First Day of School

The two elementary kids started back to school yesterday.  For Lexi, it was an orientation day, so her first real day was today. 

Lexi is pretty insistent about dressing herself and doing her own hair right now.  I considered fighting her on it for about half a second... and then I came to my senses and was like duh who cares. 

They both like their teachers a lot so far, and so do I.  They really seem to be organized and know what they're doing, and it always makes me feel a little jealous that I don't know what I'm doing.  I wish I felt as on-the-ball as they seem.  I've been really wrestling with what truly matters for students to learn.  Each year I do, but this year probably more than ever.  What do students REALLY need to know, and how do I teach it?  I mean, the Common Core gives me things I have to teach.  But, for example, if I have to teach reading skills like main idea, I can use any type of fiction and nonfiction materials to do it.  So is it important to give them a foundation in classic literature?  It's a hard question.  I think everyone should read some Shakespeare.  But why?  Why do I feel that way?  Because I love it?  Or because it's important to the majority of them in their education?  Should we throw the Epic of Gilgamesh, Sundiata, the Bhagavad-Gita, Oedipus Rex, Julius Ceasar overboard?  My students would probably say yes.  But then I'll sometimes find little quotes from the Tao or the Analects or To Kill a Mockingbird copied inside of their journals and I think it's worth the angst and the "why-do-we-have-to" and the blank stares.  Hmmmm.... 

I've been thinking a little bit about something Lauralee posted... a RS lesson where they made a list of how the world sees women vs. how the Lord sees women.  We both had similar thoughts about it.  I was thinking, wouldn't it be much more interesting and instructive to make a 3-part list instead:  How Women See One Another, How the Media Sees/Portrays Women, and How the Lord Sees Women.  I would like to have that discussion.  Because I think that other women make each other feel much worse about themselves, and put much more pressure on each other to be perfect, and can be just as damaging to one another as "the world" is. 

I saw two headlines today that were an interesting juxtaposition in my head...  One was about Utah's bigamy laws and the Sister Wives people.  The other said that Mick Jagger had 7 kids by 4 women.  And I always think how silly it is that it's perfectly legal to have as many kids as you want by as many women as you want, as long as you don't consider all of those women your wives.  If you consider them your ho's or your baby mama's or marry them one-by-one and then divorce them, you're fine.  But if you move them all into your house together and try to care for them and everyone's happy, you're breaking the law.  I think that's stupid. I think that Sister Wives guy is creepy, and polygamy is definitely not for me.  But unless they're breaking the law and/or marrying off teenagers to their uncles and whatnot, leave them alone.  As a side note, I still maintain that I saw the Sister Wives guy at the South Pointe casino bowling last April. 

Sean and I have watched some awesomely terrible shows lately.  My favorite is a movie called Beer For My Horses.  It was written and starred in by Toby Keith and Rodney Carrington, also featuring appearances by Ted Nugent and Willie Nelson.  I think that says it all.  It was awesome.   At being terrible. 

I have just really done a whole lot of nothing lately.  I mean, I've done little things, but no big projects, nothing really productive outside of doing dishes, making meals, cleaning the house, etc.  I feel like I'm just gearing up for this next school year.  It's going to be so difficult, and I feel like I have to somehow stockpile energy for it.  I wish that were possible. 

Everything, and Then Some

Holy crap.  I have a ton of stuff to write about, I think.  I always have a ton of things I'm thinking about, but then I get too lazy to write about them.  That's not good.  I was super busy getting ready to go camping, then I was gone camping, then my internet was down and my house was a mess... And now I'm trying to make a blog post while my kids are loud and fighting and playing loudly and fighting and Josh is begging me to help him make paper rocket ship paratroopers from a book he got at the library today.  I always find him these how-to books at the library, and then it turns out that either he can't do it himself or he can but I don't want him to because it's messy.  And then I curse myself for finding the book for him.  Anyway. 

A few weeks ago, we bought a new trailer.  It's ridiculous.  It's too big and too everything, but it's really nice and comfortable.  We've had old rundown trailers for the last 20 years.  Our latest one had to go.  I was tired of it and wanted something newer.  So we started shopping, and I didn't want to pay what the used ones were going for, so we ended up with a new one.  We've actually been talking about getting a new one for 3 years, and shopping for 2, so it wasn't a sudden decision.  Anyway, we like it.

Courtney and Curtis got engaged.  Curtis came to our house and asked for our blessing, and he gave her the ring the other night.  They are thinking about April of next year.  I'm thinking about two years.  I think they will prevail.  We are going to look at a venue this week, and the planning begins.  Should be fun?  Not sure.

