One Year Ago....

Kate tagged me, so here goes.....

What were you doing 10 years ago? Dave was getting his MBA. I was finishing my first year of teaching....8th grade English and 9th grade Drama at FJH. We lived in a cinderblock apartment at the U in married student housing.

What were you doing 1 year ago? Pretty much the same thing, except for teaching at the girls' preschool three mornings a week and also teaching tennis at the Parks and Rec.

We still love INK (our closest children's museum) but it's bigger and more expensive now.

Five snacks you enjoy: Dots, trail mix from Wal-Mart, pretzels, edamame, Diet Coke

5 Things I would do if I was a millionaire: 1. Pay for my house 2. Give my neighbors who have five boys the $360,000 to get their house out of foreclosure 3. Get Lasik 4. Give Dave's parents the best 50th wedding anniversary party ever 5. Save the rest.

One year later, and my girls will be wearing these exact same st. patrick's day shirts...just wait!

5 Bad Habits- 1. Biting my nails. 2. picking the skin off my thumbs. 3. taking my wedding ring on and off and trading fingers with it. 4. putting my hands up on my face 5. not getting enough sleep.

5 things you like doing? 1 - Being outside. 2 -working out 3 -seeing my kids happy 4.-Meeting new people 5 - being with friends

Mikayla told me today that she missed her old preschool and really wanted to go to "Donuts for Dads" like last year. It was this day last year that Mikayla's dear friend Kristen was diagnosed with Leukemia and is already growing her hair back and cancer-free!

5 things you would never wear again: 1. fish nets 2- pegged leg pants (or even "skinny jeans" for that matter) 3- Overalls 4- acid wash jeans 5- parachute pants

5 Favorite Toys - 1. Dave's ipod (why don't I have my own????) 2. My girls' American Girl Dolls (thanks Mom) 3. the computer 4. hmmmmm, maybe the big ball at the gym that you do abs on???? 5. The remote control on American Idol nights.

We were at Jen's baby shower this morning and just happened to be laughing at Miki and this brown dress that she wore her entire pregnancy. On this day, nearly a year ago, I called her in need of a "stand in Mom" at the preschool egg hunt because I was teaching my own preschool class. She showed up 9 months pregnant in the fabulous brown dress...what a friend! She is now planning Max's first birthday...crazy!

Thanks for the fun Kate...now I tag: All cousins, sisters, and friends that will play!

I was talking to a mom last week while helping out at the preschool, and she was telling me how her daughter is allergic to almost all "processed food." Apparently, the food dyes is what was causing it and now her daughter is autistic. She's not sure which came first, but they seem to be related. I started looking at what my kids eat, and it was scary. I mean, I make a consious effort every day to eat a good breakfast, pack a very healthy lunch and eat a healthy dinner. However, even the 100 calorie packs that are so-called "healthy" are filled with artificial ingredients and lots of food dyes. I guess I need to work it all out again and be even more careful about what I pack. Both of my girls have a sweet tooth and that's fine, but there are even healthy desserts that I can replace them with, or at least desserts that have all natural ingredients and not words I can't even pronounce. Anyway, what are some of your healthy family snacks? I need help!

A Little Controversial...

I grew up around guns. My dad took me out when I was ten (or younger) and he taught us how to shoot a .22. We shot at targets, and I even scrapbooked my target practice sheets. However, for some reason, I started being very anti-gun around my high school years. When I met Dave, I made him store all his guns out in the garage. I told him we would never have a gun in the house and our girls would NEVER be around them. I don't even really know why. I just started getting scared of them.

Well, guess what, I've changed. After these recent college shootings, I've thought a lot about it. I want my girls to know how to use guns. And guess what? I want them to carry them. I want them to protect themselves from all those crazy people out there. So, in the next few years, the Marsh girls will learn how guns work, the dangers of them, and also the protective value of them.

I think the world would be a lot safer if people that are educated about guns are carrying them and know how and when to use them.

100 Things About Me

I am really not that interesting, but I had fun thinking of these 100 things about me. If you read it, I want you to make your own list. Leave me a comment that you did it so I can check it out!

1. I get totally grossed out by bad breath, but for some reason when my kids breathe all over me in the morning, I like it.

2. I have a tendency to get taken advantage of with other people's kids and don't do anything about it until I'm ready to explode and then I regret it.

3. I really like being the Daisy leader. I think the program is so important in a girl's life and I can't wait for future years of involvement.

4. I get annoyed by parents who don't volunteer to help with Girl Scouts or in the classroom or whatever.

5. I realize now that some parents who don't get involved (like at the preschool level) were just too busy with their kids in the elementary school so I shouldn't have been annoyed.

6. My favorite restaurant is any type of hibachi grill.

7. We hardly ever eat beef at home but sometimes I want a big old burger, even more than a juicy steak and I eat it and then feel sick.

8. I hit the scale at 250 pounds while pregnant with Amelia (maybe more, but I stopped looking at the scale and even stepped on it backwards so I couldn't see).

