Merry Christmas!!!

Posted

Curse you Blogger

I 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.

How I made another mom's day

I 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 seatbelts 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.
Except that there was something that I needed - the lemonade for Em's sore throat. So, as I drove through town debating the problem, McD's came into view. Woohoo, I was saved!! I could drive through and get lemonade without leaving the van!!
Now, obviously by this point I was delusional and not in my right mind. Just driving by a McD's without stopping would have generated more gnashing of teeth, but to actually get into the drivethrough 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.

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.
The pile contained:
a pick
about 5 Q-tips
2 rocks - one small, one I'm not sure how SPY got it in past the strings
1 seashell
about 25 Cheerios
8 crayons (a whole pack)
a comb - the kind with the long tail
a sock
3 pencils
a 5x7 piece of notebook paper
2 animal crackers
and a proof of insurance card.
ETA after I finished picking junk up off the floor:
An Article of Faith pass along card
a scrap of orange construction paper
a used band-aid
and the tie end of a popped balloon.
I'm kind of surprised that it rattled at all when he shook it.

The Boy WILL grow to be a warrior

In 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



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.

This week

We will celebrate this day 13 years ago:By shopping for a new car to replace this:

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.

ETA: I should probably have led with he's fine, but sore, and everyone else involved is fine.

Realized just now, while I was mopping the kitchen floor

I'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?

Technical Theatre.

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.

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.

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.

A dream from which I did not want to wake

I 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.

Some of the houses were the same or similar to the real street:















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.
Basements, I love them.



but some were a totally different style, kind of like my grandma's house:















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).

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.

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.

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.

(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.)

The 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.

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.

Oh, and the backpack is black with mustard yellow and grey accents.

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.

TEARS.

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).

HAPPY - except her shoulders still hurt.

Went to Goodwill today. Our Goodwill SUCKS. Seriously sucks. Except when it doesn't, like today.

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!!

And, oh yeah, for $4.99.

95% off retail.

If she doesn't like it...

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.

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.

Resume lameness of Goodwill.

Happy 4th!!

Em 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!''

Bus 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.

I 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.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPY!!

June 2007May 2008May 2009 My last 2-year-old...

How I know I'm doing something right:

My 4 year old knows the words to The Schmuel Song from The Last 5 Years. They all do 'cept the baby.

P!!

Now that I can be reasonably sure that I'm the last to complete my assigned letter from bythelbs, here it is - Ten things I love like that Start with the Letter P.

1. Photos.

For instance, this one:
Ohm. Can you see it? Four are trying to meditate and one just along for the ride.

2. Parallel parking. Yep, I missed it on my first driving test. But since then I have come to love it and love that I can do it - in pretty much any vehicle.

3. Pandora.

4. Penelope Marie. My favorite aunt. Not only is she awesome, she once saved me from doing something really, really dumb. At least once. Soooo very dumb.

5. Pantry. Look, I have one now.










6. Parties.
One of several many pictures we took to get a picture for Grandpa's 60th birthday party. Cooperative, they are not.

7.
8. Popsicles. Mmmmm, banana popsicles.


9. Pajama pants. I wear them pretty much every day that I don't have to go out of the house. I used to steal my husband's all the time, but he got pretty sick of that and recently bought me about a half dozen of my own in pretty girly prints. I've switched to wearing his t-shirts, hoping he'll start bringing me home girly t-shirts too. It used to work with soda too - when I was drinking the DC (I'm clean now, on the wagon, zzzzz, can't you tell?). If I ran out and start drinking his Mr. Pibb - not only did we know I was desperate, but DC would magically appear without me even having to drag the boys to the store. Alas, we are both now caffeine-free, so we'll have to use clothing to show our love. Or at least his love to me :-) I have other ways. No, not that. sheesh.

10. Penney's. I wouldn't call it cool or hip, but I definitely wouldn't call me cool or hip, so ya know. They had some sweet sales this weekend for Mother's Day and we did some shopping. I like that they tell me how much I save. We spent $110 and saved over $200. Rock on.

