"Suzy, You're Absolutely 'Glowing' Tonight!"

My sister-in-law, Shalee issued this challenge on her blog yesterday…

“Alright readers, I hereby challenge you to a blog-off. I want to see the best
story you have, may it be a hit to your pride or at the cost of another’s. You
know, the story that you tell at parties that gets everyone rolling on the
floor, the story that makes you laugh when you think about it, or, if you are
one of those unfortunate people, the legendary story that may be told at your
expense. Let’s see it, the good, the bad, the ugly and the down right
hilarous....”

I am up for the challenge, as embarrassing as it may be. Please read at your own risk. And consider yourselves challenged in turn. I better not be the only one who ponies up an embarrassing moment or two. Let’s hear some stories!!

It was fall of 1988. I was just beginning my freshman year of high school at Stevenson. I was 14 and just entered the realm of stake dances and youth conferences. I loved going to both, and was so excited at my new prospects for meeting Mormon guys from other wards (because my Ward’s pickins were pretty slim) and meeting up with my girls camp peeps to giggle and act aloof. The theme for the dance was black and white. I don’t know what kind of theme that is supposed to be looking back, but the decorations were, of course, black and white and people were supposed to dress in black and white. So I made my best effort to go with the flow. I remember scouring my closet for a white shirt and couldn’t find anything that was just plain white. So instead, I grabbed a cream colored mock turtleneck shirt and pulled it over my giant, ratted bangs and called it good.

My brother Ryan and I usually drove to these Stake dances together, and then we would immediately abandon each other at the door to hang with our own homies. I spotted my crowd and we probably ran off to the bathroom together to spray our ratted hair with more aqua net or apply some more electric blue eyeliner to our already eerily blue shadowed eyes. We eventually made our way to the dance floor and started rocking out to some sweet 80’s tunes…maybe “Ebony & Ivory” by Stevie Wonder to go with the dance theme. At that point, I realized that part of the decorations for the black and white themed dance were black lights positioned at each of the four corners of the dance floor. It was actually pretty cool looking. Everybody’s white clothing and teeth glowed and it was quite a psychedelic experience.

The first slow song came on, and we all filed into two rows on either side of the dance floor, trying to act cool and like we didn’t care if we got asked to dance. Eventually I got asked and got asked and got asked. I was on a streak. But it wasn’t the norm for me. I started getting a bit suspicious. At one point I noticed that the guys in our little dancing circle were kind of fixated on a certain part of my anatomy while dancing. What the!?! It’s not like I have ANYTHING to stare at. Even at age 14, I was barely in an A-cup. Regardless, I knew that that’s what they were looking at. So I looked down to see what all the fuss was about. And that’s when I noticed. My little white A-cup training bra was glowing right through my cream-colored mock turtleneck!! The horror!! And the realization that I had been dancing my little heart out completely unaware of my immodesty caused me to run for the hills. I couldn’t go back into the gym to get my brother to drive me home because I was sure that everyone had seen my little white bra, and I just couldn’t stand another minute of humiliation. I sent in one of my friends to get him and being the older brother he was at that point of my life, he acted like I was invisible. I called my Mom from the pay phone and I don’t think they were home either. I remember I finally found somebody to give me a ride home, no thanks to my insensitive older brother.

I didn’t let that experience keep me away from Stake dances, but I sure felt a little awkward at church the next day. There wasn’t a whole lot left up to the imagination with me after that for a lot of people, if you know what I mean. Ugh!!

Gettin' Crazy in Toledo

We took a trip to the Toledo Zoo as part of our Memorial Day vay-cay. We went on Saturday, because the Weather Man kept warning us of torrential downpours on Monday. (He was wrong!) Regardless, we had a good time and really enjoyed seeing something new. The orangutan exhibit was really cool. Avery kept calling them "rango-tangoes". We got really close to their natural habitat (only separated by glass), and got to watch a whole little family interact. It was a Dad (he was seriously huge), Mom, and two kids, one was an active little baby. It was really captivating, and we spent entirely too much time just watching their every (so human-like) move. We also went to the Carousel.



Maryn is very enthusiastic about the carousel! We also saw some of the other exhibits including the Aviary. The picture below is our Avery in the Aviary.



The picture below "cracks" me up. I thought these little shells were so cute and their expressions are perfect. My little "chicks".



We did not go to the Butterfly House at this zoo. For some reason, they charge separate admission. At the Detroit Zoo, it is free. So we boycotted, but still got our picture in front of the building.



It was a fun day...nice weather, and nice company. We caravan'd with the Griswold's and had a yummy lunch at Applebee's. I think we'll definitely return to Toledo! I remember going there as a kid and they had a really cool Panda exhibit. I was kinda sad there weren't any pandas there this time. Does anyone know what happened to them?

