Ugh

How long would you keep going to a ward where absolutely no one ever talked to you, or sat by you or made any effort to get to know you? Where literally the only people who ever, ever even acknowledged you were in the Relief Society presidency? Where you had never been home taught, or approached about having a calling? If it was November first and you had been going since May, and had never even been greeted by someone in the Bishopric a single time, would you want to go back? I'm really struggling to like the ward that I now have to attend...

Five things I Was Doing Five Years Ago

1. Trying to schedule as many classes as I could in this gorgeous building:

2. Trying (half-heartedly) to pass Logic. What on earth posessed me to take that class?

3.. Working out a lot. Sophomore year of college I definitely went to the gym at least once a day. My roommate and other girls on my floor definitely helped keep me motivated.

4. Sleeping on the top bunk. That year we did have bunk beds.

5. I believe that was the year we got into Temptation Island. Trash TV at it's finest.

Five things on my To Do List 1. Organize the office, which still has half unpacked boxes and scrapbook stuff everywhere. 2. Vacuum pretty much the whole house. 3. Finish cleaning the bathroom. All I did was the floors and littler box, still need to do toilet, sink and mirrors.

4. Pay some bills

5. Figure out someone who can fix the washing machine (and figure out how I am going to pay him/her).

Five things I'd do if I was a Millionaire 1. Pay off my school loans and mortgage. 2. Pay for Isaac's college.

3. Buy a newer, nicer car. 4. Go around the world on a big vacation. 5. Have a big party with fancy imported cheeses and other exotic foodstuffs.

Five Things I'd Never Do Again 1. Bottle feed a kitten. It was good while it lasted, but way too much work.

2. Attempt to paint the bathroom on my own again. Unless my painting skills seriously improve. It took my sister, like 24 straight hours of work to fix my mistakes and make the bathroom the fabulous pink it is now.

3. Call a parent (of one of my students) from my home phone. Not that anything bad happened that time, but it is something I would never take a chance on again.

4. Have a fish. Cleaning a fishtank is not my favorite thing.

5. Dramatic Rock Lobster death scenes. In public anyways... I think I'm too old for that now. Even if I do go to the YSA Christmas Dance...

Five Favorite Toys 1. Hmmm. Laptop.

2. My classroom laminator. Nerdy I know. But I do love lamination.

3. Photo printer.

4. Pizza pan. Very into making my own pizza lately.

5. Um.... does hand held vacuum count as a toy? When you live in a three story place, it is pretty critical.

Five Things I've Read Recently 1. Blogs, blogs, blogs.

2. Lawrence's mission letters. To know him, is to love him. He is taking San Diego by storm. 3. I've still not finished The Time Traveler's Wife that I started at the beach. It is a really good book. I just knew once I left the beach I would never finish it. 4. US and PEOPLE magazines that my mom sent over after she was done. I read anything that comes my way. 5. I am supposed to be reading Classroom Instruction that Works and Failure is Not an Option for book studies at my work as part of new teacher induction. Also considering adding The Illusion of Full Inclusion... but that's a different story.

Five People I’m Tagging Whoever is reading this and really wants to do it.

We don't mess around...

Intense under six soccer action...

Taking a breather

A month of non-stop rain = field being a total and complete mudpit = extra hilarity

Four out of six of the purple panthers.

I seriously love under six soccer. I think someone should turn it into a reality show.

Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

The quest for true domesticity continues. I tried to make apple crisp, which was a flop... BUT I made these delicious cookies and they turned out incredible!! I thought I would be 0/2 when I messed up the amount of baking powder. However, I managed to save it by tripling the recipe. So there are cookies galore at my house-- come visit!!

Ingredients:

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional-- I skipped these)

Directions: 1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. 2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. 3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Dinner tonight...

Included these: delicious loaded mashed potatoes (they tasted amazing and they were so, so, easy) and these dinner rolls (with about a million more frozen in the freezer for future use). Thanks Thompson girls. I am contemplating making something pumpkin for dessert. Maybe there is hope for this undomestic goddess after all. =)

Help!

I know someone out there must know... How do you get baked on Pam off the sides of a glass casserole pan? It looks so icky. Any suggestions would be much appreciated...

One step closer to crazy cat lady status..

Cody Pablo is still alive and kickin' (and biting and scratching...)

Because he has been a bottle fed baby raised without a mom cat or littlermates his kitty manners.... leave a lot to be desired. I am like 90% certain that the vet techs draw straws on who has to take his temperature. He has been called everything from "naughty" to "obnoxious" to "mutant kitten". The thing is, he really is just playing and doesn't mean to be aggressive. But he is getting bigger and stronger and, well, the bad behavior is getting old...

So in an attempt to help him get out his playful energy and possibly be put in his place, we have a new member of the Stephenson household:

Saffron. This picture really does not do justice to her cuteness but she is terrifically wiggly and it was one of the only the pictures I could capture of her face. I had contemplated adding a second cat on Facebook and someone I knew from high school contacted me and said he had a litter of cats he was trying to find homes for. Slightly older than Cody and a little bit bigger. She was the only girl in the litter and was used to keeping her brothers in line. Sounds perfect. He had named her Saffron. We had intended to use Saffron as a middle name (since apparently all our cats must have two names) and choose a new first name. I wanted either a Shakespearan Heroine or a famous psychologist. Isaac wanted to keep our Backyardigans theme going and continually suggested "Tasha" or "Uniqua". Anyways, it took too long to decide and in the meantime she has just been Saffron, so we are keeping it.

We have been keeping them seperate for now and introducing them slowly.

She doesn't seem to care for Cody a whole lot (she will sniff him and will tolerate him batting at her face a few times before she starts hissing).

On the other hand... he is obsessed with her and spends many hours now like this...

Parked outside her door listening for her, sticking his paws underneath and talking to her. So we are trying to take our time with the introductions so that she isn't traumatized and hopefully they get along. Oh, and the vet told me she is old enough to get pregnant (What?!?), so that adds a whole new twist while we wait for them to both get fixed in the upcoming weeks..

Keep your fingers crossed that they soon become fast friends...