tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35237061179039982302024-03-05T20:43:23.231-06:00MamaFjordFive kinds of awesomeevitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.comBlogger128125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-61571992497626806132013-03-07T18:03:00.000-06:002013-03-07T18:03:13.530-06:00An update, kinda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Crazy how much they've grown since that picture up there:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRbcECJRycBDWwtoIRmwLxI4AvRjBec6vij5zQf-wl2MF4lqJfRv8YCPZOJOzY2T2vFkljAlGW9wypGWD4d5aJ-fgJI0V7jOetNJfq5_xO1iiwXf53yJ6Fa20YQuSdhCilXEonPxuCJ-L/s1600/IMG_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSRbcECJRycBDWwtoIRmwLxI4AvRjBec6vij5zQf-wl2MF4lqJfRv8YCPZOJOzY2T2vFkljAlGW9wypGWD4d5aJ-fgJI0V7jOetNJfq5_xO1iiwXf53yJ6Fa20YQuSdhCilXEonPxuCJ-L/s320/IMG_0265.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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(and this is 6 months ago already)</div>
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And yet, stayed the same:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooFPcLkNw9vvzPogbWgmSe6vSGf1sCf_6xz6LypBc_wlxHXgucOL-lJNUF8lptcAJtah6LzBabm5h86fuxWBduVhuQV3o30EzXslr4GtDaMK_4IN4uud3iLjCD3ISg5DKCMJ3oX1S2w4n/s1600/IMG_0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooFPcLkNw9vvzPogbWgmSe6vSGf1sCf_6xz6LypBc_wlxHXgucOL-lJNUF8lptcAJtah6LzBabm5h86fuxWBduVhuQV3o30EzXslr4GtDaMK_4IN4uud3iLjCD3ISg5DKCMJ3oX1S2w4n/s320/IMG_0266.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-4814650348176146412011-06-05T20:22:00.001-05:002011-06-05T20:22:32.253-05:00Fierce summer storm knocked out power and dropped temps from 102 to 75, plus some roofs and trees. Sitting on the front porch wishing for a good novel.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-90967336397523244202011-03-11T20:24:00.003-06:002011-03-11T20:37:22.209-06:00Why do pastel M&Ms taste better than regular M&Ms?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqw8x7_zTQZySoCy3HvbPnu7wCRUi-e1za87cP4mwkblU_fFPFCmGTvvyXaQPKHimtnmjJIo4RA_LfZQxY-5wvuc3pxlf-mN0tbua_lBY5BSGh6e_y1MXfE6mfTEJbAqS1eqwH1R5W-yO/s1600/2356220336_c42b50e1a9.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583014801640080306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqw8x7_zTQZySoCy3HvbPnu7wCRUi-e1za87cP4mwkblU_fFPFCmGTvvyXaQPKHimtnmjJIo4RA_LfZQxY-5wvuc3pxlf-mN0tbua_lBY5BSGh6e_y1MXfE6mfTEJbAqS1eqwH1R5W-yO/s400/2356220336_c42b50e1a9.jpg" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:78%;">And could someone edit this picture to flip them all the same direction? I suppose that's the price I pay for jacking someone else's M&Ms, but I already ate mine. </span></div>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-80629279239227978762010-12-20T20:48:00.000-06:002010-12-20T20:48:51.284-06:00Merry Christmas!!My favorite person singing my favorite Christmas song:<br /><iframe height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DfyndjhiIjY?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="480"></iframe>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-53312416808844406092010-11-16T09:26:00.000-06:002010-11-16T09:27:01.953-06:00Eleven degrees of (napster) separation<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix"><div><p> I was looking for new music last night, following recommendations on Napster, and realized that by the time I got 5-6 clicks from my original search, I could be in a totally different genre. For example, a search starting with Harry Connick Jr made it to Metallica in about 9 or 10 clicks. So, I decided to challenge myself to see how fast I could get there from something more difficult.</p><p> </p><p>Max and Ruby (Nickelodeon cartoon) - slightly tricky since most of the recommendations were Canadian</p><p>The Belmonts - I picked the least Canadian sounding group</p><p>Barry Mann - I thought that would get me closer than it did</p><p>Luciano Pavarotti - I was hoping he'd link directly to Sting or, even better, Suzanne Vega, because of the "and Friends" albums, but it didn't</p><p>Josh Groban -</p><p>Sting -</p><p>Suzanne Vega - key to everything - this game could be called Six Degrees of Suzanne Vega, but it would be too easy.</p><p>Gin Blossoms</p><p>Blind Melon</p><p>Alice in Chains</p><p>Metallica</p><p> </p><p>My MP3 player has a lot more variety now (yes, I did add something from every artist along the way). Anyone have another challenge for me?