Grateful Sunday

Today I am grateful for:
1. My GENIOUS of a husband. He wanted to do things that were a little more fun and exciting, but this weekend he spent time fixing my virus/spy-ware filled computer, gave me a new hard drive, put in a new cpu in the kids' computer... ya, it is nice to have my own in-house computer man.

2. All the fun we had this weekend... Aaron's football game, lunar mini-golf, a really fun date night iron chef party... it was a perfect weekend!
Here's Nate at Aaron's game: Aaron lookin good - he really has fun out there, and we LOVE watching him do so well on the field!
Here's Aaron and Charity at the mini-golf place...
3. Where I live. There was an airshow this weekend, but Charity is SOOO afraid of the loud jets (she is scared of everything) I had to stay home. HOWEVER, we live so close to the airfield, I was still able to catch the BLUE ANGELS flying overhead (seriously, they were RIGHT on top of us... it was neat) so, although I missed out, I dont really feel like i did.
Here is Aaron enjoying the airshow...
Here are some pics I got from my front yard... see - i didnt miss much at all!!!



4. My husband's awesome attitude. Aaron's football game was sortof a disaster - a kid got thrown out for punching, parents (on both sides) were yelling at the refs and the league commissioners - it was CRAZY (i mean, typical 6 yr old flag football?) but Joe didnt get involved and he had a cool head...
Joe kickin' it on the sidelines...

5. The Cowboys won!!! although Crayton didnt get me many FF points, Barber looked good, and Dallas' D didn't do too bad... my weekend is great when they dont suck.

I've been tagged by HEATHER!

What is his name? Joe
How long have you been together? Our 1st date? Feb 1999... First kiss? May 31 1999...
How long did you date? Well, if you count from our 1st date? 9 months before we were married... from our 1st kiss? 6 months.
Who eats more? Joe
Who said I love you first? I think Joe - all I remember is a conversation where he asked if i could ever "potentially" love him...
Who is taller? Joe
Who sings better? joe is actually a pretty good singer - i even got him to sing w/our ward choir... my voice is pretty generic, and although i can sing, i am stuck behind the piano all the time... and joe's deep voice fills the room and i LOVE to hear him sing! i love to hear him speak too... he just has that magical deep voice...
Who is smarter? joe - hands down... although i think i am smart, joe is MEGA GENIOUS.
Whose temper is worst? we both have a bad temper... a few times joe has blown up, but he brushes things off pretty well - i blow up all the time, and i scream and yell and threaten like a mad woman.
Who does the laundry? me...
Who does the dishes? me...
Who pays the bills? joe or me... depends...
Who mows the lawn? joe
Who cooks dinner? Mcdonalds... Lean Cuisine...
Who drives when you are together? Joe - he and i both agree i am a terrible driver.
Who is more stubborn? we both are.
Who is the first to admit that they are wrong? me - joe is never wrong ;)
Who's parents do you see the most? Joe's - mine live too far away.
Who kissed who first? Joe - can you believe it??? i was SUCH a lady. we were 'hangin out' for almost 3 months before he made a move! our 1st kiss wasnt till he FLEW out to mesa to visit me! can you believe it? that is prob why we got married - FINALLY someone i didnt kiss on (or even before) our first date!
Who asked who out? Joe - he 1st had to kick his 'old trash' to the curb but as soon as he met me he was IMMEDIATELY smitten!!! ;)
Who purposed? Joe - and i was SOOO surprised. i wasnt even expecting it... i thought maybe it would happen in several months but WOAH he just popped the question - i couldnt believe it. but that is why i fell in love with him - he is so spontaneous!
Who has more friends? i think i am generally the more social one... but he has a lot of friends too...
Who wears the pants in the family? Joe - i am the submissive perfect 1950s wife. seriously.

NOW I TAG... EVERYONE!

It must be Thursday

yes, it is YET another verbose and imageless blog post from me.

I have been really busy lately. Every time I am busy, I think of my MOM. She is the queen of independance, and productivity. Seriously, if there is a spare 30 minutes in a day, it is spent cleaning out a closet or getting a project done...I remember my mom always saying "time expands to fit the purpose". Well, mom, you would be proud of all I have gotten done in the last 2 days. BUT, rather than listing it all out (which is exhausting to even think about), I will just say that everything I have done is pretty brainless (like in sewing, running errands, sewing, waiting at appointments, cleaning, kid stuff, school stuff... etc.), and my thoughts have had lots of time for wandering.

If you couldn't tell where this was going, let me just say I have been thinking a lot about my MOM - she was a 'work widow' with 6 kids... I dont know how she did it. We were crazy children, but my mom dealt with us SOOO well. Here, I feel like I am going NUTS, but she handled it all with grace and I am just so impressed with her and all she was able to do. Right now, I am really lonely - Joe has been so busy this week we have hardly had time to talk (our phone conversations have been there, but BRIEF)... I keep trying to feel sorry for myself, but I think of her, and the MILLIONS of other people who have done it without complaining... LUCKILY, my spouse gets home tonight (late). We will hopefully have a good weekend, and I will be recharged for the week ahead.

I just wanted to say how amazed I am by the strength my mom had while we were growing up. Mom, you are awesome, and someday I want to be just like you! I am so glad she is going to move out closer to me! I am SO lucky!

Quick update

Here is my FF avatar - ya, i am WT and proud!

1. This week's football was depressing to say the least - I managed to eek out a win in 1800EatCrap and Junior Varsity (where i remain undefeated) but I lost in the other leagues. Even more depressing was the Cowboy's game Sunday afternoon. Joe and i flew home from the reunion just in time to catch it - but, it turned out to be depressing. We had to take a while to mourn. But, I guess I was happy for the college football upsets. Those always make me smile. (sorry LSU fans)

2. I finally took my kids to the dentist for the 1st time ever. They had no cavities - but I do... tomorrow I am going back...

