Erin's Dance

The dance was on Friday and was not well put together. The kids had fun for the first 45 minutes or so and then it quickly went downhill. My job was to guard a door and not let anyone out so they could better monitor the kids, which allowed me to just kid watch and it was amusing. There were no slow dances and no couples, so that part was good. The kids were really uncomfortable with the whole thing, you could just tell and after 1 1/2 hours, we left.

Erin did look cute, though. Here is a picture.

My Favorite Gadget

I am a gadget lover. Jonathan always says if I lived in the days of traveling salesmen, I would be their favorite stop and I can be a sucker for trying those things. Most of them are a disappointment, but this has been my favorite purchase of the year.

The Bissell Steam Mop from Amazon.com for only $65 ... what a deal! I love, love, love this thing! This thing only uses water to clean and I now enjoy mopping my floors and that is saying something. I have a very large kitchen floor, all tile, and it was a nightmare in my opinion until I got this. It is also great for hardwood floors. It looks so clean and I have noticed the dirt does not stick to the tile the way it used to and sweeps up much easier. Now the next thing I need is a dog to eat all the scraps away and then maybe, finally, it will stay looking clean!

Who says Kids don't remember?

I found this on my bed this morning where Lindsey had emptied the contents of her backpack and I thought it was very sweet.

You may want to enlarge it Briana ... hint, hint!

A realization

I have had an eye opening experience on children. If you have well behaved children without lots of issues, regular discipline works very effectively. You can do time outs, behavior charts, reward incentives, etc. Michael never needed those things, just always behaved, but it works fantastic for Erin and for Andrew for the most part. However, if you have children with issues regular discipline does nothing. It doesn't even matter to them. They are so strung out that it's like they cannot even understand what is happening. It is really like their brain is just stuck ... crying, misbehaving, raging, hitting, etc and you cannot reason with them. They also do not have the ability to feel remorse until it is all over. I don't know how much good counseling does when they are in that mode. I say this because we have been though years of counseling, first with Michael and then with Lindsey, Jenna, and still Michael. Michael is easy for counseling because he does not want to feel anxiety/ocd thoughts and so he is very motivated to take whatever they have to say and implement it. Lindsey, however, had no vested interest in the counseling. She did not care how she was making others feel, I think because her feelings/actions were too complex for her to understand and I also don't believe she had the maturity required. I say this all because now that Lindsey's moods are controlled, she does not require discipline but if she did, she has the ability to feel badly for what she has done. She also is in a "normal" state of mind where charts,incentives, etc are appealing to her and I believe would work. It is very easy to look at others and judge -- they should do that with their child, etc. and I know there are things that Jonathan and I have totally failed on, but when you have children that are constantly crying, screaming, raging, whining, etc. and the regular discipline does not work, you get very, very tired. I told our bishop last night that we only started scripture study again because our children truly could not be in the same room together. Now that would be easy to look and judge again from someone else's perspective, no you have to do family scripture reading, your family will be blessed, but when you have the kids to yourself and no spouse to help and they are about killing each other, it put my stress level up to unhealthy leavels. At times, they are misbehaving because you have not done what you need to do but you just don't want to do it anymore. You just want to have a well behaved child. And most of the time, you have done all the right things, but the end situation is no better. I'm not talking about a kid whining for candy in the grocery store or having an occasional tantrum or misbehavior, I am talking about the constant issues -- they wear on you and make you feel defeated. You get tired of constantly being on guard and waiting for the next problem. When we went bowling something happened with Lindsey and I said, you know we don't do that and so you need to stop and she said, okay and stopped and that was it. What, I thought, where is the screaming, crying, raging, hand flapping,etc. Not there ... oh my goodness, I felt like it was way too easy.

Thanksgiving

We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving this year. The bottom line is, we didn't want to invite anyone or go anywhere. We just wanted Jonathan to ourselves. He was exhausted after driving home until around 1:00 am Thursday morning and we had a relaxing day. The kids got to jump all over him and play crazy. It was awesome. On Friday we went bowling. Now for most of you, this is not a big thing but to have all of our kids and to have them all have fun, behaving, no tantrums, no running around, no getting mad because someone scored higher and just to laugh and have fun was a humongous treat. Jenna said she things she found a new hidden talent - that yes, with the bumpers in, she beat us all! I made my first apple pies this year because I do hate pie, but they turned out very good. My tastes are slightly changing and I can see a little bit why people like pie now and am thinking I may even eat some next year.
On Saturday, Michael and Jonathan played a church football game and we went and cheered them on. As usual, we went and picked up a young man but only one because I wouldn't allow for more than that because I wanted us to all go together and not have to drive two vehicles. It amazed me that even with Jonathan home for just a few days, we had people calling and asking if we would get their kids when there was no reason their own parents could not take them. They know Jonathan is just home for a few days and yet they still wanted him to drive all around the county and pick people up (not leaders, parents). That was amazing to me how inconsiderate they thought to be of our time together. I'm not brewing about it, just kind of amazed!

Jenna does not seem to be so well improved anymore. I don't know what happened, but she is kind of back to herself. Jenna's medicine was not tailored for her - just a general one they sell. Lindsey's was put together specifically for her symptoms and she continues to behave beautifully. She was so fun - laughing, joking, happy and NOT MOODY for the entire holiday. She is such a joy and really does have a great personality! She is sleeping well, eating well, and using the bathroom well. Jonathan was pretty amazed at the change in her and at first, thought Jenna was going well, too, but it does seem like Lindsey's doctor is certainly the better of the two -- or possibly Lindsey is just responding better. However, I tend to think it is just better medicine. Yesterday, for the first time in years, Lindsey did not melt down after Primary and start her hand flapping and crying fit stating that she just had to leave right at that second. I don't know if she is digesting food better or maybe her blood sugar is better regulated, but she normally has a fit that she is hungry but doesn't know what is the matter, etc. She just waited patiently and stayed happy. She also played her first complete game on Fri. night and did not quit or go off in a huff. She lost gracefully and happy. Now what to do with Jenna ... we are trying one more month on her drops and if not better, she will also go to Lindsey's doctor (who is much more expensive) which is the reason for the reluctance.

Fifth Grade Winter Sparkle Ball

Erin came home from school a couple of weeks ago with a notice about the 5th grade Winter Sparkle Ball. I could not believe it ... a 5th grade ball?!! Talk about wanting these kids to grow up way too fast and it listed dress as semi-formal. Erin was absolutely beaming and thought this was the greatest thing in the whole entire world. I called Jonathan and he said, no way is she going. I said, well, let me get a little more information and find out exactly what it is all about. So one day when I was up at the school, I asked the secretary about it. She said this was the first she had heard about it and to ask her teacher. I said, well maybe the principal would be better, but she was out for the day. So she asked me to write down my name and phone number and someone would get back with me. I also added on the sheet of paper Erin's name and her teacher..........

