Sunday, September 30, 2012

Pollyanna Deserves a Little Respect

Remember how dorky Pollyanna could be, her and that lame little Glad Game she used to play?  (I know, I'm just kidding, I totally loved that movie too but just hear me out.)  I just want to say that Pollyanna has earned a little more respect from me - it's harder to be glad about crappy situations than you'd think.

Take for example the massive shopping trip I went on last week, trying to carefully select our groceries from Costco, noticing that prices on several of our staples had gone up, including the giant jug of popcorn.  I loaded the groceries into the back of the car and headed to WinCo for phase two of the trip. I opened up  the back hatch to grab a reusable bag (that's just the kind of responsible green shopper I am) when the plastic jug of popcorn launched itself out and exploded at my feet, leaving a mountain of kernals in the parking lot just under the van's tailpipe like some kind of automotive blow-out.  I didn't feel glad. At all.  But then I looked and realized that the jug still held over half of its measure of popcorn.  And I tried to be glad, at least just a little.  It's not easy. But I did it. I shall try to apply the Glad Game to other crappy situations sure to come my way.

Pollyanna, you rock.


A Proposal

I have this great idea. I am going to propose to congress that we remove a certain word from the English language.  That doesn't sound too nuts, does it?  Nah, course not.  So I officially propose that we remove the word "actually" from our native tongue.

Random?  I know, it might seem so but...that word is driving me totally and completely insane.  And I don't have the skills to handle it so let's just swipe it out of existence and all will be well.

Let me explain.

Bitty: "Mom, can I please have a bowl of cereal?"
Me: "Sure, honey, what kind would you like?"
Bitty: "Can I please have Life in the green bowl?"
Me: "Certainly."

I start to pour the cereal in the bowl and add the mi...
Bitty: "ACTUALLY CAN I PLEASE HAVE FROSTED MINI WHEATS?"
Me: (Trying to stop the milk from flowing in mid-air),..."oh...okay, sure." (I replace the cereal and switch to mini wheats. I start to pour the milk)
Bitty: "ACTUALLY I REALLY REALLY WANTED THE BLUE BOWL..."
Me: "Doh!  Bitty, I can't just keep switching, can you please make up your mind?"
Bitty: "Okay, actually can I please have a grilled cheese sandwich?"
Me. "Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"

And it's not just Bitty, it's all three.  And it happens with almost every request they make, which are many.  It has been the cause of my mental and emotional demise, and I would like you to make that word go away now.



Saturday, September 22, 2012

A Visit to the State Fair

Poor Bitty.  I am really in debt to her, I think.  When Stomper was a little toddler I took him on adventures around the city all the time.  Then Bitty came along and it got a little harder, and soon she became a tag-along on many of Stomper's appointments rather than going on outings of her own. Now they are both big old elementary school kids and are gone most of the day and here I am with Bundle all alone and we get to go on outings just like the old days.  So yeah, I need to do some special outings with Bitty.

In the meantime, let me report my latest super fun outing with Bundle.  One of my favorite things to do with Stomper every fall was take him to the State Fair.  I stopped going when Bitty came along because Stomper was big enough to not care as much about the animals and just wanted me to buy him stuff from all the stands. We kind of stopped going. So this year when my friend Krista invited Bundle and me to go I was excited to say yes.  Bundle loved visiting the animals and some of the craft displays.  Can I say that there are a lot of strange things out there on display at the old State Fair? Well, there are.  And it's kind of wonderful actually. And yeah, weird.

I have this old picture of Stomper getting freaked out by farm animals - I'll have to see if I can find it.  And I had such a similar moment with Bundle - there was this massive cow that totally freaker her out and even though she kind of wanted to check it out she also had to bury her face in my neck every time we came near it.  I think Stomper did that with the goats.

Sooper Dooper Excited!

...until a goat nibbled her shirt.  Wasn't so sure how she felt about goats after that.

Couldn't find the picture of Stomper and me, but it looks pretty much just like this.



The Zucchini Experience

I don't know that I have ever in my life before been invited to go and race zucchinis.  But there is a first for everything, or so I have heard.  Troy got a text on Sunday afternoon from some friends who just moved into our neighborhood. The text went like this: "Want to come race zucchinis with us down City Creek?"  We had never received such a message and were fascinated - for some reason I was imagining us going to the top of City Creek Canyon and rolling the things down the winding road, but I'm not always that bright.  We gratefully accepted the invitation, seeing as how we all had really bad cabin fever by Sunday night.  Of course we did not go to the top of a canyon, but up Memory Grove to the actual City Creek.