3. I got my body fat tested at the gym. The trainer said that my % was fine, but i should really try to eat better and be more effective in my workouts if I ever wanted results. um, i knew that already.

4. I am really tired, and would like to just sit or sleep all day... but i cant.

Greatful Monday

Today I am grateful for:

blogs. I LOVE reading about, looking at pictures, and catching up on people. I was happy to see some blogging people at the reunion I went to as well. People who need to blog so I can keep better in touch with them: Becky, Emily (all of the Emilys from mesa), Lacey, Teri... oh i wish everyone blogged!

Charity. I am grateful for all my kids, but today, Charity woke up and wanted to make everyone's beds. I didnt even ask her. She came downstairs and said, "Mom, come look! I made the beds" sure enough, all the beds were made as good as a 4 yr old can make them. Seriously, how sweet!

My 10 Year Reunion

So, I went to my 10 year HS reunion last weekend. I must admit, I LOVED IT!!!
I was so overwhelmed! It was so fun to catch up with everyone and see them again!
After 10 years, pretty much everyone is STILL THE SAME. I just wish I would have taken more pictures! I also wish I could have spent more time catching up with people too! High school was so fun for me! I was thrilled to see so many of those people who were in my life (at that crucial time) and see how they are doing, and see that they are happy etc... It makes me miss MESA. Thanks, Joe, for being such a good sport. Also, thanks for upgrading us to 1st class on the way home - I was so tired, and it made that EARLY flight SO MUCH BETTER! I have the best husband in the world!

What a game

All I can say is WOW, what a game! To be honest, I gave up, it was so ugly, I had to turn my head. This comeback will go down in history - 2 mins left - TD, failed 2ptConv. RECOVERED onside kick... couple passes down field, 54 yd fieldgoal to WIN!!!WOW. What a game. Go Cowboys!!!!! (it was an ugly win, but i'll take it!)
ps, i won all 4 of my fantasy matchups for this week as a result ;) I am glad i picked up Crayton.... again, i know the way the wind is blowing with my BOYS!!!

Grateful Sunday (woops Monday)

Today I am grateful for:
1. A husband that has a job. Today I spent some money (I hope he is not mad) and although I had a twinge of guilt, it passed. Thanks for supporting me Joe! ;)
2. The kids had a day off school today. It was fun to spend the day hanging out with them for a change (especially Aaron, who I never get to see anymore). We took Joe to the airport(I need both cars this week), went to the gym, hung out with Phanelb and her kids A, B, and C Farnsworth, and went to the pumpkin patch... all before 4pm, now we can just hang out at home cause football practice is cancelled cause of rain!! (hey steph, how convenient is it that your kids names start with A, B and C... did you plan that?)
3. My sweet children. They are so patient with me and easygoing. PLUS they are cute and fun and sweet and well, here are some pics from the pumpkin patch.

Six Flags

So, last night, we went to six flags (just Joe and I and some friends and NO kiddos)

I was so excited cause we finally got a chance to ride rides together and not take turns with the kids etc. I have always loved roller coasters. I thought I was so tough. But alas, my physical age is taking over my mental, and after riding front row (as shown in this video) of the MR FREEZE RIDE:

I was not feeling like my usual self. I thought the feeling would pass... so we rode on the BATMAN ride. I TOTALLY BLACKED OUT! What???? Needless to say, I sat out of most of the other rides for the evening, but I couldn't resist the TITAN... So, here we are the morning after, and i am STILL spinning and feeling nauseous. Even with my little 'hang over' as a consequence (no alchohol involved), I TOTALLY LOVED it! ;)

EEEEWWWWW

so, i was walking by my powder bathroom turning out lights and i saw a HUGE spider.

out of instinct, i grabbed a nearby shoe, and proceeded to smash it. all of a sudden hundreds of tiny spiders started crawling out of the dead mother. seriously, i have the heebiegeebies just posting about it. joe called and is almost home... i think i am going to leave this for him to clean up????

Man Jaw

My jaw began popping shortly after Joe & I got married (8 yrs ago). I always felt like my bite was wrong - like it didn't know where to go. My jaw was ALWAYS tired and sore. I couldn't hold my mouth open without my jaw locking and cramping. I couldn't bite into hamburgers. FINALLY, I decided to go see an orthodontist and see if it wasn't just a problem with my bite. (Thanks Dave F. for the idea). I went to a HIGHLY recommended orthodontist here, and my appointment went like this:

He looked at my teeth and how they allign; he did x-rays; he talked to me and heard my complaints. All these things in my mind pointed to TMJ. I sat in the chair and he felt my jaw and looked at me when I bit down. What did BOTH Dr. Collins and his assistant say? "Your jaws are like Arnold Schwartzenager's! The muscles in there are so PUMPED". The final diagnosis? In my own words: Man Jaw. So, I have since been fitted with this masterpiece, and hopefully this will fix (or at least help me relax) my Man Jaw issues.

Don't mind the orange paint on my nose, Charity and I did an art project before we (like any good WT family) went to McDonalds for dinner ;)

Fantasy Football Update

So, I thought I would take a minute and recap (brag) about my fantasy football performance thus far. Here is the breakdown of the 4 leagues I am in:

Matchup for Week 4:

Junior Varsity League

(4-0) My team: 114.38
Star Performers:
Tom Brady - 21.64
Joseph Addai -15.73
Jason Witten - 10.73 - GO COWBOYS!
Disappointments:
Steve Smith - 2.13 (WHY DIDNT HE SHOW UP???)
DeShaun Foster - 3.4 (after 2 fumbles might get him booted off my team)

VERSUS: (1-3)Jeff: 65.96
Stars:
DEF Chicago - 19.0
Disappointments:
Donovan McNabb - 1.72

End Result??? VICTORY For ME!!!!! :)

1800EatCrap League

(2-2)Me: 84.84
Star Performers:
Jon Kitna - 16.11
T.J. Houshmandzadeh - 13.6 (My MAN!!!)
Barrett Ruud - 7 (I am glad I paid attention to news and notes, cause this guy ROCKS!)
Disappointments:
Marion Barber - 4.8 (my man is injured- but my cowboys NEED him to get better!!!)
San Diego DEF - 6.0 seriously, what happened to this team????

