Which One of The Reindeer Are Ya?

Ya, so I wrote this post last year, and since I am tacky and lack all sorts of common sense right now, I am a re-poster.  Think of it as a blog fruitcake!

I have never thought of the eight or nine or seven (I can't remember how many there are) reindeer that pull that fat Santa around, but for some reason, my mind went into that direction. No one knows how my brain works, they simply excuse it as 'Rheanna's Brain', so I get a free pass. As I was thinking, if I were one of those reindeer, I wondered which one would I be?


Well, first, I have to make sure I know all their names, without using Google.


Dasher - I might be Dasher. It seems that I am always 'Dashing'. Dasher seems like the kind of reindeer to never really have a plan. They just need to be somewhere and they 'Dash'. I have never used the term, 'Let's Dash!' Although I have often said things to my kids like, 'Get in the car little mama's before I beat'cha!' or to my husband, 'Were off like a Prom Dress!', but never have I said, 'Lets Dash!' None the less, Dashing seems to be very similar to my no plan, jump up and go in the spur of the moment and just get it done type style. I must add, as a side note, that I never did go to any High School Prom.


Dancer & Prancer - Well, I don't really dance or prance. I am more of a stomper or a clomper. I did do some country dancing back in the single days, However, it was more sliding and clapping than prancing and dancing. No, this is so not me.


Comet - A comet seems to be graceful and beautiful. I can only imagine that Comet has very long hair and big beautiful blue eyes. She (in light of the hair and eyes, I just determined that Comet is actually a female) probably got her name from Mrs Clause that admired her beauty and magnificence. She is soft spoken and speaks wisdom to the out of control gang only when absolutely necessary. Otherwise, she watches and learns from others. SO, since I have narrowed down who Comet is, I can say, "Oh HECK NO! Certainly not me!" I speak crap. Then the second it is out I wish I could stuff it back into my mouth where it came from, but because my mouth is always open it would just fall back out anyway. Although I certainly need to learn form Comets example, I have far to go to be Comet.


Vixen - Totally opposite as Comet. Yes, she is beautiful and has super huge hooves, but she uses them for all the wrong reasons! She (a male vixen? I don't think so) plots to get her way and usually wins. Most of the other reindeer either love her or hate her. But the thing about Vixen that no one really realizes, is that she is totally insecure, has a low self-esteem and has no idea what real love is. She needs to take off a lot of the make-up, get a Hoof reduction, and start seeing herself as a reindeer with value. She could lead the sleigh, not because she likes to show off her rump, but because she could earn some sort of reindeer respect by first respecting herself. In light of learning more about Vixen, I can honestly and confidently say I have never been Vixen. I am too shy for one, and could care less about showing off my rump.


Cupid - Well, I think we all know who Cupid is. The fixer-upper! The one time I was like Cupid, I was verbally abused and my life was threatened. Yeah...Good times...I hate Cupid. He just SOOO needs to mind his own business. I will never do that again.


Donder - Now before I go on, Dear Abby politely informed me that the world has forever gotten this reindeer's name wrong. Yeah true story. We as a society call him Donner, when it is actually Donder. Well, Donder is the kind of reindeer that has a big ego, talks only about himself, and chases Vixen around like crazy. There is no way I have ever been a Donder. Donder knows everything. He is the 'been there, done that reindeer' that just gets on your nerves. He acts pretty high and mighty for someone that does not even have his own name right. He is the kinda reindeer that just ticks me off! Yeah, so not me or any part of me!


Blitzen - This one make me laugh. He is the 'Which way do we go? Which way do we go?' reindeer. He could never lead the sleigh for that very reason. He is the one in the back that likes to look at Vixens rump. He is a follower that just needs to be confident. Although I have had this problem as a young adult, (that is the confidence, not checking out the rumps) I have learned over the years that it really pays to be confident. Blitzen has the whole Blondie thing going which, I may confess, have been accused of it myself many times. As I have aged, I have done much better and the good thing about me used to being a Blitzen, even though I no longer am, is that I am teaching my kids how to have much more confidence and believe in themselves like Comet does.


So, there ya have it folks! I strive to be Comet, but in reality, I am a Dasher. I didn't included Rudolph because really, who wants to be made fun of all their life then be famous for only lighting up the sky with a big fat red nose. So overrated. He gets enough attention.


Thanks for reading. Now I am Dashing off like a Prom Dress!

My Childhood Neigborhood from The Writers Workshop

Mama Kat & The Writers Workshop.
Your childhood neighborhood.

I grew up in the most gorgeous place ever.

Springdale, Utah, just outside Zion National Park. I was born there. There wasn't much to do for a kid. Lots to do for a tourist. Swimming, shopping, and hiking that would take your breath away. But for a kid, not much.

