Okay! It’s time for catch-up! I’ve always enjoyed blogging so much that I’ve never had to do the “catch-up” thing before.  Sigh.  Just one of the great sacrifices I’m making to be a better mother. Gag. Ahem…

Anyway- I’ll post the events of the last three months here briefly for those who really care (family members) but then I will change the date of the post so they will fall into the proper chronological order for someday when this blog becomes a book.  Which, thanks to Richard, might actually happen. 

Warning: This post was an exercise for me in finding synonyms for “feces.”  That may be all you need to know to discontinue reading. 

On Monday night, we went to my in-laws to watch the lamest NCAA football championship ever.  (For an entertaining commentary on that, go here.)  During the game we encountered some digestive trouble with Miriam.  She was complaining of a sore bum so I changed her diaper to discover a nightmare of a bowel movement.  Sure enough she had a wicked diaper rash from the undetected foul diaper going unchanged for too long.  The problem was that the stool had no smell.  It went undetected because, validate me here parents, for the most part I only change a stinky diaper when my nose makes me aware that I ought to do so. 

Some time went by and poor Miriam continued to complain of her tender tush.  There was once again no stench and so I assumed she was just suffering from the existing rash.  At last I checked and realized she needed to be changed again.  I lathered her up with butt paste and sent her on her way, but I was so confused.  Where the heck was all this poop coming from?

Shortly after the second full dump, and not long before the third I received the following text from my mother.  She had been caring for the kids while I was at work that day. 

“Miriam got into your dad’s candy so she might get diarrhea from the maltodextrin.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter. 

Apparently while my mom was watching Simon in one room she heard Eli shout from another room down the hall.

“I want some of that!”

Naturally she responded quickly only to discover Miriam had enjoyed the better part of a sugar-free chocolate bar my mom had bought my diabetic father for Christmas.  I guess maltodextrin is an ingredient used in sugar-free treats and I guess eating too much can cause some belly trouble.

(I considered researching this more, but who wants to spend their precious minutes learning about causes of odorless diarrhea?)

Fortunately aside from the diaper rash Miriam had no other symptoms or issues. 

My blog has gotten to the point where I am so overwhelmed by all the un-written posts that I’ve decided to temporarily ignore them.  I will return when I finish my annual new-year purging of my home.  Another Christmas blessed us but this house ain’t gettin’ any bigger. 

Today, inspired by my friend Krista, I’m writing a tribute to Pinterest. 

First I want to say, I pinned before pinning was cool.  I am so annoyed by people like me who insist on taking credit for something that was just a matter of chance and was not the result of any effort on my part.  But people like that, well we just can’t help ourselves. 

Today I looked back through months of texts between Krista and I, until I came across the one where she introduced me to Pinterest.  Bless you Krista!  For those who are unfamiliar with Pinterest, it automatically hooks you up with all your Facebook friends.  In May when I began, I had only one friend besides Krista on Pinterest.  Today, 130 of my Facebook friends are on Pinterest. 

I’ll admit, in the beginning I spent excessive amounts of time just perusing and pinning.  Pinning and perusing.  It wasn’t until the last month or two that I’ve actually used my pins.  I made six Christmas gifts from ideas I found on Pinterest.  With help I planned a fun New Year’s Eve for my kids and nieces and nephews inspired by Pinterest.  Yesterday I needed to know how to clean a mattress and I found it on Pinterest.  For many things I skip the Google search and go straight to Pinterest.  Halloween costumes, recipes, gift ideas. 

Pinterest is the most practical and productive of all social networking sites.  I don’t use this phrase lightly, but I am truly grateful for it.

Gag! I know right?  Grateful for Pinterest?

Naturally, with most internet fads it has its drawbacks.  It can be a huge black hole for time.  And it is not censored so when you are first exploring and if you venture from your trusted follow-ees then you can stumble across crude or offensive pins. 