VERSUS: (2-2)Joe: 53.93
Stars:
N/A
Disappointments:
Carson Palmer - 7.85 (ok joe, for this week ONLY am i OK about you snaking him from me)
Anthony Henry - 2.0 (i am really sad cause he ROCKS and i hope he is better soon cause cowboys need him to get LOTS of interceptions!)

End Result??? MY VICTORY!!!! - joe, my sorry team beat YOU!!! YAY! in all fairness, i didnt see this one coming, and had palmer had a better game, maybe you would be the one bragging here.

TheTexasTussle2 League

(2-2)My Team: 153.95
Stars:
Peyton Manning - 36.35
DEF Chicago - 53.4 (still going strong for me!!!)
Barrett Ruud - 11.0 again, i was glad to add him to my team this week.
Disappointments:
Chad Johnson - 6.3 (Cincinnati just had a bad game???)
Todd Heap - 3.6 (now, i had him last year, and he seemed to get me a TD almost every game... he hasnt shown up yet)

VERSUS: (1-3) Jeff: 65.96
Stars:
DEF Chicago- 19.0
Disappointments:
Donovan McNabb - 1.72 really, i saw this coming - ever since his knee injury, he isnt the same. ya, he had a few good games, but i really think this is indicative of the type of player he has become - seriously, he is always blaming SOMEONE even pulling the race card? but i really think his prob isnt ONLY that he didnt have westbrook or his O-line was terrible - I think he is really STIFF and cant move around like he use to. 12 sacks come from being SLOW. that is why i didnt rush to pick him up this year in any of our live drafts... he was a STAR last year, but hmmm what is he this year?

End Result? MY VICTORY!!!!! :)

Consolation League:

(1-2)Me: 66.11
Stars:
Joseph Addai - 15.73 i picked him up game 2 of last year, and i fell in LOVE with him - i had a feeling he would be a LOT better than LT, and any of those other higher ranked RBs... i am just SOOO smart huh.
Disappointments:
Donovan McNabb - 1.72 i already gave my little spiel about him. lets just say this league was auto draft, so i got him. i am not quite ready to drop him (following Joe's logic, he didnt get me negative points, so he didnt lose his place on my roster JUST YET)
Marvin Harrison - 0.53 i will blame this on his injury, and hope he gets better
Chad Johnson - 3.53
Marion Barber - 4.8
DEF Miami - -1.0 Ok, this team got me negative points, so, will henceforth NOT be on my roster.
Anthony Henry - 2.0 I will blame his lack of production solely to his injury, and i wish him a speedy recovery

VERSUS: (2-1)Michelle: 102.22
Stars:
Tom Brady - 21.64
Randy Moss - 18.8 Michelle has a great duo working for her... i think this pair (at least in points production) will be even better than manning-harrison or wayne
Adrian Peterson - 12.77
Disappointments:
Joey Galloway - 0.47

End Result??? LOSS :(
HOWEVER, notice that i had a lot of supposedly GREAT players that had a really disappointing game, while Michelle had stars, and only 1 disappointment. now i am left with injuries and bye weeks...

Overall, i feel pretty good... still lots of room for improvement.

Grateful Sunday (Woops, Monday)

Today I am grateful for the RS broadcast that I actually went to. Ya, I always seem to forget about them, but this time I actually WENT!
I am just really grateful for the inspiration. I am motivated to be a better person now.

I am also grateful for my kids. I just tried a hurry-up throw the kids in bed, and didn't do prayers. WELL, I just caught my sweet son Aaron sneaking into Charity's room to say prayers - just the 2 of them. Standing downstairs, I was able to hear the prayer they said - they remembered people who are sick, and they prayed for eachother to not be scared. Seriously, HOW CUTE IS THAT????

Football

Here's some shots from Aaron's football game today. Although I can't say I like USC at all... I am (at least for this season) a TROJAN fan!

Low maintenance

I have always considered myself to be a "low maintenance" girl. Maybe a better way to describe myself is a "LACK of maintenance" girl. I have been the same all my life. I wash my face (in the shower) with Irish Spring. I wear jeans and a solid color T-shirt every day. I don't "do" my hair - I put it in a pony tail or a braid. Well, on birthdays, anniversaries, and special dates, I will actually blow-dry my hair, but those times are few and far between. I use whatever lotion is cheapest. Do I need to go on? I like to wear clothes that are VERY versatile - versatile enough for a colorblind MAN to walk into my closet and pick out a suitable outfit. I am also dealing with a severe handicap when it comes to accessorizing. All of my makeup can fit in the palm of my hand - I wear mascara, Lipfinity (because it stays on till the next morning), and eyeliner - that is it. I tried powder for my Texas wedding reception 8 years ago - it was the wrong color. I had to throw all the pictures away. Seriously, could NO ONE tell me to take off my makeup when I looked so bad???? This is seriously embarrassing, but I really am CLUELESS. Every once in a while, I will lose my mind and say "I want to feel like a woman!" So, I'll go out and do something drastic. 2 years ago, I got highlights (I got rid of those). I’ve also been known to chop my hair all off into crazy layers, or go get an acrylic manicure or pedicure that lasts all of 3 days. On one occasion, I even bought an eye cream from Arbon. Ok, are you getting the picture? I have never been able to rationalize spending TONS of money on "beauty products", and when I do, I either feel really silly and selfish, or I buy something completely WRONG. So my question is: does anyone know of a low maintenance way to be more feminine or beautiful? Does someone use a magic sauce for their skin that doesn’t require a 3-5 step process in the morning and night? There's GOT to be something I can do that doesn't add too much "beautification" time to my routine.

