What we are doing this weekend

One of the gifts for Sweet-boy was a slip and slide. It is barely past snowing weather and he is all about when we can use it.

So we decided that if they wanted to, we would give it a try. After the lawn had been mowed, which was like cutting hay, we laid out the slide. Then as per rumor, we covered it with dish soap for extra slip.

Not only did we get the kids wet and happy, but they were all clean and soaped up for the day. I love a two for one.

First Grade Follies

Today was the First Grade Field trip and I was begged to attend by my Sweet-boy. How could I pass up all the fun on the farm.

Our first stop was to watch poor little sheep get all their wool cut off. I never heard so much baying by the poor animals. Here is a kid getting mauled by alot of kids.

The baby cows were our favorite, look how cute.

Then it was off to see the Fire Station and all the new trucks and toys, er I mean tools. This was definitely the highlight of the day.

That is one tired little guy, we went everywhere and had a great time doing it, the best part was coming home early with mom and going for ice cream.

Now that is my kind of a field trip.

Belated Birthday Fun

So Sweet-boy had a birthday and he was so excited to open presents. Being a nice mom, I let him open two before we had breakfast. He opened a legos one, which of course was a huge hit! Then came time to open DQ's present to him.
She wrapped it a little too good, much effort into opening this one.

I was so proud of her, she has knitted a scarf all by herself for him, and here it is. He loved it of course!

Now in our house it is not a birthday without the cake being on fire, and I mean it too, we have always placed a sparkler in the cake along with all the candles. Makes for fun in trying to blow those candles out.

Happy Birthday, to my best boy!

Just when you thought it was all over......

See Queenie, See Queenie Study, Study Queenie Study!

***

See Queenie, See Queenie pull her hair out, Pull Queenie Pull!

***

See Queenie, See Queenie wait to take her State Exams, Wait Queenie Wait!

***

See Queenie, See Queenie wiggin out, Wig Queenie Wig!

We are close to being done, now the either you know it or not moment is coming. Keep the faith, I am gonna need it.

Happy Birthday Sweet-Boy!!!

Seven years ago my life changed again.

It was not an easy change to deal with....let me tell you why.

When the man and I got married I wanted nothing more then to have children with this man that I love so intently, but things just did not happen as we planned and when three years later and countless procedures and infertility testing resulted in nothing we sadly began the paperwork for adoption.

I was heart-broken.

Then one day a neighbor had a dream that I was holding a little baby, she knew that we were working towards adoption so I took it to mean that things would progress quickly for a birth mother, but she stated that it was my child, that I was pregnant and would soon have a child of my own. I took it as nothing, how could I get my hopes up over a dream.......two weeks later we found out that I was expecting and I never doubted her "dreams" again.

When we had Drama Queen my doctor told me that this was my life, I would probably never have another child (her pregnancy had been riddled with problems, total bed-rest after 20 weeks) and to just accept this as my life. So I did, I had a beautiful, perfect little girl and went on with my life knowing that she was going to be the only one.

Four years later I kept throwing up, I felt sluggish, awful and really sick of the flu that never seemed to go away. Food started to taste like dirt and I was so tired all the time. I had stopped worrying about my very irregular periods years ago, so to say that I was or could be pregnant was not even a thought. I had a trip planned to Utah and so I called my OB/GYN to schedule a check-up. He looked me over and asked if there was a chance I could, well of course there could but YOU said that was never going to happen again.....? One dip stick later and it was confirmed that we would be meeting a new member of our family, but when? With no idea when this all happened we had no idea how far along I was. So in I go for an ultrasound and I was 3 almost 4 months along.....what? I had not noticed that I was that far along - but when you are told that this will never happen again, you ignore the fatigue, the movement, the possibility that another miracle could have happened. I had mixed emotions, was I happy, was I ready for another child, could I handle this, how would this change our lives? So began the preparation for another child.

On April 10th at 7:39am (gotta love scheduled c-setions) we met our son and I fell in love all over again. He will be seven years old and I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. He has been my little buddy, always happiest by my side. When he went to school I missed him terribly and I still do. He gives me love all the time and there truly is a special place in a mothers heart for her son and I cannot imagine not having his special spirit in our family to make us complete - besides he is just so stinking CUTE!

Happy Birthday Sweet-boy!!!!

Another Spring Break Adventure

We were off again for another great adventure, but this time we had great guests with us - Grandma and Grandpa. Everything is better with them along!! Our destination was Thanksgiving Pointe for some Dinosaur Adventures. They have a great museum there with lots of hands on fun for the kids and for the bigger kids too.We were so impressed with all the fossils and where they were located - this is a fossil of a shore and all the water ripples - fun to run your hands across it.
Grandma deciding what color the dinosaurs should be, I think the purple with pink dots was the favorite for everyone.