9. I can't believe I lost 120 pounds. I don't even know how.

10. I weigh less now than I did in high school, but I don't look the same.

11. I am in better shape than I ever have been and I didn't realize it until I went jogging and I didn't stop for three miles. I guess the spin classes really helped without me realizing it.

12. I get annoyed with home school moms IF they bash public schools and try to tell me that their kids are so much better off.

13. I grew up dancing my entire life, even on college drill team, but I think I would have been better at sports.

14. I didn't want my kids to be cheerleaders or dance, but they love it, and they're good at it...way better than at any sports they've tried.

15. I don't want my kids to be "popular" I just want them to be nice and not care if they're popular.

16. I could listen to my kids talk to each other forever...it's better than any music. And I seriously laugh at what they say.

17. I love 80's hair band music. I love Poison, Def Leppard, Van Halen with Sammy and all that good stuff.

18. I would have loved Dave in high school and I think he would have been a good friend.

19. Speaking of "Daves" in high school...my best friend in high school was named Dave and I think he changed my life for the better. We send Christmas cards only but I think about him and wish that he knew the difference he made in my life.

20. I played the violin in high school orchestra, but I didn't think it was "cool."

21. I wish I would have kept up with it so I could teach lessons now.

22. I love tutoring. It makes me feel smart to use my brain and also proud of myself that I can explain things so she can understand it.

23. I mostly love tutoring because I'll be ready to help my kids when they are in algebra!

24. I love to help at the elementary school, but I think teachers should have full-reign of their class and I only help and never give advise, even when they ask for it because I think Amelia's teachers are awesome and I don't ever want them to think that I'm a pushy know-it-all mom.

25. I fall down a lot when I dance. I did a face plant on the football field doing an air split. I made a crash-landing in a genie costume at a basketball pep rally and I fell on my back in a bar listening to Barry's cousin's band play in Atlanta.

26. I'm really not a very good dancer.

27. I am annoyed by moms that try to re-do their childhood through their children....like the cheerleading moms who's only goal is having their child make high school cheerleader ten years down the road.

28. I bite my nails.

29. I hate to be patted. I hate when people hug me and pat my back or even just a pat on the arm.

30. I like squeezes and hugs.

31. I don't like to french kiss.

32. I feel bad that I don't like to french kiss. I used to kiss Dave like that all the time.

33. I wish I would have danced at my reception.

34. Other than that, I loved my reception. I think the Joseph Smith Building is one of the most beautiful buildings I've been in.

35. I love my parents.

36. When people complain about their parents, I can't sympathize or empathize. My parents are awesome.

37. I talk to my mom every day and I miss her all the time.

38. I think my mom sacrificed a lot to give her kids a better life.

39. I think my dad did too.

40. I think knowing that makes me a better parent.

41. I think God always leads me in the right direction, and I constantly look back at my life and realize that if I would have made one other decision about college, I would have never met Dave and I realize what a part God had in all that.

42. I hate to spend money.

43. I feel guilty after I go on a shopping spree.

44. Sometimes I want to have a whole year where the only thing I buy is food and pay bills and not buy one piece of clothing for anyone in the family or toys, or eat out or whatever just to see if I can do it.

45. If I could live on Diet Coke, water, Dots and candy hearts, I would.

46. Last week I cut down to 2 12-ounce Diet Cokes a day and I feel better and I lost weight.

47. I worry about drinking out of aluminum cans and the amount of aspartame I have put into my body.

48. Even though I worry, I'll never give up Diet Coke completely.

49. I really don't like animals, especially dogs, but once I see how much the families love their dogs and cats, it makes me love them too.

50. Everyone always asks me to watch their dogs when they go on vacation, so I think they realize that I love THEIR dogs, just not dogs in general.

51. I am really proud of my little brother on a mission.

52. I think one of the best things that ever happened to me as a teacher was being Steph's 8th grade English teacher at Farmington Jr. We had the best two years ever and I missed her like crazy when she went to high school.

53. I don't think I can ever be the kind of teacher I was before kids. I just can't devote that much energy now that I have my own family.

54. Some of my best childhood memories are of just playing Barbies with Chell OUR way. It was never fun when other girls tried to play Barbies with us.

55. I love Dave more than anything in the whole world.

56. I don't think I do a good enough job showing him that.

57. I am proud of my kids when we go to a store and they say, "We can't get that because it's not on the list" and they don't even ask.

58. But, it makes me want to buy it for them even more.

59. I really hate cold weather.

60. When it's hot, and I'm outside, I'm happy.

61. I wanted to be a teacher, but if I wasn't going to do that, I wanted to be a white water river raft guide on the Snake in Jackson Hole.

62. When I got my lifeguarding certification, I never had to work harder physically in my entire life. I couldn't swim the length of the pool in the allotted time without taking a breath and I had to practice every day even after the class ended until I could do it.

63. I could tread water for hours though, even holding a brick above my head.

64. I never remember movies but I like them while I'm watching them.

65. I love to read but I have a problem with the need to finish every book I start so when I run across a dull book, it takes me forever to finish and then I don't get to read what I want to be reading.

