D and Nana

Lake Lanier There are not words to describe how much I love Little D. When she was only 8, I left the house for college and really didn't see her very much and then got married. HOWEVER, fate, God or answered prayers changed things and I ended up her 8th grade English teacher at FJH and we found a friendship and bond that could not be stronger. We understand each other like only sisters can. We laugh and cry and have so many differences but so many similarities too. Most of all we love each other and I can't even tell you how much I miss her. My girls adore her. Amelia and D have a bond that miles can't break.
The Georgia Aquarium

We did so many fun things: Amicalola Falls (and hiked forever), the Georgia Aquarium, birthday parties (including Mikayla's...more to come on that), hanging with the neighbors, golf car rides and walks around the neighborhood, the lake, Lollipop toystore, but most of all we hung out and TALKED and played and just had fun being together.

Amicalola Falls


My mom (AKA Nana Banana) is the world's greatest mom. First of all, she kept up with my totally rambuctious, never-quit, overly energetic, never nap, always want to play outside kids, but also, she hiked up the falls. Later when I was talking to some other grandparents in town for my friend Marla's little girl's birthday party, they were telling me about Amicalola and how they park at the top and enjoy the beauty...It was then that I realized that we parked at the BOTTOM and MY MOM trekked up the falls and did an awesome job. We also went to Moe's for Mikayla's birthday dinner and my mom was mistaken for me and D's sister...what a stud! I love my mom. I miss her more than words can describe. We laugh and talk and just had fun being with each other. I owe everything to her. She is my rock and I love her. I miss her more now that I just saw her.

So, I'm not trying to impress anyone with my blog. I'm keeping it real and just trying to be me, but I want the world to know that I love my family. After all, that is more important than money, looks, and everything else. Those of you that live close to your family, treasure it.

Happy Birthday Jayme!!!

Jayme and me at graduation...14 years ago (no way does it seem that long ago!)
L Banquet
Las Vegas...our summer of dancing, and dancing, and dancing some more.

Go Hi-Lo's!

Jayme was my best friend in high school and stood in my line next to me at my wedding...we've been through good and bad, ups and downs and have always remained friends. She is amazingly talented....from choreography to standing back tucks to wonder-mom to scrapbook extrordinaire. She is awesome!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all of you! It has been a crazy, fun filled week already. Amelia had her Easter egg hunt at school on Tuesday and Mikayla had one at playgroup on Wednesday. This morning we had a neighborhood party in our backyard. It was a great time...I'll post pictures later. We spent the day at the lake and it hit 90 degrees! We love warm weather, but we miss our family and Utah friends so much, especially during the holidays. Have a wonderful Easter.

Sticky Situations

So, I was reading a friend's blog about sticky situations, and I was reminded of a few of mine:

Dave's office Christmas party was at the new Georgia Aquarium. It was a big family deal that they did instead of a fancy couples party at a hotel. Well, I went to Banana Republic and bought a cute sweater and wore it proudly. About a week later, I wore the sweater again and kept rubbing my arm against something. I looked down and saw the size sticker STILL ATTACHED to the sweater. It proudly said "size L" about six times on a long vertical striped sticker down the front of the sweater. The irony is, it really was a "sticky situation!"

This one is so not-funny, but very awkward: Dave has played softball for as long as I have known him. He was on the same team for about eight years and we were the couple that had been married the longest. We watched the younger guys meet and then marry even younger girls and it was getting harder and harder to find things in common with girls ten years younger than me while sitting watching the guys play ball. Finally, one of the girls says to me, "Hey, so-and-so tells us that you were on college dance team...so was I." Relieved that I finally had some common ground, I told them that indeed, I was. They went on to ask me about Jan Whittaker (who at the time of my old age was the rival HIGH SCHOOL advisor). I told them what I thought and she responded, "Wow, that is just so cool that you were on Crimson Line." I was like, "Yeah." Then it dawned on me...Crimson Line????? That is the U of U drill team NOT the Dixie College drill team. Jan Whittaker had moved up in the world and was now a university advisor and now ALL the young softball wives thought I was a former CRIMSON LINE girl. They kept asking me questions and I was all flustered and then it got past the point that I could tell them that it was all a big mistake...anyway, you get the picture...it went on and on.

