I love and hate making bread. I like the feeling of mixing and kneading bread because it seems so productive and motherly and homey, and I like the yeasty doughy smell. But at the same time I really hate mixing and kneading because if you don't have the right amount of flour it's really annoying. If I don't have enough flour I add some and knead some more, of course, and just as I start feeling like maybe this time I have just the right amount and it's mixed pretty homogenously, the dough starts feeling incredibly sticky again and it gets all over my hands and the counter and I have to start all over again. But if I have dough that has just the right amount of flour, where it's smooth and sticking to the counter slightly but not so much that I can't even work with it, I just love the feeling of kneading it.
I still haven't figured out why my bread seems to always taste sour and fermented. I was reading some things online and it sounds like rising too fast or too long can cause this. So maybe I need to experiment with adding less yeast than the recipe calls for or not letting it rise as long. Ryan doesn't notice it and doesn't even know what I'm talking about when I complain about it. Ever since I was pregnant with Kevin, my taste buds have been a lot more sensitive. I wonder if food will ever taste normal again.
When you buy something new and you are going to write a review for it, in general it is a good practice to wait until after you have used the item for a while before writing the review. In other words, don't buy a new crib and set it up, and then write a review saying how cute the crib is and you can't wait to see how your baby likes it when he arrives in two months (although this might work for reviewing decorations). What people want to know is how the products works over a period of time, not how it looks out of the box. Also, a review of a product is not the place to talk about how fast the item was shipped to you; it's the place to talk about the actual product. Just a little pet peeve of mine.
I really like the ruched maternity tops. They have elastic sewn into the side seams, and for some reason that makes a really flattering fit. I also mostly like the secret fit belly jeans by Motherhood Maternity. Before I had ever been pregnant, I had this strange misconception that low elastic panels were cool and high ones were nerdy and old-fashioned. Then I actually tried both while pregnant and I realized that it's a matter of functionality, not style. I realized that low panels hurt my tummy. The secret fit belly would be about as nerdy and old-fashioned as it gets according to my old standards because they go really high. But I like them because my pants actually stay up pretty well, unlike the cheap JC Penny jeans I bought when I was pregnant with Kevin. The only thing I don't like is that since the panel covers my entire tummy it can get pretty hot, but then I can fold the panel down and I don't have to experience major abdominal pain because the panel material is light and doesn't squeeze so hard. Now, the sales people always play up the secret fit belly pants. Every single time I've gone to Destination Maternity they've told me that I've got to try a pair on even if I'm not planning to buy jeans because the secret fit belly is so amazingly comfortable. The way they talked, I thought I was supposed to try these things on and instantly feel my tummy settling into a world of bliss and rainbows and weightless joy or something. Yes, they are comfortable, but I still feel the weight of pregnancy pretty keenly down there.
I am pleased to report that Baby Girl does, in fact, have bones. Elbows, even. I felt them with my hand. Which is good, of course, because humans kind of need that sort of thing.
I keep bumping into things with my growing tummy. I keep forgetting it's there. I think I've had a lot of growth in the last couple of weeks.
In March we get the lovely experience of drinking pool water. Actually, our city uses something other than bleach for most of the year to disinfect the water, but every March they have to flush out all the pipes with bleach, so our water tastes and even smells like a pool. I guess I appreciate them keeping the pipes clean, but it sure tastes yucky. I grew up drinking well water, and it was really good, so I guess I'm pretty picky about my water now.
Friday, March 18, 2011
notes/thoughts from Nurture Shock
Going through some of my drafts, I came across this post I started in January. I think I was planning to add more to it, but I don't really remember anymore what I was going to add, so here's what you get.
I've been hearing a lot about the book Nurture Shock lately, so I wanted to read it myself. And in the end, I honestly didn't like it for the most part. Most of the "shocking truths" that he was "revealing" were not that shocking. What? You mean kids learn how to talk better if you talk to them rather than plopping them down in front of Baby Einstein videos? Not that surprising. I think the most frustrating thing was that he dispelled all these myths but didn't usually spend much time at all explaining what to do instead. When he did suggest what to do instead, it was helpful.