</p></div></div>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-42758374781047966862010-11-09T18:58:00.003-06:002010-11-09T19:19:04.669-06:00Right 'roundNo reason, except that I had to Napster the new version so that I can play it for HEY later. "I don't know if I've ever even heard the original version." Whatever. And guess what, I didn't know there was a new version until tonight. Ha. I'm so cool.<br /><br />I'm sitting in the driveway in the van because I dropped off 2 of the kids at a rehearsal and the rest of the kids, who have been home sick all day, fell asleep on the way home. Unwilling to drag 3 sleeping kids in and back out again in an hour, I just ran in to grab my laptop and pretend to study/write a paper. And download Right Round.<br /><br />School was going well. I finished all but one class I had picked for this term in the first month. But now, a research paper... I started it the beginning of October and I have a thesis statement and...some research saved in my folder in the virtual library and...a couple of articles picked out to add to the annotated bibliography I had planned to finish the first week and...that's it. I don't know why exactly I'm dragging my feet on this. It's fairly ridiculous. As soon as I finish it, I can move on to classes I like again. I really want to move on to classes I like again. Classes that I can finish and feel accomplished again. I have a new, firm goal now though - must be done by Thanksgiving Break. If it's not, I might as well shoot for my original deadline (set by my mentor because we didn't know I was going to bust out 4 classes in the first month) of January 7. I can do this.<br /><br />Hmm, my left ear just went silent except for some ringing. That's a weird and unpleasant feeling. It's a good thing my job doesn't depend on being able to hear things. Oh, wait...<br /><br />I am actually kind of excited for Christmas this year. Generally, Christmas is usually bittersweet for me. The last time I spent Christmas with my family (sibling, parents) was 1998. Christmas growing up was always awesome, mostly because of family and family traditions and grandparents and cousins and games and etc. etc. etc. and quirky presents from my dad (matching hairdryers x3 for me and my sisters). And so Christmas has been kind of this giant reminder that Hey!! You live so very far away from all these people that you love and what if you never get to spend another Christmas with your grandparents? I don't know if it's because we did get to see so many this summer on the Epic Road Trip or just more resolve to just do the best I can to make Christmas awesome for my kids (note, I do usually do that, the bittersweetness stays inside) or maybe that there is a glimmer of hope that we will someday, SOMEDAY move closer or that in general, maybe, there's a glimmer of hope as I maybe, maybe get out of this funk that I've been in for way tooooo long, anyway...I'm actually kind of excited for Christmas this year. Making plans and all that jazz.<br /><br />And now, it's time to go fetch the girls from rehearsal.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-9738166182903630502010-08-29T00:29:00.002-05:002010-08-29T00:32:12.541-05:00A Little Visitor<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4Ncxs10KcCCZJsohkl7kpBALu5Ew8ws8HJk1ZNCsAJSl96SffdKkj_EiAkF6scM2E8kUd3p4ZgcczffcEfr3VszBuYKboFE7v23aa_Ub_HWQ88uaqBu5-cDXBfsHoF-23bKhUdrMyqjq/s1600/potty+frog.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510700066218155410" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4Ncxs10KcCCZJsohkl7kpBALu5Ew8ws8HJk1ZNCsAJSl96SffdKkj_EiAkF6scM2E8kUd3p4ZgcczffcEfr3VszBuYKboFE7v23aa_Ub_HWQ88uaqBu5-cDXBfsHoF-23bKhUdrMyqjq/s320/potty+frog.jpg" /></a><br /><div></div>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-8088559151988615642010-06-29T14:13:00.001-05:002010-06-29T14:13:33.291-05:00waiting at the dr's office with 3 crazy, wound up girls. They have the sillies, nervous energy waiting for shots all around.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-10594997484463521672010-06-22T17:37:00.003-05:002010-06-22T18:48:23.973-05:00Speaking of TV showsI'm sorta in love with John Besh's new show on TLC, Inedible to Incredible. At first, I thought, hey, my husband could nominate me for that and then I could get John Besh to help me with some cooking, but then I watched it and now I just like it because it makes me feel like I suck at cooking just a little less. My food is seriously ehh, but I've never served pureed vegetables with frozen meatballs and sliced cheese on top.