Making this Private

Hey all you bloggers! Sorry, I know I've been VERY absent the last few months. It all started because life was too hectic and crazy to blog and then I got a little nervous about the privacy matter so I haven't written. In short, I'd like to make this private. I know in order to do that I need to get all your sign in info or emails and I don't have many of those. After posting this I'll check very frequently throughout the day to get your information should you choose to post it and then after a quick response from me you can take it off. Alrighty? Hope this works! If anyone has any better ideas I'd love to have them! Thanks!

Children

I never write, and I want to write. So I'm going to, and we'll see if anyone listens (or reads... whatever).
Has anyone been to an event, or a party, or some type of gathering in which YOUR child is the bad example. She hits, she spits, she pulls her clothes off, and all the other children follow her? It's one of those moments where you hear your own, younger voice echo in your head saying "My child will never do that." and then it bites you. HARD. The other parents, while condemning their own children's actions (which are exactly what your child showed them that they can do) tries to be polite and tell you "It's okay" as you apologize profusely. Finally, after your last futile attempt to get them to sit still and chill out (hey, look at the other kids sitting quietly on their mothers laps, let's try that!) you try to save yourself anymore embarrassment and pick up and leave.
Children are such interesting little people. They each are so different and individual. Which I suppose it the way that it should be. My daughter is just barely 12 months old, but can truly hold her own. She knows her opinion and is anxious to share it. I remember when she was just a few weeks old another mother in the" mothers' room" at church, while trying to control her 12 month old, was telling me to enjoy her being so little and young, because "You just wait till she has an opinion!" I Just laughed and bit my tongue from snidely saying, "Oh, she came that way." And boy did she ever. She is quite the ring leader and can get 2 year olds to act naughty when they know better. Sometimes my husband and I debate over whether or not she really knows what she's doing. There are times that I'm sure we've hit a break through and think "Yes!!!! She finally knows what sit means! But let me tell you, just because she knows the meaning of "sit" leaves no guarantee that she'll actually perform.
But, as difficult as it is to make her "sit and be still", in today's times, I'm so grateful she doesn't. I can see the leader in her. Such strong opinions can serve her well. She is a girl on a mission, and is not about to be stopped, hindered, or told no. She will not be deterred and never holds back her opinion, even when it's not socially acceptable (and I can tell you, she knows when it's not!). So what if we were all so strong? What if we weren't shy and apologetic about what we know is right? What if each day we woke with ambition and a purpose to accomplish? The world would be a different place.
So start today folks! Find a purpose and a mission and don't be shy. Take a lesson from our little ones and do what you were sent here to do and never hold back! I'll do my best too!

SLEEP

Okay, so I've seen a few of you post questions to the blogging world in regards to parenting with some great responses so I thought I'd send out a question of my own.

As you can probably tell from the title, my dear sweet Megan is not a great sleeper. Some nights are good (only up once) other nights it can be more like 3 or 4 times. Although, she is usually good and only eats and is back asleep. Those nights I get like a 4 to 5 hour block of time I feel like I could go all day. It's great. But most times I get a hour or two here and there. It's killer.
And naps are on no kind of schedule either. For a while she was really doing great and we had a good schedule, but now she's totally off and I don't know what's happened or what to do to fix it. Sometimes we get two naps and sometimes just one, and at no particular time.
In short, I'm not sleeping in neither is she. I can tell she's tired a lot of the time because she's grumpy but too overtired to fall asleep. Or am I trying to make her sleep too much? I never rock her to sleep, she always falls asleep on her own (mostly because she can't fall asleep with any one or anything around her, it's too much stimulation for her active little personality). It kills me that, what seems like so many people, have such great sleepers and all they had to do is let them cry it out a few times, or not even that. Well, not me, been there, tried that(and a million other things), like almost every night, nap, etc. What am I doing wrong? Is there some quick trick fix here that I'm missing? Is there some great book out there that I need to read? Is she really hungry at night (because even if I go in and just assure her that I'm there, she's still very persistant). Or do I just need to be patient and look for a lesson to be learned?
As you give advice here, will you please be extremely specific. Don't worry if your answer is forever long. You can email me if you'd like. I really need help here and I feel like I've tried everything. Thanks to you all!
Sweet Dreams!

Marko Polo

What is his name? Mark Frederick (or Fredrick, even his mom doesn't know) Basil

How long have you been together? We are coming up on our 3 year Anniversary on March 24th!
How long did you date? Our first date, a blind lunch date, was December 11th. We were officially engaged Februaruy 18th (although it was a long time coming) and married March 24th. When we first decided we were going to get married, which was only a few weeks after we met, we thought we'd probably do it in June (June 2nd actually which happens to be 2 of Mark's sisters Anniversary and Megan's birthday) because like all of you, we thought we were nuts to be thinking about marriage so soon. Then, we moved it to May, then April and finally our bishop suggested March 24th, and that's that. He was living in the house alone and I was living with 4 little boys that loved to crawl all over him. So neither house were great for dating and it just seemed to work. Crazy, I know, but here we are.
How old is he? 29, he'll be 30 in September. Whoa, so old!
Who eats more? We're probably pretty even here. Although, I tend to snack all day, and he can eat more in one sitting.
Who said I love you first? Mark did-- after some prodding. We were actually already talking like we were getting married and he still hadn't said it. I refused to be the first one to say it and he wanted to wait till the "perfect" moment. He said it just before midnight on New Years 2004/05.
Who is taller? Mark, luckily. I had this weird thing when I was dating someone that they had to be taller than me with heels on and always weigh more than me, even when I was pregnant. Vain I know.
Who can sing better? Defintely me. Don't tell him I said this but he can't hit a note with the broad side of a barn!

