I went shopping with kids. That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? I mean, really, it took me about 2 months to figure out that was a bad idea...when Eva was a baby. And yet I continue to subject myself to the experience. Just kidding--they're all old enough that I don't mind taking them anymore, especially when I can just take one or two at a time.
Today I took Nathan. We were having a good time. He wanted to spend some time with me doing a "project". I didn't have much time for a project as we were out of bread, milk, eggs, cereal, ....well you get the idea. I taught piano until 3:00 and then made a list of what we would need for the next two weeks. And then when I got home remembered a few more things we need before school starts. Of course. Anyway. Halfway through our "project" he declares he tired, cold, hungry, didn't have a snack, his feet hurt, OH--can we buy THIS? You know what I'm talking about. But I was really having a good time anyway and enjoying the change in scenery.
At one point in the produce section, I noticed a woman staring intently at Nathan as we were walking past. I thought it was really disconcerting--enough that I had the following 5 second conversation with myself. "Do I know her? What's she looking at? Is she looking at me? Does she recognize him from somewhere? Maybe I should ask her what's so interesting about my 6 year old son. Seriously? She's still looking? Oh well. We are almost done and I'm feeling good enough to forget about....NATHAN" That's the conversation I had in my head--here's what I said out loud: "Get your finger out of your nose!" Seriously. He had it waaaay up there! He said to me: "But there's something stuck up there Mom!" I said, "I don't care--wait until you have a Kleenex or something!" And then I imagined the 5 adults in earshot of our cart wondering what produce we had been shopping for and vowing to wash EVERYTHING as soon as they got home!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
One more thing to Remember...
The safety instructions for my new hair dryer said "Never operate while sleeping"
More Pictures!!!!
It's Eva! Again. I am putting more pictures up. Yesterday Mom, Ethan, and I cleaned out the spice cupboard, the knife/utensil drawer and the Silverware drawer. Here are 3 more pictures. Every time my Mom looks at one of the places we cleaned she goes "Look at my spice cupboard, It's so clean!!!!!". Hope you like it!! One more thing. We also fixed the potholder drawer, but I forgot to take a picture.
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| The Silverware drawer |
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| The Knife Drawer |
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| The Spice Cupboard |
Friday, August 13, 2010
Pictures!!!
This is Eva!!! I am putting the pictures on!! I tried to zoom out, but the room was so small I couldn't back up very far!! My Mom told me to choose two or three. I would like to put more on, but unfortunetly, this isn't my blog. So, here they are!!!
"I Know What We're Going to DO Today!"
Do you ever wake up in the morning with a plan? I do. I generally wake up each morning with a very good idea of exactly what I'm supposed to do. And then I spend most of the day doing anything BUT the plan. Just kidding--it's not really that bad. This summer has been a little unique because every day I have been following plans dictated by the needs/desires of family members, church callings, etc. Until yesterday. When I woke up and declared to myself that I was going to organize the armpit of the house: our "laundry/pantry/medicine closet/cleaning supply/recycling/trash/small appliance storage/craft/garage overflow" room. It's the teeny tiny room adjacent to the kitchen and it's been our "catch-all" for years.
I felt like Phineas and Ferb yesterday when I made the announcement to the kids--and they were excited. Eva even volunteered to help all day and make it a personal progress goal.
It took us all day but we eliminated garage overflow and craft stuff from the room entirely. We installed something in the garage to hang brooms, dust pans, dusters, and fly swatters (much to Vince's chagrin, as he is not thrilled to open the garage door and reach 6" to grab the fly swatter). We installed something on the wall to store plastic garbage sacks. We rehung the ironing board and iron. We put ALL the bulk food items and mixes (chocolate milk, pancake mix, muffin mix, bisquick, cornmeal, oatmeal, etc.) in plastic canisters. We got some stacking wire baskets for fruit and potatoes and onions. We got some hanging shelf baskets and stacking shelves to help organize the bread, canned goods, medicine and laundry stuff. We got a bin for the newspapers and hauled old papers out for a fresh start. We got a second garbage can and blue sacks so we can now recycle. Eva printed nice pages to help us learn what goes in which can for the next several weeks. She also printed matching labels for all the bulk food and mixes. We have a box for lunch bags and water bottles.
