starlings

My friend kirsten showed me this and i just think it is so so great.

deforestation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDXqR7L2krQ

this was kind of funny.

thanksgiving toast kabobs

so this is a clip from a charlie brown thanksgiving. just watch from 2:00-2:20 where snoopy invents toast kabobs. bless his heart.



these particular toast kabobs were made special by my roommate allie. thanks allie. thallie.



happy toast kabobs everyone!

homemade twister

i really wanted to play twister tonight, so i got out some paper and some crayons and some friends. things were a little too easy- so we invented twister, the college addition (for more advanced players). making the spinner was a little tricky- but with a little team effort, things really came together. this was a wholesome activity.

pet peeves and favorites

pet peeves:
Pens that don’t work
Hanging things up
My face when I yawn
My stomach talking
How my sleeves get wet when I wash my face
When my bangs don’t work
Being bad at spelling
cilantro

Favorites:
Shadows of trees on houses
Dandelions
People who talk quiet
Oat meal
New words
Productivity
The time right before I fall asleep
The time right before I wake up
My family
Ping pong

what are your pet peeves and favorites?

rip, my sandals (april 2005-november 2008)

these sandals have survived four summers, several dog attacks, and have been lost and found hundreds times. a few days ago, in a rousing round of three way ping pong with the nephews, they finally went the way of all the earth. some of you will be glad to see them go, but I will forever mourn their loss.
p.s. if anyone has any experience bronzing stuff, i'd love to talk with you.

ear candles

this began as a mild difference of opinion. my well-educated-indisputable-expert opinion vs. bryan's... opinion. several heated debates later, it ended in the truth. please review the following simple randomized control trial.
purpose: prove bryan wrong.
methods: bryan- adamant, stubborn, and believing, foolishly placed an ear candle in his right ear. Kaity- confident and insisting, held an ear candle in her left hand.
results: both ear and hand placement yielded similar post burn contents.
conclusion: ear candles are wack. wiggity-wack.

my current motivation

ever since i started working with little kidos i have gained an appreciation for positive reinforcement and well structured reward systems. if it works for them, why not me? there are 44 white chocolate chips in this photograph (well, that first one is a little cut off, so we'll call it 43 and 1/2). if i eat one for every ten minutes of homework i do- i should be able to write my mid-term paper for the next 7 hours and 15 minutes.
note: according to this rate of consumption, i have consumed approximately 26 hours and 45 minutes of white chocolate chips during the creation of this post.

I just ate all these peas!

75 hours

wednesday, after a particularly cleansing yoga class, i began an experiment that started as a casual personal challenge and ended near tears. My goal was to go 24 hours with out looking in a mirror, or any reflective surface-while maintaining normal personal habits (hair and makeup etc). After this initial period I thought it would be fun to see just how long i could make it. the next few days were constant avoidance. but as time passed, and i became less and less real, i found my thoughts changed and my eyes opened. i found myself seeing others in more detail- their hopes, needs and worries became my own. i was less self conscious about my physical appearance and more confident in other aspects of myself. i realized that my personal thoughts are the greatest determiner of my reality and that by carefully weeding the garden of my mind, negativity and its effects can be mitigated. and so it went- but where would it end. it was strange to miss myself as one would a distanced friend. on saturday night i decided i had to look. i couldn't take it anymore. so i did. my elation at the sight of myself was indescribable. i almost cried. as i ran from mirror to mirror welcoming myself back home i felt an intense gratitude for the friend that had been so long lost.
thank you to all of you who stood by me in this trying time... fixing my bangs and keeping me socially acceptable. except for my brother karl who kept trying to convince me i had something gross on my face- but double thank you to my very honest nieces who assured me that i looked normal.

favorite things of logan part one

0. this is my bike. it has lions engraved on the handle bars.
my brother traded an old pair of skis for it.


1. this is my house. it is a miracle and tender mercy.


2. this old cemetery is on campus.


3. farmers market, 13 ears/3 dollars. perfect.


4. this is a cricket i found on my house.


5. i peeled an orange in one piece.


6. this is the clock i stole from the education building.

toothpaste for diner

should i resent this or deny it?
gross.

people have been telling me for years

traditionally, i have a strong aversion to anything fruit (except pineapple and tomatoes). i'm still pretty firm on this and plan to persist in my stubbornness despite the loving/forceful urges of friends and family. however, strawberries. i was doubtful at first...but strawberries. i think mother nature might be on to something.

baby birds are called bee's

i was just feeling a bit nostalgic and thought i'd share an old time favorite. what is your favorite line?

touching lamps

last friday becca, kyle, katy, alan, and i spent an embarrassingly long time conducting some experiments. it all started when kyle discovered that a werther's original was enough to activate the vaughn family touch-lamp. Not knowing the principles on which touch lamps are founded we set off on a science safari where we found more questions than answers. What follows is a summary of our disappointments and triumphs.

for a complete list of what works and what doesn't wait until alan fixes his scanner and then check out his blog.
for now...
wisk. no. frosted flakes. no. sperry topsider. no. muenster cheese. yes!
frozen eggo waffle. no. toasted eggo waffle. no.
kyle's pancakes (which he made specifically for these clinical trials). yes!!!

so by now you are probably all wondering how in the world a touch lamp knows what is touching it. well, i'll tell you. it has to do with a little something i like to call capacitance.
i've done some research, and in non fancy talk pretty much a capacitor stores up an electrical charge and holds it until something comes along that can absorb or change said charge-but not all house hold items have this special power...as we have clearly demonstrated.

