I AM A DAD

Now Derek isn't actually the one blogging here, it's me. But I wanted to share some funny experiences I've had since Derek is now our "Stay at Home Dad".

Everyday I come home from work to a spotless house. One particular day I said, "Wow! The house is so clean. Thanks for cleaning!" And Derek replies, "Yeah. I'm going to stop cleaning it! Every time I clean it, it just gets dirty again!" (Hmm...somehow I can relate to this...)

One day while thanking him for doing the dishes, he says, "Ugh! That dishwasher! It's such a piece of junk. And you know...I'd rather just wash the dishes when it's 3/4 full because otherwise I just keep looking for a certain dish and it's dirty. No matter what I do, there are always dishes in the sink!" (Another story I somehow relate to...)

Yesterday I got home from doing my visiting teaching and he mentions he'd like to get out of the house. (Cabin fever?) Later I asked him if maybe it would help him to get out during the day. He says, "There's no where to go! And the only thing there is to do is shop!" (I guess this is why women are always coming home with a new pair of shoes!)

And here is the kicker. Derek hates cleaning. He likes to tidy up the house, but not the nitty gritty stuff like organizing or cleaning the toilets. I, however, love to clean! So it's a win-win for us. BUT, the other day, he comes into the kitchen and asks, "Is it okay if I spend some time just cleaning out my side of the closet and organizing stuff?" (???????? Really???????) This here is a true sign you have become

A STAY AT HOME DAD.

I sure do love this guy...he is my hero.

I AM A MOM.

I guess I have officially grown into my motherly body and mind. Today I began thinking about life and how one day we will live in a house and have more children and run them back and forth from soccer practice to church activities and back home. We will probably have a dog and hopefully a yard that our kids can run around in. They'll come home from school and plop their Dora the Explorer and Transformers backpacks in the entry way and have pieces of artwork from school pinned up on the fridge. I had this overwhelming feeling of sadness. (Not what you would expect!) I never realized until today, just how hard it will be when my kids grow up. One day they won't need me anymore...or so they'll think. : ) One day, they'll think I know nothing and they will push me away. They'll think I never knew what it was like to be their age and have their problems. But one day they'll marry and have their own kids and the circle of joy will continue all over again. So before I go on thinking that life with a baby can be tough, I'll remember how lucky I am to have a baby this age. Because I love it! And sometimes I wish I could freeze him in time and keep him 10 months forever.

Wal-Mart, anyone?

Don't you guys just LOVE Wal-Mart? Honestly! I can get all of my shopping done at one place. No need to run to Albertson's and get my groceries and then to Costco to grab some diapers. It's a one-stop-shop. I can even bring the competitor's ads to Wal-Mart and if the competitor's price beats theirs, I still get it at the competitor's price.

Now stop.

Picture YOUR Wal-Mart. I don't know about yours, but ours is FILTHY, full of people in a mad rush to get everything they need for what seems like the entire month! Their baskets are overflowing with items as if they had just loaded up at Sam's Club and ironically...they are in the 20 items or less line. I was told by a Wal-Mart worker herself that they aren't always allowed to turn them away just because they have over 20 items, so they were are- all in a humongous traffic jam.

I go to get Titan some baby food and I approach a shelf 5 feet by 3 feet wide that SHOULD be stocked with multiple flavors and brands, yet when I get there- it's so picked over that I'm left to choose from about 5 different foods and only about 2 of each kind. Amazing! It's so picked over that I'm not sure if they ever even stock the place! This is pretty much what the shelves at our Wally World look like:


A coworker of mine was a previous Wal-Mart associate. She said people would get to the check-out counter and realize their food stamps wouldn't cover everything or that they didn't have enough money to buy that milk, or that cheese or whatever it was. Either way, many times they were refrigerated items. The cashiers didn't have the time to re-stock it themselves due to the long lines, and Wal-Mart doesn't have enough people on shift at one time to be able to constantly do this job. Soooo, these refrigerated items sit out for hours at a time before they are RE-STOCKED. Not thrown away...RE-STOCKED. Yummm. Next time you have diarrhea, it was probably your Great Value brand Milk.

