Just for fun

This is what happens when:

• You finish eating and decide to work on your fun new blog posts while your children take 45 minutes to finish their dinner


• Your 3-year-old drops her spoon and repeatedly asks for a new one but you're busy so you keep nodding and mumbling "uh-huh"


• Your 2-year-old decides to pick up the slack for mom and get out of his booster seat so that he can get a clean spoon for his poor, neglected big sister


• You don't notice your 2-year-old carrying piles of silverware from the drawer to the table

Note the giant collections of silverware next to the kids' plates while Carter finally decides to eat his pasta.

Tagged Again!

I'm so excited! I've never been tagged before, and now I have been twice in one day. This is really cool because I've been so stressed out this week and sick the week before, so it's been forever since I've blogged. This is a fun way to put something new on my blog. Thanks for the tag, Becky!

Four jobs I've had:
1. cashier at Shopko
2. shirt presser at the BYU laundry
3. bank teller
4. Assistant branch manager @ WAMU

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. The Man from Snowy River
2. Notting Hill
3. Best in Show
4. Say Anything

Four places I've lived:
1. Brigham City, Utah
2. Columbus, Ohio
3. Spokane, Washington
4. Salt Lake City

Four favorite t.v./reality shows:
1. Big Brother
2. The Office
3. Dancing with the Stars
4. Trading Spaces

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Lasagne
2. Brownies
3. Steak
4. Snow Crab

Four websites I check daily:
1. WAMU for our bank accounts
2. My friends' blogs (actually about 10 websites)
3. Salt Lake County Library (I'm a library junkie, too, Becky)
4. Juno for email

Four hobbies I enjoy:
1. Music (playing the piano & singing & listening)
2. Sewing
3. Walking
4. Watching t.v. & movies with my husband

Four people I'll tag:
1. Julie
2. Stephanie
3. Alisa
4. Becky Cole

My Better Half

OK, Elise, I'm not sure if you meant to tag me, because you have two Melanie's on your blog, but I'm going to pretend you did because this looks fun. So thanks for the tag, and here goes:

What is his name? John William (When we were first getting to know each other, he told me his middle name was after William Shakespeare. I'm not sure if that's what his parents intended, but it sure fits him.) How long have you been together? We've known each other for about 13 years. We've officially been a couple for 9 years, and we've been married for 6 years. How long did you date? Off and on for 4 years, then 3 years exclusively before we got married. How old is he? He'll be 35 next month. Who eats more? Definitely John. I eat a ton, but I can't even compete with him. Who said I love you first? I did. Who is taller? He is, by about 7 inches. Who sings better? He would agree that I am the musical one. Who is smarter? He is. Don't tell him I said that. Whose temper is worse? I think I'm quicker to anger, but we seem to be about even. Not sure if he'd agree on that one. Who does the laundry? I do. I actually really enjoy folding laundry, just not climbing up and down the stairs with it. Who does the dishes? Me, but more often than not, he has to pick up the slack for me. So maybe I should say that he does? Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? John. Who pays the bills? I do. Who mows the lawn? John does all of the yard care (at least until next year when I have flowers and a garden) and he is awesome! He brought our yard back from being basically dead and he's gotten grass to grow where there was just dirt a few months ago. And he edges and everything. We get lots of compliments on our yard. Who cooks dinner? Usually me, but it's my turn since he brought us lots of dinners all year in Spokane. Who drives when you are together? We share the driving, depending on who is tired or who feels like driving. Who is more stubborn? Both of us? Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? Hands down, John. But I'm working on it. Whose parents do you see the most? His. They live closer. Who kissed whom first? He kissed me. I was playing hard to get. Who asked whom out? I think my sister kind of did it for us. It's a long story. Who proposed? John. He wrote me a long poem, in iambic decameter, and read it to me on Thanksgiving in front of his whole family. Who is more sensitive? I am. Who has more friends? I think we're about even. Who has more siblings? I do. Who wears the pants in the family? I'm with Elise on this one. We both wear pants! And I absolutely married my soul mate. We are so different in so many ways, but we are a perfect match!

I tag: Becky Kump, Stephanie, & Cassie

Try this diet - it works!

