my morning with ells...

happy birthday from mom and dad frandsen with help towards a camera on which i spent too much (including a new lense etc.) in this down economy.

regardless, it afforded me the chance to spend the morning with my youngest girl--to whom not as much photographic attention has been paid as our previous children in their youth.

i attempted to make up for it this morning and will let you be the judge.

ella has decided that she loves bread, cheerios and pears.

as you can see here, she wants dad to know whose food is whose...

just kidding dad..!

food eaten...and a content young lady.

bellsy is making great strides in her quest to crawl. right now it's more of a backwards army crawl she does...

but she usually gets what she wants in the end..:)

what a great morning. it doesn't get much better than spending time with a girl as sweet as this.

Fighting Internet Pornography...

Instead of taking advantage of the hour-early bedtime I should be getting tonight, I have been online reading and researching the CP80 Foundation after following a link sent to me by my father-in-law.

This foundation addresses one of my deepest concerns for our society and my family: Internet pornography.



When I was completing my master's of social work, research was beginning to surface about the addictive nature of pornography. The field was all-a-buzz about long-term effects, cycles, and interventions. The research and findings continue.

In our LDS married student stake at the University of Utah, the stake Relief Society presidency I was a part of had many meetings with our stake presidency about how to address the issue of the internet and pornography. It was one of their major concerns. They devoted ward conferences to the subject and focused many efforts toward education and prevention.

And as time goes on, I am aware of more and more wonderful people who struggle with this darkness that has invaded their lives.

Internet pornography is running rampant with little to no regulation into the homes and minds of children and adults everywhere. In a society where morality is falling at an alarming rate, we have yet to see the long-term effects of this "internet generation" and our its exposure to sexually saturated media. But from my viewpoint, it doesn't look good.

As a mother, I feel helpless when I think about how I will protect my family. Internet use is such a central part of navigating through life right now, and there is so much good that comes from such amazing technology. Yet there is so much that is harmful, dark, and addictive--and I don't have much confidence in filters. But movements like this are encouraging and make me more hopeful...

From their website comes this description of the foundation:

"The CP80 Foundation formulates and advances solutions, strategies, and initiatives meant to evolve the Internet and offer parents better choices for protecting their children from unwanted Internet pornography."

As explained by Paul's dad, they are working toward creating a 'channel' for internet pornography so that we can 'order' the internet 'channels' we want in our home. Internet pornography could be limited to one channel, which could be blocked from use. For example, instead of .com or .net, a .xxx

(You can imagine how the profit-driven pornography industry is going to react to this...)

In conjunction with other interested parties at BYU, they have succeeded in getting the international group that maintains the internet to open a charter application for them. It is called the CyberSafety Constituency Petition and Charter. This month and until April 5th is the public comment period for the charter. Please go to their website cp80.org so you can understand their proposal and voice your support by sending an email about something that matters.

The email address: cyber-safety-petition@icann.org

Here is the email I sent:

As a member of American society I treasure the liberty to make my own choices. There have been times when I have felt that liberty violated through exposure to unwanted materials on the internet.
As a mother of four young children I am anxious about the sexually saturated material that permeates the internet. While I want them to learn and experience through the wonderful resources available online, I am frightened about a resource that is so full of harmful and hazardous material.
In defense of my right to choose what enters my home, I fully support the Safety Charter (CyberSafety Constituency Petition and Charter).
Please help me protect myself and my children from unwanted material. Help us have a choice in what the internet brings into our home.
Thank you,
Amy Frandsen


... and thank YOU for reading my rant.

i am ashamed...

as a member of the grand 'ole pary, i am ashamed.

i understand that the CPAC invites jokers each year to lighten the mood, and rush is certainly a funny guy. what is disheartening is the sway rush has on people's minds. it would be preferable that my party be held to a higher intellectual standard. it is embarrassing that the head of the RNC is seeing political consequences for speaking negatively about rush's ideas...

this is not to give a pass to the jokers on the left. it is laughable the number of people that took michael moore's pack of half-truths at face value--agreeing that cuba has better health care than america?

just as despicable is the air america hack who is poised to take an actual national political position in the democratic party. you might write his books off as 'satire' but his penchant for playing loose with the facts in smearing others is disconcerting. you don't expect politicians to be able to start this type of behavior until after they are elected...

so, i'm still generally in favor of less government bureaucrats running around and it seems that smartly regulated markets will generally find more affordable and efficient answers than elected officials. but neither party is impressing right now.

barack isn't as bad as rush would have you believe but he isn't the second coming either.

david brooks had this to say of barack's budget, "The U.S. has never been a society riven by class resentment. Yet the Obama budget is predicated on a class divide. The president issued a read-my-lips pledge that no new burdens will fall on 95 percent of the American people. All the costs will be borne by the rich and all benefitsredistributed downward.

brook's sums my feelings of late in this paragraph, "Those of us who consider ourselves moderates — moderate-conservative, in my case — are forced to confront the reality that Barack Obama is not who we thought he was. His words are responsible; his character is inspiring. But his actions betray a transformational liberalism that should put every centrist on notice. As Clive Crook, an Obama admirer, wrote in The Financial Times, the Obama budget “contains no trace of compromise. It makes no gesture, however small, however costless to its larger agenda, of a bipartisan approach to the great questions it addresses. It is a liberal’s dream of a new New Deal.”

