(Let’s just admit up front that the word super has a completely different definition for every kind of mom.  In my case, it means getting 2 or more items done on my to-do list.  For those of you who didn’t know that such a feat propelled you to superhuman status, you’re welcome.)

I went to Women’s Conference last week, but rather than bore you with all the details of everything I learned (I mean right now.  Of course I will bore you with them later.), it suffices to say that I walked away with a strengthened testimony of God’s complete awareness of me, myself, and my needs, AND a greater desire to find more joy in my mission– to love the things God loves.

(THANK you to those of you who met up with me for lunch or dinner while I was there.  It makes me happy to surround myself with good friends leading good lives.  In a world where one can sometimes feel like she’s the lone whackadoodle fighting to do what’s right, there’s a lot of comfort in knowing and being surrounded by like-minded women.)

Maybe my posts would be more readable if they didn’t always have a seven-paragraph introduction/disclaimer/random-thought-dump.  Whatever, I’m sure you’ve figured out how to skim by now.

Anyway.  Guess what?  I started going back to the gym every morning at 6 a.m., and by every, I mean Monday through Friday, but it makes me sound very dedicated if I just say every.  This in and of itself is actually something I’m quite proud of because it helps me to start my day, as opposed to letting my day start me (like when I wake up to the sound of my children spilling oatmeal or other abominations).  I’m not sure, but I think it’s been a little over three weeks now, which almost means I can claim it as a real habit.  I don’t know what the rules are about that, but I feel like I’m close.  So this new gym things is cool, but that’s not what I really wanted to write about.  One thing I hate about the gym is their music video channel that’s always pumped into the gym via two televisions front and center of the exercise room.  It’s their own channel, and it feeds the audio that’s heard throughout the gym.  I’ll make the story short:  It seems like at least 50% of music videos are soft porn (some not-so-soft).  It used to bug me before my I’m-feeling-lazy-and-seasonally-depressed hiatus from the gym, but I noticed it again right away upon my return, so I decided to do something about it.  I complained before and they blew me off saying “it’s a corporate decision, not ours.”  I wrote a letter to the corporate office and explained my complaint in my normal kind and gentle way (like “I don’t see any indication in [your] corporate goal statement that in addition to fueling [your members’] bodies and minds, you’re also trying to collectively fuel their libido..”) and mailed it off.

WELL.  I got a phone call yesterday from the corporate office telling me that they were immediately removing the specific videos that I had mentioned, and that they are working on switching over the entire content to more appropriate material that better promotes their ideals of a healthy lifestyle.  Oh, and apparently they went through the 400 videos they were given from whatever company produces their TV streaming and requested to remove 25% of them– 100 videos!  I thanked them for their acknowledgment and response to my letter.  And then of course I called up one of my girlfriends and bragged about it.  How cool is that?!  I can’t help but think of Sister Elaine Dalton’s claim:

“I truly believe that one virtuous young woman or young man, led by the Spirit, can change the world, but in order to do so, we must return to virtue.”

I tell you this so that you sit at your computer completely flabbergasted by my overwhelming awesomeness realize how easy it is to make a difference.

“[A woman with a mother heart] knows that the influence of righteous, conscientious, persistent, daily mothering is far more lasting, far more powerful, far more influential than any earthly position or institution invented by man.”  (Sister Beck)

Some of you may remember that about a year ago, I started working on a project called the Protecting Innocence Project. I just want to reassure those of you who contributed to the development of it with your research and writing that it IS still under construction and will be forthcoming, hopefully soon.  The content is completely done and I’m just waiting on some of the web development that I can’t do on my own.  I didn’t want you to think I’d let the whole thing fall through the cracks or make you feel like your contribution was a waste.  It WILL happen, I promise.

Well, darn-it, my post already got way too long.  I’ll just save my breath and make you a list of the rest of the victories and failures I was going to mention.  I’m sure you can figure out which is which.

1. Cashed out our budget this month to MAKE ourselves not overspend.  Hard, but rewarding.  (Today in the grocery checkout line Clark almost asked for something, but stopped himself and said, “I  know, mom, we should buy what we need and not what we want.  If we buy what we want, we won’t have enough money left for the stuff we need.”
2. I think I’ve already put about 4 pairs of wet or soiled size 4T underwear in the laundry today.  Probably 15 in the last 3 days.  Just when I thought I was done with diapers.
3. Ants in our kitchen.  Where are they coming from?
4. I was trying to save up money because preschool in the fall will probably be at least $100/month.  Happened to talk to a friend of a friend of a friend who helped me find a preschool run by the high school child development class that is $65/semester!  If I were my mother, I’d write a long, gushing paragraph about tender mercies.  Short testimony:  I love tithing.
5. I love your limericks.  I’ll post up my favorites for voting later this week.

Okay.  I’m done now.