New Maya Quotes

Here are some of my favorites things Maya has said recently. I knew I had to write them down or else I would forget.

When Maya is going to the potty, especially #2, she will tell everyone she needs her privacy and will close the bathroom door. I thought she just needed time to contemplate life, but now I understand better what was really going on in that head of hers.

Example 1.
Maya: Daddy, you gotta get out of here!
Jeff: Why?
Maya: Because if smell it too long, you might die.

Example 2.
Me: Maya, are you finished going potty?
Maya (looking down in the toilet): No, I only have one poop. I need to have a poop family.

Kingsley Christmas Letter 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

We just wanted to save a stamp and a tree by sending our letter this year via our blog. You hope all is well with you and your family. Following the letter are some recent pictures of the girls. You can find more pictures of me and Jeff in the blog... we pretty much look the same!

Jeff has gotten a little more settled with his job. He's in his second year of working as a Materials Engineer for the government. This job has been such a blessing to our family in so many ways. Jeff is currently working on his Master's in Materials Engineering through the University of Dayton. The University has classes during his lunch hour and it is also located right on the Air Force Base.

His job has given him many challenges and wonderful experiences. Jeff has traveled all over the country attending conferences and meetings and he recently made a trip abroad toIsrael. It was a wonderful once in a lifetime experience for him.

Jeff is also very busy with family and church. He is a doting father to Maya and Reili and is a wonderful husband to me. Jeff is now the Boy Scout leader at our church. He works with the young men, teaching them skills that he hopes will help them become great leaders someday.

I worked with two companies this year doing health screenings at corporate work sites. I was promoted to a "team lead" but stopped working in that position after six months. My priorities in life are not work right now, but rather my family. I'm now working with one wonderful company, Health Fitness Corporation. I continue doing health screenings but have also started doing seminars to help people achieve better health. It is quite fulfilling to talk and teach about how to take better care of our bodies so that we can have better lives. I have been able to travel all over the country lecturing and doing health screenings. Some highlights of my travels has been Seattle, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. I love to travel, especially when I can get paid doing it at the same time!

I am working with the women's organization, Relief Society, at our church. I help plan fitness/health events and I'm also doing a monthly playgroup for the mothers and young children. Most importantly I keep busy by being a mom! I only work part-time which gives me time to spend with our beautiful daughters.

Maya has had a wonderful year as a 3 yr old. She is brighter than I could have ever dreamed. She enjoys drawing, painting, reading books with mommy, singing, and playing outside whenever she can. I can't sum up in this letter how amazing she is. You will just have to read previous blog entries to get the gist of what I mean. She is such a wonderful big sister. She tries to teach Reili everything she knows.

Reili is now 16 months old. She is walking, talking (in some unknown language), and is just and an adorable angel. She tries to follow Maya wherever she can, but she definitely has her own unique personality. She has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh. She's definitely a daddy's girl and doesn't try to hide it! As soon as Jeff comes home, she yells, "Heeey Dada!!!" She is such a wonderful addition to our family.

We've enjoyed our second year in Ohio. We miss Alabama immensely, but we are moving forward here and hope our future will be a bright one.

We hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season. May the Lord bless you and keep you. We know that our Savior lives and that he loves us.

With love,

Jeff, Melody, Maya and Reili

It's a hard habit to break...

Maya: "Uncle Shi, do you still smoke cigarettes?"
Clarence: "No."
Maya: "I quit eating my boogers."
Clarence: "Good."

It's interesting how a 3 yr old can relate bad habits.

Tina, Stop! I'm Gonna Pee my Pants

When I'm 64...

Jeff and I went out to dinner the other night. As we sat there, enjoying our childless date, I could hear a droning sound in the background. It was a lady talking to her husband incessantly. They looked like they had been married a number of years. This lady just wanted to hear herself talk and I don't think her husband said more than, "Uh huh" every now and then.

I told Jeff that I was worried we would become that couple in 20 or 30 years. He showed me what his face might look like in two different scenarios...

Listening to me after being married for six years:


After being married 36 years:

The Kingsleys Go Out for Supper...

Mmm... crab legs. Hey, what a neat little fork they gave us!





