I Want To Be The Kind of Mom Who . . .

I think this is going to become a regular feature on my blog because I'm always gathering ideas for new things that I want to try to become the kind of parent that I want to be. I hope that you enjoy reading about them to and maybe they will spark some ideas about the kind of parent that you would like to be.

I want to be the kind of mom who regularly takes my kids to book signings to meet our favorite authors and illustrators. I usually already have copies of the books that we are getting signed, but I've started buying new copies to be signed just for Creed so he will have his own library of autographed books to share with his kids someday. At each signing I take a picture of Creed with the author or illustrator and tuck it into the book we had signed.

I want to be the kind of mom who makes Memorial Day special. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do this yet, but I recently read on a blog somewhere (I wish I remembered which one) about a mom who doesn't live near any of her ancestors graves so she looks up some famous graves in the area and takes her kids to see them on Memorial Day and tells the story of each person as she making her visits so her kids get that Memorial Day is about remembering people. This is where Louisa May Alcott, the author is Little Women, is buried, etc. It could be an interesting activity to research whose graves you could visit (that sounds a little morbid, doesn't it?)
I want to be the kind of mom who takes the time out to spend with her friends, which might include a fun garden party like this one I saw on Design Mom. It was actually a bridal shower, but I love the idea of have a glass jar or vase labeled for each guest to fill with flowers and take home at the end of the evening. If you are like me, and don't have a lot of money, you could have each guest bring a few of their favorite flowers to share and then everyone could assemble their own bouquets. You could also pick up flowers at some place like Costco where they have surprisingly beautiful big bouquets that would provide plenty to share.

I want to be the kind of mom who plans readathons for her kids. My friend Mary Ann's mom regularly gathered her kids and their friends for a trip to the library and a stop to pick up favorite treats for such a special occasion and then they pushed their couches together to create a big cozy nest and the readathon began. I remember thinking that was the COOLEST thing ever!

I want to be the kind of mom who creates a caterpillar garden so her kids can watch the process of how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly.

Photo via Mindy Weiss.
I want to be the kind of mom who gathers the kids in the neighborhood for backyard movie night. The Hudsons do this and project the movie onto their garage door. There have been a few times that my dad signed out the projector from his office for an outdoor movie night and there's just something magical about watching a movie underneath the stars.

I want to be the kind of mom who can rock out to songs like this with her kids. I know, I know, I just posted a million videos, but this was just makes me too happy. The perfect meld of fun-for-kids, and music-I-want-to-listen-to, which I think is important. Just like I try to buy books with artful illustrations so Creed can grow up with an appreciation for good art, I'm trying to share some good music too (and yea, I know, what's good is all relative)

Photo via Restaurant Widow
I want to be the kind of mom who subscribes to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). This means subscribing to a farm and receiving weekly boxes of their harvests during the growing season (about June through October). People join by purchasing a "share" of produce pre-season, then pick up their weekly produce from a central drop point in their area during the harvest season. You support local farmers and get very fresh produce. I think this would be good for me because I would be sure to receive some produce that I don't normally cook with and it would be fun to learn how to use it.

I want to be the kind of mom who attends a mother-son book club. I recently read about a great mother son book club that always has a great book-related activity planned for each meeting so the boys really get excited to read the books and meet for book club. My mind is already swimming with ideas, but for now, story time at the library will suffice.

I want to be the kind of mom who leaves a "wink to the next family" when I move. You'll have to read the article to understand that one, but Holy Cow, it's the coolest family mystery ever!

Photo via Cup of Jo

I want to be the kind of mom who will let my son be Mr. Bean for a day if he wants to.

Meet the Girl Version of Creed

My dad called us Saturday night to invite us to a slide show of slides from my childhood by request of my sisters. Candice mentioned to my mom that there aren't that many pictures of us when we were little and my mom said it's because they had lots of slides. We dug out a grocery bag and sorted through slides and came up with some gems. I took a few picture of the slide show with my camera since we don't have a slide scanner yet so forgive the blurry photos, but i had to post a few of my favorites.

