A Little Bit of Everything

Some people separate their blog posts neatly into different topics.  I am too lazy.  I just write a big hodge podge of things that don't go together in any way.  It makes writing a title a challenge.

So it's been snowing here this winter.  A lot.  And everywhere I turn someone is complaining about it. And it IS a big giant pain.  But...  I just want to say... First of all, this is Utah.  Get over it.  And second... Yes, everything was so much better when it was 12 degrees outside and the air was a toxic cocktail of nastiness such that we were being warned to stay inside and we hadn't seen the sun in two weeks.  Please.  I'll take the snow over that any day.   As soon as these storms pass through, we'll be back to that gunk.  Blah.

Lexi cut her hair again the other day.  Just decided the front was too long and took some random chunks off.  Oh my gosh, I do not even know what to do with that child.  She is a special little spirit.

My blog somehow translated itself into Arabic the other day.  Not the content, but all of the links and tools.  It took me forever to figure out how to change it back because, um, everything was in Arabic!  So I couldn't figure out which links linked to what.  I could push on random links, but then the stuff that came up was in Arabic.  That was fun times.

Sometimes I really hate people.  I was reading an article on ksl.com about how the BSA is probably going to allow individual troops to decide whether they want to admit gay boys and gay leaders.  Big deal.  They aren't going to force all their troops to do it; they just aren't going to prohibit it anymore.  But the comments on ksl, oh my goodness.  Tons of people saying they are going to send their Eagle Scout awards and badges back.  People saying that homosexual people can't be "morally straight" as the Scout oath requires, and then identifying themselves as LDS, when the LDS church has a very clear stance that homosexuals most certainly can be "morally straight."  People equating homosexuals with pedophiles.  Goodness.

Josh's teeth are all messed up, so I made an appointment with the orthodontist.  Yay!  Something else to spend money on!

We had a fun birthday party for Katie at mom's house last night.  It was good to see everyone and visit and the food was really good.  I would like to start back up doing a "family night" once a month with my family.  That was fun when we used to do that.  Sean's family said they wanted to do that, too, a while ago, but I don't think it ever happened.  Hmmm...

January Goals: 

• I gained 2 lbs, so that's a big fat no.
• We stuck to our budget!  Woo hoo! 
• We're doing a little better at bedtime, maybe, sometimes, but not for lack of effort on my part.

February Goals:
Well, let's stick with it and keep trying, shall we?

• Lose 2 lbs
• Stick to the budget
• Keep working on bedtime

 

Rodeo, Jazz Game, and Beautiful Music

I'm always wanting to update my blog, but there just isn't much going on to write about.  There are always a bunch of crazy topics taking up space in my brain, but it always takes too much effort to write coherently about them.  I feel like I need to write a blog post from time to time that's just my unpolished thoughts on various topics.  I'll just title it "Notes" and not worry if it's nonsensical or needs editing or further thought development, and anyone who reads my blog can know to skip that one.

Lexi, Brittney, her best friend Kylie, and I went to the rodeo Saturday night.  I just love the rodeo.  What's not to love?  Beautiful horses, cowboys, corny jokes, bulls and bucking broncs.  My favorite event is always the barrel racers, followed by the bull riders.   The kids lucked out.  I tried to get a picture of them doing the "Cha-Cha Slide" and discovered my camera batteries were dead.  

Courtney and Curtis got Josh a ticket to a Jazz game for Christmas, and the game was Saturday night.  The three of them went out to dinner and then to the game.

My cute kids

Josh is wearing Courtney's jacket because he was freezing.  

I would have loved to be at the Presidential Inauguration today.  It would have been amazing.  I thought this was so, so lovely.

And of course I loved Kelly Clarkson.

Such beautiful voices and beautiful patriotic songs.  I love this country and everything that it stands for.  Faults and all.

Josh has been working so hard on his multiplication facts.  It doesn't come easy for him, and I feel bad about how frustrated he gets.  I think that school will always be a battle.  He is a builder.  He likes to create and build and he likes things with plans he can follow, and he likes to come up with ways to do things on his own.  He likes nonfiction better than fiction.  His mind works completely differently than any of my other kids.  He has a difficult time memorizing things, or possibly, accessing certain types of things from his memory.

Today was a teacher work day at the end of Term 2.  It's shocking to think that the school year is half over.  I feel like the second half always goes faster than the first, especially once February is over.  Then it just flies.

I made Pineview reservations last week.  I cannot wait for summer and camping, and Pineview with the Chamberlain family is always a highlight.  It's been way too cold around here lately, and the air is nasty.  I'm ready for something different.

Winter Break

I can't remember when I've been so excited for a weekend.  I'm so tired, and it feels so good to just be able to relax knowing I don't have to wake up early tomorrow.  I can't get to sleep early after a break, so I've only been getting a few hours of sleep a night.  Hopefully I can slowly start to go to bed a little earlier each night, but I'm not holding my breath.  Then there's Lexi.  That little girl.  She is a night owl, but she gets really tired earlier, so she falls asleep and is impossible to wake, which just makes it all worse when it's time to go to bed.  I've got to do something about this.  But she's been this way since the day she was born.  I can remember trying to wake her up to eat and she just wouldn't.  I'd try everything.  I'd strip her down and give her a bath, figuring that would wake her up.  No deal. Little turkey.

My camera is in the process of self-destructing, so only about half of my Christmas pictures even turned out.  I need to look at getting a new one, but that's an expense for down the road a little ways.

Christmas Eve with the Chamberlain family over at the McQuiston's house was fun, as always.  We had great food and fun times.

Lexi with her best friend Jennica

We had a fun Christmas morning, opening presents and having a big breakfast.  Everyone played with their toys and hung out until it was time to go to Grandma Saundra's with the Rasmussens for the evening.

Courtney had to work through a lot of the festivities, but she was with us for Christmas morning, and that was really great.

New Year's Eve I wanted to hang out at home and try making some Hawaiian plate lunch-type food.  Sean and I made rice, macaroni salad, kalua pig, teriyaki chicken, sweet and sour chicken, and beef skewers. Mindi's family, Cami's family, Dennis, Marilyn, and Scott's family all came over to play games and hang out.  I had so much fun with them all.  We played white elephant BINGO, and the kids were really cute.

Sean had some vacation time he needed to use, so he took off the whole break with us.  We just stayed at home and relaxed and didn't do a whole lot of anything.  Sean won a popcorn maker in a raffle, so we had Popcorn Party every night and watched DVDs and TV.

Now we're back to the routine.  Josh and Lexi are off track next week, so that throws a few kinks in the works, but so far it's worked out.  I still haven't put down my Christmas tree.  I planned to do it last weekend, but then I got busy with something else.  I guess that's one of my jobs for tomorrow.  Sean took the break off from both of his jobs, so now he's scheduled the whole weekend at AutoZone.

Courtney and I are going to hit up the Wedding Expo at the Salt Palace tomorrow, too.  We need to get a few ideas, make some plans.

January Goals:

• Stick to my budget
• Lose 2 lbs
• Get Lexi to go to bed at a sane hour