20 years....Wow where did the time go.....

We still have that silly magic. Love you David. This one didn't get edited, for obvious reasons. Happy Anniversary!!!!!

I love the honesty of children

In preschool this week(subbing again) I was talking to two little girls about washing dishes. It was an activity we were doing at the sensory table(plastic dishes, not dirty, in a large tub of soapy water, for fun.) They were laughing and having a good time. I asked if they helped at home with the dishes and they said no. "My mom does the dishes and the cooking." Does your dad help your mom?" "No, he just sits around and drinks lots of booze." Well there you have it for honesty. I think I really could have caused a fight if I had mentioned that to both parents when they came to pick up the girls. Man I just love kids.

I did ask again about the word booze and I had heard then correctly. Another little girl threw up all over the table, so we shall see how that goes with staying healthy this week. Quite the day.

Funny things kids say

Qatar asked me where I had put his pillow sheets after I washed them. I think he meant pillow cases.

One of the ELL students I taught on Monday, found me in the hall a few days later teaching another class. She smiled and then asked. "Why did you eat a sneaker?" I was puzzled, a sneaker, why would I eat a sneaker. She continued to insist that I had indeed eaten a sneaker. So I thought about Monday and came up with this. "You mean why was I sneaking food?" She nodded and laughed. "Well I was hungry and I thought you were to busy to notice. I had missed breakfast to get in early." She laughed and thought I was funny and if I was hungry then just eat, I didn't have to sneak it. In my defense, I pulled a granola bar out of my bag, broke it in half, and finding I was still hungry after eating that I went back to my bag and rooted around for the package to eat the other half. I wasn't really sneaking food.

JT usually says "fricking bad" thanks to a song Gunnar listens tooooooooo all the time. The other day he was watching TV and said "That was pimping bad." I turned and asked what he had said and I had heard him correctly. Me, "What does that mean?" JT, "I think it's stronger then fricking." Okay then.

A little girl at school asked me, "Why when you sometimes turn your head do you shiver?" I told her I had a tremor that I had no control over,but it wasn't contagious. She smiled and then informed me one of her eyes was bigger then the other.

We were watching for a little guys mom after school. He pointed to a women at the door wearing PJ bottoms. He turned to me and said. "My grandma says that people who wear their pajamas outside are just plain lazy. What do you think?" That is a tough one, I like my PJ's, a lot!!! I said, "I think it depends on the person." He nodded and then his mom appeared, not dressed in PJ's.

Just a few cute things that I get to enjoy.

Tiny

This is about me and how I feel about something that was said to me. Since this is my blog I can say what I want. (hahahaha) Like I don't anyway. When we were skydiving, the instructor kept calling me TINY. Wow, me. In high school I was always the larger girl, my friends were all 90 pounds soaking wet(I was the bottom of the pyramid in cheer-leading) and now I have Vanessa. Well I was thrilled. Also last week I worked at Ellis and one of the boys threatened to break me in half. I told him I was pretty strong and he laughed saying. "You're a toothpick."

Silly I know, but I'm tiny and its my blog. This makes me happy.

Skydiving in Waseca, Minnesota

Reverse order, sorry.
WOW!!!! What a blast. Finally I can mark this of my list of things to do before I die. The list is so long that I need to get going on it. Everyone should try this, its safe, fun and amazing.

Happy Birthday David!!! 41 today!

The Peters Family 2010. Gunnar 16, Qatar 14, Zeke 11, Cenny 10, and JT 8.
Peters family 2004

Peters Family 2003
Sue, Suzanne and David
Cenneidigh and David blowing bubbles 2002 July 4th, she is two.
Suzanne and David
David in April 2002 at his Masters graduation. Gunnar 8, Qatar 5, Zeke 3, Cenny 1, and JT 1 month maybe.

The Family
Frank and David in 1987


Frank and David in Turkey

Little league
David and Suzanne

Happy Birthday, I love you!!!! I did not put any Bremner family photos in, I figured you've seen enough lately.

There is only love, Last Happiness Project Commandment

The last commandment in the Happiness Project and I can see why this is the last one. You need to use most of the other commandments to make this one work. When David bugs me I need to "Lighten UP" "Let it go." and "Identify the problem." Which is going to be me. I need to realize that I love him and that I need to work on me and not on him. You're the only one that can change you and you can't change anyone else.

When you forget the problems you see with others and remember that it is only love you can do amazing things. When David bothers me, I only need to remember that I love him and forget all the reasons I'm upset in the first place.

With "No Calculations." I need to not overestimate my work and underestimate his. I need to remember only love. Love wins in the end, if we let it.

