Archive for September, 2007

So the Drama

September 27, 2007 at 9:31 am · Filed under My Crazy Mind

I don’t know how this happens.  Do I have a big sign on my forehead, advertising a need to have friends with drama?  I think I have an eye twitch.  Or some kind of a twitch.  It’s actually under my eye.  Twitching away.  Twitch.  Twitch.  Twitch.  It’s rather annoying.

I have become friendly with another girl at church.  Our kids are in the same primary class and kindergarten class.  The family just moved here from Spokane (so we are familiar with the same area of the Pacific Northwest).  Everything is going great.  We don’t have a ton in common, but she’s nice.  It’s nice to have friends.  I’m a social person, normally, but I haven’t made that “connection” with anyone here.  So I take what I can get for friends for the time being.

The other day I called her and she sounded like she had been crying or something.  I asked what’s wrong and she said she just caught her husband cheating.  He was talking to some girl online and it was really explicit.  Well, after a couple hours and some investigation, it turned out the girl in question had been making a bunch of stuff up to get to my friend.  Wierd, but whatever.

A few days later I find out through my friend that another girl we both know (I guess I’d call myself a “friendly acquaintance” to the girl) is having major problems because she found out her husband is molesting their daughters.  Woah.  Lots of time at the police station and lying to the husband so he doesn’t know that they know so he won’t do anything crazy.  Trying to get one of the daughters to say it’s the dad that is for sure doing this so he can be arrested.  Just really heavy, hard, and sad stuff going on there.

This morning my new friend called really early asking if I can come pick up her son and take him to school and take her to the courthouse.  Sure, I say.  No problem.  As I’m driving her to the courthouse she says the reason she has to be there is because her husband was arrested last night.  He hit her.  He admitted to the police that he hit her 5 or 6 times and it was all unprovoked.  As my friend was on her cell phone with someone at the courthouse, trying to get directions, she got a little upset because they kept asking her, “Are you the victim?” and she would answer, “Yes, I’m his wife.”  She didn’t like being called the victim.  I told her the thing is she IS the victim!!  Anyway, she’s supposed to call me later and let me know what’s going on.  I bet anything he gets out of jail, is told to take anger management, and in a few months time we’ll be doing this all over again.  Yup, I’m pretty pessimistic.

The thing my friend is most worried about is her 5 year old son seeing his father being taken away in handcuffs.  Yeah, I’d be worried, too, but maybe it’s good for him to see the consequences of his father’s actions.

My friend said to me today, “I’m so sorry for all this drama I’ve brought into your life.”  I laughed and replied, “Yeah, you know, I have had a lot of drama in this past week!!”

I don’t mind being there for a friend and giving rides and advice (when asked for!!) and such.  It’s just emotionally very draining.  Very, very draining.  I’d like to go back to my regularly scheduled drama, please.  Thank you very much.

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Going Through the Motions

September 26, 2007 at 4:55 pm · Filed under Family, Observations, music

 So… Any “Buffy” fans out there?  I’m a huge fan.  I have every season on DVD (thanks Aunt Marisa!!) and the soundtrack from the musical episode on CD (thanks, Lura!!).  Last Friday I was driving out to Ches’ football game and I realized I was in the car all by myself and I didn’t have to take requests from the 2 and 4 years olds, so I could listen to whatever I wanted.  It’s been a while, so I pulled out my Buffy CD and started to listen to “Once More With Feeling”.  By the way, if you haven’t seen this episode of Buffy… well, shame on you.  It was awesome.  And don’t start in on the Scrubs musical episode.  I’ve seen that.  Yes, it’s great, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Buffy!  Seriously!  Joss Whedon is my new master.

Anyway… the first song of the episode is sung by Buffy herself.  It’s entitled “Going Through The Motions”.  You see, Buffy had sacrificed herself at the end of the previous season to save her sister from being sacrificed and thereby saving the world.  She does that kind of thing a lot (her gravestone even said so), and while she has died before (it was only for a couple of minutes), this time she was really gone.  Buried.  Rotting in her grave.  But her friends managed to bring her back with some very powerful magic.  Buffy wasn’t exactly thrilled to be back.  She was dead.  And she said in an earlier episode that she is pretty sure she was in Heaven and she was happy there.  But she couldn’t let her friends ever know of this torment that she has, so she has to let them believe what they did is something that she wanted.