First of all, I guess this explains where Creed's big open-mouthed smile comes from.
My mom made pretty much all of the clothes that you see in these pictures. I can't imagine making all of Creed's clothes.
People always ask where Creed gets his white-blond hair and they are always surprised when I say that I was the same way when I was little.
Here I am with Candice. We were always about the same size.
My whole family cracked up when they saw this one because this is so me. I used to fight to be able to get myself dressed and I always ended up in outfits like this when I won the battle. My mom would have to compromise, "You can wear this to the store if I get to pick out what you wear to church tomorrow . . ."
And speaking of stylin, here's my dad the day he got his PHD And here are all of the Borup girls.

It was crazy looking back and realizing how much Creed looks like me and how much Logan looks like Marissa. I'm so glad that my sisters got my dad to pull out the slides. It makes me a little sad that we don't use film anymore and Creed won't have a slide show of his childhood one day. We could always put together a Powerpoint and project it or something, but it just isn't the same as film.

Don't you just feel like dancing today?

There have been so many clips on the web lately that make me smile, like this clip found via Betz White

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

And this clip that made me laugh right out loud, found via Design Mom

There's something about this clip found via The Black Eiffel that just makes me feel good

And this one. also via Black Eiffel has been on my mind a lot lately since reading The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks (Have you read it yet? You NEED to.)

Which leads me to this sketch from Improv Everywhere. They filled a subway car with identical twins dressed alike and acting like mirror images. I wish that I could have seen it in person.

If you haven't heard of Improv Everywhere, you NEED to check out their site. I think I need to add taking part in one of their events to my bucket list.

Salt Lake City Farmer's Market

Last week I visited the Provo Farmers Market and it was a sad, sad scene. There were about 15 booths (I'm told some booths were missing due to the holiday) and only two of them were farmers. One was a local farmer selling herbs, the other was pulling the same boxes shipped from places like California and Mexico that you would see at any grocery store to stock his booth. It really made me miss Columbus, where there are several different Farmers Markets and they have strict rules about only selling local produce picked within 24 hours so you're supporting locals, getting a very fresh product, and cutting down on the pollution caused by shipping produce. On top of all of that, they have an amazing selection.



Well, not to be deterred, I heard good things about the Farmers market in Salt Lake City so Creed and I headed there after dropping Larry off at work on Saturday morning. The Farmers Market is held in Pioneer Park on 3rd South and 3rd West from nine a.m. to one p.m. every Saturday during the summer. It's kind of a sketchy park, but volunteers always clean it up right before the Farmers Market and I felt completely safe there.



Oh was I pleasantly surprised! It was great! I couldn't believe how much produce was there and it was all grown locally. They had a row the whole length of the park of just farmers and the rest of the park had artisans and other food booths.



I only had my little point and shoot camera with me and I was juggling Creed and my purchases (beacuse my stroller is in my car which is STILL in Ohio, but that's another story for another time), but I couldn't resist taking a few photos for you. I'm just sorry that I didn't note which pictures were from which farm.



Raspberries


figs (these were not grown locally, but they were grown organically)potatoes
My friend Em says the Belgian waffle guy is famous and they are amazing wafflesQuail eggs (wouldn't know how to use them, but they are so pretty)
Tarts
carrots
And there was so much more that I didn't take pictures of. Creed and I headed home with a bag full of potatoes, raspberries, and cherries. I think we could make the Farmers Market a Saturday morning tradition.

Happy Fourth of July!

The downside of having a family full of photographers is that sometimes I don't want to bother with hauling my camera around when I know there will be better photographers around, but then I don't get copies of the pictures. I don't have pictures of hte fireworks (which Creed did not enjoy one little bit) or the BBQs, but I'm so glad that I dug my little point and shoot out of the bottom of my bag to catch these pictures at the Provo Fourth of July parade.