I had a workmate that was extremely difficult to get along with. Everyone told me to just grin and bear it, but I didn't like that idea. I pushed my way into his life and

looked at all the good things about him only, determined to ignore the bad. We slowly became friends and the more time we spent together, WOW, I have to tell

you that it has been years since we worked and hung out together, but we stay in contact and to this day and forever(I'm sure) I will always consider him one of my dearest friends.

It works, but I've been too busy to put it into practice lately (it also requires lots of time, worth it in the end.)

Am I happier now that I have read this book and thought about the principles one at a time? I am happier now. Sure I still have the same things, life, house, husband, kids, stresses, an old van that may be on its last leg, a budget that always has more month in it then money and the same old temper that gets me into trouble that I had when I started reading and researching Happiness, but I now feel I have the tools necessary to keep striving for more and more and more happiness. I've also searched out other books on happiness. It really is a conscious decision you need to make if you want to be truly happy. Happiness is not about where you live or where you work or how much money you make or who you hang out with or how your parents made or broke you. It is about you!!!!!! and about how you see things. Choose to be happy and you will be. "Act the way you want to feel." Happiness is up to you. Remember Moms. "When mom ain't happy, ain't no one happy."

Choose to be the one that sets the tone and watch the world around you change for the better.

No Calculations

This one is really hard for me and I think it is a bit of a repeat of be fair. "I made dinner, so you....." "I gave the kids a bath so you......" I worked all day on the yard so you..." I am a good one for calculations, I think I even keep a notebook in the back of my brain of all the things people owe me. Bad? I know and I'm tiring to change, but it is hard and I think I will struggle with this forever. I hope someday to take the notebook out and burn it and all the contents and not worry about what I do and others do.

St. Therese wrote: "When one loves, one does not calculate." I guess I need to love more. What can I say?

Do what ought to be done.

A big huge YES!!!!!!
Another anti-procrastination issue. I have appts I need to make and go too. Cenny needs two teeth pulled at the dentist. I haven't been for a check-up in awhile and someone must need shots. JT will need to see the eye doctor in November and I haven't been in over three years. I'm fighting the need to see clearly(I think I'm winning.) I have a small sty on my eye that needs checking and my arm has hurt since August(I think the exercising is really helping here.) So maybe I really don't need any of those appts.(that is the way I roll, avoid the dr. office at all costs.)

I still have plenty of other things that ought to be done and I really need to stop blogging about it and get it done.

Lighten Up

This is a fun one at times. I always need to remind myself that others don't notice everything I do and especially my mistakes. I don't notice things, so I would say that their our lots of me's out there. What did I wear to work/school on Monday? Man I don't even remember why would I think anyone else would.

Smile and think happy thoughts. Lighten up, life is suppose to be fun. Don't take yourself to serious, we all need to cut each other and ourselves a break. Mistakes build character and help us succeed in the future. Failure is something we all experience and we need to fail or we would never appreciate our success. So smile at random times and let others wonder what you're up too and lighten up. Life is awesome, have fun with it.

Identify the Problem

This is what I do when I find myself awake in the middle of the night. Especially when I'm standing up looking out the window or standing in another place in the house.(I sleep wake and talk) I always ask myself, "Why I'm I awake?" That usually takes care of it and I get back to sleep. I also do this when planning things that seem to not be working out. Why is this so difficult? Maybe it is something I shouldn't be doing.

Some things are not as easy to identify and take more then a few minutes of my time. I really enjoy this commandment and if I take the time to figure out the problem I am much happier with my life.

Spend out.

I spend out this last month and bought a LL Bean Boat and Tote, I choose the colors and love it. It is pink and red and so cute and huge. I take it to church and to work. I love it and it is just for me.

I took this from Gretchens web page.

Spend out encompasses several resolutions.

I have a miserly nature; by spending out, I mean to stop hoarding, to trust in abundance. I find myself saving things, even when it makes no sense. Not long ago, my last pair of jeans started falling to pieces. I made myself go shopping, bought two pairs -- and yet, I've still only worn one of the pairs. Why am I saving the others? Not wearing clothes is just as wasteful as throwing good clothes away.

I also need to spend out by letting things go. I re-use razor blades too many times, I keep my toothbrushes for too long. Lisa again, I do this too often. I also save things for later and then never use them. Stationary, pretty candles, jewelry(silly to have these things if I don't use them.)

Spend out applies to creativity as well as to possessions. I find myself thinking, “I should save that story…” or “I don’t want to use all my best examples now…” But pouring out ideas is better for creativity than doling them out by the teaspoon.