Our annual family Pineview trip was last week.  We got a little rained on, a little drenched, a little sunburned, a little worn out, but we had a lot of fun.  We went up Sunday and stayed until Thursday.  The rest of the family left Tuesday night.  Courtney had to work, so she didn't come up until Tuesday morning, and then Brittney had to work later in the week, so she hitched a ride out Tuesday night with Dennis.  We rented Waverunners Monday, dragged people around on the tube or the waterskis on Tuesday, and then went out fishing on the boat on Wednesday after everyone else had gone home.  Josh and Spencer spent all day Tuesday catching grasshoppers and constructing a homemade fishing pole, then fishing off the dock.  He has so much fun with Kaden and Spencer.



The kids would hop in the back of Dennis' truck and he would drive them around the loop in the campground.  Lexi looks like she's being kidnapped in this picture.  From a home for abandoned children with no mothers to comb their hair.






Josh and Kaden spent most of Monday on this boat or a floatie of one type or another.  They'd get so far out that they had to be towed back in by one of the Waverunners, or one of them would jump off and swim them back.  At one point, they both had a little raft like the green one there, and they were each using giant sand shovels as oars.  They play together so well. 






The teenagers found this sink hole and spent some time playing in it and digging it out. Actually, Josh found it the night before this when he took a walk on the beach with Sean and fell into it up to his knees.  Hahaha





Proof that we got Grandma Marilyn to ride the tube!



Lexi found Courtney's glasses and was supa stylin' in them



Fishing





Lexi loves the boat now, which is an amazing transformation.  Not even a month ago she hated it with a fiery passion.  We were hitting big waves and she was raising her hands like she was on a roller coaster. 





I was trying to figure out how I walked up and down and all around for four days and not only didn't lose any weight, but actually gained 3 pounds when I stepped on the scale at the end of this trip.  Then I saw this picture, and it all became so clear.  Only picture of me from the whole trip, and what am I doing? 



The Friday after we came back, we went out to Bountiful for the Handcart Days parade and fireworks.  It's a really fun Chamberlain tradition, and we've been going for I can't even remember how many years now.  Since Marilyn still lived out there, so a long time.  When we got there, I realized that Lexi had a headache, but I figured maybe she'd make it through OK.  She didn't want to go back home-- I think she just really didn't want to move, just wanted to lay there-- so we stayed.  She threw up there once, she threw up in the bushes on the way to the fireworks, but then felt great. In fact, she felt so great at the fireworks that she decided she could eat some pizza against mom's advice, and then proceeded to throw up on me and herself and her blanket.  One minute she's fine, the next minute she says, "Mom, where am I going to throw up?"  So I grab Josh's ziplock bag of parade swag and dump it all over the ground, she barfs in it and everywhere else, and I stand up and say, "That's it!  It's been fun!  I'm going home."  I was carrying a ziplock bag of puke to the garbage can and this lady is looking at me like, "Gross, is that what it looks like?" and I"m all, "Dude, I am way too tired and nasty to care what you think, so just look away!!"  Like, why would you stare at someone carrying barf or anything resembling it?  Der.   I actually had a few pics from the parade, but they didn't download and they're lost.  I wonder if I accidentally deleted them?  Boo. 

Sunday night we went to mom's house for dinner and cake and ice cream for her birthday.  It was so fun to visit and hang out with my family.  I love my family. 

Lexi went in her room this afternoon, climbed in bed with her new library books, and fell asleep.  I went in there to clean up her room so I could vacuum, and she didn't even wake up.  I wasn't being quiet, either.  She just rolled over and stayed asleep.  I went in and vacummed her room, and she didn't even stir.  She's my little sleeper.  I took her for her kindergarten check-up last week, and the doctor says one hip is a little turned in.  He was concerned that she might have a little curve at the bottom of her spine, so we did an x-ray, but it looked fine.  Thank goodness.  Her headache kinda started when we were there waiting for x-ray on Friday, and I thought... Seriously, universe?  You're going to take this little girl and give her diabetes when she's 3, terrible headaches, and now scoliosis?  You gotta be freaking kidding me.  Luckily, it looks OK.  He thinks maybe it has to do with leg length or possibly even just her hips turning in like Brittney's do.  So we'll just watch, but it's probably nothing. 

This week school starts for my kids.  Year-round school sucks rocks.  Lexi was refusing to go to kindergarten a few months ago, but she's slowly warmed up to it.  Tonight she told Sean, "Dad, I get to do something so fun this week and I'm so excited.  I'm going to kindergarten!!"  It was cute.  I haven't bought any new school clothes for the kids, and they both need a backpack.  Gee, I have one day.  I'm kinda thinking I'll just wait a few weeks.  I don't know.  Blah.

Holy freaking crap.  I have to plan a wedding.  A wedding!!  How on earth?  This?  I don't even know.  There is just way too much to think about.  Guess I'll go pop a xanax and look at wedding stuff on the internet. 

Fishing, Birthday, Summer

Earlier this month we went fishing at East Canyon. 