Must be some fancy mashed potato fork.

F -

A recent assignment for my job was to do a Stress Management Seminar. I was asked very last minute, but a Power Point presentation had already been set up. All I had to do was learn it well enough to not stare at each slide and present it to a group. I had two places to do this and on two separate days.

I was asked to hand out evaluation sheets to everyone attending the seminar. I had to then mail all the sheets back to the home office in Rhode Island. The first time I did the presentation, I was alright. I would say I was about a B-.

Today, I was relaxed, I knew my stuff, I talked to everyone beforehand... I barely needed to look at the slides. I had lots of interaction, comments, and I thought I did a good job. Maybe about a A-.

I looked over the evaluation sheets from the first day. I mostly got "satisfactory" and then some people took pity on me and gave me an "excellent" score. I didn't receive any "unsatisfactory" ratings.

Today, I got a lot of "excellent" marks and a few "satisfactory". There was one that stood out, the lone "UNSATISFACTORY".

Not only did this guy find me unsatisfactory, but he was kind enough to add a comment: "You could've had a livelier speaker. This lady was very dry."

Ouch.

Paper Dolls

...they just ain't what they used to be.

Blog Envy

Have you ever looked at someone else's blog and wished your blog could be like their blog? I never knew I could have these feelings. It is odd and I may have reached some new level of strangeness.

Envy (also called invidiousness) may be defined as an emotion that "occurs when a person lacks another’s superior quality, achievement, or possession and either desires it or wishes that the other lacked it."

So there it is and I have it...blog envy.

Here are some blogs I envy and why:

1. Random Thoughts.
This is a fun blog. If you haven't looked at it, check it out. It cracks me up. Why do I envy it? Her last post had 32 comments. I think I get 32 readers in a month. The reason there are so many readers is because the writing is hilarious and she never bores you with long, dull stories. She keeps you guessing. I don't even know her name. (Just kidding) It makes you laugh until you pee your pants (which is sooner than later for some moms out there).

2. The Meservy Monthly. These guys were blogging before blogs existed. This is my sister and brother-in-law's site. They had a monthly family newsletter they used to send out. It was chocked full of interesting tidbits about their interesting family, lives, and stories. Basically, it is very interesting. Love it.

3. De Profundis. This blog is about my best friend, Tami. She is so amazing and I've always tried to emulate her. She is naturally comedic, brilliant, and very well versed. I just love that she is able to travel all over the world, have adventures, and she does an amazing job writing about it. Plus, she is just plain cool.

If you would like to participate in this exercise, please tag your post with “blog envy” and list 3-5 blogs that create deep feelings of envy and jealousy.

My Future Athlete

Maya: Mommy, when I go to school, I want to play sports.
Me: Really, what sports would you like to play?
Maya: I wanna play the one where you hit the alien in the head when it's in the pool.
Me: Um, where did you hear about that one?
Maya: I didn't. I just made it up. It's called "Alien Dead"
*Maya recently saw part of The Goonies

A Well Balanced Meal

Is it okay to eat only this for dinner? I bought some lovely Ohio corn on the cob and kinda ate it until I was full. It's fun to be a grown up.

Have you ever eaten an entire meal with only one ingredient?

Amusement

*from theonion.com

Par-tay

I don't party quite like I used to, but here are a few highlights of one I just attended. I didn't stay up all night, but I sure felt sick afterwards.

Alabama - home again.

I grew up in a tiny little town in northeast Alabama. I was a certifiable nerd and my mom was also foreign which made me a bit of an outcast. I didn't understand the people in my town. I didn't relate to my relatives, including my own dad. I left the first chance I got when I was 16. I spent 10 years in a town that I felt was some sort of prison sentence.

I just came back from a trip to Piedmont. Now, 15 years later, I actually kind of miss the place. I miss some of my old friends, my old neighborhood, and even that quaint small town life. Now that I'm in the North, I actually miss my hometown.

Here are a few things that I miss about Alabama:

The sight of Kudzu.

Really good Barbecue.

Red Clay.

..and the fishing *.
*note- the guy on the right was my childhood friend from Piedmont.

