Awkward and Awesome

Some of these will be Awesome first, followed by Awkward.  They just work better that way.

Awesome: A few weeks ago, Ken and I went to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma.
Awesome: We ate on the trolley. We hadn't done that since our 2nd wedding anniversary.
Awkward: We were surrounded by people with small children who wanted us to look at them and validate all their baby talk. [Note: I HATE baby talk.}Look Benny, we're on a choo choo. Can you say choo choo? It's a red choo choo. On and on  and on with the baby talk.  Benny was 12.  Okay--that part is a lie.
Awkward: The waiter went up to one family and took their order. The woman ordered some kind of salad for her meal. The waiter responded, "I'm assuming you want soup, because you probably don't want salad with a salad."

Awesome: My hair is a full three inches below my neckline. I've been growing it out for a while now. Years if you include all the times I have quit and gotten a nice short haircut, which is how I prefer to wear my hair.
Lame: I am so tender headed, every time I fix my hair with anything more than the bangs pulled to the side in a clip, I get a monster headache. With in minutes. I really badly want to donate my hair to Locks of Love. My hair could be long enough by Christmas. I don't think my poor head can make it that long. I pulled the top part back less than an hour ago and I'm ready to go lay down in a dark room and cry.

Awkward: 

My ADD is so distracting that I just realized I never made it to the library. Two days ago. My book is now 2 days over due.

Using the wrong word in a conversation.

• subsidize vs supplement
• condensation vs condescension
• rapport vs repertoire
• thank you vs this is stupid.

You get the idea.

While I as at my friends house the other day, I went to take a drink of water and tilted the glass way before I made it to my mouth. I wore a lot of water. 

Awesome:

Matthew is going to scout camp in Idaho in two weeks. I get to spend the week with my Sister in Law while he's at camp. Party Time.

I took some cuttings of roses from my mom's rose bush a couple weeks ago.  They are sprouting! I'm so happy.

My sister gave me 15 strawberry plants. They are all flowering and some of them already have berries turning red. I'm so happy again!

This weekend it's supposed to be warm. I'm over the cold this year. 

My big kids have been making dinner. Almost every night this week. One day I went in to start something and Nicole told me it was already in the over and it would be ready in 20 more minutes. Score!

Just in case you were wondering...

• I ate brownies and drank a diet Pepsi for breakfast this morning.
• A lot of brownies.
• Ken took my car to work today because he killed the battery on his and was running too late to jump it this morning.  I don't enjoy being grounded. 
• I'm going to play the organ for sacrament meeting on Sunday. I'm hoping to keep my bloopers to less than 5. I'm also hoping one them includes an accidental fanfare as the man conducting our service walks up to the pulpit. I've done it before. It. Was. Awesome.
• I went to Bremerton on Saturday and my Dad and I cleaned my Mom's  and Robert's headstones. It was the first time I'd ever been to Robert's grave over Memorial Day Weekend. I normally stay close to home since the funeral homes Ken has worked at, over the years, usually has activities and a program for the public. [We know how to party. Putting the fun back in funeral.]
• I was a gross of pink flamingos and two dozen rubber chickens for my birthday. Or Christmas. Or just because.
• You might be related to me if you've ever rolled your car while driving 0 [zero] miles per house.
• I got a new toothbrush. It's pink. Oral B indicator.
• Yesterday I heard 'Taps' played with an echo. It was beautiful! I'd never heard it that way before. Listen to it here, if you are reading this by email.

• I just learned it is called 'Echo Taps.' Fitting.
• Now that my hair has completely grown out of the weird stages, and just needs to get length, I am ready to have it cut off. Me no likey.
• I have recently downloaded an app from the library so I can listen to books on tape on my phone. I am really loving that app! It's called OverDrive, if you're interested.
• School is out in 15 days [including weekends.]
• Dear Kate, I'll see you in 126 days. Get my room ready.

Have a happy Tuesday!

Do Not Disturb!

Here is a list of things my kids have asked me/told me while I was in the bathroom in the last week or so.  Please note: I was with them before I excused myself to the restroom. We had been having lively conversation and banter. They were not shunned or ordered to be silent. Like that would even work!

