Thank You Leslie Blodgett

For your cosmetic product line.

I started wearing Bare Escentuals Mineral Make-Up in January.

A Christmas gift to myself.

For the past six months I have loved it.

But now I realize.

It is - in fact - Escentual. 

And this is why:

Friends come to visit.

From Utah to the Nations Capitol.

I schlep my kids into D.C.

Despite the fact that the thermostat reads 99 degrees.

And humidity is off the charts.

The air we breathe is heavy, hot and moist.

The kids whine and cry because it is so insanely hot, hot, hot.

And our water bottles have long since been drained. 

My hair becomes flat, stringy, style-less and damp.

And the sweat soaks my clothes - which do not dry.

And the sweat pools in my shoes in little puddles. (Crocs)

And the sweat pours from all of my pores.

Dripping from my flesh onto the sidewalk.

But though my face is dripping wet.

My mineral make-up stays in place.

Moral of the story:

On such days I will have to stay in-doors.  

With the A/C happily blowing.

Keeping my mineral enhanced face cool and dry.

Unless someone else comes to visit.

Because for friends and family, I will schlep again.

Despite the oppressive weather.

But I will bring a Costo-sized flat of water.

And I will wear a hat.

Until September.

Memorial Day with the VA boys

Yesterday, the H took our boys into D.C. for some Memorial Day observances. They picked up H's cousin John, then went to visit Grandpa's burial site in Arlington National Cemetery. Grandpa was in the Navy for 20 years. He survived the attack at Pearl Harbor and also fought in the Korean War. We are a very proud of his service to our country. At 'N's request, they also stopped by the Marine War Memorial which depicts the conquering of Mount Serabachi in Iwo Jima. Our family is inspired by the men and women who serve our country - past and present. God Bless America, and especially those who serve.

Score One For Virginia

Spring in the mountains of Utah, where we used to reside, was usually chilly, often cold, and not uncommonly snowy. It would, in fact, routinely snow in April and May. Sadly - even in June we could be surprised by a rogue dusting of white stuff! Though I miss my home state and family/friends that live there, spring in Virginia has some definite advantages.

This is the tree in our front yard. I wish that I had snapped the pic when it was in full bloom, it was gorgeous! Now our lawn is covered with what Z calls 'pink snow'. Above A is enjoying the weather with her friend, and anyone who knows Z will understand that laying in a bed of pink flowers made his day!

March in Review

Yes, I realize that it is mid-April, but.............

The Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts took up A LOT of time - N was excited to finally get the awards that he had earned last fall.  He was not excited to eat the dinner as it went along with the theme 'chineese new year'.  He despises most dinner-time foods that are not: macaroni and cheese, buttered noodles, or some type of bread product. 

Decorating cakes for the Elementary School Cake Walk was a priority for N and A.  We had fun coming up with the designs, and the kids quite enjoyed sampling their medium.

Girl Scout cookies were the bane of my existence as I ignorantly signed up to be the Troop Cookie Manager.  (Don't scoff you westerners, in the East, Girl Scouts are all the rage.)  Had I know that I was signing up for a part time job with cookie sales, I may have been more reluctant to volunteer my services.  To sum up the experience in one word: UGH!   

Kid Quotes For the Month:

Z: Can you just teach me everthing about Jesus so I can stop going to church?

A:  I didn't think that I would see a butt in Jamestown!

N:  I never knew my parents were the meanest ones on the street.

A: Grandpa got a new car?  What is he going to do with his old one?  Maybe save it for his oldest grandchild for when she gets her drivers license?

Z: Oh look a cute dog!  And an ugly girl with it.

N: I need new tires.  (me: what?) You know, the shoes, the kind with ties?

The West Wing

Thank you, Secret Service Agent X.

Thank you, for the comprehensive tour of the West Wing.

Also, thank you for offering my fidgety children some chewing gum to help them cope with the slowly moving tour group in front of us.

Yes, thank you for kindly thinking of three young children.  

But perhaps chewing gum is not the best distraction for a child.

Especially a child of 4.

So please apologize to the President of the United States.

Or to whomever has to scrape the gum off the carpet in front of the Oval Office.

But like I said, Thank You!