Okay, so a couple of hours later I get a phone call from the secretary. She said, Ms. Ward, this is Tanya from Atoka Elementary School. I just wanted to let you know that your daughter is in 3rd grade and not 5th grade, so this dance isn't anything you need to worry about because 3rd graders aren't invited. I just stared at the phone with my mouth open. I had to think for a minute because I wanted to say, oh my goodness, you are so right! Thank you for clarifying that situation for me! And to think, this whole year I thought she was a 5th grader, but now that you bring it to my attention, I remember she really is in 3rd grade. But I didn't. No, I said slowly, I was asking for my daughter Erin WHO IS IN THE 5TH GRADE. Oh, she said, well, it is an after school event so your daughter is not required to go if you don't want her to. Again, I paused and slowly said, I understand she does not need to go to an after school function, I just wanted to get some information on what would be happening at this event.

So a couple of hours later I got another phone call from her teacher, Ms. Webb. She assured me there would not be slow dancing (hip grinding) and no dates. She also said Sunday best was very appropriate dress and they did not want anyone buying a new dress for this. It was just a fun event ... hula hoop contests, line dancing, pictures, food, etc. I told her in that case, a different name may be more appropriate such as the 5th grade sock hop, 5th grade Christmas party, anything other than the 5th grade ball. She said, I can tell you are not very comfortable with this and so would you like to chaperone? Yes, I would. It turns out that this dance, like everything else, is really just a fund raiser. They are at a new school this year (brand new school) and it seems like every time we turn around, there is another fund raiser. It is so ridiculous that they have to pay $1 to wear pajamas for pajama day and $1 to wear a silly hat for silly hat day. I know they are trying to get a playground, etc, but I really miss their old school. They had a principal with common sense who treasured childhood and was in no hurry to promote things beyond their years. I also miss their old secretary who knew every child and every family and had lots of intelligence as well as good old common sense!

Another Day

Okay, so for my records here goes their progress:
Jenna is eating better and seems not so agitated. She still is getting up nicely in the mornings and no meltdowns so far. She does not seem to crave sugar as much. When shes cries now I can tell it is mostly fake so I tell her she is faking and she gets a big smile and stops. She continues to be much more rational and though still super duper wiggly, she is happy.
Lindsey was very tired this morning but instead of screaming and lashing out, came and asked me to help her. She seemed out of it and said she could not figure out any clothes to wear. I got her clothes, and she said thank you (again, that is huge for Lindsey) and put them on. She took her medicine nicely and stated she hates the taste. She has two capsules and she cannot swallow pills so she has to open them and mix with applesauce. But she does this on her own and finishes all the applesauce. She told me last night that she still gets mad inside but only a little and she can control it better and she feels more in control since taking the medicine. She also came home yesterday and said school was great. When I asked her why, she said she did not know why, it just was. Maybe she is feeling less anxiety, I don't know. Lindsey in school always has lots of friends and I think the kids kind of rally around her and like to protect her because she is shy and is a quiet crier, as in, when she gets nervous she sits quietly with tears streaming down her face. She just seemed very happy when she came home. Had another bowel movement and said she used to go every 3-4 days and now goes every day. She said that alone makes her feel alot better. She asked me to get her some tictacs or mini m&ms today so that she can practice swallowing pills.

Car Ride to School

So, I was not prepared for this one. On the way to school today, Michael said, all I hear about anymore is sex. I said, oh, well where do you hear about this? Oh, school, church, etc. Church, I asked? Well, they use nicer terms and I know they are trying to help us, but it's still all I hear about. So then he goes on to say, but I have a question, what is gay sex? I about choked? Where are you hearing about that, I asked? In my Sunday School class. Do you mean your teacher is bringing up this conversation? No, another kid in my class asked about it to which I replied, well what did your teacher say? Oh, she just said you don't need to worry about it because gay marriage is not legal in Tennessee. I guess going along the lines that you don't have sex outside of marriage so we don't need to worry about that if they can't get married. I thought for sure then it was going to go into, well, I don't even understand that, how do two guys have sex ... but luckily he did not ask that. YIKES! Talk about an early morning discussion! So we just talked about how people today think that anything they want to do is okay, but how it is not Heavenly Father's plan, etc, Adam and Eve, the purpose of marriage, etc. I need Jonathan to come back!

Chinese Medicine

For a year or so, Jonathan and I have been contemplating putting Jenna on something for her rages. She often gets completely out of control and is very overstimulated. She also never, ever stops moving or talking. However, she seems to hold it together at school ...but the second she walks in the door, she starts screaming about something. The only thing that helps her is to get sent to her room, barricade the door, and then after about 20 minutes of kicking, screaming, body slams, and she often cries herself to sleep, and when she wakes up, she is much better. I think part of this goes along with ocd in that she gets "stuck" and cannot get out of it, but I don't know if that is it, either. We have had tons of people tell us she is classic ADHD, but what has held us back is that if kids are on ritalin, etc. typically it only lasts for the school day and she is able to hold it together there behavior wise and academic wise, so we didn't see any great benefit. Anyway, after lots of thinking (years of thinking) we decided to take her for acupuncture. Well, that was an interesting experience because as soon as the dr started putting needles in her, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "get these things out of me" and when he didn't, she proceeded to pull them out herself (it does not hurt -- or so they tell me). At that point, I said to the dr, did I mention she has absolutely no pain tolerance?!! I took her back one more time and though she left them in a little longer, they are supposed to be in for about 15-20 minutes and she left them in for about 2 minutes, thus I felt it not to be a good use of money. He said her problems were her kidneys and spleen. He did not look at her tongue and feel her pulse which I was expecting him to do, but said he could tell that from the fact she searches the house for sugar (from the jar) and eats it by the spoonfulls if she can. She also licks salt right from the shaker. He said her body was telling him what was wrong ... who knows. However, he did give us some herbs for her to take in tincture form and this is my observation of them so far, and I am going to continue to post because I want to keep an accurate account. From day one, she falls asleep much easier and wakes easy and happy. She has only had one rage this week and that was at church on Wednesday night when it got late, and though she did cry some at other times, I was actually able to talk to her and she listened and stopped quickly. It was like a normal cry, and not a rage and her brain did not seem to be stuck. Her personality did not change. She was still very energetic, just not out of control. The part I loved is that every time she screams, she says, I hate myself, no one likes me, I'm so bad, etc. I asked her last night how she felt about herself and she said she felt really good about herself.

