This Little Piggy...

This little piggy eats roast beef(well, we don't really eat roast beef, but if it was offered, he would eat it).




This little piggy makes mommy go to the market for ample amounts of oatmeal, rice cereal, fruit and vegetables.



This little piggy stayed home in order to breastfeed all day long.





And this little piggy whines wee,wee,wee all the night long(for more breast milk).

Holladay, Cottonwood, and Ponies

Soon after Brad and I were married, we moved into a side-by-side duplex in Holladay. It had a fenced backyard, an apple tree, green grass, 3 bedrooms, and one lovely landlord. Eileen, our landlord, lived next door.



Eileen was awesome. She was fun, witty, compassionate and loving. I stayed home to be a mom after giving birth to my first child, Norah. Initially, it was very lonely. Brad worked many long hours, he and his partner had just started Griffiths & Turner the year before. My work had been in Provo, so none of my work friends lived in Salt Lake. The church congregation in our area was small, and there were very few young mothers.Eileen became my confidant and friend. She had raised children and also knew what it was like to be married to an attorney. Soon I was calling Eileen my best friend.
Eileen had a daughter named Paula. While we lived next door to Eileen, Paula married a doctor named Glen. Paula was 41 when she married Glen, neither had any children but were anxious to start a family. Paula began fertility treatments soon after the wedding. By the miracle of in vitro fertilization Paula and Glen had a daughter, her name is Lauren. Eileen kept me apprised of all the heartbreaks previous to the successful pregnancy, so I was thrilled when Lauren was born.
Lauren turns 3 on Tuesday. Her parents threw a fun-filled party in her honor last night at their beautiful home in the Cottonwood area. They have an incredible spread nestled in the back of a quiet, shady cal-de-sac. There were pony rides, delicious snacks, lovely party favors, and lots of folks we didn't know. We don't quite run in the same circles as Paula and Glen, but everyone was friendly. There were older moms with young children at the party. This was comforting to me because there are very few mothers in my neck of the woods who started their families at 30. I suppose the demographics of northern Utah Valley and the east side of the Salt Lake Valley are a bit different.
The girls couldn't get enough of the ponies. I've often wondered what ponies think about. If they do think about stuff, what do they think about the birthday party gig?


Oh, to read the text on the photos, you will probably have to click on the photo to enlarge it, sorry.

Bag Balm Anyone?

Someone spread greasy, grimy, stinky Bag Balm all over the house yesterday.



All over blankets, pillows, carpet...



all over the dresser, the bed, the clothing...



and all over the walls. My house reeks of Bag Balm.



What do I do with such a child?

At Last

Our new home was finally started a few weeks ago. I can now count down the days until a full nights sleep is had without a child in my bathroom and a child in my closet.
We are excited, but I am a little anxious about selling the home we now live in. Am I woman enough to take care of my family, cook delicious meals and keep my home sale-worthy spotless? I don't know. I see temper tantrums, tears and many meltdowns in my future.



The process of picking things out, such as stone, colors, plumbing, etc., has begun. It's all a little overwhelming, but I love design, so I am in my element. I would love opinions, so I will pose my choices to the public. I know you are a small but valued public, so speak up when I post the choices.




Above we are standing in Brad's beloved and infamous music room.




The girls on a big pile of dirt at dusk.



I think 15 year old boys who listen to Megadeath are framing our house.

By the way, I made these caramelized carrots the other night and they were soooo good. I couldn't switch to processed food even if it did mean I would have to sacrifice my sanity. We'll see.

Birthday Vertigo

My birthday is soon, very soon. This is a big birthday for me, as in 'I am on the eve of being very old'. There hasn't been much celebrating recently on my birthdays. I think my last big birthday party was when I was 3. We were at the cottage in Old Mission, I got a round purse. I was happy. At least that's the way it looks in the pictures of that day.
This year I've let it be known that I want and need at least 1 day that is about ME this year.
The past 5 years there has either been a baby in my womb or a baby at my breast, and for at least 4 or 5 months, both. They have all overlapped and I am very, very tired.
My husband has agreed to take me away from it all(with the exception of Abram, of course)for 3 whole days. That's all Griffiths & Turner can spare, but I'm not complaining, beggars can't be too choosy you know. So, the question is, with 3 whole days, where do I go?