I lost a few pounds this week and I'm so proud of myself! It's called the gastroenteritis diet. It involves a lot of stomach cramps, and absolutely no eating for 4 to 5 days. The good part about it is that you get to lie around and do nothing and let your house turn into a disaster zone.

OK, on a serious note, I feel like I've been missing for a long time! My children have been without a mother, my huband misses his best pal, and my house is in dire need of its maid. I started feeling sick on Sunday night, and by Monday afternoon I was in the throws of the stomach flu. It's been a long week, but I awoke this morning feeling somewhat human, and I am excited to get back to my life. So of course the first thing I need to do is to update my blog! You know I'm not feeling well if I can't even blog. Yesterday was the first day I even had the energy to sit at the computer, and I realized how much I had missed when I started catching up on my favorite blogs. This led me to some pretty cheesy thoughts, so allow me to wax sentimental for a moment.

I was reminded this week that there is nothing more important in this life than people. I haven't cared about clothes, or possessions, and I'm sick to death of television. I haven't even had interest in food! But my relationships have been so important to me. My sisters took my kids for a full day, even though they've got their own hardships right now. My husband exhausted himself rushing home from work and doing absolutely everything for our family. My poor children were basically orphans all week, and they were so good! I spent the day yesterday just watching them and smiling. They are so precious, and I was in the perfect state of mind to enjoy watching their personalities unfold without getting frustrated with behavioral issues.

I can't discuss relationships without mentioning blogging. I have really missed the friendship and support that comes from reading my friends' blogs and getting feedback on my own blog. And with that, I'm done being cheesy.

We finished painting our living room on Saturday, and got it all cleaned up and put back together Sunday night. Since then, I've been dying to post pictures! Hopefully I can do that before the day is over.

Please don't make me take Katelyn to Walmart ever, ever, ever again!

I just got home from what was supposed to be a quick jaunt through Walmart to grab milk and some feminine hygiene products. I'm surprised the police weren't chasing me home with lights flashing and sirens blaring, because I'm pretty sure half of the other shoppers were tempted to call and report me. I assume that the two ladies who walked past me and said, "Oh, my!", and the other 57 people who stopped to stare as we went by, thought that I was somehow the cause of Katelyn's tantrum. (This must sound all too familiar since I just barely wrote about my kids being terrible at the grocery store.) I have said this so many times, but this really was the worst-behaved Katelyn has ever been in a store! Here's what happened. I put the two kids in the back of the cart and they were sitting there coloring. Katelyn must just have been in a bad mood because she refused to share the crayons and she kept pushing Carter. She had been warned several times when she tried to smash Carter into the side of the cart. As promised, I placed her in the child seat at the front of the cart and strapped her in. That's when she lost her ever-loving mind. She shrieked and screamed and took swings at me, over and over. I pulled over and tried to calmly talk sense into her, but it was clear that she was incapable of being reasonable, so I proceeded to rush through the store and grab the last few things I needed. The entire ordeal couldn't have lasted more than 10 minutes (from the time the screaming started), but it felt like an eternity. She continued the behavior throughout checkout and the walk to the car.

As a mom, do you really look at people and think they could control their kids better? I used to, but that was before I had any, or when Katelyn was still bound to an infant carrier and couldn't possibly cause trouble. Now I know better. Apparently I have the brattiest kids on the face of the earth, so I'm learning my lesson for ever having judged another mom's parenting skills.

Despite the drama, I'm in good spirits. I came home and sought comfort in blogging, and found a very funny story written by another frazzled mom. Thanks, Christianne, for putting a link to this on your blog. It was perfect timing. If you haven't read it, check out this E-bay post. It's hilarious!

Happy thought: I'm making progress! I didn't raise my voice one time throughout the ordeal - not even when we got home.

Drum Roll Please.......

The time has come for me to have a job in our new ward. I have been wondering what they would ask me to do. Last week I was asked to substitute for the pianist in Relief Society and I was really excited. I would be thrilled to have that as my calling, because it seems to me to be the easiest thing to do - no preparation, no pressure, not in the spotlight at all. However, I knew in the back of my mind that because I wanted that calling, I would probably not get it. When the first counselor in the bishopric, who happens to be our next door neighbor and one of the nicest people I've ever met, approached me and said he had a calling for me, I didn't know what to expect. When he said that they would like me to serve as the secretary in the Primary presidency, I was shocked. I've never had a calling in Primary! I was so surprised that I stood there trying to decided if I had heard him right. I think he was a little worried by my reaction until I regained my composure, smiled, and assured him that I would be happy to do it. And I am happy. I think Primary is so important, and I can share the experience with my children. I have to say, I'll miss Relief Society. It's my favorite part of the 3-hour Sunday experience.

