When do you know you are officially a blogging fool? When you start blogging from your new phone!

I want a puppet!

Nope! Homework's still not done.

Another Wednesday potluck today! We had meatball sandwiches. Yummy! The team also brought a video to watch while we ate. It was a comedian, Terry Fator. Another man with puppets! It's amazing what you can do with puppets. I think we should all carry puppets with us. Then we wouldn't be crazy for talking to ourselves. And we could do all the things we wanted, say all the things we want to say, and blame it on the puppet!

Maybe my puppet would do my homework...

I don't wanna!!!

Ever had one of those days when you'll do anything to avoid homework? That's where I'm at today. I have a paper due tonight, just 1,000 words outlining a transition plan from at-home to kindergarten, but I am having the hardest time concentrating on it and putting it to paper! I know what I want to say, but I have to include research articles. That's where I'm stuck. I don't wanna. So, instead, I've caught up on my work, written in my journal, and here I am blogging. I'm running out of other things to do!

Update: I got a B- in the class 'cuz I never did do the paper. Shame on me. But, honestly, I'd rather take a low grade because of something I chose to do, then take a high grade for sloppiness. I could have turned in almost anything and probably gotten an A, but I didn't. Oh well.

Comfy and Cozy!

Yay! We have heat once again!

Another board meeting last night. Nothing too eventful. Autorama is coming up in a couple of weeks, so we talked a bit about that.

I think I'm about ready for the cruisin' season. It'll be here before we know it! Just submitted the flyer for the car show Royce and I host in July to Weezie's magazine. This will be our 5th year! This year it's on July 16th, from 6-9. It's a ways away, but I guess it's time to start the planning. Gotta find some neat trophies and raffle prizes. Gotta plan some kind of game. Plus, if I ever hear back from the guy, I might be planning another car show this year, for the owner of the buildings that my work is in. I talked to him last week and he had no idea what he was getting into. Ha!

Brrrr!!

Woke up this morning to ice cold air. The furnace ignitor went out. Best part? We replaced it last year. Gotta love it. So, I've been on the phone all day, and here it is, almost 5:00pm and I'm waiting for the service guy to call and tell me he's on the way. Wish me luck that it gets done tonight, 'cuz I don't know if I'll make it through the night if not! BRRRR!!!!

Memory Monday #2

Since Royce and I are thinking about what we'll be like as parents, I want to write about some of the things that I remember most from my childhood and being raised by my parents- today will be about my mom.

My mom was very active in our schooling and our social life. She was a classroom volunteer, a PTA mom and worked in the school office. All the kids loved her... almost to a fault. She was ALWAYS cooler than me. I think a good majority of my friends were my friends just so they could hang out at Mrs. P's. She provided a "cool" place to hang out, where she always knew were we were and knew who we were with. Even if she and dad went out of town, they let us know that we could have people over, and left money for goodies, but were always very clear on what was expected (if people drink... even though they shouldn't.... they absolutely cannot drive. no drugs. no sex. be safe, but have fun) Because of this, I never felt the need to sneak around and rebel.

In elementary school, mom worked in the office. It was cool. All the kids loved her. And I loved having her around. Except when I rolled my eyes at mean "old" Ms. Young. Then I hated that my stupid teacher could go right to my mom and tattle on me. But, for the most part, it was awesome. Wednesday's were our early out days and she'd always let me and AJ take a friend to Pizza Hut to use our reading coupons. And she always went on school fieldtrips. Once, we did an overnight trip to the Environmental Center and she made all the boys think that the girls' room had a jacuzzi. She kept us up all night playing Burn Out. And she snuck me and my best friend into the bathroom to drink a Coke with her and one of the teachers! And she even substituted our class sometimes. She was funny and knew how to make us feel like equals, not just "kids." In the summertime, she coached my softball team, took us swimming, and kept us on the go. She drove the carpool to and from school, to and from the mall, to and from the movies.

In junior high, mom wanted to get a job at the school library. She'd wanted to work in the library for a long time, and I knew it. But I couldn't have her working at the school I attended! I was trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life. And mom wasn't making it any easier... when she'd come to pick me up after school, all the cute boys would run out to the car and talk with her. Not me. Never me. I asked her not to take the job, and I know it crushed her. But she's a great mom and put my needs before hers.

