putting it in the trash can like 2 feet away.

4.When people don't say goodbye when you're done talking on the phone...Jerry Seinfeld does it a lot on his show, and my brother Kurt does this too. Note that it is different than hanging up on someone.

5. When you go to get food with someone and they don't order anything and then they ask for some of your food.

6. When drivers signal way before they need to turn.

7. Girls that wear spandex leggings as pants...not realizing that your butt is still supposed to be covered by something else. Think of them as tights ladies...

8. When strangers would touch my fat belly when I was pregnant. Do personal boundaries disappear when you get pregnant??? I mean you wouldn't do that to someone that isn't pregnant.

9. Also when people would tell me how "big" I was getting while pregnant. Do they think pregnant women don't mind being told they're fat?

10. When people ask what I named my baby...I say Adelyn...and then they say..."What are you going to call her?" To me it seems like they are saying that they don't like my choice in name and I surely must be calling her something besides that.

11. PDA.

12. When people let their babies cry in the movie theater. If you have to bring them at least step out till they stop crying.

13. When people talk really loud at the movie theater.

14. When car next to you speeds up so you can't change lanes.

15. When someone finishes the toilet paper roll, gets a new one out, but doesn't put it on the holder.

16. When they put it on the holder wrong...it's supposed to have the flap coming over the top, not under the bottom!


I can't think of anymore right now, feel free to tell me some of yours!

Affirmative Action

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy defines affirmative action as "positive steps taken to increase the representation of women and minorities in areas of employment, education, and business from which they have been historically excluded."

So affirmative action is a "positive" thing? I don't think that I totally agree, if what it means is preferential treatment based on race, age or gender. Especially if it means that my husband, a white, middle class male, will have a harder time getting into medical school than someone who is less qualified.

We've been doing research on different medical schools to apply to and a common trend seems to be a desire for diversity, resulting in the lowering of standards for acceptance...for certain people. The most meaningful consequence is that more competent applicants are left out, while less competent individuals go on to become America's doctors.

I do not mean to imply that all women and all members of minority groups are not as equally qualified. I simply don't agree with the fact that any individual who is not as qualified as another should be given preferential treatment for any reason.

I would also like to point out another issue I have with affirmative action. The intended result is supposed to be equality...but it seems that by lowering standards for some, and raising standards for others it is actually promoting inequality. It seems to me that equality exists when people are all treated the same, i.e. all accepted applicants have the same GPA and MCAT scores. You're not equal just because you both get into the same program...especially if it's because you check a different box on the application.

I suggest that applications for schools/jobs/etc. be anonymous. There should be no name, no indication of race, age or gender. Simply choose the applicants who deserve the position based solely on merit. Once you have that pool, then extend an invitation for the interview, or the second application, or the job, or whatever it is you're doing.