also pictured: becca mcsquinty eyes, standing kyle, doing citric acid alan, and egg on coaster katy. sorry that this post has been a formating nightmare. i am shamefaced.

the children are our future

this is how my 13 year old nephew celebrated labor day.

steve jobs

at the end of walle we were all watching the credits-when the special thanks part was rolling, my brother noticed "steve jobs." this prompted him to say to me "hmmm...steve jobs" and then i said, "who is steve jobs?" and then he said, "(stared at me for a long time with a dumbfounded amazed type look) you don't know who steve jobs is?" and i said, "no- i have never heard that name before in my life."
after a little lecture about how i need to be more aware of the world around me and how my ignorance to the media needed remediation, he explained to me who steve jobs is. and now i know.
so thanks steve jobs- for "emphasizing the importance of design while understanding the crucial role aesthetics play in public appeal." and for, " driving forward the development of products that are both functional and elegant."
and thanks karl- for being a great big brother and for doing your part to give the public access to scholarly journals in an easy to use wiki-format.

robots

today my logan fam and i went to see wallE. it was great. i would highly recommend it- especially if you have an inclination towards robots or love. and especially especially if you have an inclination towards robot love, as my closest friends know i do. i learned a lot about humanity and robotity and the potential for the peaceful and productive unity of these dichotomies. wallE is a good reminder that robots should be acknowledged for their sincere kindness, not just their utility.

here are some of my other favorite robots:
this is kevin, screech's robot/best friend (besides zack)and this is "marvin, the paranoid android." he is a gpp (genuine people personality) model from hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy.and i'm sure you all know johnny 5and lastly...the classic (and classy) rock-um-sock-ums

venn diagram

what ever i want to do

due to my recent involvement in the management of my three young nephews, the amount of children's television i am exposed to has significantly increased. it is interesting to see how much the kidos pick up from shows...especially from their theme songs. some examples- from my friends tigger and pooh -"if you have a problem think think think" or from go diego go "discovering together yeah we're always having fun, helping out each other is good for everyone." these are useful tools when it comes to behavior modification. one of my favorites, even as an adult, has been blues clues. unfortunately it's not perfect. while it does inspire curiosity and problem solving- it's theme song is not quite as helpful. "with me and you and my dog blue, we can do anything that we want to do" out of all the naughty things the kids say, "i want to do whatever i want to do" is probably the most common. i just think it's funny that with all of the child development research that went into producing blues clues (see link) that they couldn't have said something like "we can do anything that our parents tell us to do" also, it's not ok to paint your hand and then leave "clues" on random (and sometimes expensive) house hold items. Maybe i will write them a letter.

for realsies though- i don't care how naughty they are. my little nephews are great and i will miss them so so much. both my california and logan nieces and nephews have taught me so much. i'm glad that all of the plans i made for this summer didn't really work out. nannying was thee absolute best possible situation for me. i will be such a better speech pathologist and especially a better mom.
it's good to be back in logan. i'm excited for school to start on monday. and for new school supplies and crunchy leaves and overcast afternoons. things are good and settled.

i tried to tell you

and

to view "the making" of the last post- check out my sister's blog.

on keeping things

lots of people keep things. some people keep lots of things. some people keep the wrong things. here is a collection of my dad's most precious keepsakes. you can decide which category he fits the best.

in case there are are no calculators in the future.

you will never not need this.

wood shoes from austria-check.

this is a swim suit.

this is my dad smiling.

microscope? time machine? gun?

i found this in the attic. i don't know what it is. let's hear your ideas.

surprisingly accurate

today is my brother dave's birthday. so in celebration- my sister and i did a little experiment- the results of which were surprisingly accurate. (sorry to mom and dad for posting their least flattering moments)



What do you think about my little new baby Dave?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?


the actual product...



happy birthday dave.

dear mom again,

RE: The Holy Secret
by James L. Ferrell

this book was like a date with a boy who motivates you to be better without being preachy or condescending. he has a quiet goodness that doesn't ask you to explain yourself to anyone but the Lord. he probably doesn't wear fitted jeans and may or may not like indie rock- he just wants to sit outside under or in a tree and be grateful and say nice and funny things. and maybe get a chocolate milkshake if you are in the mood.

i.e. this book was good. through a tuesday's-with-morrie-esque conversation, the holy secret discusses the all too prevalent later day lack of sincerity amongst church members. it addresses some common sunday school topics (the scriptures, the temple & the sabbath) in ways that invite us to make these sacred things mean what they should to our hearts. this book is not a guilt trip, but rather a trip of mercy and hope and gladness.
not a literary masterpiece by any means but still effective in it's purposes.

quotes:

"I am able to make you holy" doctrine and covenants 60:7

cried: 0
laughed: 0
felt ok: 4

i have ever made

it seems to me that lots of people post about things that they make. so-in an effort to assimilate-here are some things that i have made. this is the first cake i have ever made.
this is one of the best memories i have ever made.

this is the most sincere platypus mouth i have ever made.
this is the most lifelike cheese likeness of the thinker i have ever made.
this is the best and last scrabble game i have ever made with my friend bradley.

this is the only longboard dave and i have ever made and silk screened together.
this is the worst tasting cake i have ever made.
this is the saddest face i have ever made.