rhuBARBpie

'Deve turns 57

Glad we had someone to celebrate with!






Chandler went "deep" on the "pinch" to grow on!

Our New Baby!

                 tiny tiny new baby.  perfect. precious.

            hyrum samuel bodily....welcome!

Christmas Eating!

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a Christmas buffet
table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit.  In fact, if you see carrots,
leave immediately.   Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly.   It's rare..
You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who
cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're
going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy
it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. if something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of
gravy.  Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your
mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk
or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports
car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control
your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other
people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New
Year's.  You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This
is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet
table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like
frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position
yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you
can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair
of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan. Have a slice of each. Or if
you don't like pumpkin, have two apples and one pecan. Always have
three.   When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with
the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have
some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party
or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read
tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.Remember
this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a  journey to the grave with the  intention of
arriving  safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but  rather to
skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally
worn  out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

    One thing about working at the school that I truly love is the kids.  For some reason, it gives me a little "rush" when they call out "Hi, Mrs. Bodily!" when I get out of my car to go into the school in the morning, or at other times throughout the day. I just love it.  I love it that they like me.

    My little Speech cubicle is kinda central in the school, so often kids open my door and say "Hi!"   Steve said, "They like you cuz you give them a positive stroke."  I  thought about that for a minute....Probably true. It's very easy for me to love them....especially the underdogs.  And I work with alot of those.

    There's a new student I just got. He's Spanish.  His family are laborers for a farmer.  My heart is hurting for him. I can tell they are really poor.  And besides that....he's  a fourth grader who reads on a first grade level and stutters.  I'm suppose to fix his stutter.

     I said, Jorge..."Why do you think you have bumpy speech?"  He said, "Well, I don't read good.... and I'm afraid the kids are going to make fun of me.... and.... I just get tight."  I feel so sorry for him. 

    I'm ready to take him on as a Project!  Come early to school...teach him how to read...work with him "to death" ...all in a last ditch effort to some how make his life better.... fix him!

   So, we went went to a school assembly today.  The kids sit on the floor. There Jorge sat with his class. Super skinny, big brown eyes, and in his sisters clothes.  You heard me right,  he had on girls clothes. Stab to the heart!     The kid next to him ...his dad's a millionaire.  They are LDS and "have it all!'  Everything you can imagine....big house, designer clothes, all the toys  and every opportunity life will offer.  

Just doesn't seem fair.....The contrast was piercing.    I could feel tears welling up inside me.

     in therapy, he told me his baby brother died because his mom couldn't feed him.  He told me his dad's never home cuz he works from early morning till late at night.  Mother only speaks Spanish. 

     What chance has he got? Poor kid. I'm hurting for Jorge tonight.