Lindsey also saw a chinese doctor, but a different one. This is because I know nothing of chinese medicine and didn't have a good referral from anyone. Jenna's doctor was an american doctor trained in TCM (traditional chinese medicine) and Lindsey's was an actual chinese man also trained in TCM. He is a 3rd generation doctor. Lindsey's experience was different. The reason she went is because she has been constipated since she was little and when I find her underwear still, let's just say it is not a pleasant site. She is also incredibly moody and physical at lashing out to others. She can be very sweet and when she is happy, she is an absolute joy. She is also very funny and makes us laugh all of the time. She just has a fun, cute personality. However, it is like walking on eggshells around her all the time because she can switch just like that. She also has alot of anxiety and has had times that I thought were a start of ocd for her. She also has a lot of sensory issues and flaps her hands alot or wrings her hands over and over when she is agitated. Lindsey LOVES the doctor. She enjoys acupuncture and was a perfect patient. She has gone two times and she actually gets her needles in her stomach, hands, legs and feet. He looked at her tongue and felt her pulse and said she has bad blood (?) and a poorly functioning liver. He has his own herbal pharmacy so where Jenna's drops came already prepared, I had to go back two days later to pick up Lindsey's capsules. He specifically made them for her. The purpose is supposed to be to improve digestion, help her liver to detox, help her constipation and increase blood flow to her brain so that it can regulate and keep healthy seratonin levels for better moods/less anxiety. Lindsey has been taking her herbs since Saturday morning, so two days. Her report so far is that she has had a bowel movement every day and she says it is much easier to go. She says she feels more calm, I don't know if I see it, but this morning she could not find her shoes and Erin found them for her. Normally, Erin would have to put them down and run because that would be something Lindsey would lash out at her for. However, she looked at her and said a simple thank you. I could not believe my ears. That, for her, is some progress.

I have lots of friends and some family whose children are taking medication for many different reasons and please know that I have tons of respect and admiration for what each of you is doing with your children. In our case, I did not see where traditional medicine was going to help my girls, so I opted for an alternative, and it may do the world of good or it may flop in my face -- but either way I am fascinated with all of this. Both drs said it takes about 3 weeks to see results, but so far, it looks at least somewhat promising.

Piano Recital

I am trying to load my recital. It had some okay moments and lots of bad moments, but I did it and it is over! I was going to edit out the bad, but I thought, what the heck, I'll reveal it all! Two pieces I bombed, but one was my own fault. About half way through, I thought, wow, I am nailing this. I am awesome! And then it all fell apart! You should not lose focus nor should you let pride get in your way! All my little glitches are not that I forgot the music, rather that my fingers would just not move -- it was like they were frozen. I am actually very proud of myself and what did I learn? Never do another recital without taking a tranqilizer. I am not into drugging myself up, but I would not purposely subject myself to another day of clawed, shaky, cold, and clammy hands that do not bend as well as intense fear! Those are things you should not have to go through as an adult! And did I mention, it was all memorized? I was actually very impressed with my memorizing abilities because I did not think I could do it.

http://www.nowupload.com/:ZXV

I KNEW IT WOULD HAPPEN . ....

Ever since we moved to Tennessee, I have been kind of freaked out by the fact that there so few street lights and so many ditches. I just knew I would end up in a ditch one day. Well, I have never gone into a ditch and lately I was just thinking, I don't know why I was so upset about them, I have actually done very well.

Tonight we decided to go out "Boo'ing". The missionaries came over for dinner and when they left, Michael, Erin, Lindsey, Jenna, Andrew and Madison (Erin's friend) went out on a mission to Boo 3 families. They all live fairly far away from each other and all of their roads are very dark. The first one went fine and we got to the second, the job was done and all was well. As we raced away and got to the end of their street, I went to turn around in someone's driveway and thought when I backed out that I was further than I actually was. When I went to go turn the wheel to turn back on the road, I went down their driveway ditch. Everyone here has them and I never saw it coming. It made a loud thud as we went down and then I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't get back up but wondered if I should complete the drop and go all the way down because once down, I could drive back up -- not on the driveway but on the grass (hard to explain) but when I tried to go further, there was that awful under the car scraping noise that no one wants to hear, so what could I do other than call the person whose house we had just boo'd and ask if he could come tow us out! Of course then the surprise was ruined, hey, we just boo'd you, can you come get us out of the ditch! But he did come with his truck (only after calling Jonathan who told him to give us a super hard time!) and thought he couldn't get us out, but after thinking for a moment, he ran home, got some wood and made kind of an impromptu ramp that worked like a charm. When we were towed back up, the fender fell off the car and the kids started screaming, "our van's falling apart!!!" in this kind of terror, but it popped back on and I don't know if there is damage, but we drove home okay. All I could think of was the conference talk about laughing at yourself and so we laughed and laughed and since we decided not to go venture onto yet another dark country road tonight (for our 3rd house), we ate all of that family's treats on the way home!

All for Nothing

So I took Michael to his Scout Leader's house to go and his wife would not let them take their van. They crammed four boys and one leader and all of their things into this tiny little Mazda. Michael was able to take the cot, but no mattress. He held out hope until the end. His Young Men's president said, Michael, you're like a princess having to take a mattress to which he replied, yeah, I may be a princess but I sure would be a well rested one!

My Creation

I am rather proud of myself. Michael is going on a weekend trip with the Young Men to Baton Rouge, LA to do cleanups from Hurricane Ike. I do not believe in having a miserable time because of awful sleeping conditions while camping (which is what they'll be doing) and not knowing exactly what they will be seeing and with Michael's thought problems, I just wanted to make sure he would sleep well at night ... so I was trying out all different types of sleeping arrangements. Normally, we use air mattresses but lately ours have started to leak and I really didn't want to buy new ones because it seems like we always have leaking problems; so, I purchased Michael a folding cot. It folds into a bag really quite compact and takes up virtually no space. Then I thought the cot was not quite comfortable enough, so I got a foam mattress topper, you know, the egg crate type -- all grooved. Well that was very nice and comfy, but I thought still a little thin, so I went to Target today and was going to get a 2nd, but then I spotted mattress toppers filled with what, I don't know, probably polyester or something but for the purpose of camping, I thought they looked great. They were really marketed for dorm rooms, but with school shopping over, they were on clearance for $10 but rather cushy and thick, so I got one of those. The combination of those two was perfect, but I didn't want Michael to have bed pieces all over the place, so I dug in my linen closet and found a set of sheets we do not use and they are Navy blue -- what a great camping color -- 2nd best only to brown! Then I made the dreaded trip to take out my sewing machine, and goodness knows, I cannot sew but I willed myself to set it up and begin, and this was my final creation. I made a kind of duvet cover and stuck both the mattress topper and foam pad inside so that it can be all rolled up like a sleeping bag. Okay, for anyone with sewing talent, this would be pathetic but for my ability, I have to say I did a darn good job!

Oct 2nd is the Date

Oct 2nd is the official date of my first piano recital. I am not excited for it, but I am excited for it to be over. My teacher asked me, "What do you want people to feel when they are listening to you play" My answer: Nothing, I am just looking for some support. "Well what type of message are you trying to send?" My answer: This is amazing that I have memorized and am playing for you a gazillion notes all in one song. Who cares what they think ... these are friendship dues -- nothing more and nothing less! My teacher, Brother Call, is very into this event and has designated my friend Mandi to be my concert promoter. He has booked the church and is dictating my invitation list of at least 50 people. Okay, I am thinking about 10! In all honesty though, I have memorized 10 pieces for my recital and it is possible that I will do a very respectable job, of course, when my fingers are shaking like an earthquake has hit, the outcome may be quite different. Our Primary pianist was not there on Sunday so I played. I did pretty well until the birthday song. One of my Primary kids, Jax, said, "Sister Ward, that is pretty bad to come play in Primary when you can't play the birthday song!" But then he said, maybe when you move, you will get the job of Primary piano player ... yes, Jax, that is exactly what I am hoping for, too!

