Ok - so I'm not the meanest mom on the block but I'm mean for making my kids clean "EVERY DAY - ALL DAY"! Well, at least according to them! All I want is the front rooms picked up of their "crap" so that I can vacuum and clean and their rooms cleaned. Geez! Is that too much to ask?
"Pick up your stuff!"
"Get dressed!"
"Clean your room!"
"Put your new toys away!"
It's always the same comments and they start out being comments then gradually get louder as the day goes on. By evening time, I swear the neighborhood can hear me yelling at my kids through the walls! I get so tired of yelling and screaming. I just want my kids to realize how important a clean home is to me. Every year for my birthday, Mother's Day, Anniversary and Christmas they ask "Mom, what do you want for your gift?" And I reply (just like my mother did) "A clean house and a happy family!" Is it that much to ask? I didn't think so. Get along, and pick up as you go. Not that hard. I'm not one to really talk as my parents will tell you that I had a disgusting room while growing up. I was the one who would rather live in filth than clean. I got allowance taken away. Clothes taken away that I had to pay to get back. Once, in college!, my dad came in and said "whatever is on the floor by 5pm is going away! I just assumed he meant in his closet til I paid my dutiful 25cents per item to get them back. I went to class and rehearsal and when I returned at 11pm - my room was cleared. Looked great and I didn't have to do it! HA! Well, when I went in to ask how much I owed - he looked at me seriously and said "I took them away", to which I replied "I know. How much to get them back?" He then told me how he took them to Deseret Industries! I FREAKED OUT!! "I'm 18 years old and I need my clothes back - you have no right to do this!" To which he replied, "You live in my house and I'm going to have a clean one. If you don't live by my rules, then there are consequences!" Needless to say, I bawled all night to my friends, who all brought me clothes to help me out. Some even stayed to help me clean my room and that was all it took. I had a very clean room from then on and I'm anal about my own house! To the point of driving Geoff and my kids nuts! I have to have it picked up before bed - I hate waking up to a messy house! I have to have the front rooms cleaned at all times (well, as best as possible) so that guests see a clean house! Especially now that I have students over. I love my Gold Canyon candles and the sweet smell of clean and a good scent! I can't relax until my house is clean!
Well, with that being said - I'm off to pour me a drink of soda with my Sonic ice :) and get down to the cleaning! Rooms are almost done and I can now sweep/mop and vacuum. Geoff is at work (yea!) and I have til 5pm to get it done! Then he has to keep it that way til I get home from the theatre at 10:30pm! HA!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Dear Santa . . . .
THANK YOU!!
Christmas this year was great . . .
Kids were too excited and therefore bedtime was extremely late (11:30ish) so Santa got here rather late. It was almost 2AM by the time Santa finished his 'setting up' of the gifts. The kids woke up as he finished at 2:15AM and said they couldn't go back to bed. Thus making the adult figures stay up later than expected to make sure no one peeked before falling back asleep.
The morning came way too early with the voices of kids singing Christmas carols - VERY loudly!! "Jingle Bells" then yells of "Mom and Dad - get up!" Then "Deck the Halls" with more "Please get up!" After they switched to hymns - "Away in a manager" - we crawled (literally!) out of bed.
Santa DEFINATELY found our home! The kids were spoiled rotten and we had a great morning of gifts, toys, thanks, candy and tons of fun!! We followed it with visiting grandparents including seeing my baby sister who is here from Portland! We had a great day and the kids are still putting things together and playing with their toys.
The top 3 gifts for each are:
Kylee - beach cruiser bike, cell phone (I know - I'm crazy!) and digital camera
Jonathan - scooter, lots of Bionicles, electronic baseball game (practice hitting thing)
Dakota - Rip-stick (he can do it too!), RC Helicopter, 50" basketball hoop with glow-in-the-dark ball
Maddisen - Barbie house (it's as tall as she is!), Barbie cash register and lots of barbies
Geoff and I don't do a lot for each other but I got him some new clothes for his new job and he got me a bluetooth for my phone.
It's very rarely a "silent night" around here and it's never "all is calm" but in the sweet moments of family time, thank you's to each other for the gifts and in talking about the reason for the season - we do have small moments of "heavenly peace" and hopefully some "Sleep in Heavenly peace" as well!
Good night!!
Christmas this year was great . . .