Kids...Something to Think About Today

I get emails from Bright Horizons, which is the company that runs the daycare center in my building. They have lots of parental support and ideas that are easy to digest and think about. The one that came just recently was really good, so I decided to post it here.

Siblings and Birth Order: Does it Really Make a Difference?

Life with Siblings

Our children didn’t get to plan when they were born (and for some of them, it might not have been in our plans either!). If our children tend to have or develop certain characteristics that are associated with their birth order, how can we as parents help them be successful and self-confident?

First Born

--Help them develop high standards and expectations without being a perfectionist.
--Reassure them that excellence does not mean perfection.
--Encourage them to play and enjoy life and not to worry constantly about academics or other responsibilities.
--Develop a family culture of “mistakes are okay.”
--Fill your home with humor and let them learn to laugh at themselves.

Middle Born

--Help them to see their skills and talents.
--Discourage them from comparing themselves to others, especially their siblings.
--Encourage them to share their feelings and thoughts.
--Value their sense of freedom, but expect responsibility.
--Cultivate their social attributes.

Last Born

--Value their relaxed view of life, but encourage greater responsibility.
--Accept their need for attention, but encourage them to listen to others.
--Challenge them to help others.
--Enjoy and encourage their ability to be entertaining and influential.

Parenting Two or More

Regardless of birth order, children grow and develop at different rates. Children are individual people with unique, distinct personalities who share love and rivalry. What can we do to effectively parent? According to The Field Guide to Parenting by Shelley Butler and Deb Kratz:

Give each child the attention and love he or she needs. Although it is not uncommon for parents to prefer one sibling over another at times, depending on the children’s ages, interests, abilities, and temperament, our children may be aware of our feelings through our words or actions. It is also common for these preferences to change over time as the children grow and change.

Accept that siblings argue, but realize ambivalence toward siblings is typical. It is common for siblings to be fighting one minute and be comforting the next. Our children will argue and fight for many reasons:
--Jealousy. Some children feel that their sibling is liked or loved more.
--Too much togetherness. Some children have a lower tolerance for spending lots of time with a sibling.
--Independence. Some younger children argue to prove their independence from older siblings.
--Possessiveness of things. Children want control over their own things and argue or fight when that control is threatened.
--Temperament. Children with differing temperaments may have more trouble getting along together.
--Lacking the skills needed to share, compromise, control impulses, and negotiate.

Giving Each Child Attention

When we finally fall into bed at night, the question of whether we gave each of our children enough attention sometimes comes to mind. As long as we didn’t leave one at school, we’re probably doing okay, but here are a few more tips for spending time with each child:

--Make a date with each child. Take each one alone to lunch, the park, or a place of his or her choice. Schedule the dates on your calendar so everyone gets a turn.
--Schedule simultaneous playdates for your other children so you can spend more time with one child.
--Use everyday activities to connect with your children. Have conversations on the ride home from school, while you are cooking, or during any family chores or activities.
--Tell children specifically why you love them. If she complains when you're hugging her sister, give her a hug right then too. Don't try to talk her out of feeling threatened by the affection you show toward a sibling.
--Help each child. If a child is having trouble getting his homework in on time, ask him how you can help to accomplish the task.
--Encourage children to express feelings. Help them understand and accept those emotions. Acceptance of a child's feelings communicates love.
--Show children that you notice their accomplishments. You don’t have to say it in front of their siblings. Do it as you tuck each into bed each night.

Despite childhood bickering and periodic estrangements, the sibling relationship is often the one constant connection that people have in their lives, from the beginning to the end. Helping young children develop good, positive sibling relationships can bring about many years of love, support, and belonging.

I learned a lot from this quick little essay about kids—birth order and siblings. I was reminded that my children are different people with different needs and temperaments and have to be handled…differently. What works for one as far as discipline, encouragement, etc. does not necessarily work for the other. Also, I was reminded that it is important to recognize them as individuals instead of just lumping them together all the time. Too much togetherness is often a mistake that we make in spending time together as a family, we need to start doing date nights again where we spend time with them individually. This also applies to disciplining and acknowledging their accomplishments, etc. Sometimes I’ll look at Avery as she is throwing her body around and whining at the top of her lungs and wonder what she’s doing. And then I’m reminded that she’s 2 years younger than Maryn and can’t be expected to be at the same level she is. I also have to be careful to praise each one of them for their own accomplishments and remind Avery that her time will come to be doing things that Maryn is already doing. Anyway, I thought it was interesting and learned a few things in the process.

How about another tag?

This one was from Mark's blog. Even though I love them, I promise not to have this many lists next week. Have a Happy Memorial Day weekend!

1. I can never have too many . . . measuring cups and spoons. Right now I have 2 glass, and 3 sets of stackable cups. I also have 2-3 sets of spoons. I really like to measure stuff and have exact proportions for recipes.

2. I'm terrified when . . . Mark is driving and he gets really into the story he’s telling and starts looking at me to see my reaction instead of the line up of brake lights RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!