It was the most beautiful September evening; still warm and lovely and past the high heat of summer.  We strolled up through the park enjoying wonderful conversation and watching the other visitors who were partaking in the glories of a Sunday evening in September.  We headed up to the banks of the stream where the kids instantly shed all traces of footwear and pretty much leaped right into the water.  Our friends brought several very overgrown zucchinis, which were passed out among the kids, who prepared to hurl them into the water to speed down the stream in a race to the finish.  Except this one thing....once hitting the shallow water they pretty much just lodged themselves on the rocks and didn't move at all.  There was just a moment of disappointment but luckily it was quickly overcome because our friends came prepared not only with large produce but with a bag full of tiny plastic boats which were small and light enough to actually float down the stream.  We held a boat regatta and the kids found other ways to amuse themselves with the zucchini. Well, the girls mostly romped and splashed and pretended to ride horses around on the grass.  The boys, however, took over the vegetable entertainment and had a ball hurling them into the lake, blasting them into chunks and wearing the remaining pieces as Wonder Woman-esque wrist bands.

I haven't had such a fun evening in a long time.  I need to participate in vegetable sports more often.








The Dearly Departed

No, no...no one's dead.  Just departed.  And very dear.

Our friends Cullen and Myca have taken off to the wild blue yonder, otherwise known as Delaware.  We're so happy for them, and so proud.  Cullen got an awesome job offer there and so they went!  Really, I am excited for their new adventures and even maybe a little envious though I'm sure I have a more romanticized vision of living back east than is healthy or realistic in any way.  The Irvines will have to let me know.

And while I'm excited and happy and jealous and cheering for them....I'm also pretty sad. Over the past few years, especially since Troy and Cullen served together in our ward's bishopric, we have grown very close to our friends The Irvines.  Not only was Myca the first person besides myself who could put my baby girl Bundle to bed and thus enabled us to go out on real dates that didn't end at 8:15, but we discovered that we are truly kindred friends and will be forever and ever. So really it shouldn't be a big deal that they moved away for a bit.  But we're gonna miss them.

I always loved how much my girls love Myca - when ever they see her they holler her name and go running into her arms.  It's very sweet.

And all my kids love to hear bedtime stories from Cullen - here he is, reading to the kids at the close of a goodbye dinner we had for them at our house.



Monday, September 10, 2012

Two Years yet Only A Moment yet An Eternity - Missing TerriLyn

Hi, TerriLyn.  I miss you.  Thanks for still hanging out with  me from time to time - I often feel like I can hear your big wonderful booming laugh and it makes me happy.  I hear your voice when I am trying to be brave about wearing mascara.  I feel you near me when I am low and also when I'm up.  In honor of your anniversary today I am going to make friends with a stranger, bring someone an unexpected gift, notice something to compliment on every friend I meet and eat something wickedly chocolate.  Also in honor of you today I am posting a video of one of my favorite dances of all time from my dance show I love so much.  It is called This Woman's Work and you will know what it is about.

Love you, sister friend.


Thursday, September 06, 2012

One Last First

After celebrating Bitty's birthday all day long it was a little tricky to get the kids into bed at a decent hour on our first school night of the 2012-2013 year.  We had a summer full of late nights and though we tried to get kids to bed earlier that last week of summer we totally failed.  I guess that's why it felt like such a surprise to actually have to wake up and get organized and moving the next morning, despite the fact that I had been mentally looking forward to school all summer long.  Oh hello, I guess I do have to drag you all out of bed and oh yes, I think I forgot that I need to make lunches and what, you want me to do your hair before 9am? Surprise!

I am very happy with both Stomper and Bitty's teachers and am looking forward to a great year ahead.  It's kind of funny, Stomper just started his 5th year of school here and has had five wonderful teachers so far.  You would think that Bitty would have had a least one of the same teachers as her big brother but so far not a single teacher has been a repeat.  I'm not sure what that means.....but I will say that it is fun to get to know more of our wonderful faculty and have been pleased all around.