66. I am fascinated with the Titanic.

67. I think my grandparents are the hardest working people I've ever known.

68. I think if kids today worked as hard as that entire generation, our world would be a different place.

69. I think "the No Child Left Behind" policy is a bad one.

70. I sleep in yoga pants and one of my Hi-Lo sweatshirts every night. I don't even own pajamas or a nightie.

71. I hate to wear robes, even though I have two nice ones. I get ready completely naked and probably should wear one. :)

72. I was intimidated by the whole social thing in the south (especially throwing lavish parties and showers). But now, I think Utah has it right on how they throw parties, and I don't feel like I have to do it like they do in the South.

73. People think I'm cheap though because of it. But I think they secretly wish they could do the same.

74. I think teenagers are awesome. I love that the neighbor boys like to hang out over here and I feed them because I like them over here and want them to stay.

75. Throughout my life, I have become great friends with people who have very sick kids AFTER their kids have become sick and then remained great friends. I have realized that sometimes people need friends that didn't really know their child before they were sick for a lot of different reasons.

76. I hate to have a messy house.

77. I wish I didn't care so much about having a clean house.

78. I never notice if my friends' houses are clean or not. Sometimes when they point it out I then realize what a mess it is and the fact that I could care less.

79. I don't always notice things about friends: lost weight, hair cuts, new outfits, and I wish that I was more perceptive.

80. I am not perceptive at all. I don't know what color of eyes people have or what house people are talking about when they say, "you know, the house on your street with the green shutters."

81. I have a perm but I usually straighten my hair.

82. I have a few gray hairs.

83. I think the best breakfast in the world is one packet of Kroger fruit (any flavor) and cream oatmeal and a piece of wheat toast.

84. Sometimes we get McDonald's for breakfast or go out, and it tastes good, but I'd rather have oatmeal.

85. When I was a kid I hated tacos, spaghetti and cheese. Now I love all three.

86. I love tacos so much that we eat them every Wednesday after gymnastics.

87. I really want to redo my girls' bedroom, but they don't want me to.

88. I love for my girls to share a bedroom and I think it's cute that they sleep together and no one will sleep on the top bunk.

89. I love playing games, especially Poker.

90. I think I learned math by playing cards with my dad at a very young age!

91. I still remember the Saturdays that my dad would take me to the book store and let me pick out any book I wanted. I do the same for my kids now.

92. I think if a kid learns to read well, he/she will do well in school...in every subject.

93. I don't like gold and silver mixtures. I have some rooms in my house that mix the two, and that is something I'm perceptive about!

94. I love to squish play dough and to color in coloring books with my kids.

95. I do not like to play dolls, house or school with my kids.

96. I wish that I did.

97. I am so happy that I have two girls and that they are so close in age.

98. I don't like Dave to buy me flowers. I think it's a waste of money.

99. I make a list every day of what I want to accomplish and I love to cross it off.

100. I have not ironed anything in about ten years.

A Day of Love

Mikayla figured out how to make a heart with her hands today! Perfect Timing ;)
I love Valentine Decorations (they're sparce, but meaningful!)These are the shoes I bought with my Kohl's gift cards!Nicki and Emily were all ready for the day of love, along with a few other trinkets. "MIKAYLA, OH MY GOSH! TOMORROW IS HAPPY EARRING DAY!" Mikayla then asked, “What’s that, Amelia?” Amelia explained: "You got your ears pierced on Valentine’s Day last year so tomorrow is Happy Earring Day!"

Then Mikayla said, "Mom, I need to have a worm birthday for my earrings!!!! Can you go buy the stuff????"

I love the crazy things my kids say. This is just a few that I remembered to write down from the last few days:
Mikayla: Mom, I’m so hot I’m sizzling like a piece of bacon!!!!
Mikayla: (Said about Amelia and her friend who were leaving Mikayla out) MOM, THEM ARE RUINING MY LIFE!
Mikayla: (Explaining to Amelia) Amelia, my birthday is very soon because the grandpa didn’t see his shadow so spring is earlier and that means my birthday that’s in the spring is coming earlier.
Mikayla: Amelia, you don’t need to be afraid of shots because I know the ‘shot girl’ and I can tell you all about it.
I forgot to take pictures of all the cookies and brownies I made yesterday, but I made a lot for Amelia's Daddy Daughter dance at school tonight. You can see the mixes in the background. I forgot the rule about "no homemade treats" so I was glad that the lunch lady in charge of the dance told me she'd serve them anyway!

I love to feel loved and to have the girls feel loved. This picture is of Mikayla and her favorite valentine that she received at school. It was so funny because it was just a Spiderman one from the infamous "Kyle." However, for some reason she thought it was something special and that he gave it to her, and her only. She carried it around all day yesterday and today.

Today Amelia got the mail while I got everything out of the car, and she yells, "Mom, I'm on a magazine!!!" I was like yeah, whatever and kept on with my business. But she was pretty persistent about it, so I started thinking maybe it was something from Snapfish that they had printed to get me to buy something or whatever. But, when she got it to the door, I realized, that she was! She thinks she's totally famous. Mikayla's on there too, along with their friends. I'm sure they will all be giving out autographed copies soon.