One

Happy Birthday to my little blond munchkin, Reili. Believe it or not, she is one today. We love you!

Reili's First Flight

You Gas Guzzlin *&$&^%!

I almost got ran over by one of these yesterday. That's how it is, too. If they pull out in front of you, who wins? He was too busy to notice my puny station wagon because he was texting his buddy as soon as he left the gas station.... or maybe he had to check his account balance after that large transaction.

Poo-Pee

Me: Maya, are you going poo poo or pee pee?
Maya: Poo-pee
Me: You're pooping?
Maya: No mommy, I'm going poop AND pee... you know, poo-pee.

Pittsburgh and Pink Eye

We went with Jeff on a TDY to Pittsburgh, PA for an entire week. I thought I'd post some pictures. We ended our trip with a visit to the Columbus, OH Zoo and Aquarium. Why Columbus? Well, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium is about an hour east of Pittsburgh... not even in Pittsburgh and not even in the right direction. We passed around an nice virus, so you'll see some hotel room pictures in there, too. Enjoy!

Sweet Home Alabama

Alabama man stabs friend for buying wrong beer
Posted by Associated Press August 01, 2008 9:21 AM
Categories: Crime

MOULTON -- A north Alabama man has been accused of stabbing a friend for returning from a store with the wrong brand of beer.

The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department charged 64-year-old Grady "Skip" Wilburn Dollar with first-degree assault for allegedly stabbing Mickey Joe Hill.

Lawrence County Sheriff Gene Mitchell said the 37-year-old Hill was in good condition at Huntsville Hospital after being stabbed at Dollar's rural Lawrence County home.

The sheriff said Thursday that Dollar had given Hill money to buy the beer, but Hill got the wrong kind.

Dollar was released from jail on $5,000 bail.

The last 10 pounds

Dear Last 10 Pounds,

You may think you are special because we all know who you are. There are books about you and diets about you, blah blah blah. I just wanted to let you know that I, for one, am not a fan of yours. You make my clothes unflattering and I have even bought the dreaded next size up to accomodate you. I am no longer going to stand for the way you linger and have made yourself at home in my body. This is war.

It's over for you. I have made my peace and I'm saying goodbye. You are no longer welcome here.

Sincerely,

Melody A. Kingsley

Pet Names

Maya has some toys that she recently named:

"Sushi" a toy fish
"Melinda Riding Hood" a toy bunny

Yoga for retired athletes

I would like to have thought of myself as athletic. I loved sports and I was an avid runner. I even ran pretty regularly after having Maya. My best buddy from college, Tami, and I wanted to prove that 30 yrs old was not really old. We signed up for a half marathon and did pretty decently at it... um... we finished. I thought that was decent. My body fat percentage was nice and low and all my clothes fit almost as nicely as before I had babies. But alas, I was born with a malalignment (similar to cars) in my knees. I remember after that race my knees were swollen for about a week. I never seemed to get back into the "groove" of running after that. I think I did a 5K since then but that had to be about it.

I tried Pilates, but it kicked my butt. You never have to use those kinds of muscles as a runner! I recently started Yoga. I thought it would help me in many ways. It would be a gentle, relaxing way of getting back into shape.

If you are interested in a peaceful way of getting fit, try Kundalini Yoga. After 3 weeks, my body fat percentage is down 4%. I have only lost 3 pounds so far, but I'm trying not to focus on that as much as my body composition.

One thing that's really fun is that Maya can do this, too. We have a blast trying our new poses. Reili tried joining in today, but I think she was just trying to catch a free ride on the horsie (moms, you know what I'm talking about).

Have any of you tried Yoga? What is your favorite kind? I didn't realize how many types of Yoga were out there until I bought a Yoga magazine at the airport. Maybe I'll start my own type of Yoga!

Traveling and getting paid.

One of the perks of my job is that I get to travel. This past week I got to go to Mesa, Arizona for work. I was excited because I got to go out there earlier in the year and I saw two friends of mine, Tessa and Kathy. Well, Tessa and Kathy were both out of town this time around, so I was completely on my own. I like to travel, but it so much better with someone or visiting someone.

