Back in the saddle, as it were...

I can't believe it's been 10 days since I've written anything...not that I haven't thought of anything to write, just haven't wanted to sit down and do it... kind of like my piling laundry (which D has done 4 - count them 4!!- loads today, while I'm away playing nurse with a bunch of docs). So, now, since I don't have laundry to complain about, I guess I could think of something interesting to write...Naaww. I'll just show you some pics :)

Here, E is practicing holding a violin. I'm totally serious when I say that this small violin is no larger than my forearm! She's so excited to start a String Program in her new school this fall.

And you thought the one E was holding was small, you can tell the proportion to L's arm!! Holy cow! How adorable would that be to see my small 4 year old playing Mary Had A Little Lamb??

Reminds me of a fire work :) Just a fun picture I took of a flower. No editing, either :)


This was just a week ago in Bountiful. This whole family is so much fun! :) D's Uncle and Aunt and their 8 sons and respective spouses and children. Yes, I said 8 boys. This was wedding #5. Number 6 will be next month! I love getting together with them, always such a fun time!!

Hope you enjoyed the pics. I'll think of something more interesting later... :)

Wikipedia Is My Friend

I am almost certain, Wikipedia has anything and everything you need to know. Seriously, from medical treatments and diagnosis information, pop culture and history to the 2010 Icelandic Volcano Eruption! I guess it's easier to update the Internet than to re-publish the Britannica.

Since Mr. Eyjafjallajökull is deciding to send forth more ash clouds and send Europe into disarray every few weeks, I wanted to do some research and see what this would mean for us, over on the other side of the world, just Food for Thought.

Basically, unless you're flying to Europe, don't expect much of our daily routines to be interrupted. Some meteorologists from NASA (read toward the bottom of the article) are saying that, because of the large and continuous ash plume that followed the initial eruption, it's possible that we may experience a mild summer. Also, there have been 3 other volcanic eruptions coinciding with Eyjafjallajökull's debut (refer back to the article). Fascinating that some volcanic ash that is half a world away can have an effect on us, here in our own little world. Just shows how inter-connected everything can be.

A Great Lesson: One small effort can have huge effects. Pass it on!

The noise, the NOISE, all the Noise, NoisE, NoiSE, NOISE

After school yesterday, the girls and I went up to visit Daddy in the hospital. I was going to take another piece of his birthday cake before we ate it all, but I forgot it!! Don't worry, it's still set aside :)

Me, being the awesome Mom that I am, stopped at the gas station to get a drink and told them they could get a treat. Yeah, didn't really think that through. After dinner with D, we were back in his room and I thought it would be nice to watch something family-friendly together (ie: American Idol) -- come on! It's not like we're watching Family Guy or the Simpson's! -- and about the second song, I realize I can't hear myself think! Between the 3yo not having a nap and being allowed an extra 3 days worth of sugar and the 7yo wanting to sing me every song from the latest Barbie movie, there is nothing about this "family watching" that is restful. So, we said good night to Daddy, who was tired and ready for bed anyway, and started home.

I knew it would happen, too. Before we got to I-15, they were both fast asleep, after a brief fight over the phone book as a pillow. I enjoyed a quiet, NPR-filled, even-traffic-flowing ride home. After a quick teeth-brushing session, we all collapsed on the girls' bed. They wanted me to lay with them, which didn't take much coaxing. I felt like one of 3 bugs under a rug, and once the kicking stopped, we were all fast asleep.

Well, they were. I had too much on my mind: the laundry sitting in the dryer, wanting to finish Idol from my dvr, the sewing project I started earlier that day, grocery lists, wanting to go to bed early because I had to get up early for work, but still had to get my day ready for tomorrow... (sigh) I just stayed there... my arm draped over both of them, the baby nestled up against me holding my other hand, the older one still sleeping with my teddy bear the kids call Teddy...and fell asleep listening to the music.

Wanna Fun Time???

Go to this website :)

Enjoy your Wednesday. I know I will...try...

What a Weekend

D had to go back into the hospital. He spiked a temp on Friday (101.3!) so he had to go to the hospital for IV antibiotics. Unfortunately, on Thursday evening, I had a PRK touch-up on my eyes that led to iodine getting into my left eye which equals pain! I couldn't open the left eye and the right eye was blurred so I was essentially useless and drugged for an insane amount of pain, OMG the pain! I think I would rather have back labor again than cut into my eyes and have iodine seep into them!