Erin did officially make the choir, and she is elated. If you can believe it, in 5th grade choir there are choir fees that must be paid. I feel like I am going to scream if one more child comes home from school with one more note asking for money or supplies! We haven't even recovered from school shopping yet!

AND THIS IS WHY I LOVE ATOKA, TN

On Friday, Erin had her callbacks for honor choir. Normally, since I am so pathetic in the mornings and cannot get myself up, Erin and Lindsey are amazing helpers. Erin makes sure Jenna gets up kind of gets her going. I take care of Lindsey, but Lindsey gets Jenna's snack together, and then I make the final roll call when it is time to pray and go out for the bus. Well, since Erin stressed how important this day was for her and that she absolutely had to be to school on time, I told her not to worry about anyone but herself. In was on that day that I realized just how much of a help it really is, and Erin and Lindsey made the bus, but Jenna did not. She had about 5 meltdowns, especially when it was time to put on her shoes. I never did figure out the problem. Anyway, as we ran outside, seeing if the bus was still there, it was soon obvious we had missed it. The middle school/high school bus was just pulling up as we were running out and the bus driver opened her window and yelled out to me that she would take Jenna and would catch up to the elementary school bus and make sure that she got on safely. So Jenna did not hesitate. She ran up to the bus and I never worried. I did not feel I had to call the school to make sure Jenna was there. I knew she would either get on her bus or the other bus driver would take Jenna to school. And she did make it to her own bus with no problems.

Callbacks!

Erin has a 5th grade honor choir at her school this year and they had auditions last week. She informed me that she would find out today or tomorrow if she had made the callback list -- and she then informed me that if she did not make callbacks, she would not cry at school but she would certainly cry when she got home. I think they take 30 children, but there are about 150 in 5th grade at her school. Well she came home today full of smiles because she made the callback list. They reaudition on Friday and I would be highly surprised if she doesn't make it, but I guess you never know. Way to go, Erin!

Stomach Bug ... Yuck!

Last night, in the middle of the night, in came Andrew because he had wet his bed and then after that was taken care of, Lindsey straggled in. She said she felt sick and sure enough, she wasn't there for more than a minute and she started vomiting. Luckily, she had grabbed a bowl on her way so that part wasn't bad. She fell right back asleep, but stayed home from school today. She said she was feeling alot better, but I missed my church cleaning job today because Lindsey was home and I clean on Tuesday. When the kids all got home from school, I ran up to the church to clean for not my normal four hours, but just long enough to get the trash emptied and the church vacuumed. While I was in the hallway, someone came to the door which always freaks me out when I am there alone. It was Chris Hodges, who is in our Ward and also in the Navy Band. He was hurrying to get his key into the lock and in ran his 5 yr old daughter, Chloe. I thought she had to go to the bathroom, but he said they were driving and she had said she felt like she was going to get sick, too. Now that part, I found amusing because if we were out and about and one of my children said they felt sick, I would not run to the church, chance them not making to the bathroom, and then even if they make it, let them vomit in a public toilet - I would just lead them to some inconspicuous grass, but anyway, I then called my friend Mandi and her little boy had the same thing, so I guess this fun bug is going around. Lindsey felt fine all day but then tonight we took Michael to karate and she fell asleep. When we got home, she said she felt sick again, and sure enough, it looks like this isn't as quick a sickness as I thought. These are the times it is hard to be alone. To take care of her and then try to give a little attention to everyone else is hard because you can only stretch yourself so far -- and honestly, I feel quite queasy, too. Oh well, hopefully we're blessed and this will pass over the rest of our family!

Kit Kittredge: American Girl Movie

Well yesterday we saw the Kit Kittredge movie and it was excellent! We went up to the base and ours has a really cute little movie theatre, which is free. I love it there! There are about 35 seats plus lots of bean bag chairs on the floor, so the kids can either sit or lounge. Popcorn is free and drinks are 75 cents, and candy is 75 cents. I really enjoy going there for a couple of reasons; first, they show pretty good movies and only once have I seen it really crowded; second, it is a fun thing to let the kids invite a friend to without it costing very much; third, if anyone gets antsy (typically Andrew) I can leave with him and still feel like the kids are safe because it is so small and only one way in and one way out; and fourth, it is in the same building as a lounge with lots of tv's with all types of video game systems and games, ping pong tables, pool tables, air hockey, computers, board games, etc. So I can leave Michael out playing video games if he thinks the movie is too "girly" for him. He opted not to go into this one, but I think he really would have liked it.

Small Favors

You have to appreciate the small favors of life, and today this was mine. Andrew lay down on my bedroom floor about 5:00 pm playing with his little police car and now at 10:30 he is still asleep. It was such an easy night! And he is not sick, I think just worn out. Now I have to think, do I dare move him to his bed or do I just leave him there! Sleep tight, little guy.

BEST FEELING

One of my favorite all time treats is when I go to take clothes from the washer to the dryer and find that the dryer is actually empty! Hallelujah!

Grandparents Day

For the second year in a row, Jenna has had grandparents day at school. I absolutely despise this day because for all those little ones who do not have grandparents remotely near, it is not an enjoyable day. I did not grow up with any grandparents close and every year I either had my grandmother-aged babysitter come (at my mother's request ... not mine) or I had no one. There were always some lucky kids with two grandmothers in attendance and usually one would go try to find a poor soul such as myself and sit by me, but I always felt a little humilitated. My mom promised she would always come out for grandparents day, but she has not ... so, poor Jenna. Anyway, I decided I am going in to eat breakfast with her, and I didn't even ask permission (boy am I getting rebellious)! I'm sorry, Jenna, that you don't have any grandma's coming for your special day, but I hope you know how much I love you!

Armpit Hair

I about died laughing a couple of nights ago. Michael came into my room and asked if he could talk to me for a minute. He shut the door and said, Mom, I have to tell you something and I am kind of freaked out about it. Of course, a million thoughts go through my head as to what was the matter and my panic is rising and he then says, "I'm growing hair under my arms". It took everything I had not to laugh out loud but I sure was chuckling on the inside. He then asked, do you want to see it? I don't know, I asked ... do I have to? Yes, he felt he had to show it to me so I looked and there is just this little tuft of hair. I gave the whole, Michael, this is just what happens speech, blah, blah, blah and he said, I know but I just don't want to be as hairy as Dad!!!

Erin's New Teeth

At Erin's last orthodontist appointment, they told me that her orthodontist needed to see me for a consultation. Erin took that to mean her braces were coming off. I took it to mean they were going to hit us up for some new procedure and more money. However, Erin told me it was important to have faith, and by golly, she was right.

Here is a picture of Erin with no more braces. I think she looks beautiful!

On a sad note, Jonathan left today for 8 months. That is not fun for any of us. I feel a little bad because people have made comments to him like they would never leave their family, or he doesn't need to go to the school, etc. and I take them to be judgemental comments. It feels like this is the right thing to do for reasons that are clear to us -- and as a family we feel very peaceful and positive. Our Ward and our friends here has reached out with so much love and support that it is truly unbelievable. We feel incredibly blessed to be here in Tennessee, and we just pray these next months go by quickly!

