December 30, 2007

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. As you can see, we did. The picture where the boys look sharp in their new pajamas is Christmas Eve. They always get new pj's to open that night. The next picture, the "after" picture, is Christmas day. We had to wait about 15 minutes while Kurt prettied himself up. You would think that picture was taken in the wee hours of the morning, but in actuality it was taken at 8:30am. We had so much fun opening gifts and watching to see what everyone else thought of their gifts. We felt quite spoiled.

Now Christmas is done and we have taken down all the decorations. We're ready for the new year! We've had a couple crazy things happen this week that are worth mentioning. Our trustworthy, but aging van has been giving us fits for the last few weeks, so we took it to the doctor. The van doctor is pricey and we weren't thrilled to have a $350 bill to pay, but the van is running much better. A big thanks goes out to Kurt's parents for helping pay that bill. They just stepped forward and took care of us...no questions needed or asked.

Hunter's job has been interesting. He has worked a ton of hours which is great for his paycheck, but he has been put in some annoying situations which has bled over to affect Kurt & I. His hours are never exactly as they appear on the schedule, usually meaning he isn't ready to go when we come to pick him up and they have scheduled him for Wednesdays when he let them know on his application he can't work on Wednesdays. The worst is when he has to close at 1:30am. This past week he closed and Kurt went to get him. I was asleep, but awoke at 2:30am to find Kurt was still gone. I frantically called his cell and found out he was still waiting for Hunter at the theater. I couldn't go back to sleep because I was too worried, so I read a book until they got home....at 4:30am. Hunter had been at work from 5:15pm until 4am. I was not a happy camper. So, we'll see if things flow better once school starts again.

We have been healthy this break, which is very unusual, but then last night Cooper was hit by some kind of bug. So, he won't be at church today. A few bizarre tidbits about this week: I checked out 64 books from the library yesterday, Coop & I are waiting for sea monsters to hatch, and I downloaded a new recipe program...more on that to come. I'm in a fight with it right now.

Happy New Year everyone! Remember to be practical in your resolutions!

The spider chronicles continued

It happened again. I might end up with a lot of these stories. I was in the throws of the holiday spirit, cleaning up my mint fudge mess (with my tongue) and getting ready to make cookies when Cooper decided he wanted to go outside and play in the snow. I went into the entry way to help him find winter gear and then headed back into the kitchen. That is when I spotted the sneaky fiend. He was hiding in the upper corner of the ceiling between the entry way and kitchen. Why must they always hide above me, laying in wait to pounce?

Sidenote: Remember that show Extreme Makeover where people willingly allowed surgeons to cut them to shreds? I vaguely remember an episode where a lady had only clumps of hair on some area of her head because a poisonous spider had bitten her several times (I'm guessing while she was asleep). I think of that lady every time I see spiders and when they are hovering over me, visions of her pain flash in front of my eyes.

Back to topic: I couldn't ask Cooper to save me because it was too high and because he was heading outside where Kurt was waiting for him. Hunter was working, so I was once again forced to save myself. I got a fly swatter, eyed the position of the enemy, closed my eyes, gave a hard whack, and then jumped backward to safety. Unbelievably, like some kind of Christmas miracle, I killed it on the 3rd whack. The downside: it stuck up there...sick. There was no way I was getting it down.

Sometimes I wonder if I leave a dead spider smushed on the wall or ceiling...if its dastardly spider friends will get the message and pass it on to the colony. I wouldn't mind if they passed it on to all insects and rodents. Nonetheless, I thought it might take away from our Christmas Eve celebration to have a dead spider message on the ceiling, so Kurt got rid of it when he came in. My Hero!

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!!!

December 23, 2007

I'm not sure if I'm alone in saying this, but I love to see what's in the mail each day. Usually I have loads of pizza coupons, a few bills, and a geiko ad awaiting my arrival, but for some reason I still love getting the mail. Imagine how I feel at this time of the year. One of the best things about Christmas for me is receiving Christmas cards. I'm almost giddy with excitement when the mailman arrives. I have a tradition of taping all my Christmas cards on the back of my front door so I see them everytime I walk past it.

