Super Mommy Bee!

What superpower would you want most?

Ahh, you must know I've been watching Heroes this summer, so superpowers are very much on my mind.

It's a hard call, you know? There are so many cool options: mind-reading, healing/regeneration, walking through stuff, telekenisis, flying, invisibility, persuasion (being able to talk anybody into anything), breaking the time/space continuum (hey, a gold star for anyone who can give me another word with a double U in it!)...

I know I don't need super hearing, super strength, laser eyes, or the ability to blow stuff up. Super speed would have it's uses for a mommy, as would the stretchy-skills of Mr Fantastic (or Elastigirl, but hey, Mr F came first).

Just the other day I thought of a great mommy super power: the ability to always know when one of my kids needed to go to the potty. How great would that be? I mean, toilet training would be a breeze, and we'd never have dirty underpants or wet beds. Even the wait-till-the-last-possible-nanosecond-to-sprint-for-the-bathroom syndrome would be nipped in the bud if mom knew to tell the child to go.

I can think of some other great mommy superpowers, like the ability to make everyone always tell me the truth, or to know precisely when it was going to rain (so I could plan my walks around it).

Frankly, I think that the superpower I DO have (making milk) is pretty darn groovy. But I know that's not in the spirit of the question...

...and in the spirit of the question, unoriginal as this answer is, I think I have to go with teleporting.

(Pssst, Did you think of another double U word? The only one I can think of is vacuum. Weird lookin words though, aren't they? Continuum and vacuum?!)

A Questionable Birthday

Alrighty, I promised I'd answer your questions, so here we go! I'm going to take this in sections, just for the sheer practicality of it.

Today I'm taking on the random stuff that doesn't go with anything else

Would you rather be too hot or too cold? Why? Given the choice, I'd rather be too cold. When it's cold, you can always put on another layer of clothing or blankets, when it's too hot, well, there comes a point where you can no longer take anything off.

Please share one embarrassing moment you've had in your life. You know, I know I must have some whoppers. It's odd though, because whenever I try to think of one to tell, there is only one I can remember. I was 11, and at a friend's birthday party. I knew her from band, but most of her other friends were from her church group, so they all knew each other, while I knew no one. I was pretty shy to boot. We were standing around the back yard eating dinner, and (if I recall correctly) someone went to get another hot dog. Someone else asked "is that your second or third?" and she said "second." The questioner said "oh good, cuz otherwise you would be..." She left it hanging...and I blurted out "fat!" (For what it's worth, the girl in question was not heavy at all...) I was mortified, although I think everyone else forgot quickly, I felt like an outsider the rest of the night.

Who pays the bills in your house? Hubby earns the money and I write the checks (or, more realistically, click the mouse to make the online payments).

What is the meaning of life? Well, the answer to life, the universe, and everything is 42. C'mon, if you're a friend of mine surely you know that! On a more serious note, I believe that the purpose of life is to learn to love and be unselfish; to learn to control (or cast out) the selfish, sinful parts of ourselves, and to love our fellow man. And the meaning? Well, honestly, I'm not sure I know how to define that. But perhaps I have roughly answered what you meant?

Do you live in the moment? Sometimes. I am an over-planner to a fault (and I still forget things more often than I'd like to admit). I prefer things to be planned, and actually often struggle with spontaneity. This has been a point of some frustration for Hubby because he likes to be very spontaneous...we have been able to find a middle ground by planning to be spontaneous! For example, I'll plan a date for Friday night at 5 and get a babysitter arranged...but when Friday rolls around we do whatever pops into his head at the moment. That said, while I don't usually ACT in the moment, I do APPRECIATE the little moments in life all the time...the faces of my children sleeping, Wolf's giggle, Bear's dancing, the perfect brownie...yes, I DO enjoy the little moments.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be? Scandinavia (specifically Norway and Sweden), because I've already been to London, Rome, Switzerland and Germany, which were my other top places to go.

Have you ever had a real-life meeting of someone you only knew through the internet? Yes. My husband. Although I've told that here before. Also about 20 other people, most recently I met someone last week.

Do you have regrets? Not truly. Little moments where I think about the 'what-ifs'? Sure. But no real regrets. Some parts of my life have not gone the way I might have imagined or planned, but I don't have regrets about what I have done with the time I've been given. Carpe Diem!

