What DO You Do In The Summertime??

First it was all cold and rainy and we didn't know what to do. So we went bowling. Me and the kids. They all kicked my butt. I haven't improved much since I was a girl of ten and on a bowling league with my siblings. What was that score I got on that one game back then? Oh yeah, a 5. Five! Do you know what the highest score in bowling is? That's right, 300. And bowling is supposed to be in my genes. Well, I didn't do quite as poorly this time. Got into the 70s in the second game. And the kids were using the bumpers. The bowling attendant wouldn't let me use the bumpers.

Then it was too HOT! Just a week later. We had to get out of the house. Hot and bored. Bad combination. So into the "big city" we drive. I have a new scheme in mind. I want to learn to play the guitar. I know! My secret calling in life is to play kick *@&* piano on stage while singing songs with thought provoking lyrics. Oh, wait. That's not my life. It's Ben Folds'. Anyway, I haven't given up on my secret, inevitable passion. But I've moved on to the guitar. I thought, since I'm going back to school with hopes of pursuing a degree in elementary ed. some day, that learning to play the guitar could be a fun asset. Do a little "This Land Is Your Land" and "Kumbaya" with the students. Yes, I realize it is not, in fact, 1978. I'll have to learn some new songs. So Zoe wanted to go look at guitars so we headed out to Target. Just window shopping. It turns out that Adam Levine of Maroon 5 has his own line of guitars over at Target, along with a lesson manual with a few of his band's hits to learn to play. Who knew? Mighty enticing, but we're not quite ready to commit just yet.

So from there it was off to PetSmart to browse the pets. We have no pets, as you may know. But it can't hurt to look, right? Stinkiest store I have ever been in. But, pets we did see. Fish, reptiles, vermin, etc., etc. I was tempted to get a simple little goldfish but no one helpful was around and we've already had one regrettable fish incident and didn't need another on our hands. So I needed to know what to do to keep this thing alive at least for a couple of weeks. We all thought the little hamster and white mice were cute, spinning around in their little wheels. But then you see about six of them crammed on one wheel, spinning and spinning and spinning. After a little bit you start thinking too much about those little spinning rodents and you start to get a little nauseous. I start softening though and thinking: Oh, a little pet. Wouldn't it be fun for the kids? But then I remember. Every animal poops. I don't need the extra excrement. I was softening a bit, though. Maybe someday I'll cave in and my poor children will get that furry critter they've been wanting. Maybe a lizard.

We finally left the pet store and made our way over to the shady Jordan River Parkway. The pond and playground were looking up this time around. They've implemented a "Do Not Feed The Ducks" policy (and sign). The place is no longer full of bird doo doo. Or crazy ducks and geese. Yeah, it was fun feeding the birds, but not worth the mess. So I was happy about the change. The kids played on the playground for a bit then we went for a walk down the parkway path. Very patriotic people live by the parkway in this area. There was nary a home without a flagpole and old glory waving. Very patriotic. We made it to the bridge and the wind was kicking up again and the rain was on its way, and Noah was tired of walking. So we made our way back to the car and returned home from our hot summer's day journey.

Reunion Week

So how did the twenty year reunion go, anyway? Well, let me tell you....it was kind of fun and kind of boring. There's not a ton to tell about the actual reunion. It was five hours of dinner and mingling. With a silly song performed by a couple classmates thrown in for good measure. The most notable thing was seeing a room full of people my age. Seriously, I live in a place surrounded by people who are a few years younger than me. Most of them are 5-10 years younger. A few are older. Very few are the same age as me. It's fine. Whatever. It's just a little surreal being in a room of around 200 people where nearly everyone there is 37 or 38 years old. It was sort of like, huh...so we're really not in our twenties anymore. Hmm.
The next day was lunch with some of the old girlfriends. That was fun. This wasn't anything new. We get together every year or two when we're all around. A couple of days later was the Murray/Jordan shindig/brawl/smackdown/et al. Back in high school some of my friends and I had a group of friends from Murray High School. The Murray Guys, as they were known. Yeah, I know, not that creative. How do I describe them? I don't know. They were just great guys and tons of fun. It was great to see how they were, see and hear about their families. Tell old stories. Stories like when we got into the fender bender on the way to pick everyone up for the homecoming dance after we talked Sor into driving (even though his parents were out of town and told him, "DO NOT DRIVE THE SUBURBAN.") And how Barn (Brian) and Sor (Bryan) would drive around with Skippy (Chris) in the trunk of their car. Goofy teenage stuff. But they were good, fun guys. The kind of guys you hope your daughters will have as friends when they are teenagers.