My feisty, spirited youngest daughter had left the house and cut across the backyards to go to my friend's house who informed me later that as our other friend had come to pick up her FOUR MONTH OLD BABY, Mikayla pointed to her stomach and said, "You have a BABY in there!" (She actually said the same thing to me the next day and said it to my friend Marla's thin-as-a-rail mother, but of course she wasn't there to hear that she is pretty much saying it to any woman because she figured out that that's where babies are "stored.")

I have so many more, but one last one for now...I was ten years old and felt at least 16 because I was on a trip by MYSELF with my Grandma to HAWAII eating in some glass restaurant overlooking the entire island when the waitress asked me if I wanted Horseradish with my steak. I of course ordered the way my Grandmother did and replied, "Yes, please." She in turn replied, "Wow, what grown up taste!" I then felt at least 17 years old and sat up a little taller. When my scrumptious steak was served I took one bite and burst into tears. It was the most disgusting taste I had ever imagined and I couldn't hold it back. The gig was up, I didn't have grown up tastes.

There are so many more, but my friend sent me a book "Letters for Emily" that I am reading...so I'll sign off for now. Please comment with your own sticky situations and we can laugh together.

An Experiment

I have to admit, I think I'm a decent mom. I'm not going to win any awards and sometimes I'm horrible, but for the most part, I'm above average. HOWEVER, my kids had just been acting really naughty (worse than usual). It's also hard because when we go places or at school or wherever, they are great. So people really don't know what I'm talking about when I try to tell them how they behave at home.

One day last week was particularly hard. The girls were fighting with each other, smearing sunscreen on the kitchen floor, filling up the sinks to overflowing and sitting on the counter with their feet in them playing pedicure, and just being unbelievable grouchy. I was completely frustrated.

Sunday I was watching this show (Grey's Anatomy) and this mom is dying and her teenage daughter comes in to her hospital room and the mom is trying to give her 50 years' worth of advice in five minutes. When it came to the advice on children, she said something like, "Amelia (that was her name by the way) it doesn't matter if your child is a concert pianist or a soccer player. It doesn't matter how many friends they have or how talented and smart they are. All that matters is that they are HAPPY."

I decided that for one week (during Spring Break right now), I was going to drop everything and love my kids. I hold them more; I listen to them more; I smile more; I laugh more; I play with them more...and the difference is unbelievable. The girls are sweeter to each other. They had one minor issue last night at bedtime (bringing a box of baby wipes into bed with them and pulling them out one by one while I was talking to Mom), but that is IT! I haven't done any deep cleaning this week, but my house is even pretty clean. It hasn't fallen apart and the other things I haven't focused on during my little experiment obviously don't matter that much because I haven't even noticed that they aren't done!

I'm not saying my life has to completely revolve around kids, but a neighbor friend said something to me yesterday that really struck a cord. She asked, "What is it that kids want more than anything? Attention from their PARENTS. They will get it any way they can...positively or negatively." I think that's what's going on. It hasn't taken that much effort. I think I was doing a decent job before, but just trying a little bit harder and letting a few things go has made them happier and sweeter. After all, all I want for my kids is for them to be happy, truly happy.

Cooking with Chell

When I was in junior high, I found out a perfect way to get breakfast every morning...really compliment the person who is making it, so they WANT to make it for you. So, every morning I would yell from bed, "But Chell, you make the best toast in the whole world. No one makes it better than you." So she would get out of bed and make toast for both of us. Then, it turned into our favorite after school snack too. Again after school, I would say, "Chell, I would make it, but you just do it so much better!"

The thing is, she really did make a NICE piece of toast. To this day it's the best toast I've ever had....until Dad found out how she was making it and put a stop to it. She was buttering the bread BEFORE she put it into the toaster (which makes it taste fabulous by the way) but it shorts out the wires when the butter drips down and is actually a little dangerous. So, the toast days were put to an end.

She is a good little cook though. Maybe it's my toast that got her started. Check out her cookie recipe on her blog (link above). I think I'll try it today!

Can I be honest?

Okay, I don't know who even reads my blogs anymore, so read this at your own risk. I remember when girls used to get cramps in high school, and I was like, "Buck up Camper, it's not that bad." There was this particular girl on dance team (Jayme and Chell, remember Amber T.?) who would curl up in a ball even on competition days and would just cry her cramps hurt so bad.