Derek and I watched a documentary about Wal-Mart just the other day. It's called "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price". I strongly recommend it! Here's what the cover looks like:

In this documentary, TONS of previous Wal-Mart workers came forward about how they were treated. One African-American man was called a "nigger" by his manager. He reported the manager...and nothing ever came of it. One African-American woman was told that there is no place for "people like her" in management. She asked, "People like me? Because I'm a woman or because I'm BLACK?" Her manager replied, "Well, two out of two ain't bad!"



Wal-Mart cost us tax-payers 1.5 billion dollars a year to put their employees on government assistance. WOW! When people would get hired at Wal-Mart, their managers often refer them to the Medicaid offices so that they can apply- because everyone knows that no one can afford the insurance there, and that it sucks anyways! How pathetic! A kajillion dollar company can't afford to treat its employees right or even help them with their health benefits? Hmmm...

Wal-Mart does SO MUCH damage to small towns, it's amazing! They put all the surrounding businesses out of business! These people have put sweat, blood, money and a whole lot of hard work into building their companies, only to have a Wal-Mart come in to town twenty years later and completely shut them down. Wal-Mart is a giant that should be considered a monopoly. Although Target is the most comparable company, it's not the same.

You may think that these complaints come from a couple of disgruntled workers, but let me tell you. 31 of the 50 states are suing Wal-Mart for multiple cases all across the country.

Have you noticed that Wal-Mart has some 30 registers in their stores and yet only 8 or 9 are even open? One manager stated that they keep 6 inch STACKS of applications in the back, yet Wally World is too CHEAP to hire more employees. Speaking of being too cheap, employees are NEVER allowed to work overtime...no matter what. By the way- Wal-Mart considers full-time to be 28 hours a week. One employee spoke out and told us that managers would approach them while they were trying to ring up a long line of customers. They would say that there are some 48 carts full of take-back (or re-stock) items that needed to be taken care of by the end of the night, whether your shift be over in 30 minutes or an hour. So basically, that meant that you worked off the clock or be fired. And since no one was allowed overtime, and that meant NO ONE, managers were taught to go in the back entrance and change their employees time clocks to be within the full time range of hours.




So next time you shop at wonderful Wal-Mart, where you can get everything you need at one low price, remember this!

The Office Part 2

I'm minding my own business, eating my S'mores Pop Tart (healthy, I know)-

Old Mexican Lady: Senorita...que estas comiendo? (What are you eating?)

Me: Uh...a Pop Tart? S'mores?

Old Mexican Lady: Que? (What?)

Me: Pop? Tart? (I was unsure of how to explain this in Spanish)

Old Mexican Lady: Como un pastry?

Me: Si, mas o menos (Yeah, more or less)

Old Mexican Lady: Oh. (And there she remained. Ogling over my breakfast like a sad & hungry puppy.)

So I give her a piece.

She examines it, making sure to flip it over and check it well before finally saying, "Gracias!" and took off.

It was super funny.




Again, minding my own business filling up a cup of water before eating lunch.

Cesar: Comes up to me and puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes it.

Me: What's up Cesar?

Cesar: Oof. You're so skinny. You don't look good.

Me: Thanks, Cesar. But my grandpa is 6'7" and super lanky. It just runs in my blood line. Plus, I'm nursing. It's not my fault.

Cesar: You need to eat!

Me: I do eat!

Cesar: Stanna, do you see how skinny she is? She doesn't look good.



I walk to the back to go to the bathroom...

Sonya: Hey! We were just talking about you and your crazy memory!

Lauren: I know. I have my VIN number memorized.

Sonya: Yeah! Remember when that one patient came in and you told her you memorized her social?

Lauren: I never did that. Maybe I told YOU I remembered her social, but I'd never tell a patient. That is psychotic.

Sonya: Yes, you did!



Patient on phone to Ida with strong Indian accent: Yes Ma'am, I need a study done STAT or I'll be going to the hospital

Ida: Excuse me? What study do you need done? Sir?

Patient: I really need this study done there or I'll have to go to the hospital

Ida: Sir! I cannot understand you!