3. I can't get enough of . . .vacation days from work. Right now I only get 10 days for the whole year. It’s just not enough.

4. I have always wanted . . . cable or satellite television. There have been many tempting offers, but I know I would be addicted to HGTV and FOOD network and be entirely useless from the hours of 7 pm-11 pm, and would probably stay up all night!!

5. It bothers me when . . . people can’t admit they’re wrong. Like today on the phone with the school secretary. Her first inclination was to be defensive and blame something on us, rather than just softening up, admitting that they made a mistake and asking what she could do to fix it or help us to feel better.

6. I dream about . . . living overseas again. I wonder what it would be like to just work and live in a different country.

7. I would never . . .wear my “underclothing” two days in a row. It just gives me the heeby-jeebies.

8. I always . . . remember to wash my hands after I use the “loo”.

9. I will . . .catch up on my scrapbooking someday.

10. I love . . . changing into my pj’s after work, and settling in for the night, not having anywhere to go or do other than make dinner, help with homework, watch tv, and do a little laundry now and then. It’s become kind of a pleasant little ritual.

Suzyish Randomness

My friend Carey tagged her readers with this list. Ever the sucker for a list, I was happy to comply. Thanks Carey! If you like it, go do your own!

*Edited to add: This list is for 8 random things about you.*

1. I have never ski’d. How do you spell that anyway? Skiied, skiid, skid? Maybe it’s “gone skiing”. Anyway, I have never been. Mostly due to my fear of heights and speed, but also due to my lily-liver chicken fear of falling and breaking something or making a fool of myself. I should probably hit the slopes someday just to say I tried and/or did it, but for now, no skiing for me.

2. My right eye has been twitching for over a week. I finally looked it up on Google this morning because it’s really getting annoying. The reasons for my twitch are either stress, anxiety, fatigue, and/or lack of sleep. Hmmm…that would pretty much sum up my life lately. I figured it was the fatigue thing, so I actually went to bed early last night and even missed the final (painstakingly long) results show for DWTS!! I missed Kristi taking home the globe!! I thought that would cure the twitching. It hasn’t. I wore my glasses today in one last effort to get rid of my twitch. Maybe it has something to do with my contacts. Anyway, it’s just the right eye and it’s just my top lid. Uncontrollable, feels like a spasm, sometimes just a couple times, sometimes longer. It’s bugging the heck out of me.

3. I am really quite crude. Some of you may laugh because you already know this about me, yet others have not been exposed to this (shameful) side of my personality. When the doors are closed (and locked), and I am in the presence of my family only, I have been known to revert into a pre-adolescent, disgusting, giggling child when it comes to bodily functions and humor. I know that there are some of you who would be shocked and horrified by this, and I’m sorry for you. However, this is one of those things where I’m just coming clean for the sake of my blog’s integrity. You know what makes this worse? That my daughter’s think it’s funny now too. EEK! Even Dad has more class in our house these days! (I can’t believe I just admitted that!)

4. I am a pack rat. By nature, I am extremely sentimental. I have saved stuff since I can remember. I packed it away like a squirrel gathering nuts for winter. When I was a Beehive, we decorated cardboard boxes to be used as keepsake boxes and mine was filled to the rim with construction paper paintings, old spelling tests, retainers, handmade tissue holders made out of yarn and that Quickpoint plastic stuff, puzzles with pieces missing, teddy bears you get for free from pharmaceutical companies, Avon jewelry bought from a garage sale, etc. Over the past few years, I’ve forced myself to purge some of it. I’ve narrowed it down to one plastic tub now for all things from my growing up years, 1 tub for mission memorabilia, and 1 tub of the girls’ baby stuff. But to make matters worse, I’ve started tubs for each of them now too. And the levels are rising. I think if I went unchecked, I could have the potential for being on Oprah someday on one of her hoarding episodes. Except it’s not stuff that I’m going out and buying for no reason, it’s stuff that I just can’t seem to throw away or part with.

5. I love naming children. I have always loved putting combinations of beautiful names together thus creating the ultimate child’s name. Since I was a teenager, I started recording different name combinations in my journals for my future posterity. I fell in love with girl names including: Linnea Rose, Emma, Catherine, and Fae was always my ultimate middle name. I figured I’d have to just have girls because I didn’t really like any of the boy names out there. I did have a few that I liked growing up however. They included: Micah, Zachary, and Taylor. After Mark and I were engaged and starting talking about having kids, I shared some of my coveted names with him and ping, ping, ping, he shot them all down. He apparently had the same preoccupation with naming children and had a collection of his own since boyhood. These included Ivy, Lake, and Parker. Needless to say, we had a tough time with naming our girls. But we loved it! We bought 2 different books and spent many hours reading over the books and making long lists. Finally Mark came home one night from delivering pizza in his little Geo Metro. I was probably 4 or 6 months pregnant, and he said, “what about Maryn?” And it was perfect. It’s kind of in honor of my 2 Grandmothers, both named Mary, with a little twist on the end. The Elizabeth comes from my sister Erin’s middle name. She was just leaving on her mission when Maryn was born and we thought it was appropriate. If Maryn hadn’t been Maryn, she would have been Avery because we always just really loved the name (found it in a book), and her middle name, Jane, is a family name on both sides for us. I love Jane just as much as I love Avery and we call her that as a nickname a lot. So if you ever want help or ideas with names, I’m your gal. So far, I’ve loved everything that any of my family or friends has used.