<br /><br />In other news, it's my birthday. THAT birthday. <br /><br />One of our family traditions is getting to pick dinner on our birthdays, but since DPY is at rehearsal, I voted for Kid Cuisine for the kids. And I'm having brownies and ice cream.<br /><br />I just dropped the middle 3 kids off at VBS. I thought they were going to go just tonight because they were invited by a friend (who has already gone with them to one of our church activities), but they looked like they were having/going to have so much fun, I'll probably let them go all week. They wanted SPY to stay too, which would mean 4 nights of no kids....but....I didn't want to lead them on/take advantage. SPY cried when we left, of course. Sigh. (I tried to make up a phonetic for a sigh there, but I couldn't come up with anything besides phhhhh and that felt more like a raspberry than a sigh.)<br /><br />My birthday has been quite lovely for the most part and uneventful, which is lovely. Breakfast in bed - scrambled eggs and toast with a diet Coke, lounging about, playing on FB, ignoring pretty much everything on my to-do list (except the trash dude and some mail that had to go out today and the bank and the grocery store briefly). Really awesome card from the kids and one of my favorites ever from DPY - one I'll even save, which is a BIG DEAL for me.<br /><br />I think it's time for a little more lounging before work (and picking up the VBS kids). As HB would say, because she's retro like that, Peace Out.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-5794038056458969362010-06-17T14:55:00.003-05:002010-06-17T15:09:16.322-05:00Summer+imeand +he living is easi. Unless u're +rieing +o +ipe on mi poor lap+op. +ee, whi, +ab, lef+ shif+, page down, and backspace; all missing or nonfunc+ional. <br /><br />o+her +han +ha+, +he girls have been going +o +hea+re camps, we've been hi++ing up +he librari, and jus+ chillin' ou+ awai from +he ho+ sun. And ge++ing readi for our grea+ +rek nor+hwes+ward in a li++le less +han a mon+h. 18 dais of driving, hanging ou+ wi+h famili, more driving, hanging ou+ wi+h friends and famili, Pioneer Dai in SLC or Logan, more famili in Logan, +hen home again, home again, jiggi+i jig via Carlsbad Caverns (from hubbi's bucke+ lis+, if he had one).<br /><br />+he smalle+ one is asking me how do I spell "boi +oi" which he apparen+li learned from +oi S+ori? <br /><br />+iping +his is wai more annoi-ing +han fun.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-16849233434136422582010-04-08T19:10:00.003-05:002010-04-08T19:40:51.341-05:00In the interimThings that have gone on since December:<br />*not much.<br />*school is going fine and it's almost done for this semester. Two more tests, two more assignments and maybe 2 more at home tests that are really more like quizzes but the teacher in that class is so far behind that I doubt she'll get both ready and posted before the end of the semester.<br />*we've been making plans to visit family far and wide this summer, but I said it out loud and jinxed it, so that's probably not really going to happen. Really.<br />*my sister found out that she's having another boy and my sister-in-law found out that she's having another girl. How convenient for both of them, though I doubt that my sister has much left from the last one since he's almost 8-1/2.<br />*my youngest/last baby is potty-trained. It happened in a day and not because I wanted it to. I wasn't ready, but he wouldn't leave his diaper on anymore so I said, fine then. I think this is probably the last of my gifts-from-God-because-you-had-this-kid-even-though-you-were-so-totally-done-at-4-kids because mostly being potty-trained just means that he runs around naked anytime he can get away with it and at least I don't have to worry too much about him making messes while he's doing it, but I do have to worry that he's going to just whip out his junk wherever we might be. Today he was jumping on the trampoline and had to go, so he dropped them and peed through one of the holes in the mat. His sister says he made it straight through the hole without getting any on the mat, which is great for his aim - not that it matters since he's too short to reach standing up yet - but isn't exactly what I was concerned about. I guess the bright spot is that he night trained the same time, which is a great big miracle. Seriously.<br />*my oldest is starring in her first play. It opens tonight. I'm not there because I have to work AND we couldn't afford a babysitter this week so I might as well work. I'm going tomorrow night and Daddy is getting her the appropriate opening night flowers tonight.