Savannah's newest Poem

The 6th graders have been learning about different forms of poetry. Their last assignment was their choice. So here's what Savannah wrote:


Someone's coming through the chimney


One night, December 24th to be exact
My brother and I were dreaming of someone fat,
We heard a thump so we raced down the stairs,
Then we hid behind some chairs.
Then we got ready to pounce.
We were going to catch Santa, who would flail and flounce.
We heard a stomp and then a sneeze,
My brother and I were very pleased.
We leaped and with a ferocious cry,
We caught Santa, my brother and I.
We lifted the net to take a peek,
But it was just our dad, so now we're grounded for a week.


Ha ha....tell that one to your kids on Christmas Eve. :)

We love us some Christmas Lights!!

Just as I was cursing my camera for taking pitiful pics, we went to Temple Square for FHE and got some pretty decent shots of some VERY COOL lights!

Savannah the Author

Savannah had to write some poetry for school, and I really love her style. She has always written the cutest, funniest, and most creative stories. She wants to be an author. Her 6th grade teacher says he even looks forward to reading her IRL (Independent Reading Logs) every week.....anyway....

Here are her 3 examples of "clerihews":

There once was a girl named Winifred.
Her favorite color was red.
Once she slipped on a spill of glue.
Now she can't remember....was her favorite color blue?

Come meet George.
Once he fell in a gorge.
He will tell you why he fell,
But it's a lie, a real Tall Tale.

There once was a guy named Victor.
He had a naughty sister.
Once he had to babysit.
Every once in awhile he spanked her a bit.

and here is her first narrative she wrote for 6th grade:

I am petrified of water. As I walked to the cart, I regretted even agreeing to go. Of course, I can't say no to a nice offer from someone, so naturally, I had to go. Some of the people walked by us dry. I was going to miss being dry.

The people who run Disney Land rides take pictures of people screaming their lungs out, I did not know that, seeing as this was my first time at Disney Land. My dad and my aunt knew about it. Anytime we heard clicking noises, my Aunt Corianne would make a “rock on” sign with her fingers and my dad would pretend he was scared. I was sitting right next to my dad, wondering why he was doing that.

The ride was quite slow, so it was more suspenseful. The cheesy animals were nodding and singing. I felt like barfing. Then I saw the vultures grinning like evil villains. Only being seven, I thought they were there to feast on innocent girls. My dad kept pointing them out for me. I laughed very convincingly, tricking my dad to think I wasn't nervous. (I'm quite good at tricking people.) As the vultures cackled wickedly and the cutesie chipmunks sang, I wished there were slingshots for sale.

Then, my eyes saw it, my ears heard it, and I started to shake uncontrollably. We were about to go down the fall.

I closed my eyes, waiting to be taken away by a dark, icy, cold portal... But wait, we had ended our ride! I wasn't even wet! I was so glad, I even laughed at how dumb it was to be so scared. I think Splash Mountain was a great step to overcome my fear of water.

Letting you in on the joke

A few weeks ago, I was traveling back home from a JoAnn fabric store when I realized that it was 4pm and I hadn't eaten anything that day.

I decided to treat myself with a Country Chicken combo from Arctic Circle. I ordered, pulled around, paid the gal at the window and received my drink. Then the gal at the window walked away. I thought she might ask me to pull up and wait (which I have started a movement against!!), but she never did come back to the window.

Instead, a few minutes later, a rather enthusiastic man handed my bag out of the window with a huge grin and said, "Country Combo!!!" with the tone one might use when wishing someone "Merry Christmas!" or "Happy Birthday!!". Then he says, "Got your drink???" in the same tone. I assured him that I had my drink and drove away.

As soon as I could get my window rolled up, the kids and I started giggling!! Seriously, there is no way to describe in words the happiness of this fast food worker, or the silliness that it inspired.

All the way home, the kids and I tried to recreate the moment. "Country Combo!!! Got your drink?" And every so often it just comes out in our every day conversations. "How was school. Did you turn in your papers? Country Combo!!!! Got your drink???" I even dared Savannah to say it instead of "Trick or Treat". She was going with a bunch of friends so I didn't think anyone would notice if one kid was saying "Country Combo!!" while the others were saying "Trick or Treat!!" As happens with most inside jokes, this has now evolved to include a kind of growly voice.....it was not said that way, but it is funny that way.

So anytime you're feeling down, remember this gentleman who was so happy to fulfill the duties of his job and proudly proclaim to yourself, "Country Combo!!" and don't forget to ask: "Got your drink???"

So I see I'm not the only one.....

Who had so much to do that it put my brain in a no-time-for-blog-fog!!