Blendtec - Smoothies Galore!

When Jonathan and I got married (16 yrs ago), his parents gave us a mixer/wheat grinder from Kitchen Mill. Well, after 16 yrs, our wheat grinder stopped working. Jonathan thought it was not the motor but some other teeth like part. We called the company and asked them about it because we thought that part had a lifetime warranty. They told us to send it back and they would look at it. Worst case scenario was that they would refurbish it for $100 -- so we sent it back and about 3 weeks later they mailed us back a brand new wheat grinder for free. How's that for customer service?!!! It was then that we learned the products are no longer Kitchen Mill but Blendtec, as that is what is advertised on our new wheat grinder.

Being so impressed with the company, we started looking at their other products and saw a blender we really liked. We decided we were going to get this for our birthdays in October, but since Jonathan will be gone long before then (and we got a killer deal on Ebay), we ordered one. It is so fun I can hardly believe it. Jonathan has been making us smoothies (you can put an apple in whole -- they say don't even remove the seeds because that is where the protein comes from), Wendy's frosties (yum!) and Jonathan even made a loaf of bread starting with the wheat kernels themselves. It crushes ice like nothing I've ever seen. The funnest part is you don't have to guess on anything because the machine automatically shuts off when it is done. I have had a T-Fal blender for years that I do not like and it is just pathetic compared to this amazing blender. I think there is nothing it cannot do! All I can say is "WOW!"

A good Day!

Erin, Lindsey and Jenna all decided to take the bus this morning. I was not surprised for Erin and Jenna, but for Lindsey this is huge! She has intense bus phobia which doesn't mean she is afraid of the bus, but she is scared to death she will not know which bus to get on and she did it! I am so proud of her. In addition, last night she said that she was not scared and she didn't understand why. She said she was excited for school, but not really nervous at all. What a great day.

School Dress Code

I love the dress code here in our schools. I didn't know public schools could have such a strict dress code, but they do and this code is strictly enforced. So did you catch that? In elementary school, they can wear shorts if they are to the knees, but in middle school and high school, no shorts at all.

MUNFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL DRESS CODE


Students are expected to keep themselves well-groomed and neatly dressed at all times. Any form of dress or hair style which is contrary to good hygiene or which is disruptive or detrimental to the orderly educational progress of other students will not be permitted.
The following specific items of apparel or accessory will not be permitted.



(THIS LIST IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE)



DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS:




SHORTS, SHORT SKIRTS, OR SHORT DRESSES




Tube tops, halters, tank tops, fishnet shirts/tops or shirts that show any part of the stomach or cleavage. Spandex, leotard type pants, slit skirts, and mini-skirts are inappropriate.



ANY clothing that advertises drugs, alcoholic beverages, casinos or have obscene or inappropriate printing or pictures.




Shoes with metal cleats or taps




Bare feet, flip-flops, or house shoes




Head coverings of any kind - caps, hats, nets, wave caps, du-rags, bandannas, etc.




Sunglasses




Pants with belts or buttons unbuckled or unbuttoned




Overalls with straps unbuckled




Pants or shirts that are torn or have holes or rips.




Low riding pants, pants with writing on the rear, and pajama pants.




Body piercing and accessories considered dangerous, disruptive or detrimental example:

long chains or studded dog collars


Pants with belt loops must be worn with a belt




Safety, health, and individual dignity provide the basis for any dress code. If clothing is disruptive to the learning process or if it is embarrassing to others, steps will be taken to deal with the individual student. If there is a question as to whether an article of clothing is appropriate for school wear, please contact the school administration prior to wearing.

First Day of School

Missing from the pictures is Michael because he is missing his first THREE days of school! Lucky Kid! Erin had on a pair of new tan pants that looked so cute on her. She came home 3 hours later with a sick look on her face. When I asked her what was wrong she showed me the sharpie marker line right across the knee on her pants. She said, it just slipped right off of my paper -- I asked my teacher if she thought it would come out and she said no, probably not. Though I feel badly, it reaffirms in mind (again and again) why I do not like to pay much for Erin's clothes, as they only typically last only short while!

Kindergarten Registration

We just got back from Kindergarten registration and after seeing all the teachers, I am still super glad that Jenna is with Ms. Patricia. She is truly wonderful! After going to Jenna's classroom, we walked around the brand new school to find Erin and Lindsey's classrooms. There are three main hallways where the classrooms are. Jenna's hallway is green, Lindsey's is orange and Erin's is either purple or blue; I can't remember at the moment. I like that because if they get lost they only have to look for their color and that narrows things down quite a bit. At their school last year, it was so overcrowded that they did away with the music and art rooms and those teachers traveled with carts. Now they are back to having regular music and art rooms and that is really fun. Their old music teacher was loony and she did not transfer to the new school, and all I can say about that is "Praise the Lord!"

Yesterday, I found out that Lindsey and Jax, a boy from Primary, will be in the same classroom again. I called them both over and told them they were together again. Lindsey's comment was, "That's disgusting" and Jax's comment was, "You might as well just shoot me now." I told them both that people save such words like those for those they love the best! However, tonight after seeing that Jax is the only one she knows in her class, Lindsey is rethinking her previous words and is rather happy they are together. Erin has her friend Briana in her class. They have been together now for three years and Briana lives two houses away from us. Jenna, however, knows no one in her class and you can see her anxiety levels topping the chart. They have staggered beginning for kindergarteners and I am thrilled that she gets to go on the first day because only after going will she feel better. There is nothing I can say.

So Jonathan isn't even gone yet (well he is gone ... but not to Virginia) and I am already tired! I don't know if I am up for 7 months of this -- yikes!!! Andrew screamed all the way home because he doesn't want to go to his preschool anymore. He wants to be in Jenna's kindergarten class. I was trying to figure out what was wrong and he said he didn't want to go to the little school anymore (his school) and Jenna said, he just wants to be in elementary school. Andrew then tried to repeat it ... Yes, I just want to be in ____ (long pause). He was trying and trying to com eup with the word, but he could not remember the word elementary and he probably can't say it either. So finally he said, Yeah, I just want what Jenna said!

And More

My neighbor Carolyn, who lives across the street, is good friends with Jenna's Pre-K teacher from last year, Ms. Patricia. We loved Ms. Patricia (isn't that funny here ... all the kids call their teachers by their first names in the elementary school only) and when we learned she would be a kindergarten teacher this year and would also be moving to the new Atoka Elementary School, we really wanted Jenna to have her again. Anyway, I had heard from Lindsey's teacher and Erin's teacher, but not from Jenna's teacher. So tonight I went over to Carolyn's to see if she would call Ms. Patricia and find out if Jenna was in her class. While I was at Carolyn's front door knocking, up drove a car and who was it but Ms. Patricia! And yes, Jenna will be in her class next year. She is the only Pre-K student from her class last year that will be blessed to have this wonderful teacher again. We were so excited that even Andrew couldn't stop hugging her. It looks like they should all have a great year!