So this song is Buffy patroling one night.  Even though she still goes out fighting vampires and various demons, she just hasn’t felt herself.  It’s a great song.  What gets me is that as I was listening to it, I realized that this song explains how I have been feeling!!  This song is all about me and being a mother of three boys.  Okay, so take out the slaying vampires part, and it’s all about me!!  Take a look at the lyrics.  Maybe you feel or have felt the same:

Buffy:
Every single night
The same arrangement
I go out and fight the fight
Still I always feel
This strange estrangement
Nothing here is real
Nothing here is right
I’ve been making shows of trading blows
Just hoping no one knows
That I’ve been
Going through the motions
Walking through the part
Nothing seems to penetrate my heart


I was always brave
And kind of righteous
Now I find I’m wavering
Crawl out of you grave
You find this fight just
Doesn’t mean a thing

Vampire:
She ain’t got that swing

Buffy:
Thanks for noticing

Demon and vamps:
She does pretty well with fiends from hell
But lately we can tell
That she’s just
Going through the motions
Faking it somehow

Demon:
She’s not even half the girl she  (buffy slays demon) -owwwww…

Buffy:
Will I stay this way forever
Sleepwalk through my life’s endeavor

Handsome young victim man:
How can I repay-

Buffy:
-Whatever.
I don’t want to be
Going through the motions
Losing all me drive
I can’t even see if this is really me
And I just want to be
Alive

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A Cool 97, Sweaters, My Civic Duty

September 26, 2007 at 4:24 pm · Filed under 3 Beautiful Things, Living in Phoenix, Younglings

It’s time to share my 3 Beautiful Things for this week:

1.  The weather has finally cooled down considerably.  Granted, today’s high was still 97, but when we woke up this morning it was quite cool.  It’s bearable enough that I can have the kids go outside and play before their morning snack.  I like waking up to cooler weather.  We could turn off the air conditioning at night and open all the windows… but we took all the screens off in preparation of painting the house.  So, we keep the air on right now.

2.  I mentioned that it’s a little cool today, and Aiden asked to wear his new sweater his Aunt Rachel got him.  It’s a dark, navy blue and very, very soft and fuzzy.  The label says The Gap, although I know Aunt Rachel is a smart shopper and didn’t get it at The Gap (I love The Gap.  But their prices are absolutely ridiculous).  I let Aiden wear the sweater with strict instructions that as soon as he was hot he could take it off but he HAD to put it in his backpack because I don’t have his name in it or anything.  He complied, and may I say my little boy looked SO handsome in his sweater with the red collar of his shirt poking out.  I love sweaters.  I love long sleeves.  I can’t wait for it to get cool enough for me to wear long sleeves and sweaters more often.  Yes, I know.  I live in Phoenix.  Please don’t ask me why I live here when I so clearly enjoy a little bit cooler air, fall colors, sweaters, lots of rain, the mountains, green grass, and plenty of diciduous trees (with a few conifers thrown in for looks).  I still love this valley.  I really, really do!

3.  About a month ago I was summoned for jury duty, the date of which is tomorrow.  I know that most people groan at the thought, but this was to be my first time and I was excited to do my Civic Duty.  I arranged for a sitter and for someone to both take Aiden to school and to pick him up.  I have picked out what I was going to wear and what book I was going to take in case I had to sit there  with nothing to do for a while.  I just called the “Juror Hotline” for whatever instructions and reporting times I would need, but the message on the hotline said everyone scheduled for today, tomorrow, and Friday have been dismissed.  The message then thanked me for my participation.  I’m sad to not have jury duty, but I’m so thankful for the ease in which I was able to find people to help me out for one day of jury duty.  And now I don’t have to do my own babysitting tomorrow, so I can concentrate more on getting my house completely clean for Aiden’s party on Saturday.  It works out pretty well, I’d say.

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Children’s Song

September 24, 2007 at 11:23 am · Filed under Funny ha ha, music

Hits a little too close to home, don’t'cha think?  Awww, who cares.  It’s hilarious. 

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La La La La La La Laaaaaa

September 24, 2007 at 9:01 am · Filed under Church, Family, music

I love the weekend.  Ches is at home.  I get to sleep in.  The kids aren’t being rushed to get Aiden to school.  We all stay in our pajamas as long as possible.  We get to run errands as a family.  We get to attend church and worship as a family (even if it turns into more of a “keep the kids quiet during Sacrament Meeting” than a worship!!).  Weekends are pretty great.

Aiden decided to sing in church yesterday.  I pointed to the words as we sang the hymns, and he followed along, singing loudly.  It was wonderful.  No, he can’t read music and he didn’t really know the tunes, but he made an effort.  My favorite part was that he decided we were singing to slowly or something because he was singing ahead.  With enthusiasim.  During the closing hymn, he didn’t want to sing what we were singing.  He wanted the song on the opposite page.  So that is what he sang.  Ches and I had a hard time singing as we were laughing so hard.