Fast forward 15 years (wow, has it been that long?) I have the world's worst PMS. The cramps are bad, but my emotions are out of control. Everything offends me and everything irritates me. EVERYTHING!!! I seriously wanted to scream at the clerk who asked if I wanted paper or plastic. What the hell, does anyone use paper anymore? (Don't worry I recycle the plastic.) Then Mikayla and I got home and as I was trying to put away groceries, Mikayla ate apple chips, a piece of bread, two yogurts, sour cream and onion chips AND bologne. THEN, she asked for lunch. She's TWO!!!!!!!!!! I was so irritated. Then I sit back and I'm like, "Man, it's not that big of a deal, why am I freaking out?????" Oh, it's because I have PMS!

Now, you can tell me to get on some drug or whatever to get it under control, but I already went off the pill two years ago because it made me completely crazy after I had kids. I also never really had cramps or PMS until after I had kids. So, I guess I can just deal with it.

JUST DON'T CROSS MY PATH IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS, AND IF YOU MUST, TALK QUIETLY AND ONLY SAY THINGS LIKE, "Man, you are the best mom and never yell at your kids. You are so skinny and aren't bloated at all. Your face is so clear right now, I can't even see the small mountain on your forehead."

I'll see you in two days, I'm going to eat a box of Dots, drink four Diet Cokes and climb into my cave.

Oh, on a positive note, my fabulous friend Miki is taking the girls OVERNIGHT Friday night for my birthday...how cool is that?

Did you know?

Free Money? Could it be true? Ya, kind of. There is this financial guru on the radio (Clark Howard) who told his listeners about a website called MissingMoney.com. Anyway, you put in your information and it will find money that is owed to you but never paid...from previous jobs, insurance, stocks, etc. I didn't find any money for me, but I found two checks for my dad from our old Logan address and one for my brother-in-law in Texas. Michael's was only $103, but hey, the check is in the mail to him and he didn't even know it was out there. I told him I would take a percentage of it or he had to use it to come and visit us! Anyway, check it out...and check it out for your family and friends. It's easy and kind of fun.

I'M BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have no clue what happened to my blog, but I think I fixed things...stay tuned for a most-intriguing blog.

Grateful

Today I was unloading groceries with Mikayla after taking Amelia to school and my neighbor across the street was in her new boat checking things out. She saw us and ran over and offered to take Mikayla for a little while. I know it seems like a little thing, but in that hour I got all the bathroom floors swept and mopped, the upstairs vacuumed, all the groceries put away, the area rugs downstairs shaken out AND the stairs swept and polished. She brought Mikayla home so happy and gave her a little break from me too.

I guess my point is that she will never know how much that meant to me...just to have a little break and get so much done. I will remember this forever and a few years from now when my kids are in school, I will return the favor to a mom I see with young kids who just needs an hour break on a random day!

Fashion Girl

This is what I love about my Amelia:

• She is totally her own person...when most girls her age say their favorite colors are pink and purple, Amelia proudly tells them hers is GREEN.
• She tells me all the time she is a "Fashion Girl" and she really cares about what she wears. The thing is, it's her OWN version of what's "fashion." It has to have sparkles and be purple or green and then she wears it for at least five days straight. This picture is of the outfit she wore the first seven days of school in a row (a purple sparkly shirt is under the jacket).
• She is so sweet to her sister and very protective of her.

• She is a daddy's girl, but she worries that it makes me feel bad, so she will run and hug me and then jump right back in daddy's lap.
• She loves to get dirty and play outside more than anything else. She is truly the dirtiest kid I know. This picture is of Amelia and her worms.
• She wakes up every day happy and wants to go to school.
• She loves art and making messes with paint, Play-doh, stamps, etc. and is very creative.
• She is the best little help in the kitchen...and I mean "real help." She sets the table and stirs and never lets us forget to pray before a meal (although she insists on saying the prayer they say at school).
• She makes our family complete and we love her so much!
  

Best Buds

It is so hard to move away from family for a lot of reasons, but one of the hardest is not having any help with the kids. I mean, I'm happy to call a teenager for a date night, but to go to the dentist in the middle of the day, to rush Amelia to the hospital in the middle of the night and then go back for tests (and not drag Kayla along) and to just give me a break, I would have no one....if it it weren't for

Steph and Marla.