But as with most things, used correctly and with moderation I find it to be my favorite way to either pass time while I eat my sandwich or wait in the Dr. office and my favorite way to efficiently find practical solutions to daily tasks.  All right there literally at my fingertips. 

I recently read that “Pinterest’s user growth rate is what Facebook’s was five years ago. Earlier in 2011, it was valued through venture financing at $40m and, most recently, just a few months later, at around $200m.”

Wow.  Thanks Paul, Ben and Evan for your brilliance that has made my life at the very least more convenient, and possibly more fulfilling.  I just love it.     

The day after Halloween Miriam and I were in Albertsons and a store employee gave her this balloon. It is still floating high and we’ve been too lazy to bring in the ladder to get it down.

I like to think he is watching over us.

Why is it that I don’t take time to blog about anything important and then I post about a balloon?

I don’t know.

Eli and I were searching for his football around the house. Well, mostly I was searching and he was pleading for me to find it.

“Mom- you are not looking in the right places!”

“What are the right places Eli?!”

“I looked in them already and it wasn’t there. “

After awhile he went outside to look in the “right” places. I spent another few minutes earnestly endeavoring to find it and then I poked my head out to see if he had any luck. Sure enough he was playing with said football.

“Eli! You didn’t tell me you found it. “

“Oops. It was on the slide. I forgot.”

Totally innocent smile.

Well, apparently we didn’t do much in November.  The only pictures I have are of the t.v. I sold on Craigslist because we finally broke down and bought a flat-screen.  What would Hugh Nibley think of me?

I think of these all the time, but forget to write them down.   So I’m going to post them here, and then start a list on my sidebar.

You might have too many kids if:

You can’t use “Your youngest child’s middle name” as a security question because the answer changes too frequently.

You carry two insurance cards because your insurance company does not allow more than five names listed on a single card.

I write about this a lot.  I do because it is a struggle for me and when I have these insights I like to dwell on them and express them with the hope that it will somehow change my behavior. 

I find myself frequently discussing with my husband the choices of others.  Recent experiences in my life have called into question the productivity of these discussion.  Often it is harmless, just sharing and expressing of opinions.  But many times it becomes judgemental and critical.  This is what has been eating at me. 

I am constantly observing people in my life and analyzing their choices according to what I would do, or what I think they should do.  Sadly more often than not I think that my way is the right way. Even if I could be 100% sure that in the same situation I would do what I deem to be the “right” thing, that doesn’t take into account many things.  It doesn’t consider the gifts of understanding, faith or character that Heavenly Father has blessed me with.  Nor does it account for blessings I have been given regarding the way I was raised or experiences in my life that have shaped me.  Of course God expects us to make the right choice no matter these other things, but he will extend mercy according to them.  Even with my gifts and blessings I still make mistakes, give in to temptation and become frustrated with my weaknesses.  I compare myself to others who were given gifts and blessings to be strong in the areas I am weak.  I dearly hope that the Lord will show that same mercy unto me. 

It is like the quote says, our view of reality is only our view, not reality itself.  My perspective of their choice is exactly that, my perspective.  Even should I try and view their choice from their perspective I would be unsuccessful because I have little or no knowledge of their desires, feelings and sorrows.

Only we can know when we point out the mistakes and weaknesses of others if we are doing it in a condemning or judgemental way.  Perhaps some are capable of doing it with a heart full of love and mercy.  But I haven’t found this to be the case for me.  President Monson teaches that even when someone’s weaknesses or errors are clear, “charity impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate and merciful.” 

So why is it so hard?

UPDATE: I wrote this post a long time ago and never published it.  Then I came across this post (go read the inspiring story) recently and was reminded of these thoughts and decided I’d share them.

Miriam and I were looking at this book and she kept pointing at this page and saying- what I thought was “pink.” I figured she thought it was a pig and so I kept saying “No, that is a bull.” Then I realized she was saying “bink” and she thought the bull was soothing with a pacifier.  Seems reasonable enough.