What is the reason for this? I looked in the mirror today. I am starting to look old.

Help?

Charity Sings

So, Charity loves this song, and she sings it ALLLL the time.

I just think she is so cute when she sings. At 4 she has quite an ear - she even plays this on the piano. I laugh at the concerned look on her face though. This is for you grandma. I just needed it documented cause I dont think she will be confusing her f's and th's much longer...

Cute things:

First, see my baby Nate: Seriously, while I was unloading the dishwasher, he helped!!! He just went to town on the silverware. I didn't even ask him to do it!!! He just started taking utensils one tiny handful at a time from the dishwasher to the silverware drawer. He was so pleased with himself. Honestly, I was pleased too! WOW! all this help and he isnt even 18 months yet!!!



Then, see Aaron and Charity. What happens when you have to ignore your children all afternoon so you can teach piano? They run around looking like WT - sweaty and barefoot with REALLY dirty feet. The pictures dont do it justice. Oh yea, notice the cool Blue Angels costume I made for Aaron last Halloween. He wears this ALL the time! It is a little small for him now, and it is getting holes in the knees - but he STILL loves it! (I think it's GOT TO BE uncomfortable cause the jumpsuit is encroaching his "personal space")... Anyways, when I tried to get them ready for tonight's football practice, i noticed how gross they were... So, they started modeling their feet - they were so proud.

3 Noteworthy tidbits:
1. I was so sad, but I told 3 of my students I couldn't teach them anymore. I started crying when I was talking to this one mom. I love my students so much, and it will be so hard for me to let them go... but I really do think I will be a better mom if I scale back to only a few kids on one day.
2. SOOO glad I didn't get L.T. in any of my Fantasy Football leagues - he really hasn't produced this year (yet)... I did get Drew Brees (due to my husband thinking he was doing me a favor) but I dropped him for Kitna - I wonder how that will play out...
3. Speaking of Fantasy Football... I am not doing too bad! YAY! credit it to the fact I am in 4 leagues (so my heart isnt broken if I lose in 1 of them). PLUS, my FAVORITE team, the COWBOYS are doing quite well so far. Also, I am simply a GREAT fantasy football player ;).

Grateful Sunday

Today I am grateful for being a member of my church. Members whose lives are crashing in around them are blessed with a built-in support and service MACHINE. Seriously, it is a well-oiled machine. I am SO unbelievably grateful for that. I am also grateful for the friends I have met through my membership in this church. I have been blessed to know some VERY great people.

One of those people is Courtney Flynn. She is SO amazing. She is always happy and she has the best outlook on life. She is the worlds greatest listener, and SO sweet and SO kind. She is also beautiful. I could go on and on about the things she has taught me. We were supposed to go on a girls' night Friday night, but girls' night was cancelled. I was so sad cause i haven't seen her for EVER (we aren't in the same ward anymore)... Sadly, it was cancelled cause she was diagnosed with leukemia. Anyways, this is a quote from an email we got from her husband todd:

She is strong though, and that strength was evident only moments after the diagnosis, after the sobs subsided, when she quipped, "And I just spent an entire year growing my hair out."

Back to being grateful: the machine is in full force, and although I am not in her ward anymore, I hope i can be a part of it too.

Anyways, so many people go through hard times, and especially on a day like today, I am grateful that if/when a need arises, I, too, can rely on people who love me and WANT to help even though they aren't even in my family.

So please add the Flynns to your prayers. She has 4 children (the oldest is 8 and the youngest is almost 2). Also, add my neice Jillian - she is only 4 and has leukemia too (I posted about her when she was daignosed in July).

Sanity at 1pm

So, this is what i am doing right now.

I am enjoying my cookies and milk. It is "treats at noon" as my mom calls it. Although it is a bit past noon, it is the perfect time for a snack - i sneek these while my kids are napping or quietly playing. Also, right about now, i am DESPERATELY needing a pick-me-up as i see all that i have to get done today (starting in about 20 mins). So, right now, during my cookies and milk moment, i can say: "i know there is a dirty diaper on the floor over there, and dishes i the sink, and crumbs on the floor, and laundry buzzing at me, and... but i JUST DONT CARE!" When my "treats at noon" end, i have to get up and teach a million piano lessons, take Aaron to football practice, and be a mom... But for right now, i will just sit and eat cookies.

ps. i think i am personally keeping chips ahoy chewy in business... (that is what my husband thinks anyways) Honestly, i have been donig "treats at noon" with the same cookies (well, until a few years ago it was just normal chips ahoy) and at the same time for the last 6 years...

Pulling My Hair Out

<-Me in Reality ** Me after a bit of surgery ;)->

Please tell me that I am not the only mom in the world who feels like pulling my hair out! I can not possibly be the only person in the world who is completely overwhelmed with EVERYTHING!!! What is wrong with me? I know there must be people out there who are even MORE involved and MORE busy than I am... HOW DO YOU GUYS DO IT ALL???

I am just having a hard time realizing this is my life.

Monday: 6:15 am - kids wake up.