It's not just about helping me with my kids though, they are my family away from Utah (and Dallas and Phoenix) and I really don't know what I would do without them. They do help me out with my kids all the time (even though both of their families are here, so they never really need the favor returned.) I love how we can talk for hours about everything and never run out of things to say. We hang out pretty much every day and our kids are the best of friends.

I've thought a lot about it and we don't have that much in common...different backgrounds, families, religions, discipline styles, dress, hair, occupations, education, etc., etc. but somehow I have found the two dearest friends in the world. I also know how weird it is to meet best friends over the age of 30, but they are two of the best friends I've ever had in my whole life.

I love that we are neighbors and can call on each other any time. I love that we pop over at each other's houses to eat dinner, hang out or just sit and watch TV. I love that they understand when I'm lonely because Dave is late and they just appear. I love that they are adventurous and love to do fun things. I love that they like to hang out as much as I do. I love that even though we have a lot of differences, we learn from each other and I think that's why we have become such great friends. I just love them!

We took the kids (Kaitlyn is almost 4, Jesse is almost 5, and then my Amelia who is almost 5 and Kayla who is almost 3) up to a cabin for the weekend. The guys love to hang out and the kids love to hang out. It gives the three of us time to just get away from it all. We had a great time and at one point during the weekend, as I was curled up on the couch with a book and the kids were playing in the basement while Steph and Jerry were cooking breakfast, I stopped to think that at that moment, there was nowhere I'd rather be and no one I'd rather be with...what a great feeling.

My Mikayla

You know how it's easier to vent about the bad stuff? Well, I did that in a previous blog, so let me now talk about my sweet little two-year-old...

• She wakes up every morning and yells, "GOO MORNIN'!!!!" and then goes through her drawers to pick out an outfit and completely dresses herself. AND it always matches because everything she owns or wears has to be pink.
• She never complains about being in the car for at least an hour every day running errands and carpooling Amelia to school. As a matter of fact, the other day in the car she kept yelling, "MOM???, MOM???" I finally turned down the tunes and said, "Yes, Kayla?" and she said, "You're the best mom!!!!" I about started to cry and said, "You're the best daughter!" Now she always tells me, "Mom, you're the best daughter!"
• She is totally independent...potty trained herself months ago, brushes her own teeth, dresses herself, tells me how she wants her hair done, cleans up after herself and picks up any trash and throws it in the garbage.
• She makes friends anywhere...the ladies at the grocery store love her and look for her every Monday morning. They buy her little gifts and call her their adopted granddaughter.
• She is skinny but so strong. She can climb the obstacle course better than any five year old at Pump It Up.
• She looks in the mirror at her blonde curls and then looks at me and says, "Mom, I want hair like yours...no 'lellow curls, just straight black." I have to always tell her how beautiful her hair is because she just wants to look like Mom and she couldn't be more opposite.
• When she sees how much fun Amelia has at school, I keep preparing her for school and say, "Mikayla, you will have so much fun at school." She says, "No, I just like to be with Mommy."
• She knows when she's naughty and it really does bother her...she still talks about scratching that baby at the scrapbook store in Utah (I know Mom and D...it was traumatic for ALL of us). She has named her baby doll Brianne after the baby at Gymboree who she beat up, but now she's sweet to her and always tells her baby doll she's sorry for pushing her off the mat (which is what she did to the real Brianne).
• She gives wet, slobbery, sometimes snotty kisses all the time.
• She's a party-girl and loves to visit neighbors and friends.
• She's so musical and smart. She loves to sing and dance and remembers everything.
• She makes my life fun and exciting and keeps me laughing.
• She makes my life complete.

Another "About Me"

My friend Jessi sent this to me, so I thought I would post it. Copy it and do one of your own!