I usually never get room service, but I did this time. I thought it would be boring and weird to eat out alone. It was fun because it was brought on a tray, so I could eat my dinner, watch TV, and lay in bed all at the same time. Ah, utter laziness.

I had to work, so not much time was spent lounging around, but I did get to hit the pool in 110 degree weather. After 30 minutes, I came back in. I had a nice tan. It was like a microwave on my skin.

Arizona is super cool. I love it. The part I didn't love was a 5 hour flight sitting next to some intoxicated folks, one who apparently had a lot of fiber earlier in the day, AND I had the aisle seat... did I mention this was a red eye flight? Yes, during prime sleeping time I was wide awake and uncomfortable. I should've upgraded. I've never sat in business class, but you can upgrade for $49 on AirTran. I think it would've been worth it. Have you flown first class? Was it worth it?

The Beauty Barn

I try to stay on top of fashion, skin care and things of that nature. I want to look nice but I don't want to pay a high price. I figure if the word "Barn" is in the title, it must mean good deals are involved.

Here are a few tips to save a few bucks:
*Shop at thrift stores in more affluent areas of town. I have gotten many name-brand barely worn/new clothes at a nearby Goodwill.
*Look for your favorite skin care products online. I just received my Obagi products from Amazon for half the price.
*Instead of spending hundreds of dollars at the dentist, you can get teeth whitening products over the counter or even medical-grade ones on eBay.
*Read the ingredients of your skin care regimen and buy them at a drug store in it's "raw" form (i.e. Witch Hazel, Hydroquinone, etc.) Witch hazel (skin toner) is under $3 and Hydroquinone (freckle/sunspot lightener) is less than $7.
*Microdermabrasion interest you but you can't afford salon prices? Try Avon's ANEW Clincal advanced dermabrasion. Here's a link to my friend's Avon site. I love this stuff and it is under $23 right now!

Do you have any tips for the Beauty Barn? Have you found a great deal on fashion or beauty products?

Maya's Potty Mouth...again

Maya: Mommy, you gotta kill that dadgum fly.
Me: That what?
Maya: Dadgum fly... you know, dadgum flies, dadgum moths, dadgum butterflies...

I think she picks these things up from Jeff's reformed sailor language.

Melody, You Got it Goin' On

When I got married, I was utterly mortified if some guy hit on me. Of course, when I got married I lived on a Navy base and those guys generally didn't seem to care if I was married or not. I remember thinking, "Don't they realize I'm married?!?!" Then as I had been married for a while, I didn't think much about it if a guy hit on me. I guess it thought they were just being friendly or something of that nature.

I recently worked in Kentucky. Here is an exchange between me and an Indian fellow at a gas station.

Dude: "You live here?"
Me: "No, I'm from Ohio...just here for work."
Dude: "You move to Kentucky?"
Not sure if he was asking me a question, of if it was some weird request...
Me: "Uh, no, I don't think so."
Dude: "Why not move to Kentucky?"
Me: "No, I'm going to stay in Ohio for a while. I just moved there."
Dude: "You move to Kentucky? I am here."
I laughed, gathered my snacky snacks and said,
"Maybe next time." Not that that made any sense, but neither did he.

Maya's Wit

My brother and Maya joke quite a bit with each other. Maya is almost 3 1/2 by the way. Here's a taste of the banter:

Maya: You stink, Uncle Shi.
Shi: No, you stink Maya.
Maya: No, you're just smelling yourself.

So, whatcha been doin'?

Dear blog readers (yes, all two of you). I must apologize for my sporadic postings of late. I think my mind went AWOL and I may have found it, but I'm still debating that one.