<br />*My inlaws are moving to Logan, Utah. Kind of ironic (at least in the Alanis way and I don't care enough to figure out if it's true irony) since we moved here from Logan to be near them. Ha.<br />*That middle one over there is turning 8 in May so we will have parties and baptism and a visit from my parents.<br />*I'm spring cleaning in preparation for the above which includes Kilzing and painting my cabinets. I'm debating between using the color I bought back in December and heading out to the Lowe's to find the color I really want.<br />*I am, in general, feeling much better lately - less tired, less stressed out, less blah. This probably means that something is about to hit the fan. See, I'm still pessimistic at least.<br />*I am also, in general, having a lot of dejavu. Someone once told me that this means that something big is going to happen in your life and though I know that I've had other periods heavy on dejavu, I can't remember if they preceded big events so that's no help at all. I've also been randomly remembering things, events, etc. from the fairly distant past (not childhood or anything crazy like that - those are still mostly gone except the ones from pictures), which is extremely weird since my mind has been a deep, dark hole on all that kind of stuff for a long time. Curiouser and curiouser.<br />*I just realized that I'm like 3 episodes behind on Project Runway and so that's what I'm going to do tonight - fold clothes, veg and watch a bunch of Project Runway. Awesome.<br />*We took family pictures on Easter and there are several pictures of the children that I don't hate, two that I love, and even one of ALL OF US that I kind of love too, which is pretty cool, 'specially since we were using a tripod.<br />*And that's all the news from here.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-18156698113678385312009-12-23T21:59:00.000-06:002009-12-23T22:01:57.092-06:00Merry Christmas!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNUlkVY00b-wCPLA_GOJXr1icw5z7fHDQBF3DSXcCF1I2iKPN-Dte2bEmNujPQwSSAH3vtFurR6VGjtwSdGZqKZSHkIUDB3L-6EDvgACweW9jMyHe63cqz2R39Wa8JqFaC8FAcl81ZI46/s1600-h/122309_2146.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNUlkVY00b-wCPLA_GOJXr1icw5z7fHDQBF3DSXcCF1I2iKPN-Dte2bEmNujPQwSSAH3vtFurR6VGjtwSdGZqKZSHkIUDB3L-6EDvgACweW9jMyHe63cqz2R39Wa8JqFaC8FAcl81ZI46/s400/122309_2146.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418647987805221778" /></a>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-90676635101305868892009-11-05T18:33:00.003-06:002009-11-05T18:44:18.329-06:00Posted<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHWIKmTAnrmsa6uiYGcbu2-sdll8u_uqC2C3DVwOdAbXBbLEVlIiZq1qBiwdOnoam1X6EPNUZIkGWaJWjHlfU9_E1LOQCgv6jPFGduiH8-_v6WoviW6_MXSOQyeReHiIkPNM6hh1o982-/s1600-h/110509_1804edited.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400784664949298866" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHWIKmTAnrmsa6uiYGcbu2-sdll8u_uqC2C3DVwOdAbXBbLEVlIiZq1qBiwdOnoam1X6EPNUZIkGWaJWjHlfU9_E1LOQCgv6jPFGduiH8-_v6WoviW6_MXSOQyeReHiIkPNM6hh1o982-/s400/110509_1804edited.JPG" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsm3Veo5-_AxnRmEqaSeS9aNRU5-EhWC3zOmaSH2kJuWhQITLkfef5zGcwOhA5bSsvEs6gWkHa5HJdgF_YR44aqeZlPQJyw6rvHbFsWmAOH_bAtbw7PSqewLYgN_StCnsj7x1QjpWspB5P/s1600-h/110509_1804.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-1722446561449511072009-10-29T08:24:00.001-05:002009-10-29T08:25:40.632-05:00Curse you BloggerI know, I should have saved it before messing with it, but now my sidebar stuff is stuck at the bottom. Not that you need it, but if you do, that's where it is.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-55328574830680483432009-10-29T07:28:00.005-05:002009-10-29T09:30:49.285-05:00How I made another mom's dayI realized last night that I would have some free time after I dropped off several kids at rehearsal, so I made plans to head to WM to pick up the last of the supplies for Halloween. Em ended up not going to rehearsal because her throat was hurting a little, which should have canceled the trip, but since we were running low on Motrin and we were out of lemonade, I decided I'd better head on anyway. The remaining 3 kids were excited, as always, about going to the store, though J was particularly hyper and tired, which should have canceled the trip, but I figured he'd chill out once we got out of the confinement of the car. I pulled into a perfect parking spot - in the middle, right next to a cart return - and