I'm a Hitchcock geek and my all time favorite movie is Vertigo. My father rented it for me when I was a young girl and I've been haunted ever since. As a child, I was obsessed with the name Madeline. I've outgrown that(too trendy), but Carlota is now the favorite that I should have had all along. I'm no platinum blond but I love a nice white coat and a black dress and suit.
I've never been to San Fransisco but have always longed for Jimmy Stewart to fish me out of the bay after throwing myself in. Really, it looks very romantic and I hear the shopping is to die for(enter Jimmy Stewart and the San Fransisco Bay again).



So, should I follow Carlota, a.k.a Kim Novak, to San Fransisco for a birthday celebration? Is there a more celebratory destination that I am unaware of that you would suggest?

Let me know. Until next time, sweet dreams.

Facts of Life

Fact 1: Gold fish don't live very long.

A little over a month ago Norah attended her first day camp at Thanksgiving Point. The theme of the camp was Under Water World. I dropped her off anticipating fun for Norah. 3 hours later I parked in front of the TGP water tower to pick her up. While crossing the main boulevard to the patio where the 4 &5 year olds were seated, I noticed one large water-filled plastic bag in front of each child. As I got closer I suspiciously thought, "What's in those bags?". It was what you are thinking, a goldfish. Don't you think this should have been disclosed to the parent at the start of the camp? Anyway, that night Brad, I, and the rest of our family headed over to Petsmart to get an aquarium and food. Brad decided to also get the fish, which Norah had named 'Dori', a friend. Norah named this friend Nemo. Yes, I know, very original, but Nemo and Dori were her only experience to date, with fish.
We provided the fish a lovely home in our dining room. Norah and Lulu took turns feeding the fish. The fish were a constant source of entertainment.
One day while mopping the floor, the corner of my eye caught sight of only 1 fish. In dread I turned to see Dori sucked up under the filter, bloated and pale. I knew this day would come but why so soon? I flushed the fish and cleaned the tank for the surviving Nemo. All of this took place while Norah was at another day camp. When Norah arrived home she asked where Dori was. I told her Dori got sick and died. Norah said, "Did you flush her down the toilet?". I didn't know where she had learned that this is the fate for domestic fish but I am assuming there is a scene in Nemo about fish and toilets.

Fact 2: People live longer then fish, but not forever.

A few weeks pass and I walk by the fish tank. I don't see any swimming fish. I look closer, yes, one dead Nemo. It's Brad's turn to flush the fish. Norah didn't see the fish go to it's watery grave because it was 10:30 pm. The next morning as she enters the dining room she asks, "Where's Nemo?". "Nemo was sick and died honey", I say. Later, saddened with the loss of 2 fish, Norah says, "Mommy, I really miss Dori and Nemo". I say they are happy in heaven. Norah says, "Why do they have to go to heaven?". I think, "I guess it's time to tell her about death". "Norah, everything must die. Someday Tequila will die(our dog), someday Grandma and Grandpa will die. Someday Mommy and Daddy will die.", I say. Norah says, "Will I die someday?". I say, "Yes, but not for a long time". Norah screams, "I don't want to be flushed down the toilet!".
Good times.

The ABC's of Martha

Well I guess if Kate tagged me I best run with it. By the way, I think I did this wrong Katie but oh well. I've never been tagged before. Not in the blogging world that is.

A-Can I have 2 As? Arty, I was born drawing and designing something. I live to be creative. Anxious. There is a mutant anxiety gene that runs wild through the Wright side. I've become more low key overtime but I wish I could let it all go sometimes.

B-Blush often. I blush and become flushed when attention is payed to me. I wouldn't say I'm shy at all, attention just makes me a bit uncomfortable. I get this from my mother I suppose. Beauty. There is so much beauty to enjoy. Love the beauty. Backpack. Backpacked Western Europe, was robbed in Rome, spent the night in a convent as a result.

