One of my new favorite blogs is having a great giveaway for a TAG Reading System by Leap Frog. It ends at 12pm EST on 03/31/09, so go there today to enter!

Penny Pinching Parent

I know I promised Nick I would save the political posts for the political blog. BUT… since this one gets more readers, I wanted to take the opportunity to invite my friends and family to join me at a little rally I will be attending on Tax Day (April 15th). People from around the country (from all political parties) are organizing these rallies as an ode to the Boston Tea Party (remember your history books? “Taxation Without Representation” ring a bell?). I haven’t been feeling very “represented” lately with how my congresspeople are choosing to spend my money, and I would like to have an opportunity to voice this frustration.

So, who wants to get outside their comfort zone and come with me? Need more motivation? Well, for you of the LDS persuasion… may I remind you of the March Visiting Teaching Message?

Elder Robert S. Wood of the Seventy: “For too many, responsibility seems to end with hand-wringing and exclamations of dismay. Yet talk without action accomplishes little. We need to be vigorously engaged in the world. If our schools are inadequate or destructive of moral values, we must work with fellow members of the community to bring about change. If our neighborhoods are unsafe or unhealthy, we must join with the civic-minded to devise solutions. If our cities and towns are polluted, not only with noxious gases but soul-destroying addictions and smut, we must labor to find legitimate ways to eliminate such filth. … We have the responsibility to be a blessing to others, to our nation, to the world” (“On the Responsible Self,” Ensign, Mar. 2002, 30-31).

When we feel something is wrong, we need to do more than hand-wringing and exclamations of dismay. So there you have it. I’m taking the challenge. Come with me… I dare you! Or, if you desire, attend one near your area. More information can be found at IamwithRick.com.

Last week we had a morning that was gloriously sunny, so we went with some friends of ours to try and partake of the novelty. Of course, in true northwest fashion, by the time we’d packed the lunches and arrived at the park, the sky had clouded over and the rain started. We huddled under the shelter to eat lunch, but just as we were about to call it quits, the sky cleared a bit and the kids had a small opportunity to play.

Nolan, the boy that he is, was convinced that the large puddle on the sidewalk was much more exciting than the playground equipment (or maybe it was that he thought the playground was beneath him, as he had already conquered climbing to the top of the big slide and going down ALL BY HIMSELF…at 14 months). So we kept catching him hanging around the edge of the puddle, daring us to stop him from going in.

Suddenly, one of our friend’s dog broke loose from his leash and took off. Nolan used to the diversion as the opportune time to make a break for the puddle, and it was all over after that. He splashed happily around for almost 30 minutes. After awhile the girls caught on and came to check things out, but the girls just don’t get the true joy that comes from rolling around in water with ALL your clothes on.

…but there was something about Nolan’s devilish grin in this picture that reminded me a little too much of The Joker. And I will say that Nolan plays the part well (at least the comic book, Jack Nicholson version… not so much the Heath Ledger version). He LOVES to cause trouble, and believes his smile will get him out of anything. He also fully expects to get his way at all times, and hates to be told no. Yes, the resemblance is uncanny.

Such a fun idea, I couldn’t resist…

The first THREE people to comment on this post will get something made by me!

My choice.

For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2- What I create will be just for you.

3- It’ll be done this year. (might be a little while)

4- You have no clue what it’s going to be.It may be a story. It may be a joke book, autographed picture of myself, handmade bag, or a little invention of my own! I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows?

5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. Believe me… it may blow your mind.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 3 people who do the same on your blog. Don’t have a blog? Post it on your Facebook account. No Facebook? Find another creative way to keep it going and tell me about it, and you’ll win

The first 3 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did, win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Sounds like fun, right? So, let’s play!

…And we have tickets!!! We’ll be joining a number of our friends this Saturday to go see one of the greatest musicals ever!!! It’s been much too long since I’ve been to the theater (and even longer since I’ve been in a real full-fledged musical, but we won’t go there on this post), and I’m definitely in withdrawal. Let’s just say, I’m “Dancing Through Life” this week, in anticipation !!!! A little preview for you…