started getting the kids out of the car. The older 2 were waiting next to the car (hands touching the door per the rules) while I started unfastening SPY from his seat. I was working on the second buckle when Em grabbed J's hat and put it on. He started to chase her into the parking lot and I grabbed both of them by the shoulders. J melted into the kind of tantrum that FINALLY canceled the trip. I announced that there was nothing I needed tonight badly enough to deal with this crap (I didn't use the word crap, probably) and we were going home. All 3 kids started begging and making promises they didn't intend to keep. Well, they probably intended to keep them, but it was obvious to the trained eye that there was no way in blue Hades that they could have actually lasted more than 2 minutes (about the point when we walk past the crane games in the front of the store) before they lost it again and worse. Tantrums in the parking lot are great fun, but nothing is better than a full-blown overtired tantrum during rush hour in the middle of the entrance to one of 2 grocery stores in a town where everybody knows your name. So, I chucked them in the car, fastened their <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">seatbelts</span> myself, got in the driver's seat and locked the doors. I sat there ignoring the wailing and pleading for a good 5 minutes until they settled down and I was sure they weren't going to jettison themselves from the van. By the time we pulled out of the parking lot, they were relatively calm again.<br />Except that there <u>was</u> something that I needed - the lemonade for Em's sore throat. So, as I drove through town debating the problem, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">McD's</span> came into view. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Woohoo</span>, I was saved!! I could drive through and get lemonade without leaving the van!!<br />Now, obviously by this point I was delusional and not in my right mind. Just driving by a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">McD's</span> without stopping would have generated more gnashing of teeth, but to actually get into the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">drivethrough</span> line and wait to order something that was NOT a Happy Meal... Yep, it set J off into one of the most energetic, voluminous, imaginative tantrums he's ever thrown. Thrown is an appropriate description too. He wailed, he flung his body around in his booster seat, tears flowed. Out of habit, I rolled down the window as I came around the curve to the order speaker, but there was another minivan already there. I quickly rolled up the window, but we still heard her ordering her Happy Meals (2 boys and a girl). I could tell that she heard the commotion, because she paused and looked back for a second mid-order. She finished and pulled forward and I was forced to roll down the window to place my order for a single large lemonade. J hit the peak of his fit as I pulled forward when he realized I really wasn't ordering any Happy Meals. I met her glance in her side mirror and just smiled and she smiled knowingly back. Now, I've been the other mom before, so I know what she was thinking. Her kids probably got extra hugs last night thanks to J. J did too.<br /><br />SPY is in his own kind of trouble today. SE decided to take his guitar to school with him today. It's been sitting in the living room on its stand for months. As he picked it up, it made a strange rattling noise. Not a little rattling noise. He emptied it out onto the floor.<br />The pile contained:<br />a pick<br />about 5 Q-tips<br />2 rocks - one small, one I'm not sure how SPY got it in past the strings<br />1 seashell<br />about 25 Cheerios<br />8 crayons (a whole pack)<br />a comb - the kind with the long tail<br />a sock<br />3 pencils<br />a 5x7 piece of notebook paper<br />2 animal crackers<br />and a proof of insurance card.<br />ETA after I finished picking junk up off the floor:<br />An Article of Faith pass along card<br />a scrap of orange construction paper<br />a used <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">band-aid</span><br />and the tie end of a popped balloon.<br />I'm kind of surprised that it rattled at all when he shook it.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-13638451256292445392009-10-22T10:14:00.000-05:002009-10-22T10:14:00.339-05:00The Boy WILL grow to be a warriorIn phase 2 of SPY's manhood training, he has moved on from merely identifying the bodily function. Today, SPY took his first stab at the<br /><br /><br /><br />Hmm. I have no idea where I was going with this. It was dated 8 months ago. I guess it's a fill-in-the-blank now.