What do I do?

     Being a nanny for four beautiful girls has been the greatest blessing for me. I've grown and learned so much about 'parenting' even though I'm not their parent. But I have also come to realize how much of an impact 'worldly things' and media has on them, particularly Haily (7) and Samantha (9). For example, I took Haily and Samantha with me to the grocery store a few days ago while the twins were at preschool. After picking up snacks to take to the pool, we walked over to the check out stand. As I'm sure you're aware, the stores display magazines that don't always have the best information on the front pages for young eyes to see. One magazine had a picture of a girl in a bikini and the headline was about getting a 'sexy body for your man,' and the other magazine had the word "CHEATING" on the front page. Now as an adult, I can choose to look away and not think anything of it and allow the messages to completely erase from my mind. Then I heard Samantha reading the front cover and I just had this sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach... so I turned all the magazines around so all that was visible was the back cover (which thankfully had an ad for perfume).

     Haily I think came to the realization that if I had turned it over, that meant that I didn't like what was on there so she didn't question my actions. Samantha, how ever, was upset that I had turned it over because she was trying to read the front page. I asked her why it was so important to her that she needed to read it and her response was that she felt like she needed to read the tips on how to get a 'sexy' body. I was absolutely shocked and part of me hurt inside that this nine year old girl felt like she needed to have what society deems as a 'sexy body.' I told her she had no reason to read that because she was absolutely beautiful and I began to tell her what about her makes her beautiful because looks aren't everything. Thankfully, she dropped the subject after that. I didn't know what was the right thing to say to her about the magazine ads, nor did I know what was appropriate to say to her.

     There have been a few times where Samantha has made a few sexual comments after that trip to the store. I won't go into details as to what she has said, but I have been so shocked by her answers that all I can think of telling her is that what she said is not appropriate and then she of course asks me 'why,' and again, I don't know what to tell her, other than "we will discuss it later when your sister isn't here." So here is where I need your help. What do you think I could have done differently about the situation? Do you think that this is something I needed to talk to her mom about and let her be the one to handle the situation? What do you think I should have said to her? What do you think is the right thing to say? Am I crossing a line by discussing this with her since she is not my child?

     I honestly don't even know if I am asking the right questions, but the point that I am trying to explain is that I just don't know what to do when these situations come up and I don't know if discussing this matter is my place to do so or not, but I also feel like brushing it under the rug and not discussing it with her is the wrong thing to do.

HELP!

Yogurtland

Have you ever been to Yogurtland?

It's amazing

You need to go

For serious. 

I tried to convince Jayson to go with me while we were in Utah, 

but the I got addicted to Nitro Freeze...

so that was our place

And then we moved home

and I remembered that there was one in OXNARD!

But that's thirty minutes away...

AND THEN 

I found out there is one on Westlake & TO Blvd!!!

THAT'S 5 MINUTES AWAY!! 

So we went twice last week

And last night at around midnight, 

Jayson told me he wanted more....

..and I think it is now safe to say...

that I have officially gotten him a d d i c t e d.

We may need to go again today when he gets home....

FLAVOR TO TRYStrawberry Lemonaide mixed with French Vanilla
to. die. for.

TOHS Dance

Many of you know that I danced my Junior and Senior year. I had never danced before in my life and was excited for the opportunity to be in the class in high school. Since graduation, I hadn't had the opportunity to dance again. When I started school at Moorpark College, I couldn't take morning dance classes because I needed to sign up for other classes of more 'importance' first and those classes weren't available in the afternoon, and I was also working in the late afternoon/evening. I also wanted to make sure that all of my classes would be before 12:00 noon so I could have three hours of Institute classes before going to work. 

After a few semesters, Jayson and I got married and moved to Utah so now dance was really out of the question! I was supper bummed about that... But a few weeks ago, a friend texted me and asked if I was going to the alumni class that night. "AKLDSJFHDKSJ WHAAAAT?!!!!" I told her I had no clue what she was talking about and it turns out that one of my dance teachers was now teaching an alumni class on Thursday nights! I was so stoked!!! I have gone to two classes already and was so excited to see three of my closest girl friends from my Junior and Senior year:

The first year that I met these girls was my Junior year when we were in Period 2, which was a mixture of beginning and intermediate students. That was the year that our class danced to "Nicest Kids in Town" from the 2007 Hairspray film. I also tried out for small hip hop (which basically was a group chosen from our class) and danced to "Circus" by Brittney Spears. 

In my Senior year, the four of us made in into Period 3, which was an intermediate class. That was the year that we danced to a song that was composed for a fight scene in Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At Worlds End. Which by the way, if you search 'May Concert TOHS,' it's the third video ;) I also chose to be in the small lyrical group. I don't even know what the song was that we danced to, but we called our piece "Gladiator." 

This is our 'Pirates' dance, you should watch it ;) 

 I have now gone to two alumni classes, and we just found out that were are in the winter concert at the high school :) I am so excited because winter concert is usually only for periods 4 and 5 and Team members, so I never had the chance to perform in that concert. I also love the maturity of the dancers in this class. I feel like back in high school, people were super clicky and quietly judgmental about the way certain people danced and their levels of performance. I know I was one of them, but in this class it seems like every one just gets a long and no one cares if you can still do a double or triple pirouette, or how flexible you are any more, etc. Everyone just focuses on them selves, but is still there to help you when you don't understand whats going on. It's nice to go back after two and a half years and dance in that room where I literally shed blood, sweat, and tears in class and late night practices. 2009 was the year that started my passion for dance and I am sad that I haven't had the chance to embrace it up until two weeks ago. But I am happy and excited for this opportunity and cannot wait to see the end result of our dance!