Kids were too excited and therefore bedtime was extremely late (11:30ish) so Santa got here rather late. It was almost 2AM by the time Santa finished his 'setting up' of the gifts. The kids woke up as he finished at 2:15AM and said they couldn't go back to bed. Thus making the adult figures stay up later than expected to make sure no one peeked before falling back asleep.
The morning came way too early with the voices of kids singing Christmas carols - VERY loudly!! "Jingle Bells" then yells of "Mom and Dad - get up!" Then "Deck the Halls" with more "Please get up!" After they switched to hymns - "Away in a manager" - we crawled (literally!) out of bed.
Santa DEFINATELY found our home! The kids were spoiled rotten and we had a great morning of gifts, toys, thanks, candy and tons of fun!! We followed it with visiting grandparents including seeing my baby sister who is here from Portland! We had a great day and the kids are still putting things together and playing with their toys.
The top 3 gifts for each are:
Kylee - beach cruiser bike, cell phone (I know - I'm crazy!) and digital camera
Jonathan - scooter, lots of Bionicles, electronic baseball game (practice hitting thing)
Dakota - Rip-stick (he can do it too!), RC Helicopter, 50" basketball hoop with glow-in-the-dark ball
Maddisen - Barbie house (it's as tall as she is!), Barbie cash register and lots of barbies
Geoff and I don't do a lot for each other but I got him some new clothes for his new job and he got me a bluetooth for my phone.
It's very rarely a "silent night" around here and it's never "all is calm" but in the sweet moments of family time, thank you's to each other for the gifts and in talking about the reason for the season - we do have small moments of "heavenly peace" and hopefully some "Sleep in Heavenly peace" as well!
Good night!!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Chirstmas Eve Fun!!
We slept in a bit today but not for long. The kids woke up by 8am with hoots and hollers! Geoff and I stayed up last night til 2am wrapping presents and the tree was packed full and overflowing this morning!
(I got a new camera and my disk drive won't work, so I can't download the hardware to upload pics! :( AAAHHHH!!! )
Geoff went to work with the neighbor but just got home. We were talking about how the kids look like each of us and took this test. Fun! Some shockers but not all. People always say how Maddi looks more like me - so that one was a surprise. Jonathan was not a surprise though - he is a carbon copy of Dad! Dakota and Kylee are good mixes of us. We love our little ones! And think we have the bestest looking kids ever!! But we aren't biased at all!! :)
Merry Christmas Eve Day!! We are off to deliver neighbor gifts!
(I got a new camera and my disk drive won't work, so I can't download the hardware to upload pics! :( AAAHHHH!!! )
Geoff went to work with the neighbor but just got home. We were talking about how the kids look like each of us and took this test. Fun! Some shockers but not all. People always say how Maddi looks more like me - so that one was a surprise. Jonathan was not a surprise though - he is a carbon copy of Dad! Dakota and Kylee are good mixes of us. We love our little ones! And think we have the bestest looking kids ever!! But we aren't biased at all!! :)
Merry Christmas Eve Day!! We are off to deliver neighbor gifts!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
ExHaLe! ! !
This is season is officially ready to enjoy for me!
I have closed "A Christmas Carol" at Hale.
"Singin' in the Rain" doesn't start rehearsals until Jan.2.
No teaching til Jan. 7.
Students recital is done.
R.S. lesson is done.
Shopping is 99% done.
Today completed the last of my responsibilites for this season before the holiday. I taught the R.S. lesson today. It was my first lesson and the Christmas lesson. FRIGHTENING! I stuttered a lot but felt like it went ok. I focused on Mary and her example. I also shared some interesting facts about her and the Christmas story that I didn't know. As always, the teacher learned a lot more than the students! I always took the story for granted since we've all heard it for years. But as I searched for more info on Mary - I was intrigued and enlightened beyond what one would expect! I began to enjoy reading about the Christmas story! I didn't 'tune out' the lines that I'd heard over and over every Dec. Although I was so nervous, I hope that I got even a portion of the knowledge I gained across and that they felt the spirit as strong as I did. Mary is quite the woman and although I always thought highly of her - I now have a great understanding of her divine role in my salvation!
I'm enjoying my fireplace, family and a good movie right now. Dinner is done and we are going to wrap some gifts tonight. After the kids go to bed, I'm going to do a little bakin' so we can deliver them to family and friends tomorrow. I have to go get 3 presents for Geoff's parents and my dad (my mom is already done) tomorrow and then I'm ALL DONE! I wish you all the very best on this Christmas Eve-Eve! :)
I have closed "A Christmas Carol" at Hale.