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-56515318308180463542009-09-30T07:11:00.003-05:002009-09-30T07:40:51.946-05:00This weekWe will celebrate this day 13 years ago:<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 299px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387233730632919714" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoD35gQVH9_uTVgRnvVkp19oyW_9PPr1fh3pyXvxxCw4_zkukXKYVqCyxjg8hivDnqF-j8TIK-CDnk0Y_JDSBJxYIBdcKLVsdaU8SFIZAU1IzCMn2CTUnEFVd64AMtwtIneYAo1IMIqGhv/s320/Weddingbw.jpg" />By shopping for a new car to replace this:<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387233723668432802" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmxVALD2YkAbSyItn31nrqdx-MLeX6b4BPu0D6vazg7TlyYubXXgmWyO0CH05G7PRpq2sVCtoHhkdEWQo6zzxV9vGt4CfaKCD_rPCOvkmCrPvbpLvb6-7Q3frLbKIw5PUvYSMketICzZfA/s320/downsized_0929091421.jpg" /><br /><p>I didn't even cry until today when he went to leave for work. I thought that I was going to be driving him to work, because of the painkillers and all, but he decided he could make it to work, take one there, and it would wear off by the time he was ready to go home.</p><p>ETA: I should probably have led with he's fine, but sore, and everyone else involved is fine.</p>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-68341744793665484222009-09-01T10:40:00.002-05:002009-09-01T11:01:47.070-05:00Realized just now, while I was mopping the kitchen floorI've often felt, I don't know, guilty or silly or lazy or lame that I didn't go to college right out of high school. I could have been DONE by the time I got married, but I let various things get in the way - moving in the middle of Junior year and no longer caring about school once we moved, boys, not caring enough to figure out the money, etc. But here's the thing about waiting until now to go to school - I know what I want to be when I grow up. I guess it's fairly likely that I would have figured it out and changed my major, but do you know what I probably would have majored in if we hadn't moved and I'd gone to college right away?<br /><br />Technical Theatre.<br /><br />And what would I have done with this degree? Probably the same thing I did with no degree - had kids and worked mostly part-time in various retail and clerical and childcare and healthcare type jobs.<br /><br />The moral of the story is NOT don't go to college right out of high school. It's that sometimes things happen for a reason. I wouldn't say EVERYTHING happens for a reason and I'm pretty sure that hearing crap like that wouldn't have mattered a bit to my 16-year-old self who was pretty ticked that we moved in the middle of Junior year, but I think I'll let go of that not-going-to-college-sooner regret. It's not doing me any good anyway.<br /><br />Hopefully if/when we decide to move (it's planned, but not decided, if that makes sense), my daughter, who is already pretty ticked about the idea and it's still 3 years off, will someday forgive us when she meets her soulmate/figures out it was the right thing to do/lives happily ever after. Of course, I really hope that she will be pleasantly surprised and delighted by our new home, but if not, then someday forgiving will have to do.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-60975285438036576822009-08-29T07:52:00.007-05:002009-08-29T08:36:29.374-05:00A dream from which I did not want to wakeI dreamed that we were living on a street like 1600 East in Spanish Fork (in Utah) with houses all in a row and sidewalks, which is the street I lived on during junior high and most of high school. My BFF from lived at the opposite end and across the street. In my dream, we lived about 2 houses in from the middle road (Utah grid system, would be about 550 South I guess - stalk it if you want, none of us live there anymore) and in the dream my BFF from high school lived in what would be the house next to her mom's and then her mom still lived in her house and her cousin lived across the street.<br /><br />Some of the houses were the same or similar to the real street:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMIjuImY7UJdOsiDza6IC_4or8BYNZVQ7qFa_40OjCGfYQRvkpKy_4V9U_ir8o8WKS4c_zus_1fpvDMdplTm84Oi65-xE9qKnWKHMA0APBpJXxsajNnvr0il-Nhveq-m3tvwbP4c84L5p/s1600-h/sf+house.