Just in case you were wondering (and I know you are because our life is sooooo Exciting!! btw...this is what Stacy would call "sarcastic font") Here's some of what we've been doing:

September: On Libby's birthday, I decided to become a fantastic photographer, and take Jill O's advice, and make a light box. It turned out ok, but then I had to become knowledgeable in fixing pictures after an upload (am loving pixlr) I needed to take pics of the bows I had made (and haven't made many since...must have been a "phase"), so I asked my darling 6 year old to climb into the box....I know, I know...Mom of the Year.

So we decided to call it the "birthday box". I can just imagine the conversations that arose in her Kindergarten class: "Mom put me in a box on my birthday, and shined hot lights on me, and took a picture of my hair."

October: I agreed to make "kits" for a lady in Idaho for her to teach others how to make watch bands for a Super Saturday. This is yet another glimpse into the "what was I thinking?" part of my brain. I ended up making 37 kits, and then decided that I'm putting a blog post on how to make watch bands on my (yet another) blog. If you have been really wondering what I've been complaining about when I mention the watch bands, feel free to try it on your own:

http://jiagirlsbestfriend.blogspot.com/2009/10/watch-craze.html

I also decided this year that I'm not buying Halloween costumes. This will be year 2 of this movement in the Malstrom home. Born out of the fact that if you are a procrastinator (Present!) you can't really find any good costumes and most are cheap pieces of......fabric. So this year:

forgive the fuzzy photos.....these were "oops I meant to take pictures before we left the house since I probably won't dress you up this good on Halloween" taken with my phone photos

Savannah will be going as "the dark princess of awesome" ....a moniker that she gave herself a few years back. A neighbor loaned us a black and red goth looking dress, and since she made up the title, it can really look however we want.

Libby is wearing a Belle costume of Savannah's (pinned up b/c she's really not tall enough for it). While getting ready for the ward Harvest Party, I noticed it was quite filthy from being in the dress up rotation for a few years, so I did what any good mom would do: I got a few wipes and wiped it down really good.

Payton is going as Shaggy (big surprise). We had a green shirt, brown pants, and eyeliner to give him a goatee. We even have a stuffed Scooby for him to carry around. Now, the fact that he needs a haircut is not neglect on my part.....it's part of a Halloween costume. :)

Oh, and I forgot: I also came up with a schedule that ALMOST worked during off-track time....and it would've worked too if it weren't for those meddling kids (obligatory Scooby-Doo reference)

Funny thing....

So I know I haven't really been updating lately, just working on promoting my online business (which believe it or not is a FULL TIME job)...but I had something funny happen at the boutique tonight.

These two girls paused in the doorway, and I looked up and noted that they looked awfully similar. By the time they made their way over to my table, I just had to ask: Are you two just sisters? or TWINS?

They were twins and very stylish and cute. I started talking to them about this and that. I started a discussion about watch bands to the one nearest me while her sister looked at earrings.

Then she started looking at necklaces. She picked one up and held it to her neck, and her sister said, "Do you want me to show you what it looks like?" Since she was standing right by the little mirror on my table, I fully expected her to pick it up and turn it toward her twin. But then the one nearest me handed over the necklace to her sister who then put it up to her neck.

I don't know why but I thought it was the funniest thing EVER!! They said they often go shopping together and can get twice the shopping done because they take turns trying on the outfits. After they left, the homeowner said that the funny thing is that they are not "Identical" but "Mirror Image" twins....so looking at each other is EXACTLY like looking in a mirror.

Calling all my Blogging Friends

Yoo-hoo...

I just added a button to my blog, and I figured out how to add a "grab my button" feature. >>>>>>>>
Don't worry, I haven't mastered code. I just know how to cut and paste really well. (told you I'm a rigger).

If you want to, (read as "pretty, pretty please") you can copy the code from the "grab my button" box, then add it to an HTML code gadget and then my button can be on your page too.

And now for the bribe....I can help you make your own button if you want. It's not too complicated, I just need a small pic and a url to link it to.

Thanks in advance!!!

I've been featured!!

This week has been great for my ego. I was picked by MyFreshPicks.
http://freshpickedshopping.blogspot.com/2009/08/httpxtwo.html


And now I'm the first featured seller on JayKayKnits blog!
http://jaykayknits.blogspot.com/2009/09/friday-feature-jasmine-malstrom.html

Hurray for fellow bloggers!!!

The Great Escape

This is contest entry for those crazy folks at TodaysMama and Cricut. Be sure to check out Cricut's cool new cartridges and the chance at $30,000 in travel for you and your friends at the Great Gypsy Escape site! http://bit.ly/FWcud

Great Escape Meme

1. If you could escape to anywhere in the world where would it be?

Hawaii

2. What song do you play when you are by yourself in the car?

I don't have a CD player or an Ipod, so I just listen to the radio...but I love cheesy '80s music!!