Here are some of the thoughts I have been having as I read the book:
The chapter about dealing with teenagers was not helpful. His claim was that when teenagers argue with their parents, it's actually a good sign because it shows they respect their parents. I don't know what his definition of respect is, but I strongly disagree. There was very little helpful information about getting along with teenagers better.
There's a chapter in the book about why siblings fight. I thought it was important to note that kids need to be taught how to play well together. Much of that should be figured out with each other, but they also need parents to intervene to help them think through how to solve a conflict together. Another thing that stuck out to me was that if you want your kids to be friends and get along with each other, then they need to spend quality time together. That quality time is something that cements a bond between them and creates a reason for them to be kind to each other. One study that the author summarizes said that for the most part, if siblings were good friends growing up, then they continue to be friends as adults, but if they are not close growing up, then that doesn't change when they have grown up.
From the same chapter, I also thought that it was interesting that in one of the studies the author explained, difference in age had no effect on how much siblings quarreled. I think sometimes in the church we tend to feel like the ideal age gap is supposed to be two years, and I've noticed that some moms struggle because of that expectation. Sometimes I've felt like if your kids are less than two years apart, people look at your family and say, "Hmmm . . . second baby must have been a surprise!" And if your kids are more than two years apart, I felt like people would wonder why you waited so long--not spiritual enough? I quickly came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter. It's a very personal and spiritual decision. I also started to realize that most moms actually don't care or judge each other on this subject, even though that two years apart thing is so commonly expected. We all know that it's hard to be a mother. Long recoveries, post-partum depression, difficult children, other commitments, and many other factors are perfectly legitimate reasons to not be ready for a second child that soon. So it was nice for me to read in this book that age difference doesn't necessarily matter if you want your kids to be close and get along. What's important is that we space our children according to what we feel is right, and that we teach them to love each other and be kind. (Stepping down from soapbox.)
The chapter about tests for finding gifted children was very interesting to me. Apparently most schools test children for gifted and talented programs at kindergarten and then never reassess them. But the tests at that age are actually not good predictors of whether children are gifted. A lot of brain development takes place during elementary school, and the kids that struggle in kindergarten often end up being very bright. I didn't realize that this happens so often. My elementary school didn't do its gifted and talented programs this way. (After moving away from my small hometown, I've actually realized that I went to a very good elementary school.) It really isn't fair to a child to label them as smart or not smart at such a young age when they still have so much time for their brains to develop.
I thought that the chapter about the inverse power of praise made some very good points. One of the main things I learned was that it's important to praise our children for things that they can control about themselves. Instead of telling them that they are smart, it's better to praise them for being diligent or patient or for trying hard to concentrate, because those characteristics are up to the child. The author explained that many children who are constantly told they are smart tend to be more prone to give up easily. If they are not "smart" at something, then they don't want to stick with it, possibly because they don't want to not be seen as smart.
He had a chapter about how to help children learn how to talk. He talked about how seven hours of Baby Einstein per day is not going to help a child learn to talk, and will probably actually delay their speech, which was not surprising to me at all. Another thing he talked about is that instead of talking to the child constantly all day long, it can be more effective to simply pay attention to them and respond to the cues they give you. This made a lot of sense to me. I've heard from a lot of different places that you want to talk to your children constantly so they will learn lots of words, but that was discouraging for me because I just can't interact with my child like that. It seems fake and it's exhausting to talk that much. It makes a lot more sense to me to talk in response to what the child does. If Kevin is doing something or pointing at something, then I respond to that by talking about what he's doing or telling him the name of what he is pointing at (and I try to get down and play with him when I can so that we will have opportunities for this), or if we're outside I will point to different things and talk to him about them, but I don't just babble all day long about anything and everything. It seems like this way the child doesn't get overwhelmed by a constant stream of talking, they learn the concept of conversation (both listening and responding), and they learn to use the words that are most relevant to them. (Oh, dear, I don't feel like I explained this very well.)
I've been hearing a lot about the book Nurture Shock lately, so I wanted to read it myself. And in the end, I honestly didn't like it for the most part. Most of the "shocking truths" that he was "revealing" were not that shocking. What? You mean kids learn how to talk better if you talk to them rather than plopping them down in front of Baby Einstein videos? Not that surprising. I think the most frustrating thing was that he dispelled all these myths but didn't usually spend much time at all explaining what to do instead. When he did suggest what to do instead, it was helpful.