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 310px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375372745622874242" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLMIjuImY7UJdOsiDza6IC_4or8BYNZVQ7qFa_40OjCGfYQRvkpKy_4V9U_ir8o8WKS4c_zus_1fpvDMdplTm84Oi65-xE9qKnWKHMA0APBpJXxsajNnvr0il-Nhveq-m3tvwbP4c84L5p/s320/sf+house.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">The house where her cousin lived looked literally just like this. I don't know the address of this house and it's been 20 years almost, but given the placement of the mountain behind, this could be the very house, or the next street over. I think. My house and my friend's house also looked just like this (except hers was floor-plan flipped) - for reals and in the dream. This one is for sale; I should buy it. I love these houses. Does that look like a 6 bedroom house? But it is. </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Basements, I love them.</span><br /><br /><br /><br />but some were a totally different style, kind of like my grandma's house:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7BsjfJEHT9iJsy6VXa2lxYVQth7-8eHBJERjuuFYMgdeUv_wrKZZ_XlzFeAThfj7pGSGCW4Gdh-bphXZ9JpqG_UCgahERPpgjexDYslIqIPpweppafoxeUMrloEJuMMkA2GS-ysSu_rX/s1600-h/tacoma+house.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 310px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 233px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375373932825069858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV7BsjfJEHT9iJsy6VXa2lxYVQth7-8eHBJERjuuFYMgdeUv_wrKZZ_XlzFeAThfj7pGSGCW4Gdh-bphXZ9JpqG_UCgahERPpgjexDYslIqIPpweppafoxeUMrloEJuMMkA2GS-ysSu_rX/s320/tacoma+house.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">This isn't my grandma's house, but it is probably 2 houses down the street from her house (also for sale and surprisingly in the same price range as the above house - um, surprising because this house is in Washington state, home of sky high real estate). I'm not buying this house. Love my grandparents, but they don't even want to live in this neighborhood anymore. Plus, this house does NOT have 6 bedrooms (it does have 4 - attic!!, but if it is really like my grandparents', then the bedrooms are tiny).</span><br /><br />Anyway, I walked down to my friend's house that night to watch her kids for a bit while she went across the street to her cousin's house to see her new baby (a boy - it was her first). My friend's husband got home before she left and took over the kid duty and so I went over with her. Her mom was over there already. We helped clean up her kitchen while mom held the baby, then we all kind of crashed in the living room and I got to hold the baby while her cousin slept and I think my friend went home to take care of the kids and her mom stayed on the couch and we talked/dozed. I remember telling her cousin that she could call me any time, even in the middle of the night, to come help with the baby, etc. The baby was so cute and sweet.<br /><br />So, this dream apparently manifests both my desires to live on a street with sidewalks (desperate desire) and to hold babies. My life is completely devoid of babies right now. I don't want my own (REALLY), but I would like to be near some. This is probably brought on by the birth of my niece almost a week ago and several friends posting new baby pictures this week.<br /><br />Hey, if we did buy the house by grandma's, I could hold my niece at least. On the other hand, I hear there are babies here and there in Utah too.<br /><br />(ETA: While I was editing this, the price of the first house dropped $19,000. I couldn't find it when I went back to look at it again.)evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-77379102426760234572009-08-28T16:31:00.002-05:002009-08-29T08:01:06.616-05:00The saga of Banana's backpack:Lovely Banana (aka The Queen) started middle school this week and offered to use the messenger bag I made (well, embellished?) for her last year because she's all money conscious and stuff. She packed it full of her junk and got to school and found out that 6th graders don't get lockers - the middle school was originally just for 7th and 8th grade and they haven't been able to put more lockers in. She has three 1 to 2 inch binders plus other stuff plus gym shoes plus her agenda. It's crammed and her shoulders are killing her every day.