So, if you wanna know what I/we have been up to, here are a few highlights:

* I recently lectured my neighbors' children on birds, zoonotic diseases and the need to bleach out their swimming pool (long story worth it's own post)
* I worked in Indianapolis and went to the home of the ButterBurger and survived.
* Maya found a piece of metal shaped similarly to a plug and decided to remove the plastic plug cover, insert the metal into the outlet, see sparks and trip a circuit in our home... all without dying.
* Maya has moved from rebellious to just plain sneaky.
* Reili says, "Da-da" each time I try teaching her the word "ma-ma"... I secretly wonder if she is throwing this word in my face
* I have almost accepted that I am no longer a runner and I must move on to yoga or Pilates or something less stressful on my knees. Being over 30 is not for wimps.
* I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up.
* Jeff and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We ate delicious king crab legs at Jay's Seafood Restaurant in Dayton.
* Our cool friends moved to VA and we are sad that they and their adorable Glitter aren't here in OH anymore.
* Thanks to my marvelous-looking friend, Debbie, I started some Obagi products and I am currently watching my face peel off.
* I am working on being more structured as a mom. So far, I have shortened the bed time routine and made a box for all of Maya's shoes....baby steps.
* We are planning on making a trip to PA for a week this month for a long overdue vacation.

Whew.

Lessons I've Learned...

Well, it has been a crazy few months. I moved up in my job and that reeked havoc on my home, my blog, and pretty much every aspect of my life. I have learned a hard lesson and that is that I should stay home more and focus more on my family.

I initially took a job outside of my home so that I could interact with others a little bit each week. I could have conversations with adults and I could get to know the locals in my new community.

I have learned that going to work so that I may have more sanity kind of backfired. I ended up dealing with others' neuroses and not dealing with my own! Every job I've had seems to have those that like to cause a commotion whether there be one or not. As I've gotten older I realize that I could change jobs, but the same "type" of person will still be there. I try to do my best and there will always be those that will try to bring me down. They aren't happy people on the inside. They relish in others' failures and are jealous of others' success.

I just want to scream out, "Focus on yourself and leave me out of it."

I think I will go back to dealing with my own crazy life and working a bit less.

Tagged by my high school bud, Evonne.

My friend Jane asked if I was okay since I haven't posted in over a month. I am alive and well (at least physically but not so much on the mentally side). So, for an easy post, here is some more stuff about me...just in case you haven't had enough...

Thanks, Evonne for the tag!

Here's what you do:
Link to the person who tagged you,
Post the rules on your blog,
Answer the questions about yourself,
Tag five people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs,
Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment at their blog,
Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was living in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I was dating a guy named Ken, who was the kinda guy I swore I would never date... and he knew it. I was working in an Emergency Department in Birmingham, Alabama. I was also driving my first car, beloved Levar, a black Acura Integra.

Five snacks I enjoy:
1. Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Almonds
2. Sharon's Coconut Sorbet
3. Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuts
4. Azuki (Japanese red bean)ice cream
5. Shrimp Flavored Chips


Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Pick up my new loveseat from Big Lots... yes, Big Lots. (I got the floor model for $130 off!)
2. Give the girls a bath.
3. Clean and organize the living room.
4. Catch up on friends' blogs and my blog.
5. Veg.

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Go to medical school.
2. Build an energy sustainable house in Yellow Springs, OH. (Maybe an entire village of them!)
3. Take my entire family to Japan to visit relatives.
4. Set up my family and good friends for life.
5. Go on a humanitarian mission for my church (with Jeff of course).

Five jobs I've had:
1. Huddle House waitress
2. Bookkeeper/Office Manager for a lumber brokerage firm.
3. Assistant to Dr. Palmer (and ER doc)
4. Cardiovascular Disease research assistant at a university.
5. Lead Consultant for a health and wellness screening company.

Five of my bad habits:
Hmm, can I narrow it down to five??

1. Wasting vast amounts of time on the internet!!
2. Almost always being late.
3. Reading about exercise and not doing it.
4. Ignoring dirty dishes.
5. Trying too hard to fix everyone's problems.

Five places I have lived:
1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Great Falls, Montana
3. Piedmont, Alabama
4. Marlboro, VT
5. Dayton, OH

Five people I want to get to know better (yes, this means you are tagged!)
1. Ilona D.
2. Jennifer K.
3. Jane S.
4. Laura H.K.
5. Fauna S.

Why am I still watching this?

My brother found an odd yet mesmerizing TV show called "Yo Gabba Gabba"; Maya loves it. I can't stop watching it, even when Maya's not around. See for yourself.