I was sustained today and, after dropping the kids off at their classes, I reported for duty. I was nervous and didn't really know what I was supposed to do. We're preparing for our Sacrament program in a few weeks, so we went to the chapel to practice. Needless to say, I didn't really get a good idea of what my role will be. But I'm excited. Our primary is tiny. We have so few children that there is just one sharing time. I would be surprised if there were 20 kids there today. So I don't think the work load will be super heavy, but I think I'll have an opportunity to get really close to the children. I hope they'll benefit from that as much as I know I will.

Happy thought: I am so grateful for a husband who let me sleep in this morning, and then hung around to get the kids dressed for church. I know he was just dying to get out the door so that he and Tanner could get at the fish before too much of the day was gone, but he showed no signs of impatience. What a great guy!

Blast from the past

I am a very nostalgic person. Painfully so. For example, last time I traveled to Germany, I practically had a panic attack on the plane ride back to the U.S., fearing that I would never make it back to Germany again. I struggle with organization, largely due to the fact that I have a hard time parting with things that evoke memories. I have a hard time letting go of the past - I still wake up in the night now and then with a painful memory of something stupid I did or said years ago.

Everyone once in a while I get the notion to watch a t.v. show I used to be attached to. In Spokane I went through a Three's Company phase, and filled the DVR with reruns aired on Nick at Nite. It didn't take me too many episodes to realize that the show was hopelessly stupid, no matter how much I thought I liked it when I was young (I wasn't even supposed to watch it, but I did). I ended up deleting 10 or 12 episodes and canceling any future recordings. Right now my DVR is filled with The Cosby Show and Brady Bunch. I've stopped recording cartoons because almost everything the kids like is available On Demand. So when Katelyn wants to watch something and I am fed up with cartoons, I treat her to one of my recorded programs. She has fallen in love with the Brady Bunch! She asks to watch it daily. She's not as fond of Cosby, but it'll do if I insist. I can't let go of my love for these shows, but I do recognize that they're not really that entertaining. Things that were funny when the scripts were written are pretty boring these days, especially the stuff meant to tickle the funny bone in 1970. Still, I'll keep looking for my favorite shows of yore and I'll enjoy the memories they bring. (My family watched The Cosby Show and Family Ties together every Thursday night from 1984 to 1992. My dad popped popcorn and loaded it with butter, and it was a far better bonding experience than the family home evenings my poor parents agonized over every Monday night.)

Recently I happened upon Cartoon Network's Boomerang channel. The channel's lineup includes The Jetsons, Flinstones, Smurfs, Snorks, Popeye, and Pink Panther, just to name a few. I was prompted to turn to the channel when I saw Smurfs on the t.v. guide. As I had hoped, Katelyn loved the little blue guys, but I was disappointed to see that the episodes are more about Gargamel than about Smurfette or Brainy Smurf. Actually, I have found that all of the cartoons I enjoyed as a child are really lame, even though I've always insisted that cartoons were better "when we were kids." Wrong. I think they do a better job these days of trying to stimulate kids and get them involved and active. Of course, I'm referring to the cartoons on PBS and the Disney Channel and the likes. I still cannot appreciate anime, or the junk geared toward teens and preteens that they play on Saturday mornings or on Cartoon Network. I was actually glad when Katelyn chose to watch Little Einsteins this morning. I mean, they're trying to teach classical music, and rhythm, and curious exploration. Much better use of time than watching a balding man in black chasing little blue creatures around a mushroom village. Oh, and in case you're wondering, I do realize that my children have watched more t.v. this week than they should in an entire year. That's what happens when mom tries to paint the house while the kids are awake, and one kid is really sick so we can't go to the library, etc, etc. I know, there will always be excuses.....