The most important meaning of “Spend out,” however, is that I shouldn’t be a score-keeper, I shouldn’t stint on love and generosity. As St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote, “When one love, one does not calculate.”

This is Lisa again and I think that I need to stop saying that I made dinner last night, its your turn. I do everything around here. Instead trust in love and do not calculate that everyone else owes you.

Things that only a kid could say

JT wanted to know why they used Pokeballs to catch fish. They do look like pokeballs.

"Mom did you know school is over six hours." JT Asks "Yea, ..." Me suspicious like usual with JT. "Yeah, what a waste of my time." He is only in 2nd grade.

Ezekiel telling me that they have milk points on orange juice. "Mom can you drink orange juice if it has milk points the moola ones." He pronounced molla points. Me, "Yes, it is only for school points, no milk in the OJ."

I was doing a plow stretch and Qatar got down next to me and my shirt slipped a bit and he saw my stomach roll(it was a plow for heaven sakes my feet and legs behind my head, my gut all scrunched up.) "Wow your fat." Thanks Qatar. Later that day JT decided I needed to shave my arms, "Mom your arm hair is dark and you need to shave it like your legs." Wow I feel pretty today. And today Qatar yells at me about losing his field-trip permission form. "You took it." no way would I have taken it, I told him to put it somewhere until I found a check book for the fee. I'm responsible for enough already I don't need random slips of paper to be responsible for also.

Zeke taking my ears off after school, "Have you read my life story?" Me, "No I figured you talk enough about you, I'm seeing the movie live."

Enjoy the process

This one has always been hard for me to do. The goal is the goal and the things that happen in between always seemed less important. But since death is the end and as we live our lives we get closer, I guess I need to enjoy the process involved in everything I do. Driving to our vacation destination was the goal, but David always stopped us to see some item advertised on the side of the road. Some of those stops have been better then the whole vacation.

Getting there is half the fun and I need to remember that when I have a goal I want to accomplish. Planting tomatoes for fresh tomatoes in August is the goal, but planting them, watering them, and watching them grow should be almost as enjoyable(along with the thoughts of how good they will taste.) So here is to enjoying the process and finding happiness in everything we do, even the mundane items of life.

I enjoyed subbing in a main stream HS class, I figured out I have only done special ed at the HS before this. I enjoyed the day, but was thankful it was over when it was.

Be polite and fair

People work hard to get here, it isn't fair to allow everyone to go just because. Sometimes things need to be earned or they mean nothing.The choirs invited here were prepared and the music was beautiful. Allowing anyone to perform would not be fair to those who worked so hard to get there.

Being polite is important and even when someone asks me to do things I try to remember to thank them, politely. Qatar's first word was Thank You, we said it to him every time we handed him anything and he would take the item and say Thank You. It is sometimes not easy to be polite, especially when we are tired, but being polite is something anyone can do.(it may not have worked with everyone and we made many and still make many mistakes in this area)

Being fair is difficult because everyones idea of fairness is different. Is it fair that everyone is given the same opportunities without doing the same effort? We need to be careful here, being fair to Gunnar is different then being fair to Qatar. They do not need the exact same things and so giving them those is really not fair after all. Wages and education need to have some association. If you are willing to spend years in school then you should get a higher wage. It doesn't mean your smarter, it just means you can put the time in to learn something worth learning and sharing with others for a salary. I know plenty of smart people who did not go further then high school, but that extra 4 years makes a huge difference in jobs you can get and money you can earn.

After reading Nickel and Dimed, I've thought about this issue. It would not be fair to pay everyone the same or to raise the minimum wage. Raising the minimum raise will raise the price of things and give inflation something to sticks its teeth into and then we are making more on paper, but have less buying power then before. Be fair, but lets look at the big picture. I really don't have a good answer for you in this regard. What is being fair really?

Great Day!! Being 40 is making me happy!

I was subbing at the high school the other day. One women I worked with could not believe I had a 16 year old, she wanted to know if I had been 16 when I had him(I now love her). Then on the way out the door(I did not realize the door was locked on the inside) a man was nice enough to show me another way out if I got stuck at that door without someone with a swipe card. He then called me back to tell me something else and he said I quote: "Young Lady, there is ....." The rest is unimportant. Did you hear that, YOUNG LADY, David said it must have been an old guy, no he was maybe in his late 40's, got to love it. I think I will start telling people I'm 49ish, then I really look good for my age. Being 40 has not been bad at all. The alternatives to getting older are not pretty, so I'm OKAY with being 40 and all the years that come. If I start to feel bad about my age, I'll just lie and tell people I'm a few years older then I really am. Why bother with trying to be younger when it is more fun to have people tell you you look young.