For good measure, some P's I do not like: Potty training, pee, philandering, paranoia, pagodas, pandemonium (although the word pandemonium is kind of yummy), Plankton, politics, partitions, pregnancy, Pitocin, and puppies. Phew!!

Last one, i swear.

One more test.

Testing. Sent from my phone.

Unexpected

I had a surprise email tonight - a friend add on Facebook. Actually I had 3 today, which made me feel almost popular, except that one was my sister and I already knew she loved me; another was a guy I knew in HS that I always kind of thought was a little creepy but thought hey, maybe he's not creepy anymore - but it kind of looks like he still is; and the unexpected one was my best friend from junior high.

I don't even remember how we met or got to be best friends, not even a little bit. I don't think we were friends in middle school (yes, we had both a middle school and a junior high - they were connected but separated). I moved to that school halfway through 6th grade - from an elementary school - and I don't remember much of anything except surviving the rest of that year - and that there was this girl who dyed her hair green for St. Patrick's Day with either Kool-Aid or Jello, which was right before we moved in, and so her hair was fading shades of green for the whole rest of the year.

Anyway, we were bestest-estest friends. Which probably freaked my mom right out because, although she was really not "bad" on the inside, she really liked to look scary. She was a big fan of vampires and was 5'10" (in 8th and 9th grade!! - actually, both of my bestest friends were 5'10" to my 5'3" - we would walk down the halls with me in the middle and they would tease that they couldn't see me -hahaha hmm). We wore a lot of black and black nail polish and stuff like that. Oooh, we were scary.

Then during the summer after 9th grade, my parents were working with the community theatre's summer musical and I decided I wanted to be in it. (probably I thought there would be cute boys there who could sing - it may even have been that I knew a specific boy was going to be there, but I don't really remember) So I was in the chorus and rehearsing that at night and still hanging out with my friend during the day, including riding my bike 5 miles each way to her house (by myself down backroads - I don't know if I'd do that today, even if I was in shape). And then my mom's best friend needed help with a children's show during the day and I think she volunteered me. Which turned out fine with me, there was a super cute guy there and a bunch of other kids from the summer musical were there and we all got to be good friends (including the guy - who wound up later being my first husband and my first kiss - in that order, neither official, which is a story way too long for this post). But I had a lot less time to hang out with my bestest friend. And I was kind of making new bestest friends.

I think that I even missed her birthday that summer. Which is bad, I know, but her birthday was the same weekend as the performances for the musical.

When school started back in the fall and we were in high school and everything was crazy, we kind of tried to keep hanging out - but then there was the fall musical and that was the end. I was firmly in the drama crowd and she was so not and I think we might have had a fight about it, but most likely not because that's kind of my way apparently. You know, nonconfrontational. We never even had a class together after that, but I heard through the grapevine that she hated me - which brings me finally to the point that I was super surprised that she wanted to be my friend on Facebook.

But then, our interaction so far has been for her to say hey, how's it going? - Fine, how about you? - Eh, fine. Did you hear about that guy you had a crush on all through junior high? (he's now a gay porn model, I kid you not. Still smokin' hot though. I'd link ya, but ya know, I'm not going to facilitate your porn habit.) - Yep, I saw that. - Okay, well, have a good night.

And that was it. Anticlimatic, but eh, what else is new?

And I was totally going to do my assigned letter from btb's, but I saw that I had a draft in edit and decided to finish it instead. So, when I say "tonight" above, I really mean 3-4 weeks ago probably?? I'll get to the P post later today or tomorrow. Right now, I have to P (and clean the house for home teachers tonight, bake cookies, do homework, and work).

ETA - I mean tonight means February 21st. Which is my sister's birthday and much more than 3-4 weeks ago. Oops.

LoOooOoooOooooOoooooOooooove.

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie

Oops, again.

See that post down there. Yep, that was post #100. Oh well.

