If You Chance to Meet a Frown.

It's a smile award!! Heather of The Extraordinary Ordinary has given it to me! Thanks so much, Heather! A word about this lady. She recently commented on Evie's blog, and in response to Ev's request for ideas for a new blog name she said that she had nothing to offer because her own was a little "cheesy and boring" or something. Well. I believe the title came from when she and a friend (or maybe it was two people in a movie?) saw all the SAHMs outside their houses with their kids, looking slightly frazzled. They thought what a little tragedy that all these women are the same, living the same kind of sorry life. Now she is a SAHM and can see that the life of a SAHM is much as she could see back then, but at the same time so very very different. Each of those mothers had a story, a life that kept them busy, brought them enormous amounts of joy and caused them to stretch and grow and learn to empathise with the world. I am SO putting words in her mouth. But basically, I think The Extraordinary Ordinary refers to her "ordinary" life as a SAHM and how very extraordinary it is! I think it's spectacular! Heather is one of a very small number of bloggers at MMB who are not LDS. I'm so glad she joined. She is such an important part of that community and I can't imagine it without her! (And if you're reading this, Heather, please correct all the misinformation in this paragraph in the comments! Sorry!)

This is how the award looks:













I was going to be all indignant and make a post mocking the long list of rules and criteria for receiving/giving this award and talk about how the creator of this award obviously doesn't want people who receive it to be smiling. Then I went on her blog (she's a junior in HS) and saw that she seems really sweet and all my resolve kind of went out the window. But I DO think it's pretty terrible, still. In case you wonder what I mean, check it all out under this list of those I'm awarding:

Pam at McEwens whose blog I stumbled across once I finally broke out of only looking at blogs in my same genre (The Lighter Side) at MMB. She's really funny in a naturally funny sort of way, without seeming to try to be. I don't know how to describe it. She's just funny and wise (sounds dumb to use the word wise, but I think she is).

Kimberly from Temporary? Insanity always has me smiling, either because she's being funny or because I just totally get where she's coming from and she expresses herself so well.

Melissa from The Howell Harold Because she has the funniest/cutest little baby girl (look at her pictures and try not to smile!) and she explained how to prepare, cook, and eat an artichoke on her blog, and she said that she thinks we are twins who were separated in the pre-existence. How do you not smile about someone you admire calling you her twin?

Andrea from Me + 3 (who probably made me laugh more than any other roommate I ever had [besides Greg, but that's different]), because her HYPER-precocious super-hero son is a RIOT to read about and she describes it so well. Plus she has a darling little boy just Aaron's age. (And I meant HYPER as in super, not that he IS hyper. That was a little confusing).

Heidi at Hadleyesque who I just think is hilarious, and even though I don't laugh out loud a lot while reading funny stuff I do with hers, and if I'm not laughing I'm at least smiling.

So sorry, guys; here are the rules/commandments: I like how Heather dealt with it. A little civil disobedience. You know what? I'm going to copy her. I hope that's okay. Of COURSE that's okay!! So find the rules here. And thanks guys, for making me smile!!