The Power of Words

From The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

In a small gap in the procession, there was a man, older than the others.
He wore a beard and torn clothes.
His eyes were the color of agony, and weightless as he was, he was too heavy for his legs to carry.
Several times, he fell.
The side of his face was flattened against the road. On each occasion, a soldier stood above him. "Steh' auf, " he called. "Stand up."
The man rose to his knees and fought his way up. He walked on.
Every time he caught up sufficiently to the back of the line, he would soon lose momentum and stumble again to the ground. There were more behind him--a good truck's worth--and they threatened to overtake and trample him.
The ache in his arms was unbearable to watch as they shook, trying to lift his body. They gave way one more time before he stood and took another group of steps.
He was dead.
The man was dead.
Just give him five more minutes and he would surely fall into the German gutter and die. They would all let him, and they would all watch.

Then, one human.
Hans Hubermann.
***
It happened so quickly.
The hand that held firmly on to Liesel's (Hans' daughter) let it drop to her side as the man came struggling by. She felt her palm slap her hip.
Papa reached into his paint cart and pulled something out. He made his way through the people, onto the road.
The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic.
When it changed hands, the Jew slid down. He fell to his knees and held Papa's shins. He buried his face between them and thanked him.
Liesel watched.
With tears in her eyes, she saw the man slide farther forward, pushing Papa back to cry into his ankles.
Other Jews walked past, all of them watching this small, futile miracle. They streamed by, like human water. That day, a few would reach the ocean. They would be handed a white cap.
Wading through, a soldier was soon at the scene of the crime. He studied the kneeling man and Papa, and he looked at the crowd. After another moment's thought, he took the whip from his belt and began.
The Jew was whiped six times. On his back, his head, and his legs. "You filth! You swine!" Blood dripped now from his ear.
Then it was Papa's turn.
A new hand held Liesel's now (read the book and you will love her friend, Rudy) and when she looked in horror next to her, Rudy Steiner swallowed as Hans Hubermann was whipped on the street. The sound sickened her and she expected cracks to appear on her papa's body. He was struck four times before he, too, hit the ground.
When the elderly Jew climbed to his feet for the last time and continued on, he looked briefly back. He took a last sad glance at the man who was kneeling now himself, whose back was burning with four lines of fire, whose knees were aching on the road. If nothing else, the old man would die like a human. Or at least with the thought that he WAS a human.

I have read so many books on the Holocaust. When I had to teach "The Diary of Anne Frank," I had to learn so much about WWII. I am struck with the power that words had. Hitler had words and had an idea and crafted pure evil with the words he used. People followed his words. They took them into their hearts and followed blindly. I hope that they didn't know the magnitude of things that were happening. But, how did they not when they saw so much of what was going on? I mean, this is just one example of Jewish people being paraded in front of their homes.

I am also struck with the ability of words that feed the soul. How was it that some people took those words and knew they were wrong? They knew that evil was crafted through words and never took it into their hearts. Was it because it went through their heads first? I don't know.

I wonder what I would have done. Would have I ran out and given bread knowing what would then happen to me, or to my family? I hope so. I hope I would have risked everything to fight the horribleness of it all. I hope that the words wouldn't have ever penetrated and I would have always discerned evil from humanity.

I guess the lesson that I can learn now is about the power of words. I can never take words back. I can apologize for them and feel bad about something I've said, but I can never truly take them back. I can use words to influence for good or bad. I can use words to show love or hate. I can use words to belittle and berate or words to uplift and feed the soul. Words can be damning or brilliant.

I can also learn that there are people in my life who need help in many different ways, and I can either sit back and do nothing or choose to help someone in need. I choose to get up and see if I can make a difference. I might not end up running out in the middle of a parade of desperately ill Jewish people being marched to Dachau, but I can get in the middle of things when I see hate...and I will.

There is beauty and there is brutality. I am contantly overestimating and underestimating the human race and maybe I just need to estimate it....and do the best that I can.

My Favorite Valentines

This is why I love my three valentines:

Dave:

1. He will wear the pink tie I bought him.

2. He gave me two Kohl's gift cards this morning for Valentines even though we have never remembered to give each other anything in years past.

3. He LIKES to go to the Daddy-Daughter dances with the girls and even has fun while he's there.

4. He is CRAZY. He gets the girls all wound up before bed or before he leaves and I get all mad, but really, it's fun.

5. He is athletic. He especially likes to show his skills doing a split-leap in the middle of the Kroger aisle for all to see.

Amelia:

1. She is 100% her own person. She just does what she wants to do and dresses how she wants to dress.

2. She is kind. She is nice to everyone, and sometimes I even have to tell her that she doesn't have to be so nice to mean kids!

3. She is such a good big sister.

4. She is a great back-tickler and has long fingernails that she takes great pride in.

5. She's smart and really thinks about things and wants to know how everything works.

Mikayla:

1. I never have to worry about how she is doing. She always tells me!

2. She gives the best hugs and kisses. Sometimes she doesn't let go.

3. She is always sweet about going to bed.

4. She is very compassionate. She loves her friends and will stick up for them even if it means getting in fights on the playground with girls that are being mean to one of her friends. She has also shown so much compassion to her best friend Kristen with Leukemia.