Happy, happy, joy, joy. My mom is coming to visit on Saturday. Coming to rescue me and hang out and cheer me up. I've been just a little overwhelmed (yes, that means a lot overwhelmed) lately with kids and house and school and work and Primary. Hub offered to hire someone to help with the house and I freaked out a bit. I'm not a big fan of someone I don't know coming in to my house to clean. Though that'd be better than someone I do know like VT's or someone I'd have to see all the time knowing my deep dark messy house secret. It freaks me right out and I'd have to do that pre-clean thing and then what's the point?? So the thought of this made me say, "I want my mommy." Out loud even. Generally, I'm okay with living a bazillion miles from Mom. It sucks, but it is what is - except when I'm overwhelmed (or really, really sick) and then I want my mommy. Usually, I just have to suck it up and deal with it cuz she does live about a bazillion miles away, but this time the stars aligned and hub called her and between the two of them, they made it happen. She even got a great deal on the flight down here on a last-minute SW airlines getaway type deal. She only booked the one-way and we'll book the trip home after she gets here and we decide when she's going home. I think we might wait to make that decision until after Sam's appointment on Thursday (next, not tomorrow).

Day Four

Not every day has something to put in your journal, but Day Four did. I wrote it in my head but then forgot to type it up and then added something this afternoon so I would have had to edit it anyway. Procrastination works in my favor again. Rock on.

Day 4:
The story about the airman, Jay Hess is taken from the "Finding Joy in the Journey" talk by Pres. Monson (refer to Day One). Read the story below. In 25 words or less, write what you would say to your family if you weren't sure you would see them again.

[Pres. Monson shares, "In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, Church member Jay Hess, an airman, was shot down over North Vietnam. For two years his family had no idea whether he was dead or alive. His captors in Hanoi eventually allowed him to write home but limited his message to less than 25 words. What would you and I say to our families if we were in the same situation—not having seen them for over two years and not knowing if we would ever see them again? Wanting to provide something his family could recognize as having come from him and also wanting to give them valuable counsel, Brother Hess wrote—and I quote: “These things are important: temple marriage, mission, college. Press on, set goals, write history, take pictures twice a year.”"]

(Implied Dear Family:)

I love you mostest times infinity. Please make choices that will enable us to be together forever some day. Or I will haunt your dreams.

(Implied Love, EF)

1. They'd know right away it was really from me.
2. It makes the point I want to make.
3. I want them to smile (or even laugh) when they think of me and stop being so darn sad. After all, we're going to be together forever some day.

My bad

Oh m'gosh y'all. Obviously I was so, so wrong about the crazy Bumpits. They must be totally cool; Paula Abdul is so rockin' the big HAPPIE hair tonight. Got mine ordered just in the nick o' time.

Will I go to he@k if my kids are watching Men in Tights? Not that they are, but if they were?

Really? Really?

I'm trying to work here and so I have the TV on, of course, (remember, it's cold and lonely working at night boohoo), and from over there I hear this. Wait for it.

Flat hair is so last year? Oh no, what am I going to do? I just barely got a straightener.

Please, please, please tell me that this is one case where they are the ones out of touch and not me. Or at least tell me that this ad only runs in Texas, where big hair really, really didn't go out of style. Please tell me that women don't really want a big bump on the back of their heads. Why would anyone want that? Cone head is sexy.

Oooh, they have a mini Bumpit. I remember the tragic old days when you had to get that look the old fashioned way with layers of ozone-killing aerosol spray.

I wonder if I can get just the big Bumpit. Cuz I need a REALLY BIG thing on top of my head. Gag a maggot. Cone head is sexy.

Hey look, they also own the domain names http://www.bighappyhair.com/ AND http://www.bighappiehair.com/. BIG HAPPIE HAIR.



BIG HAPPIE BALD.



BIG HAPPIE HAIR!
Cone head is sexy.

100 Things

I'm Finding Joy in the Journey and today's assignment was to make a list of 100 things I'm grateful for. Might as well post it here. In no particular order except as I think of them which does not indicate any kind of particular order.