They had a big erosion center which is basically a series of snake like bowls, filled with sand, water, trees and dinosaurs that the kids can play in. They move the sand, change the waters path and move the animals around. Sweet-boy was there for over an hour working to move the water around. It was really cool and great place for messy fun.

Another reason I do not like swimming in the ocean, there are big things in there.......

Sacrificing the kids to Jaws - what a fun Grandpa.

After, we went and had lunch and then Sweet-boy got to go and have a sleep-over with G & G for his birthday. It has been a really great week so far, I am having time with me kids and remembering how much fun it is to just wear the mom hat and be with them.

Our April Fools Day excitement

April Fools day bloomed cold and uneventful, little did we know that it would not take long to change into something no one could have planned for.

About 11:30am I was still in my pj's reading and finishing up my final question review when the helicopters arrived. I thought that it was Hill Air Force Base doing test flights but we get more rumbling from F-16's buzzing the house then we do from choppers. So of course I go out into the back yard to investigate. Why they are camped out over my house? It is not the military but our local news channel helicopters - Chopper 5 and Channel 2's helicopters circling our quiet neighborhood. That was when I looked up the street and saw the mighty presence of law enforcement camped out in our neighborhood. Many of which stationed in front of our house. What the........?

Of course there is nothing on the news, nothing to report and the reverse 911 missed our number so I was in the dark about what was happening. Thank goodness for a caring VT that called to tell me that we were on lock-down along with the school. Some bad guys had ended a chase in our neighborhood and they were still looking for them. GREAT!!!! So I went around and fortified the doors and checked to make sure that everything was locked up tight. Then I realized that if they had us evacuate I was still in my pj's and that might be a problem.

All afternoon, I kept checking the news, watching the police walking the streets with their guns drawn, it was unnerving to say the least. As time passed on I knew that we were going to have a problem. The School was on lock-down, I had to go to class and I was having a hard time getting a hold of the man. What were the kids going to do? I knew that they were completely safe, two weeks earlier they had a drill lock-down - how ironic that they were going to use it so soon. I called the school and got nothing, called again and still no answer, what to do with the kids. So I went to the school and with my poster in hand that told them I needed my kids, I was cautiously allowed into the school by a big burly gun toting district man. He scared me to death, but was not real keen on becoming a babysitter for my kids, nor letting them go home to an empty house while all this was going on. I was allowed into the office and staff went to retrieve my kids. I had to show ID to everyone (even though they all know me and my kids - I am still not sure that is a good thing) and with my kids in hand we got a police escort to our car. The kids were a little uncertain about what was happening and asked if a bad man was waiting to get them in the school or at our home and so we had great talks about the things that had happened that day. I am sad that we had to discuss this but also glad that I got to answer their questions and help reassure them of ways to be safe in an uncertain world. They were in the safest place to be and the school handled things in such a great manner I never once was worried about their safety. I was also so impressed with how the many and I mean many police agency's worked to make our neighborhood safe again. I was also impressed with how much time Chopper 5 dedicated to helping search for the last bad guy.

In the end all bad guys were found and went to jail, for what I hope will be a long time. We still live in a really safe neighborhood and I am glad for all the people that worked so hard in calling to make sure that many in our neighborhood were safe and also kept updated as to what was happening. Things could not have been better.

If you want to read more click here for the story.

Weekly Update and Spring Break Begins

Well it is over and I am very proud to say that I passed my CNA Final. I earned a 97% on the test, not bad for such an old lady with a crazy life. I still have one last clinical and two state level tests ahead of me, but I have more confidence that I can do it. I also have two weeks to wait for that to be scheduled so I have more time to study like a mad woman.

***************

Today we had our first adventure of the week. We are not going to be spending much time at home waiting for the sun to come out, we are going to have our own fun. Today was the Living Planet Aquarium. A great place to go and really get into Ocean Life.

Drama Queen playing with the sting ray's. If she could have gotten in there with them I am sure that she would have. She got all wet and had a great time, no fear.

Sweet-boy was not so excited to touch the slime-y, moving things. This from the boy that plays with snakes? Go figure. So he tried to catch the fish that kept swimming by......

He could hear the ocean....

We followed this with a great lunch at Johnny Carino's, a family favorite.

Stay tuned for more Spring Break fun, oh and after snowing most of the weekend, the sun has finally returned. Yahoo..........

I got nothing

It is the end, I am studying for my class final like a mad woman.