6. I flunked out of College German. It still stings as I write it. I took German in high school and loved it. In college, I had to take a language as a requirement for my English major, so I chose German again. Except the class was every day…as in 5 days a week, at noon, as in lunchtime, and attendance was mandatory, as in if you didn’t go every day, you failed. Needless to say, after I missed a couple classes it all went downhill really, really fast. The teacher wasn’t as compassionate as I would have hoped and he failed me…just outright. It hurt, and I felt terrible. 4 credits of a big fat E on a report card does not do well for an overall GPA, nor for parents who are working their butts off to support my flunky behind. It’s not a pleasant memory or confession to make.

7. I have only kissed 5 boys in my lifetime…Mark is #5. I was a late bloomer I guess. I didn’t date in high school at all really. The two dates I did go on were with Todd Moss and they were totally pity dates on both our parts. I asked him to Homecoming the year he moved here ‘cause I knew he didn’t know anybody and well I guess I had a teensy, weensy crush on him at the time. He asked me to Christmas dance the next year ‘cause his parents only wanted him to date Mormon girls and I was the default. My first year at Ricks wasn’t spent going on tons of dates like you’d imagine, it was spent in Dorm 5, cracking up with my peeps on a nightly basis, making late night trips to Perkins in Idaho Falls, or walking to Wal-Mart to buy peanut butter cups and popcorn. It wasn’t a dating year for me. My 2nd year at Ricks (hi Andrea!), I guess I went a little hog wild in the dating department. Because I had never really dated before, I didn’t know how to balance my work/life ratio. My grades suffered (read #6), but I sure learned a lot about love!! That was the year I met Mark, although I didn’t actually date him until much, much later.

8. I have to make my bed before I can sleep in it. Before I went back to work, I made the beds every day, most often in the mornings after breakfast, after getting dressed and ready to go for the day. I love the way they look, and feel. One of my very favorite things is clean sheets, but straight sheets neatly tucked and organized comes a close second. Now, there’s no way to make the bed before leaving in the morning, so instead I make them usually right before going to bed. As part of the girls’ bedtime ritual, I make their bed and fold down the top corner for them to climb in. Sometimes, when I go in to check on them for the millionth time, and they’ve been wiggling and dinking around, I will remake their bed as they lay in it so that their blankets won’t fall off in the middle of the night (and also to appease my OCDness). I know it’s a little crazy, but it’s just me.

Not Feelin' It

I just finished up a Total Body class at my fitness center. It’s a good mix of cardio and strength, and was taught by my fave teacher Sarah. She just had a baby like six months ago and you’d never know. She looks awesome and she kicks some serious booty. On my way into the gym today, I swiped my card and one of the other trainers (Rob) asked me how my workouts were going. It was one of those, “why are you talking to me?” moments. I said “okay”, feeling a little vulnerable and suspicious. Maybe he was just feeling chatty; maybe he had an agenda, who knows. He asked me if I was still doing the strength routines he gave me awhile back. (We had this fitness initiative a few months ago where we got a free 30 minute session with a personal trainer, and Rob was mine.) I said no (thinking to myself, “why, does it show?”) and he was like, “well, do you want to go over a new plan?” And I was still all instinctively defensive and said that I didn't know. I totally wussed out and walked away, feeling really self-conscious and really, really pathetic.

So what is my problem?!? It was only a few weeks ago I was making all kinds of goals (I think I may have even mentioned a half-marathon in the fall or something crazy like that) and feeling like I could conquer the world. Today, I am seriously lacking in the motivation dept. I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like I don't feel the same fire and drive and stuff lately. You may have noticed that I took down my “Log Your Run” widget on my sidebar last week. It was starting to stress me out and make me feel all bad about myself. I tend to get really hard on myself when I feel like I’m slacking off and that was the case. So I thought that maybe if I took it down, I would stop worrying and obsessing so much about it. Well it kind of worked. Instead of feeling bad and just doing my workouts anyway, I pretty much just didn’t work out last week at all. And when I did, I was totally trudging through it and just not. enjoying. it. at. all.

I guess this is pretty normal. It’s called a plateau or whatever. (Is that what the kids are calling it these days?) The awkward spans of time when you just don’t want to do any of it anymore? The times when you feel sluggish, unmotivated, and kind of apathetic. (Yikes.) I guess that’s what this is.