3. If you had a night to yourself, and money was no object, what would you do?

Probably one of those all-night crops

4. What is your guilty pleasure?

Jane Austen adaptation movies (and BBC movies in general)

5. What is the farthest place you have traveled away from your home?

Niagara Falls (on the Canadian side)

6. Last book that you couldn't put down?

I read a lot, and usually "cosy"s (amateur sleuth series). I don't ever put a book down because I HAVE to finish. I really don't remember most of the titles, but I did enjoy some books by Mary Kay Anderson (guess I remembered her name because of the cosmetic company). Other than that, I'd have to say "Persuasion" by Jane Austen

7. When you want to escape into another time, what movie do you watch?

Pride and Prejudice ('95 or '05 version depending on how much time I have)

8. What is your favorite local escape?

Going to a movie at the District.

9. How do you escape on a budget?

We stayed in a hotel in Sandy once. We were getting our floors refinished and couldn't stay in our house. It was super fun. We acted like tourists, and pretended it was a "real" vacation.

Best food you've ever had while on vacation.

I used to hate Chinese food, but became a HUGE fan of Orange Chicken after eating at a Chinese restaurant just down from Disney Land.


I just realized that this post makes me appear extremely dull-- (which I'm anything but). I have simple escape routes because I have enough diversity in my regular life. I love to put on P&P just for background sometimes as I make jewelry or cards. My sister introduced me to anime...specifically "Howl's Moving Castle" which is fun just to put on whenever. I don't have too much time for reading lately, but I do enjoy going to the library and checking out the "Reader's Choice" lists. My favorite escape is probably organizing for other people. I get to chat to some of my friends while sorting something to keep my hands and brain occupied, and I get to help them out (and not be there when their kids mess it back up). I enjoy regularity and patterns (must be an OCD thing), so I guess that's why some of my answers repeat (and reveal absolutely no new insight).

How to Have a Super Fabulous Vacation

#1 have some fabulous friends with a monstrous vacation home at their disposal.

1a say yes when they invite you to stay.

#2 Take advantage of the fabulous friends' pool!!

#3 Rock Band.

#4 Go to a play with your friends

#5 Play with your own shadow

#6 QUELF!!

I have a headache & I don't care.

Take that, Mr. Migraine!!!

The ordeal

Yesterday, I was downstairs when I heard, "Mom!!! I'm beeding!!!"

I ran upstairs to see Libby with a palm full of blood. I rinsed her hand to see what kind of wound we were dealing with & knew immediately that she needed stitches.

She said she was bending a (toy) spoon when it broke. The doctor couldn't see how a toy spoon could cut so deep. But when we got home, I found the spoon & noticed that the handle was ceramic, so when she broke a piece off, it gouged right into her palm.

We spent 2 hours at Instacare. The shots to numb the hand were worse than the stitches. The doctor said she acted better than some adults.

Patting my own back

I would say I'm a pretty good "rigger"....possibly because I don't plan very well. I just jump into a project and if something doesn't work, I try it another way. If I don't have the ideal materials, I just tweak the idea and use what I have (or run to the store). Anyway, I guess I like doing things a little backward.




So today, I decided that I didn't like my banner on my etsy page http://www.jiagirl.etsy.com/
so I decided to make a new one.

The previous one I had used one of my own pictures because then I knew I could use it. But today I remembered that all of the backgrounds on Pyzam are for public use.

So I copied a Blogger background, imported it into PhotoShop, and cropped and rotated it. Then I added my logo and grouped them all together, then copied the whole thing into Paint. Here's my result:

(you'll have to click on the link to see a bigger version. Etsy has certain measurements that the banner has to be)

Not bad for an amateur I thought.....Anyway it looks cool. :)

Poor Libby

Libby lost another tooth today. That's 6 teeth & she won't even be 6 yrs old for another month!

The dentist said that the top 2 must have been hurt in a fall because they had no root. They stuck in for awhile and then they jumped ship. The bottom middle 2 fell out 1st like most kids, and I had an inkling that the ones to the left & right of the middle would have to come out before her permanent teeth could come in.

Oh well. She looks like a prize fighter & has perfected eating out of the side of her mouth.

The Logic of Libby

Libby is saying the funniest things lately. It makes me wonder if she got my mother's curiosity for word origins:

The other night she starts doing somersaults all around the living room. She says to Tyson, "Dad, do you know what my favorite kind of exercise is? Somersaults. Cause it's summer and I like salt."

Today, I needed to go to Hobby Lobby after picking her up from Kindergarten. Then as I was driving back to the house, I decided that I wanted to pick up some lunch at Arctic Circle.

As we pass her school, Libby says, "Mom we're going in circles." (which was mostly true)

Then she says, "We went to our house, then school, then Hobby Lobby, then school....Wanna know why it's called Arctic Circle?"

Aha! I thought, She has switched gears, and will no longer be reminding me that I am wasting gas...so I said, "Sure."