I had a nice weekend with my family from ID, also, from what I could see. My mother found out about the eye stuff and D having to go to the hospital, so she had my sister drive her down, pick up me and the kids and drive us to ID for the long weekend. My sister and I took over the dining room table with my bead stuff and made all sorts of fun things. Yeah, try threading a beading needle with one eye :) Ahhh, I love family.

Anyway, my eyes feel better but will be blurry for a while still. D will be able to go home tomorrow and our lives will go back to some semblance of normal, which I know is relative :) ... just as long as I can get their bedroom put back together, all will be well with the world.

Simplicity

E and I enjoyed a small walk along a trail path after school yesterday. She was completely enamoured about finding out there where no Leprechauns and that a four-leaf clover is botenologically impossible. The rest of the conversation went seriously like this:

E - But, Mom, when kids like me find out that a story isn't real, that its just something parents are telling their kids, when we find out it's not real? It makes us really sad.

Me - Well, it's kind of like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. They are just fun stories because it's fun to pretend and use our imaginations.

E - But, Mom. The Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy are real, so that doesn't count.

Me - (sigh and try to hold back the laughs while smiling)

E - Besides, what would you do with all those teeth??

I hugged her so tight and we had a good laugh.
Hey, world, I tried to be honest and logical with my growing child, but I loved the result!! :)

When the Light Goes Out

I was told a long time ago that one should never start a writing piece with the Title. The Title should be one of the last things to add, because... uhh, oh I'm sure there is a good reason. I sometimes think it's fun to just write down something cute, then write more about it!

That's one of many problems with the structured school systems, at least where I grew up. It seemed as though if it wasn't done how the teacher thought it should be done, it wasn't good enough. I remember so many times when I would do a writing assignment, thinking of something creative and original was very difficult for me! So, the act of actually completing the assignment was huge! But I was never graded on what I had done, rather on how the teacher viewed the paper or the topic, or how he/she felt it needed to be expressed.

As you can imagine, it was very frustrating. I never saw myself as creative, and writing something fictional was very challenging. So I never did it. Once I finished the last English class in college that I needed for my major, I never did it again. Ever. Nothing. Aside from the occasional newsletter or family letter, Nadda.

Then, a few many years after the rest of the world apparently, I heard of this thing called a "blog" where people, mostly Mom's, were showing their pictures and crafts and...stories. Hmmm, that's odd. Am I the only person who didn't know about this until 2007? Where have I been!

And, Oh! The liberation of writing what I want and how I want to write it! Thank you America, and Thank you to whomever it was that started this whole thing! Now, what this has to do with the lights going out, I have no idea, but I don't have to change it cuz I don't want to. :) Have a great weekend!

Um, What's that smell???

One of my days off last week, the sun was shining and it felt nice to be outside without a jacket. So I decided it was a great day to clean out the cars. We had bought a new booster seat for L because she's big enough now to be out of the 5-point restraint, so I started with removing the car seats from both cars...and oh what a mess to behold!!

Every time I move the car seats, I am determined to not let the kids eat in the car...and then we go on a long road trip, or I just have a week moment while out running errands or grocery shopping and I succumb to the Gold Fish! And then I pay for it later... every time.

Anyway, as I'm using the dust buster, I find myself guiltily enjoying this little task. There is something about vacuuming that I love, and I think it's the Instant Satisfaction. You see the mess, then **Poof** it's gone!

Chaos is gone and Order is once more established!
(insert sinister laugh here)

So I happily busted dust and debris and food crumbs in both cars that day, followed by a quick clean-out of other little compartments where "treasures" were certain to be found and rewarded myself with a quiet drive, alone, for a moment anyway, as I picked up the children from school and listened to them say, "Whoa. What happened in here?"

This, my children, is what happens when we choose to accomplish something and follow it through until completion: Cleanliness. "Um, what's that smell?"

Oh, the fresh car sent you ask? Why, I believe it to be called Waterfall. "Uh, no, I think L dropped her banana."

Sure enough, there was a banana peel that my little "helper" left behind. Quickly stuffing it into the new trash bag, I enjoyed the short ride home listening to them chatter and realized:

Any mess is worth the clean-up as long as you enjoy the creation!!

xoxo Rachel

January...