My eating is all out of whack too. Last week was especially terrible. We had chips in the house (3 varieties: Lay’s classics, Doritos (help me), and tortilla chips a.k.a, the Lord’s cheeps), ice cream, Oreos, we went out to eat and I specifically ordered fries…like for myself (I usually just eat everyone else’s). I felt like a crazy woman. Like I had no self-control, and that little voice inside my head was being strangled by the beast within. It kind of culminated (or hit rock-bottom) for me on Saturday afternoon. Friday I had eaten all kinds of junk at Compu-stock (see previous post), and continued that into the weekend. Saturday afternoon we had pizza at the park for lunch, and then got donuts on the way home. Yes, that’s right. I’m coming clean. Needless to say, on Sunday I was feeling pretty yucky.

Before you think I sound like a weight/exercise obsessed loony toon, understand that I’ve been here before…I’ve been there, done that. I’ve been riding this diet and exercise coaster my whole life. I’ve been up and down and all manner of in between. I speak from experience, and I know what is happening to me and it kinda freaks me out quite frankly. I know that if I stay in this so-called plateau range for too long, bad things can happen. It ain’t pretty or fun. So red flags are up, and both eyes are open. But I’m still kinda feeling like, “so what?!?”

I don’t really know what the purpose of this post is. I guess it’s to come clean to myself about how I’m feeling and just get it off my chest and hopefully that will move me in a positive direction. Maybe it’s to reach out for your help…so that I can know I’m not the only one, and that this too shall pass. Maybe I need to hear some of your ideas or secrets for getting out of a funk. Whatever you got, I’m all ears. (And next time there’s a family function, don’t assign me the chips!! And certainly don’t let me sneak out with the leftovers either!!)

We Make IT Rock!

In the words of one of my favorite bloggers, Heather, all I can say about today is, "Oh My Stinkin' Heck!" The company I work for (which shall remain nameless) has been working on a huge PR campaign over the past few months. They wanted to update our brand and specifically our dated logo. They've been sending out surveys, and even hired a guy specifically for this task. Well today was the unveiling and the kickoff here at headquarters and you'd think they just resurrected Elvis the way this thing came off. All of my wildest dreams and expectations have completely been blown out of the water. I'm not kidding. It's really been something.

It started yesterday. We each got a brand package. It was rectangular, shaped like a stereo speaker. You open it up and it starts playing a rockin' guitar riff. Inside is a laminated "backstage pass" with lanyard and a pack of rub-on tattoos of guitar picks, and hemp designs. Also inside is a shrink-wrapped t-shirt in the shape of a guitar. The t-shirt is one size fits all (huge) and has the new company logo. Let's just say we look like rock-stars!!

The kick-off started this morning with a pretty respectable, yet casual meeting with our CEO and COO. Everyone was in jeans, and their rockin' t-shirts, and feeling comfortable. Then we were invited to attend the "jam session" downstairs. This is where it gets good. They blocked off traffic around Campus Martius and had a rock band set up on a huge stage on the park. They had those big old stadium flood lights surrounding the park, along with rows and rows of chairs. They had cameras rolling, and employees started rockin' out. Seriously! There was a mosh pit! You would have never guessed these were employees of an IT company. It was hilarious! They had impersonators perform including Ozzy Osbourne, Madonna, and Bono. And the main event was when they unveiled the new company logo on the front of the building preceded by fireworks, explosions, and confetti! Yes, this was all outdoors on the park. I couldn't believe it. Words can barely describe it now.

After the jam session, we were invited to enjoy lunch catered by the Hard Rock Cafe (mini-cheeseburgers, etc.), and Detroit delicacies such as Faygo and Better Made Chips, as well as free ice cream from Ben & Jerry's. It was pretty awesome. The crowds were thick, but all in all it was a happy chaos. We were all rockin' and nobody had to work! So now it's late Friday afternoon and the building is slowly emptying out. I think everyone is pretty worn out after "Compu-stock" this morning. It was a hoot!

The Reason for the Season

This is a totally belated Mother’s Day post, but I didn’t want to forget it. I feel like this blog has replaced my journal lately, so I wanted to make sure I included my thoughts and experiences from Mom’s Day 2008.

Last Thursday, Avery’s after-school kindergarten class had a special program for their Mom’s. They had the gym decorated with cut lilacs, flowery tablecloths, and trays of cookies and jugs of iced tea (with 1 lone lemonade for a certain Mom who can’t drink tea because "it’s against her religion"…hee hee). The kids filed into the gym in an orderly row, following Mrs. T and formed 2 lines.

The tall kids were in the back (hi Avery!), and the little ones in the front.