Today, we had a fantastic and informative experience touring the West Wing of the White House with the Hub's cousin John, who lives nearby, and my sister Heather who is here for a fun-fun visit.  The Hub is traveling again, otherwise he would have conducted the tour - and likely not have offered any gum.  Aside from the now infamous 'trident fiasco', and being kindly kicked out of the rose garden in order for the first family's dog's to have some outdoors time, it was FANTASTIC!  

*I actually removed most of the sticky substance myself - and have resolved to stick (ha-ha) to the 'you-may-only-chew-gum-while-sitting-at-the-kitchen-table' rule.

Easter

At our house, Easter morning is always quite low key.  Like my sister Becca, I do not really care for the Easter Bunny.  There is something about a large rabbit bringing treats and hiding eggs (where is the connection?) that is not really up to the sacred snuff of what this holiday is all about.  I think that the year I really turned on the rabbit was when he started showing up in the mall for kids to sit on his lap, get their picture taken, and tell him what they wanted for Easter.  I am not an Easter scrooge - the kids get a few treats, we dye eggs and all, but none of this "what do you want for Easter" nonsense. 

That being said, the highlight of our secular celebration was watching 'N' eat his 'Bernie Botts Every Flavor Beans'.  Included in the box was: Soap, Grass, Vomit, Booger, Bacon, Pepper, Dill Pickle, Ear Wax,  Sardine, and Sausage.   

Wherein the Family Vacations

Spring Break:

A joyous event for mother and offspring.  Where they have a week free from school attendance/homework, and I have a week free from early mornings and the after school shuffle. The Hub and I decided to take the fam to Williamsburg VA, (with some family friends), for a couple of days to appropriately commemorate our first Virginian Spring Break. 

Day 1: 

We drove about 3 hours and kicked off the festivities at Colonial Williamsburg, the long ago capitol of VA.  'A', 'N', and 'Z' indicated that rather than experiencing any sort of living colonial history, they preferred to run willy-nilly through the replicated streets with their friends.  For 'Z' and his buddy, throwing small rocks into sewer grates that were strategically located every 20 feet was a highlight.  

This is when family fun (forced learning) should have taken place, but it was lunch time, children and men were hungry, so we went to eat.  

We also visited Yorktown - the site of the final battle of the American Revolution. 

Day 2:  

In planning our trip, we found a deal: 3 nights and 4 days + 2 tickets to Busch Gardens for under $200.00.  This made our room practically free. (Except for the 90 minute vacation ownership presentation we had to attend.)  Excuse me, did I say 90 minutes?  Maybe if my hub had just listened and said 'no thanks' we would have kept it to the allotted time.  Instead, he talked more than the sales guy.  He lectured on fiscal conservatism.  He lectured on purchasing things that we don't really 'need'.  He debated the definition of 'need'.  He lectured on living within our means and how the current national economic situation is a direct result of people making poor financial choices.  When told that people in France vacation more than people in the US, making their marriages stronger and their lives happier/more carefree, the hub lectured on the dismal state of the French economy.  There was also a lively debate on the precise cost/benefit analysis of vacation ownership.  All 'discussions' were good spirited - and long.  

Note to self: 1-I will always pay full price for vacation accommodations, thusly avoiding a never-ending sales pitch/fiscal debate.  2-My hub has a surprisingly strong grasp of the minutiae of the French economy.  Historic Jamestown with the kids was by far, a preferable experience.

Day 3:

Busch Gardens was fun-fun for the whole family.  It was here that 'N' tried to impress us with his newly acquired skill of speaking German - which went something like this:

"Doooooo youuuuuu liiiiiike meeeeaahhh shpeeeeeaaaakinnnng geeeeermaaaaan?"

It was technically English, with a thick slurred sort of 'accent'.  Kind of like the chef from the Muppets.  Or Jerry Sienfeld saying 'hellllooooooooo'.  

'Z' mourned his height which was 'not fair for the good rides!'

The Hub was a good sport and went on all rides - even though he gets motion sickness.  

'A' and I LOVED the big coasters (big thumbs up for the Griffon and Alpengeist)!

Day 4: 

We visited the Jamestown settlement before heading home.  It was fantastic.  There was a recreated Powhatan Village, the Jamestown Fort, and the three ships that the colonists arrived on.  'Z' cracked us up when we went into a Powhatan hut and found a large pile of animal pelts

Z: (In shock and horror, with tears in his eyes) Who has done this!?

