Kade was ecstatic when I picked him up from pre-school yesterday.  He couldn't wait to show me his trap, that is a " Leprechaun trap." He is 100% confident that he is going to show up today and have a Leprechaun caught. I couldn't tell him it is just pretend, he would be crushed.  He couldn't stop talking about this Leprechaun and all the wishes he is going to ask him.  After I put him to bed I heard him for 45 minutes talking about his Leprechaun.  He would burst out with laughter thinking about his sweet little green Leprechaun.  I sure hope Miss May, doesn't disappoint this very eager little man today.   Last night I went to his room to make sure he was snug and tight in bed, and one last kiss of course. What I found was priceless,  Kade had his bed made, pillows placed perfectly on top.  He was on top of the bed completely dressed, green shirt, jeans, socks and shoes ready to go see his Leprechaun.  There wasn't going to be anytime to was today.  He is driving me a little crazy this morning. "Mom how much longer, how many more minutes, can we go to school yet?"  Happy Saint Patricks Day, Kade! We are the luckiest parents to have you in our family.

Future Optimist!!

Initially you might think this person is crazy, but if you look deeper you're likely to find an optimist.

"Just put it in the passenger's seat," that was the comment that made me laugh. . . Hard.  That was her suggestion. "Just push back the seat all the way and slide it in."  Oh, it was so funny, I couldn't stop.  Rarely do I laugh because though MaRea has many strange ideas they're normally pretty good.  I continued this for a few minutes insisting that it would never fit, but she wouldn't budge.  She didn't doubt her idea, in fact she started giggling at my reaction.  After a few minutes of dragging my feet and her repeated insistence that I measure, I agreed.

We got to this point because I was nervous about loading a refrigerator and a dishwasher home from SLC that we bought on KSL.com.  I brought up the problem with space in the bed of the truck due to its CNG tank.  At that point she made the laughable suggestion to "just put it in the passenger's seat", it, being the dishwasher.

I couldn't wait to confirm the ridiculousness of her suggestion, but as I measured the opening of the passenger's door that terrible feeling bubbled up as my inner most demon.  I could be wrong.  It was close. . . too close.  In fact if I had to make it fit I probably could have.  Disheveled, I meandered back inside to mumble my findings.  After a humbling moment of listening to her gloat she suggested I measure the bed of the truck just to make sure.  I, of course, rejected saying both would not fit.  Well they did, and I got both the dishwasher and the fridge home without incident.

During this moment I realized how deeply rooted a pessimist I am, and I hated it.  Both times MaRea made her suggestions I didn't even consider that either may work, I just began rationalizing why neither would work.  I didn't even consider if my reasoning was truthful.   It was amazing, for the first time I clearly understood how my brain works. What a debilitating syndrome!!  Only when I have successfully passed through every negative scenario, especially though fabricated in my mind, will I proceed on a given path.  At that moment I lamented all the possible opportunities I've missed out on because of my predetermined pessimism.  Likewise, I can easily look back at the good in my life and attribute where I allowed optimism to rule.  So here's to going forward as an optimist and asking without shame, WHY NOT!!

P.S. If you are wanting to make the change a good idea is to surround yourself with optimists.  If you're lucky, like me, you married one, if not they are always easy to spot (just don't honk at them, it could be dangerous).

Dirty Dishes??

( Buy at Lowe's in the paint section)

Have you been cursing your dishwasher? It's not your dishwasher. In July they started a ban in sixteen states of the sale of dishwasher detergent that contains high levels of phosphates. The environmentalist thought it was best to keep our dishes dirty. States instituting the rule include Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. If there is a way around government control I will find it. I planed a trip across the broder to buy some detergent that actually cleans the dishes. Come to find out, most of the dishwasher detergents have taken all the phosphate out of their detergent, making them worthless. Cascade is the worst. I'm sure the government paid them millions of dollars to do so.


Solution, to your dirty dishes awaits you in Lowe's paint aisle. It is Called TSP. Add a teaspoon of powder in with your detergent. If you use powdered detergent put in 1/3 cup and mix it in. Play around with how much works best with your detergent and dishwasher. Everyone head on over to Lowe's and buy as much TSP that will fit in your over sized SUV;)! I will make sure my fellow Tea Party buddies receive a nicely wrapped box of TSP on their doorstep. I plan on being a human billboard for this solution. Once the word gets out, sales volume of TSP is going to sky rocket. If you disagree with the use of TSP you are welcome to come and pre wash all my dishes before I put them in the dishwasher.