Happy President's Day

I'll refrain from expressing my political opinions today and instead just say, "Happy birthday, President Washington! Happy birthday, President Lincoln!" Very honorable men. Thank you for leading our country!

Today, right now, I feel good.

I know, shocker right! (He he he, that gif is awesome!) I just, feel good!

It probably has something to do with the fact that little Starlet is feeling better today.
It probably has something to do with the fact that I went shopping and bought some much needed items including a water bottle, Starlet snackies, wedding gift for my cousin-in-law (husband's cousin), AND a music book containing 10 jazz standards for tenor sax with CD accompaniment.
It probably has something to do with the fact that Cool Apa made dinner and a very low dishes dinner at that!
It probably has something to do with the fact that Starlet got a new toy today: pink pom-poms to stuff through vaious holes in a formula can. (Kept her fascinated for 30 minutes and it was only $1.97!!)
It probably has something to do with the fact that I played my saxophone for the first time in YEARS.

Yes, I had a headache and felt dizzy today.
Yes, Cool Apa had homework to do all day.
Yes, I wish I slept more.
Yes, I had to battle negative thoughts all day.

BUT 

I'm not going to let my sink full of dishes, my dirty living room, bags of groceries on the couch, impending laundry, taxes, finances, budgets, Apa's homework, or even the fact that I still need to see a shrink stop me. In fact, I'm going to go watch an episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

I feel good.

Enjoy some Buble.




-Cool Mamma

Ze day ov Luve!

I hope you read that with a French accent.

Well, Happy Valentine's Day! Today was a really nice one for us. Cool Apa stayed home most of the stay, we all got to sleep in, I got to talk to a friend for a while during Starlet's nap, and we celebrated our love in our family by all going out to eat and window shopping at our local mall. Wunderbar!

As I enjoyed my slow morning and afternoon, I thought about Valentine's Days past. The one I want to share comes from 2007.

I was a senior in high school just entering, and sadly nourishing, a bout of minor depression. School was hard, symphonic band was a drag, the looming question of what to do after graduation was uncomfortable, and the cherry on top: boys were stupid. I was so in love with this one boy who was so in love with a mutual friend who didn't love him back which just grated on my nerves, so to soothe my aching heart, I convinced myself to crush on a different mutual friend who wasn't paired off with anyone just like I was whom I didn't really like. *GASP* When Valentine's Day came, I made the decision to be miserable because my love life was a mess and of course no one would give me a Valentine, at least no one worth mentioning.

My friend, we'll call her Zoe, was another story. She decided that she would show all those around her that she loved them. Zoe brought a bag of classic valentines accompanied by delicious suckers and gave them to her friends and classmates. In our afternoon math class, she told me, "I am just so happy. I have had the most wonderful day! I decided to just love those around me and I feel so good!" I felt guilty because I was wallowing in self pity and knew better, but despite my guilt and envy of how happy her February 14th was, the lesson stuck with me. Zoe's love and warmth really touched me that day. The best valentine I received that year was from my dear friend.

Love you, Zoe!

-Cool Mamma

Late Post: Today.... the 13th of February

Again, this post is late because I was trying to write it on my ancient laptop that refuses to die. Bad idea. Period. It was started 13 February 2014, finished 14 February, and posted 14 February.

Hey, tomorrow is Valentine's Day! I have to decide what I'm gonna get Cool Apa. Ooh! Ooh! You need to see the valentines I started today:

Aren't they cute!? They are clay hearts! Can you guess which one is for Cool Apa? Hehe! Hopefully I'll finish them tomorrow, but with little Starlet still putting things in her mouth I'm not sure if they will get finished. (It's either she eats the clay OR smears it everywhere.) SO pleased! I'm excited to make the others and bake them! 

The biggest thing I wanted to share today was this: 

The first time I saw Lindsey Stirling, I thought her whole act was a little silly. "Dancing while playing the violin......... Oooooooook?" But she grew on me and I am pleased to say I am a Lindsey Stirling fan. Her music is clean, her videos are clean, and she is VERY artistic. This video is no exception: the dancing's snappy, the special effects are outstanding, and the music is catchy. I also like it because of the story it tells me:

The violin girl and the world she lives in came into existence thanks to a higher power, the fortune teller. She slowly figures out who she is and what she's doing there, but it isn't until the stars align that she gets a glimpse at the fortune teller. Right at that instant, she watches the fortune teller playing the violin, creating music like she does! Then she seems to remember where she came from, how she was created, and realizes she's been creating music like her creator does! That's when the song reaches it's climax in choreography and music. The violin girl knows where she came from, who her higher power is, and what kind of life she will create. This really resonates with me in the following ways:

Each of our spirits was born to our Heavenly Father who raised us, loved us, nurtured us, taught us, and prepared us for this life. We came to earth born to earthly, mortal parents with a veil, a covering of our memory, to see if we would act on faith and use our agency to obey Father and do whatever it takes to get back to Him. I think that when the "stars align," meaning our hearts and spirits are in-tune to Heavenly Father's will and the Holy Ghost, we receive glimpses of our Creator and who we truly were/are/always have been! We also realize what kind of life we can give to our Creator on our way back to Him.

This idea of creating a beautiful gift for Father out of our lives is wonderfully expressed in the Mormon musical Trail of Dreams. The main character, right before he passes away, talks to the angel escorting him from mortal life. He realizes that all of our dreams come true and says, "God simply asks, 'What do you want?'" The angel says, "And we simply answer with our lives."

The violin girl plays and dances a spectacular scene for her life. Something interesting, however, is that she creates music, just as her creator does. Her life is doing something similar to what her higher power does!