but, as barack continues to attempt to hold centrist, pragmatic ground, brooks received a call from obama's people found here. brooks begins his tale tellingly, "On Tuesday, I wrote that the Obama budget is a liberal, big government document that should make moderates nervous. The column generated a large positive response from moderate Obama supporters who are anxious about where the administration is headed. It was not so popular inside the White House. Within a day, I had conversations with four senior members of the administration and in the interest of fairness, I thought I’d share their arguments with you today."

time will tell. barack still has my support...but can't keep squandering chances to 'do the right thing' and expect to keep it.

Brusha, Brusha, Brusha...

Something I love about life is brushing my teeth.

Seriously... I love it.

I brush after every meal/snack and whenever leaving the house and... basically whenever I'm in my bathroom. The feeling of a freshly-brushed mouth is refreshing and rejuvenating. Aaahhh...

Michael's school focused on dental health last week... he came home with a packet from the tooth fairy and everything. Told me all about sugar bugs and flossing. Sweet! And it seems that he has decided that he loves brushing, too! Upon awakening, after breakfast, when home from school, after lunch... and again before bed--not too bad for a five-year-old! My heart soars.

And you can't imagine this mom's pride when my 7-month-old did this last month...

(this video gives just a glimpse of the advanced cavity-preventing wrist action
she usually displays)

Seems that she's been watching her mammert! We love brushing together. She loves having her own toothbrush and brushes right along with me. A chip off the old block!

Gotta Pick My Noes...

It is an ongoing discussion I have with myself.

Do I really want to do it?

Do I actually need to do it??

What will be the benefit if I do???

What detriment will I see if I don't????

And I was talking to my friend Missy about it when she just said outright: "Sometimes, I've just gotta pick my noes, you know?"

Noes... the plural of NO, that is.


Of course, it does depend on who you talk to. A Google search brought up a variety of possibilities. Most writers agreed on 'noes.' But there is also no's or nos or 'no's or "no"s... there really seems to be quite a bit of dissent.

No matter. We did laugh when we realized what she said.

But seriously, it is one of those things I have to constantly assess. Am I doing too much? Am I doing enough? Am I doing the right things? Am I doing enough of the most important things?

With four small children who thrive on and depend on my attention, and a very busy husband who deserves some good attention, too... even though there is not much that is officially "scheduled"... I often feel overbooked. Paul helped me to see a long time ago (soon after we had the twins) that just being an attentive, loving mom can be all-consuming. And most days, it is.

And that's okay.

There will be time for the special projects I dream about, the book clubs, the family history waiting in the closet, the spotless house I crave, girl's nights out, and all the the varied good intentions I have. Sanity "time out"?... that's different. Paul has been spectacular with taking over the reins so that I can go and do and enjoy. But you know... I always want to come back to feel needed and loved in the way that only my family needs and loves. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than to nurture in ways that only I can.

So for now, I'll keep picking my noes. And I'm not even ashamed to do it.

Abby and Bekah... 3rd Birthday!!!

Abby and Bekah turned THREE... can you believe it?? My little girls. Getting so old.

Abby... concentrating hard on her new age.


This is how Bekah does her 3. Isn't it cute??

Here are a few pictures from their special day... it was a lot of fun to watch them feel the doting and special treatment that comes on a birthday.

Before their "birthday party day" there was much excitement in the air as I gathered things for their requested "princess birthday cakes." Anyone who asked them about their birthday got an earful about how the cake would have a princess, and that it would be pink. They had been talking about it for weeks, actually. It is funny how they just latched onto it. But anticipation is half of the greatness of these occasions, don't you think??

Paul and I stayed up together the night before making the cakes, wrapping, and decorating around the house. When we went in to check on them before turning in for the night, this is how we found them...


...which of course brought tears to my eyes as a flood of memories from 3 years before came into my mind about the first bed they shared...


It has been an eventful three years, and this is how we celebrated this year.

When they woke up, they got to open first presents... birthday dresses. Oh, how they love dresses. They reveled in the balloons and streamers that were just outside their bedroom door. Then they came downstairs to see their much-anticipated princess birthday cakes...



Close ups, complete with finger-digging prints!



Then they wandered the house to see all the little decorations Michael had put up for them...

(It was really cute... Michael went downstairs before any of the rest of us were awake and put streamers in many random places for them to find and giggle about.)

Then Paul "made" birthday breakfast by whisking them off to the store to pick out a special cereal. They both ended up with Lucky Charms. What a treat!


They got to open a few presents and play with them before their "birthday feast," for which we invited our good friends and neighbors the Rowleys to celebrate with us. For their feast they requested pizza and chicken nuggets. Yum.

Happy Birthday time!



I love this series of pictures...




Then we sang...

(I can't get this video to work right now... I'll try again later...)


And they opened more presents. Thanks so much to everyone who was so very thoughtful... they loved the singing princesses, big purses and hats, dress-up dolls, princess crowns and masks, books, and fancy-schmancy church dresses! What thoughtful family and friends we have!