5. She is artistic. Maybe it's the whole left-handed thing, but she's a great dancer, singer and artist.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Best Play Dough

I was trying to think of something new to do for Amelia's class party. Then I remembered PLAY DOUGH. I used this recipe all the time for preschool, and it is awesome so I wanted to share it:

3 Cups Flour

3 Cups Water

1 1/2 Cups Salt

2 T. Vegetable Oil

1 T. Cream of Tartar

1 Pack of Cherry Kool Aid (or whatever color you want it) I tried Pink Lemonade to make some of the balls pink, but it wasn't bright enough.

The secret ingredient is the Kool-Aid. It makes the play dough a vibrant color and makes it smell good!

Heat it all in a skillet (or even a big pot would work). It's hard to mix it all together and it's super hot, so scoop it up on wax paper and let it cool for awhile and then knead it all together.

Store in bags for up to a week or more. I made balls for each kid so they can play in class and then bring some home, but you can put it all in one bag. The recipe makes four nice size balls. I like it better than store bought play dough, and it's even fun to make!

A Tribute to Hannah/Miley

We had so much fun at the Hannah Montana movie tonight! I secretly love her show and her music. I even listen to the CD when the kids aren't in the car.

I also heard a very informative conversation. Mikayla wanted to watch Hannah Montana before school, but Amelia explained it all to her: "Mikayla, let me explain something to you: The reason the Hannah Montana show is not on in the morning is because Hannah Montana is still sleeping."

I'm glad she wasn't asleep during the movie, because we would have missed out on a great time. Mikayla is still convinced that she was in the theater with us. I'm sure the 3-D glasses only added to the confusion.

On another note, I am so disappointed with the Georgia results for Romney. When I was voting this AM, only two other people were there...an 80-something year old couple. So, I really hope it wasn't an instance of people just not getting out to vote.

Peace. Love.

February Goals

Okay, I am totally copying Jessi's idea, and even her picture, but I really wanted to get myself organized this short month and get some things accomplished, so I am going to list my goals for this month and hold myself accountable!

1. Fire Marshall Fight: Start gathering moms, arguments, petitions and figure out what it's going to take to reverse this absolutely ridiculous Forsyth County Fire Marshall and his crazy rules about what a school cannot have. Make an appointment to speak to SOMEONE who can change this or at least put up a fight with me.

2. Lose those #$^%^ five pounds that I put on in December.

3. Update my emergency backpacks and plan three days of meals and put them on the storage shelf. Also, replace the water storage (a year overdue).

4. Be a better wife.

5. Get rid of current credit card because we never use the companion ticket because they make it too hard to redeem and find a card that has good rewards.

6. Trim those rose bushes that I didn't do in the fall, but find out how to do it first and if it's too late.

7. Clean up the backyard...get rid of sand table, organize toy bench, new pad for the trampoline, clean playhouse and get new flags for the putting green. Oh, and buy a new grill for Dave...seriously, if you saw ours (the same one I wheeled down the street three years ago from neighbors who had it out in the trash) you would see why. Hey, also look at a new umbrella and seat cushions, but if they're to expensive then that doesn't count against my goal!!!!

8. Start violin lessons or at least find a teacher.

9. Finish 2007 scrapbooks and start 2008's on line.

Okay, I know this was such an interesting post, but at least I have it written down so I can start working!

HELP!!!!

Okay, y'all who read my blog, I need help! Mikayla wants to have an "Annie" birthday party, and I don't even know where to start. Every one of you who reads this post has to leave me an idea of what I can do. I mean, there are no Annie plates, napkins, games, etc. because, well, Annie isn't really that cool. So, I need your help...BAD.

I thought about having the girls make heart lockets (necklaces) and I can buy Mik a red Annie dress from a mom who sews them on Ebay, and I guess I can use red napkins and plates, but can you help me???? PLEASE!

Overheard in January

Kids say the funniest things. Sometimes it's all I can do to not bust up laughing. Not a day goes by that my kids don't say something that is hilarious (although they don't mean it to be!) I try to remember it all, but this is a sampling of this month's family discussions!

Amelia: When I grow up I want to be a hairdresser or a car wash girl!
Amelia: I want to start a new fun thing. From now on everyone needs to wear their fancy clothes to dinner.
Amelia: I can’t believe I have such a long weekend because of Luten Knee Chino. Me: WHAT???? Amelia: You know Mom, Luten Knee Chino Day on Monday. (Martin Luther King , Jr. Day---I finally figured out after much thought.)
Mikayla: I love Doritos so much, I love them as much as my American Girl Doll, maybe more.
Mikayla: DO YOU WANT ME TO HAVE A BAD DAY?????? BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO HAVE A GOOD DAY BUT YOU KEEP RUINING IT FOR ME!!!!!!!!!
Mikayla: Mom, my tap shoes were very tappish today.
Mikayla: Is it tomorrow yet today?