Who is smarter? Definitely Mark. I will think I learned this really cool thing and be talking to him about it and he alreadys knows it, plus the counter arguments (usually about a health matter). It drives me crazy sometimes, but my GPA is way better than his because I'm not that smart, but I'm organized and can get an assignment done and in on time. He's just the opposite. Way to smart for his own britches (yes, even correcting his BYU for his professors, at their request of course, because is knows that most updated information) but so disorganized his assignments were always late!
Who does the laundry? I do. I don't love it, but someone's got to do it.
Who pays the bills? I do. I also do all the finances for the business from our home. This one I really wish I could pass on, but I like to keep track of everything.
Who sleeps in the right side? If you are looking at the bed, I do. It's the closest side to the door to wake up and take care of the babe.
Who mows the lawn? I take care of all the yard maintenance stuff (weeding, pruning, etc), but I don't mow, that's where I've drawn the line. And sad to say, we have our neighbor boy do it. Mark works upwards of 60 to 80 hours a week and really doesn't have the time so thanks Josh!
Who cooks dinner? Definetely me. Again, he's really never home and when he is he always says, "I'll be in in a minute to help", but we all really know what that means right?
Who drives? We trade. Sometimes he does, because I prefer him to because that way I know I have his undivided attention. But sometimes he has calls he needs to make or other things to do and so I drive.
Who is more stubborn? Me. No, him. I don't know. We're both pretty stubborn, but I am more vocal about it.
Who asked who out first? We were set up on a blind date, but he called my parents house (thinking I was expecting the call, which I wasn't) and asked me out. The conversation is actually pretty funny. It went something like this.
Mark: Hello, is Stefanie there?
Stef: This is she.
Mark: Hi this is Mark Basil!
Stef: Hi Mark Basil.
Mark: .... I'm friends with the Haglund's?
Stef: (getting it now) Oh, hi.
We talked for a little while and I was pretending I knew who he was, and that they had told me he was going to call. He kept telling me he was a trainer and I kept pressing him to know what kind of a trainer he was (dog, horse, etc. I never thought a people trainer, duh?). Then he realized I had no idea who he was. He felt a little sheepish, but we went out that following Saturay to lunch at Cafe Rio.
Who proposed? Mark did. He had quite an event set up in the backyard. I had no idea he was going to propose that night. I knew it was coming, but he "got off work" later than I had hoped and than he told me he had left his wallet at the house, so we had to go and get it. The jewlery store had also called me earlier that day to let me know that the ring was ready, just to throw me off his trail. He then told me just to come in the house for a second because he wanted to show me something downstairs. So as I was going down, he said he was going to grab something from the bedroom and really ran out and around back under the deck where I was. It was beautiful. There were over 2,000 candles of all different sizes lit on the ground and hanging from the trees, a little mesh tent like area set up, with a little table and space heater (it was February) and tons of pillows, and 50 long stem roses. He had been there all day with my family and a couple of his clients setting up. It was a magical moment. It's one of the few moments I've seen him cry.
Who has more friends? Probably Mark. His clients are his friends and we're always running in to them everywhere. I tend to just hang out with my family.
Who is more sensitive? Me. I can take things way too personal and get all defensive, which is not good.
Who has more siblings? Me. I'm the only girl of 5 and Mark is the only boy of 4.
Who wears the pants? We pretty much consult each other on everything. Sometimes I'm right and sometimes he's right. We're always striving to maintain a good balance.

Love you Mark!

President Hinckley

I know this is old news to many of you avid Basil Family readers (ha, ha). But just as a journal entry of sorts for myself I just want to express a few of my feelings.
He truly was the President of my youth. Since his passing I've had so many different emotions, but mostly I'm so happy for him and that he was able to return to be with is wife and so many others who have been waiting for him on the other side. Also, when I heard on the radio that he was having a 2 day viewing I so wanted to go. It almost felt like I had to go because I feel so close to that man. Although I've never me him, or any of his family, or shaken his hand, I still feel like he is very dear to me. He almost seems as much a part of me as my own grandfather. My cousins and I have often commented on how much the two of them are similar to us in our minds. They even look somewhat the same. I am so grateful for him and his positive outlook on life. He and his wife have been marvelous examples to me and I feel so blessed to be a part of this church and to have a knowledge of this gospel. It brings a great light and peace to my life that cannot be found anywhere else. I'll miss you President Hinckley, your example in life meant more to me than you'll ever know.

Crazy Hair!

Some of it's long, some of it's still way way short. But boy does it love to stick straight up! My mommy doesn't know what to do with it and I won't stay still very long. So please help her and give her some ideas! We need some hair help and fast. Thanks!

What a Week

Hmmmm, so another week is gone and I haven't much to say. Megan and I have both not been feeling our best so we've spent a lot of time hanging out on the living room floor. The house is a mess and frankly I don't really have the energy to clean it, so messy it will have to stay. And even if I did have the energy it would still be a mess because Megan will hardly let me out of her reach. She's not sleeping much and with being sick and sleep deprived she wants me to hold her, or at least be her jungle gym, every second. It's okay though. I do really enjoy the time I get to spend with her.
As for Mark, he's been gone, gone, gone. Working from about 6am to 7pm (give or take an hour or so) all week. He's always worked 6 days/wk, but some weeks are harder than others. We can't go outside because it's too cold and with Mark being as busy as he was it was Thursday before we even had a decent conversation. I wish I could tell you college fams that once your husband's got out of school and on the career path things would get better, and maybe for you they will, but oh boy, being married to a business owner is a toughy. I don't know who has it harder, the wives at home or the sleep deprived, meal deprived husband workers.
Luckily, life isn't all bleak, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and I truly mean that. Sometimes weeks are like that, "even in Australia".
P.S. Meg has a wicked diaper rash, thus the airing out prosses and the naked baby picture. Hope one is offended. Cheers!