Josh eating a cinnamon roll and wondering why I'm taking his picture

Lexi started out the trip crying about how much she hated boating and how much she wanted to get off, then got sick and was throwing up over the side, then laid on the seat and rested, then was up jumping around saying how much she loved the boat.  Go figure.  When I looked at this picture, I was trying to figure out if she had chocolate on her face or what... it's her hair falling over her mouth. 

Captain Sean

Courtney turned 20 years old on Friday.  We celebrated by going to Maddox up in Perry for dinner, and then came home to open presents and have cake.  Marilyn and Curtis came with us, too, and that was fun to have them along.  One of her presents is supposed to be getting a pedicure with me and Brittney, but I have no idea when that will actually happen because of their schedules. 

Last night Sean and I went to Wendover to see Montgomery Gentry.  It was a pretty fun show.  I don't have any more concerts on the calendar, unless we decide to go to Rodney Atkins, which is a possibility.  Out of the four concerts we've seen this summer, the cheapest tickets were Toby Keith, and the hands-down favorite concert was Toby Keith.  They've all been fun, though, and we've heard lots of good music. 

I've got lots of little projects that need to be done this week, and actually a lot to do to get ready to go camping next week.  We haven't gone camping at all this year, so we decided we wanted to stay one more day up there, so I made a reservation for an extra day.  I hope it's fun and doesn't rain on us, but if it does, oh well.  I don't even care. 

It's looking like Lexi has inherited the migraines.  Hers seem somewhat similar to what Brittney had at that age.  Tonight we didn't eat until late because the kids were having fun playing outside with friends.  They had been bored and bothering me and each other all day, so I didn't see the need to interrupt them when they were actually gainfully occupied.  But then Lexi came in with low blood sugar and a headache.  Of course, once she had the headache she couldn't really eat.  So now she has moderately low blood sugar and probably has at least mild ketones, but I don't want to wake her up to try to get her to eat.  She was so miserable, I just want her to sleep it off.  Nice job, mom!  Way to go! 

After I wrote my last post, I thought that I really shouldn't have joked about Josh being blind.  Probably bad karma.  The reason I said that, though, is because you'll tell him, "You didn't get all your clothes into the hamper."  And he'll say, "Nuh-uh, where?"  And you'll say, "Right there, and there, there...."  And he'll say, "Oooohhh!  Yeah!"  It's like he can't even see it unless I point it out. 

Friday I decided that I wanted to have a yard sale the next day because I was tired of looking at a few big items that I have in my basement that need to be sold or given to the D.I.  So I pulled out all of the crap that I want to get rid of, looked it all over, and declared that it was not that great and there wasn't enough of it to have a yard sale.  So today I shoved all the piles of stuff back where they were.  Awesome, Shannon!  Way to make pointless work for yourself!

Tomorrow is house cleaning day, and I'm actually excited about that because boy does it need to be cleaned.  I also need to make the weekly chore chart, call around on tires for the Mazda, call the diabetes supply place and get her pump ordered, and maybe that's it.  The nutrition nurse lady is making me send in 2 more days worth of food diaries because I didn't record the carbs on green beans and cottage cheese, and because I didn't specify whether the crescent roll she ate was large or small.  I haven't done that yet, and I'm wondering what she'll do to me if I don't.  I got approval to order the pump, so maybe she won't even notice.  

So now I'm going to finish doing a puzzle that I started earlier and then try to decide if I want to risk moving Lexi off the couch and into her bed.   

I Hate Change, and Other Fascinating Things

Josh's last day of second grade is tomorrow.  Yet another reason why I hate year round school.  Besides the fact that he's been in school for all of June, the times off-track when I have to figure out daycare, the fact that he starts back in school July 25th... Besides all of that, year round school makes it so that I have to have all of the end-of-school-year emotions twice.  I hate endings.  I hate the end of the school year because I struggle with change, but also because I just hate endings.  I hate that my kids have grown another year older.  I already dealt with that for Brittney and Lexi... now I have the same little twinges of pain and sadness again as I watch Josh wrap up another school year.  He brought home a picture that was taken at the beginning of the school year, the end of last July, and it's a little punch right to my heart. 

Poor Josh suffers from some sort of strange form of blindness that doesn't allow him to see dirty clothes.  Combined with a rare neurological condition that doesn't allow him to place clothing in the dirty clothes hamper.  He will have clothes piled in front of and all around his hamper, but he can't get them actually in the hamper.  Today one of his chores was to take his dirty laundry downstairs.  I went into his room after he "finished" that chore... dirty clothes on his floor, in his closet, in the corner.  Dirty clothes left on the stairs that fell out of the hamper.  I love that boy. 

I really enjoyed this post for some reason, and many of the comments were really good as well.  FMH "Thoughts From Sunday School: Being Scornful"  It just really resonated with me.  Probably because it's something I need to work on, I guess.