Yellow Springs, Ohio

In our quest to find the "ideal" place to live, I think I may have found it. Jeff mentioned in passing that there was an area that was about the same distance as we currently are from the AFB. He said it was called Yellow Springs. A light went off in my head because I religiously listen to WYSO, which is our local NPR station. This is not just any run of the mill NPR station, it is the coolest one I have yet to encounter. I could go on and on about it, but you can check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

Not only does Yellow Spring host the best NPR station ever, but it has wonderful qualities such as:
-It is home of Antioch University
-It is very diverse and rich in culture even though it has less than 4,000 residents
-It was the last stop on the Underground Railroad
-It promotes small business and does not have a Wal-Mart!
-Dave Chappelle lives there.
-It reminds me of Vermont in so many ways (I went to college in Vermont)
-It is safe.
-It would be a wonderful place for our children to be raised.
-They have contra dancing.
-Is host to the Glen Helen Ecology Institute
-There are endless nature trails and places to camp.
-As my husband so wonderfully put it, "It is a small town because it decided to be one, not because it is one."

I will keep you posted on my new found Ohio Mecca. Will Yellow Springs be my next stop?

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

Recipe for Instant Weight Loss

1. Snuggle, bounce, and play with sweet (but sick) baby.


2. Allow baby to vomit on you and your clothes.


3. Let virus marinade for 2 days.



4. Simmer at 101 degrees Farenheit.

5. Have abrupt onset of gastroenteritis.

6. Check scale.

Raccoon Hair?

I went to the wonderful land of Sephora last night with friends Jennifer and Josephine. I went only intending to spend $20 but some how managed to "need" $40 worth of products. How many products for eyebrows can be in one store? Anyhoo, we were glancing over the beautiful array of brushes. One such brush was made of raccoon hair. Say huh? Yes, hair from a raccoon. I found this to be a bit of a step down from mink or even goat hair. I also thought I would research how they got the raccoon to cooperate with being shaved or plucked or whatever they do. Is it now "PC" or something to use a raccoon? Does PETA approve? Will the next step be squirrels? What do you think about this?

March Madness

The month of March is almost over and I have barely had time to enjoy a thing about it. Things are starting to settle down a bit, so before this wonderful month ends, I would like to focus on myself a little more. You may be thinking, "Hey, Melody, please talk about yourself. You just don't do that enough and I must hear more!" (Yes, blogs are a bit egocentric, aren't they?)

First, I must explain this lovely photo. Jeff works for the Air Force and this "Moustache March" Jeff is pretty proud of this crazy fu man chu meets biker guy look he has going on. He is outdoing all the young guys around work because their mustaches aren't half as thick as this sucker. It's pretty impressive isn't it?

We had a lovely blizzard here in Ohio...on my birthday. I wanted to celebrate my birthday on the actual day, so we called up a local restaurant and they were open. We bundled up and headed out against the elements and enjoyed a fine meal at Bob Evans. We had a blast. Jeff was sweet and got the lovely practical gift that I had requested because comfort comes before anything else after you turn 30.

Reili started "crawling" (a.k.a. getting where she needs to go in whatever mode suits her). -See previous post. It seems this little girl is so full of energy! She gets super restless whenever we try strapping her down in one of the various seats we have for her. It is amazing how many baby items you can buy and how quickly they clutter one's living room.

I was able to make an overnight trip to Mobile, Alabama for work. I spent my last two years of high school in Mobile at a magnet school (we liked to refer to it as nerd school). It was fun being back there and I also got to sneak in some time with my friend, Laura.
She drove over from Pensacola, FL. We had such a fun time! I flew in to Mobile airport in the morning, worked from 2-6pm and then met up with Laura for dinner and a fun spend the night party. Yes, kids, spend the night parties never end. Isn't that cool? We had so much fun. It was good seeing her again.

And finally... my brother is going to move up to Ohio! We are so excited for this to happen. There wasn't much keeping him in Alabama (we never planned to live there very long when we got there 25 years ago). We are making a short jaunt down there at the end of the month to help move him up here. Maya LOVES her Uncle Shi. His name is not Shi, but that's what we nicknamed him. His middle name is Shigeru (pronounced 'shee-geh-rlu') and we shortened it and changed the pronunciation and some how came up with "Shi" (prounounced 'shy').