Me: (brief explanation of the many reasons that Native Americans needed to use animals)  

Z: (still tearful) Is this a puppy?

Me: (trying not to laugh) No, it might be a fox.

Z: (alarmed) A cute little fox?

Me: (quickly) Maybe it's a deer.

Z: (tearing up) Not a deer!

We spent much time discussing the needs of the Powhatan people, which he seemed to understand but later on when we walked through the museum and saw a life sized replica of a native man, aiming his bow and arrow at a deer this is what ensued:

Z: (angry) This is the man that did it!

N: (loudly) Ha-ha!  That woman's butt is showing!  (Native Man's wife - who was indeed bare in back)

Me:  'N', don't say the word 'butt' so loud.  'Z', remember we talked about how these people needed animals for food and clothing.

N:  (Yelling) Hey 'A'!  Come over here and see this girls butt!

Z:  (Shaking his head) This man is bad.  VERY bad.

A: I didn't think that I would see a butt at Jamestown.

Me either.

After lunch at Chick-fil-a, we drove across the road to the gas station to fill up.  The Hub purchased a car wash (a bird had left it's mark on 'A's window while we ate).  Upon pulling around the back of the service station, we found ourselves to be 10th in line.  Another car pulled behind us, boxing us in.  And so we sat.  For 35 minutes till we got up the to wash. When entering our pre-purchased code, the machine indicated the code was invalid.  So I had to run around the building, enter the station to get a new code, and run back to the car.  I made it right as the vehicle in front of us was pulling out.  40 minutes after entering the line, we got into the car wash.  THEN, right as the dryers kicked up, 'Z' announced:  "Good thing we are done here - I need to go number 2."  So, we drove back across the street to the Chick-fil-a (clean bathrooms) so he could do his business.  In the end, it took us ONE HOUR from finishing lunch, to get on the road.

Thanks to my Hub and my awesome kids - for a fun filled trip with lots of laughs!  Now, the post-vacation laundry! 

Twelve Years Ago

The year? 1996.  

And just what was happening in the world?

Both Russia and America re-elected their leaders: Boris Yeltsin was re-elected Russian leader and Bill Clinton was re-elected US president, beating rival Bob Dole.....Right-winger Binyamin Netanyahu was narrowly elected Israel's prime minister..... 

National elections were held peacefully in recently war-torn Bosnia.....The divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was confirmed by England's High Court, dissolving the Royal couple's 15 year marriage....The US city of Atlanta hosted the summer Olympic Games. But a bomb stole headlines from the sporting achievements, exploding in the Olympic Park on July 27, killing one and injuring many.....A U.S military base in Saudi Arabia was bombed, killing 19 U.S serviceman.....We also saw the high profile arrest and charging of Ted Kaczynski, the notorious serial 'Unabomber'.....TWA Flight 800 exploded over Long Island, New York, killing 230 people (more people were killed on commercial flights in 1996 than any other year to date).

AND

I married my other half on March 16th during spring break! (Which was significant as we were both students at the University of Utah at the time.)

We went into D.C. on Saturday night to celebrate at Mio - A posh restaurant in the District.  We know the chef, which made the night even more special because he kept sending us samples of different things to try.  The Hub had Grilled Duck Marget with caramelized pear and I had roasted quail with pesto risotto.   Delicious!  What a great way to celebrate!

February In Review

#1 & #2- N won the award for 'best workmanship' in the Pine Wood Derby. Perhaps we should mail his certificate to the company that pre-carved the car form and sold it at the craft store where I bought it! #3- I chopped my hair in a radical new do. Since moving here, I have learned that long, thin hair can be teased into looking good in Utah, but looks like junk when exposed to humidity. I progressively chopped 10 inches off over the last 6 months. Usually, when it is short I keep it in a clean bob, so this is a bit extreeme. I may have to go back to the salon and conservative-it-up. What do you think? #4- Our chocolate covered Strawberries from Valentines Day. #5-This is the magnet board that I made for a school fund-raiser for the elementary school. #6- We were treated to several ice storms. I now understand the severity of freezing rain and the subsequent foreclosure of schools based on the probability of said weather phenom.

February Quotes From My Kids:
N: Rules are dumb.
A: Could you be more suspific?
Z: If Dad is dead can we get a dog?
Z: I don't get it. Why do they call it a fur-og? There is no fur on it. Only green
Z: We like good boys and good skunks. The kind with out any stink in them.
A: I would give up my I-pod if we could move back to Utah.
N: I wish I was Davey Jones - just not so tentacally.