• Get Joe packed (yes, I pick out his outfits for the week and put them in his suitcase) and on his way to "work" for the week. 7am
• Feed kids, have them practice piano, pack lunch, get them dressed and get Aaron off to school. 8am
• Head to the gym w/the 2 little ones, run whatever errands. come home by lunch - it's naptime for Nate.
• Pick up Aaron from school. 3pm
• Teach 3 piano lessons. 3:30-5pm
• Shove dinner in my kids faces.
• Rush to Aaron's Football practice. 6:00-7:30pm
• Come home, put kids to bed. (later than i want)
• Do Mommy chores (talk to hubby on phone, clean, work on my ind. study course, blog, fantasy football upkeep, do stuff for PTA, never ending TO DO list...)

Tuesday: 6:15am - kids wake up. AGGHHHH already???

• Get kids fed (maybe they are lucky and get a bath?) and dressed. Force child #1 (pouting/yelling/crying) to practice piano, listen to child #2 cry cause SHE wants to practice NEXT (and she does and she loves it). Check to make sure I didnt forget any homework or things to sign...Pack lunches for Aaron and Charity.
• Take Aaron to school. 8am
• Drive Charity's preschool carpool. 8:30am
• WOW toddler bondage time with mommy! hmmm off to the gym! home for lunch and nap time. (cleaning/reading/bloging time for me!) Wait for Charity to come home. 2pm
• Head out to get Aaron from school. 3pm
• Feed kids snacks then head to gymnastics for Aaron and Charity. 4-5pm
• Come home, eat dinner, put kids to bed 7pm
• do mommy chores. Leave at least 1 light on cause without Joe home, I'm scared of the boogie man. 12am

Wednesday: 6:15 am - SERIOUSLY??? Cant you AT LEAST wait for the sun to rise?

• Get kids fed, practice piano, get dressed, pack lunches, Aaron to school, Charity screaming cause she doesnt get to go today. 8am
• run errands, go to the gym, home for lunch and naps.
• Start the piano swap (I teach my girlfriends' 2 kids, she teaches mine) 2pm
• Aaron comes home from school and we finish the piano lesson swap. 3-4pm
• Every other Wed, do Activity days (its either AT MY house, or i am doing the carpooling to the other 'activity days' house). On the off weeks, I pay minimal attention to my own children for an hour. 5-6pm
• Feed kids dinner, put them to bed. 7pm
• do mommy chores. Climb into lonely bed. 12am

Thursday: 6:15am. ok, you guys climb into bed with me, watch cartoons - i will get out of bed when the sun wakes me up.

• Do the whole Breakfast/piano/packing lunch/getting dressed thing for Aaron and Charity... feeling like I AM SO DONE WITH THE KIDS ALL BY MYSELF!!! Get Aaron to school. 8am
• Charity off to school 8:30am
• AHHHH 1 kid left. Head to the gym(maybe)?
• volunteer at Aaron's school (gotta at least TRY/PRETEND to be a good mom?) touch base w/PTA people? did i do everything i said i would?... Nate gets a nap somewhere???
• Charity comes home 2pm
• get Aaron from school... 3pm
• Start the marathon of 5 back to back piano lessons, 3:15-5:45
• rush out the door to football practice, 6-7:30pm
• come home SHOVE the kids in bed
• teach more piano lessons... 7:45-8:45
• clean house cause it is a DISASTER and Joe is coming home!!!
• He is home by 10... ;)

Friday: These days are easier - in fact, the whole weekend seems to blur together. My only job is to clean the house, and get the dry cleaning/laundry done so that Joe has clothes to wear next week. Joe goes into work for a couple hours, then I just have to take care of the kids and keep them quiet while he works from home the rest of the day. Saturday: Aaron's football game in the AM Sunday: Go to Church, Have choir practice at my house, Watch lots of FOOTBALL :), family night... get ready for next week...

Ok, well, after reading this again, perhaps i am not as busy as i feel. i do have the time while my kids are in school to get whatever i need done. i think i am just feeling like those hours from 3-bedtime are just too full? i mean, where is the time for playdates or anything like that? how do you other moms fit stuff in? if you wouldnt mind sharing your wisdom? i would LOVE it! MOM? HOW DID YOU DO IT??? how do you do things and still have time/energy to actually COOK a good meal and give children adequate attention?

Question

Question: Why do nurses give children suckers after they get their shots?

Because Sticky hands + Bloody Cotton + Bandaids = Entertainment all the way home!

PIF Gift Exchange

It's the Pay it Forward Gift Exchange! (PIF) Here's how it works...
I will send a handmade gift to the first three (3) people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. (So, you must have a blog to participate.)

I was quick to comment on Natalie's blog, so I am paying it forward now!

How fun! Let's Pay It Forward and give each other gifts just because!I've not yet decided what I will be sending... I guess it just depends on how far i have to ship what... I am excited to pay it forward!!! So, in your comment, leave me your email address!

Where were you?

Do you still remember September 11th 2001? I do. I had just gotten out of the shower and Joe had turned on the news (early that morning). We saw the 1st tower on fire. What was going on? was this for real? What happened? I stood there in my green towel in the room watching the tv when the 2nd plane hit. I remember being so scared. I remember being so sad for those people. I rememberd my sister Cherry - where was she? was she OK? wasnt that her train stop that she uses to get to work? I called my Dad (who was then in London and in a meeting) and told him about it. I remember not really being able to process what was happening - I cried. I couldn't even bring myself to do anything. I was still in my towel - shocked - when the towers collapsed. Joe didn't go to school that day. We didnt hear from Cherry till much later in the afternoon. She got to WTC after the 1st but before the 2nd plane hit and was smart enough not go to work. I thought about all the people my family knew back in New Jersey - were they all ok? What about all my dad's old wall st. buddies? I tried to imagine what it would be like to be there. I was so impressed by the bravery of the firemen. I was so sad for those who were trapped. I could not fathom the helpless hoplessness they were feeling. Why did this happen?... So many things going through my mind. I remember the chaos. What were you guys doing/thinking that morning?