"Singin' in the Rain" doesn't start rehearsals until Jan.2.
No teaching til Jan. 7.
Students recital is done.
R.S. lesson is done.
Shopping is 99% done.
Today completed the last of my responsibilites for this season before the holiday. I taught the R.S. lesson today. It was my first lesson and the Christmas lesson. FRIGHTENING! I stuttered a lot but felt like it went ok. I focused on Mary and her example. I also shared some interesting facts about her and the Christmas story that I didn't know. As always, the teacher learned a lot more than the students! I always took the story for granted since we've all heard it for years. But as I searched for more info on Mary - I was intrigued and enlightened beyond what one would expect! I began to enjoy reading about the Christmas story! I didn't 'tune out' the lines that I'd heard over and over every Dec. Although I was so nervous, I hope that I got even a portion of the knowledge I gained across and that they felt the spirit as strong as I did. Mary is quite the woman and although I always thought highly of her - I now have a great understanding of her divine role in my salvation!
I'm enjoying my fireplace, family and a good movie right now. Dinner is done and we are going to wrap some gifts tonight. After the kids go to bed, I'm going to do a little bakin' so we can deliver them to family and friends tomorrow. I have to go get 3 presents for Geoff's parents and my dad (my mom is already done) tomorrow and then I'm ALL DONE! I wish you all the very best on this Christmas Eve-Eve! :)
WOO HOO!!
Geoff got a new job!! YEA! YIPPEE!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!! HAPPY DAYs!!! I could go on and on!! MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!
I mentioned before how my brother-in-law was going to contact him - well, he did!
Friday morning at 9AM, Geoff took his "dummy test" and passed. He only missed one - which he didn't even try to do. It was a word problem math thing that he said was just too confusing and the test was timed, so he was going to go back to it in the end but didn't have time. I thought it was interesting the questions the test had. IT even had an essay question! HA! It really was a dummy test!! Sadly, we learned that 5 out of 7 guys FAILED it! So Geoff was happy he did well and they were anxious to get to the interview. After he finished the test, the secretary asked him to sit tight while she graded it. She returned telling him his results and asked him to wait a moment longer for the 2 bosses to come in for his interview. Geoff was not prepared for that - thinking he would take the test and then wait to hear from them and come back another day for the interview. He was happy to get it done though. The interview went really well. It lasted less than 10 minutes and they gave him a clicker for the gate and asked him to be there Wednesday morning and invited our family to the Christmas Party on Jan. 2 at Amazing Jakes!! Crazy!! He filled out the insurance forms and found out how great the benefits really are. The job is with Roosevelt Water Conservation District. He is a Zanjero - spanish for ditch runner. It's physical labor but he's happy about that since we have both set a goal for the new year to get back into shape. He will miss his architecture-ing but he'll live for now. The hours are odd - 80 hrs one week and one week off. It will take some getting used to. The pay is better than he was making at Atwell-Hicks and there is a very low risk of layoffs since we will always need water! :) I'm very happy and hope this is an indication of the good year that is to come!!
I mentioned before how my brother-in-law was going to contact him - well, he did!