From the moment she walked into the gym, a lump formed in my throat and I didn’t know if I was going to cry or giggle. She’s such a cute little girl and she just makes my heart sing, and break, and laugh all at the same time. She told me she didn’t feel good that morning, but that is the case most mornings. She’s not a morning person and most days tells Mark and I that she doesn’t want to go to school, etc. She said she had a headache. I told her she’d probably be fine and if she felt yucky to tell her teachers. I figured it was like any other day. After arranging the students, Mrs. T stopped by where I was sitting to tell me that Avery took a long nap in the afternoon instead of eating her lunch and wasn’t her usual self that day. I looked at her, and I could tell she was not feeling good. She yawned her way through the first couple songs, and regardless of how crappy she felt she never gave up.

Not even when they did the Macarena and I could tell it was draining every ounce of her energy to do the movements with the class.

She yawned, and slumped, and did her best as only she can. After she finished, she crumpled into my lap and wanted to go home. She didn’t even want the cookies or the “lemonade”. I must admit it felt good to have her long body snuggled up on my lap again. She was warm and I could tell she had a temperature. I wanted to just rock her and hold her close.

Maryn’s class was also having a Mom’s Day Tea that was at 4 pm. I told Avery we could go home for a little bit and come back, or just wait for it on the couch in the SACC room. She found her blanket and pillow from earlier and curled up on the couch. I sat next to her, rubbing her back and talking. Eventually she decided she needed some fresh air, so we went for a little walk outside to her playground. She told me what she does on recess, and who she plays with, and picked up a few seed pods from the ground and showed me how there’s “cotton” inside of them. It was wonderful following her around and letting her share her life with me. Eventually we went back inside and Maryn saw me and nearly knocked me over in her enthusiasm. She grabbed my hand and directed me back into the gym with the flowers, tablecloths, and cookie trays and told me to sit down and took my order. She kept reminding Mrs. T that she needed 2 lemonades cause her Mom doesn’t drink iced tea (it’s against my religion, remember?). There was no singing for Maryn’s class, but lots of visiting and enjoying our time together. (Some had a more enthusiastic time than others...hello Maryn!)

After we were done, I scooped up my little girls and we went home. I felt so much joy and pride that afternoon. I realized how blessed and lucky I am to be a Mother…their Mother. They truly are worth it in every way.

Other Mom’s Day highlights included: Mark staying home with Avery (who ended up having strep) on Friday, and doing all the Saturday chores a day early!! Hallelujah!! That included cleaning, laundry, and grocery shopping people! Saturday we had the whole day to just play and relax. We went on a long bike ride, and just kind of lazed around. It was great! Sunday morning, I got breakfast in bed, followed by homemade cards and gifts, a little chocolate, and some iTunes goodness. At church, we got to attend RS instead of Primary sharing time, and that was a real treat. They had a wonderful program that just made me weep. All in all, it was a great Mother’s Day!

Blessings

On May 4th, my sister Erin and her husband Ben blessed their new baby boy, Cole Joshua. One of the blessings of his blessing was that my sisters from out-of-state were able to fly in and join us. Here are some pics from the happy event.


The newest Griswold, Cole Joshua with proud parents, Ben and Erin.


Mommy and Boy--I love this pic!


Day's and Griswold's--Suzy (me on the far left) and Mark, with Shauna in front of me with my girls, then my parents, then Ian (Jeff's kids) on top of Jeff's (my bro) shoulders, Hannah in green, Alec in blue, Riley in denim, Amy (sis-in-law) behind, Melanie behind her holding Braeden (Erin's other little boy), Mary and Randy Griswold (Ben's parents), and Erin and Ben on the far right. (Shauna and Mel's families stayed home and Ryan's family is in Utah.)

Lunch at Olga's--May 5th

Erin and Melanie--when they were young, we all called them "the little girls". Look at 'em now! Gorgeous ladies!!

I love having sisters!! We went shopping at Dixboro in Ann Arbor. That's Amy (Jeff's wife), Shauna (#1), Me (#4), Melanie (#5), and Erin (#6). The space between Mel and Erin is probably where our other sis-in-law Gretchen should be standing. Either that or Erin thinks Mel has cooties.

This was kinda the joke we laughed at while we were together. We all have pretty much the same haircuts...the a-line with the stack in the back. That's Amy, Shauna, Melanie, and Erin.

Survey Says!

I got another fun survey from my sister-in-law, Shalee. I'm not tagging anybody, but I'd love to see your answers too!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
(I was the age Shalee is now…hee hee.) It was 1998, and I had declared on New Year’s Eve, my infamous mantra “to date in ‘98”, which eventually snagged me a husband. I was at USU and one winter day in the computer lab, I found Mark over email living in Pocatello. He came to visit his friend Tony in Logan, and we went out for our first date in February. We were pretty inseparable after that, driving back and forth between Pokey and Logan. We got engaged over Conference weekend in October, and married in December of that same year.