When I really didn't want to go to school, mom let me play hooky. But I had to do my homework and keep my grades up.

Mom always understood me best. Still does. And she always knew what was best for me. She'd tell me, "That person isn't a true friend. Just be careful." and I'd ignore her, wanting so badly to prove her wrong, but she at least trusted me to make my own mistakes. And never said "I told you so."

You can't choose your family... but we did!

We spent the weekend with our "adopted" family, the Eames'. Royce is sure they're gonna adopt us.

On Friday, we celebrated Bob & Weezie's 50th anniversary! It was incredible! There had to have been upwards of 300 people. These people are loved, as they should be.

Saturday was a relatively quiet day, considering we had to deal with some family drama. But, such is life. We will move on.

Sunday was a good day. We woke up early and went to breakfast with the Eames' to celebrate Mike E's birthday. It was fun, and we truly are a part of the family. It's a good feeling. Poor Mike E is going through a divorce as well. When he texted me later that day to say thanks, I realized he was running errands alone and might want some company. We ended up going to In & Out Burger with him. Royce and I had never been, and as Mike E said "It was a holy experience." We also enjoyed us some delicious Vanilla Bean cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. Mmm! It was a good day of good eats and good company.

Marriage is...

Forever?

We celebrated my friends' 50th wedding anniversary tonight. It was incredible! So many people. They have truly created a blessed life together. And they're still in love. Watching them together is so inspiring. They complete each other. And they're family is amazing. Just good, good people. People who care and have endless love to give. Congratulations to Bob and Louise!



My own parents have been married for more than 25 years. And the love they share is deep. I love watching them together. They still hold hands, still give kisses and still say "I love you." It is the truly ideal marriage. They've had their ups and downs, they've experienced heartache and suffering, but they've worked together to get to where they are now. They are strong. They are true.



My grandparents also celebrated their 50th anniversary several years ago. And they still take care of each other and dote on one another like newlyweds.



I am so thankful to have this kind of love in my life. I'm so grateful to have such amazing evidence of true love. Congratulations to each of them, and thank you for being such an inspiration!

a mess!?!

Some family members are going through a divorce. It sucks.

My good friends are also experiencing divorce. I do not know the details of the marriage, but as an outsider, I was taken aback by the announcement. I would not have expected it. Outside looking in, everything appeared hunky-dory. But it seems like the decision is for the better. If my friend can only make it through the loneliness. His obvious discomfort and loneliness breaks my heart. I worry about him. He is such a neat person, with an awesome personality and great confidence, I hate to see him so sad and lost.

None of these people deserve the sadness they are experiencing. They each deserve to be loved, and they each have so much love to give. While I believe the decisions they've made to be apart were made with great consideration and will be for the best, I wish their journey to the end of the decision could be smoother and more peaceful.

My marriage is right. It is blissful. It is true. It is REAL.

and I am so thankful for that.

I love you, Royce Beck! Thank you for loving me!

Wednesday Potlucks!

At work, we started a weekly potluck. There are 4 teams, and each week a different team is in charge of the meal. That means we have 3 weeks of getting free food, and one week of giving. It gives us something to look forward to each week. Today was my team's day. We did tacos. I think it turned out great! We had hard shells and tortillas, beef and chicken, and all the toppings. Plus chips and salsa. It's nice to take an hour each week just to chill and get to know our co-workers a little better.

Memory Lane!

I've been challenged by a fellow blogger, http://theswimmom.blogspot.com/2010/02/memory-monday.html to write an old memory each Monday. Yes, I'm starting a day late, but today is my Monday, so I think it counts. My memory is kindergarten. I remember so many tiny details about kindergarten. And I don't know how many of them are legitimately from my time in kindergarten versus those that were reinforced when I went back to my old kindergarten class when I was in high school. But either way, these are the reasons I want to be a kindergarten teacher:

• the letter people. These adorable inflatable critters taught me my ABC's. I remember dancing with them and singing their fun little songs. "gooey gooey gum..." "obstinate Mrs. O" "Aaaa-choo!" Today's kinders have the alphafriends. Just not the same. I will bring back the letter people in my kindergarten class, if only just to enhance another program!