C-Here I go again with more then 1 c. Color, I LOVE color. No beige, brown or tan for me please. Cats. I am one of those cat people. They are sleek, feminine, cool, independent, and indifferent. I've always been a sucker for those who play hard to get. Cheese. Love Cheese. So far haven't met a cheese I don't like. We get along fabulously.

D-Dancer. I am no professional but I am a highly qualified amateur basement dancer. My children and I have intense dance-offs and my husband says my dancing was instrumental in our love story.

E-Eat. I love to eat good food. One of the best things in life is good food. I hope my metabolism doesn't catch up with me any time soon.

F-First born. I am the first born of 8 children. I am married to a first born. You know what they say about first borns don't you? Fat. Like cheese and food, I like a good dose of fat. I'm talking cream, butter, you know, the good stuff.

G-Gospel. In all sincerity, I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am at peace and am happiest when I live it. Ground Hog Day. I love the movie, I know all the lines.

H-Hair. I have a lot of hair on my head. I know I should be grateful for this but there have been times all this hair has not been to my advantage. Heat. The desert is not my friend. My Irish/Minnesotan blood was not meant to pleasantly endure Utah summers. I thrive in cooler weather. Electricity runs through my veins when it rains. This is my excuse, of coarse, for not being electrically 'on fire' these days.

I-Idolatry. Sometimes I indulge in a little idolatry. Have you ever been to Anthropologie ?

J-Jewelry. I love pretty unique jewelry and have lots of it. I can't wear it though. It makes me claustrophobic. Just you wait, there's more where that came from.

K-Kindred spirits. I loved Anne of Green Gables and have met many kindred spirits and am grateful for them. Where would I be without them? Kids. I have 3, Norah, Lulu, and Abram. Maybe there will be more, but a break is needed at the moment.

L-Love, like, lust. I love life, my family, friends, food, cool water, rain, vegetation, to escape, history , and art. I like kitchens, the smell of cedar, dragonfly's, birds, shoes, skirts, mascara, and hummus. I lust after the perfect lipstick, boots, jackets, puffed sleeves, the perfect t-shirt(with puffed sleeves), lemonade, pastries, and during pregnancy... red meat. Oh, the shame.

M-Are you ready for a whole lot of alliteration?Miss. I miss Minnesota and Michigan. They will always be my home even if I die and am buried in Utah, which will probably be the case since I want to be buried with my dear Utah loving husband. I miss all the sweet friends lost along the way of traveling through states, countries, and life. Mother. I am a mother. I am desperately working on becoming a fun and free mom. Mission. Loved serving a mission.

N-Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. I served a mission in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, loved it.

O-OCD. I suffer from it a little. Just a little. -O. -O is my blood type.

P-PPD. Had it bad after my second pregnancy. I am grateful for the experience though, it changed my life. People. I love, am interested in and fascinated by people. Phobias. I'm not afraid of the typical girly stuff, you know, spiders, bugs, mice, snakes, rats, but just check out my superstitions.

Q-Questions. I have a lot of questions. If you meet me I will probably ask you a lot of questions.

R-Red. Love Red, not brick red, brilliant true red. Running. I love to run, although there isn't much of that happening right now. See post below.

S-Sleep deprived. See post below. Sleeves. Long sleeves make me claustrophobic, as well as turtlenecks. Shhhh. I long for some peace and quiet. Superstitions. I ALWAYS knock on wood. I count stuff b/c if I don't something bad might happen. Traffic lights, ask me about traffic lights. There's more but I don't want you to know to much.

T-Temper. I have a little bit of a temper. Try. I am trying to not have a temper.

U-Unusual. I love the unusual and unexpected, oh, there's another 'U'.

V-Vertigo. Love the movie, it's my favorite, I'm a Hitchcock geek. I also frequently get vertigo.

W-Wright. My maiden name is Wright. I didn't change it until after Norah was born. In the hospital she was 'baby girl Wright'. Water. I love bodies of water, especially the Great Lakes.

X-Xanadu. I loved this movie as a child(and as an adult). Not so much for the story line,but truly I am a closet Greek goddess, Electric Light Orchestra is always playing in my head, and I have to control my urge to break into dance on the boulevard.