What is it about January that increases my distaste for winter? Is it the seemingly never-ending cold without the snow or is it the horrid "air" filling my lungs with enough crud to keep me in bed for days? Dunno, but I can't even seem to dwell on it long enough to make a decent narrative out of it. Maybe it's seeing the dirty air in combination with the dirty snow that takes any romance away that was built up around it from the preceding months. The city has dirty snow piles you'd like to wish away, but even still the suburbs have dirty snow piles that aren't melting either.

That's how I feel about January. Yeah, yeah, it's a new start to a new year, blah, blah, blah. But after dramatizing the lead up to winter after the fall, and the first snow, and snowing for Christmas, and the magic that I emotionally tie into Christmas, there seems to be a proverbial let-down thereafter. It's like after a break-up. Being in a relationship with someone, things are moving along, going well, you're enjoying yourselves...then something happens and it just ends. Just like that you go your separate ways. One day full of presents, family and cherry music then **SNAP** you wake up the next day and it's all over...Back to reality, work, picking up the toys, yadah, yadah, yadah.

I do enjoy winter sports but for a variety of reasons don't take time off work (or weekends) for them. For now, I'm content to spend my weekends lazily with the kids, enjoying the occasional hot chocolate and movie and praying for better air...and any kind of storm to clear out the putrid-smelling smog.

Then, just like after a break-up, after three or four weeks you start to feel like "yourself" again. Life moves on, turns back to "normal" and before you know it we have "clean air" and in comes February! Everywhere you look is Chocolate packaged in every shape and size and I think to myself...

"Now, all is right with the world."

Where Do These Things Come From??

E, after much trial and twisting and coaxing, finally pulled out another tooth!! She has so many wiggly ones and finally wiggled one of those out. So, she put the tooth under the pillow, anxiously waiting to fall asleep and waking up to the extra $$$. I told D before we went to bed, "Do NOT let me forget to go in there." A few hours later, I'm asleep :)

D took in some $$ around 5:30am.

E woke up and was so excited to show me her $$. Then she added, "Dad brought me the money, I woke up and saw him. But the Tooth Fairy still took my tooth!"

Insert here, either perfect opportunity to lay into one of the many false-hoods we feed our children, or just move on and go make breakfast.

I chickened out and, hugged her, help her put her money away and went to make breakfast. I know, I know. But I just wasn't in the mood for that conversation. I know where it will end up..."So sorry Sweetie, but yes, it's true. I have been lying to you for 71/2 years about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and yes, the Tooth Fairy. But hey, I'll still give you money for your teeth. Now you don't have to wait all night! Isn't that great? Yes, you can still get presents at Christmas."

Seriously? The Tooth Fairy? Who thought this up? Not only money for your tooth, but you have to put it under your pillow and some "fairy" will take it to who-knows-where, and why?

I don't know!

Is it fun? But is it fun to find out the reality? Why do we do this to ourselves, and pass it on to our children?

And, yes, I think I can handle THIS Tooth Fairy :)

Speaking of Surprizes...

...I misplaced my camera after we moved the first of September. Yes, the very camera I had to replace in August. Yes, the very camera on which I spent most of my souvenir budget so we could have vacation pictures.

Hi, my name is Rachel, and I am a habitual Mis-Placer.
Everyone, "Hello, Rachel. That's so great! That's a great first step!" cheers and applause

So, I suck it up and go without a camera, using my horrible camera on my cell phone. The pictures are so bad I don't even want to download them OFF my phone. So, I have no viable pictures of Halloween, or pretty much anything since the first of September (sigh).

I finally put my foot down (one day while looking on ebay) and found what looked to be a good deal, placed a bid, and checked back, breathless, two hours later. What?? I won the auction?? Sweet! It was even way under what my bid was! It was a newer version of my old camera, plus it came with an extra battery and a 4gb memory card. Yes, to say I was ecstatic was an understatement.

Enter here: guilt for buying it without even mentioning the auction/purchase of said item to D. My justification? "Hey, honey, my Christmas present came in the mail today. Wanna see it? I know I'll love it!" Yeah, he's cool like that :)

But here's the kicker. I received the package (aka: my Christmas present) in the mail Thursday. I found my old camera in my closet, in its little protective/invisible case, on Saturday morning.