Here are some of the thoughts I have been having as I read the book:
The chapter about dealing with teenagers was not helpful. His claim was that when teenagers argue with their parents, it's actually a good sign because it shows they respect their parents. I don't know what his definition of respect is, but I strongly disagree. There was very little helpful information about getting along with teenagers better.
There's a chapter in the book about why siblings fight. I thought it was important to note that kids need to be taught how to play well together. Much of that should be figured out with each other, but they also need parents to intervene to help them think through how to solve a conflict together. Another thing that stuck out to me was that if you want your kids to be friends and get along with each other, then they need to spend quality time together. That quality time is something that cements a bond between them and creates a reason for them to be kind to each other. One study that the author summarizes said that for the most part, if siblings were good friends growing up, then they continue to be friends as adults, but if they are not close growing up, then that doesn't change when they have grown up.
From the same chapter, I also thought that it was interesting that in one of the studies the author explained, difference in age had no effect on how much siblings quarreled. I think sometimes in the church we tend to feel like the ideal age gap is supposed to be two years, and I've noticed that some moms struggle because of that expectation. Sometimes I've felt like if your kids are less than two years apart, people look at your family and say, "Hmmm . . . second baby must have been a surprise!" And if your kids are more than two years apart, I felt like people would wonder why you waited so long--not spiritual enough? I quickly came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter. It's a very personal and spiritual decision. I also started to realize that most moms actually don't care or judge each other on this subject, even though that two years apart thing is so commonly expected. We all know that it's hard to be a mother. Long recoveries, post-partum depression, difficult children, other commitments, and many other factors are perfectly legitimate reasons to not be ready for a second child that soon. So it was nice for me to read in this book that age difference doesn't necessarily matter if you want your kids to be close and get along. What's important is that we space our children according to what we feel is right, and that we teach them to love each other and be kind. (Stepping down from soapbox.)
The chapter about tests for finding gifted children was very interesting to me. Apparently most schools test children for gifted and talented programs at kindergarten and then never reassess them. But the tests at that age are actually not good predictors of whether children are gifted. A lot of brain development takes place during elementary school, and the kids that struggle in kindergarten often end up being very bright. I didn't realize that this happens so often. My elementary school didn't do its gifted and talented programs this way. (After moving away from my small hometown, I've actually realized that I went to a very good elementary school.) It really isn't fair to a child to label them as smart or not smart at such a young age when they still have so much time for their brains to develop.
I thought that the chapter about the inverse power of praise made some very good points. One of the main things I learned was that it's important to praise our children for things that they can control about themselves. Instead of telling them that they are smart, it's better to praise them for being diligent or patient or for trying hard to concentrate, because those characteristics are up to the child. The author explained that many children who are constantly told they are smart tend to be more prone to give up easily. If they are not "smart" at something, then they don't want to stick with it, possibly because they don't want to not be seen as smart.
He had a chapter about how to help children learn how to talk. He talked about how seven hours of Baby Einstein per day is not going to help a child learn to talk, and will probably actually delay their speech, which was not surprising to me at all. Another thing he talked about is that instead of talking to the child constantly all day long, it can be more effective to simply pay attention to them and respond to the cues they give you. This made a lot of sense to me. I've heard from a lot of different places that you want to talk to your children constantly so they will learn lots of words, but that was discouraging for me because I just can't interact with my child like that. It seems fake and it's exhausting to talk that much. It makes a lot more sense to me to talk in response to what the child does. If Kevin is doing something or pointing at something, then I respond to that by talking about what he's doing or telling him the name of what he is pointing at (and I try to get down and play with him when I can so that we will have opportunities for this), or if we're outside I will point to different things and talk to him about them, but I don't just babble all day long about anything and everything. It seems like this way the child doesn't get overwhelmed by a constant stream of talking, they learn the concept of conversation (both listening and responding), and they learn to use the words that are most relevant to them. (Oh, dear, I don't feel like I explained this very well.)
