What Goes On in the Back Seat

The boys' conversation on the way home from scouts tonight:

THERON: Did you know if you get hit in the front of the head you can change your whole personality? A girl in my class knows someone who hit her head really hard and her parents were happy because all of a sudden she was a lot more responsible.
SETH: You mean she did her homework when her parents weren't home?
THERON: Yep....But don't hit me in the head, okay Mom?
(pause)
THERON: I've always had a lot of arm hair.
SETH: Well I've always had a lot of armpit hair.
THERON: No you haven't.
SETH: Yes I have, but at least I don't lick my armpits (gives armpit licking demonstration).
(pause)
THERON: What's your dream car?
SETH: (describes his dream car).
THERON: Well what's your dream house?
SETH: My dream car IS my dream house. I can live in my car and be a hobo.

Great. A pit-licking hobo. Regardless, I wouldn't hit the fronts of those two heads for all the world.

A Conversation with Vivian

ME: Dad tore off the hub cap with his bare hands.
VIVIAN: Dad doesn't have bear hands!
THERON: Bare means no clothes on.
VIVIAN: But bears don't wear clothes.

This reminds me of another little chat we had last summer (back in my non-blogging days).

VIV:do rats live in the dark?
ME: in some places I guess.
VIV: and they fly around?
ME:Do you mean bats?
VIV:that's what I just said.
ME:Oh. Well, yes, bats fly around at night and sleep during the day.
VIV:Do rats eat their breakfast in the sunshine?
ME:You mean bats?
VIV:That's what I just said.
ME:No, bats eat at night.
VIV: Do rats eat their breakfast in the morning?
ME:You mean bats?
VIV:No, I'm talking about rats now. Do they eat their breakfast in the sunshine?
ME:I guess they do.
VIV:And they don't get too hot? ...

That's what goes on ALLLLLLLL day at our house.

Fun with Photo Booth

Don't I just have the most attractive children?

taking flight

As the room parent for Seth's second class, and finding myself unsuccessful at rounding up a volunteer to head up this year's PTA auction project, the task ended up on my to do list. For the last few weeks I've spend lots of time in the classroom helping the kids to draw birds with pastels. Then we talked about growing up, what they think life as an adult will be like, how they're different at 7 or 8 than they were at 3 or 4, etc. I had them write down their thoughts and ended up with some pretty cute statements:

"So far I've loved being seven."
"When I grow up I want to be a builder like my dad."
"When I grow up I'm only going to play video games, eat ice cream, and go to bed at 12:00."
"When I'm older I'm going to fix everything up."

After all the kids' contributions were turned in, I scanned, resized, printed, and cut them out then took a stab at painting and decoupaging. The project being due today, I worked into the wee hours this morning, took a break for some chicken pot pie at 1:00 am, and wrapped it up this morning around 2:30.

...


until i woke up this morning and realized I'd completely forgotten to put one of the kids' birds on it. So I added a branch, added a bird, smoothed a little Mod Podge over it, and voila! Now I just have to run it down to the school and clean up my disaster of a house.

"Dear Journal...

It's been a long time since I've written, but I'm trying to be a better person. From now on I'm going to write in my journal, say my prayers, read my scriptures, wake up at 6 every morning to exercise, and do a service for someone every day. I'm making a little chart so I can check off the boxes as I go."

6-12 months later:

"Dear Journal,

It's been a long time..."

It's always a little embarrassing to start back up again when the last thing you wrote was that you were starting up again back THEN. My old journals are full of little charts that are faithfully fulfilled for about 3 days. I even made them for my sister and I'm sure she was really grateful.





So, true to form, here I am starting up yet again. In other news, this is what the kids look like these days:

The end. I'll be back again soon (I hope).

A Snowy Day

Seattle has been hit by snow, and the rarity of the occasion has brought the fun times on. Seth's class was supposed to have a "day of centers" for their class party today. Since school was cancelled, we made our own day of centers. We started out with some sledding with the neighbor kids, then moved on to stories and hot cocoa. After a little break for Viv's nap, we'll finish off the day with movies and popcorn and bake some cookies for the neighbors. All in all, a good day!

Tagged

I've been tagged! Thanks, Amber. Makes me feel cool : )

Quick 5 and List of 8

Quick 5:
1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
Throwing up. I was pregnant with Theron and didn't realize I had a ruptured appendix. I threw up every day for about 8 months.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?
It's already night time so...
1. get the kids to bed.
2. catch up on laundry.
3. eat some of the cookies Viv and I made today.
4. read my scriptures (desperately trying to finish the Book of Mormon by the end of the year).
5. work on the kindergarten tours projects I signed up to run at the kids' school, which turns out to actually be a fairly huge job.

3. Snacks I enjoy: peanut m&ms, bruschetta, quesadillas, and corn chips with a sort of tacky cheese dip made with velvetta and rotel.

4. Places I've lived: WA, OR, AZ, UT, and back to WA.

5. Five things I'd do if I were a billionaire:
1. buy a Shelby Cobra
2. travel!
3. invest (doesn't everyone have to say that?)
4. pay off debt (that too?)
5. hire a staff, including a masseuse, secretary, and chef

A List of 8:
8 TV shows I love to watch:
1. 24
2. Lost
3. Arrested Development
4. The Office
5. Heroes
6. Grey's Anatomy
7. American Idol
8. House

8 favorite places I love to eat:
1. Tamarind Tree (Vietnamese place in International District)
2. Cafe Rio in Provo (I still dream about those fajita chicken burritos)
3. Outback Steakhouse (filet mignon, medium or medium rare with a baked potato and steamed veggies)
4. Icon Grill (comfort food at its best)
5. Red Mill (really yummy/greasy burgers)
6. El Sombrero in Walla Walla (Theron and I went there on our first date, and Theron ate most of my food plus all of his)
7. Romio's Pizza
8. McDonalds (sometimes you just need a nice flat cheeseburger that's been sitting in the warmer for a while).


8 things that happened yesterday:
1. cleaned half my bedroom
2. volunteered in the kids' school library (my secret dream job)
3. went to lunch with Theron and Viv -- a Monday tradition
4. had Family Home Evening
5. finished off the last of the Halloween candy -- thank goodness it's gone!
6. worked on plans for the Primary activity coming up in a couple of weeks
7. discovered that Netflix instant movies don't play on a mac :(
8. worked on Theron's online ad campaign, which I am now in charge of.

8 things I look forward to:
1. Christmas!!
2. and Thanksgiving.
3. getting out of debt. Student loans are so much more fun to borrow than to repay...
4. being 10 pounds thinner
5. getting a new car (in the distant future)
6. yard work in the Spring
7. apple cider and a crackling fire in the hearth. Maybe a little music.
8. my birthday, of course!

8 things on my wish list:
1. someone else for President
2. a fabulous wardrobe
3. a new flute
4. a day or two of complete silence
5. an herb garden
6. theater tickets
7. the next season of 24
8. someone else for President. (did I already say that?)


I tag: Danielle, Ali, Annie, Maran, Crystal, Catherine, Auburn, and Renee