It's a different room! Eva is excited to post a picture so maybe she'll get to do it today.
And I know what I'm going to do TODAY! I get to finish laundry and clean my kitchen cupboards! And yes, I'm excited--I generally get to do this at least twice a year but it's been well over a year this time because we've been too busy with other things.
I felt like Phineas and Ferb yesterday when I made the announcement to the kids--and they were excited. Eva even volunteered to help all day and make it a personal progress goal.
It took us all day but we eliminated garage overflow and craft stuff from the room entirely. We installed something in the garage to hang brooms, dust pans, dusters, and fly swatters (much to Vince's chagrin, as he is not thrilled to open the garage door and reach 6" to grab the fly swatter). We installed something on the wall to store plastic garbage sacks. We rehung the ironing board and iron. We put ALL the bulk food items and mixes (chocolate milk, pancake mix, muffin mix, bisquick, cornmeal, oatmeal, etc.) in plastic canisters. We got some stacking wire baskets for fruit and potatoes and onions. We got some hanging shelf baskets and stacking shelves to help organize the bread, canned goods, medicine and laundry stuff. We got a bin for the newspapers and hauled old papers out for a fresh start. We got a second garbage can and blue sacks so we can now recycle. Eva printed nice pages to help us learn what goes in which can for the next several weeks. She also printed matching labels for all the bulk food and mixes. We have a box for lunch bags and water bottles.
It's a different room! Eva is excited to post a picture so maybe she'll get to do it today.
And I know what I'm going to do TODAY! I get to finish laundry and clean my kitchen cupboards! And yes, I'm excited--I generally get to do this at least twice a year but it's been well over a year this time because we've been too busy with other things.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Murphy--Episode 1
This morning Ethan yelled at Eva through the front bathroom door: "GET OUT! Other people have to use the bathroom too!!"
I thought it was funny. NOT because Eva is almost a real teenager and spends a lot of time in there because she is and she does. NOT because this week seems to be one of those weeks when kids will pick on people just because they can; although they are--and it's only Tuesday. NOT because people are always racing to the bathroom even though they generally are because most of the kidlets that live at our house suffer from "Don't Want to Miss Anything" and wait until the last minute.
No, the real reason I was chuckling at Ethan yelling through the bathroom door is because there was another EMPTY bathroom in the house. And the funny thing about that is that the EMPTY bathroom is MY bathroom and the kids are ALWAYS using my bathroom (I've been trying to break the habit--unsuccessfully) EXCEPT when another kid is in THEIR bathroom at which time their first choice is their bathroom. Even/especially when they have to run through the house and past my bathroom to get there...
Murphy's law.....was Murphy a kid?
I thought it was funny. NOT because Eva is almost a real teenager and spends a lot of time in there because she is and she does. NOT because this week seems to be one of those weeks when kids will pick on people just because they can; although they are--and it's only Tuesday. NOT because people are always racing to the bathroom even though they generally are because most of the kidlets that live at our house suffer from "Don't Want to Miss Anything" and wait until the last minute.
No, the real reason I was chuckling at Ethan yelling through the bathroom door is because there was another EMPTY bathroom in the house. And the funny thing about that is that the EMPTY bathroom is MY bathroom and the kids are ALWAYS using my bathroom (I've been trying to break the habit--unsuccessfully) EXCEPT when another kid is in THEIR bathroom at which time their first choice is their bathroom. Even/especially when they have to run through the house and past my bathroom to get there...
Murphy's law.....was Murphy a kid?