Friday morning at 9AM, Geoff took his "dummy test" and passed. He only missed one - which he didn't even try to do. It was a word problem math thing that he said was just too confusing and the test was timed, so he was going to go back to it in the end but didn't have time. I thought it was interesting the questions the test had. IT even had an essay question! HA! It really was a dummy test!! Sadly, we learned that 5 out of 7 guys FAILED it! So Geoff was happy he did well and they were anxious to get to the interview. After he finished the test, the secretary asked him to sit tight while she graded it. She returned telling him his results and asked him to wait a moment longer for the 2 bosses to come in for his interview. Geoff was not prepared for that - thinking he would take the test and then wait to hear from them and come back another day for the interview. He was happy to get it done though. The interview went really well. It lasted less than 10 minutes and they gave him a clicker for the gate and asked him to be there Wednesday morning and invited our family to the Christmas Party on Jan. 2 at Amazing Jakes!! Crazy!! He filled out the insurance forms and found out how great the benefits really are. The job is with Roosevelt Water Conservation District. He is a Zanjero - spanish for ditch runner. It's physical labor but he's happy about that since we have both set a goal for the new year to get back into shape. He will miss his architecture-ing but he'll live for now. The hours are odd - 80 hrs one week and one week off. It will take some getting used to. The pay is better than he was making at Atwell-Hicks and there is a very low risk of layoffs since we will always need water! :) I'm very happy and hope this is an indication of the good year that is to come!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Reflecting on a year
It's been one year since we moved into our little home! I can't believe how fast it's gone and how much we love it here!! It took us 4 months to finally get the keys - Danny and Alva's home just couldn't move fast enough for either of us. We lived out of boxes for months and listened to the kids complain about the drive in town to and from school/work and ask every night "are we moving tomorrow?" but we finally got in just a week before Christmas in 2006. The first thing unpacked was our Christmas tree. No ornaments but unboxed and plugged in for a while. It was a late Saturday night and we had just finished dinner at In N Out when Danny called at 8pm and said, "I think we're ready for ya. Come on over and get the keys." We arrived to find that most of the house was empty. A few friends stopped in that night to help unload our moving truck - which was 1 or 3 loads and packed since the night before! :) - she helped me run the vacuum through all the rooms before the furniture got put down. By Sunday evening we finally were out of the other house and had settled in to start unloading boxes. Geoff worked hard and I helped a lot. We love our family but no one ever seems to help up move. Sunday morning as we were unloading our last load, the ward was getting out. We had 3 men from the ward come over and ask if we needed help! Bro. Read called some YM and had it done in 15 min. It was great! Another excitement of the move was my baby grand purchase! I have always wanted one and didn't ever have the room. Now I did and I was going to be moving studio home and I wanted a baby grand to teach on! :) We got a smoking deal because I worked at Washburn (well, rented a studio space) and got it at cost with $100 for delivery!! Couldn't pass it up!
We love our little neighborhood and ward! A few highlights are:
Great neighbors! - we love the Allens across from us! Geoff and Shawn have become good friends and we appreciate their friendship! I had the best VT, Courtney Milius, across the street, whose boys are great friends with ours! From high school, Cindy Read, lives 2 doors down and we have really enjoyed getting to know them and their cute kids. Spuhlers and Davis' live near too. They are the party people!
Great ward! - my oh my!! How can I even begin? We have felt at home since day 1. Bishop Doane and I chatted online and by phone before we moved in about cub scouts (issues with our last ward). He spread the word we were moving in and away it went! Then at the first ward temple night we ran into the Banks' and Geoff's older brother was best friends with Dave growing up. They had a great time reminiscing. And then the connection was made with Allens and Banks and their other brother, Kevin, who I did a show with. Fun fun fun! And Geoff loves that the ward consists of both Mtn View and Mesa High groupies! He feels right at home and so do I!
Activities galore! - this ward/neighborhood have traditions that are crazy good!! Neighborhood Bunko nights (crazy loud and fun), Halloween carnivals (in our driveway), Halloween parties (which we have learned are dress up - we didn't know and were considered the party poopers. But you have to warn me more than 2 hours ahead!), Block Watch Extravaganza! (the kids loved this one) and the list just goes on and on!
We have thoroughly enjoyed this area and my students comment all the time about how they "just love this little area - is it HOA?" I love telling them no, we just all take pride!
We have found flaws and have learned to just ignore them. The house has need of some TLC but we'll wait til it's officially ours to do them. We have painted and changed lights and fans, etc. Loads more to do but we'll be patient. There are neighbors that started kind but have grown to be 'not what they seemed'. We just ignore them and wave with a smile. Kill with kindness, that's what I was taught.
Truly a blessing to be here and hope we will be for many, many years to come!!
We love our little neighborhood and ward! A few highlights are:
Great neighbors! - we love the Allens across from us! Geoff and Shawn have become good friends and we appreciate their friendship! I had the best VT, Courtney Milius, across the street, whose boys are great friends with ours! From high school, Cindy Read, lives 2 doors down and we have really enjoyed getting to know them and their cute kids. Spuhlers and Davis' live near too. They are the party people!
Great ward! - my oh my!! How can I even begin? We have felt at home since day 1. Bishop Doane and I chatted online and by phone before we moved in about cub scouts (issues with our last ward). He spread the word we were moving in and away it went! Then at the first ward temple night we ran into the Banks' and Geoff's older brother was best friends with Dave growing up. They had a great time reminiscing. And then the connection was made with Allens and Banks and their other brother, Kevin, who I did a show with. Fun fun fun! And Geoff loves that the ward consists of both Mtn View and Mesa High groupies! He feels right at home and so do I!