• Will you type in the password to the kindle?
• I need to get a new pink shirt. I think this one is a little small.
• Do you think we can go to a water park on my birthday?
• Three weeks ago I got in trouble at school. I forgot to have you sign this.
• What's for dinner?
• Can you take me to the store?
• What are you doing?
• Are you going to the bathroom?
• After 2 solid minutes of continual knocking on my bedroom door: Why is your door locked?
• Will you make me new pajamas to wear tonight?
• Can I go outside?
• Can I color?
• Why didn't you tell me where you were going?
• I can touch my head with my foot.
• Can I borrow some earbuds?
• Can I play on the computer?
• Can we watch a movie/TV?
• What are our plans for Saturday? {This was asked today...Tuesday. While I was away from the nerds for less than two minutes.}
• What time is Dad going to be home? {It wasn't even 3 yet. He's never home until after 5, but normally closer to 6 or 7.}
• Can you make me an appointment with the dentist?
• Are you going to Carie's tonight.
• Are you going to bed?
• Did you  hear me burp just now in the kitchen?
• Next time you go to the store, will you buy some jalapeno peppers?

Can't a girl just go in peace?  The kids never bother Ken!

ps. I know I'm preaching to the choir.

Fact.

Fact: School is out in 23 days and 14 hours.

Fact: I'm going to be wreaking havoc in PENNSYLVANIA in 134 days and 15 hours. For seven glorious days! Plans include: 

• visiting states I've never been to
• stalking the Amish
• eating at delicious new restaurants 
• exterminating cats.

Fact: I read 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas' this weekend. I was so disturbed, I decided to watch the movie too. I feel ill.

Fact: The gym was not easy this morning. The gym was especially difficult this morning...mentally.

Fact: Matthew is trying to prove a point to me right now by referencing Tommy Boy.

Fact: I have 15 new strawberry plants. I hope next year I won't have to go to Spooners for strawberries!

Fact: My hair is less grey now.

Fact: My puzzle wouldn't fit back in the box. This happens to me with sleeping bags and tents as well.

Fact: My friend has an infestation of speed bumps. I feel really sorry for her. Really sorry.

Fact: This is the hardest puzzle I have ever attempted to put together.  Two of my friends and I have been working on it. Last night it took me over an hour to put the coca cola sign on the bottle together. It's tough.

Fact: This is my garden. It's super a little ghetto.

This is a test to see if Gina reads my blog. This is only a test.

Fact: Gina is lame.

disenchanted.

Welcome to my 400th post. It's been sitting here for over a month, waiting to be written. The problem is, I have been feeling too much anxiety to write. Over the past few months I have heard many comments about people being frustrated about blogs that are written through rose colored glasses. People saying they are tired of reading blogs about places where nothing bad ever happens. Sometimes before I heard those comments, someone in the conversation may have even mentioned my blog. Because I am uber over sensitive, I take things personally sometimes. This then causes me to not want to blog for a few days, or 38.

Yesterday in church, one of my besties gave the best Mother's Day talk I've heard in my adult life. If you are a mother, please click here and read it.

I took many gems from her talk, but I also felt like it was okay to keep writing on my blog. For the most part, this blog may be written through rose colored glasses, but that's okay. I don't blog about the bad stuff, because I want to forget it. I don't blog about my frustrations with situations, because I strive everyday not to be a gossip. I feel pretty good about myself in that category. I don't write about my extended family because some of us are estranged. Too Much Information? It may make you feel uncomfortable for a second, but in my heart of hearts, I don't know how to repair it.

So. Welcome back to my blog, written with my pretty glasses on. Some of the things I share, I don't feel are funny at the moment, but as a dear friend of our family said to us once, Do it with a smile on your face and a grudge in your heart. Sometimes I write with a grudge in my heart, a tear down my face, and prayer for a smile in the future.

I'd rather read a rose colored blog than a downer blog. So there.

That being said, here is a photo dump, that may or may not sum up the last 38 days.

A photo my brother, Ryan, posted on my facebook wall.

Spring break fun at the bank.

Me with some of my besties, trespassing on another's dock. She went out of town, and we had to show her how great the weather was...on her dock.

A phone background. You have permission to take this photo and put it on your iphone too.

I took this picture there was no color on the battery. I liked it.

My hair is growing. I feel uncomfortable with it.

Matthew's attempt to be a hacker.

Matthew got in trouble at school...again.

Anna lost all her teeth.

At the gym.

I had no voicemails.

Cole's hair.

Janet and I went and got our toes did.

Mother's Day with my people.

One last thing. If you're wondering why there are three times more photos of Matthew than the girls, it's because he's homeschooled. He's my sidekick. All. The. Time.

One last one last thing. Happy Birthday April! Here's a photo for you.