...if your cake had been better.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The 4 Year Old's New Normal
Were you worried that Beebs was going to be bored now that the brothers are back in school?
Let me put you at ease.
Her schedule has more mandatory meetings on it than mine does. I'm teaching her early that "being busy" equals "has value in this world." Jaykay. Although you might think so looking at what she's got going on these days. She doesn't know the order of the days of the week but she knows which day is what. For her it goes:
Church Day
School Day
Dance & School Day
Gymnastics & School Day
School Day
No School but the Brothers Are At School Day
Nobody goes to School Day!/JBird Football Day/TBone Soccer Game Day
That's how we talk about the days of the week and that's how you need to refer to those days in her presence, btw. Or she'll get confused.
School Days:
First day of PreK was on Tuesday of this week. It will be Monday-Thursday 12:30-3pm.
Quickly getting to work on mastering shapes. It was sort of an in-your-faces to the other kids.
I won't be here smiling & posing every school day. Just the first.
Her BFF will be though.
Dance & School Days:
Beebs has now moved up to Ballet/TapII which basically means she could go on SYTYCD if she were old enough. Perfect form is all I see here. This will be Tuesdays at 10am.
This pic makes me giggle.
RFTP shot here.
Ah...look who is here again! The BFF!
Gymnastics & School Days:
I can't get enough of her leotards. She shall wear them Wednesdays at 10am.
The BFF is in this class too but I don't have any shots of them together. I will remedy that soon enough.
Now seeing this 4yo's schedule all laid out like this I'm realizing it's ridiculous. I think I need to work on changing a couple of those days to "Nap Day" and "Sit Around & Watch Tom and Jerry Day."
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
"I Like You"
This is a common phrase said around our home.
I like you.
For whatever reason, it means more to us than the more customary I love yous.
Yes, we say "I love you" often enough, but it's the "I like yous" that really dominate. Everyone loves each other. We are family. Of course we love each other. I've given birth to some of us & married the other. Others of us are siblings.
Love is a given.
But like? Do we have to like each other simply because we are in the same family? Is like a given because we were married in the temple? I've seen plenty of people who don't particularly like their kids (or one of their kids perhaps). I've seen plenty of couples who, while they love each other in every sense of the word, don't particularly like each other.
Like is on a whole different level.
I'd even venture to say I love every single person in my ward... in a "wardly love" kind of way. But like? Now you're pushing it. Like implies you enjoy spending time with them. Like means you find them interesting. Like consists of enjoying their personality and wanting to talk to them regularly.
So, when I see TBone being kind to Beebs simply because he wants to, I'll look at him and say, "TBone, you're a good kid. I like you." And when I'm lecturing Gty on this & that and complaining about stupid little things he'll smile at me a little, rub my arm and say, "I like you." I usually roll my eyes & tell him to "stop patronizing me and just listen!" but secretly I like being liked. Who wouldn't?
I like you.
For whatever reason, it means more to us than the more customary I love yous.
Yes, we say "I love you" often enough, but it's the "I like yous" that really dominate. Everyone loves each other. We are family. Of course we love each other. I've given birth to some of us & married the other. Others of us are siblings.
Love is a given.
But like? Do we have to like each other simply because we are in the same family? Is like a given because we were married in the temple? I've seen plenty of people who don't particularly like their kids (or one of their kids perhaps). I've seen plenty of couples who, while they love each other in every sense of the word, don't particularly like each other.
Like is on a whole different level.
I'd even venture to say I love every single person in my ward... in a "wardly love" kind of way. But like? Now you're pushing it. Like implies you enjoy spending time with them. Like means you find them interesting. Like consists of enjoying their personality and wanting to talk to them regularly.
So, when I see TBone being kind to Beebs simply because he wants to, I'll look at him and say, "TBone, you're a good kid. I like you." And when I'm lecturing Gty on this & that and complaining about stupid little things he'll smile at me a little, rub my arm and say, "I like you." I usually roll my eyes & tell him to "stop patronizing me and just listen!" but secretly I like being liked. Who wouldn't?
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Star Witness
Occasionally, when I'm out in a public place, I get this feeling I should start taking extra notes as to my surroundings in case something suddenly "goes down" and I am needed to testify in a court case later. I start making mental notes of makes and models of the cars in the area. Perhaps I even try to memorize at least one license plate or a "partial plate," as I've heard it referenced on cop shows. I size up passersby according to height, weight, and other distinguishing features. I also take note of the time of day (as to-the-minute as possible).
I then picture myself on the witness stand several months down the line testifying in great detail of the things I saw at that moment of [insert heinous crime here]. "Yes, and in the northwest parking lot of the Littleton Target, there was a pearl toned Suzuki XL7. It was all alone except for the 5'10" man walking toward it with ash blond hair and a slight limp. It was approximately 2:57pm on Thursday, August 26th 2010."