What do you think is the most important movie made in your lifetime. Dang, that is a hard question! The most important movie for me as a person? Or for society? And it has to have been made in my lifetime? You realize that rules out a LOT of great films, right? Well, I guess I should start with what I think makes a movie important...I don't think it's about movie stars or plot lines or popularity; I think it's about making change in either the feelings or actions of the viewers. I think a number of recent war movies qualify as important for that reason, and I'm going to pick the one that moves me every time I see it: Life is Beautiful (which I prefer in the original Italian with subtitles, rather than dubbed.) Movies have the ability to remind us of where we have been and what we have done, but also what we are capable of. Life is Beautiful does all three, and I love the message that no matter where we are, or what happens to us, we can still choose how we respond to it.

Well, that was insightful, don't you think? Don't worry, over the coming week or so I will get to all the other questions!

(two brownie points if you can point out the two movies/books I quoted, or, at least referenced, since I didn't quote either one exactly)

The Truth About Flossing

Well, the results are in. 26 people voted, so I'm thinking that's a decent slice of the planet, right? Clearly this sample should be an accurate indication of the population as a whole!
And the numbers are
[drumroll please!]
50% brush first and floss second
35% floss first and brush second
15% [gasp!] don't floss at all
Of course, a number of people hastened to comment that they have an extra little brushing at the end, or a substantial swish (or two) at various points in the process, and that I have over-simplified the matter. Be that as it may, I think the evidence is clear: 1 in 6 people ignores their dentist's recommendations on flossing!
On the one hand, I guess I 'win' because I'm in the 'brush first floss second' party, on the other hand (as two commenters pointed out), they brush first because that's essential, and then they floss second if they get to it...in other words, the order is not about effectiveness, but about the reality of often being interrupted or distracted or collapsing from sheer exhaustion before the job can be completed. Not very solid support on the whole brushing first thing after all, is it.
So, the real point here is, kudos to the 85% of you who floss with some regularity...and for the rest of you, well, I have sad experience with the fillings that follow non-flossing. I recommend starting the habit immediately.

For what it's worth, I had so much fun with that whole polling thing, I'll have to think of something else to poll about! Any suggestions?!

Mormon Mommy Blogs

First of all, I just have to say...who would have guessed that a post about flossing would get more comments than almost any I've ever posted?! Crazy!!


So, I went over and signed up on the Mormon Mommy Bloglist. Sue started it, and I figure there are a lot of mormon mommies with high heels, perfect makeup and layered hair, there needs to be one with unshaven legs and cloth-diaper-wearing kids who lives in the backwoods of Alaska.
So I'm on her list now, and to be on her list, I have to add her list to my blogroll. Hey, no sweat.
(By the way, if you're a faithful reader here, and I've lost your link from my blogroll in one of the many changeovers...leave me a comment, ok? I'm stuck with Hubby's computer this week, and I don't have my favorites list, and I realize that I really just need to keep everybody on my blogroll rather than in my favorites...lookout marge, we're growing the list again. :) )
SO, my fellow Crunchy Mormon Mommies, go get yourselves added to the list! That blogroll needs a few more hippies on it I think.
(By the way, if you're not LDS, but are a mommy blogger, you can sign up in the "mormon friendly" ie--PG rated section...if you want...I don't know if you'd want to but you can, just so you don't feel left out or anything...)

Ask Anything!

One day when I was student teaching, I had 5 minutes left at the end of class. So I opened the floor to the students and told them I would answer any question they asked me. First they asked my first name, second they asked if they could call me that. I eventually did this with all my classes and those were always the first questions. They also asked what kind of car I drove, whether I had a boyfriend, and how much I got paid to teach them (when they learned that I was paying to be there, one student said "oh, wow, I'm going to be a lot nicer to you now!") It was fun for everybody. Hubby does this with his classes too--he promises to answer any question they ask (he does not promise to give accurate answers!)
So, in the spirit of fun, and because it's almost my birthday, I've decided to offer the floor to you, my readers (even though one of you is my sister and one is a former roommate and one of you is my husband and one is my neighbor...) You can ask me anything you like, and I promise I will answer them all. As a general rule, I promise to answer truthfully...although I do reserve the right to give a snarky answer if you ask me some random science question or something. I also reserve the right to not divulge the privacy of my children...but I think you already knew that. ☺ But feel free to ask me about me, my life, my thoughts, my home... Just leave a comment on this post.
I'll answer them all in a post on my birthday in a week.