These photos are from our Daisy Fashion Show! The girls got to choose their favorite dress up outfit to wear. Amelia painstakingly put hers together for about an hour the night before. I'm not sure what she was, but she was FABULOUS!

Check 'em Out

I'm not one to wander around in bloggy world. I don't check people's blogs that I don't know...really for no other reason than I don't have the time. If you check my sidebar, they are all friends, sisters or cousins, and that's who I have time to keep up with! Some of the friends are from Utah and have moved away like me, some are still in Utah and have been friends forever, and some of the friends are from Georgia. I love all of them and check their blogs at least weekly. Anyway, there are two that I want all y'all to check out:

Tauna: My cousin's wife; (Please read her story about McKay and then check out the video that she has linked from another family.) She is inspiring and beautiful and one of the sweetest, happiest people I've ever met.

Candice: I met Candice 12 years ago (I can't believe it has been that long!) Dave and I had just been married and had moved into married student housing at the U. Brittany, Candice and I all traded around visiting teaching when we were there and became friends. Then we bought a house and moved away to Woods Cross (where Audri is) and a year later Candice bought a house TWO houses down from ours! She has an amazing story. You would never know the trials that she endured as a child. She has built a successful business, has amazing kids and an awesome husband. She is talented, artsy, outdoorsy and just all-around fantastic. Anyway, start reading her recently published story. Start with #1.

I don't know how to link their blogs, so you'll have to click on my side-bar.

I've Been Tagged!

Christy tagged me, so here I go:

What's his name? Dave, AKA: SUPER DAVE or SUPER D!

How long have you been together? married 11 1/2 years

How long did you date? 3 years

How old is he? 36

Who eats more? Me, absolutely

Who said I love you first? me, Valentine's Day, 1994; He was mad though because he wanted to first!

Who is taller? Dave

Who is smarter? We are both smart in completely opposite ways and in completely opposite things. I have a higher IQ though, so my answer is ME! ;)

Who does laundry? Me, always

Who does the dishes? Me, almost always

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Dave

Who pays the bills? Me, always

Who mows the lawn? Me, but Dave edges

Who cooks dinner? Me, always (except spaghetti and weekend breakfasts)

Who drives when you are together? hmmmm, that's split equally. If we need to get there fast, then me for sure!

Who is more stubborn? Me, except for I forgive A LOT quicker than he does, so I guess he's more stubborn in that way.

Who kissed who first? Me, at my dorm-room doorstep

Who asked out who first? Dave, a night of country dancing and Domino's pizza

Who proposed? Dave, after a couple of years, on top of the DIXIE mountain

Who has more siblings? I have three, and he has four, but we both have two sisters.

Who wears the pants in the family? Day to day stuff: Me, Long term stuff: Him

Okay, I tag: Little D, Megan, Michelle, Tauna, Kate, Jessi, Audri, and whoever else will play!

Georgia Snow

It's true! After four years, it snowed! And I'm talking white, fluffy, crisp, clean SNOW! I was so happy that I almost cried. I had a permanent smile frozen (literally) on my face. We were coming home from gymnastics Wednesday when it began. The girls called Nana to tell her. They were so very excited.

By 7:00, it was collecting on the ground. We got all bundled up and played outside until almost 11 P.M. We built a snowman and made snow angels, had snowball fights, and just ran around! All the kids were out. Parents were running in and waking up their kids so they didn't miss it! I think how different this is from my childhood in Utah, and it kind of makes me sad. The kids were so happy to see snow. Some of them had never even seen it before. The neighbor boys built an 8 ft. snowman using all the snow in my backyard and most of hole 15! It was so fun to watch them. Our job was to do the head, but Amelia decided she wanted it for her own, so we made that the body of our own snowman.

Of course school was canceled the next day...2 inches of snow will do that in Georgia. So, Dave called me in sick. Yes, that wasn't a typo. He called and let them know that I was sick, and since the kids don't go to daycare, he had to take care of them. (It might have been a little protest too for all those moms at his work who get to take days off because their nanny is sick or their daycare is closed, or whatever, but he doesn't have that excuse because "his wife stays home.") Then, we bundled up and went sledding down the craziest hills we could find on the golf course. (First, we ruined poor Miki's backyard with a nice, sloping hill.) Then we went to hole 12, where it was straight downhill. Dave and Mikayla went over the cliff and got pretty banged up, but we were laughing the whole morning. (Dad, didn't I break your rib with my HEAD doing the same thing about twenty years ago?)

I'm so glad we got out there because by noon, every ounce of snow was gone. I just relived my childhood in one night and morning. It refreshed me enough to get me through the rest of this cold, snowless winter.

American Girl Dolls

Is there a better toy in the world than American Girl Dolls?

Nana bought the girls their dolls for Christmas and we have not had ONE day since then that they haven't played with them, carried them around and changed their clothes. They love them so much!

Today Amelia put Nicky in her backpack for Show and Tell. When she got home, I was outside waiting for the neighbor to bring her home. She had Nicky in her arms and told me that Nicky was very scared in her dark backpack, and she had to get her out and just hold her.