1. SE in general
2. The Queen
3. The Vatican
4. The Getty
5. The Rothchild
6. The Colonel (each in general)
7. the blanket I sleep with every night. no, really - it's cozy.
8. my minivan.
9. the backup minivan.
10. easy plumbing fixes (what I get to do tomorrow, but could have been worse and required a plumber)
11. the yard where the kids were able to play outside all afternoon
12. the sunshiney day today
13. SE's job
14. my job
15. my kids' teachers
16. the PE teacher at the younger kids' school (she looks out for them)
17. cheesecake
18. bug spray
19. Primary
20. my parents in general
21. growing up somewhere besides here ;-)
22. my sister
23. the other one too
24. brother #1
25. and #2
26. and #3
27. and their respective spouses as applicable
28. my sister-in-law
29. and another one
30. and brother-in-law
31. and a spouse or 2
32. and their parents
33. Target
34. crayons
35. online college courses
36. and the schools who offer them
37. grammar
38. spelling
39. ibuprofen
40. emergency rooms
41. pictures
42. bologna sandwiches
43. Sesame Street
44. the mail ladies
45. and the FedEx and UPS guys too - I LOVE getting packages.
46. diet Coke (is it wrong to list diet Coke on a list based on a talk by the prophet??)
47. water
48. dishwashers, particularly mine
49. music
50. men who sing music
51. by which, of course, I mean that man who sings music to me
52. sweatpants
53. my favorite sweatshirt, which will be 16 years old later this year
54. being able to come back to the list tomorrow to finish
55. going to bed now, even though I'm not done with today's task
56. sleep

more later - 44 more to be precise.

Finally think I might be able to finish this within a year.

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.

Weirdo Wednesday.

Phew.

Wahoooo!

The Queen won her first acting award tonight. She was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical, along with the other 2 girls that played her sisters in the Christmas show, which they all lost to the lead from the adult musical. But the director likes to give awards to the kids (keep them coming back!) and the 3 sisters had a surprise nomination for Best Ensemble. They were up against the Winter Wind (OTG was a WW), the Jitterbugs, the Toy Soldiers, the Toys (Vatican was a toy), and the cast of In Sam's Head. The 3 sisters won, which is a good thing - they really were spectacular (ahem, better than the grownup who won. I'm biased, of course, but I'm also right.) So, anyway, it was a lovely evening - SE's ex-boss made the usual "traitor" dig, all of the volunteers were awarded, OTR fell asleep in SE's arms, and the Colonel was a pain in the butt until I decided to sing The Wheels on the Bus with him, which was MAGIC. I'll be whippin' that one out again, you can bet on that.

Fetch in a handbasket, I just realized that I have an essay due by midnight. Fortunately, it's about 2/3 done, but um, I'm supposed to be working right now. Ack.

Dear American Idol:

I reluctantly admit to watching this show sporadically. I really kind of want to try to watch this year, but here are the problems. a) the show is boring as fetch. I like it in the beginning, but I'm not really that big a fan of cover songs, so week after week after week, well ya know. I just have a hard time getting personally invested in the people. b) if you're going to put through the annoying person (you know who I mean, actually annoying PEOPLE this year), I get it, it's supposed to be more interesting. But you're going to have to tell them to tone it down. It's too much, I can't watch an hour (or even a minute) of that crap at that level.

Thanks,

EF

Yesterday I had to write a letter to my congressperson for Government 2302 (I picked KBH and wrote her about supporting #s-374). I guess I'm still in the mood.

Speaking of the mood, I'm not in the mood for tomorrow. I usually go all out with the monkeys, so they are all looking forward to it. I gotta snap out of it. I have a date tonight, so maybe that will help.

Speaking of my date tonight, he had his (insert technical term for end of the year) evaluation this week and rocked it. Conditional contract signed for next year (he still has to finish the stuff for certification, but can't do all of it until the school year/his internship is done). Woot said that he would have made it a multi-year if he could and will next year. Phew. I wasn't worried that he wouldn't do well on his eval - he really is a frickin' awesome teacher - but ya know, budgets and all. I'll say it again, phew.

Wish I rocked that hard at my job. Oh, right, that's why I'm in school so I can do a different job. Patience......

Did I mention that SPY's appointment with his kickA cardiologist is March 12? I don't really know if his cardiologist is kickA, but positive reinforcement, right?