<br /><br />No money for a new backpack - except financial aid money, but it's not yet released to me, just in my account. So I head over to the college bookstore and pick her up a really nice backpack - padded shoulder straps, adjustable compartments, etc. (ok, it was the only one left without wheels) for $50 - way more than I would really like to spend, but I don't want her to keep hurting her shoulders and spending money on financial aid is like spending money on a credit card. it's not quite real/in your hand yet, so it's easy to spend.<br /><br />Oh, and the backpack is black with mustard yellow and grey accents.<br /><br />She hated it and it was too long for her. But she let the office lady take off and throw away the tags before she read my note inside saying DON'T TAKE OFF THE TAGS UNLESS YOU'RE GOING TO KEEP IT - oh and there was a note on the outside telling her to read the note inside as soon as she got it.<br /><br />TEARS.<br /><br />On Wednesday, I took it back anyway. And got really lucky that they made an exception (mostly because it was the only one left and he still had people coming in to register who could also be suckered in to buying a $50 backpack on financial aid).<br /><br />HAPPY - except her shoulders still hurt.<br /><br />Went to Goodwill today. Our Goodwill SUCKS. Seriously sucks. Except when it doesn't, like today.<br /><br />A PINK and black SWISS ARMY Airflow backpack (looked it up, one with the same features but this year's model, retails for $80), mostly clean (all clean now thanks to Shout, baking powder, bleach, and laundry detergent), a little smaller, did I mention it was PINK!!<br /><br />And, oh yeah, for $4.99.<br /><br />95% off retail.<br /><br />If she doesn't like it...<br /><br />Well, then I'll sell it on ebay I guess, there's one exactly like it but red listed right now for $60. Or use it myself. It's so awesome, laptop ready and everything. Not that I haul books or laptops anywhere, but if I needed to, I definitely could, in style.<br /><br />They also had a clean and perfect love seat for $25 that I wanted so badly for our living room, but it was sold. It must have been an employee because it was marked sold today and I was there 5 minutes after they opened.<br /><br />Resume lameness of Goodwill.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-62041955269399576872009-07-04T10:54:00.001-05:002009-07-04T10:54:48.647-05:00Happy 4th!!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/kDA9NbPAK8o' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/kDA9NbPAK8o'/></object></p></div>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-63042957639873897942009-06-02T13:46:00.001-05:002009-06-02T13:46:21.913-05:00Em just told me that next year She's going to use her birthday money to buy 3 blocks of mozzarella cheese. ''Man, I love mozzarella cheese!''evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-89186483789068553892009-05-29T15:29:00.001-05:002009-05-29T15:29:35.959-05:00Bus is HOT!! My butt is asleep. I can see John Wayne in front of me but can't hear him over Rent in my ears.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-39146141172578458292009-05-29T11:09:00.001-05:002009-05-29T11:09:42.134-05:00I was going to send a status update to FB but I didn't save the info in my phone :( On a bus to San Marcos to StATE Band competition. Paulblart.evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3523706117903998230.post-33484079417469011112009-05-21T08:31:00.004-05:002009-05-21T08:40:53.828-05:00HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPY!!<div align="center">June 2007<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338270482371200930" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqMyytc7DChIl_tRhIdssNAJdioj5bg6jjlKEuvETAn-kkLRm652-TkvrssyG-QFatFXoZf75fyYuV0jqeEitY85I-WAlrGdc5Ma7UXpnAOEsR7eh27lYzTkL_wyPLcNU6wa2tTQsMaRX/s320/DSCF5814.JPG" />May 2008<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338270798364298002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTSSukoxXnDNs-E4WwpdNAc8_T9E8EJhKy6Gk6k10eLr0MX-v2sACM9Ly-4qxN2Eopq358rxMNhYOSe32RGweDuzCvMlaODbi86NA11e6YrCDFtVoakr1bIN0KvidWbr7P9d31EeDPA3w/s320/DSCF8852.JPG" />May 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7C__sdf0L2EfSIkM5VP273fBLxlh-mT1Z1QPxe_o6gDdrslXnQWvpL9PU_jgDF-eEPslEK5qUCzIptfS8n951YPHN9Pm-yIU9MlJKXDqHy7b2x0HvpUP-XFHQCi_TQpJ-psGkeEmS6aW/s1600-h/DSCF0872.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338271114079445522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7C__sdf0L2EfSIkM5VP273fBLxlh-mT1Z1QPxe_o6gDdrslXnQWvpL9PU_jgDF-eEPslEK5qUCzIptfS8n951YPHN9Pm-yIU9MlJKXDqHy7b2x0HvpUP-XFHQCi_TQpJ-psGkeEmS6aW/s320/DSCF0872.JPG" /></a> My last 2-year-old...</div>evitafjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716693151819058549noreply@blogger.com4