Mikayla puts her doll in outfits and then matches her own to them. I am writing this post, but I won't even post it until I get a picture of what "Emily" does at ballet. Seriously, she gets her all dressed and then stands her up at the window to watch. It is so dang cute.

Anyway, they use their imagination. They are learning to coordinate clothes (ya, it's a big deal in our house and needs a lot of work). They are learning to be compassionate. They are learning to share (not one fight over the shared clothing). They are learning the value of a dollar (After finding out that one pair of shoes cost $10 at the AG Doll Store, Amelia said, "You mean, that's more than two visits from the Tooth Fairy?????" and then decided she'd wait on them. They are learning to keep things organized (they keep everything in their AG backpacks and don't want them mixed in with their other toys. They learned that they might have the coolest Nana in the world for buying the dolls for them.

And what have I learned? Well, I've learned that if you spritz their hair with water and rub it with a dryer sheet, their hair looks BRAND NEW. I've learned that boots are harder to put on than shoes, so if we're in a hurry, tell the girls that a certain pair of shoes is "more fashion" than the boots. I've learned that 4 and 6 year old girls have no clue if clothes are authentic AG clothes, or rip offs from a mom that sews them and sells them on Ebay. I've learned that Coconut (Mik's dog) is every bit as important to her as her doll is. I've learned that dressing the dolls in new outfits and putting them in various places around the house while the girls are at school makes them think that their dolls were home playing with me while they were gone. I've learned that you can buy the cheap dolls after Christmas ($5.75, $22.00 before Christmas) at Kroger and take all the clothes off them and the extra clothes and accessories they come with and give the dolls to Goodwill and I spent less than I would have on extra clothes, even on Ebay.

And thank you Mom for the best toys in the whole world!

Carpool Etiquette

This is not my car, but it might as well be...

Okay, I admit it, I'm a soccer mom. I am a start-hauling-kids-at-7:45AM-and-drive-back-and-forth-until-5:00PM Soccer Mom, although there is no soccer being played, just elementary school, preschool, Jazz Dance, Ballet, Gymnastics, Playdates, and Girl Scouts, oh yeah, and the marathon birthday parties that parents are expected to sit through...the entire four hours.

I am grateful for carpooling neighbors that pick up some of the slack, but until you've sat in a car-rider line after school for forty-five minutes before school even gets out, just so you can be one of the first 20 moms there, while entertaining a preschooler, and then still wait a good ten minutes for them to get out, you just don't realize how hard it is...and how grateful you are when it's someone else's turn.

That brings me to a new GEORGIA carpool etiquette rule, that I have a hard time with. Growing up, I was involved in even more things than my kids are, and the moms always took turns. The mom came in her house-robe and slippers, even some loose curlers on a really early morning and pulled into your driveway and HONKED. That was your signal to load it all up and get out there FAST. We didn't have music; we didn't have TV's, and we sure as heck didn't have seatbelts, let alone carseats to shuffle around. The mom drove us to our destination and we THANKED her for the ride. It wasn't expected; it wasn't demanded; I think we were grateful that we were able to get there.

I've noticed a few differences in these here parts. First, it is NEVER okay to honk, seriously. That means, you may sit in someone's driveway for a good ten minutes before they come out, unless you want to venture out of the car and knock on the door and let them know you are here. You just sit, and wait, and wait. Meanwhile, your kids are taking off their seatbelts, their shoes, and unloading their bookbags. Second, no one says thanks, ever. No one says, "Man, thanks for getting up and getting us to school so that we didn't have to catch the bus forty-five minutes earlier and walk down the street to the bus stop and stand there in the cold." Not even a "thanks for the ride." Third, I guess because it is such a hassle, no one really wants to do their fair share of carpooling. When one mom does more than everyone else, it's just expected...after all, "she doesn't work" or "at least I don't have to do it" or whatever. They just don't have the "Carpool Bible" that we seemed to have in Utah, the rules that every mom knew and followed, and no one complained about.

So my fellow Georgians, listen up because Utah's got it right on this one:

1. It is always okay to honk when you are picking up a kid, and I would much rather you honk at my house than make me check out my window every two minutes.

2. No child under 12 should ever sit in the front seat, ever.

3. Once in the car, sit down, shut up, and do up your seatbelt.

4. Make it even. For every one time someone drives your kid, you should drive theirs. If you have two kids in the same carpool, then you should drive twice as many times. (I know my mom did two mornings before we could drive to Hi-Lo's..at 4:55 in the AM!)

5. There should be no fight about seats. Again, sit down and shut up; we're all going to the same place.

6. The TV does not need to be turned on for a ten minute drive to school.

7. The driver chooses the music, and the passengers are lucky if it's something they like, but they need to be quiet about it...even suggestions are not allowed.

8. When bringing a kid home, it's okay to let the kid out of the car and expect them to run up to their house and go inside. We do not need to wait for the parent to run out before the seatbelt can even be removed, especially because of the fact that we can't honk, and we'll sit out there for ten minutes before the mom comes out.