Presidential Weekend

Mom and I decided that the best possible way to kick off our President's Day weekend was by visiting Mount Vernon, the family home of George Washington. Once we arrived (after getting a bit lost on the -267 E-495 S-95 N-1 S- freeway combination) we had a great time!

We visited with Martha, but sadly never touched bases with George - we spotted him from behind though - he looked pretty good for 276 years old!

When asked their favorite aspect of our outing the kids replies were as follows.

N: "Fort Necessity was awesome. It was soooooo bloody."

Fort Necessity was the British Fort under Washington's command during the French and Indian War. The museum on the estate grounds had a miniature diorama of the carnage at the Fort after the British/Colonists were attacked by the French/Indians. It was indeed, bloody.

A: "I liked going into the Mansion House because it was really big. Way bigger than our house - which is not very big, you know.

Well, here is a big fat apology to my daughter for moving her across the country where real estate is just plain e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e. She has her own room, so she can go sit in it, and mope about our diminutive real estate holdings.

Z: "I thought I liked Martha, but I don't. She was fake. I liked nothing. Mount Vernon is boring. I like the dogs in the parking lot.

Happy President's Day!

V-DAY!

The Hub is out of town, so today I will celebrate with my three fantastic kids. They really are the meaning of my life. And by saying that I fully understand that my life is predominantly defined by anarchy and chaos mingled with a healthy dose of whining, crying, fighting and screaming. I must admit that there are occasional bouts of peace and harmony, which is what makes it all worth while.  (Occasional being the operative word.) 

I will also celebrate with my Mom who ditched Dad to spend some time with us! (Thanks, Dad!) She flies in today and I am really looking forward to her visit, as are the kids. I wasn't going to tell them that their grandma was coming so they would be surprised when they came home from school (taking a page out of the Rex Thornton play book), but A is a bit of a sleuth and discovered the secret!

This is a scene from our early V-Day kick-off with the whole fam - though not in the picture Matt and I did attend the the pre-party!  The kids were thrilled that I pulled out the cookie making supplies.  It was difficult, but I relinquished control and let them decorate their own cookies - what you see here are the results - aren't my protege's doing well? 

After all kids went to bed I took over the decorating to appease my freakish quality control issues.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

4th Grade Performance

 

Last Thursday we enjoyed a rousing performance by the 4th grade classes at the Elementary School.   They sang seven songs - mostly in Spanish - and performed various feats of latin dance. A stunned us all with her solo performance - she was fantastic, though being mono-lingual we did not know what she said/sang.  Every photo that I took that evening turned out very blurry due to the 4 year old hanging on my arm pleading with me to please, please let him dance with the girls.  So here are the only 2 pics that turned out (though still sightly fuzzy) - the fam in the school auditorium!  

Please notice A's super cool shoes!

Wisdom from my Sisters

From Kristy: When ever anything in life is unmanageable, thusly causing stress, change your hair.  While many things in life are beyond our control - or lack a quick fix, changing your style or color is an instantly gratifying experience.  Additionally, life would be worse if we were to start drinking excessively.

From Heather:  Tactics used in a Special Ed classroom are quite effective when used on my children.  What this says about my children...I don't like to admit.  What this says about Heather is that she can handle a lot of deviant behavior.  Also - when under stress it is perfectly acceptable to cry to a stranger (i.e. the comcast guy) if no one more suitable is around.  

From Becca: Many of us agonize over the fact that most pictures taken of ourselves, are less than beautiful.  When once in a while a good picture turns out, we are glad that our imagined beauty has finally been captured on film.  We need to accept that the opposite is true.  We actually look mediocre much of the time - so mediocre pictures are an accurate representation of our physical reality.  Remember: those few really good pictures of ourselves are not how we actually look.   

From Mom: (who must be included even though the blog title indicates only Sisters) As women, many of us spend much of our lives agonizing over weight and the last 10 pounds (or fill in the number with whatever poundage you choose) that we want to loose.  Many of us also spend much of our lives enjoying snacks and treats.  At some point we need to say "This is what size I am.  I like to eat ice cream (donuts, cookie dough, etc.), and will continue to do so."  Then we need to stop agonizing.  Or stop eating the treats.  Pick one of the two.     