My amazing attention to detail, of course, places the accused at the scene of the crime at the exact moment he needed to be placed there in order to secure a conviction (Prosecutor: Do you know who it was you saw in that parking lot that day? Me: Yes....yes, I do. It was him ::pointing at ash blond man in defendant's chair::). As a matter of fact, without me, he would have walked out of that courtroom a free man. [applause]
I wish I were kidding about all of this, but, sadly, I am not.
I then picture myself on the witness stand several months down the line testifying in great detail of the things I saw at that moment of [insert heinous crime here]. "Yes, and in the northwest parking lot of the Littleton Target, there was a pearl toned Suzuki XL7. It was all alone except for the 5'10" man walking toward it with ash blond hair and a slight limp. It was approximately 2:57pm on Thursday, August 26th 2010."
My amazing attention to detail, of course, places the accused at the scene of the crime at the exact moment he needed to be placed there in order to secure a conviction (Prosecutor: Do you know who it was you saw in that parking lot that day? Me: Yes....yes, I do. It was him ::pointing at ash blond man in defendant's chair::). As a matter of fact, without me, he would have walked out of that courtroom a free man. [applause]
I wish I were kidding about all of this, but, sadly, I am not.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
The Evolution of a Saturday
I remember growing up, Saturdays meant two things....chores and playing. Chores always coming first, of course.
Then, as a college student, Saturdays could be anything from a study day to watching movies all day with roommates to prepping for a dance that night.
As a newly wed, Saturdays were "Clean The Apartment" day. I remember I could clean our apartment top-to-bottom, with a lot of attention to detail, in two hours flat. I loved the feeling of sitting in a completely clean home. And, with no kids, it would stay that way well into the next week.
When motherhood came along and we had toddlers and babies, Saturdays were a family day where we usually stayed home and played with the kids and maybe ventured out in the evening to a kid-friendly restaurant, bed by 8:00pm.
Now that those kids have grown up considerably, Saturdays are spent watching them in their various activities-- and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love Saturdays at this point in our lives. I hear some people complain that their "entire Saturday is spent watching this sport and then running another kid to another venue for yet another game, blah blah blah..." I want to ask them what else they could possibly be wanting to do? What's better than watching your child perform in something he or she has been working hard at in practice? This is 80% the reason why I even had kids fhs.
This brings me to today.
Jbird's first football game of the season a.k.a. Heaven on Earth for this girl. ::pointing at self::
That's my boy there with his signature One Finger stance. He started on offense and defense and played almost the entire game. He plays tight end on offense and...um, I'll get back to you on his defensive position. I forgot.
I tried to refrain from telling him how freakin' adorable he looked in his uniform but was unsuccessful a couple of times. It couldn't be helped.
So excited for all my Saturdays through November (but sooooo sad we will miss next week's game. Grandma & Grandpa will be here though so that's good). TBone also started his first season of soccer! More on that later.
Then, as a college student, Saturdays could be anything from a study day to watching movies all day with roommates to prepping for a dance that night.
As a newly wed, Saturdays were "Clean The Apartment" day. I remember I could clean our apartment top-to-bottom, with a lot of attention to detail, in two hours flat. I loved the feeling of sitting in a completely clean home. And, with no kids, it would stay that way well into the next week.
When motherhood came along and we had toddlers and babies, Saturdays were a family day where we usually stayed home and played with the kids and maybe ventured out in the evening to a kid-friendly restaurant, bed by 8:00pm.
Now that those kids have grown up considerably, Saturdays are spent watching them in their various activities-- and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love Saturdays at this point in our lives. I hear some people complain that their "entire Saturday is spent watching this sport and then running another kid to another venue for yet another game, blah blah blah..." I want to ask them what else they could possibly be wanting to do? What's better than watching your child perform in something he or she has been working hard at in practice? This is 80% the reason why I even had kids fhs.
This brings me to today.
Jbird's first football game of the season a.k.a. Heaven on Earth for this girl. ::pointing at self::
ACTION SHOTS!
Running his route.
(can anyone tell from ^^^ what position that is??)
NON ACTION SHOTS!
Gettin' a pep talk from Dad.
I tried to refrain from telling him how freakin' adorable he looked in his uniform but was unsuccessful a couple of times. It couldn't be helped.
So excited for all my Saturdays through November (but sooooo sad we will miss next week's game. Grandma & Grandpa will be here though so that's good). TBone also started his first season of soccer! More on that later.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Tan, Our Obsession With Being
As I'm prepping myself mentally for heading off to Maui next week my mind keeps wandering to a sad place. I don't go to that place very often. Actually, I flat out ignore that place. That place involves my skin and its inability to tan. My skin has other issues too, but failing to be tan is one of its worst faults.