This year the cards have been slow to appear. I'm not sure why, but it seemed I had been black listed or something. I started wondering who I had offended (this isn't anything new, but most of my friends and family don't hold grudges). Had a terrible tragedy struck the post office only allowing pizza coupons to pass through the mail system? Were my neighbors trying to steal my identity and secretly stealing all my cards out of my mailbox at the same time? (Marci...I think I saw you racing away with a card in your hand just the other day) Yesterday my Christmas card faith was restored. I got loads of them.

I got comfy on my couch and poured over each one. It doesn't matter to me if there is a long family newsletter or just a signed card, each card holds special memories of those who have touched our lives in one way or another. So, I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to send a card because it's one of my favorite aspects of this holiday. Merry Christmas to all! Remember why we celebrate this magical holiday!

A small step forward

Yesterday was the music program for the elementary school I intern at. I volunteered to run the sound system (I thought it was just a CD player...wrong) for all 3 performances. Two were during the day and one was last night.

I took Cooper with me because he loves music and this was a really phenomenal performance. I put him in the front row where he could make eye contact with me if he got nervous (I had to sit smack dab in the center of all the music stands).

He asked if he could sit with me, but there was no room, so he went and sat down. A man with a rather large camera was sitting next to him. Before the program and all through it, I would see the man lean over and talk to Cooper, then look at me and smile. I thought it was very sweet, but wondered what Cooper was saying. After the program, the man came up to me and told me how polite and well behaved Cooper was. I thanked him and told him I appreciated him talking to Coop since he was by himself and wasn't happy sitting away from me. The man told me to I should let Coop play with his boys to help with that.

Cooper & I walked off and after we were far out of earshot (huge area of growth for Coop), he said, "That man kept talking to me through the entire performance. He was so annoying". Poor Good Samaritan! What's a mom to do?

Incredible Art

My Aunt Kati sent me a forward containing these photos. I'm not a fan of fowards, but Cooper and I were entranced by these images. They are unbelievable! I decided to find out a little information about the artist. If you would like to learn a little about him, click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guido_Daniele

Wouldn't you love to have him do this on your hand, photograph it, and hang it up for all to see? Sign me up!

December 16, 2007

This is not a figment of your imagination. It's not something to be taken likely. It's a once a year phenomenon. Betty Crocker threw up in my kitchen!!! Sometimes I go a little overboard, but this time it will benefit many other people. I wanted to get my holiday baking done so we could take our plates out for Family Home Evening...all I need to do is make some name tags and they are ready to go!

One baked good needs further mentioning. I was feeling nostalgic and decided to make the candy cane cookies my mom used to make when I was little. I found the recipe online and was thrilled to get started. Now I know why my Mom didnt' make them every year. They are the most stubborn, annoying cookies to make. You know how you buy a box of candy canes from the store and there are always a few broken? Well, imagine putting a lot of time and effort into making them, only to have them break during transport between the cooling rack and the goodie plate. So, many of my friends will be getting peppermint stick cookies instead.

Moving on to more exciting things. Hunter is working again. Sorry Taco Bell...you snooze, you lose. He is now working at Edwards 21, a movie complex. He started Friday night and worked last night as well...until 1:30am. I baked until time to pick him up. He loves it and the great thing is he doesn't have to work during the school week this week. Also..free movies for Hunter and a friend of his choosing...time to butter him up! He has a fondness for pens, chocolate, Victoria Secret lotion and lip gloss, and gift cards to any book store. Give it to me & I'll pass it on.