~ ~ ~

I'm not in this dance, but this was one of my favorite pieces that year.

 Mostly because its from Disney's Tarzan ;) 

 2009-2010 Thousand Oaks High School Dance Team
Video Rights User: seannthompson

Wakey, Wakey, Eggs & Bakey!

I cannot cook to save my life. I can make cereal, ice cream, sandwiches, mac and cheese, the easy stuff, etc. Well, I think the more appropriate way to explain my cooking skills, is that I don't know what flavors go well with each other, or what side dishes compliment the main dish. I am terrible at seasoning things as well (salt and pepper has always been good enough for me!). Luckily for me, I married a man who knows how to cook extremely well, and lucky for him that I do an exceptionally good job at clean up if I do say so myself. So together we make a great team! But if I'm on my own...... oh dear..... I would say that the number one problem that I have when cooking is that I am not patient, at all. I'm terrible... 

Now that I nanny for 21 month old twin girls, I have to be patient with everything, especially cooking because I don't want to get the girls sick because I didn't cook their meals completely. I was browsing on Pinterest the other day and came across a super easy recipe! I'm beginning to learn strategies to cooking and cleaning while having not just one but two toddlers running around. It's quite rough seeing as how I don't have kids of my own yet so I just jumped into having two toddlers that are coming up into the stages of "terrible two's". I needed to learn some recipes that were fast and easy since I am not the only person who gets impatient while meals are cooking.. 

Bacon Wrapped Egg Muffins

Ingredients:

• Eggs (4 for a six hole muffin tin)
• Bacon

Optional Ingredients:

• Salt 
• Pepper
• Cheese
• Avocado

Cook time: 30-35 minutes

Prep time: 5-7 minutes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400degrees (F)
2. Place 1 strip of bacon along the inside edged of the muffin tin
   -I also put some bacon on the bottom of the tin, but its not necessary to do so
3. Crack 4 eggs into separate bowl and beat well
   -I added salt and pepper to taste
4. Pour egg mixture into muffin tins about until about 3/4 full

Additional Directions: 

1. Take a pinch of cheese and add on top of egg mixture
2. Once the BwE are out of the oven, you can add slices of avocado on top.
   
   *I made the mistake of using avocado oil to grease the muffin tins, completely forgetting that bacon creates its own grease when cooking. The oil didn't distract from the taste of the egg or the bacon so I guess it really doesn't matter, but I find that bacon grease doesn't make the food stick to the inside of the pan either
   
   ~  ~  ~

In case you haven't notices, I am not one to really measure.. I just 'eyeball' it. I learned that method from watching family members cook and watching Paula Dean on Food Network (not that she doesn't measure, but I have caught her a few times using the 'eyeball' method).

I love this recipe! Prep time is fast, clean up is easy, and you need a minimum of two ingredients! With toddlers running around, this is a mom-saver-recipe in my opinion! And it's super yummy :) I also like that I was able to prep, cook, and clean the dishes I used for this meal all before the twins woke up this morning. What more could a mom ask for?! Not only that, but the smell of these babies baking in the oven is delightful! I definitely woke up some super happy girls this morning ;) They love bacon! Actually, they love every ingredient I used. Eggs, bacon, cheese, salt, pepper, avocado, the whole nine yards! I'd say I earned some serious brownie points this morning ;) 

Sacred Homes, Sacred Temples- May 2009 G. C.

So many crazy things have been going on in our lives since we moved home.. It's been rather overwhelming seeing as how we thought we were supposed to be moving into our own apartment this weekend and instead, we're living with Jayson's parents. Don't get me wrong, I am so glad and thankful to be living here with them, because it has honestly been a blast to spend time with his parents and his brothers (well, now one brother because Cody just went up to Utah for school). But at the same time, its been giving me a chance to really sit down and think about decorating our future home....whenever we move.

I was browsing on LDS.org tonight at past conference talks, and I came across one from May 2009 by Elder Gary E. Stevenson:

Recently, in a stake conference, all present were invited by the visiting authority, Elder Glen Jenson, an Area Seventy, to take a virtual tour of their homes using their spiritual eyes. I would like to invite each of you to do this also. Wherever your home may be and whatever its configuration, the application of eternal gospel principles within its walls is universal. Let’s begin. Imagine that you are opening your front door and walking inside your home. What do you see, and how do you feel? Is it a place of love, peace, and refuge from the world, as is the temple? Is it clean and orderly? As you walk through the rooms of your home, do you see uplifting images which include appropriate pictures of the temple and the Savior? Is your bedroom or sleeping area a place for personal prayer? Is your gathering area or kitchen a place where food is prepared and enjoyed together, allowing uplifting conversation and family time? Are scriptures found in a room where the family can study, pray, and learn together? Can you find your personal gospel study space? Does the music you hear or the entertainment you see, online or otherwise, offend the Spirit? Is the conversation uplifting and without contention? That concludes our tour. Perhaps you, as I, found a few spots that need some “home improvement”—hopefully not an “extreme home makeover.”

The Lord truly does know what exactly you need and when you need it. Having all of these things that Elder Stevenson has mentioned has been so hard for me to have at my dad's house before I got married. It made it that much harder for me to feel the spirit because I was living in a home that wasn't worthy of having the spirit, so I had to try harder than I ever thought possible to bring that spirit into my own bedroom. I am so grateful now that I can turn my home into a house that is consistently worthy of the spirit. I know it is so important, especially for when Jayson and I have our own family <3