The Fourth is a BIG holiday for the Borups. My cousins and usually some of my siblings camp out for our parade spot and literally sleep on the street so we can have a prime spot to get the whole crowd chanting and cheering as the parade goes by. Since Larry was working, I was on my own with Creed and thought we would end up missing a lot of the parade, but he was SO GOOD! Someone was handing out little American flags and Creed spent the rest of the day waving his flag. Even though Creed is too young to really get it, I love being able to share family traditions with him. Having our own little one totally brings new importance to the traditions that I loved growing up.

What were your favorite traditions growing up and are there any that you can't wait to share with your kids?

Family Fun

It's a been a few years since Larry and I have been able to get together with all of our siblings on either side of the family, and this last week every single one of our siblings and their kids and our parents were in town. We've never had to balance family before, but we managed to fit in some fun with the Fords and the Borups.

Last Saturday we got together with Larry's family for dinner and stopped to take a family photo. And Larry with Scott and Keri. It was so nice to see him with BOTH of his siblings after missing them for so long.

Creed liked following Jack everywhere he went.

Jack even put up with Creed trying to give him slimey kisses.

Larry's mom's side of the family had a big get together at his Aunt Sheri and Uncle Rick's on the Fourth of July. Larry had to work so we made it there late, but it was worth the drive to Mapleton to see everyone. Sheri and Rick have a kids paradise. They have four wheelers, tractors, a trampoline with a bungee harness, goats, oh, and did I mention the humongous zip line? How cool is that? Even the grownups couldn't resist taking a turn.

It takes you across the yard and over their pond and then they pull you back using the four wheelers.

We loved it, but poor Creed was a little worried seeing his mom up in the air.

Watch out!

The other day, Creed came out of the bath wearing his monster towell and roaring. It made us laugh.

Lavender Days

Well, it's too late to be posting, but we finally got our internet connected today and I can't leave you thinking I'm completely miserable when you've all left such thoughtful comments. I'm just sorry I couldn't comment back to all of you because I was using a sketchy WIFI connection that I picked up in my house that kept going in and out.

Anyway, I'm doing much better. I have to admit, I still have my moments when I really need to be cheered up (like today when Creed woke up covered in dried throw-up that must have arrived sometime in the middle of the night, I found out the closets that Ikea pulled from the full-service section are the wrong size and we don't have a car big enough to bring them back, Creed threw up on me several times and I had to change his sheets more than once, the cable guy had our order completely mixed up, and then I got a call from my mom letting me know that my Grandpa Borup was diagnosed with colon cancer today. Yes, it was not a good day.)

Ok, enough complaining, the last week we really did have some good times. We have only spent a few days in our house because we spent the weekend with my family at Lavender Days in Mona and celebrating my little brother's return from his mission in Brazil. What, you haven't been to Lavender Days? OK, it was new to me, but it sounded worth the heat so we rounded the family up and headed out. It takes place at Young Living Farms and the owner is a bit eccentric so there was a medieval section with jousting and a Wild West section. We got held up by a gun slinger. We feasted on Lavender ice cream and Lavender lemonade (among a lot of other really good food)

Creed climbed in every stage coach he spotted

We shaded ourselves in the shade of my mom's huge sun hat

Had a friendly family archery competition (my dad won by far)

We took a wagon tour around the farm and then rode the old fashioned rides the employees had to actually push

Oh ya, and we saw some lavender.

Ironically, with the late winter that they had in Utah, the lavender will not be in full bloom for another week so they weren't totally purple fields, but they were still beautiful.

Next year, I might skip the festival and just go visit on another day for a photo op, but it was a great one-time experience. And I have to admit, I have missed those mountains.

But I didn't miss those drums!

The longest week of my life

I better start this with a disclaimer that I'm feeling extremely homesick and emotional right so I'm going to try to keep this brief so anyone reading this won't worry too much.
Last Wednesday some of the best girlfriend in the world showed up to pack up my kitchen. I kept biting my lip and trying to smile instead of cry because I knew I would miss each of them so much. They were incredibly fast and before I knew it, the job was done and we were snacking and reading notes from each of them that did push me to tears. It seems so unfair that I had to leave them all. Leave the place I did so much growing. Leave the place I will always call home. I didn't think to take any pictures, but Elle and Cat spent all Thursday helping us pack up and that night even more friends from the ward showed up to help us pack up the van. We had a 26' rental truck and we filled every inch of it. I don't know what we would have done without so much help. Jason & Liz and Kirk & Eva stuck around to help us pack up the left over odds and ends while my friend Greta, who truly is a saint, cleaned most of the house.