1. What is your full name? Chaunette Natalie Stout Marsh
2. What color pants are you wearing? Black yoga pants
3. What are you listening to right now? The computer humming
4. What was the last thing you ate? Dots (right now) I'm on my last box you sent Chell
5. Do you believe in ghosts? yep
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? red
7. Do you have any nicknames? Chaun, Mommy
8. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Dave, from the airport asking me if he should get bumped and get $400...I said HELL NO, COME HOME!!!!!!
9. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I love her
10. How old are you today? 31
11. Favorite drink? Diet Coke
12. Favorite sport? to watch: basketball, to play: volleyball
13. Hair color? brown, with fake highlights
14. Your most embarrassing moment? sounding out a word to my 8th grade English class that ended up having a syllable that was NOT SO NICE
15. Siblings? Chelesa, Stephanie, Joshua
16. Tattoos or piercing? ears pierced
17. Favorite food? Dots and fish tacos
18. Last movie you saw? March of the Penguins
19. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
20. What do you do to vent anger? talk, work out
21. What was your favorite toy as a child? dolls... anything from baby dolls to Barbies
22. Summer or winter? Summer
23. Hugs or kisses? hugs
24. Chocolate or vanilla? vanilla
25. Do you want your friends to send this back? sure
26. When was the last time you cried? not sure...it has been awhile
27. What is under your bed? a wrapping paper box with paper, ribbons and bows and my slippers
28. Who is the friend you have had the longest? ummm...that I keep in touch with...probably Jayme or Shelby
29. What did you do last night? played Bunko with the neighbor ladies and then hung out on Marla's porch with Steph and Doug
30. What are you most afraid of? my kids getting hurt, not living up to my potential or what I really want to be doing
31. Plain, buttered or salted popcorn? lite butter and salt
32. Favorite car/SUV? ummm, anything that's reliable and paid for...not a car person
33. Favorite flower? rose or daisy
34. Number of keys on your key ring? at least 10...I don't know what half of them are for
35. What is your dream job? mom, without the housekeeping and bookkeeping...just mom
36. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
37. What did you do on your last birthday? went to the neighbor's for dinner
38. How many states have you lived in? two, Utah and Georgia
39. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be? on vacation with Dave and the girls
40. Favorite Disney Character? Belle
41. Last time you went out where did you go/what did you do? to my doctor today for the first time in years (not counting babies) and then to Waffle House with the girls
42. Your favorite song? right now, this song by Cherie Call that I always listen to and then had forgotten about until the other day...forgot the name of it though...the airplane one
43. What is your best physical feature? my eyes
44. What physical features attract you to the opposite sex? eyes and smile
45. What are the most important characteristics you look for in people? "real"--don't brag or try to impress, fun, intelligent and compassionate
46. If you could have dinner with a famous person living or deceased, who would you choose? Joseph Smith
47. Favorite pet? my girls' fish...it taught them a sad, but good lesson
48. Do you think anyone will learn something new about you from your answers? probably not, you all know me too well...unless there are people reading my blog that I don't know about and never leave comments!

My Valentine

Why I love him...
1. He lets me ramble on and on and really does pretend to listen...and care.
2. He seems to think that I really am the world's best mom or at least lets me think that he thinks that.
3. He never puts down my looks and has never told me I look fat (even at 250lbs.).
4. I can spend an hour getting ready and look hot, but he still doesn't say much and I have finally realized it's because he loves ME, not how I look...bad or good.
5. He has never complained about me not bringing in any money.
6. He has never made me feel like "his" money is his money.
7. He likes to hang out with his family and willingly takes the girls places.
8. He never gets mad at me for making mistakes even though I would have screamed at him for doing the exact same thing.
9. He is a genius with money and I never have to worry about our future financially.
10. He makes the bed every morning.
11. He never complains if I ask him to bathe the kids or put them to bed...even if it's the tenth night in a row.
12. He has always let the work/stay at home decision be mine.
13. He likes fish tacos, hash browns, sushi, Waffle House, Chinese and Mexican as much as I do.
14. He laughs out loud, hard.
15. He never tells me the house is a mess, the laundry's not done, the dishes are in the sink, etc. 16. He makes me feel smart and competent.
17. He supports me.
18. He makes dumb jokes and teases at totally inappropriate times, but it really does make me feel better.
19. He knows me better than anyone, and still loves me.
20. He's smart, really smart, and can hold a conversation with anyone, anywhere about anything.
21. He's hot.
22. He lives his life with integrity and will not live a lie, even though it may be easier sometimes.
23. He likes sex...a lot.
24. If it's really important, he always lets me have my way.
25. With all the good and bad we've been through in almost 10 years of marriage, there is no one on earth I would rather be with.