2. Five things on your to-do list:
-Get my hiney to the Verizon store to sign up for a new cell phone plan.
-Make my “special lady appointment” at the Doctor’s. Sorry, was that TMI?
-Write thank-you notes for all of my wonderful birthday gifts (does this count?)
-Finish arranging summer childcare plans with CDC and babysitters.
-Work on my primary lesson for Sunday.

3. What snacks do I enjoy?
Before 8 pm: fresh fruit/veggies, Fiber 1 bars (oats ‘n’ chocolate, yum!), and Kashi protein bars.
After the demon is unleashed: Dove chocolate, Edy’s Slow Churned Ice Cream (any flavor), something salty like chips, popcorn, or crackers…until I finally pass out in a sugar/salt induced coma.

4. What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire?
-pay off debt
-save for stuff (college and weddings, retirement, etc.)
-travel around the world
-buy (and decorate) the house of my dreams
-quit work!

5. 3 bad habits:
-forget to practice good habits (see #3)
-OCD about cleanliness
-going to Target without a list

6. Places I have lived:
-Livonia, Michigan
-Rexburg, Idaho
-Chelsea, Michigan
-Prague and other cities, CZ
-Logan, Utah
-Trefoil Ranch, Utah
-Pocatello, Idaho
-Boise, Idaho
-Twin Falls, Idaho
-Livonia, Michigan
And the cycle repeats itself???

7. Jobs I've had:
-Babysitter, extraordinaire
-Cookie pusher, Miami Bake Shoppe
-Counter girl, Carriage Cleaners
-Camp Director, Trefoil Ranch
-Manager, CopyMax
-Technical Writer, S&T, Lionbridge, Compuware

8. Five things people don't know about me:
-I got sent to the principal in Elementary school for spitting on a boy on the playground.
-I don’t really like dogs.
-I would love to study Interior Design.
-I’ve never had a pedicure. (Thanks to my Mom for giving me a gift certificate for my birthday!!)
-I like squeezy cheese from a can.

9. 5 people to tag:
Whoever wants to do it!!

Blessing or a Curse?

As I drove my stinky, old, 1995 Ford Windstar into work today, I had a few thoughts come to mind. I realized how much I hate this car sometimes, yet how much I love it too. There’s not much to this van. It’s extremely basic. It doesn’t have power anything. You have to roll down your own windows, and none of the interior lights or cigarette lighters work (not that we smoke, but we can’t use adapters at all). It has a crack on the windshield that has spread from the time we got the van (used in 2002), which now spans the entire width of the windshield and is now going vertical. The window washing fluid thingy is broken, and so is the cassette tape player for the most part. The body was decent until last year when I side-swiped a parking column in the basement parking deck. Oops. So basically it’s not pretty and it doesn’t smell all that great either. There are times when I drive it that I feel a twinge of embarrassment and shame. Especially in the winter when the brakes get all squeaky and seem to echo for miles for all to stop and admire. (I know, it’s incredibly prideful and vain of me, but I’m just keeping it honest here.)

And yet, I also love this clunky old van. I know I’m extremely sentimental, but this van is the second car we scrimped and saved to buy after Avery was born. We had been driving only 1 vehicle while in Grad School in Boise, and we needed a second, bigger vehicle to accommodate 2 carseats. Mark’s uncle (who owns a used-car lot) hooked us up with a great deal. It felt all shiny and exciting when we got it and I was grateful to have it regardless of what it may have looked (or acted) like. The other thing I love about the van is that it has been fairly reliable. In the 5 + years we’ve had it, it has broken down maybe a handful of times. Thankfully while we were still in Idaho, Mark’s Dad was there to rescue us from financial disaster by fixing it up himself (thank heavens!!) And even since being in Michigan, the few times we’ve had something go wrong, getting it fixed has not broken the bank. It’s been pretty trusty considering we drive around 300 miles a week. (And the gas mileage ain’t that bad either at $3.60 a gallon!!)

I started thinking this morning, there’s no logical reason that this 1995 Windstar with over 160,000 miles is still running, consistently…day in and day out. It should have conceivably kicked the bucket a long time ago. But it hasn’t. I realized that the fact that my van still runs is a tender mercy. It is a blessing, and a little miracle that that helps put things into perspective. This van has seen us through some tough times and some happy times. And I’m grateful to have been reminded (and humbled) about my blessings this morning as I drove into work.

May Day

I looked at the calendar last night to see what was on the school lunch menu (Erin loves the Elementary school menu. I need to send her a link to it online. She loves reading the names for the overly-processed foods. Items such as “flower-shaped chicken dippers” and “smiley potatoes” make her laugh I think.) Anyway, today wasn’t the day for flower-shaped chicken dippers, it was some kind of nacho concoction…meat, cheese, “taco lettuce” and chips. Sounds nutritious, eh? The alternative menu item was pizza. I’m sure you think that sounds decent, but imagine the kind of microwave pizza you get in a box and that’s what my kids are eating today. I know, I know. They are basically ingesting pure hydrogenated fats and oils, along with processed animal parts for their lunch, but what other choice do we have? I made a deal with them at the beginning of the year, they could buy lunch once a week, and this was the best choice this week. Sad, but true. I’m so glad my hard-earned tax dollars are going to improve the healthy menu choices at the public schools, furthermore that my after-tax dollars are going to buy them this kind of food for their lunch.