School Shopping ... Officially DONE!!!

For those of you with boys, you will just not even understand how big a feat this is, but for those with girls, I know you are with me. When Michael got school age, I always thought school shopping was rather easy, as in you just get a few pair of pants, twice as many shirts, and a pair of new shoes -- no big deal. You could go out in one afternoon, make a quick sweep of the store, and presto, shopping was done. Michael barely ever wore out his clothes, so I maybe had to supplement with one or two items during the year and that was it. School shopping for girls is an entirely different story! For someone who herself hates to wear more than jeans and a t-shirt, it is not fun to look at your girls and have them look sloppy or mismatched. I like their clothes perfectly matched with good socks and matching shoes. Okay, to be honest, if I could afford to just go into any store and pick out what I wanted regardless of cost, it wouldn't be so bad, but to try to bargain shop it all can make it into a daunting task. I finally finished last week after finding Erin some awesome shirts at a department store and then 6 pr of capris (in the same lot) on Ebay for $20 (including shipping). 6 pair of capris that are like new is a pretty good deal if you ask me. So the clothes were done, but today was tax free shopping day in Tennessee, so I went to Walmart very early this morning and got the mounds of items on their class lists, one last pair of shoes for Erin, found super cute Crocs (imiatation) on sale for $2.00 and got all the girls a pair, found Jenna's kindergarten mat, stocked up on socks and new underwear, and now I can truthfully say we are good to go! I was dreading this Walmart trip, but early in the morning, it was quite enjoyable. Now all of their backpacks are overflowing with all of these supplies, but we are ready!

Later this afternoon, Lindsey's new teacher called to introduce herself and my goodness, I am in love with her already. Her name is Ms. Craig. I talked to her briefly about Lindsey's anxiety and she told me she always hugs her kids in school (which is exactly what Lindsey needs) and that she has a real soft spot for shy girls. She is experienced, super sweet, and said she will totally watch out for Lindsey and the anxiety she will be having with going to the new school. I am really excited!!!

Well, that's it for now. I am going outside to attempt the task of cleaning out our van. The mere thought makes me cringe, but it sure does feel better when it's done.

Manners

I had a bunch of children playing at my house today and then they all wanted to go on the water slides, so I got it out, set it up and then had to sit out there and monitor everything ... well this took up a lot of time on my part, which was fine, but when the first group left, they did just that. They got up and left (these were some of Michael's friends and Michael is not here). So since I was just sitting there, I decided it would be good if I reminded them of some basic manners. I called them back over and explained that when I am required to sit out and monitor their playing, which I have to do on that slide, and when they decide to leave there are 4 words I really need to hear. They are "thank you" and "good bye". So they looked relieved that they weren't in some kind of trouble, repeated what I told them to say and they were good sports. Well next left two of Jenna's little friends and again, they just kind of took off together. So I called them back over and explained that since they were here playing with Jenna, when they decide to go, first they should say goodbye to Jenna and then they should say good bye to me, and again, I would appreciate a thank you. So they did just that. And then it seemed like all the kids were paying attention to my manners lesson and really soaking it all in, and do you know for the rest of the day, any time one of them came over, I got a goodbye and a thank you. When did manners stop being important?!!!

Colors ... Colors ... Colors

I think I'm going to have to change my background soon -- it does make me rather dizzy when I look at it! But just for kicks, I'll leave it for another week or so. My absolute favorite color in the world is pink. I love it with a passion. Now of my 3 girls, Erin's favorite color has always been pink, Jenna's is pink, and Lindsey's is blue. I think they all look beautiful in pink, but Lindsey can wear about any color well, Erin looks really good in white, pink, blue, lavendar and green, and Jenna looks good in white, pink, sage green, red and lavendar. When the girls were little I always dressed them in pink, and I feel now like I may have overdone it. Erin was talking to my mom on the phone tonight and I overheard her saying that her "old" favorite color was pink but now it kind of makes her sick. What?!!! My ears perked right up. She said her new favorite color is green. Jenna then came in and said that pink kind of makes her sick too and now she only likes red. I already know Lindsey doesn't like pink. Oh boy, they could tell I was absolutely crushed so they both quickly TRIED to redeemed themselves and said actually that pink was their second favorite color, but I don't believe those words for a minute. Oh what am I going to do?!!! Lucky for me the school shopping is already done (school starts next week) and so for at least one more year, pink will still be the color of preference in their closets!

New Look

I chose this green retro background because when Michael was first born, Jonathan got a job teaching in Paintsville, KY. He went out a couple of days before we did and found us a house to rent. It was very much like a farm house and it was filthy. The missionaries had lived in it for years and it had fleas (because the missionaries had cats) and spiders and canned food that was about 20 years outdated. I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned that place. I threw out mounds and mounds of trash and eventually got it decent. Anyway, the biggest drawback to the house was that everything was green and not just one color green, but various shades. This background reminds me of the kitchen floor design. I know it well because I spend many an hour scrubbing on my hands and knees. I'll have to find some pictures and post them for your visual enjoyment! We lived there for 4 months and I just couldn't take it anymore -- thus prompted the purchasing of our first home!

I Passed Some Gas

At our party, a little girl came whose name is Fiona. She is 8 years old and she has a lot of anxiety and needs to talk alot -- yet she is quite proper and has a quiet voice. That is very familiar to me so I feel quite a bond to little Fiona. Her mom did not stay and Fiona came up to me after we had eaten cake and told me that she didn't feel so well and that this happens to her alot when she is at other people's homes that she doesn't go to all the time and eats sweets -- so I told her to just go sit down for a little bit and drink some water, which she did and she shortly came and told me that she felt alot better and that she thought she could go and play outside again. Fast forward a week, Fiona was at the roller skating party. Her mom had to go and put her little sister to bed and Fiona did not know how to roller skate, so bless her heart, she was holding on to the wall and holding on to poles and holding on to many people. She was very distressed and yet excited at the same time. Well they had some snacks out and cake. Fiona came up to me and told me that she did not feel very well because she had just eaten 8 (I thought she was going to say pieces of cake) cheetos and again explained that this happens to her alot when she is at places she normally doesn't go, so I told her to go get some water and sit down for a little bit and she would feel better. So about 30 second later, she came back so excited and said, Sister Ward, guess what I feel better and I think I can skate again! I said, oh, Fiona that was fast -- I told you that water would make you feel better to which she replied, oh no, that wasn't it, Sister Ward. I just passed some gas!