Anyways, in the spirit of remembering that day, my girlfriend (one of the supermoms i get to associate with) had the idea to teach our children about how brave the firemen were that day. So, we made some thank you cards and cookies (she baked them) and brought them to our local firestation. The kids got their own hats and they got to sit in the fire truck. I think the firemen were pretty stoked to get the cookies.

Weekend Project

So, almost 2.5 years ago, my front landscaping looked like this:
Exhibit A and B (little Holly bushes) grew to be quite large... and so did my mini rose bushes. Anyways, I hated that whenever anyone came to my house, and there was a car in my driveway they would have to jump over those bushes or duck and squeeze by their side-view mirror. So, Saturday, I spent the WHOLE day out front weeding and working towards a solution: (Joe took the kids bowling)
That is how big my mini-rose bushes got... so i pulled up the holly bushes and donated them to my girlfriend. (i also spent FOREVER digging that darned grass out from around the rocks and bench area and re-leveling the flagstones etc...) But, below, you see my AWESOME solution to the side-view mirror problem. I drove by this building supply place that sold stone and lots of other stuff... I asked how much a few of those stones would be - he said if I wasnt going to get a bunch (like the builders usually get) it wasnt worth the paper to write the invoice on, so, I got them for FREE!!! :) I dug up the HUGE holly bush (as big as the area from the rose bush almost to the driveway), and another little boxwood bush. Keep in mind that Joe was hangin w/the kiddos, so I had to dig and pull and pry this HUGE (seriously, like 150 lbs) bush out ALL BY MYSELF.
Now, all I have to do is put river rock (maybe?) in that area i painted over - all that grows there right now is clovers... and I am SO sick of weeding! By Saturday afternoon, after working out there for several hours in the heat, my back was SO sunburned (maybe i shouldnt have worn my bikini top ALL day) and my hands and forearms HURT to the point of NUMBNESS (it doesnt help that we went to a rock climbing gym on our date the night before) and my back was SOOOO sore (and still is)... so, the rest can wait till I muster up some more motivation - or at least till there isnt a football game I really need to watch ;)
Anyways, it is raining today, and when I went out to take the picture, it took Nate all of 2 seconds to find and start splashing in the water washing down the street. What a nut.

Just passing this link on... a cousin's cousin's very cool eagle project.

http://theturkfamily.blogspot.com/2007/09/quinns-eagle-project.html

SWEET!!!

So, today is Friday - cleaning day....
Joe came home last night, but had to go to work today. So, it was shaping up to be the typical Friday... UNTIL....
Joe came home with THESE!!!! Just because he loves and appreciates me!
Seriously - how SWEET!!! :) WOW I AM LUCKY!!!

This was fun...

Got this from Jonnie's blog:

My roommate and I once: had A LOT of fun... got in A LOT of trouble... i cant say anything else without people finding out how crazy i was!

Never in my life have I: been to mexico

High School was : interesting and fun

When I am nervous: i bite my nails or my cheeks

My Hair: just cut it, but it is still longish - and ALWAYS in a pony tail.

When I was 5 : i lived in plano, tx; i loved to explore the neighborhood; i loved to ride my bike and play with my sisters and kalani and anyone else we could round up... i wanted so badly to be in the children's choir, but i wasnt old enough - and i never was :(

When I turn my head left : i see a broken bookshelf and LOTS of mail that needs to be sorted.

I should be : a better mom/ more productive/eating less junk food... the list goes on?

By this time next year : i hope to still be happy, and healthy. honestly, i hope the only thing that really changes is we will all be just be another year older and wiser... (maybe we will have new flooring?)

My favorite Aunt is : cant say without offending someone ;) but i LOVE THEM ALL!!! i LOVE MY WHOLE FAM! I AM SO LUCKY!

I have a hard time understanding : when my daughter cries... or when people talk in other languages really fast.

My ideal breakfast is : sugar cereal - but lately, i have REALLY been into NAKED JUICE... that is pretty good too

If you visit my home town : are you referring to my home town like mesa? um, i guess it is hot there? there will be lots of desert landscaping and over-priced homes?

If you spend the night at my house : i would have it nice and clean for you, we could stay up late playing settlers... but you will either sleep in my daughter's purple room, or on an air mattress in the empty room...

I shouldn't have been : driving so fast today - i TOTALLY HIT A BIRD and i think i killed it :(

Last night I: ate sushi at the farnsworths, took dawn and chad to the airport, put the kids to bed and chilled on the computer talking to joe on the phone... got my plane ticket for my 10 yr reunion... boring... lonely...

A better name for me would be : spaz? GLINDA? crazy B%@#?

I've been told I look like : a guy when i lay flat on my back ;)

Today

Today:
I took Charity to her first day of preschool at Keller Christian Schools. I'm sorry, but I think she is SO adorable.

Then, I spent the day up at Phanelb's house with my sister Dawn and her hub Chad (who were visiting from AZ). I had only 1 child in-tow (WOW how easy is it to have just 1 kid!!!)

What a fun day! What a fun time it was to hang out with Dawn and Chad and of course Phanelb too...

Fantasy Football

My oh my...
so, i am in a league with joe's bros - a very interesting league - no bench... this will be a fun and fluid experience - full of trades and movement... unfortunately, i missed the draft and my team looks like this (my spouse picked these for me, i will give it a go for a week)

Drew Brees QB

Reggie Bush RB

TJ Housh (my MAN!!!) WR

San Diego DEF

plus a W/T, W/R, K, and 2 D players (i wont bore you with their names)

i am also in a league with some other people, - and that is set up normal. our live draft was last night right after the byu game... (GO COUGS!!!)