On Flossing

So, each night when Hubby and I brush our teeth, we have a disagreement. One of us brushes then flosses...the other flosses then brushes.
He says I am weird and that I do it backwards. He says his way is more effective and I should switch.
Of course, I feel the same of him and his routine.
I have concluded that it is only 'backwards' if the majority does it the other way, therefore I aim to solve this matter scientifically by posting a poll here on my blog. See, there it is ------------->
Please put your answer on my poll, and we shall see which of us is really backwards!
(And yes, once the official 'right' way is determined, I promise to tell you which of us is 'right' and which is 'backwards'!)

Own up to it!

If you want to leave a comment, be willing to say who you are, ok?
I am no longer going to publish anonymous comments. I think it's annoying and rude to leave a comment without even being willing to say who you are.

Junk Mail

Yesterday we got home from six weeks on the road; last night I tackled the pile of mail. Oh boy. I always knew junk mail was annoying, but let me tell you, six weeks worth of it is a great indicator of just how MUCH junk gets mailed to me.
Here's the thing: much of it isn't default 'junk' (you know, advertising and that sort of thing), but it is stuff that I don't need mailed to me, and I think at least one or two trees died needlessly for me to get all this paper in my box.
I don't need catalogs sent to me--everybody has an online catalog, and since I'll almost certainly order there (if I order), I might as well browse there too. On the other hand, just because I once ordered something from a company does not mean that I want to continue receiving their catalog for the rest of eternity.
I don't need coupons sent to me. Just put stuff on sale (or don't) but what is it with this whole stupid coupon thing. If we could eradicate the world of coupons I think we'd all be a little happier...the people and the trees (and the landfills!)
I don't need paper bills sent to me--I pay online (don't need return slips) and I check balances online as well, so there again, no need for paper.
I don't need bank statements sent to me--the internet is marvelous.
I don't need checks--please send me money, but direct deposit saves time, trouble, effort, and, oh yes, does a little bit to save the world.

So, today's STW tip is to make an effort to reduce the paper in your life! Sign up for paperless billing wherever possible. Get yourself on the 'no contact' or 'opt-out' lists so that you won't get all the pre-approved offers for credit cards and car insurance. Contact the companies who are sending you catalogs you don't want and get OFF their mailing lists rather than on them. Sign this petition to support creation of a 'do not mail' service in the USA (much like the 'do not call' one we already have).
Pay your bills online. Use a debit card instead of a check. Send emails--not lame forwards (and trust me, forwards are always lame)--but send real letters, personal missives, via email. Or just call people! Make your life a little more about people, and a little less about paper and stuff. (Eww, stuff!)

Seven Deadly Sins

No, not those seven deadly sins, my seven deadly sins. You know, the stuff I do even though I know I probably shouldn't...the stuff that may, in fact, literally kill me? That stuff.

1) reading while walking (have you ever walked into a river because you had your nose in a book? me neither, but I did miss the bridge once and step onto the grass!)
2) staying up too late (usually doing stupid stuff, like dinking around online watching forums for new posts, even though everyone else I know is several time zones ahead of me and has already gone to bed)
3) eating while driving
4) talking with food in my mouth (and also driving or not driving...)
5) even-ing desserts (I'll have to post a photo...I don't really eat whole pieces, I just take a little snitch, and then I even the edge, and then even some more, and some more...)
6) speaking my mind, with or without tact
7) blogging (see #2, 5, and 6 for details)

At least I don't ever EVER talk on the phone while driving. I refuse--even when I had a cell phone.

Another Idea

As we've been road tripping, Hubby and I have come up with another way to save the world:

Boycott golf.
It's not ecologically sound. Planting massive tracts of grass, then cutting it really short (leading it to turn brown), then watering it a ton (leading to more growing, thus more cutting).
Also, it's boring.