Snow...at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Guess what? It's going to snow tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And because I'm in Georgia, the schools close, roads close and the city shuts down. So we all get to party and build a snowman in two or less inches of snow...I can't wait! I'm off to watch the Super Bowl...who's playing?

You're Not Coming to My Birthday

Why do we say "Terrible twos?" And then there are some well-meaning moms that say, "Oh, I like to call them TERRIFIC TWOS!!!" Who are these people? These aren't terrible twos or terrific twos...these are horrendous, horrible, can-I-possibly-make-it-through-this day, twos. Seriously life is so hard with my "adorable" two year old.

If anyone says anything she doesn't agree with (which is approximately 97% of the time) she yells, "YOUR NOT COMING TO MY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!" Half the time I reply, "Good, I didn't want to." I will not be winning any Mother-of-the-Year awards any time soon. I'm just holding on and bracing myself for the ride.

Me and My Mouth

Have you ever said something that sounded perfectly normal in your head and as soon as it came out of your mouth for all the world to hear, you realized maybe it didn't sound so right?


I went to get my hair cut, but because I'm frugal (cheap) and it was a new place, I wanted to check the prices before they wrote my name down. The lady yelled from the back of the salon, "Can I help you?" and I said, "How much do you charge for a shampoo, trim and blow job?"

At the gas station awhile ago, the clerk said, "Do you need anything else?" and I replied, "No, I just have gas."

I went to drop my clothes off at the consignment store and I was trying to find out the timing on selling and discounting the items and getting the money. I asked the owner, "Is your time of the month soon?"

Oh, there are so many more Chaun-isms...but I've been on the computer too long this morning.

It's Really Not Okay

Okay, so there are a lot of things here in the south that I've had to get used to. For example, Peanut Butter and Mayonnaise Sandwiches (seriously) and phrases like "I'm fixin' " as in "I'm fixin' to grill out; would y'all like to come on?"

However, there is one thing I'm not used to...it's the racist attitudes of pretty much everyone I know. Friends say things, and I am seriously so offended that I can barely speak, but I'm also sitting there thinking, "what century does she live in...do people really still think that way?" I will admit when I was in Utah, people would say things OCCASIONALLY and I usually fought it a little and said something, but I will also admit that it made me just think less of the person being racist...I mean, every group of people has jerks, but you can't label a group based on one thing...like skin color. I really thought people who were racist were not very intelligent...(yes, I judge) I mean how can you read the books out there and learn the history and still be racist? The thing is, in Utah there aren't a lot of people of ANY color, so I think a lot of the racist attitudes there are because people have never even SEEN a black person, let alone had a neighbor, co-worker or friend who is black.

Okay, so what's the rationale here? There are people of every color here and I've never met more racist people in my life. They aren't even saying things to be mean...they just state things seriously in every-day converation. It is soooooooooo annoying, and I can't even say anything because THEY DON'T GET IT!

Now for those of you (all three of you who read my blogs) that have extra time on your hands, look up Forsyth County in Georgia. (Oprah even did a show from here to talk about the last blatantly racist county in the USA.) It is terribly racist, so I'm sure I'm seeing things about as bad as they get, but frankly I'm just annoyed.

By the way, the picture I posted on this is of our friend's daughter (Dave's best friend at work). I invited her to spend her Spring Break here so we could do some fun things...the looks we got from neighbors was absolutely crazy...not to mention the things that were said to us and about us. Hmmmmm, can't wait to invite her again this year!

About Me

Okay, I've already done one a little like this, but I am not-so-creative right now and in the mood to blog:

Four jobs you have had in your life:
Waitress: Marie Callender's, Market Street Broiler, Garcias & Golden Corral...I was queen waitress...paid for school, won pie contests and everything!!!! :)
PBX Operator: yes, it was this weird idea I had to leave my $20 an hour waitress job to make $5.25 at University Park Hotel in SLC. I lasted about three weeks.
Teacher: Taught 8th and 9th grade English and Drama at FJH for four years and 9th -12th grade English at Lifeline; I won't even count my last gig at Cornerstone as teaching...I'm not sure much teaching goes on in there, or at least not the kind of teaching that I respect (I'm not bitter.)
Tutor: I just have one girl right now that I tutor and have for two years. She's adorable and the money is good.