scared of the phone
I have a confession to make: I am scared to death of the phone. Specifically, of calling someone on the phone (except my mom). I don't know why. The unfortunate/fortunate thing about this is that almost everyone has an email address now, so a lot of the time I can just email someone if I need to ask them a question or tell them something. Sometimes that's good because we don't have to worry about telephone tag. It's also nice if I need to give someone information like an address or list or website because it can be saved in the email instead of on a slip of paper in The Pile (you know which pile I'm talking about). The problem is that sometimes it would really be so much easier if I would just call someone and we could talk about whatever we need to in just a couple of minutes. My fear of phones goes so far that sometimes a person will call me and leave a message on the answering machine (because I wasn't home), and instead of calling back I take the trouble to look up their email address and email them my response to their message. Or sometimes people send me an email with a question and include their phone number at the end, obviously implying that phone would be a better way to reach them right now, and I still just respond to the email. I think people must get really annoyed with me sometimes when I persist in doing the email thing when it's something that I should really just call about. I'm a little ashamed that I'm letting the internet affect my ability to interact with people on the phone. It's something I've been noticing more about myself lately, and I'm going to start working on it.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
AZ trip part 1: the plane trip . . . or, a lesson in humility
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Last week we took an airplane trip to visit RT's parents.
We bought a seat for Kevin even though he is still young enough to sit on our laps. I'm a very frugal person, but it was absolutely worth it to me to buy another ticket for Kevin. Trying to keep him on one of our laps for a 5-hour flight would probably make me go into labor. Our first plane flight was about an hour long and I thought it went really well. We were thrilled to find that Kevin couldn't reach the seat in front of him with his feet very well. Kevin was happy to play with Ryan and color with the coloring book the flight attendant gave him. (Ryan did come out of the ordeal with a scratched neck, though, so maybe his perspective is different.)
By the way, Southwest was awesome for bringing a child on an airplane. The people in security and all the flight attendants were very friendly to Kevin and glad to accommodate us, even if he was wild or fussy or crying. We also appreciated that having Kevin with us meant we were guaranteed to board after the A group.
Between flights Kevin amused himself by running on the moving sidewalks. We were very impressed with how quickly he figured out how to adjust to the movement and keep walking without losing his balance. He provided some great entertainment for all the people waiting to board their airplanes. He's getting very fast.
On the second flight Kevin was very tired and wanted to go to sleep, but there were a lot of distractions and he was having a hard time. For a while I was trying to do things to help keep him happy, but soon I realized that what he really needed was to be ignored so he could go to sleep--not easy in a carseat in a new and interesting place with your parents right next to you. So there was a lot of crying before he finally calmed down and fell asleep. I had read about those parents who ignore their children's crying on an airplane and how awful it is for everybody else, and now I realized that I was that parent, and I understood why they would do it. I knew that I could keep trying to amuse Kevin, but he would be grumpy and tired for the entire flight and would cry a lot anyway, or I could ignore him for a while so he could go to sleep and the rest of the flight would be quiet. So yes, I was that horrible mother who ignored her baby's crying at the expense of everyone else, and you know what? I did it for the overall good. But it was a lesson in humility and I said many silent prayers that Kevin could feel peace and get the sleep he needed. He slept for a couple of hours and then woke up. He probably had a stiff neck even though I had tried to prop up his head with my sweater, and he was confused and still tired and wanted to be held, so he was pretty sad. I took him out of his carseat and held him, and he slept in my arms for a little while longer. Then he just wanted to move around, but there was no space, so that was frustrating for him, but eventually he decided he could be satisfied with drawing with Ryan's pen, and that kept him occupied for most of the rest of the trip. It was kind of tiring, but actually I think I was more exhausted last time we flew with Kevin when he was 5 1/2 months old, because I had to hold him in my lap and he was wiggly and could already army crawl, so I spent the entire flight trying to keep him contained.
Someone designed Kevin's new car seat with airplanes in mind, because it fit right between the armrests, and the cup holders (why does a car seat need cup holders?!) curved around just after the airplane seat's armrests ended.