• center time! I loved small group learning centers! I've seen it done many ways, but my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Conroy did it best. She changed the dramatic play center each month. I remember the Valentine's/mail carrier center and Santa's workshop, where we played with real nails and hammers! Then there were the bucket games. We worked at our own pace to complete a total of 10 different games that could be adding, subtracting, spelling, ABC's, or any hidden-agenda educational games.

• the songs! Mrs. Conroy was a singer. At least I was sure she was. Even now, I can't remember if she was actually good at it, of if she just did it. She greeted us with a song and sent us home with a song. "Bye bye for now, until another day." How I wish I could remember them all! So, even if it isn't "cool" and even though I have a terrible singing voice, my kinders will sing.

• community helpers. I don't remember the lessons specifically, but I know she taught it. I have a complete unit ready for my own classroom, just because I remember the topic.

• field trips. I remember walking to my house with all my classmates, dressed as hobo's. I don't remember the reason. But I remember how excited I was to show everyone my house and getting to carry a stick with a pack on the end of it. And I have the picture to prove it... somewhere. I'll have to find it now!!

• my first year book. I still have it. And in the back I wrote "I love Mrs. Conroy. Does she love me?" in my messy kindergarten scribble. And I'm sure it isn't spelled right... I'll have to find that too!

Not too much to write about, so I'll just babble about the ordinary-ness that makes my life great.
Thursday was the baby shower for my co-worker. It was fun. The decorations were cute and she is adorable, all tiny except that baby bump. Everyone seemed to like the diaper cake. It matched the baseball theme perfectly! We were asked to write some advice on a baseball note paper. Here's what I wrote: "I'm not a mommy, so I'm not sure that my advice counts, but one of my fears of becoming a mommy is forgetting that I am also a wife." I see a lot of moms who seem to forget about how they got to be a mom. By being a wife. By having a husband. They forget about that life before baby and devote 100% of their time to being a mom. I want to be a great mommy, but I also think I can be a great wife. We won't plan our life around a baby... we'll bring a baby into our life. This means that life goes on as normal, with mom and dad still having some time for themselves. We'll still do the things we love to do. And, hopefully, my husband will realize that he's still a priority in my life. Because that's what I would expect from him.

Thursday night was the car club Valentine's activity. We had dinner at Rovali's Ristorante Italiano http://www.rovalis.com/. It was delicious, as always! And the company was grand. Look how nice Royce looks! He dressed up, just for me.

Friday we went to the Weber State basketball game. My folks had tickets, but Dad got sick, so they gave them to us. It was fun! And WSU kicked butt.

On Saturday, we went to an estate auction in the morning. I know Royce had fun... this is his thing. I got bored. We didn't buy much. Royce spent $5.25 on elk horns, a car picture and some animal traps. Auctions are tricky. Sometimes they're really fun and have lots of neat stuff. Sometimes they're just junk. And, sometimes, it's just a waiting game to see what comes up and how much everything goes for. This one was a waiting game. In bad weather. It was an outdoor auction, but it was raining so bad that we all crowded inside the house and followed the auctioneer around.

Sunday was Valentine's Day. Royce and I don't do Valentine's Day, but I still got him some Legos, just because. We didn't do much. Just went to Mom & Dad's for dinner.

Monday was President's Day, so I had the day off work. Poor Royce didn't. I spent the day cleaning house. I rented a carpet cleaner and did the floors. When I took the machine back, I went to visit Mom at work. She's a groomer, so I like to stop by, just in case she has a cute puppy. I visited and helped her clean up then she came over and picked up dinner. I had my li'l smokeys soup in the crockpot and made enough that Mom could take some home after work. It turned out delicious! When Royce got home, we planned on watching our Monday night lineup, (How I Met Your Mother, Accidentally on Purpose, Two and 1/2 Men and Big Bang Theory) but they were all re-runs so we went to RedBox and rented Couples Retreat. It was cute and funny.

