BEST SATURDAY EVER!!

Here's my baby (she'll be 4 tomorrow) with her birthday cake from last Sunday.


Okay so I woke at 6:45 am with a TO DO list.

There were a couple of ridiculous things on it:

Organize Bedroom Closets

Organize 3rd grade students for Scatter Groups in math interventions

The first is pretty self explanatory; the second one may require an explanation, but I would bore even myself if I have to explain it to you. I decided that if I posted something on Facebook like this: "Organized people are those who are just too lazy to look for things" and if I have a few FB friends back me on this opinion, then I could cross the crazy closet task off my Saturday. Thankfully, Shawna and Viola saved me from closets.

What are friends for if not to make our lives easier?

I deleted the post so as to not offend all my organized friends and I headed to the gym. (My girls slept at my in-laws house, so it was a kid free morning.)

The second task was work related and isn't really necessary for another week, so I crossed that off quickly. I go to my classroom to work nearly every Saturday (my daughters love to go), so today I rewarded myself with a 5 day work week instead of the typical 6 day. This work week was really difficult anyway and I really wanted to play.

After my 7:30 cycling class, I headed to Walmart to buy small prizes for my purse. I needed these prizes and treats because later in the day I would be going head to head against the DISNEY CORPORATION and I was terrified. I would be taking my girls to the Energy Solutions Arena to sit through Disney On Ice. I had been once before and learned that the cost of the ticket is a small fraction of what the DISNEY people expect to get out of you. They sell snow cones for $15, not a typo that is FIFTEEN dollars. The price of cotton candy you ask? Oh it's only $20-TWENTY!! It is so INSANE!!

I spent $12 at Walmart and scored 2 tiny stuffed animals you can attach to a finger (horse for Kam and bunny for Em), some Disney Princess fingernail polish (5 colors with the princess faces right on the bottles), 3 Disney lip glosses with crown shaped lids and princess faces on the bottles, and then some M&Ms for Kamryn and Reeses for Emerson.


At home I threw some goldfish crackers in a baggie and also managed to stuff 2 caprison drinks into my bulging purse.

I grabbed a couple of our princess dress up dresses and headed to my in Laws to pick up the girls for our adventure. I want to confess that I did not want to go to Disney on Ice. I would have given my exhusband my ticket, but I really didn't want him to drive that far with our girls. He has a terrible driving record and there are specific exclusions about how far he drives. Both of my parents declined the ticket, so I was the chosen one to see Disney characters on ice.

It turned out to be a "magical" experience for my girls. Kamryn had hearts in her eyes when her hero, Buzz Lightyear appeared. Emerson was in Princess heaven and I really believe that she thought each princess recognized her and was waving exclusively at her.

It turned out to be a "magical" experience for me because at the security checkpoint, we had a kind grandpa let us keep all of the treats and prizes when policy says he is supposed to confiscate stuff like that. So, I didn't spend a single penny inside the arena. My girls were literally THRILLED with all the junk in my purse. (oh and playdough--I had playdough in my purse and Kamryn was in heaven with it during intermission)

We picked up Berliners and Brochen from the German Bakery since we were in Salt Lake. We dropped a brochen off to my sister Sharla and saw her baby for a few minutes. I dropped the girls back off at my inlaws because they are staying there another night (it is Kamryn's birthday, so I gave them the girls for the whole weekend--we celebrated last weekend and a few hours today)

Before heading home, I stopped at the Home Depot to get the lumber I need for my garden boxes. I'm doing 6' X 3' box gardens this year. I took the rest of the Berliners to Shelly's house. When we were kids living in Germany, the bakery truck would come through our neighborhood every Wednesday. We would buy brochen (hard rolls, light as air and so so soft inside) and berliners (delicious fruit filled sweet bread with fine powdered sugar on top). I think if there was such a thing as Bread-aholics Anonymous, I would be their poster child. I limit myself to one bread day a month--today was the day! I had a berliner and a brochen and was grateful to be rid of the rest. (At the bakery I ordered 2 berliners and 4 brochen, but he gave me 9 berliners for the price of 2--I corrected him, but he said it was on purpose) Shelly's family looked happy to benefit from the kind, but not too business-minded baker.