Peyton Manning QB

Chad Johnson WR

Rudi Johnson RB

Chicago DEF

plus a few more people and Vince Young as my bench QB ;)

now, joe's bro wants to start yet ANOTHER league - are you SERIOUS????? how many do we need to play with? honestly!
but, because i am competitive, i will of COURSE join it, and our draft is tomorrow morning. ;)

why do i love football season so much????

1. fantasy football - it is SO fun to play the stats game, and compete and cheer for random players you normally wouldnt give a darn about.
2. spending my weekends (and monday nights) parked and YELLING/CHEERING in front of the TV - honestly, you cant get any better!
3. spending more time with joe...

Coping strategies anyone?

So, my sweet daughter has NO coping strategies. seriously. she just breaks down - physically and emotionally - when everything is not absolutely perfect or exactly her way. i dont think i am the type of mom to just give in and give a child her way... but honestly, i cant take it anymore. you see the picture of her in the hall screaming and crying? that was just exhibit 763a. honestly, those fits happen so often, it drives me NUTS! this morning on the way into the gym, she had another episode, because she didnt like her hair the way i did it. this is how her fits go: her legs collapse, she screams and crys, there is no consolling her, i giver her hugs and tell her it will be ok, i bribe her, i hold her hand, i TRY EVERYTHING! (at least i think i try everything) but she still cant function. then, i start threatening - "i'm going to count to 3 then you will get a spanking" which doesnt help... any ideas? or is this just what i get with a girl?

3 Things

1. Aaron had his first day of school today!!! YAY! He was so excited! He is such a stud. I am so glad he gets to finally be in all day school! Here's my new 1st grader!

Here's Charity. Ya, she cried like this the ENTIRE time (from the car, to the classroom, back to the car). I could not get her to stop. People stared, I felt like a Super Mom. But, I HAD to go in and talk to his teacher, and get things to my PTA girlfriends. Notice she is still wearing what she wore yesterday? I am SOOO awesome - but that was a DIFFERENT emotional breakdown. At least my boys were in clean clothes.

2. The blinds on our back door were suffering a slow painful death at the hands of our 3 children. So, Joe and I went to the store and decided to get those cool enclosed blinds. Unfortunately, the curse of the failed home improvement projects is upon us; tried as we might, our door was just not going to give in and allow a simple install. SO, we went to the store and returned the enclosed blinds. We decided to go with an entirely NEW back door with the blinds already INSIDE the glass. I went so far as to take the door off, and take it to the store so they could measure it EXACTLY and there was no miscommunication as far as measurements go.... WELL... the door came in. It looked just right, except we needed to buy ROUNDED hinges. No biggy. With only 1 extra trip to the store, we got the door hung. It looks great!!!! Time to shut it. AGGGHHHHHH the threshold is a fraction too high (or the sweep is too big). So, we try to screw it down and poof.... the threshold is rotten and falls apart. Joe is now gone till thurs, and this is what i get to look at till i can motivate him to pick up his tools again... Another trip to the store...Positive: the blinds are in the glass, and my kids cant break them (yet?) Negative: It is SOOOO hot and gross so just imagine all the bugs and heat that will come in through my back door now :(

3. Fantasy football draft #1 done... i am having panic attacks. i had to go to church and play piano for choir, so i missed the LIVE draft for the VERY COMPETITIVE league joe and his brothers do. i gave him my draft sheet, with rankings, and even what rounds i wanted to take what in... HOWEVER, joe decided he knew what was best. he passed up carson palmer and gave me drew brees. (joe conveniently picked up palmer for HIS team). then, rather than ANYONE higher ranked (i.e. gore, westbrook were still available), i got reggie bush... not too bad, but SERIOUSLY?? well, thanks for doing my draft for me (he says i will be eating my words when i kick everyones trash) but i am doubting it. i just dont think that strategy will work for me? at least i have another league i am involved with. joe, i love you and i appreciate you caring enough about me to get those players; however, with my fantasy football luck, they will all get injured, and i am SOL when the saints have a bad game... Essentially, i feel like i am playing a settlers game where the "unbiased banker" placed my initial settlements!!! sigh.

Inspiring!

Ok, what do you think of this?
For those of you who dont want to read the story:

a 59 yr old guy got kicked off his college football team his sr year. after years of regret, he still has 1 more year of eligibility, so he is going for it. ( just IIIA school in tx) but still!!

dont we all want redemption? how long do we wait to go get it?

my thoughts in relation to this particular story:
1. i SOOOO TOTALLY relate - wow highschool cheer anyone? (unfortunately, i am past my prime, and would not DARE TO BE FOUND in a cheer skirt!!!)
2. SADLY, i think he will get his BEHIND kicked; he will prob seriously injure himself
3. i wish i had the guts to do this. i would love to go back to college and do something fun like that. not that i would do cheer or try to be younger than i am. i was just so boring and practical. i traded fun and excitement for a degree that gets me NOTHING! if i had the chance to go back - as an adult, would i?
4. i'm inspired. maybe i will go back to college or somewhere and take ceramics or jewelry or even dance again... i think i just feel like, maybe i can go do something that i always wanted to do, but didnt... (masters?)
4. finally... what position do you think he will play? i dont think he could do linebacker anymore? well, maybe??? maybe on the O-line? hmmmm if i was the coach, i would want him out there as an example, but i wouldnt want him to get hurt... i think maybe the long snapper?

Quick Explanation:

ok wanna know how steph became phanelb? when she lived w/us, it got confusing (my little sis was stephanie allen too) so, my dad (the werid genious) said: an elbow is higher than a knee, so we can have steph-a-knee (my little sister cause she was younger/shorter) and steph-an-elbow (my aunt, who was older/taller). From there, steph-an-elbow got shortened to phanelb. See, it makes perfect sense.?.