We used to sneak up to the camp grounds in the middle of the night and switch all the ice chests around different camp sites. It was never any secret, everyone knew it was the local kids. We all did it.

Then we moved to a small town 10 miles away called Virgin Utah.

Yes. Virgin. That's the name. They sold T-shirts at the town post office that stated, Virgin Utah. I Didn't Say I Was One, I Said I Live There

Not quite as classy.That new Toby Keith Song is coming to my mind... Minus the Blonde washing her car. Cheesy Toby, really. That never happened in my neighborhood.

I lived there for about five years, then we moved back to Springdale.

My parents owned this restaurant for awhile.

They made a killing. All the locals loved us. Were were talked about everywhere. True story. I worked my trash off for like, 15 years.

Then they sold it and blew all my inheritance.

I. Am. Not. Bitter. Really.

I had fun as a kid. Lots of Horseback riding, river playing, four wheelers, and the occasional 45 minute drive to where I thought there was really something to do.

Dance halls, malls, and movie theaters. My hometown didn't have any of that.

Sheesh. I had it so rough!

Things you oddly obsessed about as a child.

In the writers workshop today its Things I Oddly Obsessed About as a Child.

Your gonna know that I am slightly crazy now. If you had no idea before...that is.

1.I hated Vans. Not the shoes, the big vehicles. When I saw one coming down the street, I would run back inside until it was gone. It's because I watched Savannah Smiles as a kid and she was kidnapped and put in a big van. To this day, If I see a one, I try to peek inside to see if there is a kid needing rescued.

2.I used to wish the top bunk of my bunk bed would fall in on my sister. I thought it would be funny to freak her out. Then it really happened once, and I thought I killed her. I was terrified. Ironic, now its funny again.

3.I obsessed about being older. Mature. Adult. What a load a crap that turned out to be! Now I want to be a kid! What a crock!

Writers Workshop & A Mothers Response

That Mama Kat really get me thinking. Oh! She has a really cool giveaway too that you should check out.

"Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it."

Do you believe this? Describe a time when you feel like you could have responded a different way and produced a different outcome.

I think Motherhood is all about response. It is totally what your children see you do.

For example when I found this note that my seven year old had wrote in her notebook.
It is things like this that bring the popular thought into my head. Breathe Big Mama! Breeeeeaathe!!
It is in that instant, that I realize I could go totally frantic Googleing 'Modern Day Chastity Belts' or laugh it off and take the future drama one day at a time, as it comes.

Have your ever heard of how great and wonderful my little boy is. Especially that he is my only boy. Only new comers to my blog will not understand the depth of my gratitude of a boy in our home.

So when I see him sporting a new outfit, courtesy of his sisters, I have to take the 'freak-out' level out the back door.


So I decided that if I am going to freak out, do it. Into my pillow in private. Which is most often the case.

Writers Workshop & A Repeat Post

I am probably pulling a major blunder in the blog rule, but one of the prompts from Mama Kat this week was titled, A Long Drive. Since I just wrote about this in my Memory Monday, unintentionally of course, I am going to keep it and use it again.
Blog repeat posting? I know, truly only I can blunder this bad. That's how I roll!

What Does Marriage Mean To Me?

**I am SO high in this picture! Isn't that SO funny!! You can totally tell! It looks like my husband is hugging me for the camera pose, but he is actually holding me up!! I am laughing so hard right now! I will include it in a Memory Monday soon.***
I must say I was surprised by this prompt in the Writers Workshop.
It could be a different question to many different people depending on where they are in their marriage, if they have just gone through divorce, or perhaps been wanting to be married, but haven't found the right one, or like me have been married for 10 years, there is a wide spectrum of different opinions. So I will shout out a few, but apologize for my lack of marital wisdom and ignorance.

What does marriage mean to me?
1.It means you have to know how to sincerely say 'I am sorry. I was wrong'. When you wanna say, 'Whatever! Just Deal With It!'

2.It means you have to hold your tongue and be respectful. Does that mean take each others crap? No. It simply means that the one you usually want to lash out at is the one that you should never speak to that way.

3.It means to forgive, like everyday. Jeremy likes to take off his socks, ball them up one at a time-Not together, mind you-and throw them at the kids in a bantering manner. This ticks me off! Who do you think is going to have to pick up dirty socks-Not together, mind you, but one at a time!!-and help them find the washing machine or hamper? Finally one day he mentions that he has no clean socks. I gleefully report that I was on a sock strike and that his dirty clothes hamper is clean, so if there were socks in the hamper, they would have been washed. Aaaahhh! Vindication! It was a nice cold day for him to sport flip flops or wear dirty socks to work.