I think I've procrastinated enough for this morning. Finished most of my homework/tests last night but still have 2 discussion posts and a reading assignment to finish today - and work - and get the house babysitter-ready.

DATE TONIGHT. Yeehaw.

Sam just wandered in from the family room to tell me that he farted.

Not that it was the first time that he's told me that he farted. He's been identifying burps and farts for months now.

But it was the first time that he decided that farting was so important that he had to come across the house to tell me about it.

"I fart."

Yes, baby (big boy!), you do.

Conversation with SPY

SPY: Eeh boo?
Me: No boo.
SPY: Eeh boo? Eeh boo?
Me: No boo.
SPY: Hay you, mommy. Hay you.

Interpreted:
SPY: Please may I nurse?
Me: You know we're trying to quit.
SPY: Please? PLEASE??
Me: No, really this time.
SPY: I hate you, mommy. Hate you.

Nice, eh? Someone's older sister has taken to that phrase when she's not getting her way. Yay for mimicking toddlers!!

The news we've all been waiting for...

SPY's echo was "abnormal." Even though I suspected as much, it still took my breath away. I was reading over the tech's shoulder and saw him label something, but since he used an abbreviation that has 2 meanings in the cardiology world, I was hoping it was the one and not the other. He will see a pediatric cardiologist at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. It's still not emergent, but I don't know if they will want to fix it or watch it.

Frickity, frick, frick, frick.

Tagged

I was tagged by E, but I'm supposed to be writing my autobiography in 500-800 words and so unless I can figure out how to make 8 things into 500-800 grammatically correct words, I'll do the tag tomorrow.

In the meantime, I have news. I called on SPY's echo yesterday and the PA's nurse called me back today.

To tell me that the results are back.

BUT the PA is out of the office on Thursdays. Guess I shouldn't have called on Thursday. Oh, wait...I DIDN'T.

Weird but Wonderful Wednesday

This actually made the news down here in Texas tonight. Wow.

Check out this link too for more pictures.

ARGH. I don't know where the video went, it was there a minute ago. Well, follow the link and find the how it was made link.

I bet you thought I forgot about Weirdo Wednesday

Well, I did. But that isn't weird so let me ponder a minute.

Yesterday, I let my boys wear their bat costumes to Walmart. They asked, I thought about it, realized they'd be snug, warm, toasty, and CUTE, and said, "Of course you can wear your bat costumes to Walmart."

I was going to post a picture of the boys in the costumes, but they are on the other computer and I never uploaded them to the family site (accessible from this computer) AND I thought this picture went with both the bat theme and most definitely with the Weirdo Wednesday theme:

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na Bat Banana.

(Yes, I counted the na-na's. Triple Weirdo Score.)

Not my kid. But that is what the bat costumes look like and they do like to do that pose whilst wearing the bat costumes. See how snug and warm and toasty and CUTE it is - TIMES 2.

I know.

QOD - Question of the Day

Driving back from the grocery store, this question occured to me:
Is a wussbag: a) a bag for carrying a wuss, b) a bag made of a wuss, or c) a bag attached to a wuss?

Weirdo Wednesday: The Contents

Yes, I stole this from one or more other people, but after reading theirs and in light of the fact that a new purse is en route to me and it had to be done anyway, I present the contents of my purse, freshly dumped:

and sorted:

and listed:

1. 3 yearbook forms that need to be filled out this week

2. 4 toys - a taxicab (from NYC!!), a tractor, a motorcycle, and the giraffe from Madagascar 2

3. 3 loose "extra" keys, one of which fits a car we have not owned for nearly a year

4. my actual keys with pink and brown keychain

5. cellphone

6. 2 prescription bottles containing hubby's emergency meds (one is laying on its side by the junk mail)

7. baby nail clippers

8. 4 Benadryl allergy/sinus/headache

9. splinter removal kit

10. needles, in case the splinter removal kit doesn't work

11. hairbrush

12. this semester's report cards for the girls

13. my VT list

14. 2 paint samples

15. 4 $1 off gas or groceries for Brookshire's coupons and one GM cereals coupon (huh, not even expired yet)