Rollerskating

So the kids were invited to a rollerskating party on Saturday night and they had rented out our local skating rink (which isn't anything to brag about -- the rink that is) but anyway, it was mostly people we knew from church. Michael decided to go and I don't know if any of you remember in Newport, Michael's friends were all into rollerblading and poor Michael absolutely could not skate -- so I tried to teach him and that didn't work and he ended up taking ice skating lessons. By the end of the 6 weeks, he was catching on a little. Well, I don't think he has skated since then but he decided to go and he put on some skates and he did a good job. Jenna, Erin and Lindsey are all really good skaters, but the person I'd like to brag on is myself. Since my Primary children were there, I thought I would make them laugh and skate around a little and so I was doing it as a joke, but I have to say I am still pretty good on roller skates. I was the only one there who could skate backwards and I tried the sitting duck move but the skates they have there are very back heavy, as in if you lean back at all, you wipe out so everytime I tried to bend my knees to basically sit down, I would fall back. It was a really fun evening and was like a step back in time. So we had our party two weeks ago on a Sat. evening, then last Sat they went roller skating ... the kids are getting used to this and are wondering who is having the party this week! Another girl, Michelle, was there with her boys and she is in our Relief Society Presidency. I told her we should have our next enrichment night at the rink and she agreed. Wouldn't that be funny to see all the ladies skating!

On another church note, two months ago a group of us decided to do our visiting teaching at Chili's over dinner and we had a fantastic turnout. Now the Relief Society is putting together a sisters night out each month at a different restaurant and that is the type of activities I like! I couldn't go last month because I was in North Carolina, but this month it is at another mexican restaurant that is so, so yummy. I think this is really fun to get to eat out and gab away! The other fun part was that the time I went, some people showed up that never come to anything and it was great to get to know them better. Good food pulls people in like nothing I've ever seen!

Cycle of Anger

When I came back from North Carolina, Andrew was miserable because Jonathan took the kids camping and he came back with chigger bites -- everywhere! His face is bad,arms have some, but it is his legs that are horrendous. I could not even bring myself to take a picture of them because there must have been 100 bites on each leg and poor Andrew was so, so itchy. They would fill up with fluid (the poison) and it looked absolutely horrendous. Everytime I took him out, so many people thought he had the chicken pox and that is really what it looked like. Anyway, he was kind of a pill for a few days and one day he would not stop screaming so I got my camera and took pictures. When he would scream, I said, oh come on, do it bigger -- I know you can do better. So he would open his mouth a little wider and scream louder. Finally, he started giggling and these pictures show the progression to his smile.

Our First Tree

After 16 years of marriage, Jonathan and I together planted our first tree and it was so exciting! It is a red maple tree and tomorrow I am going to go take a picture of it and post. As is typical of us, we bought it and then it sat potted on the side of our house for about 3 months before we actually could follow through with the whole experience of tree planting. We couldn't decide the exact placement was the problem. But horray for us -- it makes us feel like real homeowners now and I just love the looks of it!

And a couple more

Now the party pictures!

4th of July Activity - Flag Raising Ceremony

Here is Michael at his 4th of July flag raising ceremony with some Boy Scouts. Jenna at swimming lessons, Erin in her favorite activity, climbing trees, and I can't remember what else!

Swimming Lessons and More

Though no one's birthday, we decided to do a combined birthday party for all of the kids last week. This was for a couple of reason. First, since no one but Erin had a party last year, we didn't want them to come back later in life and say all of their problems stemmed from a lack of birthday celebrations. Second, it just sounded fun. So we had alot of kids. I don't really know how many, but I guess around 50 including ours. It was really, really fun! We had two big water slides and rockets and games. The boys (Michael's friends) mostly played video games and basketball, but they did make it onto the slides, too. There were kids from about 3-14 and they all had a great time and they played for hours. Instead of a pinata, we just threw candy all over the front yard and told them when the left, they could pick out 10 pieces. I had 2 teenage girls from church come over the help and they were awesome -- in addition, lots of parents stayed so even though it was still a little chaotic, just due to the numbers, it was pretty easy. The best part is for 3+ hours I didn't hear one complaint! We worked it so that even if multiple kids from one family came, they were only invited for one of our children. That kept the presents down to a minimum (which we wanted) and didn't overtax any families with too many gifts. It was a perfectly hot Tennessee summer day and everyone seemed to have a great time. These pictures show the beginning crowd -- but I kept misplacing my camera so I couldn't keep up well with pictures!

Jonathan and Michael have left for Utah and it is so quiet! Michael talks non-stop so that is different and Jonathan, though he doesn't talk so much, is just kind of loud in general. School starts in 1 1/2 weeks here and everyone feels ready. The summer has gone by so fast!

I'm Back!

It's been so long since I posted I about couldn't even remember my user name and password! But I'm ready to continue on this blogging stuff. The thing I would like to know is how do I get a fun background? I can't stand the looks of this but I really don't know how to change it to something nice to look at. Any ideas?

Our summer is already half over if you can believe it. The kids have been out of school for six weeks and have five more to go. I just can't believe how it has flown. I have really enjoyed having them home, but Andrew has hated it. I think he misses that attention he got all day having them gone. He screams all the time now and it drives me up a wall! Let's see ... our happenings.

Michael attended a Memphis Grizzlies basketball camp and had a great time. He also went to his school basketball camp and a week long scout camp. He will be going out with Jonathan to Utah this summer for 2 weeks and comes home just in time for school to start. He is a purple belt in karate and is doing great!

Erin and Lindsey both took a session of swimming lessons on base and passed their levels. They are quite good swimmers. Jenna also took her first session and did well. The two older girls will be going to Arts and Crafts camp this week and then pottery camp next week. They have gone the past two summers and love these camps. Lindsey has been learning to cook and really seems to enjoy it. She makes us delicious pancakes a few mornings a week. Erin is doing so well on the piano! She is studying with my teacher now and what a huge difference that has made. She sounds so, so good!

Jenna is all about play. As soon as she wakes up in the morning she needs to know if it is time to play. She is on the go all day long and it is exhausting to watch her go! She is quite good to Andrew and really tries to include him in all she does.

We are going to North Carolina this week for my mom's 70th birthday. That is so strange to me because 70 sounds kind of old but I still think my mom is quite young. Actually, the older I get, the younger 70 sounds! I can remember going to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday and thinking how lucky he should feel to be alive at such an old age! I was about 13 then ... oh how things change.
I got a new camera so I don't have the software downloaded yet. I will try to do that today and get up a bunch of pictures.

Okay ... Here We Go

I don't usually do tags like this, but I guess I was feeling a little crazy today!

Where were you born? Hartford, CT

Middle name: Ellen

How old will you be this year? 39

Nicknames: Cindy Lou Hoo

Are you taller than your mother or father? Same as mom, shorter than dad.

Do you cry often during movies? Very rarely.

What is your biggest pet peeve? Cliques

Favorite color: Pink ... Pink ... Pink

Favorite foods: None ... I really don't like eating that much. However, I do have favorite candy ... Milk Duds, Hot Tamales and Fruity flavored tootsie rolls

Favorite beverage: Milk shakes, half chocolate, half vanilla

Favorite cold cereal: Honey Bunches of Oats

Favorite smells: Baby Lotion, a clean home, fresh cut grass and fall.

Favorite time of day: Night time

What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Pantene

Favorite make-up products? I don't use make-up

How many pillows do you sleep with? As many as I can locate, but I certainly do prefer three or four.

Do you play an instrument? Clarinet and I am so pleased to announce that I am getting rather good on the piano.

