Song of the Day

This song makes me feel better when I feel like crap.  Except I really don't want the world to know my name.

Debbie Downer

Josh does not like school.  Except for recess maybe.  But he never has liked it, and it doesn't come easy for him.  Which is usually why kids don't like it.  Anyway, I was quizzing him on his multiplication tables, and here are some of the answers I got to "what's 4x6" and "what's 7x3", etc:

• Why?
• Oh, you want to know that?
• Are we still doing that?
• Fart noise

It's so hard struggling through homework with him and watching him get so frustrated.  It takes him longer to memorize things than the typical kid.  I've noticed this ever since preschool and kindergarten.  He has a hard time concentrating, too.  

I've never much cared for the Boy Scouts program.  I guess it wasn't so much the program itself that I disliked, but more the discrepancy between the Scouting budget for the boys and the YW's budget for the girls, and the fact that the boys got to do really cool stuff and call it "Scout Camp" and "High Adventure" while we learned to cook and had modest fashion shows. (Gag.)  Then there's the fact that it seems Boy Scouts around here are constantly getting lost in the wilderness or starting the forest on fire, so it always scared me to have Josh join.  But Josh really needs to make some new friends in the neighborhood, so I have found myself in the strange position of trying to talk him into going, and he has finally consented to give it a try.  It helps immensely that it's Pinewood Derby time.  In light of all the recent discussion about the Boy Scouts allowing gay people into their ranks, here is what I don't understand.  What have the wards been doing all this time with gay young men if they aren't allowed to join Scouts?  Do the gay guys all go inactive?  Are they just not "out" at church?  If a gay guy shows up to YM activity night and they're working on merit badges or whatever, do they just turn him away?  Say, "You can stay and hang out with us but you can't participate"?  Say, "You can participate, but sorry, you don't get the badge"?   How depressing.  I mean, from what I understand a gay young man can be a member of the LDS Church in good standing, can hold callings within his quorum, can attend church activities... except for Scouts?  How does that work?   Especially when the YM program revolves so heavily around Scouts.  Don't we want to teach our children to be inclusive and to be, you know, Christ-like?  To include everyone?  Isn't this the goal?   I cannot even fathom what it would be like to be a gay teen and be taught that you have to be celibate for the rest of your life.... that you cannot have a family, a spouse, a significant other, no one to hug or kiss... how could you imagine a future for yourself like that as a young teenager?

I started working on our taxes last night.  I got Brittney's done because hers are easy, but I didn't get very far with ours.  That's a job I'm always happy to have done.

I've been feeling down lately (for the last 21 years?) because I just can't ever seem to get it together.  It all boils down to not enough energy, that's the big one, and then lack of money, and finally lack of time.  If I had the energy, I could make time for most of what I'd like to accomplish.  And if I had money I wouldn't have to put as much energy into certain things, because money makes many jobs easier.  There's time in the day to get more done, I think.  There's just not energy.

So then, considering all of that, what did I do?  I volunteered to take on a big job at school that takes a ton of time.  Smart, Shannon!

I've started compiling my students' Six Word Memoirs into our book.  I'm so excited.  I hope it turns out the way I want it to.  Again, it's taking up a ton of time (and energy).  But I hope they like seeing the end result.  I really struggled with whether I should make them take ownership of this project and do it themselves, and I probably should, but I'm pretty much glad I didn't.  It would be a good experience for them, but even more work for me.  It's easier just to do it myself.

I want to go somewhere overnight President's Day weekend.  Preferably somewhere warm, but anywhere with air that isn't the equivalent of smoking two packs a day would be OK with me.  I wish it were warm enough to go camping.  Soon, though.

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

Rednecks and Gingerbread

I heard "The 12 Redneck Days of Christmas" on the radio today, and it struck me that Sean would actually like most of those redneck gifts.  Hmmmm...  Let's examine this:

12 pack of Bud
11 rasslin tickets
10 of Copenhagen
9 years probation
8 table dancers
7 packs of Red Man 
6 cans of Spam
5 flannel shirts
4 big mud tires
3 shotgun shells 
2 huntin dogs
And some parts to a Mustang GT

He wouldn't have much use for the Copenhagen or the Red Man, and I wouldn't let him have the Spam or the table dancers.  Or the 9 years probation.  But the rest?  Yeah, he'd probably enjoy the rest of it.  Which is fine with me.  I like rednecks.  Rednecks are hot.  Not to be mistaken with hillbillies... that's a whole different ball of overalls and possum pie.  Today's blog brought to you by rampant stereotyping.  