16. health insurance information for the kids

17. about 10 pieces of trash, mostly wrappers, but including a tiny piece of a french fry

18. 6 paper stars labeled "I am Thankful to be Me because I can:"

19. a semi-crunched liquid medicine cup

20. a hospital wristband (from SPY's echo)

21. 3 appointment cards, 2 of which have already happened

22. 14 receipts, none important

23. 1 piece of junk mail

24. 2 pens

25. an empty bottle of lotion

26. mascara

27. a mint

28. a single die

29. 2 checkbooks for our account, 1 empty checkbook cover (with old checkbook inside), 1 checkbook for an account that is not mine, and a book of deposit slips

30. 2009 Dallas temple schedule

31. my wallet

32. the headphones to my MP3 player

33. an empty snack-size baggie (I think it used to hold my blush, but I don't know where the blush went?????????!?)

34. 2 gift cards, each empty or with less than $2 left (should have been above, but I missed them and I'm not renumbering)

Phew.

Problem solved.

Forget image of Movie Edward and Movie Bella. Picture Patrick Dempsey as Edward and me as Bella.

Patrick Dempsey as a vampire? Hello!!
Like I said, problem solved.

ETA: What I meant to say was picture SE as Edward and me as Bella. That is totally what I meant to say.

ETA again: Someone took it as his personal quest to convince me that PD was not THE choice and so here is his nomination. I have to say that I agree that he probably is a much better pick for the actual story, but a) it's too late, I already finished the book; and b) it only works for me if I go back to casting Alexis Bledel as Bella (yeah, sure, she's probably a better choice too). Anyway, SE's pick:

(Matt Dallas, aka Kyle XY)

Weirdo Wednesday

Today's confession:

I'm watching the Bachelor. I don't watch it every season, but okay, most of them. Unless the guy is ug. or Ugh. or bleh. So, I didn't watch seasons 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, or 9. Hmm, I've actually watched less than half of the seasons. Maybe I'm not as lame as I thought I was. This season's Bachelor is my favorite since Bob. Though I was also quite fond of Travis. Those doctory, nice, sweet, preppy kind of guys, those are the kind of guys that make my heart flutter. Nice guy like that vs. Edward. Easy pick. (I made it to page 130 now. Edward is about to rescue her again (again!?!?) in Port Orchard this time, which we all know is a totally dangerous town.)

I also have been watching Momma's Boys and True Beauty and several other lame shows. Not watching, watching - but DVRing and letting it play while I work. I pretty much always have to have something playing on the TV while I work because it's cold, dark, and lonely working from 9pm to midnight. So I DVR and watch/listen to mindless reality TV while I work.

But the Bachelor I watch.

And that's why living in the middle of nowhere sucks.

Took SPY to his echo today. It took almost an hour to get him to sleep even though he was properly un-napped and Benadryl'd and still nursing. The tech had the lights dimmed and gave him a warmed blanket, but I finally had to turn the lights up because that was too unusual and highlighted the shiny light in the ceiling and the interesting TV screen over there. After I finally clued in to that, he was out in about 10 minutes.

The tech said he didn't find anything emergent, heard and saw and took pictures and measurements of the murmur, AND we won't hear anything official for probably at least a week (unless the tech missed something emergent) and possibly more like a couple of weeks because it has to be read by the specialist in Dallas, who is apparently a fairly busy pediatric cardiologist.

And he's pitching stuff off the table again, so that's all.

Fetch in a handbasket.

So I got all smart and decided to take the Blogger bar off the top up there. And now I have no idea how to get to my dashboard to make a new post without going through someone else's blog who didn't take the bar off. I'm a dork.

Sam's echo is tomorrow afternoon, just to update.

He's teething his last front tooth this week, so not letting him nap so that he can nap during the test should be delightful.