We spent Thursday night at the Erneys' but had to head back in the morning to meet the person picking up our washer and dryer and clean the kitchen floor. It took us all morning, and while I'd like to blame it on the fact that we were exhausted, but it was really because we didn't want to leave.

It makes my stomach tighten to see my home so empty and know that it belongs to someone else now.

Luckily, we had the Erneys and Hudsons to distract us for the rest of the day. I miss them so much I almost called them crying tonight when I know they would have already been in bed, but Cat lost her father this week so that would have been really selfish. Instead I'm sitting here blogging when I should be unpacking, which I guess is also a little selfish, but I needed a break.

Saturday, Larry headed out on his 32 hour drive (counting pit stops)

I felt so stressed for him because he also had a car trailer behind what is already that biggest truck that you can drive without a commercial license. He was all on his own, but he made it safely!

In the meantime, I flew Sunday afternoon with Creed. The flight did not go well, but I'd still choose it over a 30 hour drive with a one-year-old. Monday, we checked out the house we planned to rent (and got rear-ended while waiting at a red light). We signed the contract so Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. we met up with some nice fellows in our new ward and unloaded our moving van. We weren't even up for making beds after that so we spent one more night with family.

Today we were thrilled to safely return that gianormous truck this afternoon and spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking the kitchen, making beds, and grocery shopping. We were so tired that we spent a small fortune at the store and only have food for one complete meal of hot dogs and grapes. Nice! Oh well, Creed will be happy and we'll make it to the store sooner or later.

The home that we're renting is cute but tiny, so we haven't figured out where to put anything. I know we'll be getting rid of a lot of furniture including our enormous entertainment center and we need to make a serious trip to Ikea since Larry and I will be sharing a closet that's about two and a half feet wide.

I know I've said it here before, but I really don't handle change well, but I haven't cried that much until today. I guess reality has set in that this is not a vacation, and I don't get to go home soon. I don't get to drop by to see Eva printing on her letterpress. I don't get to go to the children's literature book club this Tuesday. I don't get to watch Cat work her cooking magic. I don't get to grin while watching Creed play with Audrey. I don't get to watch football games at the Rice's where Tony will explain all of the stuff that I don't get. I need to take the Restaurant Widow's blog off of my Google Reader because it is somehow making me even more homesick by reminding me that I won't be going to Comfest this weekend or the latest play opening at Shakespeare in the park.

I'm not saying all of this to imply that Salt Lake City isn't great, I'm sure it is. It just doesn't feel like home and truthfully I don't know much about the city yet.

See, I hate how incredibly sad and lost I feel right now, and the worst part was I knew that this is exactly how I would be, even though I have moved a million times, I feel this way every time and I couldn't do anything to prevent it. If anything it's worse because I lived in Columbus longer than I've ever lived anywhere else and I consider myself a C-Bus girl through and through. I can stay busy during the day, but as night rolls in, I totally lose it. I'm not exaggerating. An older lady walking by my house this evening stopped to wave to Creed and asked me where we're from, and I burst into tears even though I knew it was ridiculous to be crying as I told her that we're from Columbus. And oddly, a part of me really wanted that total stranger to lean over and hug me and tell me that it would be ok, but she didn't. I think she was as embarrassed as I was.

I really wish that we were going to the new ward this Sunday because I am in serious need of friends and things to do, but it's my little brother's homecoming so I'm going to hear him speak about his mission in my parent's ward.

I know it will get better. I know I will find my way around. I know I will make new friends. I know in six months, I'll shake my head that I ever could have been so sad here, but right now that just looks so very far away.

There's no place like home.

There's no place like home . . .