Things I hate:

• When my students have missing work and they tell their parent(s) that they turned it in and I just haven't entered it yet.  Which is a LIE.  So then I get an e-mail from the parents wondering when I'm going to enter their work, and I have to explain to them that Precious never turned it in.  I call the kid over and ask them about it and it's all.... Oh, yeah, I still need to do that.  Then will you please stop lying to your parents about it, ding-dong??  It just makes more work for me.
• When my students cry and complain because we have to write a lot.  Or we have to read something that they don't find entertaining.  You mean, we have to do, gasp, work??   You mean, everything in life isn't fun all of the time?  How will we ever cope??  
• When my students say, "Did we do anything Friday when I was gone?"  No, since you weren't here we considered the day a waste and just sat around staring at each other.  "I'm going to be absent next time.  Are we doing anything?"  Naw, I thought we'd all hall ourselves out of bed at the buttcrack of dawn, get all dressed and do our hair and brush our teeth, drive ourselves to the school, and then just sit here and do nothing.  That sounds like a great idea, doesn't it?  Luckily my sarcasm filter is still working and I just smile and say, "Yes."

Santa came to the daycare last week, and Lexi apparently told him that she wants a mini Pillow Pet and a Hannah Montana poster.  Two things which she never said she wanted until that day.  Hope she's not disappointed, because I bought neither of those.  

Grandma had the kids over to make gingerbread houses.  

 Lexi made a bed on her floor and has been sleeping on it at night.  She wanted me to take a picture of her laying on it and reading.  

Most nights she ends up in our bed before the night is through.  It's hot and I end up with cramped body parts, but man I wouldn't trade it.  On the nights when she doesn't come in, I find myself missing her.  I'm enjoying it for as long as it lasts.  

Josh's Birthday, Thanksgiving, Dr. Who, Me Being Fat...

Josh turned nine this month.  He's such a sweetheart.  He got Legos and books and a Nerf gun for his birthday.  He wanted Subway for his birthday dinner and donuts instead of cake.

Lexi is such a spaz.  First she was back behind these pictures being a goof.

Then the next time I looked at the camera I found pictures she had taken of herself.  Here is my favorite, complete with the chocolate on her chin from her donut.

Then I found these today.

What is wrong with my children, and where did they get those glasses??

Thanksgiving was extra nice this year because Curt and Lauralee and their family came down from Washington.  It was so good to see them and to visit with Lauralee and with everyone else in the family.  We had dinner at Mike and Connie's this year, and it was fabulous.  I ate way too much, which is just as it should be.  While we had the whole family together, we took some family photos.  

I jacked this picture off of Lauralee's blog because I love my Brittbritt.  

We spent a good part of the weekend playing around with Sean's family while Curt and Lauralee were here, so that was really fun.  Friday night we played Mafia and the name game.  Saturday we went to Robintino's for lunch and played cards.  It was really hard to go back to work on Monday.  So hard, in fact, that I didn't go.  Ha!  I took the day off because I had been sick and couldn't seem to shake it, and because I had so many things I needed to get done at home.  So I took a sick day, and it was lovely.  

Last time Lexi went in to the doctor, her doctor adjusted her pump settings quite a bit, and her numbers are looking so much better.  I should have had them take a look at it before.  I'm much happier with it now.

I judged at a debate tournament on Friday night just for fun.  I really enjoy doing it.  I got to judge Lincoln/Douglas, which I haven't ever done before.  That was interesting.  And then I also judged Duo, which is a dramatic interpretation of a piece of literature done by two students.  That was entertaining.  It made for a long day, but I love it.  

I got asked the other day if I'm pregnant.  That's always fun.  Luckily I'm in a pretty OK mental place right now so it really didn't phase me too much.  The lady that asked is an old acquaintance and she has a really thick accent, and she said, "You expecting baby?" and I laughed and said, "No," and she said, "Oh," and just kept talking about something else entirely.  So there wasn't any awkward pauses or apologies, which is good.  I don't know.  Whatever.  At first I was like... Damn, I'm 40 years old, when will people stop asking me if I'm pregnant.  I get it.  I'm fat.  Whatever.  But then I figured, hey, if people think I still look young enough to be pregnant, cool.  

Brittney did these really cool Dr. Who designs on her nails today.  She does the cutest stuff.  I love love the Tardis on her ring finger.  I couldn't get a very good pic of it.  I want her to do union jacks on all of my fingernails.