Then

Jason, Candie, Sor, Becky, Me, Dave

Now
Me, Becky, Barn (paper plate stand in), Steve,
Mindy, Candie, Sor

Twenty Years Ago

I cannot believe I have been out of high school for twenty years! I was thinking I don't feel that old but I think I'm changing that to "38 isn't old, darn it!" Tomorrow is the Jordan High School Class of 1989 20 year reunion. I wanted to go, then I didn't. I'd seen all these people on facebook so I didn't think I really needed to see them in person since I'd seen their pictures, and kids' pictures, employment status, etc. But my good friend Becky, who I've kept in touch with all these years, talked me into going. So now that it's here (almost), I'm kind of excited. Don't have super high expectations. Don't have to settle any old issues or find "closure" with anyone. So we'll just be hanging out in the back corner, making fun of people. Okay, not really (not much anyway). I did hear of a fun game Brent and I can play if we get bored. It's called "Who Won". The way you play is you look at a couple and decide who got the best deal, or is the winner, in the pairing. I hear it's great to play while standing in lines at Disneyland.

You were wondering what I looked like twenty years ago, right?

Summertime....It's Time

School is officially out! Yesterday was the last day for Isabella and Zoe, Noah finished last week. I'll spare you the harrowing, psychological drama that is swirling through my head over having all three of my kids in school full time next year and how it's the end of a significant part of raising our family. A milestone moment, if you will....met with all sorts of mixed feelings!!!!

Zoe is starting off the summer sick, poor girl. Monday we will start our "summer school" books. Those are just workbooks we do on our own to make sure the kids brains don't turn to mush. Just a page a day and reading too, of course. I've got a million organizing projects to get done this summer. You know when you move into a house, like seven and a half years ago, and you stick stuff in cabinets and closets and never see it again? I've got lots of that to deal with. Plus the rest of the junk that has been crammed in front of it all. I'm not an organized person. Correction, I am surface organized. You know, everything you can see out in the open looks nice and neat (I actually consider it a compliment that I've been called a Stepford Wife before), but if you open a drawer or closet door it's complete and utter chaos. So we'll be working on alleviating this problem, at least until the next seven and a half years rolls around. I'll be cracking the whip at the children. Most of it for a nominal fee though. Teach them the value of earning a buck.

Other events on the horizon (So you know I'm not just a mean old mom):
Swim lessons for Isabella and Noah
Summer School for Zoe (her idea)
Piano lessons for Isabella and Zoe (let's see if we can finally get this thing going)
and hopefully some fun adventures!

Catching Up

I have to catch up. I've only done two posts in May. I had my blog anniversary in April. Can't sit back and let this thing just die a slow death. Today was Noah's kindergarten graduation. Sort of anyway. It was more like a sing along since there wasn't really anything graduation-ish about it. I think they should have taught them all to hum Pomp and Circumstance. That would have been fun. The other day I was reading this book to Noah. Actually, singing it. It has these silly songs set to the tunes of other songs like "I'm Still here In The Bathtub" instead of "Take Me Out To The Ball Game". He was enjoying my singing, of course. Who wouldn't enjoy me belting out "He's Got The Whole Beach In His Pants" (world in his hands) with my untrained voice? I was doing a song to the tune of "The Wheels on The Bus" and he gets this look of recognition on his face and a big grin and yells out, "All through the town!" It was like the most exciting revelation anyone has ever discovered. It was very cute. Then he got his joke book and laughed hysterically at jokes he probably wouldn't even get ten years from now. I mean, come on. This book was published in 2003 and it had a joke with a reference to the actor Don Johnson. Huh?!?
I've been trying to get registered for school in the fall. It looks like I will be taking "Math For Losers" and "Computers For Idiots". I decided to start at square one in the math since I haven't taken a math class in over twelve years. I didn't even bother testing into it or a higher class. I figured brush up on the foundations again so I can do well. After all, I'm constantly googling Isabella's math to remind me how to do simple things like subtract fractions. So it's a little humiliating that the class is considered "remedial". And to make matters worse, pour a little salt in the wound....They charge an Extra Fee for the remedial classes! Oh the humiliation!