My house is falling apart, the kids teachers have my number on speed dial.

The spring sun has gone away and snow is falling.

This is a dark moment in my life!

Be grateful for your crazy life cause mine

is completely STRESSED OUT!!!!

(See the cat to the right - that is me - hiss, hiss)

I Love This Doctor

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable).. And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!


Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride"
AND......
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wineand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Spring Utah Style

Last fall the kids and I planted about 350 bulbs in the ground. There is always that fleeting thought that they got planted up-side-down, but here is proof that we got it right; young weather changing blooms.Sweet-boy so excited to see the Daffodils, finally.
But then we turn around and see this coming our direction. Could all that wonderful sun of yesterday, the kind that tickled our noses and left a slight trace of spring pink to it, could that have all been just a joke?

Yes indeedy it was, winter is not ready to let go. This is the delight that awaited me as I opened my blinds this morning. Poor little guys are not liking that snow on their butter-cups.

We were just jumping on you, snow free and ice chunks melted. Blasteded 6 more weeks of winter, in Utah terminology that means that it could go on till June.

So for today I will put away my capris' and get out the warm coat again and keep dreaming of warmth, the kind that is not fleeting.

Happy Spring!

This is good for a laugh and some are the new proverb

A First Grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by First Grade students. Their insight may surprise you. Keep in mind that these are 6-year-olds, because the last one is, well a classic!

1. Don't change horses until they stop running.
2. Strike while the bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but How?
6. Don't bite the hand that looks dirty.
7. No news is impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new Math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust Me.
12. The pen is mightier than the pigs.
13. An idle mind is the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's pollution.
15. Happy the bride who gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is not much.
17. Two's company, three's the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and You have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind get out of the way.
25. A bird in the hand is going to poop on you.
And the WINNER and last one!
26. Better late than Pregnant.

Have a great spring weekend everyone, school starts up again for me on Monday so I will be MIA again, but wish me luck I am on Week #4 and will be more than half-way done. My goal is to finish early before the seven week period comes so keep your fingers crossed.

March Madness

I have never really thought much about the phrase "March Madness" till this particular March of my life.

I am deep into a class that although started out kinda hokey, is turning out to be a great mind bender. Finally all those years of working at LDS Hospital are paying off. Processes that I heard about, policies that we were tested on yearly, verbage that I have not used for eons is coming back to my consciousness and I am ace-ing the tests. It is like that gift of work experience is finally paying off and my box of knowledge that was buried deep in my mind is open and alive and enjoying being in the light again.....

But I am also seeing the cost that this experience is having on my family.

Dad just is not Mom.

Am I surprised about this realization?

No.

I have attended BYU Women's Conference the last three years and come home to, well, less than desirable conditions. I know that my expectations are not the same as my husbands and my schedule is not the same, but still it is tough.

Friday was a no school day for me and I used the time to play with my kids. I missed them, I had not realized how much I enjoy being with them, bringing the craft box down and watching their creative juices flow, sitting with DQ and doing Pre-Algebra, jumping on the trampoline and trying not to break my neck. I miss that sense of time belonging to me and I wonder am I pushing life along too fast at the cost of what really matters most?

Do not get me wrong, I am really glad that I am doing this class. Come April I will have a degree that will allow me to be more marketable and also step right into a Nursing program if I so choose, but I am also wondering if the time is right?

But when is the right time?

I have always felt that my job in bringing children into this world was to be there to raise them. I know that not every situation allows for that to happen, however I do owe it to my kids to be there when they need me.

*****

Flashback to high school.

I was voted the person most likely to never get married and never have children. I was going to conquer the world, be a CEO and have all the things that money could buy and forget all about men, they are the devil. As we all know that did not happen and when my daughter arrived on the scene all that changed. She became the center of my world, everything I did was for her and still is. One time I got a part-time job and had to go to all day orientation. So I left her with a daycare center and went off to orientation. When I came to pick her up she was still in her diaper of 9 hours ago and was still in her car seat. Had they not taken her out and played with her? The worst was that she would not look at me, she was so mad at me for doing that to her. She was only 8 months old too - she knew what I was doing and she was having no part of it. Needless to say that I quit the job and we suffered financially for a while longer so that I could stay at home. But I saw how important it was to be there, no one was going to do it better than me.

Fast forward to 2009.

People are loosing their jobs, homes are in foreclosure, life is scary and uncertain, no one is immune to financial disaster. Do I still feel that my certification is a good idea - you bet. But do I really want to use it by getting a job, not especially. I have a job, one that I chose almost twelve years ago and it is not going to end anytime soon. It is a job that no test could have told me I was naturally predisposed to, but one that I have grown into and love. My job is being a Mom and no matter what, it is the job that I need to be there to complete.