Tonight SE tortured Banana by saying a$$. She got very indignant and was literally crying as she said, "Jesus doesn't like it when you say bad words, Daddy." And I'm going straight to hell because I had to bury my head in my arms not to laugh. Okay, I mean I WAS laughing my head off, I had to bury it so that it wasn't so obvious that I was laughing my head off. It was just the combination of what she said and the way she said it. Then Em started in about how Daddy was friends with Satan (we just had Sharing Time in Primary on Sunday about the war in heaven, etc.) and he said, yep, we send text messages and play cards. Em ran with that and decided that Daddy and Satan play Tetris together on the Wii.

And that was our Family Home Evening tonight. Yay!

Oh, that boy.

It is becoming apparent that Sammy Sugarface gets a kick out of making us worry. Recall a few months ago when the delightful boy decided to spike super-fevers and throw in an abnormal lab result. All ended up well, but he had us worried for a couple of days. Today, he had his 18month checkup (only 6 weeks late, I'm impressed) and the NP heard a murmur. Crap. It's never been documented before so he gets to go have an echo this coming week. I'm less worried about this than the other test, but this kid is going to give me grey hairs, I'm telling you.

Anyway, I've elected to share something about him for Weirdo Wednesday.

SPY is addicted to lotion. He asks for "Lo" every time I get some, any time he sees the bottle on the counter, and sometimes at random times in between. Usually he just rubs it in to his hands like he should, but this week he's also been putting it on his hair like his sisters did with Daddy's mousse on Sunday (speaking of Wolverine hair - maybe SPY as Edward?? Baby Twilight, how adorable would that be?). At least he smells delightful.

Bleh.

Mild stomach bug, writing the Primary program, assorted other Primary-related tasks, wanting to sleep instead of do anything.

I made it to about page 30 of Twilight over the weekend. I've re-cast the movie. So far, Bella will be played by Ellen Page or Alexis Bledel and Edward will be played by Marcel Vigneron from Season 2 of Top Chef, aka Wolverine Chef, who it turns out is from Bainbridge, so he won't mind the dreary rain. Of course, at page 30 Edward has only made 3 appearances: lunch, bio, and the office - so that casting is subject to change. I picked Marcel because he is easier for me to picture than whatever that other guy's name is that really got the job. Also, he has that weird look AND he's funny. Because I see the movie posters/trailers and it makes me want to read the book less, because dark and dangerous guys are kind of a big turn-off for me. Seriously, no hotness factor there. Now, if Edward were preppy....... re-cast: Mark Paul Gosselaar as Edward. C'mon, let's set it at Bayside!! I've lived in the gray, it's super depressing, and moving during high school sucks but you might meet your soulmate, I get that part, but if Bella is going to fall for the dark and dangerous guy (and I'm thinking she might), she loses me there.

Oh well. I'm still hoping to be pleasantly surprised (not really, I know how the last book ends).

New Year's Goal

My New Year's goal is to not suck in 2009.

There were some kick-awesome things that happened in 2008 (trips to NY, WA, and UT and SE's new job), but as a whole, I personally spent most of the year just sucking up a storm at a bunch of stuff.

This year promises great things - weaning Mr. Crankypants. Actually, I can't really think of anything else this minute. Spring Break is something I'm looking forward to - we're trying to decide where to go, something cheap and family oriented, an experience rather than a destination, if that makes any sense. More progress on school. SE's first summer off (which, if it goes like Winter Break, promises to be AWESOME in all capitals - seriously, he was a cleaning machine. I helped some, but still had the usual distractions and then some (3!! big holiday meals with guests!!) and he just cranked it out.)

Oh yeah, another goal is to read Twilight, not because I want to, but because I promised SE that I would at least give it a chance and read the first book. Which was easy to promise before he cleaned up the office and found the book. Crap. Now it's sitting literally inches from me and has been for days and I just can't make myself open it yet. I DON'T WANNA!!!

And finally, get working on the weight. I have a new goal - once my favorite T-shirt fits
(for the first time, it was too small when I bought it), then I'm done. Really, it will probably be the same size I was post-Jbot (when I GASP! fit back into my wedding dress) and right at what my goal weight should be. But I just really want to be able to wear my shirt!