Monday, July 5, 2010
Helter Skelter Summer
I have been a lazy blogger!! This summer has been crazy busy for me! I generally like to do many things with the kids but stay in town. This summer has been very different. I teach piano from 8-5:30 on Monday and from 8:15-11 on Tuesday. Ivy goes to piano Monday, Ethan to piano Tuesday, Eva to violin Wednesday, Eva to piano Thursday, Ethan to guitar Thursday, and Nathan (and family) to swimming on Thursday night. Add to Tuesday night achievement days, scouts, and youth night. On Wednesday and Friday I take Nathan into Salt Lake for speech--which has been very productive!! For three weeks in June Ethan and Ivy had math camp four days a week and Ethan, Ivy, and Nathan have a reading program they check in with every Monday morning. In addition to that in June: Eva spent a week at Suzuki camp (at Aunt Kerstin's house where she had a blast), Eva and Ethan spent a week in Oregon with Grandma and Grandpa (they had a blast there, too--they were spoiled), we got to keep little cousins Maddie and Gracie for a week (which was SO FUN!! and Grandma Linda got to come that week too), Mom and Dad had a night away at Aunt Kerstin's family cabin (she took our kids for the day--I think she's a saint/we mostly slept)... A few months ago Vince and I auditioned for and joined a community choir--it's something we get to do together on Saturday nights. I like it more than I thought I would. Vince really wanted to join and I was not going to stay home with the kids while he stepped out another evening. It's nice to have something we share together--we don't get many opportunities like that. He's been a bit busy managing many details for a Scout Jamboral to be held out here in August--15,000 to 20,000 scouts are expected to attend. Anyway, the choir has been fun and we had our last performance last week.
I have also been keeping busy with my church callings: teaching Relief Society, visiting teaching 5 sisters, and all the indexing stuff. I have a new calling for the next two years also--girls camp. I have to really get busy on camp stuff because we leave July 26th. We are still looking forward to Aunt Amy and kids visiting for a week in July, a trip in Oregon in August, a party with cousin K in Orem, babysitting the violin teacher's students on Wednesday, a church swim party, and keeping cousins Dallin and Sariah for a couple of days (we're trading since we both have 15 year anniversaries this year!) Eva just said, "You make it sound so busy...it's not that bad..."
So those are most of my excuses for not blogging--part of me feels like I have lost touch with reality. Or is it that I am IN touch with reality--that's probably it although I wish reality entailed me reading and playing/picnicing at the park with the kids like we used to... Eva and Ethan just said, "Yeah, and why don't we play tennis anymore? We don't go on picnics! Just because YOU'RE too busy and don't have time!" As if it's my stuff that plugging the whole schedule. Of course it hasn't been all work and no play--I did take kids to the children's museum, the train museum, and library craft day. Although I'm not planning on any more stuff like that.
This last Saturday Ivy and Nathan went to the parade with Aunt L and Uncle J because Vince and I ran a 5K with Eva and Ethan. Well, we started together....kind of. Vince started at the front because he runs fast and Ethan found a friend to start with. Eva and I started together but she complained of a side ache in the FIRST block so I told her I would see her at the end. Vince placed 8th overall and 2nd in his age group. Eva placed 3rd in her age group. Ethan was 9th. I was...I'm not sure but not in the top ten. We are not sure of our times because the race organizers lost power in the middle of the race and screwed up everyone's times but we're pretty sure that Vince ran it in 18:20 and Ethan in 23-24 minutes, me in 24-25 minutes and we have no idea about Eva but she came in a minute or two after I did. I'm excited because the worst case scenario time for me would be 25:30 and that is two full minutes faster than the last 5K I ran...three years ago. Some funny things about the race:
--Vince woke the kids up and encouraged them to get ready that morning--I don't remember him doing that before for anything else. Ever. He generally gets up with just enough time to get himself ready. After the race he talked to EVERYONE we knew along the parade route on the way to meet up with Ivy and Nathan. He was clearly very proud!
--Ethan insisted in running the race in jeans...he still claims he was not the only runner in jeans. He was.
--Eva wore a cute headband and matching earrings to run in. I still think that's funny.
--Ethan and Eva did not train for the race AT ALL and had a lot of trouble moving around yesterday--Vince and I were a little sore but it felt good to me to see the kids suffering a bit...it made me feel not as old.