Today:

Today, we went to the zoo w/Steph (phanelb) and her kiddos... (i stole this pic from her blog cause i forgot my camera)
it was a perfect day there: we got there early. it was not crowded. it was not too hot. the white tiger was out and ANIMATED! the kids played well together. we ate lunch. we played in the indoor barn thing in texas town. we left. seriously, it doesnt get any better! I LOVE MY ZOO PASS!

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE: today is monday... i have to wait till thurs for my hubby to get home now. he just started his new consulting job at deloitte. last week, (his first at this new job) he was gone only wed & thurs. but, now, he will be gone mon-thurs EVERY WEEK!!! ok, i can do this?!??? i just have to tell myself what a great opportunity this is for him. i am independant, RIGHT?? who needs a man at home EVERY night? well, at least there is less pressure for me to clean and cook a great meal every night! (did i even do that anyways?) i guess it just hit me - i'll really miss him, but i guess i can get used to this?

SPOILER WARNING!

i fell for all the hype, and read twilight on my way to disney world, new moon on my way home, and eclipse early last week.

so, i have been putting off posting about this, but i cant take it any longer. what did you guys think? i was SOOO aggrivated by the end. seriously, stephenie meyer, when you write a 500+ page book, cant you write about more than feelings? i mean, i was tortured the whole time i read it, wondering what would happen, and in the end, NOTHING HAPPENED!!! there were no plot twists or turns. i didnt have to read closely each chapter looking for some forshadowed event. it was like she had a picture of edward and bella, a picture of jacob, and then drew a line to them all fighting together and beating the victoria character - all that took more than 500pages?? nothing else happened!!! there was nothing i had to read into. i appreciate the fact it was written for a younger audience, but even the harry potter series had important little turns that happened in each chapter! nothing of the sort happened in new moon or eclipse. ok, i get it, edward and bella are in love. couldnt jacob have imprinted with angela or something? couldnt SOMETHING else of importance happen? right now, i have invested 3 days of my life to reading this "trilogy" and i am just frustrated. i think i am going back to jane austen.

Nate's Haircut

So, i chopped it off... all those precious curls...

i think he looks so much older?

Fantasy Football Anyone?

if i had #1: Or #2:

ok, i LOVE football!!! i am so excited even about preseason. are any of you playing fantasy football??? well, i am, and my husband and i are pretty competitive about it.

Anyways, i watched the 1st half (cause that is really all that mattered) of the cowboys against the colts last night. i am excited about tony romo - who knows, will he be my qb??? anyone have opinions about dallas defense? i dont think i will go with them. but, i am a die hard dallas fan, so i have to pick at least a few of the players! (NOT for my K, but maybe for my W/T or WR) any opinions out there? what sites do you use for your cheat sheets?

of course, i depend on http://www.fftoolbox.com/ but i also found

http://mvn.com/brunoboys2007-cheatsheet.pdf

i liked the info they put together, but it lost a bit of credibility when they used roy williams, fiery, and "led by" in the same sentance when they were talking about dallas' D.

anyways, WOO HOO for football!!!

Disney World

So, we went on a last minute trip to florida & disney world

So, if you are wondering how this happened:

joe is in "transition" - changing jobs (his new one starts monday)

SO, he came home and said, lets take the kids to disney world during that week i am "unemployed" ;)

i jumped on board immediately... so, friday, after his last day of work at his old job, we drove down to houston to drop the baby off w/joe's mom and sis-in-law (and to hang out w/his bro too) then, sunday, we DROVE to florida (about 13.5 hrs). We did Magic Kingdom on monday, then Tues, we hopped around from Animal Kingdom, Epcot and then ended up at Magic Kingdom again till midnight. Then, wed, we slept in and drove back to houston. the kids were great. nate didnt miss me at all, and everything worked out perfectly. my kids are seriously AWESOME in the car (joe prefers complete silence as he drives, and they comply)

My Laundry

Happy cleaning day!!! ;)

They forgot this verse in "If You Could Hie To Kolob"

There is no end to Laundry

There is no end to dust

There is no end to dishes

There is no end to rust.

There is no end to diapers

There is no end to crud

There is no end to cleaning

There is no end to mud.

so, am i the only person in the world who waits and waits and waits to put laundry away? i have no problem doing it, and even folding it and putting it into bins and piles for their respective destinations... but do i really have to put it away?

and, to be honest, i have 2 more loads processing and one more in the queue.... ahhhhhh laundry! ;)

truth is told me

So, i did one of those quiz things...

You Are An ESTP

The Doer You are adventurous and risk taking. You act first, think second. You love being the center of attention. Chances are you were the class clown. Competitive, charming, and charismatic - you have your own code of honor. You live a flexible life, bouncing between a series of activities that interest you. In love, you are a master seducer... and quite manipulative when you want to be. If someone loves you, you'll only believe their actions. Words don't mean a whole lot to you. At work, you are a "people person." You're especially good at getting people to do what you want. You would make a great salesperson, marketing director, or entrepreneur. How you see yourself: Reasonable, proficient, and tough How other people see you: Flaky, unrealistic, and untrustworthy

What's Your Personality Type?

ok, i am NOT the master seducer, i am NOT very good at getting other people to do what i want, and i would DEFINATELY NOT make a good salesperson/entrepeneur...

BUT lets focus on the end there...
How you see yourself: Reasonable, proficient, and tough
How other people see you: Flaky, unrealistic, and untrustworthy

truth hurts, but, i think i can face it. I KNOW THIS ABOUT MYSELF!!! for example, how many times have i set up VT appointments and forgotten about them!!

OR... 8 years ago, i convinced my husband i was ALL logical and not emotional at all. joe still brings up that conversation, cause apparently, i AM emotional (although in my head, i feel completely rational!)