Four movies you would watch over and over:
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
My Best Friend's Wedding
Mr. Holland's Opus
Grease

Four places you have lived:
Bloomington, Utah: elementary school and back for junior college
Logan, Utah: born there and then back for junior and high school
Woods Cross, Utah: lived there after we graduated from the U and were married; fabulous friends still there
Cumming, Georgia: so happy here!

Four TV shows you love to watch:
American Idol
Survivor
The Apprentice
America's Next Top Model

Four places you have been on vacation:
Hawaii
Mexico
Florida
Chattanooga

Four websites you visit daily:
Bank of America
Hotmail
My blog and my friends' blogs
Ebay (not daily, but often)

Four of my favorite foods:
Diet Coke
Dots
Wendy's cheeseburgers with McDonald's fries
oatmeal (Kroger brand fruit and cream variety pack, to be exact)

That's it! Copy this blog and use it in yours so I can read it!

My Fat Year

Okay, I was never a chubby child until I hit fourth grade and something happened! I like to call it my fat year. I also had the teacher from hell. Her name was Mrs. Keaton and she was young and skinny, and it was her first year teaching. Not only that, but she didn't get hired until about October so they pulled about 12 kids out of the two classes and made a third class. I was perfectly happy where I was before.

Well, one day we had a substitute teacher, and we were all telling Mrs. Keaton about it the next day. The kids were all laughing and telling her that the substitute's arms jiggled when she lead us in the county song. Mrs. Keaton said to the class, "Don't laugh about that. Chaunette, when you are old, your arms will shake just like that." How rude. I actually ended up teaching her son in Kaysville like 15 years later. I should have told him he was a skinny dork and when he got old, he still would be a skinny dork. But, I didn't.

Here's to you Mrs. Keaton:

My Baby's Okay

After a terrible day of tests at the Children's Hospital, including the worst possible test you can imagine, we finally have some answers. Amelia is going to be fine. She will take a pill for the rest of her life (or maybe just until puberty) and need to change a couple of things, but she is going to be fine. It is not her kidneys or anything major. I am relieved, but I also hate it that she had to go through that test. I really feel so bad for her.

I went into Amelia's class today as the MYSTERY READER! I read Amelia's favorite book (Caps for Sale) and I got to see first-hand what is going on at school. She is as happy as I thought she was and I couldn't be happier. That school is the best thing that has happened to us in a long time! Amelia was so scared yesterday, but she woke right up this morning ready to go to school!

Material Girl

Okay, there is this awesome XBOX game where you karaoke to a song and it gives you points if you are on pitch and actually boos you off if you are bad. We had SO much fun playing this. My personal favorites are "Material Girl" and "Uptown Girl." I belt it out as loud as I can and sound terrible, but I guess close enough to the pitch (on easy scoring) that I can at least finish the song.

By the way, Amelia is going in to the hospital tomorrow, so please pray for her. But do you know what is great? She actually started crying tonight because she had to miss school tomorrow. She loves her new school so much. It is the exact opposite of Cornerstone...instead of uniforms, they encourage the kids to dress themselves every morning (Amelia has worn her tie-dyed purple shirt and bell-bottom jeans ALL THREE days this week in a row). Instead of doing seven worksheets a day, they paint and create the coolest crafts you've ever seen, and instead of screaming at the kids and sending them to the director for time-out, they love the kids in an amazing way that I could have never even guessed existed.

My guard is up though, so I'll let you know what I think of it in a month. By the way, for all of you in Utah, be grateful for the schools there. The public schools (at least where I attended and taught in) are better than the most expensive private schools here. If I would have known how bad they were, I don't know if I could have moved. I will not home school my kids though, so we have to get it all together; hopefully this is a start!

My Sweet Amelia

Is there anything harder than having a sick kid? My poor Amelia has been through two ER visits in the last month and three doctor visits, not counting the one tomorrow and the hospital visit on the 12th. We were called home New Year's Eve by the babysitter's mom 40 minutes after we had left her because she was sick again (and bleeding when she went to the bathroom). I know it's not as bad as what some parents go through, but I just want her to feel good again. I know she hurts and does not feel well most of the time, and I don't think she knows that she's not supposed to feel that way.

It is all dealing with her kidneys and bladder and I'm sure we will get answers on the 12th, but until then I just wish there was more I could do for her. She also puts up with a demanding, feisty little sister (that we adore) every day and manages it all with a smile.