Dallin was singing quit well, too.  Only he didn’t attempt any if the hymns.  He didn’t even attempt any Primary songs.  Dallin sang “What are You Gonna Be For Halloween” from Bear in the Big Blue House.  He even had a little bit of a dance.  It reminded me of a story Tim once told us about Tweedle D.  They were in church and Tim said, “Okay, Tweedle D, it’s time to sing a song” as he reached for them hymnbook.  Tweedle D took that as a cue to sing “Hakuna Matata” at the top of his lungs.  Hey, Tim never said what song they were going to sing!

I don’t know how parents are expected to teach their children reverence when our adorable children make us laugh so much.

Dallin has been learning a lot of great songs in his Nursery class.  His current favorite is Book of Mormon Stories.  He does all the actions, too!  We were singing it together one day before Family Home Evening as we waited for Aiden to finish up in the bathroom.  As we sang the last line, “Givin’ this land/ if they lived/ righteously”, Aiden yelled out, “Did you just sing ‘right, Chesley’?”  We laughed and said no, but Ches said, “That’s how we sang it when I was a kid!”  So now Aiden sings, “right, Chesley” everytime.  And then he’s consumed with giggles.

Parker got a t-shirt from my mom for his birthday that says “I’m with the band.”  So cute.  It has a drumset on it.  Totally appropriate for our family, don’t'cha think??

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A Guide on How To Seriously Damage Your Child For Life

September 20, 2007 at 10:45 am · Filed under Family, Younglings

I am such a bad mommy.  Really and truely.  I’ve been having a hard time of late, and I don’t really know why.  Everything has been getting to me, and Ches’ long hours at school haven’t helped.  I told him the other day that I’m going to need “a night off” where I can do whatever I want all by myself.  He’s totally fine with that.  I think he wants his normal wife back.

Monday night I was going to take my night off, but by the time Ches got home and I got dinner prepared, I just didn’t want to go out.  I still needed some quiet time, so I locked myself into the computer room and played on the computer and ate my dinner and basically ignored the rest of the family for an hour or so.

Ches did great with the boys.  He fed them, played with them, then started their baths.  I figured I could help out a little with that, and as I was helping Aiden get washed up, Ches had to go make an important phone call for work.  I was talking to Aiden about all sorts of stuff, and the subject of where I was at dinner came up.  I told him I needed some quiet time.  When he asked me why, I replied with The Worst Thing To Say To Your Child.

“If Mommy doesn’t get quiet time every now and then, I’m just going to run away forever.”

Aiden took me completely seriously and started crying.  Bawling.  I had just ripped his heart out and eaten it for my bedtime snack.  I spent the next hour and a half apologizing and saying I didn’t mean it, that I was just kidding, and that I will never, ever run away.  I wouldn’t even make it to the end of the block because I love my family so much!  Aiden was still very upset at bedtime and hugged me extra tight as a few more tears poured from his eyes. 

As he got dressed the next morning, he was acting very depressed, and when I asked him what’s wrong, he said he really, really, really didn’t want me to run away.  So I started the apology process all over again.  He doesn’t believe me when I tell him I’m not running away.  All he believes is one stupid, flip reply.  It’s amazing how one sentence can hurt someone so much.  I guess I have to keep working on the “I’m not running away.  Never, ever.  I love you and I’m staying here forever and ever” until he starts to believe me.  And I bet I don’t get any more nights off any time soon.

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Shiver Me Timbers!

September 19, 2007 at 7:30 am · Filed under My Crazy Mind, holiday

Pirate Flag

Ahoy there, me hearties! Today be “Talk Like a Pirate Day“.  Have some fun ye lubbers, or ye be walkin’ the plank to Davy Jones’ locker.  (If ye be talkin’ like a pirate, I won’t be callin’ ye a lubber for long!)  Shine ye boots and put on ye eye patch smartly… me hornpipe be ready for the entertainin’.  I must go and find some booty for me crew, but I be around to chat with ye and compare pirate news.  Today be a beauty of a day to be a pirate!  Arrrrr!

(I don’t know how well I can keep this up today.  We’ll see.  hee hee hee)

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A Guide on How to Give Whiplash to Complete Strangers While Shopping

September 17, 2007 at 12:45 pm · Filed under Family, Funny ha ha, My Crazy Mind

I did the funniest thing Friday!  I was babysitting two little boys, Carter (4 yrs) and Gage (18 months).  We went to pick Aiden up from school (which makes for one full minivan), and I didn’t have any other time to go but then, so I took all five kids to Sam’s Club to buy snacks for Aiden’s kindergarten class.

That’s right.  I said I took all five kids.

Sam’s Club has those freakin’ huge carts that has seats for two kids in the front, but still looks like a regular grocery cart.  I put Parker and Gage in there.  Dallin went in the basket.  I let Aiden and Carter walk under very strict instructions that they were to stay by the cart at all times and if they wandered off or started running and grabbing random things, they would be put in the cart, too.  Dallin didn’t like being in the cart with Aiden and Carter out, and he kept begging to walk, so I agreed to try it.  The boys were doing pretty great for a while.  They mostly stayed right near me and there wasn’t a lot of begging for things other than what we were there for.