Happy thought: I love how little kids are so hungry for knowledge. Carter spent a full 30 minutes before his nap asking me what every item in sight was. I thought it would never end, but I loved it because he's just drinking in everything around him. And Katelyn just brought me her alphabet chart and asked to go over her letters. She just loves it, and we laughed and laughed as we went over it last night before bed. Kids are awesome!

That look.....

Carter has rotavirus. I'm almost positive that he got it from the nursery (shocking, I know), since he started having symptoms on Tuesday morning and the incubation period for the virus is 2 days. So I have been holed up in the house with the kids, doing my best to not infect everyone else with this disgusting bug, since Tuesday. I'm dying to go to the library, or shopping, or visit my sisters. But this morning I had to go the the grocery store. It was 7:30 am and Carter had already vomited twice - he was guzzling milk because I'm sure he's starving! I decided I had to get him some Pedialyte and maybe some crackers or something else really boring. So I got the kids dressed and combed their hair, and threw on some scrubs and flip-flops. I didn't think it was fair to shower and put on make-up while Carter waited in misery for me to take care of him.

The kids were awful at the store, as you would expect. We couldn't get Katelyn to sleep until after 10 last night and she woke up at 6 this morning (I'm so worried that she's getting this virus, too), so she was tired and cranky, and Carter was starving and had a stomach ache. They both cried (well, actually Carter was screaming) through the entire store, and I was so thrown by the situation that we went from one end of the store to the other twice, just to get our 6 or 7 items. I finally got to the checkout line and realized that we had forgotten crackers. I turned to the couple behind us and said, "You can go ahead. I just realized that we forgot something." They couldn't even get out of the way so that I could turn my giant monstrosity of a fire engine shopping cart around and get out of line. They were too busy staring at me, mouths agape, with that look that says, "What is wrong with you? Why can't you keep your kids from screaming? Why do you look like a homeless person? Don't you ever comb your hair?" I managed to push by them, but they never changed their judgemental expressions or even attempted to get out of my way.

Usually I find myself at home in Utah. There are so many kids here, and I often exchange sympathetic looks with other moms when our kids are being terrors in public. But there are still those people who either don't have kids, or just don't understand what it's like to have a hard day. It's so tempting to fight back when I feel like I'm being judged, to explain everything we've been through in the last 3 weeks, and how much sleep I haven't gotten. But I don't want to be mean, and I don't owe anyone an explanation. I'm doing the best I can.

Happy thought: I walked outside this morning and there was a nip in the air. I got excited at the thought of wearing jackets and cute pointy-toed boots. I think I'm ready for autumn.

Fruits of our "Labor" Day weekend

On the south side of our property, the neighbors put in a beautiful white vinyl fence. It runs from our front yard all the way down the side to the end of our backyard. The back of our yard is a chain link fence, but is almost completely covered with grape vines, so it looks nice and gives us privacy. The north side of our house, however, is a big old wooden fence. John decided he wanted it white so it sort of looks like the vinyl on the other side. (Katelyn insisted on helping, and ended up covered in white paint!) John did most of the work, but I pitched in a little and the project was finished in 2 days. It looks great now!

John has been planning on building a work bench in our garage, since we have enough space in there for a third car, but we've been waiting for the money to buy wood. We got lucky when our friend Shane took John to his old work site where they were giving away a bunch of benches and shelves. Here's the result, and John couldn't be more pleased!

Our other big project this weekend was to texture our ceilings upstairs. We finished scraping the popcorn off of our living room ceiling a few weeks ago, and the rest of our ceilings needed new texture because they're all different. So John, being the man who can do anything he puts his mind to, spent Saturday and part of Sunday morning finishing all of the texture. I'm so impressed - it looks awesome!

With our new beautiful texture up, I was excited to get going on the painting. Last night I primed the ceiling in the living room. Can you tell the difference?


I'm so excited to get this room done! Today I'll prime the walls and hopefully paint the ceiling. The walls will be Bonjour Beige and the ceiling and all of the moldings will be Antique White, which will continue through on all of the moldings in the house and the kitchen cabinets. I hope to have more pictures to show you tomorrow!

I have to add that we couldn't have accomplished nearly as much this weekend without the help and companionship of our good friends Shane and Becky. They spent over 12 hours with us on Saturday, and then when I thought they were sick to death of us, Becky and I were on the phone planning to hang out and relax Sunday night. We're so glad to live so much closer now!