Also, I want to wish my cousin Dena a Happy Birthday! She is one of the sweetest people I know...always thinking of others. My parents moved to Colorado Springs this weekend...odd. It just doesn't seem real! Alright everyone...1...2...3...start your ovens!!!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Nope...you aren't seeing things. There is snow in Meridian. Great, right? Well, I love snow, but it wasn't pretty when I headed to school this morning. Normally it takes about 7 minutes to get to Spalding. This morning it took...15....25....40....nope....58 minutes. That's right...58 minutes to drive 3 miles. GRRRRR!!! I kept thinking to myself, "There's nothing you can do about it. Just enjoy the Christmas music" and it worked most of the time, but every once in a while I just had to yell. I couldn't keep it bottled any more. Phew thanks for letting me get that off my chest.

And Yes...Cooper is wearing a lei...don't ask!

December 9, 2007

What a crazy, fun-filled, rockin' week! It was my nephew & niece, Austin & Katelyn's birthday. It was my niece, Gracie's birthday, and we celebrated my Mom's birthday. It was also my cousins, Mike & Calie, anniversary. Thanks to my Mom and Cooper, we still have the sweets to prove our celebration madness.

My parents came back from Randy's on Tuesday. We were so excited. We went to dinner at Sizzler (my fav., actually they have an awesome salad bar) and then to a "surprise" activity. My dad pulled into a dark, over-filled parking lot and that is when we realized we were at a bowling alley. It seemed every space was taken, so Kurt & Hunter went inside to see if they had any open lanes (mom & I were in the back seat praying there weren't). While we were waiting, a man...about my age...stopped right in front of my van window and started yelling and wagging his head. I'm not kidding. We had a good laugh about it once we were safely out of the parking lot & on our way to Boondocks. We played a round of laser tag (I Love Lasertag!), but the best part was playing Deal or No Deal. It was hilarious. The best part was the people staring at us when Dad & I were chanting, loudly, "NO DEAL" while Mom was playing.

Wednesday we did some errands and my dad fixed our electrical problems...again. I wish they lived here!!

Thursday was their last day, but we packed in the fun. I let the boys stay home from school and while I was away teaching, Cooper & Mom made all sorts of goodies. Then Dad took the boys bowling (he was determined) and back to Boondocks while Mom & I spent hours and hours editing the family story. We had so much fun. We stopped when the hairdresser came to do my mom's hair and my friend, Sherri's, hair. Sumer (hair dresser extraordinairre) comes to my house to do my hair. She is hilarious and does a fantastic job. All in all, it was a day buzzing with activity.

My parents left early Friday...before any more tears were shed. Cooper & Dad had a crying competition the night before...it was a tie.

I have more to write, but am too tired to continue. Hopefully I'll bore you with more mundane details in a later post. Until then....Mom & Dad...COME BACK!!!!!

The dual use of Dove Aerosole Hairspray

It all started with a simple trip to my bathroom. I went in, shut the door, locked it, and headed to...well, ...you know. Just as I sat down, a slight movement caught my eye. To my intense horror, I locked eyes (fine, spider eyes are too tiny to "lock") with a large, brown HOBO SPIDER!!! I'm fiercely afraid of spiders, but put a poisonous one in front of me and I start to panic.

Here's the thing, you need to know the layout of my bathroom to understand the problematic situation I found myself in. When you enter the bathroom, straight ahead is a large tub with a long, skinny, rectangular window above it (my head couldn't even fit through it). Turn left in front of the tub, & you find our shower & throne. That's right...NO WINDOW, NO ESCAPE. I was cornered.

I got in the tub because it was the furthest point from the spider where I could still keep an eye on it. There, I found some worthy weapons. A rubber snake, a few plastic pokemon toys, a magazine, & a book. First, I started launching the toys at the spider. Unfortunately, my aim wasn't very good. I played softball growing up & you are always supposed to "keep your eye on the ball". Well I'm sorry, but looking at my frightening menace wasn't an option, so I had to throw with my eyes shut.