My Heavenly Father has is the greatest being in the universe. He is all powerful and all-knowing, and yet He focuses on being a father. His greatest glory is me! It's you! It's all His children! In this life, we tell him what we want in the next by making something of our life.

With this life, I want to inspire people and make them feel good. I want to be a mother and nurture my children and those around me so that they can have the confidence they need to live their own lives. I want to be with the people who matter most: my family. I have faith that I will get that desire in this life and in the next.

From hearts to deep what's in my heart! Ha!

-Cool Mamma

Sick Days in So Many Ways

I meant to post this yesterday, February 12, 2014, but my browser and Blogger weren't getting along. And btw, I actually didn't end up going right to bed; I watched The Truman Show instead. 

Today was a sick day, all around. Well, except for our little Starlet: her cough's been getting better. Cool Apa took his whole day off except work in order to sleep and relax. I think he went to bed about an hour ago, just plop! In bed! Starlet and I finished Freaky Friday version ala Lindsey Lohan. (LOVE Jammie Lee Curtis's hair in that movie! Someday....) I don't know if Apa will wake up for his 8:00 class! Ugh.

It's hard when he's sick. I think he's more of a strength and support to me than I realize. When he's having a hard day on top of my hard day, it's like the world crashes around me. I felt so hopeless and depressed today: APRIL IS SO FAR AWAY! WHERE are we gonna end up!? WHEN am I gonna be better!? It doesn't help that I need to reevaluate medication and stuff.....ick. Depression is my monster, a monster that must be slain. I would call it a dragon, but I don't think it's worthy of such a cool animal. This monster has been around for a long time and I just want it GONE! Shoo! Go away, depression monster!

Dang. I just got hit with a re-occurrence of my sickiness from yesterday. I used up all my juice doodling that beauty. (Not as good as if I had done it by hand, but not bad!) 

To summarize: sick days are hard whether they be mental or physical or emotional or whatever. I guess it's part of life, and I signed up for this life. I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

I think I'll pause my episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and head to bed. I've got a head ache. 

"And if I don't see you good afternoon good evening and goodnight!" - The Truman Show 

Ooh, maybe I'll watch the Truman Show instead of heading to bed...

Just a few minutes, it's been a while since I've seen this show. ;-) 

-Cool Mamma 

Cast of Characters

I didn't get to this yesterday and I want to post today before I head to bed.  I would like you to meet: 

the cast of

Chronicles of Vatervaar 

Cool Apa Vaterlaus - 

Say hello to the love of my life! Even though I didn't know he was my dream come true, when I first met him, I did fall pretty hard and fast for him. Cool Apa is an engineer finishing his last semester of school - YAAAAAAAAAAAAY!  He also works part time on top of school AND being a dad AND being a hubby AND being a member of the Sunday School presidency at church. 

"Sleep? What's that?" - Cool Apa

Needless to say he's a hard worker. Cool Apa is also very creative, has an excellent way with words, and can quote Calvin and Hobbs, Garfield, and Farside comics like they were movies! 

Cool Apa is holding...

Cool Starlet Vaterlaus! 

This is our little girl, who is our little Star of Joy! 

Our little Starling! My little Starlet! She has her daddy, mommy, and all four grandparents tied around her little finger! And boy oh boy! Her personality is as bright as her hair! Like most younglings, she likes to do many things by herself, loves milk, juice, cheese, Veggie Tales, and Piano Guys. Starlet is a happy girl who loves exploring and organizing everything. 

"Dupe a dupe a dupe a dupe!" - Cool Starlet

I am so grateful God sent her to me. I don't think she needed me as her mother; I think I needed her as my daughter. Starlet is truly my guardian angel. 

And me! The author! 

Cool Mamma Vaterlaus! 

I am a mother of that beautiful redheaded Star, wife of that sexy engineer, and a physics/physics teaching grad who currently thinks that major was a complete waste of time since my real passions are oil painting, music making, cartooning, writing, and birthday card making. I LOVE being a mom! I believe that dreams come true, that happiness is found in simple family moments that you could bottle-up for Eternity, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm working on undoing old, negative thought patterns to turn my depression around and sent it back to the hell-hole where it came from. I love colors, jazz, and Cool Apa's smile. Life is to be harnessed and ridden, just like a wild horse: the more you train it, the better it gets, and the further it'll take you. 

"Remember, I'm [prayin'] for ya. We're all in this together." - Red Green, adapted by Cool Mamma

Our lives aren't perfect and we're not perfect people. But we love each other and know that if we obey Heavenly Father's commandments and are "excellent to each other" (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) we will get to live with each other forever. 

-Cool Mamma 

Oh yeah, and by the way: 

We're Mormon.

Introduction : Purpose

I've made and written on a handful of blogs in my life, hoping that one, just ONE will become viral. Maybe just maybe that blog will become famous.

But that's not why I'm here.

In Stake Conference this weekend, we talked about Hastening the Work and how we can each individually share the gospel. The local mission president talked about using the internet, especially Facebook. I tuned him out a little because I feel that I personally should have nothing to do with Facebook; it's like virtual cocaine for me: addictive and degrading. So during the talk I first questioned my resolve then thought, "There's got to be another way for ME to share the gospel."

I found my 'other way' while talking to my husband about what the mission president said. Previously, I thought, "I can't do the blog thing; none of mine have caught on," but then I told my husband, "I think I could do the blog thing, talk about my little family and how the gospel touches my life." Once I said that, the Holy Ghost whispered to my heart, "That's good. Do that."

So here I am!

Usually I want to try and prove some point. I want to cry repentance to the sinners everywhere, but that's not MY job; God has appointed others in that calling. I'm just here to tell my story as it unfolds and hopefully spread a little light and happy moments.

-Cool Mamma Vaterlaus