Dinner Group

The Man and I have been really lucky to find incredible people where ever we have lived.

This group is one of our favorites - the Dinner Group. We get together during the even months with everyone taking their turn hosting the dinner, we eat great food and spend the night laughing till we are silly.

Well last month it was open and we decided to go out and inflict, I mean enjoy a meal that someone else cooked.Thanks you guys, without you all, things would really be boring!!

5th Grade Fun

Drama Queen came home with an assignment, make a simple circuit.

Huh?

I can help with the math but that is something that sounded like a good Daddy-Sissy project.

What I love about those two putting their minds together is that they come up with some really cool things.

So with a couple of trips to Home Depot and several switches, wires and light bulbs later they ended up with a working circuit. Now the fun really began. Drama Queen got out the Legos and began to form, something, but then it turned into a masterpiece.

A very proper Lego home for our little Lego man, complete with a mailbox and a tree in the yard.

Best part is that is lights up so cool in the dark.

Day of the showing all the 5th graders got to display their items. I went around to see what others had done and I still thought hers was the best. Definitely no favoritism here.

We have another great teacher this year and here she is. Thanks Mrs D for another fun event for the kids and the big kids too.

So am I any smarter?

I am back in school and one of my readers - yes Trooper Thorn I am talking about you, asked if I was any smarter yet?

Well, I may know more things then I did before and I have taken more tests than I care to again, but now it is time to put that knowledge into action. I have reached the clinical section and we are not even half-way done yet.

I think the most important thing is to look good no matter what you are doing.
Smarter, well maybe, I actually consider that I now know enough to really be dangerous, but bring on the long-term care facility.

Wordless Moments of February

Stupidest thing that happened to me all week

Normally stupid is considered a swear word in our home. I really despise that word, it is very belittling, but in some moments and certain situations there is just one word for things that happen in your life and this week STUPID is it!!!

All week long I have been smelling this awful, horrible, stinky, smell. It follows me where ever I go. I cleaned the house, took out the trash, put more Scentsy wax in my burners, and applied more perfume but, to no avail. It was always there, hanging in the air, that stench.

****

Now since the pregnancy of my son, I have a heightened sense of smell. I walk in a room and I can smell peoples feet, whether their trash is rank or even when the babies need to be changed before others. It is good but for me it has been a lingering curse. I am hyper-sensitive to smells and if something is too strong it makes me physically sick.

****

Fast forward to this week, I am beginning to get sick, the smell..... So last night while watching a movie I smell that smell, I lift up my shirt and look into an orfacice that I normally just ignore - my belly button. It is oozing with a foreign substance that looks like cottage cheese.

What the.......?

I grab Alcohol and fill up my belly-button reserve and scream with pain while it burns - that hurt!!! It hurt all night and made me even sicker to think that all that smell was coming from me.

*****

Morning dawns and I am off to see the doctor. Can I just tell you how embarrassing that was.

Dr: So what are we seeing you for today?

Q: (in a timid voice) I have something oozing from my belly-button.

Dr: What was that, I didn't hear you?

Q: I cannot even believe that I am here for this, it is so stupid. (long pause while Dr stares at me) I am oozing from my belly button.

Dr: Oh, (a look of relief on his face) well lets take a look.

It was people, but as he put it, not the grossest, nor most horrible thing he has seen today. Yeah, that made me feel so much better.

****

Fast forward to the Pharmacist who wishes me a speedy recovery as I pick up my script. I tell him that it is the dumbest thing in the world why I need these drugs. He drops what he is doing to hear the story. I am sure they were laughing long after I left - but he did tell me that it does happen, that it can lead to worse things and it is nothing to be ashamed of. He also told me it was a kids disease too - GREAT!! I really needed to hear that one too.

*****

So why do I share this with you, aside from giving everyone a good laugh through my horror, take a moment next time you are grooming to look at your belly-button and give it some much needed care or you too could be going to the doctor for this STUPID reason.

Why men are never allowed to take phone messages!

Do I need to say anymore?

Missing in action

See this person deep in academia, that soon will be me.

Yep! I am taking the plunge yet again.

This time it is an intensive 5 week course, where I will become certified as a Nursing Assistant. This is my short-term and low cost version of nursing school. I figure that when I am done I will either love it and want to finish my degree or hate it and have only wasted 5 weeks and a much lower amount of money, then I will know that another degree is something I need to pursue.

So if I am missing from action here, you will know where I am, deep in study to pass this course.

Wish me luck everyone this old lady is gonna need it!!!