Recently several LDS women collaborated on a response to Relief Society President Beck’s recent “Mothers Who Know” general conference talk in October 2007.  They entitled this documenent What Women Know and published it online today.

One of the women is a friend of mine and sent the document to me for review – and to sign if I so chose.  What they came up with really resonated with me, and I was happy and honored to sign it.  A few of the items that stood out for me:
 

I invite you to visit their site to read this beautiful and affirming declaration, and add your signature if it resonates with you.   Men are also invited to sign. 

Kitty has a name.  Actually he has two names.  I call him Sweetness, because he is such a sweet, cuddly fellow – lies with his head resting on my shoulder as I brush him.  

But his formal name is Sir Hides-a-lot.   He is a complete scaredy cat, who hides the moment he hears a knock on the door or any loud or mysterious noise.  Here are a few of his favorite spots.

This is one of his “safest” places, because no one can reach him.  He wedges himself in a little nook between my desk and the wall & peeks out into the living room.   

He also likes to hide behind the washing machine in the laundry closet but I couldn’t get a photo.
 
He wouldn’t stop meowing in the kitchen (even after being fed), so I opened the cupboard door and he happily sat behind the mixmaster for an hour.

Here he is behind the vcr/dvd player in my media cabinet.
He can sleep here for hours. Another favorite spot.

An occasional favorite spot is behind the fax machine – which is on the top shelf of a bottom cupboard in the kitchen.

He seems to have an attraction to electric appliances, doesn’t he?

And finally, in the credenza in my office. I thought he’d escaped a week or so ago when I left the door open to run upstairs to tell my neighbor she was flooding my condo.

I searched all his favorite spots and outside as well – but no kitty. After about 5 hours, I heard a soft banging behind me in the cupboard (where I really had looked). I opened the door and there he was, nap over and ready to socialize again. He spent every day there while the fans were on, drying out the carpet.

Fellow cat owners – is this normal?

Day 4: Shopping!
 
Even shopping offers photo opportunities.  While we were taking pictures of Kennedy in the pumpkins at Central Market, a Japanese family was admiring the pumpkins.  One of them just plopped right down next to Kennedy and had the others take her photo.  

Kennedy was only slightly freaked out by the whole thing.  I had to snap one because it was such a crack up. What do you imagine she would do with that picture?   Post it on her blog, perhaps? 
 

We dropped by a kids consignment shop to see if there were any Halloween costumes that would catch Kennedy’s eye.  She tried on dog costumes, bunnies, a giraffe, and several others – but none were perfect.   As we were walking out the door, Ashley noticed a pair of glittery red shoes, just Kennedy’s size.   Kennedy tried them on and just beamed.    It was decided – she would be Dorothy. 

We went back to Country Village where Ashley did some shopping, we watched some belly dancers performing, and sampled some great Kettle Corn.  Apparently to make authentic kettle corn, you must appear in costume.

Oh, and Kennedy modeled her new ruby slippers.

Then we went to Molbaks, of course.  Just try coming for a visit WITHOUT stopping at Molbaks. It just isn’t done.

Anyway, each year during the holidays, they put on children’s plays – really well done.  This year it was “Little Red Riding Hood”  – an updated version. 

We chose a performance that also had ASL interpreters for the deaf  (Ashley is trained as an ASL interpreter).  Kennedy loved it.  Here is a photo of her with “Red.”  

While there, we took advantage of Molbak’s photo opportunities.

Final day: Pedicures!

It finally rained at the end of the Sunshine Tour.  So we spent the day just hanging out at home, only venturing out for Ashley and Kennedy’s first pedicures. 

Kennedy actually didn’t have a full pedicure – but had her toe and fingernails painted orange, with little flowers and bats applied.  She was SOOO good, holding still for the whole time as we enjoyed our pedicures and her nails dried.

After a dinner and a little more shopping, I sadly waived goodbye at the airport.  

Stop, wait, come back…

Thanks, Ashley for bringing Kennedy to come visit me (and thanks Justin, for parting with them for 5 days).  It was so much fun to have you here – I’m already looking forward to the next visit!

And now – the long awaited presentation of Ashley & Kennedy Sunshine tour to Seattle. 

For those unfamiliar with the whole Rae of Sunshine thing: 

That has been my daughter’s nickname – Ashley Rae of Sunshine – since she was a little girl, because of her absolutely sunny personality.   Her daughter Kennedy bears the same middle name, and that same sunny streak.  So now you know.

I picked Ashley and Kennedy up from the airport early Thursday afternoon (10/11) and had my first “aaaaaahhhh” moment as we were walking along the skybridge to my car.   Kennedy was pulling her little princess suitcase behind her, and out of the blue she turned to me and said, “I love you, Grandma Alli”    And that set the tone for the rest of the wonderful mother-daugher-granddaughter bonding trip : )

The traffic is the only drawback to living here, and I try to avoid making extra trips downtown if I can avoid them.  So while already out, we headed straight downtown to the Pacific Science Center to look at giant bubble machines, dinasaurs and other cool stuff.     That night we met up at Cosi for dinner with my brother Jeston, his lovely bride Eve, and cousin Emily.   Of course we topped it off with Smores.

Day 2:  The zoo.   Kennedy wanted to see the animals, so after lunch we headed off to the zoo.  We hoped it might solidify her Halloween costume choice, since to this point every time we asked she wanted to be something different.    The weather was lovely and the zoo not very crowded.  I took lots of great photos, but you can’t see them.  The flash card has errors and the only photo I was able to salvage from the day is this lovely gorilla family portrait.   

Costume choices?  Giraffe, dog, bunny, rabbit or fireman.

You might be wondering how kitty handled visitors.  No?  Well I’ll tell you anyway.  He adored Ashley – took right to her and was often curled up in her arms.  Kennedy, on the otherhand, was a cause for great alarm.   Run away!  Run away!

Day 3:  The Park.   First we browsed Country Village shopping center (very cute) that was having a harvest festival, had lunch a local cafe, where Kennedy entertained us with songs and overall cuteness.   I wish I could remember all the funny things she said – she really kept us in stitches.

Then it was off to the park to feed the ducks, play on the swings, make friends on the playground and pose for more pictures.    All in all, a lovely day.   And aren’t my babies beautiful??

I’ll have to stop for now, because today is my LEAST favorite day of the entire year – the day when I must set my clock forward and lose an hour of sleep.   But be sure to come back – you want to miss the exciting conclusion of this high estrogen adventure!

I just experienced an amazing flashback to the late 70s, thanks to blogger Johnny Virgil. 

Actually, this was sent to me in an email with no credits, but after a little googling I was able to track down the original source – and he deserves some credit for this LOL masterpiece.

Join me on a magic carpet ride as we take a walk down memory lane or, if you’re too young to remember, take a peek into my high school years as told through a 1977 JC Penneys Catalog, with color commentary.   

Click here and then tell me if this isn’t the funniest thing you’ve read in a year.