Click. Ida hangs up phone.


Oh, the joy of punching out at the end of the day must be a better feeling for some than others. Ha.

Found It!

This smart guy has found out quite a few things, lately.

I haven't gotten a picture of it, but he now stands up in his crib- which is simultaneously hilarious and of utter annoyance. If we don't put him down when he is absolutely tired, he will just perk up and grab onto the sides so that only the top half of his face shows. It's so cute and you just want to take him out and play, but no can do.

Secondly, he has discovered that he is a boy! This also is a double edged sword. Ha. He squeezes that thing until it's about to pop and I have to slather it with Desitin to make sure it doesn't stay red and rashy! This picture was taken at the most perfect moment of discovery. It cracks me up- yet illustrates his feelings at the time so well!



He discovered that perching atop dad's little belly is also pretty fun.



And that splatting your hand in your million-degree-fresh-out-of-the-microwave baby food is something that should NEVER be done. It's hard to see, but he now has a blister that takes up the entire middle portion of his finger, and another red gash-looking would on his ring finger. It was heartbreaking, but he has yet to attempt it a second time!



Grandma helped him discover his love for paper bags! Man, if only you really could buy kids this cute from Sun Harvest...



He found his favorite hang-out place that he continues to go to time and time again at Grandma's house. The lower shelf with the ceramic pot full of chalk. I love when he gets in there, it cracks me up.



He also found that sharing his Puff treats is impossible. I asked him for one the other day while he had it in his hand and he extended it towards me as if to put it in my mouth, then psyched me out and quick shoved it into his mouth. Thanks for sharing.



And I have found that no matter how often I cut or file this baby's nails, they are still like needles and he LOVES to scratch! Ever since he was tiny he would find something to scratch. His covers, our skin (see picture!), boxes, toys... It's funny but it sure leaves a mark!



And last but not least, I thought this was such a cute picture. My dad was holding Titan and all he wanted to do was look over Chef Dad's shoulder and check out his cooking skills. My dad suggested we take a picture and I'm so glad we got one because these two are two peas in a pod. I love my Hargrove boys!

We have bed bugs.

It has been an eventful week of injuries these past 7 days.

Last week, my friend called me during church. I was confused because even though she was in Minnesota on vacation, she knew what time it was here and that I was in church. So I went into the foyer and called her back after receiving a message that said "please call, need help". Her son had fallen and cracked his head open so she asked if I could babysit her other 2 kids while her husband took him to the hospital. Poor guy was home alone with his 3 kids and I'm sure he was panicked. (Poor husbands). So instead of being at church, I played Toy Story 3 on the DS and ate fruit snacks (not so bad!).

Then on Friday, I warmed up Titan's lunch. I had him in one hand and the warmed up baby food in the other. I didn't realize that he had reached over me and stuck his hand in his WAY TOO HOT baby food. He immediately screamed in pain and continued to do so for about a half hour. I felt so bad for him and realized I couldn't handle it if my baby had been hurt any worse. Now he has blisters over his left fingers and it's terrible : ( Poor guy.

And the kicker. It was funny, actually. This morning, Derek and I were walking down the hall to our bedroom when Derek asked me a question and a few seconds later my brain turned off! I was a walking zombie. Derek says I grabbed onto our bedroom door handle and it obviously swung because it couldn't support my weight and I swung my face into the corner of the wall and passed out onto the bed. Haha. Sooo weird!!! He said he was shaking me, asking, "Lar? Lar?" and my eyes were twitching. Then I asked..."How did I get in here? And why does my head hurt?" Ha. I couldn't stop laughing when he told me what happened.

Oh, and we have bed bugs. I have a plethora of scabs on my legs to show it.

The End.

Pictures to come soon, I'm just a lazy person and haven't uploaded them. But they'll be good once I put them up!

Not limited to 100

I am thankful for...