Anyway, my point about looking at the calendar was I can’t believe that it’s May. We must have a pretty good groove going, because this past month has flown by. So here’s a little catch-up on our goings on.

The girls started taking karate classes on the 2nd of April. So after last night, they are half done. The class is hilarious. It’s a group of kids ages 5-7, a mix of boys and girls. Some of the kids are really small, and some are really tall (hello Avery!). Some have pretty athletic, quick reflexes and others are a little slower to process left, right, up and down. (It’s almost painful to watch them try and figure out which arm to punch or which leg to kick with.) The teacher is a white guy, with white hair, kind of short and with something to prove to these kids. He gets a little sarcastic with them at times, and likes to catch them off guard. He’s been “teaching” them the duck and weave move (I don’t know if that’s the official name), but basically he swipes his arm over their head and they’re supposed to duck and pop back up to sparring stance to continue to the next hit. If they’re not fast enough, they get hit in the side of the head with the swiping arm. He’s got these kids so paranoid they’re going to get hit that they can’t focus on the other moves he’s trying to drill them on. But then when they do get hit, they squeal and giggle with delight. Anyway, I don’t know how I feel about it. I’m getting a little irritated with a grown man hitting children in the side of the head, (even for the sake of teaching) but I think they’re having fun despite it. In the beginning of the class they were both really excited about wearing the “gi”, uniform thingy. I suspected that this was the only reason they wanted to take karate to begin with, especially Maryn considering her affinity for fashion. After I found out how much the uniform cost, we decided not to buy it. If they’re serious after this beginner class, we’ll see. Well my plan worked, because last night neither one of them wanted to go and said it was boring and they were tired of punching and kicking, etc. Hmmm…

My birthday was great. Thanks for all your kind wishes. It was pretty low-key and has been one of those birthdays that keeps on giving. Mark and I have a babysitter on Sat. night to go out to either a movie or dinner, but probably not both. I’m thinking either a nice dinner at Bahama Breeze or going to see Baby Momma. Any thoughts?

My sisters (Shauna and Melanie) are coming into town this weekend for nephew Cole’s blessing on Sunday morning. I’m so excited to see them and have been working my abs in preparation for the gut-busting laughs that will surely ensue. I’m so excited. I’m taking a half day off on Monday so we can play before Mel flies home on Tuesday. Shauna’s here for the week, so hopefully I can find time to see her during the work week.

Mark is officially done with classes as of this past week…for the semester, for pretty much forever, hopefully. This was his last semester of academic work in his program, and now he’s onto the Qualifying Exam and Dissertation portion of it. This part is apparently where men are made. It sounds appallingly difficult and complex, but I know he’ll do great. He’s pretty amazing that way. He’s managed to pull off another 4.0 average in his PhD program, much like his MFA, all while working FT and doing the parenting and husbanding thing. The only thing I’m nervous about for him is the language requirement of the QE where he has to translate a Spanish text into English. Mark didn’t go to South America or Mexico like the millions of young missionaries out there. He’s been trying to teach himself for the past few years. Hopefully he can pull that part off.

Maryn finally lost the other tooth on the bottom front. She was pretty thrilled that the tooth fairy came the same night (phew!) and that she got a $5. (It was all the tooth fairy had in her purse apparently at 11 pm when she remembered.) Maryn’s story that she wrote for the Publishing Center was chosen by some Churchill drama students to act out at a special assembly at Randolph. Sadly, she was absent that day with a 103 temperature. She loves writing and illustrating her own stories, and they continue to crack us up. She also recently designed a t-shirt that had a picture of a squirrel in a tree with some acorns scattered about with the slogan, “You’re nuttin’ but trouble”. Funny, huh?

Avery got her hair cut the other day, just a little chin-length bob. I took her to Great Clips, and she hopped right up into the chair and told the lady, “I want a hair cut like my Mom’s. I want you to cut it short and dye it brown. I’m the only one in my family with yellow hair now, and my last name is Brown and I need brown hair.” It was so cute and so Avery. She’s just full of so much spunk. She has me literally rolling on the floor lately with her impressions of Nacho Libre. She’s got the Spanish accent down really well, and all she has to do is say, “anaconda squeeeeeze” and I bust up. Her kindergarten class is preparing a Mother’s Day program next week and she is pretty eager to have me come and hear her songs and have the refreshments afterward. She told her teacher they “needed to have lemonade, cause her Mom didn’t drink coffee or tea”. So cute.