Why is being tan associated with being attractive? Is it because tan skin hides flaws? Is brownish skin more slimming than white? Does it mean you lead a life of luxury, laying by a pool all day...and somehow that's attractive? Is whiteness associated with severe blood loss and imminent death so people shy away from it? Does extreme fair skin imply that you never leave the house and are, therefore, lazy?
I don't know the answer. But I do know, given there are no other differences, I'd much rather look at a tan person than a pasty white one. And, as a pasty white person, it's infuriating.
It's particularly annoying when, despite the appearance of having a "healthy glow," being tan is actually horrible for you. Premature wrinkles being at one end of the spectrum and dying of skin cancer at the other. No amount of exposure of this reality has seemed to lessen our desire to be a bronze beauty come swimsuit season either.
We need more Nicole Kidmans and less....everyone else.
Why is being tan associated with being attractive? Is it because tan skin hides flaws? Is brownish skin more slimming than white? Does it mean you lead a life of luxury, laying by a pool all day...and somehow that's attractive? Is whiteness associated with severe blood loss and imminent death so people shy away from it? Does extreme fair skin imply that you never leave the house and are, therefore, lazy?
I don't know the answer. But I do know, given there are no other differences, I'd much rather look at a tan person than a pasty white one. And, as a pasty white person, it's infuriating.
It's particularly annoying when, despite the appearance of having a "healthy glow," being tan is actually horrible for you. Premature wrinkles being at one end of the spectrum and dying of skin cancer at the other. No amount of exposure of this reality has seemed to lessen our desire to be a bronze beauty come swimsuit season either.
We need more Nicole Kidmans and less....everyone else.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Good News, Bad News
Good news (maybe): My blogging is going to become more regular. More frequent. You'll be learning lots about me (perhaps not the best news there).
Bad news: My blogging is going to be a bit stranger & more random. My posts might not entail flourishing intros and summaries. Sometimes my entries might be a paragraph long or go on forever. I really can't say.
"Why are you doing this to us?" I can hear all four of you screaming as you pound your fists on your keyboards.
I'm working on a new project, that's why. And you'll just have to come along for the ride (by law you have to, srsly).
I'm taking an online workshop by Cathy Zielske. Back in the day, when I was big into scrapbooking and subscribed to all the magazines, Cathy was one of my all time favorite contributors. Her style is clean with very few embellishments. Most of her aesthetics come through how she type sets her words and which fonts she uses. I loved it. She's also quite funny, which is always a good thing. Not cheesy. And not LDS (I don't know why that makes me like her more, but it does...probably because then she's not cheesy as I mentioned before).
Anyway, I stumbled upon a workshop she is starting next week called
Me: The Abridged Version
She based the workshop on a book called Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Take a peek at it here and read Cathy's conception for the workshop here if you're interested. I just started reading it and I find it hilarious and brilliant. It's exactly my kind of writing. She just gives her "take" on little things in her life in a fun & witty way. And she went ahead and alphabetized them creating an encyclopedia of sorts. It's perfect. Truth be told, it's the book I would have loved to have written.
Tangent: I love the description on the book jacket: I have not survived against all odds. I have not lived to tell. I have not witnessed the extraordinary. This is my story. Though I have managed to write half of a half of a novel, I fully believe that those that create the best art and literature are those who have experienced amazing things or had exorbitant amounts of pain in their lives (i.e. Sylvia Plath, VanGogh, Eminem, etc). My life is ordinary, happy and, let's just be honest here, mundane (which is just how I like it, btw). This book by Mrs. Rosenthal speaks to me. It's my life. With a few of the details changed (and a few less F-bombs....not sure why those are even in there but there are a couple).
So anyway, I'm creating a book of my own similar to Rosenthal's encyclopedia with the help of Cathy Zielske. No, not for publishing purposes. But certainly for my own enjoyment and maybe, if they care, my posterity. I think it will at the very least be a fun exercise in creative writing and make blogging a little more interesting.
Which brings me back to my original point.... things might get weird around here. I'm currently in the process of making lists under each letter of subjects I might want to write about. This book will be all about ME and MY thoughts on things rather than a travelogue or description of the cute things my kids did or said (though they'll probably be mentioned from time to time). The subject matter will be random and silly and maybe even heartfelt from time-to-time. Who knows, right? But I'll be putting it all here on the blog. I'll then label it with the letter it will be filed under making it easier when the time comes to compile & print my book.
Does anyone wanna do this with me? (except you and your bad attitude, Memzy) I think it'd be awesome if a few of us were doing this together and could share things as we went along. I'm guessing I'll be using a few of my past posts as well (and put them under a letter I'm struggling with). I think your kids would love it....your husband would probably love it....and I bet you'd love making it if you gave it a shot. No pressure tho. Plz?
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