Y-Youth. I hope to always be youthful. If not in body at least in spirit. Yellow. I like yellow.

Z-Zealous. Sometimes I am overzealous for fashion, food, clean floors, and gardening.

Done. Now I can resume my chores.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

OK, so I have a confession. I don't have it all figured out. Actually I don't have much figured out. I most certainly fall short of the ideal mother that I would like to be. These days it's about all I can do to make it through the day. I've been through two previous infancies. Both of my daughters were poor sleepers and didn't obtain the holy grail of 'sleeping through the night' until they were done being breastfed. That's right, they were 14 and 16 months. It was OK, I survived. My son though...I don't know if I would call this 'surviving'. I am a cold blooded zombie(do zombies have blood?) straight from Night and Day of the Living Dead. He wakes about 6 times every night. Not only does he awake often, he fusses so much starting around midnight. He is 8 months old and I am tired. During the day he is the sweetest gem of a boy. By night he is a demon trained in the fine art of mommy torture.
The thing is, I'm down with letting him cry a little but he sleeps in our closet right now. Our oldest sleeps in our master bath and our second daughter sleeps in the bedroom on the other side of our closet wall. Don't ask, it's a long sordid tale. This is the way it will probably be for the next 6 months until our new home is completed so...the crying may be a problem because of the close proximity of the WHOLE FREAKING FAMILY.
I'm at the sleep deprived point where it is difficult to form words in my head let alone be patient with my children. They deserve better then the shell of a broken woman that I am right now. Any suggestions? I'm desperate.

While you are pondering ways to save my children and me from a bitter end or at least a very bitter 6 months, here are some photos of the Dr. Jekyll or is it Mr. Hyde? I don't know, I'm lucky to even remember my name right now.







That red on his nose is lipstick from a fresh kiss, I still love the monster.

NTW

I am the oldest of eight children, as you can see in this lovely photo taken by my sister in-law Kate Benson.
By the way, I am shorter then my siblings, but my 2 sisters were wearing very high heeled shoes. I was wearing flats, so... I'm not a 'little person'. We were in the woods for crying out loud.
Anyway, I'm the oldest. I then have two brothers, Nathan and Andy. Next come my sisters, Sarah and Cathy. I then have 3 brothers, Bobby, Tim and Peter. Tim and Pete are identical twins.
While growing up I remember wishing I had a sister closer to me in the line-up. My closest sister is almost 7 years younger then I am. I'm told that Nate and I spent a lot of time playing together. I don't really remember. Nate says I used to dress him in girl's clothing. I've always had an eye for fashion. Sorry I had to practice on you Nate.

I'm guessing I was probably a bossy older sister. Looking at these pictures I'm also guessing we had some fun.
As a teenager I was probably too cool for my family. There were 4 times the amount of children in my family as were in my friend's families in Minnesota, so embarrassing.
Nate and I started to become friends again when we received our mission calls around the same time. Mine to Nova Scotia, his to Moscow Russia. He called me from Russia on Mother's day. We had a wonderfully long talk as two missionaries. I later found out he had charged the phone call to my parents. Sorry Mom and Dad.
Time has gone by and we've had our moments of losing touch for a period and becoming reacquainted. Nate now lives in NYC. Ironically, with the distance between us, we are the closest we have been in years. Nate is my confidant and an empathetic listening ear. Nate understands my joys and pains. I am lucky to have Nate as my friend and brother. I miss you Nate, you aren't a sister but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Natural Beauty

As I put my make-up on this morning I feel grateful. Not because Mac Cosmetics has blessed me with an endless array of colorful palettes with which to paint myself. No, I feel grateful for the amazing colors that swirl at my ankles and intoxicate my evenings.
I do not always feel naturally beautiful. Sometimes I feel very unattractive. Once in a while I think to myself, "Hey babe, you are looking good today. Now go find somewhere to show it off.". Most of the time I don't stop to consider the beauty God has created in me. When I consider and internalize the beauty around me I can not help but feel beautiful by association.
Here's what I am talking about, all from my own yard and deck, no less.

Now go feel beautiful.