--After Vince finished the race and got a drink he ran back to finish the race with each of us. After finishing with Ethan he came to me and I was walking that part...he tried to get me to sprint but I told him No way and to leave me alone. I had decided I just wanted to beat Eva (I had checked and couldn't see her at all so felt pretty safe). He gave up on me and ran back with Eva, who was complimented by strangers by her finish sprint. A few minutes after I finished I saw a friend coming and encouraged her to sprint the last 50 yards--she thought it was a little funny that I made her do it after I basically told Vince to get lost. My problem was I ran the first 2 miles WAY faster than usual for me!
Eva has already found 2 more 5K's in Tooele this summer--they want to run again and have coerced Vince to take them running today for "fun". I have a demented family...
I have also been keeping busy with my church callings: teaching Relief Society, visiting teaching 5 sisters, and all the indexing stuff. I have a new calling for the next two years also--girls camp. I have to really get busy on camp stuff because we leave July 26th. We are still looking forward to Aunt Amy and kids visiting for a week in July, a trip in Oregon in August, a party with cousin K in Orem, babysitting the violin teacher's students on Wednesday, a church swim party, and keeping cousins Dallin and Sariah for a couple of days (we're trading since we both have 15 year anniversaries this year!) Eva just said, "You make it sound so busy...it's not that bad..."
So those are most of my excuses for not blogging--part of me feels like I have lost touch with reality. Or is it that I am IN touch with reality--that's probably it although I wish reality entailed me reading and playing/picnicing at the park with the kids like we used to... Eva and Ethan just said, "Yeah, and why don't we play tennis anymore? We don't go on picnics! Just because YOU'RE too busy and don't have time!" As if it's my stuff that plugging the whole schedule. Of course it hasn't been all work and no play--I did take kids to the children's museum, the train museum, and library craft day. Although I'm not planning on any more stuff like that.
This last Saturday Ivy and Nathan went to the parade with Aunt L and Uncle J because Vince and I ran a 5K with Eva and Ethan. Well, we started together....kind of. Vince started at the front because he runs fast and Ethan found a friend to start with. Eva and I started together but she complained of a side ache in the FIRST block so I told her I would see her at the end. Vince placed 8th overall and 2nd in his age group. Eva placed 3rd in her age group. Ethan was 9th. I was...I'm not sure but not in the top ten. We are not sure of our times because the race organizers lost power in the middle of the race and screwed up everyone's times but we're pretty sure that Vince ran it in 18:20 and Ethan in 23-24 minutes, me in 24-25 minutes and we have no idea about Eva but she came in a minute or two after I did. I'm excited because the worst case scenario time for me would be 25:30 and that is two full minutes faster than the last 5K I ran...three years ago. Some funny things about the race:
--Vince woke the kids up and encouraged them to get ready that morning--I don't remember him doing that before for anything else. Ever. He generally gets up with just enough time to get himself ready. After the race he talked to EVERYONE we knew along the parade route on the way to meet up with Ivy and Nathan. He was clearly very proud!
--Ethan insisted in running the race in jeans...he still claims he was not the only runner in jeans. He was.
--Eva wore a cute headband and matching earrings to run in. I still think that's funny.
--Ethan and Eva did not train for the race AT ALL and had a lot of trouble moving around yesterday--Vince and I were a little sore but it felt good to me to see the kids suffering a bit...it made me feel not as old.
--After Vince finished the race and got a drink he ran back to finish the race with each of us. After finishing with Ethan he came to me and I was walking that part...he tried to get me to sprint but I told him No way and to leave me alone. I had decided I just wanted to beat Eva (I had checked and couldn't see her at all so felt pretty safe). He gave up on me and ran back with Eva, who was complimented by strangers by her finish sprint. A few minutes after I finished I saw a friend coming and encouraged her to sprint the last 50 yards--she thought it was a little funny that I made her do it after I basically told Vince to get lost. My problem was I ran the first 2 miles WAY faster than usual for me!
Eva has already found 2 more 5K's in Tooele this summer--they want to run again and have coerced Vince to take them running today for "fun". I have a demented family...
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