Activities galore! - this ward/neighborhood have traditions that are crazy good!! Neighborhood Bunko nights (crazy loud and fun), Halloween carnivals (in our driveway), Halloween parties (which we have learned are dress up - we didn't know and were considered the party poopers. But you have to warn me more than 2 hours ahead!), Block Watch Extravaganza! (the kids loved this one) and the list just goes on and on!
We have thoroughly enjoyed this area and my students comment all the time about how they "just love this little area - is it HOA?" I love telling them no, we just all take pride!
We have found flaws and have learned to just ignore them. The house has need of some TLC but we'll wait til it's officially ours to do them. We have painted and changed lights and fans, etc. Loads more to do but we'll be patient. There are neighbors that started kind but have grown to be 'not what they seemed'. We just ignore them and wave with a smile. Kill with kindness, that's what I was taught.
Truly a blessing to be here and hope we will be for many, many years to come!!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
One more to go!!
It's Sunday night and I'm done with yet another crazy weekend!! Tonight was my students recital and it went soooo well! I say this every time but my students are the best!! They work hard and make me so proud!! Everyone seemed to enjoy the new venue - we went to a church instead of the normal Washburn's. It was beautiful and I didn't have to do anything! :) Had a mom do the refreshments, a mom do the decorating and they bldg maintenance cleaned up for me! It all cost me less than $300 and I was more relaxed than ever! It was great!! I even got to buy myself a sparkly new shirt for it! :) Geoff and I were on our way to Wal-mart to buy the ingredients for the punch and I saw that store, Fashion Bug. I went in to check it out. Lo! and behold! It's a branch of Lane Bryant!! LOVE IT! They had great clothes and it's closer and easier to get to than the mall! They even take Lane Bryant gift cards, etc. I'm thinking this is a new store for me now. They have big lady (which I am on the border of being) sizes and jr. sizes (for when I decide to finally lose the weight). Most would have been proud of me tonight - I wore the new shirt, black dress pants (not jeans! :)), and jewelry (rare!), HOSERY and heels!! :) If I can find a skirt to go with it - I think I'll wear this ensemble next Sunday for church. Oh! And with my new hair - I looked hot! :) But it went well and now that's done. Something else to check off my list.
Last night I found out some icky news! The show I was hired for at the end of the year was taken away from me. The director that asked for me to music direct isn't doing the show anymore. They hired another director and so I got bumped. I'm REALLY sad but I guess it's for the better, right? I talked to the producer tonight and he told me that I'm not totally out of the picture but this year is only Singin' in the Rain. I decided tonight that I'm going to just take it as my boost! I'm going to go on my diet and stick to it with exercise and go hard core into the weight loss!! I'm going to show them that I can do it! And then I'm going to audition for their shows and show them! No more "sorry - you are not the right 'look' for the role"!! No more subtle ways of telling me "you're TOO FAT to play any real good roles"!!! This is it!! I'm going to be a size 10-12 or smaller by JUNE!! Wish me luck and send me encouragement!! I have to do it!
Well - I have lighter load with week. Less than half the students this week and more time to just relax during the day. I do have a show every night and 3 on Saturday but that's ok. The kids are out of school on Thursday and Friday - so I'll get to sleep in. :)
Well, Happy Shopping and I'll catch up with you soon!
Last night I found out some icky news! The show I was hired for at the end of the year was taken away from me. The director that asked for me to music direct isn't doing the show anymore. They hired another director and so I got bumped. I'm REALLY sad but I guess it's for the better, right? I talked to the producer tonight and he told me that I'm not totally out of the picture but this year is only Singin' in the Rain. I decided tonight that I'm going to just take it as my boost! I'm going to go on my diet and stick to it with exercise and go hard core into the weight loss!! I'm going to show them that I can do it! And then I'm going to audition for their shows and show them! No more "sorry - you are not the right 'look' for the role"!! No more subtle ways of telling me "you're TOO FAT to play any real good roles"!!! This is it!! I'm going to be a size 10-12 or smaller by JUNE!! Wish me luck and send me encouragement!! I have to do it!
Well - I have lighter load with week. Less than half the students this week and more time to just relax during the day. I do have a show every night and 3 on Saturday but that's ok. The kids are out of school on Thursday and Friday - so I'll get to sleep in. :)
Well, Happy Shopping and I'll catch up with you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)