She says, "Cause it's Arctic. And you have to drive in circles to get there."

Ha. Ha.

1st week of school

Payton

Savannah

1st week of school is over (yay!) and it went pretty well I think.

We gave up in the middle of 2nd and 4th grade. We had an uphill battle, but were assisted by FABULOUS teachers in 3rd and 5th grade. And now in 4th and 6th, it seems we're finally back on track.

1st day of school: Savannah says her teacher lets them listen to "rock" music. Payton says his teacher told them she was "perfect".

2nd day of school: Back to school night! Tyson had Scouts, but Savannah offered to stay home and babysit (which she has refused to do lately)...so yay! The "short" PTA meeting took over half an hour. And after an hour and a half, I finally escaped and went to help my friends who were preparing to take their product to a convention this weekend. It was a lot of fun, and I stayed as long as I could to help.

http://essenceoftwilight.com/

3rd day of school: Due to a late night, I went back to sleep after dropping the kids off and slept til 2 pm. Payton came home talking of Bakugon, so I told him I would figure out a way for him to make the money for one. He ended up scrubbing the kitchen trashcan, cleaning all three toilets, taking out all the bathroom trash, and washing all the bathroom mirrors. So off we went to purchase a Bakugon.

This is a good thing for 3 reasons:

1. It's almost Payton's birthday, and I needed an alternative to the DS that he wanted but did not quite earn. I worried that Payton would lose it when he heard the final decision, but when I explained that he could still work on getting the DS for Christmas and that I would buy him a package of Bakugon for his birthday, he accepted it. (PROGRESS!!)

2. Payton has never liked the things the other boys his age liked, so I was very supportive of his getting something that would give him a reason to socialize during recess.

3. Payton has never been so good at just doing what he's told. He'll stretch cleaning out his room for 6 hours, and still not get it done. Even with incentives (like aforementioned DS), he doesn't ever seem to be motivated to do anything that wasn't originally his idea. So the fact that he let me designate chores, and did them happily and promptly with no whining when I added more to his list is....exceptional, remarkable, MIRACULOUS!!!

4th day of school: was Libby's Kindergarten assessment. She liked getting a treat from her teacher and took a (much needed) really long nap. I got some quilting done on Payton's quilt.

5th day of school: Today the kids got in the car smiling.

Savannah had plans to go to a baby shower (her activity day leader's grandson) on her bike with a neighborhood friend, and had made up a funny skit with her friends at recess.

Payton told me he's getting "more popular" and that he's actually playing with other kids at recess.

Libby only has one more day (Monday) with Mom before KINDERGARTEN!!

Metal stamping is soooo fun!

I've been wanting to learn how to stamp on metal, but really hadn't pursued it.

Spurred on by the successful "how to make a bow" internet search, and bored because Tyson was gonna be gone for four days with the Scouts; I decided to google "How to stamp on metal".

And (as with most things) all it requires is the right tools & a little practice. Well, I ordered (& just received) the tools, and now I'm practicing. Nothing better for the nerves than hammering an impression into metal. Now, that's what I call fun!!

Not as young as we used to be

Tyson had a ton of fun at Scout Camp: canoeing, river rafting, zip lining.

But look at the state they sent him back in. Sheez!

BowCD (like OCD only with ribbons)

I don't know why I try new hobbies/crafts. I always think, "Well I'll just make this one, and then I will know how to if I ever want to. Then that will be the end of that, because I have too many hobbies already."

And who do I think I'm kidding?

With my OCD, my tendency is to not give up on something until I have mastered it.

I have a few friends who make very, very cute bows. I have purchased several bows from several sources for 11 years now. (ever since my first girl came out with a full head of hair) So, I don't really need to make my own bows, and it doesn't really save me any money to do so....

But a cousin threw a "bow-making party" on Thursday so that she could share her newfound skill with us, and the thought was that we would all trade ribbons and techniques. She showed us the youtube video that she learned with and then helped us out with our own. It took me about 3 hours (this is not an exaggeration) to make one bow:

Yesterday, I spent some time trying to come up with a less difficult way of making bows. I had tied a million ribbons, and know how to make a single bow, but the double bow/stacking kind was not bending to my will. (I even had somebody dent my van and pull away last night in the WalMart parking lot where I had to go to see if I could score some alligator clips).

Then today, I decided to look up "how to make bows" and found a wonderful site:

http://www.girlythingsbows.com/

They list (for free) how to make all kinds of bows. So I finally found one that I liked, and that seems easier to me, and made another one (this one would be about my 8th attempt at bows). Success!! (at least to my liking).

No worries, I will not abandon my bow-making friends. I will still continue to buy just as many bows. And I don't intend to sell them, I don't have enough time or money for that. I just need to make about 5 or so more.....sets.