1. My five senses and how sharp each one is

2. Thick, green grass

3. A save haven when the busy day comes to an end

4. The Gospel of Jesus Christ

5. The ability to be a mother, naturally

6. The opportunity to breastfeed my child

7. A husband who is everything I'd ever wished for and more

8. My education

9. Parents who raised me well

10. Generations of men in my family who have served their country

11. Dogs- especially Bulldogs, Great Danes, and Weimeraners

12. Tortillas and cheese

13. Fluffy carpet

14. The sunshine

15. Warmth when it's cold

16. My standard transmission 1997 Honda Civic that runs like a champ

17. Good smelling laundry detergent

18. My husband's imagination

19. Laughter and its contagiousness

20. Fruit- especially Ruby Red Grapefruit and strawberries

21. Being blessed with ambition and mental and emotional strength

22. Shoes- for practicality and fashion

23. Trees and the shade they provide

24. The beautiful southwestern sunsets

25. Longboards and skateboards, even though I never use them anymore

26. The mountains

27. The little gut that I have left over from having a baby. And eating junk food.

28. The friends I have made from a simple crossed path

29. Onion and garlic salt- I think I season everything with it

30. Pictures

31. Being able to work for my family, even though I miss them when I'm gone

32. Kisses and hugs

33. Super Mario Brothers

34. Sheridan's unborn baby- a new future addition to the Hargrove & Sikora side!

35. Books- especially books with pictures

36. Knowing how to swim

37. Laws and how they protect us

38. The complexity of the human body. Proof that God exists.

39. My MacBook

40. The mind and how much knowledge it can contain

41. Confidence

42. Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream

43. CSI: Las Vegas

44. Bananas and how easily squishable they are so I can make baby food with them

45. Math- it was always my favorite subject.

46. Sudoku Puzzles

47. Cops and other authorities who keep us safe from harm

48. The prophet, President Thomas S. Monson

49. The cold side of the pillow

50. Prenatal vitamins and how healthy they keep me

51. Titan's nap time- and when he sleeps for more than an hour and a half

52. Date nights with Derek

53. Prayer. I never run out of long distance minutes to Heavenly Father.

54. Temples and being worthy to enter them

55. A good wubbie (blanket) to cuddle up with

56. Ice in my cup with my beverage

57. Cilantro

58. Gummy worms from Sun Harvest

59. Being able to communicate in more than one language

60. My age

61. The old chairs my parents gave me since my $19.99 Ikea ones broke

62. The stars in the sky

63. Music

64. When somebody lets you go ahead of them in line

65. Dancing- and dancing goofy for Derek so he laughs

66. Peek-a-boo

67. The moon- especially when surrounded by clouds at night

68. Bright countenances

69. The Ensign

70. People who can relate to you

71. A good working pen

72. Visiting teachers

73. Vacations- and the opportunity to even go on them

74. Grandmas and grandpas

75. Bath time

76. 1990 Pennies

77. A cool breeze

78. Halloween

79. Picnics at the zoo

80. Christmas music

81. My J-Lo bum being gone. Thank you breastfeeding baby.

82. Remote controls

83. Socks with the grippers on the bottom

84. When things just fall into place (a.k.a. Heavenly Father worked it out for you)

85. Feety pajamas for Titan that keep him warm at night

86. Frozen food

87. Lady bugs

88. My diamond-less, $400 wedding band that I wouldn't trade for the world

89. Teething tablets, Orajel and Baby Tylenol

90. Being able to share all of my secrets with my best friend, who is also my spouse

91. Joseph Smith, for paving the way for the 13 million Latter-Day Saints today

92. Walks around the neighborhood

93. A good towel to dry off with after the shower

94. Being an Activity Days leader at church. I love those girls

95. Derek & Titan's wild bed head, inherited from Grandpa Porter

96. Taylor, Arizona and the amazing people that live there (See #97)

97. My in-laws!

98. The Reflections of Christ video

99. Being able to learn how to sew

100. The opportunity to be here, today...a woman, a mother, a daughter, a niece, grandchild, sister, wife, co-worker, advisor, and United States citizen.

These are so few of my many blessings and they are by no means in order of importance. This has been a wonderful thing to sit down and do. Hope you do it also! It's liberating.

Aaaaand...I'm thankful for you. Thanks for reading my blog. : )