I gave them a "pass" on naptime, and they played away the afternoon with the Rowley kiddos and their new birthday presents. Paul had to leave for work early in the evening, so I got to read them new books, play Hungry Hippos, and let them brush my hair with plastic princess brushes.

Happy Birthday to the sisters! I am so happy to have your unique, delightful personalities in our family. We are so blessed to have you! Here's to a great year!

can we..?

a reliable source says the nyc hipster (my sibling) was complaining that the republicans were not being patriotic in supporting the stimulus package being pushed through congress.

a truly bipartisan president would have given each party as much percent say in the bill as there are democrats and republicans in congress (60/40). instead it's 90% democratically fueled, wasteful and very, very expensive.

see the worst of it in this op-ed piece...

my support for mr. obama is colored by my projections of what he might become as president. a thoughtful, pragmatic centrist who will weigh options and do what makes most sense. while his actions in recent days (from his 'failed policies of the last eight years' statements over the weekend to his inability to reign in nancy pelosi) have been disturbing, i believe there is still hope.

his appointments to date have been centrist, and if he can avoid his tendencies as a senator to always agree with the extreme left...then his appointments may hold his ear and talk sense into the new president's policies...

but who knows, i've enjoyed watching the far left cry foul as sensible people are appointed to key posts. we'll see if the joke's been on me during the coming weeks...

Birthday Reminiscings...

Today is Abby's and Bekah's birthday. We probably won't be able to get away with this again... but we delayed all celebration until tomorrow when Paul is actually home during the day and Michael is home from school. Aaahhh... the luxury that young childhood oblivion gives to parents.

And although not much official celebrating has happened today, I've been very reminiscent about how that day in February 2006 changed our family forever.

Welcome to our family! Day one.

Just a few days old
(Bekah left, Abby right)

5 months old
(Abby top, Bekah bottom)

Tomorrow is their official birthday party, and I'm supposed to be making their princess birthday cakes. Instead, I have been going through pictures for the past hour... remembering so much and feeling so much for my sweet girls.

5 months old
(Abby left, Bekah right)

9 months old
(Abby left, Bekah right)

Abby, 1 year old

Bekah, 1 year old

In so many ways, Abby and Bekah have colored our lives for the past three years. They keep me busy... oh, so busy... and bring a range of emotion into my life that I never thought possible.

Summer 2007
(Bekah left, Abby right)

Fall 2007
(Bekah left, Abby right)

Christmas 2007
(Abby left, Bekah right)

I trust that Heavenly Father knew what he was doing when he entrusted them into my care... because there are so many times when I have no idea what to do. But I am learning and they are making me better. And as long as we are all better in the end, that is what matters.

2 1/2
(Bekah left, Abby right)

This summer
(Abby left, Bekah right)

This Halloween
(Abby left, Bekah right)

This winter
(Abby left, Bekah right)

I am so glad to be their mother. Happy birthday, to the sisters! We'll party hearty tomorrow.

And there will be more memories to reminisce.

Sweet Michael...

So, overall... it was a pretty hard day. But after a wonderfully enjoyable reading time with Michael before his bedtime, I was feeling much better.

I did, however, cringe somewhat when I heard the floor above the stairway creek... warning me that Michael was out of bed.

Before I could ask him what he was doing out of his room, he said, quite seriously... "Mom? You’re my favorite mother."

Me, jokingly: "Good thing, because I’m your only mother!"

Michael paused, thinking. Then said: "I love you more than any other mother in the whole world."

Me: "Oh, Michael, that's really sweet. I love you more than any other son in the whole world."

Then he thought some more, and said: "Mom? I love you and dad more than any other people I have ever seen."

Me: "Michael. You are so sweet. Thank you for telling me that. You make me so happy."

And he does.

And they all do... even on the hard days. And there is no other place I would choose to be.

religion of the left...

the last few years i have taken to naming the politically correct movement for what it is...the religion of the left. it made sense that this idealogically driven movement embraced by ivy league professors, leftist politicians, npr and movie stars (to name a few :) was thus aptly named. it would appear, however, that i was being unfair to religion in my terminology. the case is laid out here.

as a mormon, i appreciate joseph's injunction to seek truth wherever it can be found. gratefully, mormonism has a good track record of embracing scientific truths as they slowly disprove former misconceptions. it allows for a very pragmatic faith.

echoes of the ugliness of the crusades and the burning of intellectuals by the early catholic church has been seen by the religion of the left in the hateful attacks of the anti-prop 8 fanatics and the 'bigotted' remarks of tom hanks as he seeks to classify mormons as american heretics. these mormon/prop 8 based examples are just a few of the examples of idealogically, emotion based standards where those who don't agree are excommuncated from public acceptance in swift strokes...

this post is not to defend the mormon proposition 8 position (which has its problems), but to point out that religious positions are legitimate. they can be subject to public debate, but the debate should be humane, logical and respectful--not the hate speech, physical attacks and irrationality that has dominated the most recent spat between believers and 'believers'...

drop the double standard please.