Have you ever been skinny dipping? Yes

Did you do any sports in High School? Softball and soccer

What was the last movie you saw in the theater? Aquamarine

What is your favorite article of clothing? My pink shirts and green sweater. I would wear that combination every day if it didn't have to get washed!

What is your dream vacation? A snow vacation -- Snowmobiling, hiking, skiing, and, yes a wood burning stove in a cabin.

What was your first impression of your spouse? I thought he was awfully cute, but more than that, so friendly. I had just come to Utah on an exchange program and saw Jonathan in the campus store. He remembered my name and that was huge to me because I knew absolutely no one.

If you were an animal what would you be? A dog

What is your favorite “me- time” activity? Reading and shopping.

Favorite TV shows: Family Feud, American Idol, The Dugger (sp?)Family( Lots of people make fun of them, but I love watching all of their cute kid)

What is your dream car? One that doesn't have mechanical problems.

What is one of your weaknesses? I don't do mornings well at all. I also procrastinate, and I hate that.

What do you fix for dinner when there’s nothing to fix? Egg and cheese sandwiches or macaroni and cheese. Though I have been lots better lately and typically have some meals I have frozen.

OKAY ... I'm getting bored with this! There are alot of questions, which is probably why I never do these!!!

If you could live in a different decade/era which one would it be? Early 20th century --- much simplier way of life.

Do you consider yourself outgoing? When I am comfortable in a situation, I am extremely outgoing to others. When I am new in the situation (moving), I am more of an introvert

What is something you are constantly working on? Being a better mother. I know how I want to be, but I always seem to fall short of that goal.

Any hidden talents? Nope. The few talents I have, I make sure to flaunt.

What is a word or phrase you overuse? Do you know what I mean?!!

What is the worst thing that happened to you this past year? Can't think of anything awful.

What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? The realization that I am going to go back to college and starting to plan for that.

What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? To become a better piano player and to have Andrew sit through church. Having Jonathan sitting up on the stand every week is truly the pits!

The best piece of advice you learned this past year? It's okay to say no once in a while when people ask you to do something. You have to keep yourself sane, too!

Don't Forget ... the Butter, too!

Jenna must have some nutritional deficiencies because she is addicted to sugar and salt. She will lick the salt right out of the shaker (I'll bet you all wish you could come eat at our home now, right?!) and eats sugar by the spoonfulls if she can get a moment alone in the kitchen. This morning, while eating breakfast, Jonathan was talking about this and said how she just seemed to have these huge cravings for them. Jenna heard and piped up, "And don't forget the butter, Dad. You don't know about that one, but I sneak it all the time when you're not looking!" What a silly child she is!

All mid-west concert

Michael had his concert this weekend and it was so exciting for us to watch. This is the first song ... not the most exciting of the bunch nor the most challenging, but it was the only one we taped. They sold cd's of the concert and we opted to get one of those instead, so that we could just sit back and enjoy it. He had a really great experience. I am so glad he had the opportunity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53KR4h9sGr8

Okay ... so you need to go to this link again. I cannot get videos to post!

Lindsey's Baptism

Well, yesterday was the day ... Lindsey was baptized. I could not believe that she was 8 years old. We had enlarged a picture of her blessing and it seems like that was just yesterday. In the picture, she was sitting in our $5 thrift store rocking chair that was ugly the day we got it and just as ugly the day it finally broke down and could be repaired no longer.

We had severe tornado watches in our area last night and it came close to having to call off the baptism. The Ward Mission Leader's wife was afraid for him to come up and fill the font. There was flooding and huge downpours along with the winds, and it did actually touch down in quite a few places in Memphis, Jackson, and a little town just about 10 miles south of us ... but we were rather torn. Jonathan's parents were here and leaving the next day and then Jonathan will be out of town starting Thursday until Sunday so doing it on Saturday was not an option either, so we decided to have faith and just do it, and it turned out wonderful. We had not the number in attendance we expected, but there were quite a few brave souls who came out and supported Lindsey, including her best friend and her teacher at school. She looked beautiful, said she felt wonderful, and it was a very special evening.

The 911 Call

I was out taking Erin to get her glasses and Jenna was playing with her little friend, Drew. Apparently, Drew said he didn't want to be her friend anymore so Jenna got mad and decided to call 911. She asked the dispatcher if they could put Drew in jail because he didn't want to be her friend anymore and then hung up. Well, of course, what happens next is that they come to your home. I am so glad I wasn't here. Jonathan invited the officer in to come and talk to Jenna, who replied, "I didn't know you couldn't do that." She still felt perfectly justified in her actions because, after all, that was a mean thing he said and he deserves to be punished!

SNOW IN TENNESSEE!

It did not accumulate, of course, but for a whole five minutes we had flurries. Andrew and I just saw and watched the flakes kind of dance around. There was hope it would turn into something, but just as quickly as it started, it left. For all of you who get snow in your area, build a snowman for us!

Well ... the verdict is in!

And Erin needs glasses. It is just crazy because she went from seeing just fine (20/20) a year ago to 20/100 in one eye and 20/200 in the other. The same thing happened to Michael a couple of years ago and I don't really understand it. Jonathan and I both have close to perfect vision, so how did our children end up with such bad eyes? Oh well, the positive thing is that she is super excited and picked out of course, pink Hannah Montana glasses. Lindsey also had her eyes checked and was very disappointed to find out she sees just perfectly (she really wanted the Hannah glasses, also!) I told her to give herself another year and she'll probably follow suit! The bad part about that is that her teacher said she is not doing very well in math. Lindsey said it was because she could not see the problems on the paper, and that would have been an easy solution. Now I guess I'll actually have to do something to help her some!

Erin does look very cute in glasses and when they come in tomorrow, I'll take a picture of her.

Our washing machine is broken and I have laundry piled up all over the place. Jonathan comes home today and hopefully he can fix it. I really don't want to have to purchase any appliances right now.

Chiropractor

I never thought we were chiropractor type people, but we have someone in our Ward who moved in recently who is a chiropractor. I got talking to him at our Primary activity and ended up making an appt for Michael. We went this morning and he said he has some serious misalignments and thinks it will help with his ocd and processing. Who knows ... maybe it will and maybe it won't but I guess it is worth a shot. I really like him as a person and he seems very competent and caring, as well as very honest, so we'll see. Michael was so excited to go because he told him most people grow 1/4 inch just from decompression of the spine at the first visit. We haven't remeasured him yet!

We have started Jenna on a new program to see if it will help her behavior. The first step is 20 minutes a day of YAMA (you and me alone) time. I haven't read ahead yet and am just trying to go step by step. She had a full fledged 1/2 hour rage yesterday at church because Andrew took some of her goldfish crackers, as in she was screaming, thrashing, whaling, etc. I finally had to take her out to the van and told her we would sit in the cold car until she was done, which took another 15 minutes or so. Oh boy ... sitting by myself at church is just about the funnest thing I've every done!

I'm trying to post a picture of Michael at Homecoming with his escort. It was quite cute. I stink at pictures, but I'll try!