One of the things that hadn't occurred to me is that the roar of the plane does mask some noise. So when Kevin was quiet-fussy (not screaming-fussy), people actually didn't notice that much. I had been afraid that people would get mad at me for reading him If You Give a Mouse a Cookie a zillion times, but once we were moving I realized that most people couldn't really hear me talking to Kevin anyway (not that Kevin was especially interested in reading books, but we did read some). We did get a few people turning and looking, but nobody was mean or even gave us an icy glare. Raisins, granola bars, and Ryan's pen were about the only things that worked well at keeping Kevin amused in the plane. I did wish we had brought his blanket with us onto the plane instead of leaving it in one of the checked bags--it would have really helped him when he wanted to go to sleep.
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Last week we took an airplane trip to visit RT's parents.
We bought a seat for Kevin even though he is still young enough to sit on our laps. I'm a very frugal person, but it was absolutely worth it to me to buy another ticket for Kevin. Trying to keep him on one of our laps for a 5-hour flight would probably make me go into labor. Our first plane flight was about an hour long and I thought it went really well. We were thrilled to find that Kevin couldn't reach the seat in front of him with his feet very well. Kevin was happy to play with Ryan and color with the coloring book the flight attendant gave him. (Ryan did come out of the ordeal with a scratched neck, though, so maybe his perspective is different.)
By the way, Southwest was awesome for bringing a child on an airplane. The people in security and all the flight attendants were very friendly to Kevin and glad to accommodate us, even if he was wild or fussy or crying. We also appreciated that having Kevin with us meant we were guaranteed to board after the A group.
Between flights Kevin amused himself by running on the moving sidewalks. We were very impressed with how quickly he figured out how to adjust to the movement and keep walking without losing his balance. He provided some great entertainment for all the people waiting to board their airplanes. He's getting very fast.
On the second flight Kevin was very tired and wanted to go to sleep, but there were a lot of distractions and he was having a hard time. For a while I was trying to do things to help keep him happy, but soon I realized that what he really needed was to be ignored so he could go to sleep--not easy in a carseat in a new and interesting place with your parents right next to you. So there was a lot of crying before he finally calmed down and fell asleep. I had read about those parents who ignore their children's crying on an airplane and how awful it is for everybody else, and now I realized that I was that parent, and I understood why they would do it. I knew that I could keep trying to amuse Kevin, but he would be grumpy and tired for the entire flight and would cry a lot anyway, or I could ignore him for a while so he could go to sleep and the rest of the flight would be quiet. So yes, I was that horrible mother who ignored her baby's crying at the expense of everyone else, and you know what? I did it for the overall good. But it was a lesson in humility and I said many silent prayers that Kevin could feel peace and get the sleep he needed. He slept for a couple of hours and then woke up. He probably had a stiff neck even though I had tried to prop up his head with my sweater, and he was confused and still tired and wanted to be held, so he was pretty sad. I took him out of his carseat and held him, and he slept in my arms for a little while longer. Then he just wanted to move around, but there was no space, so that was frustrating for him, but eventually he decided he could be satisfied with drawing with Ryan's pen, and that kept him occupied for most of the rest of the trip. It was kind of tiring, but actually I think I was more exhausted last time we flew with Kevin when he was 5 1/2 months old, because I had to hold him in my lap and he was wiggly and could already army crawl, so I spent the entire flight trying to keep him contained.
Someone designed Kevin's new car seat with airplanes in mind, because it fit right between the armrests, and the cup holders (why does a car seat need cup holders?!) curved around just after the airplane seat's armrests ended.
One of the things that hadn't occurred to me is that the roar of the plane does mask some noise. So when Kevin was quiet-fussy (not screaming-fussy), people actually didn't notice that much. I had been afraid that people would get mad at me for reading him If You Give a Mouse a Cookie a zillion times, but once we were moving I realized that most people couldn't really hear me talking to Kevin anyway (not that Kevin was especially interested in reading books, but we did read some). We did get a few people turning and looking, but nobody was mean or even gave us an icy glare. Raisins, granola bars, and Ryan's pen were about the only things that worked well at keeping Kevin amused in the plane. I did wish we had brought his blanket with us onto the plane instead of leaving it in one of the checked bags--it would have really helped him when he wanted to go to sleep.
template for a bad craigslist ad
I love Craigslist. I got my couch, my wall shelves, my Nutrimill, and my table through Craigslist, and I love them. But I've seen a lot of Craigslist ads that really annoy me. Maybe this template of a bad craigslist ad will give you an idea of what I mean:
Press caps lock now (alternatively you can choose to use no punctuation and not capitalize the beginning of sentences).