Whew! A crazy post for a crazy month.

Some Babies Crawl...

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet!

Here is a fun story. I can't even begin to tell you how busy I was this week. My company did some work with health screenings at some factories in the Columbus area. Like most factories, there are three shifts. To catch all three shifts, we had to work from 4:30am-4:30pm. I traveled all over the state and barely had time to catch my breath.

One day I had to travel to the Cincinnati area. Since the work would begin so early in the morning and I worked late the day before, I thought it would be best to spend the night. I forgot to pack my socks. I only have so many pair of socks in my house and half of them must have been eaten by my dryer. So, I had to wear my socks two LONG days in a row. Yes, I know, that is too much information... but it gets better.

So, I am a little self conscious of the fact that I'm wearing dirty socks. I sit down to take blood pressures and I get a whiff of something. I asked my friend if she had some body spray and she did. I went to the bathroom, sprayed the shoe/sock area of my body, then returned to work.

I sat back down only to smell the perfume along with a bad odor. We started to get busy. I was sitting next to a co-worker and decided that if I put my feet under the table and far away from him, no one would be the wiser.

After a few hours of dealing with my stinky feet, I realize that this is out of control. I mean, I have some old socks on but please! I thought, that is a horrible smell. I turned over my shoe only to find dog doodie on the bottom. Whew! Only dog crap, good. It wasn't me.

I proceeded to excuse myself and go to the ladies room where I thoroughly cleaned my shoe. I came back to my station and voila, the smell was gone.

The Glenn Girls

Like most young adults, I went through a time in my life where I completely focused on myself and no one else. For example, I would regularly go out dancing until the wee hours of the morning. I would travel all over the country (and occasionally out of the country) whenever I felt like it. I even worked three different jobs all at the same time while averaging 5 hours or less of sleep per night. I wasn't the most active church-goer, either. I didn't seem to have a lot of direction in my life at the time. My dad wasn't in great health (he had heart disease) and my whole family seemed to be struggling. I moved to Birmingham, AL and tried to make a fresh start there.

Somehow, a young lady named Becky Glenn became my visiting teacher. In my church, this meant it was her job, or duty even, to visit me once a month to share a spiritual message and to make sure that I had a friend to lean on. I ignored her at first... her calls, her attempts to visit me... but I eventually let her into my home and gradually into my life.

She was outspoken, matter-of-fact, and completely by the book...and I mean THE book. Becky was exactly what I needed in my life. She helped me to get my life in order. She had a strong testimony of her beliefs and I truly looked up to her. After a while, she decided to go on a mission for our church. I was devastated at the thought of her leaving for 18 months but I knew it was the right thing for her to do. After all, she was a missionary to me.

While Becky was gone, I became close to her sister, Kathy. Kathy was much like Becky in her views and beliefs. Kathy was also very strong willed but a lot less outspoken. She was exactly the kind of friend I needed in my life at the time. Actually, this entire family was pretty amazing. There were nine, yes NINE, girls in this family. There were no males except for their father. I hear they all shared one bathroom, too, if you can imagine that!!

I became very close to Becky, Kathy, and their younger sisters Amy, Jill, and Jodi. I think I became a foster adult child of the Glenns. I never met all the girls in the family because some had married and moved away...

Fast forward a few years.... I moved to a suburb of Dayton, Ohio. I felt like my church would be a hard adjustment for me. Moving and meeting new people tended to be a hard thing for me to do. I also came into our new ward very pregnant (8 months) and completely lost in so many ways. My first Sunday there I walked out into the hallway after our first meeting. I was going to take Maya to the nursery but I wasn't sure where it was. I must have had a confused look on my face. A kind stranger and a familiar voice said, "Do you need help finding something?" She proceeded to tell me where I needed to go. I didn't really pay attention to what she was saying. I just felt like I knew her. I interrupted her and said, "What is your maiden name?" She said, "Glenn". Sherry has since proved to be just as wonderful and amazing as the rest of the Glenn girls. The Lord must have known exactly what I needed in this new stage in my life....

