Hat

Hilton wanted me to knit him a hat, so he picked out the yarn and I got right to it. It took me about 2 hours. It was very simple. Now I am working on two large projects that I am afraid will take forever. I am making a dress for Lorelai and an afghan, just with some yarn I have milling around the house doing nothing. I am making the dress in a large size 3T to give me plenty of time to finish it. She is currently in a 12 month... I work on them alternately because the dress has a very tiny stitch and the afghan has a much larger stitch, but the pattern is more fun to do. I really love knitting! It also keeps me from eating! Haha!

Swamp Tour

I finally got a battery for my camera. I swear, WalMart and Target have been out of the kind of battery I need for an entire month! Here is a picture of an alligator that I got before my camera died. We got very close to him after I took this picture and we saw a lot more after this! The picture of the rainbow was just pretty I think... It was from the swamp tour. I just lucked out... I am NOT a good photographer!

No tme to be lazy

Yesterday was impossibly busy. Started with when I woke up and had to put a pot roast in the crock pot because I wasn't going to be home in time for dinner. Then church. Then I had to finish preparing my talk for the fireside last night. But the Home teacher came to interrupt, and I luckily had just enough time to finish before it was time to go back to the church so Justin could have his temple reccomend interview and then choir practice right after that and finally the fireside. It was one packed day. When I got home, Justin was in bed and the kids were all in the livingroom watching Hannah Montana. Justin had a horrible headache and was in so much pain he was almost crying! So I got the kids in bed and rubbed his neck for a while and then I fell into bed. It was the busiest Sunday I think I have ever had. Choir practice went pretty well. We had a really great turnout and everyone was very excited to be there. Jennifer Miller made cookies and that was a great treat for everyone. I think the Bishop and his wife know way more about music than I ever will, so they had a lot of great suggestions. But I don't know how much I like being in charge. I would much rather just be in the background singing... But I am going to ask to be set apart in that calling our next Sunday at church and maybe that will give me some much needed inspiration. I have also looked looked on the church website and they have some useful stuff there. So, I will do my best to magnify this calling. Meanwhile I am in charge of the mutual activity on Wednesday... so I have been busy gettting that together too. Between all of my callings at church, work, and the kids, I am so busy! When am I going to have time to be lazy?

A'List

So Caroline has iLEAP coming up. It is the Louisiana state standardized testing for 3rd graders. And the teachers here make it seem like if you do not pass, then you will never get into college, you will never have a career and you may as well start at McDonald's now... It is ridiculous the pressure they put on the children here. I have actually had a talk with her teacher about it. And have made complaints to the principal about the inordinant amount of emphasis they put on passing this test. The thing is, if you don't pass, you still go on to 4th grade, you just don't get to take French. Whatever. It is so stupid. I don't think standardized testing is good to begin with. And all of this is to accomidate the whole "No child left behind" crap... Anyway, Caroline freaks out about everything as it is. SHe came home without her English book one night and was in hysterics. I told her to call her friend and get the questions from her. Before the call had been made she had given me an entire scenario about what if the girl did NOT have the book either and Miss Robinson got mad at both of them and their lives would be over. Then when she got her report card, she was devastated. Crying, weaping, wailing, because she had gotten a "B" in math. That meant she was not on the Principal's list... she was only on the honor roll. How was she ever going to get into a good college with grades like these???? I wanted to tell her that no matter what her grades are, she will be going to the college that her father teaches at because it will be free, so don't sweat it. But I didn't. I just comforted her and told her that everything would be ok and she could get on the principal's list next semester. Where did my child get this from? Justin and I have NEVER pressured our kids about grades! We have always said that they need to do their best and we would know when they are doing their best. Even if their best is not an "A" or a "B". Crazy kid.

The new local playground...