At home, I rubbed linseed oil all over my new lumber and drilled the holes for the bracket and screws. I realized that the screws were WAY too long. I changed my mind on how I would fasten the side boards to the ends while in the store. I decided to use L brackets and I never returned to the screw aisle to get shorter ones before leaving. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but when I start a project I HAVE to finish it within a 3 hour range or else I put it off for another weekend. So, I'll keep you posted on how the box garden is going. If I haven't posted pictures within a couple months--please be a friend and scold me, because chances will be that I haven't picked up the right screws yet.

Next I started my seeds in my indoor greenhouse. I'll get pictures of this too. It's pretty cool with my shop lights attached to a pvc pipe frame to get seeds going. Today I sowed red peppers, cucumbers and 3 kinds of greens.

I got ready for the adult session of stake conference and then took myself out to dinner for some soup at Zupa's.

The adult session is the best meeting in all of church. There was not a dry eye in the room. I absolutely loved it!! The Lord knows who we are and He knows who we ought to be. As we Come Unto Christ, we find our true selves and we reach out to those around us. There is familiarity. We remember who we are and who we were before we came to this earth. I love being taught by the Spirit of God. Side Note: As the meeting began, the conductor announced that someone's tan van across the street had its lights on. EMBARRASSING!! That was me and I was on the front row. I left the meeting and checked my van. I was nervous to go outside in the dark (usually, I have the safety of my 3 and 5 yr olds to protect me). My lights were not on, so I returned to the meeting. At the close of the 2 hour meeting (which felt like 20 minutes), the man next to me, Brother Hamilton, walked me to my van to make sure the battery wasn't dead. I was so grateful to him for taking care of me. It's only been the last year of my life that I have ever had anxiety in walking alone in the dark. He thought he was checking on my car, but I recognized that he was keeping me safe from potential danger. I don't imagine that many men read my blog, but if you are reading it, please, please insist on escorting women in the dark. Even if we act like it is not necessary--it really gives more than safety and comfort, but also gives the woman a sense of value. She is worth the time it takes you to do this for her.

I'm really excited for tomorrow's stake conference. Elder Fisher is our area authority. He will speak again to us in the morning. I met him in November. He took time to speak with me back in after an institute class. I had made an observation in class about how much Peter had been through and why his faith was shaken as he attempted to walk toward the Savior on the water. I was not defending Peter, but rather I was pointing out that the Savior knew very well what Peter had been through and He never left Peter although Peter may have felt alone. Elder Fisher approached me after class and with concern, asked me what I had experienced. When he speaks with you, it feels like he can see right into your soul. He listened as I explained that the last year has been the most amazing year of my life. I was compelled to be humble and have become so strong because of it. My eyes were opened to my weaknesses. I received blessings and amazing gifts to help me overcome major issues. I am no longer a victim and will never allow myself to become a victim again.

Well, I better set the clock forward an hour and get to sleep. Good Night all!!

What do Childbirth, Childrearing and New Floors have in Common?

Well, as I type this, it's Friday evening and the girls and I are confined to my bedroom. The flooring men are finishing up right in the hallway. The doors are open because they are connecting the carpet and laminate at the thresholds of the bathroom/master/girls room and closets. I was trying to entertain the girls, but finally I found a box of unused nursing pads in my dresser. Currently, the girls are unwrapping each one, peeling off the back and sticking them all over the walls. Each pad takes a couple of minutes to unwrap and peel, so I figure I have about 15 more minutes of computer time.

This week has been great.