From Me:  (Just because I don't want to feel left out!) Laugh at yourself.  Life is hard/ stressful/disappointing much of the time.  Find the funny and lighten up!  If by chance you are unable to find humor in your own life, watch America's Funniest Home Videos and laugh at someone else.  A heavy set woman falling off of her bike into the mud, a poorly executed trampoline move ending with some guy getting it in the sweet spot, a little old grandma falling from the dock into the lake - these things are all very funny.   

Please note -  when entertaining the idea of taking of Kristy's advice - (hair cut or color) it will only be instantly gratifying if you pay someone whom you trust, who is also qualified to do the task.  This does not include a sister (Becca), trustworthy but untrained in cosmetology, who thinks she knows how to home-job some bleach blonde high-lights on my normally dark brown hair. Don't think of her too badly though, she let me do her hair at the same time so we both looked crappy - but we looked crappy together.

And that is the point of having sisters - togetherness.  Whether we are living in the same state or not. Miss you guys!   

When I needed It Most...

In the past seven years, we have moved from Utah to California, within California, back to Utah, and now to Virginia.  That is five locations for anyone who was counting.  Yesterday I was thinking about our nomadic tendencies and realized that though we have met many fantastic people in each location, and learned many great things from our experiences, each move has one crummy thing in common.  With each uprooting I have lost my support network, and upon arrival in a new location, it takes time to develop a new one.

I was thinking about this yesterday because I had the flu.  It was not a mild case.  It was an entirely disabling-Exorcist like-can I even crawl into the bathroom before I loose it- kind of case.  (Though still coming in second to a certain airplane bathroom incident.)  So as I lay on the bathroom floor, lacking energy to crawl back to bed after cleaning the commode - again - wishing that the Hub was not out of town - again- I started to feel sorry for myself.  I missed my friends who I could call at a moments notice to come and get my kids.  I missed my mom and sisters, who would have cleaned my bathroom for me, taken the kids for the night, or even stayed to keep me company in my commiserative state.  

I haven't been here long enough to develop that kind of a network.  The kind that I can rely on for anything.  I thought of a few people I could call, that would have probably helped, but I didn't have the energy to go downstairs and find the ward directory.  So I just felt more sorry for myself, that I don't know anyone well enough to have their phone number memorized.  

I also felt sorry for Z, who had eaten a half a loaf of bread (his sustenance of choice when I feebly told him to find something to eat) and watched Scooby Doo all day long, though he wasn't complaining.  When A and N finally got home from school I was in bad shape, wishing that I could send them all somewhere, tearfully missing my network.

And guess what?  As soon as they realized that I was sick my children magically metamorphasized from my usually needy, often whiny, occasionally screaming pack of three to my own little network of support.  I suddenly had three little mother hen's checking in on me, bringing me water (which I promptly threw up), feeling my forehead,  and smoothing my blankets.  I should note that N and A did most of the 'work' while Z lurked in the background saying "don't touch me with your sick germs."  To hit credit, he is only 4 - and has inherited his father's germ-o-phobia.  

And so - I tell you this tale - not to gain your sympathy - but to tell you about my great network of support.  A ended up at a friends house for the evening, so N poured he and Z a bowl of cold cereal for dinner - AND he put the dishes in the washer.  He supervised teeth brushing (which surely was done within the range of poor to mediocre, but I let it go for one night).  He brought Z into my room for prayers, offered to say them, and prayed fervently that I would feel better.  He read Z a book, tucked him into bed, then went to bed himself.  When A got home, she locked up the house, cleaned the kids bathroom sink (a task often necessary after the boys brush their teeth), came to my room for her prayers (more fervent requests for my restored health), and put herself to bed.      

Today, I am feeling better, not 100%, but I can tell that there is hope.  And I am sure that before long I will be refereeing a screaming match between two of the three kids, reminding them to use their 'nice words and nice voices', and repeatedly uttering a combination of the phrases - 'stop it' - 'knock it off' - or 'how about we all spend a quiet hour in our separate rooms'.  Some of them will cry, all of them will whine, no one will do what I ask until I threaten punishment and feel like pulling my hair out at the roots....but they can't fool me anymore.

I know their true nature.  When push comes to shove - they are my support network.  And that won't change - no matter how many times we move.