None of the toys hit it, but a few rolled back so I got some more shots in...missing every one. Eventually, all of the toys ended up right beneath the spider. I realized I was down to the magazine & book and that really scared me. I opened the window & started yelling for Hunter. I knew he was in the neighborhood somewhere and I figured if I yelled loud enough, he might come, but no such luck. Then, I started yelling for Cooper, but he was singing & dancing so loudly to High School Musical he couldn't hear me. Way to be there for me boys.

So, I picked up the magazine, took aim, closed my eyes, & threw it. Yep...I missed. It landed right below the spider. Only the book remained. I picked it up and decided to try a new tactic...the underhand toss. I got ready, closed my eyes, & sent it upward. Somehow, I hit my perfume bottle & body spray, sending them into my sink & on the floor...but the spider was safe. Heroically, I creeped along my counter and got the book again to give it one more try, resorting to overhand. That's right...no cigar!

I was out of weapons. They all lay below the spider...I swear that spider gave me an evil grin. Then, it hit me....hairspray. It was close enough to grab & I could spray it at the villain without getting to close. I picked it up and sprayed it with all my might. I hit it...the spider started moving....That is not what I was hoping for. I kept spraying until it dropped to the floor....what??? I didn't want it on the floor either. Then, some fierce warrior erupted from my being and I courageously grabbed the magazine and thrust it like a spear upon the demon spider. Victory was finally mine. Thank you family....not!!! Thank you Dove Hairspray!

December 2, 2007

Today is my brother-in-law, Chad's, birthday. Chad's one of those laid back, roll with the punches, get the job done kind of guys. I honestly can't ever remember seeing him mad....I know it's happened, but I've just never been around. I do know his face gets blazing red when he is embarrassed and I'm guessing it probably looks the same way when he's mad. Here's the thing: Chad is always up for a game, any game, even though he knows I'm going to whoop up on him. You've got to give a guy kudos for that! Happy Birthday Chad...wish we were there to celebrate!

Fun news: Hunter is back on the job hunt. Yesterday he applied at Toys R Us (forget saving $$ there), Winco (grocery store), Shopko, & Walmart. He also applied at a couple of movie theaters. He's decided to try some non-fast food places before Christmas break. After that, Taco Bell just might win him back.

Here's another tidbit I forgot to mention: Kelli & Mike are having a GIRL!!! We are so excited. I love the name they are thinking about right now. I have a feeling Gracie will be quite the little mother.

Believe it or not, my semester is coming to a close. Right now I'm finishing up a group project...YUCK. I hate them for the most part. It's so difficult to mesh schedules and it almost always forces the bulk of the work on the anal members of the group (there are 2 of us this time). Truly though, I can't believe this semester is almost over. It seems like just yesterday when I was throwing a temper tantrum about one of my classes, or crying while I poured over the syllabi, or muttering non-swear words under my breath about the cost of books...and now, it's almost over. Next semester I have no classes because I'll be student teaching. Unfortunately, I've already thought of some books I'd really like to have to use while I student teach.

Two more days until my parents come back for the second part of their visit...yippee!!!! I know you're all jealous.

Niece Spotlight: Charming Kierra

This is my super darling niece, Kierra. She is the oldest daughter of DJ & Kindra. She is only 2 years old, but you would never know it. She has an amazing vocabulary and her voice is as sweet as honey; so when she says something slightly naughty, it's comes off as hilarious!

I just love being around Kierra because she makes me laugh all the time. I always want to kiss her little face off because she is so cute. I can't wait to meet her little sister and see the two of them interact!

Here's her interview:

1. What would you like to be when you grow up? Why?
A mom…because I want to…and a dad…and a baby…I want to be a lot.


2. If you could visit any person you wanted in the whole wide world, who would it be? Why?
Olivia…cause I want to..I want to go to her home…and Luke’s home.


3. What is your favorite movie?
Snow White


4. What is your favorite book (or book series)?
Pooh Bear



5. What is your favorite holiday? Why?
Christmas…because I like it…I just like something about it…because I liked it when I was little.