Guess that's it for now!

School Counseling Mixed Tape!

Below is my mixed tape for my school counseling classes.

Baby Cakes

It seems like everyone around me is having babies! I hate getting the same old gift everytime, so I decided to try the diaper cakes I'd seen around. My first one was for my classmate. He had a baby girl, so it's pink and sweet, made of diapers and baby necessities such as a bottle, baby wash, desitin, teething ring and binkies. The picture isn't great, just a cellphone shot.

And I just finished my second one for a co-worker. She's having a boy, so it's baseball-themed. And I had to add Hershey's Kisses... just 'cuz she always had them on her desk when she worked with me.

Hardware Ranch

On Saturday we went to Hardware Ranch with the car club. The weather was perfect and it was a lot of fun!

Second Playlist- songs that remind me of my co-workers...

Bad Idea Bears

Avenue Q rocked! It was even better than I had hoped. Just listening to the soundtrack, I knew it'd be good, but add naked puppetry and I am hooked. Not to mention the Bad Idea Bears. Or Lucy the Slut's heart beat, or the intermittent lessons throughout the show. Speaking as a teacher, I think we should definitely have these intermittent lessons in life. A song-and-dance about the embarassing situations, instead of ashamed avoidance or boring lectures. It's good to laugh about our stresses! We went with our friend and his 16-year-old daughter. I think it speaks volumes about their relationship that they were comfortable to see this kind of play together. It was just a lot of fun. And it was interesting to see the people who attended. Here we are in good old Utah, but there were grandmothers, ladies in formal wear and guys who looked like missionaries, all laughing at the muppets as they sang about pornography, racism and being gay.

P.S. My first "mix tape" is a few songs from Avenue Q:

If You Were Gay

Everyone's a Little Bit Racist

The Internet is for Porn

You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want

I Have to Say I Love You in a Song

Leaving work for Avenue Q soon! So psyched! So, one of the songs from Ave. Q is called Mix Tape. It's about a girl who receives a mix tape and how the songs send mixed messages. I love using songs to communicate. What kind of mixed tapes would you send to express yourself? I'm going to be thinking and posting various mixed tapes over the next little while, please feel free to add your own mixed tape!

A little bit of SUNshine!

Those of you who know me, (not you creepy blog-stalkers) know that I am allergic to peanuts and all other tree nuts. You've probably had the pleasure of my nose on top of your Reese's peanut butter cup. My allergy is severe enough that I need to carry an epipen, but not severe enough that I cannot be around other people eating peanuts, so I revel in the scent of peanut butter. Before I was diagnosed, I had never had a reaction. And I ate a Reese's every day for lunch. But doc said, "stay away, and here's your epipen, just in case." Scared me straight, so even though I now suspect that my body had built an immunity to the allergy, I never touched it again. No nuts on brownies, no almond fudge, no peanut butter toast, no Nutter butter cookies, and no more pistachios. I've never had a reaction still, but if I do accidently taste a nut product, I do feel a tickle in my throat. Well, today I had a piece of toast. With Sunbutter on it. And it was delicious!! Sunbutter is made with sunflower seeds. It looks like peanut butter. It smells like peanut butter. And it tastes like (what I remember) peanut butter! I may have to test my baking skills and see if I can't make those delicious peanut butter bars with Sunbutter!

Tomorrow. 7pm. I'm psyched!!! Until then, a few examples of SCHADENFREUDE, a German word for "happiness at the misfortune of others."

• watching a vegetarian being told she just ate chicken.
• laughing when straight A students get B's.
• feeling like clapping when a waitress drops a tray of glasses.

We're all guilty of it. Do you have any other examples? I'm trying to think of some, these are all from the song.

I guess one I can think of right off is watching my graduated friends not being able to find jobs in their field of study... kinda makes me giddy and feel happy that I continued my education instead of starting my career. And when I see people with the hot rod of our dreams broken down on the side of the road. Mind you, we'd still stop to help, but it's nice to know that their life isn't perfect! Anyways, own up to it, let me know what schadenfreude you're guilty of!