First Day for the Big Kids


That was two weeks ago and since then we have had a second first day of school, this one a little more poignant than the first.  Little Bundle turned three this summer and like her older siblings before her I wanted to put her into a two-day-a-week preschool to get her started.  Despite the fact that beloved Miss Patty retired just in time to not have Bundle in her class, I feel lucky because I found a good friend who not only recommended the preschool at West High but was sending her own fourth child there this year.  We can arrange car pools and trade play dates and all the good stuff.  I just didn't anticipate this one little thing.

You know how there are some moms out there who are all... you know, like.... SAD when their kids start school?  Some even cry or feel lonely for a while?  Well, that has never been me.  I have never been anything but excited both for me getting a little breather and my dear child starting off on an exiting new journey.  Given my general elation when it comes to sending my kids to school it was rather unnerving to arrive with a curious and excited Bundle and then suddenly to be gripped by this overwhelming feeling of dread, panic and sadness....I had to give her a quick kiss and dash out the door so I could go hide in the car, call Troy and say, ".....wwwaaahhhh!"  And also ask to him the difference as between a heart attack and and a panic attack.  :)

Bundle's Big Day
Showing off her backpack - a birthday present  from her Grandparents


She had a great first day and had nothing but glowing reports of  her new teacher Miss Celeste and all the new activities and friends.  I was mostly just happy to get my little gal back in my arms.  I guess I do have a heart after all.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Happy Birthday Bitty!


There's My Birthday Girl.  Don't Mind the Bandage...she did a pretty awesome face-plant on the astro-turf at Seven Peaks Provo the evening before her birthday.  She was trying to give Bundle a piggy back ride on dry land, thinking that if she could do it in 3 feet of water then this should be easy.  Lesson Learned.
Bitty's birthday is at the tail end of summer - this year it fell on the day before school started and next year I believe it falls on the first day itself.  It's a really good thing because it uses up all that extra energy I have saved up from all my free time over the summer.  Wait, I think I have that wrong....yes, that's right.  Troy needed a shovel to scoop me up off of the ground and prod me into getting a birthday together for our little middle child.  But I pulled it off with no major complications.

We have decided (I can't quite remember why) to only do an official birthday party every other year - even years only.  On the odd years we thought it would be fun for the birthday kid to pick a couple of friends and go on an outing or special date of some kind.  Bitty and I talked about the options for most of the summer and she had a lot of ideas that came in a close second (like riding a helicopter to Disneyland.)  We ended up with a fun plan that almost didn't happen but I pulled it off at the last second.

With her two little friends as well as her sweet little sister who I knew would hate to be left behind we first hit a Cookie Cutters hair shop.  For a minimal fee (not as minimal as I had hoped, especially because I felt that their service was a little MORE minimal than I had hoped....but the girls had fun) the party goers each got a hairstyle complete with sparkly spray as well as a "manicure."  (They got their nails painted.)  So honestly it wasn't quite the birthday party I was hoping for but since I waited slightly too long to find a place to take the girls for Bitty's requested manicure I was pretty happy it worked out at all.






 Luckily we had other plans as well so after our hairstyle extravaganza we headed down town to a little tea shop called The Beehive Tea Room where we ordered hot chocolate all around.  It doesn't take much to make little girls happy - basically piles and piles of whipped cream spilling out of little silver tea pots will do the trick. Also birthday presents and little cookies and lots of giggling.








We finished up the day with dinner at our house with the grandparents.  Bitty, like her brother, is a seafood lover and initially requested as her special meal "fish, squid and seaweed."  I decided to take it easy on the grandparents and just serve salmon along with a salad and rolls or something like that.  Bitty was happy despite the lack of squid and seaweed and I was happy because she requested for her cake strawberry short cake.  Not a cake in the shape of the character Strawberry Shortcake, mind you, just a regular short cake with strawberries.  Yay!  I managed to make a huge mess out of it despite its lack of difficulty.  She got from her grandma and grandpa a big-girl jewelry box in which to keep her collection of earrings, and she was very excited about it.  It's lovely.





Happy Birthday my sweet wonderful dervish of a girl.  I love you madly and am already enjoying your eighth year immensely.

Monday, September 03, 2012

An Update on Gollum

Hi.  I just wanted to give you a quick update.

Remember, way back last spring when I blogged HERE about how I very bravely and  very courageously faced my fears, embraced discipline and despite overwhelming odds conquered my addiction to Diet Coke?  And my dismay as I watched my own transformation into a creature not unlike Gollum craving his precious and having the desire to strangle anyone else drinking it in my presence?

Well, I just want to say one thing.

Nevermind.

Don't hate me.