I had the opportunity to meet with my students and their parents during conferences. I had 100% attendance. I love parent teacher conferences. This year was even more exciting for some reason. I sent the latest report cards home 2 weeks ago, so I didn't have to discuss that at all. The parents came prepared, knowing the areas of academic concern. I spent hours preparing individual take home packets designed for each child's needs. The parents seemed really willing and grateful for the guidance to support their child at home. The rest of the time in each conference was spent on discussion of character and social development. Our school uses the Covey "Leader In Me" program with the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. I love it!

This week has been a bit exhausting though.

Coming home from work later than usual, I faced an at-home job of prepping my floors for the laminate. I had a complete meltdown on Wednesday night. It was about midnight and I was trying to remove carpet from the stairs. I didn't have trouble removing it from the living room and dining room.

I was shocked at how the carpet installers must have been so determined that this carpet remain forever.

Removing carpet from these stairs was comparable to child birth. My gloved hands were pulling with all their might. I was using all of my body weight as leverage, but the thousands of staples popped out slowly and painfully one by one. Halfway through I began to weep. I was exhausted. I felt that I was completely justified in skipping my morning run. I almost quit. Then I laughed. I couldn't believe that I was letting this dirty old carpet get me down. With a determined restart, I yanked and yanked again and again. By 1 in the morning, I had the carpet and pad out and was prying up the tack strips. I was a hero in my own eyes, LOL. At 7:15 am, the real heros arrived to lay the gorgeous floor. When I returned from work nine hours later, I almost teared up at how beautiful it looked. Again, I felt the childbirth analogy take hold. Both the pain and misery of the night before were totally worth it. The floor is WOW and I never thought I would be a part of something so amazing.

Yes, the female hamsters who eat their newborns when the bones are still soft are pretty smart in some respects. I'd love to hear their reasoning. Is it the misery of pregnancy or the pain of labor that drives them to devour the helpless ones. Or do the hamsters see into the future? Child rearing is not easy. However, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It is trying, exhausting and messy BUT it is BEAUTIFUL!!

I still need to paint and reattach the baseboards and paint the orange-y oak cabinets white just like I still need to get my kids through teenage years and help them pay for college. I love my kids. I really like my developing home. I love my kids (I just said that, huh?)

Happy 2011!!

Resolutions

Well, obviously my main one is to continue to lose weight. I lost 2 pounds on my cruise and then gained 2 in the 2 weeks that followed. This past week I work really hard at eating tons of veggies and exercising enough. I lost 4 pounds and 3 inches on my waist. Hopefully, this awesome start to 2011 will keep me going. I am falling in love with the treadmill again. At this time last year I was running 3 miles 3 or 4 times each week. My goal is to increase my weekly mileage so that I'm getting a few 6 milers in each week. My treadmill will arrive here in a week and a couple of days. The gym's cardio machines are riduculously occupied during the month of January, so it will be nice to run at home in the early mornings before the cherubs wake up.

Here are some other resolutions:

1- Hold more meaningful Family Home Evenings (spiritual meetings held on Monday evenings within the home)

2- Keep the house "company ready" -- this is so much easier now that school is back in--we aren't around to make messes.

3- Go on a date. (This sounds easy, but it actually terrifies me) During the month of November, I was asked out on dates by 3 different really decent men. I truly do want to get to know them eventually, but I told them I wouldn't be ready until January. Now it is January and I really have no desire to date. This resolution is one that may take a few months to even discuss again.

4- Go out at least once every other week. This will be going to a singles activity or a girls' night out. I realize that now that I am working fulltime again, it is easy to go into hiding and I know that's not healthy. I was "in hiding" while living in Malaysia. I worked and then spent every other second of my life with my girls. At first it seems really responsible, but eventually, you get so lonely that it hurts. I'm at the "ready to hide" again stage. I recognize this and want to prevent it from happening. I'm really thankful for the group fitness classes that I attend. I always look forward to those and my girls really love the hour at the gym child center, while I have my classes.