Title:
~~~~~~~++++++++++NAME OF PRODUCT YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL (or, something vague like "baby items" or "furniture")--GREAT BUY WON'T LAST LONG MUST SEE!*******PRICE++++++++~~~~~~~~~~~~
Body of the ad:
HI I AM SELLING MY [ITEM] IT'S SUCH AN AWESOME [ITEM] BUT I HAVE TO GET RID OF IT BECAUSE (choose one: WE HAVE TO DOWNSIZE AND THERE'S NO ROOM/OUR QUADRUPLETS GREW OUT OF IT/MY HUSBAND IS ALLERGIC TO IT/REALLY LONG STORY WITH WAY TOO MANY DETAILS/I'M REDECORATING THE WHOLE HOUSE AND IT DOESN'T MATCH MY NEW SALTSHAKERS) LOL. IT IS SO CUTE AND WOULD BE PERFECT FOR A (GUEST BEDROOM/COLLEGE DORM/BABY'S NURSERY/ETC.). I SERIOUSLY LOVE THIS [ITEM] AND I'M SO SAD TO HAVE TO PART WITH IT LOL. ANYWAY THIS IS SUCH A GREAT DEAL I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!! WE BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW 3 YRS AGO AT (STORE) FOR (PRICE) SO YOU ARE GETTING AN *AWESOME* DEAL. IT STILL LOOKS BRAN NEW CUZ WE ONLY USED IT A HANDFUL OF TIMES AND ITS SOOOOOO COMFY. HERE'S THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
(really long product description copied from store where they got it or from Amazon)
THX FOR LOOKING!!!!!!
For pictures, you have a few different options:
Press caps lock now (alternatively you can choose to use no punctuation and not capitalize the beginning of sentences).
Title:
~~~~~~~++++++++++NAME OF PRODUCT YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL (or, something vague like "baby items" or "furniture")--GREAT BUY WON'T LAST LONG MUST SEE!*******PRICE++++++++~~~~~~~~~~~~
Body of the ad:
HI I AM SELLING MY [ITEM] IT'S SUCH AN AWESOME [ITEM] BUT I HAVE TO GET RID OF IT BECAUSE (choose one: WE HAVE TO DOWNSIZE AND THERE'S NO ROOM/OUR QUADRUPLETS GREW OUT OF IT/MY HUSBAND IS ALLERGIC TO IT/REALLY LONG STORY WITH WAY TOO MANY DETAILS/I'M REDECORATING THE WHOLE HOUSE AND IT DOESN'T MATCH MY NEW SALTSHAKERS) LOL. IT IS SO CUTE AND WOULD BE PERFECT FOR A (GUEST BEDROOM/COLLEGE DORM/BABY'S NURSERY/ETC.). I SERIOUSLY LOVE THIS [ITEM] AND I'M SO SAD TO HAVE TO PART WITH IT LOL. ANYWAY THIS IS SUCH A GREAT DEAL I HOPE YOU LIKE IT!!!! WE BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW 3 YRS AGO AT (STORE) FOR (PRICE) SO YOU ARE GETTING AN *AWESOME* DEAL. IT STILL LOOKS BRAN NEW CUZ WE ONLY USED IT A HANDFUL OF TIMES AND ITS SOOOOOO COMFY. HERE'S THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
(really long product description copied from store where they got it or from Amazon)
THX FOR LOOKING!!!!!!
For pictures, you have a few different options:
- Don't include one, and either add in description "SORRY NO PICS" or don't acknowledge you didn't include one or say you can send pics if they're wanted.
- Put a picture up, but don't rotate it before uploading it so that people have to turn on their sides to see it.
- Put a really bad quality picture (useful if the item you're selling is a piece of junk and you want to hide that fact).
- If you're selling a long list of items, put a picture of all the items in a disorganized heap.
- Post a picture with a really bright glare reflecting off of the item.
- Take a picture of the item in front of a big pile of junk so it looks tacky.
- Use the picture from Amazon or include the link to the item on Amazon.