Happy Anniversary!

Fourteen years ago today we were sitting in Brent's red Nissan truck waiting, and waiting, and waiting, for the rain to stop. The family and friends had all abandoned us after a few quick pictures and a few wails from the freezing children. We sat there and waited for almost an hour, us in one car, the photographer in the other. Good thing we got married on Memorial Day weekend or he would have been busy and probably would have been out of there. Finally it stopped and we got our pictures. The pictures we wanted taken at Memory Grove, because it was pretty and no one else we knew had wedding pictures at Memory Grove. After, we went back to the new apartment we would share, just the two of us, and we proceeded to scrub the mud out of the bottom of my dress. Then I ran over to the bridal shop, which was all abuzz on a Saturday afternoon with prospective brides doing their prospective bride shopping and just about yelled through the noise, "I need new shoes now!" It was my wedding day right then. Not these girls who would be waiting for who knows how many more weeks or months (or days, this is Utah after all). I needed new shoes to replace those shoes that were sitting in my new apartment, covered in mud. So I got my shoes and I was off to get ready for the reception or open house or whatever we were calling it. Mostly it was just me and Brent and about 40 family and friends hanging out in his Dad's backyard. Eating and chatting while Brent and I took snapshots of all these people and then some of them took snapshots of us. Good Day.

Honeymooning at Sundance & in Park City

Coincidence? I Don't Know....

A couple of weeks ago I finally got around to removing my Barack Obama bumper sticker from the back of my car. (Someone had to represent the mini van drivers of America.)

It was time.

Since then I haven't noticed anyone tailgating me in big trucks driven by rednecks. Similarly, I haven't had anyone try to drive me off the road. Yes, it only happened that one time but after thinking it through thoroughly it was the only logical explanation of why someone would do that.

So is it a coincidence? We may never know for sure.

The Cable Guy

Earlier today Brent called me the homemaking version of the cable guy: "Oh, I'll get to it, be ready to leave, etc. sometime between 8 and 5...."
It's true. I hate being tied down to doing things at a certain time. I much prefer in a while or later or I don't know to the concrete. This could be a problem when I go back to school in the fall.* He has also noticed I can't stick to a recipe (or any directions for that matter) without tweaking it to suit my own taste. Well, I just have better ideas I guess. :)



*Yes, for those I've yet to tell, I've been accepted to Utah State and will be going back to school in the fall at the local extension! Here come the recurring nightmares of me flunking out of high school again because I'm too dumb. No, I didn't flunk out of high school. My dreams just immediately sink me down to the lowest common denominator.

Is Everyone Crazy?

Maybe it's just because church starts at one and I have too much time to kill on Sundays. I was standing there in my dress. A dress that is clearly past it's prime since I bought it right after Isabella was born. It's an ugly dress. A jumper. I used to love the jumpers but they have long ago gone the way of rolled up jeans and midriff baring tops. All of which are certain to come back in style any day now. Most likely the midriff baring tops will make their way back first since they are never gone for too long. Unfortunately. So I'm standing there in my ugly jumper thinking how my shirt looks ugly with my ugly jumper. I've always liked the fabric and the length of this jumper (very long). Many times I've thought it would make a nice skirt. So right then I take it off and cut the top off and Voila! Instant skirt. I suppose later I should hem it up at the top. But not today, I'm wearing my cut off dress with my long shirt and cami covering the cut part. I don't think anyone can tell, at least not unless they read this. I do realize I am the last person anyone should take fashion advice from. I've been told repeatedly over the last twenty years by my own sister, no less, that I have no style. I don't think I dress like a complete loser but I'll be the first to admit that since I gained twenty unnecessary pounds I hate buying clothes. So, I ask you, is this crazy?

A couple of months ago I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, looking at my sort of curly hair. Last summer I discovered I suddenly had curly hair. "Enough with the curly hair already!" as Brent would say. So I thought it was kind of cool at first so I decided to try to let it grow and see what would come of it. Well I was looking in the mirror thinking, "I hate that frizzy looking part at the bottom." It wasn't really growing into the beautiful crown of curls I had delusionally envisioned. So I took out the scissors and cut it myself right then. I had nothing but a four inch mirror to see the back of it. I know, this goes against the code of all that is sacred and true for a real woman. But then I don't paint my nails or wear high heels. I'd sometimes like to wear high heels, if for no other reason than to be six feet tall; but alas, they hurt my back too much. So I've always had a sort of "screw the code" attitude. In my defense, it was Friday afternoon so if I really botched it I'd still have Saturday morning to go fix it. It turned out to be one of the best haircuts I've ever had. I don't have much luck with professionals anyway. I've been to the expensive stylists and the super cheap stylists. The results are all pretty similar. Very few stylists have even an inkling of know how when it comes to cutting very, very, very, fine hair. And sadly, that is what I have.