9. Always be home when it's time for your kid to be dropped off.

10. If you have to trade days, then do it a few days before...even those of us that don't work have busy schedules.

10. Always be on time.

11. Always say "thank you" and I mean a SERIOUS thank you. "Thank you Mrs. Chaunette for taking time out of your busy day to drive us to school and to be cheerful and for letting us listen to Hannah Montana the whole way." Or even just, "Thanks for the ride." I haven't heard it yet, but I'll wait patiently.

Meanwhile, for those of you that can honk freely where you live, lay one on for me...LOUD.

Dreams

I was just telling my dad about how much more enjoyable bedtime reading is now that my kids will read/listen to chapter books that Dave and I actually enjoy reading! Junie B. Jones is the greatest. She is a modern-day Ramona Quimby.

Anyway, I recently had a conversation with Jessi about her girls watching Harry Potter. I was telling her what whimps my girls are...they are afraid of Cinderella because of the stepmother, Nemo because of the shark, Enchanted because of the dragon, etc. We are safe with Little Bear, Barney, and The Big Comfy Couch (or whatever that's called)...seriously.

So, getting back to Junie B.... On Monday night Dave had gone to the gym and it was 8:30. The kids had been asleep for about 45 minutes. Amelia woke up screaming "MOM!!!" and crying. I ran upstairs and tickled her back and changed her pajamas (they were soaking wet from sweat and tears). I knew she had had a bad dream, but she couldn't remember it or didn't want to talk about it. She had fallen asleep again, so I started walking down the stairs. Then she yelled to me, "But Mom, what if they make a mess when they cut Mikayla's hair???" It then dawned on me that we were on the Junie B. where she plays "hairdresser" and cuts her hair. She ended up having a full-blown nightmare over it. I mean, it's Junie B...really????

My guess is it will be another fourteen years before we can sit down and watch Harry Potter as a family.

Oops!

I was trying to do something exciting with my blog, and ended up making a mess of things...deleting posts, erasing names off my side bar, so we're all stuck with the pink.

Can someone tell me how to do a cute header or whatever they're called???? I could live with the pink if I had a cute header. Can you?

Dealing With It

When Amelia was young, I dressed her every day. She wore little dresses with matching accessories. Later, I would spend hours putting little ponytails in her hair, french braiding and curling her hair. But something happened...about two years ago Amelia became a "fashion girl" and everything had to be "total fashion." In preschool it meant her wearing the same terribly mis-matched outfit for four days in a row (or sometimes more) to the point that her teachers called it her "uniform."

Amelia was finally big enough to fit into Limited Too clothes, so I totally splurged on a ridiculously expensive outfit to celebrate her increase in size. The problem is, she won't wear the outfit together. The shirt that you see in these photos was the shirt that looked so cute with the jeans, headband and matching little brown suede jacket. However, she now pairs the paisley shirt with camo pants and a striped scarf. The colors aren't even close to matching, not to mention the patterns.

I like to say she gets her fashion sense from Aunt D. But as a mom, I've just realized that I have to make her feel as fabulous as she does in those outfits. So I swallow my pride and don't worry that I might have the worst dressed kindergartner in the school. I see the other little girls wearing dresses and matching outfits and perfect hair, and Amelia just doesn't care. Now, don't get me wrong, she totally cares what she looks like. She spends fifteen minutes laying out her outfit and picking her jewelry and shoes, but you will never see the same outfit on another kid. She thinks she's "the most fashion" of all, so I just have to agree.

When does this stage end?

Divas and other Ramblings...

I love that my kids are out of school! We have had way too much fun! We made a list of everything the girls wanted to do over the break, and we have done almost all of them. These are pictures at "Catch Air" which was item number seven on our list of things to do!

One day during the break a mom took my kids ALL day long...I'm talking from 10-5. I didn't even know what to do with myself. It was a much needed break. But speaking of that, should I feel bad saying that? Is it bad to need a BREAK from your kids?

I love to hang out with them, but they do wear me out a little bit. After I haven't seen them for a little bit, I miss them and I'm so excited to see them and much more patient with them. What do you think about that?

And on an end-note... Here are some recently overheard comments from my divas:

Amelia: “I am not living there!!!!” Me: “What????” Amelia: “When I’m in college I will not live away from my family!!!”

Mikayla: “Mom, I really love markers, but I’m not going to marry them.”
Mikayla: (pointing to her ribs) “Mom, what is this bump?” Me: “Those are your ribs.” Mikayla: (laughing) “THOSE ARE NOT YOUR RIBS; YOU EAT RIBS!!!!”

Happy New Year! Oh, and if anyone cares, the canceled GE party (yes, the big fancy one that I look foward to all year long and bought my outfit to wear in October so I was ready for it but then wore it twice to other parties once it was canceled) is now back on...tonight. I'm not sure how you have a Christmas party on January 5, but if it saves GE money to have a holiday party the month after the fact, then they will do it. So a big thank you to Miki and her designer closet that goes on and on and on and to her very generous willingness to loan dresses to her poor, fashionless friend. I'll let you know how it goes!