4.Marriage means there should be sympathy on both parts. My husband is really good at letting me sleep in if I need to, letting me get away, or helping me feel better when I am sick. He is exceptionally good at helping with meals and the kids. When its his turn to be sick, tired, or in pain? I throw a box of Kleenex at his head while telling him to 'Get Over It! Crybaby!' Aren't I such a catch??

5.Marriage is curbing your sarcasm. Oh my gosh! I seriously just stubbed like three fingers on the keyboard when I typed that in!!! It also means you have to...aaahh...you have to...uh...OH! This one is HARD!! You have to R E L E A S E C O N T R O L Holy Crap I said it! Breathe Big Mama!! Breeeeaaathe!!

6.It means while dating look at them with both eyes, while married close one permanently! One of the LDS Prophets or leaders stated that and I wish I knew who it was...

7.It means always trying to improve and not be comfortable in your marriage. Why is it that some people get married to keep the person they are with. Suddenly they stop trying to 'woo' and impress each other. In my opinion (see disclaimer for opinion rules), with the divorce rate well over 50% shouldn't we try harder to show each other that we will love and respect each other better than anyone else would?

8.Marriage also means to give your children a strong sense of stability. When my parents got divorced I threatened them with their lives telling them that they had better at least be able to be in the same room with each other because I was not going to have to walk on egg shells at family events when they were both there. Otherwise I would write them off forever. They knew I was serious. Thankfully they were determined to be friends and we can all still be a happy dysfunctional family.

9.Quality Time. I have a very slim, glim, wee reminder of what that is but, I think its important...?

10.I have to always remind myself, 'Would I want to be married to me?' My answer, Heck No! Then I elaborate and proceed accordingly.

You have to make your own rules. These rules work for me and my husband, but won't work for anyone else probably. Do you have some other rules that I missed, please! My husband will tell you(actually he won't) that I need all the marriage advice I gould get! So DO TELL! These tips kept us going the first 10 years, will in make it another?? Who Knows! But I hope so!

Writers Workshop & 10 Things I Didn't Know Before...

From Mama Kat and her writers workshop. Take a look and jump in! Great for family history too! I went into the archives a little bit to see a post I liked and it was 10 Things I didn't know before parenting. So here goes...

1.Being pooped on, peed on and puked on would someday be something that did not bother me.
2.Sleep. Who needs it really?? Like Lindsey Lohan, So over rated.
3.I didn't know I would struggle to not lose who I am.
4.I never thought it would be so amusing to hide in a dark closet listening to the Panic that goes on when I can't be found.
5.I didn't know I would never pee again without interruption.
6.I had no idea the amount of laundry soap, dish soap, and fingernail polish I would go through.
7.I never, never thought I would buy a minivan and actually like it.
8.I had no idea how much solace I would receive at places like the park, splash pads, the city pool, and McDonald's Playhouses.
9.When I thought a long bubble bath was a luxury, now I revel in a 10 minute shower.
10.I need God. Although I wonder why I wait until I am frustrated, crying and irrational to ask for help instead of doing it first thing in the morning that will grant me the grace to go all day. Really Big Mama, when ya gonna learn???

The Writers Workshop & 30 Things I Vow To Do This Summer

My Good Pal Kimi brought this to my attention.
Mama Kat inspies others to do a Writers Workshop. It think it is a good Wednesday Theme. Check it out.

So...Here goes
1. Have a Baby and NOT get pregnant right after.
2. Start Fall Semester.
3. Take a Photography Class.
4. Start Running
5. Change My Mind About Running.
6. Run Anyway.
7. Start a Small In Home Wedding Flower Business
8. Go To Girls Camp.
9. Be Sad to Leave Girls Camp
10.Compliment Someone I Haven't Forgiven.
11.Take Spanish Courses.
12.Kiss My Kids Everyday
13.Keep Up On Laundry For 5 Kids
14.Yell At My Kids For Not Putting Their Laundry In The Hampers.
15.Make an 'After Pregnancy' Dentist Appointment.
16.Make It Again After I Cancelled It.
17.Try Not To Call the Dog Bad Names
18.Go Hiking.
19.Eat Fresh Stir Fry Veggies From Our Garden.
20.Go on a Walk With The Kids
21.Love Everyone Despite Their Stupidity.
22.Realize That I Have Stupidity.
23.Turn my Rambling Weakness Into a Strength.
24.Compliment Others & Be Thankful All the Time.
25.Don't Judge.
26.Don't Complain or Whine so Much.
27.Serve Others and Pray for Service Opportunities.
28.Clean My Craft Closet.
29.Try to Curb my Sarcasm.
30.Be Healthy.