Tomorrow is Spring! How great is that! Last year at this time we were getting ready for a 3 month trip to Utah. The weather was beautiful here the whole 3 months we were gone... But we are here now and I am determined to make every minute of this sunshine count. I will not let the children come inside the house. The minute they get home from school, I give them a snack and make them eat it outside. The only problem is that little Lorelai is just not big enough to be outside yet. IF I walk around by her side, it is fine. But the minute I turn my back she runs toward the street, so she is not getting as much outside time as I would like her to have. That is one reason I am happy that Vicki is moving!!! She will be a mere 6 blocks from me, very walkable, and will have a HUGE fenced in back yard that is totally kid friendly. Our backyard is totally lame and we have big dogs that live behind us, so the kids will not go back there. So, while I am very happy for the Waihi's that they are moving into a nice place close to the school, I am even more happy for me... because now I can go over to their house and let all three kids play outside to their hearts' content! I know I have to give them a little time to get moved in and settled... they get in there Saturday... is Monday too early to invade? Just Kidding, Vicki! I will wait until Tuesday... heehee

Housework Genie

Why do couples always end up fighting about the same things? Year after year... the same thing. We never get past it. I am never the one who starts it, because it is always my fault. But you would think after 12 years my partner in life would figure out who I am and just accept it. I am not the queen of clean. I think I keep a marginally clean house. I feel I do better than most, even. But it is never good enough... I do not blame him. I blame his mother for being an incredible house keeper and impossible to keep up with. How can I improve? Especially when I don't have any clue what I am doing wrong? Any ideas? And don't turn this into "he just needs to accept it." He won't. He hasn't for 12 years. It ain't gonna happen. So I need to be the one to change... except I am trying to change my eating and exercising habits... do I have to change my housework habits too?

Over-reactors

The kids over-reacted a bit to Papa... I found out that he did not really throw stuff, he was just throwing stuff from under the couch looking for a binki for Lorelai... he was freaking out because she would not go to sleep! Well, I have solved that problem and told him where the secret binki stash is... Another crisis averted. I was at work last night and this guy asked if we had banners. I said no but we have some flags over there. He said, "Did I say flags? If I wanted flags I would have said flags! I need banners!" Then he walked off in a huff. Ok, I LOVE my job, I LOVE my job, I LOVE my job!

Mean Papa

Last night was my first YW activity. I got home a little before 9. Justin was in bed... so I just stayed up and watched the Oprah show I had taped. Then I went to bed. This morning when I woke I was greeted with unhappy children. They said that Papa was very grumpy last night and threw some stuff because the house was a mess. (oops) And that they hated that I have stuff to do at night like Young Womens and work and they wish I was home at night. I said that Papa would still be here even if I were here. But I guess they need me here to soften the blow a little I guess. Makes me feel needed and guilty too...

Confessions of a sugar-holic

After 9 days without sugar, I feel like I am entitled to be skinny. I should have lost at least 30 lbs and look like an amazing super-model. How come being healthy is so hard? Why is it so much easier to eat fun, yummy things, than yucky things? I know there are people out there that think salmon is delicious and when they go to a restaurant they order fish with steamed veggies and say how delicious it is and how they cannot imagine anything tasting better. And for dessert they have that incredible apple! WOW! What tastes better than a crisp, delicious apple. I will tell you what tastes better than salmon and apples... Um... pasta... fettucini alfredo, and big crusty bread dipped in olive oil! And for dessert, chocolate. Any chocolate will do. Instead I have been eating nuts and seeds... snacking on nuts and seeds makes me feel like a squirrel. But man, I am going to be one healthy squirrel... right? I know, I know, I can do it... keep up the good work... blah blah blah. I want some M&M's...

Lates on my noggin

So I went to the doctor today and the MRI, CT Scan and blood work were all normal. Which is great! But we still don't know why I have this awful headache. She was still concerned with the multiple retinal hemmorrages. Which made me a little concerned too since the Optomitrist said there was only ONE!!! And now she (my doc) is saying there are MULTIPLE! She said that it is normal for people with diabetes to get these hemorages when their blood sugar is not controlled, but mine is. She did the blood work and it looks very good. She was very happy with that. She is just kinda worried about these hemorages. as am I, now... I think I was happier when I knew nothing!