The funny part was from the moment I walked into the store until the moment I loaded the boys back in my van, I got the best looks from people.  It was hilarious!  I’ve never seen so many bugged out eyes, slack jaws, and complete astonishment on faces.  Most people talked to the boys and the food sample ladies gave us tons of samples.  I heard a lot of, “Wow!  And they’re all boys!!” as well as , “Are they all yours????”  Once I reassured them that they were not all mine, (“Only three of them,” was my reply) you could just see the relief pass over their faces.  Some people wouldn’t talk to me.  They quickly looked in the other direction, as if I might rub off on them and they will suddenly have a cart full of kids under the age of 5.  I even heard one lady say to her companions, “Oh.  My.  Gosh.  Did you see that??”

I thought it would make me feel like I was a sideshow circus freak, but instead I felt giddy.  It was really a good time to get such a reaction out of everyone.  Really, most people were extra friendly and helpful.  No one was rude.  It was just funny all around!

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Whodunit?

September 14, 2007 at 7:00 pm · Filed under Books, My Crazy Mind

I had a lovely surprise in my mailbox today.  A book!!  Someone bought me Twilight by Stefanie Meyer through Amazon.com and had it sent here.  There is no receipt in the package for me to figure out who was kind enough to buy this for me.  All I know is that I am in need of new and good books to read, I have been very curious about this book and have been desperately wanting to read it, getting a book is my favorite thing in the entire world (even more than dark chocolate!!), and someone out there is sooooo super sweet to do this for me!!  I know it was one of you.  I just have no clue who it is.  Thank you, my anonymous book donor.  I love you!  Thank you thank you thank you!!  You really don’t have any idea how much this means to me!

Now.  Who was it?  Because I can’t stand not knowing stuff.  Seriously can’t stand it. :)

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Why Alyson Rocks

September 13, 2007 at 2:34 pm · Filed under Family, My Crazy Mind

Earlier this week, and again last night, I got a phone call from Alyson (who, if you didn’t know, is my sister-in-law), just out of the blue.  There was no reason for it, she just called to talk.  It was really great… something I needed.  She listened to me complain and made me laugh.  Alyson has always been one of my favorite people.  I think we have just enough in common to be really good friends, but enough differences that we don’t drive each other nuts.  I miss going to the family reunion every year because I like camping with Alyson.  She and I seem to have had a good system to get things done, and we’d quietly (or maybe not so quietly, I don’t know) stew to each other when we didn’t like how little help we were getting from others.  So I’ve decided to make a list of the 10 Reasons Why Alyson Rocks.

10  She makes her own salsa.  I mean, who does that???  Not me!  I buy big ol’ jugs of it at Sam’s Club.  And her salsa must be stinkin’ good, because Tim is really, really picky about the quality of the salsa he eats.

9  Alyson can call and let me complain and vent to her and she knows I’m not trying to “build and army”, as she put it.  She just knows.

8  Alyson is also raising 3 boys.  She’s good at it.  Really, really, really good at it.  I like to think of her as my mentor when it comes to mothering.  I don’t know how many times I called her the first year of Aiden’s life to ask questions.

7  She knows when to take one for the team, and is perfectly willing to do so.

6  She plays the flute.  All the really cool people play the flute.  Seriously.

5  Alyson’s just fun to hang around.

4  She can empathize with me because she knows.  Doesn’t matter the situation.  She knows.  And she is great with advice or just a listening ear.

3  She is one of the very few Canadians (and “Camericans”) in the family (all of whom I really do love completely, by the way) who has never made fun of the way I say “sorry” or tease my about my American public school education.

2  She’s freakin’ gorgeous, but seems to have no idea.  I mean, the first time I met her I was intimidated like you wouldn’t believe.  It was when we were both still just dating our husbands, and I remember thinking, “I just can’t compare to this girl!”  (Why I needed to compare myself to her is beyond me.  But I did!)

1  She can make me laugh any time.  She has these great sayings that I try to adopt, but they just don’t work as well for me when I try to use them.  But I love them anyway.  You know, like “Just throw the baby out the window”.  There was something she said last night, but now I don’t remember.  I just know that I giggled about that forever.

So, there you go.  Alyson rocks, and now you know why.  I’ve probably sufficiently embarassed her to last through the next century, but I’ve been sitting on this post for a while now and just wanted to get it published already.  She called last night and we talked for soooooo long.  I’m exhausted today, Al.  Thanks. ;)   heh.  Anyway, just wanted you to know (since I’ve already made lists about my blood sisters, Lura and Erica.  Click on their names to see those lists.  Time to move on to the in-laws, right?) that I think Alyson is awesome.

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