I am not even kidding

Always A Surprise

Almost every evening I'm home, after the children are in bed, I start picking up the chaos of the day.
Socks tucked away in the couch, blankets behind the pillows, crayons under the coffee table, I sware this Barbie has cloned herself because I just put her in the toy chest a few hours ago!
I moved the Kleenex box back to its original place, but it's making unusual noises...rattles??? Oh, hey! I found the Pilgrims...what happened to the Indians?
The tiny Pilgrim figures must have a cold...
The Indian figures were hiding under the chair...they found the heating vent :)
The pillows multiply and I really need to do something about the number of blankets around the house. We like to cuddle with them, though, so it's hard to keep them packed away.
Okay, better get back to focusing on Christmas. What am I making the kids for Christmas?
Blankets
Oh, the irony

To Drive or Not To Drive

Regardless how long the drive-thru line is, it is always faster to stay in the drive-thru line than to get out of your car, walk in, wait in line, order, wait for the order then get back to your car, get situated with out spilling anything then go, hoping you didn't leave the drink on the top of your car while you were digging through your purse or pocket to get the keys!
Just Trust Me on this one... Besides, you know it's true, too.

Places to Visit This Week

Kmart & Robert's Crafts

Thanks, guys!!

I WILL get a Pilgrim in my house or so Help Me!!!

:)

Writers Block...Block...Block...

What does your English Teacher tell you to do when you can't think of anything to write? Brainstorm! That or just write down anything that comes to your mind. That's actually a great way to really see/read what is in a person's mind or thoughts. This could be revealing, but I'll keep it clean, I promise :)

I need new work shoes. Rather, I would like new work shoes. Rather, I just want another pair of these shoes so I can have a pair at home, I love them so much! Sometimes I wish I had some gel in-soles. I miss my glasses. There was something comforting in being able to almost hide behind them. Even if I didn't want to ware make-up, at least I still had something decorative on my face to detract from the dark circles. Now, it's just ME, and that's uncomfortable. I could do something about the Crow's Feet and puffy eyes and dark circles......mehh.

I am always fascinated each time I see the brain exposed. I felt that way, too, the one time I saw an open heart surgery. Fascinating! I can eat a whole container of Ben N Jerry's New York Supper Fudge Chuck, in one sitting, if I let myself. I want to be to my ideal weight...eventually. I know, I know. I need to make a goal, and get myself out of bed earlier in the morning, blah, blah, blah. But I've made so many goals and gone up and down on the scale so many times that everything is discouraging any more. I'd like to get back into running shape. Blue is a calming color. Is that why it's all over the operating room? I really can't concentrate when the music is screaming.

My girls love Hannah Montana...and I'm okay with that. They also enjoy ice cream sandwiches. I'm okay with that too. I need to get more excited about drinking hot chocolate, especially since it's getting colder. Ice cream sandwich dipped in hot chocolate??? I think SO :) But, I make my kids eat hot cereal when it's cold outside, and if they want to complain, I let them call Nanie (my mom). I love under-cooked oatmeal with brown sugar. I hate driving in the snow. I miss Switzerland. My co-workers keep me sane (that and the chocolate peanuts from Nutty Guys).

Okay, that was nice to get some of that off my chest! Thanks :)

Because I'm the Mom

E asks all kinds of random questions, most of which have no answer so I'll make something up.

What are we supposed to do if the sky falls?
Grab a blanket and watch the show.
You just made that up.
Nope. I love watching the clouds and lightening.
Do you know everything?
Yup
How?
Cuz I'm a mom. Once you're a mom, you'll know everthing too.
Why do people have to get sick?
Germs; please wash your hands.
What if it's not germs? What if it's cancer like Daddy's?
Dunno. Sometimes it just happens.
I thought you said you knew everthing.
Not everything has an answer :)

Score one for Mom!

Utah State Fair (ie: People Watching At Its Finest)

Who goes to the State Fair without a camera?? Apparently I do. Not only did I leave the camera home, I also left most of my Sunny Day common sense with it (sunscreen, hats), but I'll be darned if I didn't pack jackets for everyone and blankets JUST IN CASE someone were to get cold in the EVENING! Did I mention it was 90+ degrees today?? And a very beautiful blue sky; no clouds to cover our fun-filled Fair day.

