and another post

yes, this is three posts in one day on our friend bloggie. sorry about that, but i wanted to answer bekah's question, which was echoed by sadie.

"chez," roughly translated, means "at the place of." thus, my blog is "at the place of nicole." why? because i speak and love french due to my time in paris.

love you all. the end. aka fin.

Confessions of a mommy blogger. By Catherine Newman

Sorry to post on top of Sadie's post today. Make sure you read hers too. I thought I'd share this article.

My friend got the magazine Wondertime in the mail and lo and behold there was an article in it about blogging that I stole from her blog! Here are some of the highlights.

"Blogging is narcissistic-and time-consuming. It gives strangers (not to mention the in-laws) ammunition for criticizing our parenting choices. And one day it could really mortify our kids. Here's why we do it anyway... You are not alone. If there's a single fact to take from the 70 million blogs that inhabit the Internet, it's this: Whoever you are-however thrilled or frantic, bored or despairing, buoyant or afflicted with love like an aching in your bones-someone our there understands. Especially if you're a mother."



"When I asked my readers to describe for me why, after finally getting their children to bed, they stay up half the night writing about them in blogs of their own-or, crazier still, reading about other people's children in their blogs-they described this longing for connection: "I read blogs to feel I'm part of something larger, a whole world of other women raising children on this crazy, spinning planet." "Being a parent is so Frustratingly difficult and blindingly beautiful at the same time. Blogs remind me to celebrate the beautiful and that I'm not alone in the difficult."

"Blogging is the underbelly of scrapbooking. In the scrapbook version of my summer vacation, I would paste together a sunny collage of sea and sand and smiling kids. In the blog version, I might be more inclined to mention the steaming beach Port-A-John, where the final quarter of Birdy's sandwich ended up tumbling into the reeking blackness. If scrapbooking is the urge to put it all together, blogging might be the urge to take it all apart. Blogging might not make life tidier, but it keeps life in your memory, and keeps it real."

Comments are like Christmas! She says:

"I've checked for comments as obsessively as I once stuck my eighth grade hand into the echoing hollows of our mailbox. (Anything for me? A letter from Shaun Cassidy detailing his undying love?)
Heehee!

"...I'm always seeing our family's life as a funny story I could tell, the question that troubles me is, am I really paying attention? Sometimes I feel like on of those tourists arguing about the camcorder while Niagara crashes down around them in frenetic blue wonder."
"The anonymous author of the blog Bub and Pie puts it: I go through the day in a kind of 'compose post' mode, where I'm actively selecting words to describe my children-their beauty, their quirkiness, their inner lives-and that process helps me to see them, to be mindful of who they are." Writing gives me a way to step back from my life and really see it. To watch my kids and feel the gratitude flood through my veins."


I thought this was a cute article and I totally love the part about blogs being the underbelly of scrapbooking. Hope you enjoyed it.

What became of it?

At our little get together in December, we found out htat Tori was the new head hauncho (how do you spell that?) at her job. Congrats Tori!! And right there at the party she offered Sarah a job. So... What became of it? Is it a done deal? Are you interviewing Sarah?
Just wanting an update. Anyone know anything?

P.s. Thanks to Mag i am guessing for the new background. Or whoever did it. It's nice to have it change every few months. The Christmas theme was nice too.

Happy Birthday Nicole!!!

Happy birthday to our dearest Nicole! Just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you today, and hope that you have a fabulous day! Thank you so much for your friendship! I love talking to you! You can always make me laugh! I am so glad to have you in my life! Hopefully you drink lots of Dr. Pepper today and eat at your favorite place! You are the greatest! LOVE YOU!!!!!

Em

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEKAH!!!

Hello Darling, Just a note to say that I hope you have a wonderful Birthday! I hope you spend it doing something exciting! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. I will never forget this day about 9 years ago... thanks to that celebration I have a wonderful husband! Who knew that would happen? My how time flies! Thank for your friendship throughout the years! You are the best!

LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

~Heidi Kay

P.S. "Am I sexy guys?"

Hey Mags, good idea with the tagging. Our blog is getting boring! :)

Best Gift: I honestly don't remember. Brad always gets so excited when he buys me presents that he can't wait until Christmas or my birthday to give them to me. Maybe that's why I don't remember opening a whole lot on Christmas morning the last couple years. Anyway, I'll give it a shot. Last year he surprised me with diamond earrings. Random. I had never even thought about wanting diamond earrings before. But I have to say, I've enjoyed them more than I thougt I would. I still remember the Christmas when I was little where I got a doll house. And I still remember the one where I got a bike...or was that my birthday?

Worst gift: Last year I got a really ugly snowman statue from one of my pre-schoolers moms. I gave it to the DI. It's the thought that counts, though.

Favorite Kids Christmas Song: The Chipmunks one..."Hurry Christmas, Hurry Fast." You know the one.

Favorite Christmas Hymn: Silent Night

Favorite Christmas Popular Song: Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel. I don't know if this counts, but they play it on the radio sometimes, so I say yes. I love it.

Favorite day out of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years? I'm not a big New Years person. I will definitely go with Christmas Day. I'm 25 and I still can't sleep on Christmas Eve night. I love Christmas morning!

As for your request for a prego picture, I'll have to see. I have officially entered what I like to call the "whale-like phase," where no matter how much I exercise or watch what I eat I gain weight and retain water EVERYWHERE!I know you're all jealous. Not so sure I want to share that with the world (or the 8 people who check this blog). I'll see if Brad can take a semi-decent one! :)

I tag everyone else.

A request

Here is my request. Will all of our pregnant friends please post a current picture on this blog? I think it would be fun to see the progress you guys are making. I also want to start a game of tag on this blog and that way we can read and compare answers.

The best gift I ever received: Cowboy boots from Justin when we were dating. It was totally from the heart and to me it sent a big message that he was planning on having me around for awhile.

The worst gift I ever received (can be a white elephant) : When I was in the MTC I had one present to open from my family (I had opened the rest at home because I went in a week before Christmas). I opened the gift and it was a pair of big one piece pajamas with red and white stripes and teddy bears. They had a trap door and two bears peeking over the side. They were totally ugly. My family is so silly.

Favorite Kid's christmas song: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Favorite Christmas Hymn: Silent Night

Favorite Christmas Popular song: All I want for Christmas is you (Mariah)

Which is your favorite- Christmas eve, Christmas day, New Years?
Christmas Eve

Okay, I tag the first person who reads this.