How I Love Thee...

Since being in a somewhat vegetative state lately due to various viruses floating around the Kingsley home, I have found myself more heavily relying on my dear husband, Jeff. I read a beautiful Valentine's Day post by my friend, Michelle, and it was a true inspiration.

Jeff and I met about six years ago by unconventional means. I met him at a time when I was trying to work on who I was - spiritually and emotionally. It seemed the minute I quit looking to find someone and tried harder to make myself more like the person I wanted to eventually be with, Jeff miraculously appeared in my life.

Let me tell you about my wonderful husband.

1. He is a doting father and inspirational example for our daughters.
2. He appreciates my Japanese culture and my Southern roots because he grew up in Alabama and lived in Japan. He even loves to eat sushi.
3. He takes care of me. I always tried to take care of everyone else and he's the only person I will let take care of me.
4. He has a beautiful smile and makes me laugh so hard I could pee my pants...did I say could?
5. He is devoted to the Lord, our church, and his family.
6. He is a hard worker at his profession as well as at home.
7. He is almost my complete opposite, which is exactly what I need.
8. He never minds changing diapers, feeding kids, or watching the girls so I can have a break.
9. He has is brilliant.
10. He is mine.

I love you, Jeff.

What the Flu?

We recently got back from a wonderful visit to see the Schells in Rolla, Missouri. When we returned home, I felt a little nauseated. I decided I would go on to bed because I had to be up early to work the next morning. I felt cold and just couldn't seem to get warm. I woke up and was wide awake at 1:00 am the next morning. I piddled around for a while and began feeling progressively worse. I shivered, had major stomach crampage, and writhed around the bed trying desparately to get warm. My head hurt, my eyes hurt, my skin hurt... does any of this sound familiar to you? Well, to make a long and dreadful story short, I had a flu-like virus for about 48 hours. I had to miss work and send the girls to Tara's house so a responsible human being could watch them. Jeff felt fine and headed off to work. I slept and laid in bed all day. I don't think I ate much but I did have the energy to shower and go back to bed.

Jeff and the girls came home that afternoon. I gave them a nutritious dinner of "find whatever you can, I'm going back to bed". Poor children. Poor Jeff. I didn't give the girls baths. I warned Tara that they might be stinky. Then, Jeff started his shivering and downhill spiral.

The next day, both of us didn't even have the energy to take the girls somewhere they could be watched properly. I slept all day off and on. Reili slept beside me as long as I slept. Jeff kept Maya entertained with PBS kids until the cooking shows came on in the afternoon. I finally got up to see how everyone was doing. No Maya or Jeff. Where could they be?

Apparently Maya got into trouble and Jeff put her in "time out" in her bedroom. Since he didn't have the energy to monitor this ingenious method of discipline, he had to go to her room with her. He decided to wrap himself in a huge blanket, lay on Maya's bedroom floor, and close them both in the room. That would show her.

I found him wadded up in a lethargic pile against the door while Maya was playing quietly with her toys. Man, we should be voted as parents of the year. Would you vote for us?

May I have some dog food with an order of fries, please?

My mom is visiting me from Alabama this week. I also have the entire week off from work. This has given me the opportunity to do things that have been lagging since Reili's birth...er... since my pregnancy with Reili.

I decided it was about time to wash all the Ohio snow/salt/dirt mess off my car. I took it to a car wash. While I was there I also cleaned out the inside of my car. I found a plethora of goodies under the seat, in Maya's car seat, and in the trunk. Here are a few of the gems:

Dog Food. We gave our dogs away in July.
Sand. We went to Laura's beach wedding in June.
A Banana Peel. I think I had one last week.
A Hairbow. I've been looking for that sucker since August.
A strangely preserved french fry. No comment.
Various sticky, gooey things along with crumbs of all sorts.

Goodbye for now

The President of our church, Gordon B. Hinckley, has passed away. He was 97 years old. His funeral services were broadcast today on BYU TV. I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints three months before he became President, 13 years ago. He meant a lot to me, as he did to millions of people all over the world.

Pres. Hinckley, you will be missed here on this earth. We'll see you on the other side.