- Or, post a picture that's just fine but sell an item that is at least forty years old and hideous and hint that it's an antique and could be restained/painted/reupholstered and it's really awesome.
Basically, if your craigslist ad looks like this, I guarantee I will not even read it, let alone consider doing business with you.
And here's a template for the kind of Craigslist ad I like:
Title:
[Item (no flashy adjectives unless they are useful descriptions)]--[price]
Body of the ad:
[Item you're selling and the price]
[Brief description if needed--for example, to point out a feature, clarify what is included in the sale, tell the brand, etc. If necessary, include useful information such as if it can be taken apart, if it needs a little repair, or dimensions. Do not be long-winded in your description--just get to the point!]
Sometimes it is useful to include a link to the item on Amazon, but that shouldn't be used as a replacement for putting useful information into the ad.
[Three or four decent-quality pictures that give a good idea of what the item looks like and what condition it's in.]
And here's a template for the kind of Craigslist ad I like:
Title:
[Item (no flashy adjectives unless they are useful descriptions)]--[price]
Body of the ad:
[Item you're selling and the price]
[Brief description if needed--for example, to point out a feature, clarify what is included in the sale, tell the brand, etc. If necessary, include useful information such as if it can be taken apart, if it needs a little repair, or dimensions. Do not be long-winded in your description--just get to the point!]
Sometimes it is useful to include a link to the item on Amazon, but that shouldn't be used as a replacement for putting useful information into the ad.
[Three or four decent-quality pictures that give a good idea of what the item looks like and what condition it's in.]
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sunday thoughts on motherhood
"Here is a beautiful tribute by a son to his mother: 'I don’t remember much about her views of voting nor her social prestige; and what her ideas of child training, diet,and eugenics were, I cannot recall. The main thing that sifts back to me now through the thick undergrowth of years is that she loved me. She liked to lie on the grass with me and tell stories, or to run and hide with us children. She was always hugging me. And I liked it. She had a sunny face. To me it was like God. Of all the sensations pleasurable to my life nothing can compare with the rapture of crawling up into her lap and going to sleep while she swung to and fro in her rocking chair and sang. Thinking of this, I wonder if the woman of today, with all her tremendous notions and plans, realizes what an almighty factor she is in shaping her children. I wonder if she realizes how much sheer love and attention count for in a child’s life.' "
This is a quote from a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Mothers in Zion." You can find that talk at that link or by googling some of the key words. I found it in several places.
I received this talk in a pamphlet from a woman in my parents' ward about a week before Ryan and I were married, and it deeply touches me every time I read it. This quote was one that especially touched me. I thought of it again last night. Kevin was tired after a long day of hiking and playing, so when I pulled him into my lap to help him say his prayers and sing a primary song, he snuggled right up to me and held very still while sucking his thumb. One primary song didn't seem like enough, and I sang another, and another, and another, until I realized he had fallen asleep in my arms. I sat there for a while, enjoying the feeling of having my baby sleeping in my arms again. There was a very peaceful spirit, and I felt reminded that I can do no greater work than what I am doing raising this child. I thought of the people in my classes, and I realized that as much as I envy them having the time to go to school full-time, I would never trade places with them. Nothing has given me greater joy and greater meaning in life than having an eternal family and being at home with my little boy.
This is a quote from a talk given by Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Mothers in Zion." You can find that talk at that link or by googling some of the key words. I found it in several places.
I received this talk in a pamphlet from a woman in my parents' ward about a week before Ryan and I were married, and it deeply touches me every time I read it. This quote was one that especially touched me. I thought of it again last night. Kevin was tired after a long day of hiking and playing, so when I pulled him into my lap to help him say his prayers and sing a primary song, he snuggled right up to me and held very still while sucking his thumb. One primary song didn't seem like enough, and I sang another, and another, and another, until I realized he had fallen asleep in my arms. I sat there for a while, enjoying the feeling of having my baby sleeping in my arms again. There was a very peaceful spirit, and I felt reminded that I can do no greater work than what I am doing raising this child. I thought of the people in my classes, and I realized that as much as I envy them having the time to go to school full-time, I would never trade places with them. Nothing has given me greater joy and greater meaning in life than having an eternal family and being at home with my little boy.
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