Those are just two examples of things I do when no one is around to stop me. So I wonder, does everyone do crazy stuff like this when alone and left to their own devices? Or is it just me who is a little crazy? Either way it's okay. I'm of the belief that crazy begats creativity.

Anne

Isabella had to do a book report on a historical fictional character recently and dress up like the character for the report. She chose Anne of Green Gables and so she was Anne Shirley. I still wish we could have dyed her hair red!

Things That Are Stupid....and I'm an Idiot

We finally returned triumphantly from Arizona yesterday after driving for about a thousand hours. It turned out to be a good trip for the most part. We did some fun touristy stuff: went on paddle boats on Tempe Town Lake, visited the Desert Botanical Garden where we saw the Chihuly Glass (an exhibit from a famous glass artist named Dale Chihuly), toured the Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff. Remember we wanted to see Taliesin West? Well that was out because of the price and we didn't really have time anyway. We ran into this place in Flagstaff, we were staying there on our last night and needed something to do and it was on the map so we checked it out and it was a cool old mansion that a prominent Flagstaff family lived in, built around 1903 in the Arts and Crafts style of architecture. Something a little educational thrown in for good measure. Brent wanted to show us this natural bridge place he visited with his mom last fall but it was closed due to budget cuts. Darned recession! Oh and we also visited Montezuma Castle (old Native American ruins) and did the usual visit to the neighborhood lake which is great to walk around at night. That and family stuff, of course. The kids loved playing with the Arizona cousins.

The sucky part of the trip was seeing Chuck, my Stepdad. He is now about 74, thin as a rail, and in the early stages of Alzheimer's. My Stepdad has a good heart but he is also mean as the day is long. It's now like his spirit is broken. I was almost missing his embarrassing, demoralizing comments that he can make. He was so quiet and childlike. It's just STUPID that this has to happen to people often when they get older.

Of course it wouldn't be me if I didn't throw in some idiocy for good measure. Brent and I and the kids took Chuck out to lunch and he really wanted to go to the store and find a bike. He was in a car wreck a couple of weeks ago, he will likely lose his license as a result, so he really wanted a bike to get around. Made sense to me so we took him over to Walmart to look at the bikes. I didn't know if he'd be able to ride one but it couldn't hurt to see, I figured. Chuck used to be quite athletic, played lots of tennis, ran a few marathons. But now he's so thin and he hasn't exercised in some time so he couldn't ride the bike. He kept trying to talk us into going to another bike store but I didn't see the point unless he managed to strengthen his legs and recover some balance somehow. So he was naturally disappointed and I was trying to figure out how I could help him when I saw the scooters. You know how I love the scooters so I thought why not let him try one out. We went outside and he tried out Noah's, we had the kids' scooters in the van. He was doing fairly well so we went back in to check them out some more. He tried out one in the store and was doing pretty good but not so sure still so we told him we'd buy one and we could take it to the park for him to try out, if he didn't like it we'd just keep it ourselves since we had a scooter stolen recently. Well at the park he tried it for a few seconds and he fell. I felt terrible and was thinking, Great I broke his hip! He was all right but he and I both agreed it wasn't the ride for him. I was also thinking this reminded me of the time when Brent and I tried to buy Isabella a bike helmet when she was 4 months old (4 months old!) so we could put her in the newly purchased bike seat and take her on family bike rides. Another dumb idea. It shows the inexperienced should not be left alone with babies or senior citizens. So no bike or scooter for Chuck. I just really wanted to help him out if I could.
Another interesting thing was seeing hobo cats at the park. We were at Pioneer Park, across the street from the Mesa Temple, practicing the scooter. They have an old train in the middle of the park that has a metal barred fence around it. The train had a bunch of stray cats that looked like they'd lived there since they were kittens. Someone had stuck cut open bags of cat food under the fence for them so they had plenty of food. The kids thought it was highly interesting and I named them "Hobo Cats".