Do it now!!

Why? Why? Why? I don't want too, I will do it tomorrow, or maybe next week. I'm going to hate this one. Procrastination is my middle name. Yes it is, Lisa Procrastination Peters. I can't help it, I was born to delay. If you have any ideas let me know. I know the whole thing about how to eat an elephant, one bite at a time. But please, some tasks are meant to be delayed.

Example: Cenny needed to have her palate widened for braces, well I forgot to get the two teeth pulled, the ones needed before they could do the procedure, for over 6 months. Finally done and they then decided she didn't need her it widened any longer, see it works sometimes. Intermittent rewards are the worst for procrastinators like me. If it worked one time, maybe this time it will too.

Tell me your strategies, please do it now!

Let it go. Be happy

This one is a hard one for me. Sometimes I don't think about it and it goes away, but other times I dwell on the injustice of the moment. Why me? Why them? Why, do they think I do nothing but sit around and eat bonbons all day long? But, its amazing when I let it go. I don't think about it, I don't dwell on it, I just forget it and go on with my life. No bad feeling, no sick stomachs, no missed sleep. Let it go, you will feel better and you will be happier, I need to remember this next time something happens and I start to dwell on it. Just to let you know: The opposite of Love isn't hate, the opposite is apathy. If you hate someone, you are dwelling on it, LET IT GO!!!!!

Act the way you want to feel

This one is fun, have you ever tried to smile when your head feels like it will explode? Exactly! But, if you are in a funk, smile and maybe you can feel good for awhile at least. If you want to be happier, then act like you already are. Some times people that are always upbeat and happy are looked down on as not being as intelligent as others who are critical of things and seem to know what they are talking about. Being critical is easy, try it. Barry Manilow, whats up with the hair?

So easy, you can think of about a million things to be critical of, but how many can you be positive about? It's not less intelligent, it's actually more. This is one I will strive to do better at. I love Barry Manilow and I can come up with a million reasons why, his voice is soft, his songs are sweet, they seem to speak to me, etc... There are many reasons to be critical of him, but I choose to see what I want.(even his hair)

Choose to see the good and the positive, it will be amazing. I'm starting right now. I have the fountain to clean out and it is nasty from sitting there all fall, winter, and a few warm days this spring. But when I get it done it will be blooming and beautiful, even if I need a new pump. I've never actually bought one yet, just inherited them, so it will be an experience too.

Being Lisa

That's me, flaws and all. Being Lisa is difficult sometimes. I love things that others laugh about and then I feel bad, but why? I love Barry Manilow, dark chocolate, making chocolate frosting and eating it right out of the bowl, cookie dough(raw eggs be damned), being alone now and then, laughing, being silly, white teeth(time to bleach them again), fleece anything(socks, blankets, pj's, sheets), country music, straight teeth(I wear two retainers every night and I see the dentist at least twice a year), zippy hoodies(any color), microwave meals(if I lived alone I would only mircowave food), hate the doctors office(I rarely go, I hate check-ups), sappy romance novels, feel good movies(I check reviews to be sure no one dies before I go), riding my bike especially alone(the wind in my hair and no hands), I never wear a helmet(bike), I always wear my seatbelt even if just backing up or moving the car a few feet, I don't make my kids wear helmets(bikes), but I do make them wear seatbelts, I'm dyslectic and always thought I was dumb and still do sometimes(I love to read and have compensated for the problem), I exercise almost daily and I enjoy it, I really do even if I'll never have a super model body, Crocs(need I say more?), I go to bed at 9pm every night(hard with teenagers sometimes), I get up at 5:30AM to workout or make lunch, I throw away most of the papers from school(who can keep them all), I want a nice yard, but I don't want to do the work so I realize I wont have a nice yard, I still miss Fred(my dog of 15 years), I loved living with my grandparents for a year, I will have a hard time sending my kids to BYU Idaho(Only the real BYU counts in my head), I love that people think I'm younger then I am(I may raise my age to keep that going), I don't want to live in Utah ever again, I love living so close to everything(we can walk to most things in town), I love staying home, but I like working also, I may have ADHD(I have a hard time staying on task, easily distracted), I've been to a therapist(thought I may have been crazy), I'm tired more then I should be(low iron and I hate iron pills), I want to be an author(three books so far, not good but written), I'm in the middle of a mid-life crisis, have been for several years now, I like toddlers better then babies, I could go on and on and on. Laugh if you will, but this is a small part of being Lisa.

So think about you and enjoy your uniqueness. Raise a glass to being YOU. Your the only one who can do it.