Naw, we sought lots of shade and water and the kids hardly got any color. Me, on the other hand, has a nice set of raccoon eyes and red lines on my neck that my shirt currently is rubbing...

Anyway, so back to People Watching. If this were a sport, I would soooooo be all over it. This is my most fun thing to do. But I have to do it by myself. If I'm doing this with anyone else, it can turn into a judgement session: Do you NOT have a mirror at home? Seriously? You are actually wearing that...around other people?

See? That's just not nice, even more so that they (thankfully) can't hear my awful judgements. Besides, who am I to judge what someone else deems appropriate? I just turn my head and move on with my day.

But when I'm alone, or have a few minutes alone, I just watch all the people go by and think:
Such a cute prego belly! Gosh, it's crazy that I will never have that again. For crying out loud, there are a lot of pregnant people here!
He's just not that into her. Someone should tell her...
I'm sure glad my kids don't throw tantrums
Hair extensions are fun; I can't wait to do it again
Why is everything at the Fair so expensive? Why do we pay those prices?
How safe are the rides? That thought alone creeps me out
He's not that into her, either! What's wrong with the girls? You're cute; go find someone who cares about YOU and not just some arm candy! Geez, I can see it from here!
Ouch, that's gonna be a worse sunburn than mine. Well, I guess it pays to wear something other than a bra and tank top. Burnt cleavage: not cool
Can I still get some sort of Chastity Belt with blinders? Wow, that could be a whole blog topic by itself!
Oh, good, D's back. I need a Funnel Cake and a Snow Cone!!

Random-itis

I couldn't sleep last night. When I came home from work, everyone was already in bed... sleeping. So, I fixed myself something to eat and tried to see what was on TV. What did I watch? Absolutely nothing. TV programing is such a complete waste of time. Maybe I just don't have the right provider... :)

So, I'm laying on the couch; TV is on but I'm texting a friend so I'm not paying attention; too tired to read or concentrate but not tired enough to go to sleep. What do I do? Re-organize my kitchen cabinets. Isn't that what you'd do? That's what I thought.

What's this? An empty laundry basket in the hall? Does that mean... (look quietly into the kids' room) Yup! The laundry is PUT AWAY!

Thanks, D :) and girls

Few! Now I can sleep

The Perfect Mind of a Three-Year-Old

We were playing one day. I was saying the animal and L would mimick the animal sound.

Me: What does a dog say?
L: Woof, woof
Me: What does a cat say?
L: Meow
(You get the idea)

Me: What does a chicken say?

L: Everybody run! The sky is falling!

Seriously...really? I didn't even know she had seen Chicken Little. Wow.

What is it good for? Absolutly nothing :)

So, for the longest time, my favorite color has been yellow. It's just a happy color and I smile when I think about it. But, I can't ware it; it washes me out. I never decorate with it; it's too bright. The two times I have painted with it, I've reminded myself why I shouldn't have done so to begin with. I have used yellow in card-making, but that's about it.

Then, a little over a year ago, my whole view changed. I saw a bag while in Philly, PA for a work conference, and literally almost stopped breathing. I put it on my shoulder, and walked away with it (after paying, of course) in a happy daze and have been in love ever since!!

You can't tell from this picture, but the green is sort of metallic and shimmers beautifully in the light. The bag itself is the perfect size, too. Not too deep so as to loose everything, but it's roomy enough for the essentials and a book, with enough pockets for everything. I just clip my keys on and go!

Then, last summer, remember how I washed my phone? Why did I get the replacement phone that I did? Because it just happened to come in green! The same shimmery, metallic, loud green as my purse! Next, for Mother's Day, I picked out an MP3 player and they had one in bright green!

Interesting, I say. So I decided to do a little bit of Internet research (which is almost like getting your advice from the National Enquirer). Read the article here. So according to this one article, I am jealous of Ireland with a calm, Islamic-environmentalist attitude where time moves fast but I love Spring and Christmas. The military stability helps in my naturalistic recycling tendencies and leads me to an earthy, retro, conservative look.

Hmmm. But, I don't have a Green Thumb. Interesting. I'm too tired to look up any other sites and try to find something more meaningful, so this will have to do. It's just fun to mix things up once in a while!