In other news:
Anderson Cooper:  I'm gay.
Shannon Chamberlain:  Ok?  And??

I realize that used to be a big scandal/shocker, but nowdays does anybody care about who's gay, really?  Why is this news?  Why is any celebrity gossip "news"?  I really don't care who is dating whom, who is divorcing whom, who is in jail or owes child support or is a jerk to the papparazi.  If I am in the mood for that type of stuff, I watch TMZ.  Otherwise, don't care.  I saw Cooper's gayness all over the interwebs today and wanted to get that off my chest. 

I'm just finishing reading The Princess Bride for the first time.  I've never seen the movie.  We own it.  My girls can't believe I've never seen it.  I started watching it twice when I was a teenager and fell asleep both times, so I've never attempted it again.  Guess it's time.  The book is silly and fun, but I'm not quite sure if it's what I'm looking for.  It's on the district approved reading list, so I was thinking about teaching it next year, but I'm not sure.  I'd be dropping To Kill a Mockingbird, and that just doesn't seem like an even trade.  Maybe I could find time to do both.  Hmmmm....  I had another work dream last night, except this one? Not so good.  My students were awful.  Awwwfulllll.  I was so glad when I woke up and it wasn't real.  They wouldn't listen, they were talking back, and I think by the end of the dream they all just left class and I didn't know where they were.  And I didn't care either because they were naughty.  In my end-of-year evaluation interview this year, my assistant principal said something about how I seem to have a good rapport with my students and that I never have to send students down to the office for misbehaving or for conflict with me.  I wonder if he jinxed me?  Maybe next year I'll get all students that hate me and won't listen.  Poop. 

Sean hasn't had a day off in a long time.  I really would like for him to have a day off.  Probably he would like for himself to have a day off much more.  Not this week, though.  He's working extra hours at both jobs.  Blah. 

Last Saturday night, Syracuse City did their fireworks.  We grilled and made homemade ice cream and watched the fireworks from our backyard.  It was really nice and relaxing.  For the Fourth, we don't have any real plans.  Sean works in the afternoon.  I was going to walk in a few of the parades with some of the Democratic candidates, but I'm rethinking that.  We'll see.  I'm still itching for a treasure hunt.  I may have to hit up the D.I. one of these days, but they're so expensive that it's hard to find a good treasure there.  I need to pick up some Scrabble games.  I wish Sean would stop working Saturday mornings because he is my garage sale buddy.  This Saturday he has to work the morning, though, because we are seeing Montgomery Gentry out in Wendover that night.  That is the last concert we'll be attending in the foreseeable future.  It's been a super fun run of concerts, but my wallet needs a break and there's no one I'm dying to see that's coming right now. 

Instant Replay Of My Life

This post is going to be like reading a page out of my Franklin Day Planner.  If I had ever owned such a thing.  In other words, probably interesting to no one but me, but since I write my blog for me (it's all about MEEEEEEE), I'm cool with that.  I didn't take many pictures over the last week or so, but the few I have didn't come out well enough to bother with.  So there aren't even any pictures to jazz it up. 

On the Monday after Father's Day, Sean's family all met up for a picnic at the castle park to celebrate with Dennis.  The kids played while the adults chatted.  Hopefully Dennis enjoyed it.  I thought it was really fun.

The next night, Tuesday, we went boating at Pineview in the evening.  Scott and Heather and their kids came up with us.  It was a freakishly chilly day, so we mostly played on the beach and went for boat rides.  It's so pretty up there.  I seriously could live there.  As long as I had a shower.

Wednesday was the Def Leppard/Poison concert.  Sean, Brittney, and I went.  It was good, but we all agreed that we liked the Bon Jovi concert last year a little better.  I'm not sure exactly why.  I didn't like the acoustics when Poison played.  Too much feedback and just loud instruments, so that you could barely hear Bret Michaels' voice.  Def Leppard sang lots of great songs-- good memories-- but Joe Elliott isn't as charismatic as Bret Michaels or Toby Keith or Trace Adkins, so he doesn't connect with the audience as much, and that definitely makes a difference.   But it was a great walk down memory lane, and I liked hanging out with Brittney and Sean. 

Thursday night was Josh's 2nd grade program.  It was about friends.  He did NOT want a speaking part and was very relieved that all he had to do was hold up a sign.  It was a cute program, and the kids did great. 

Friday night we had a backyard campout at our house, minus the actual camping.  Basically, most of my family came over and we made dutch oven, lit a fire in the fire pit, and made s'mores.  We did one chicken and one hamburger/potato/carrot thing.  It was fun to hang out with everyone.  The kids have had lots of cousin time. 

Saturday night Sean and I went to Trace Adkins down in Wendover.  It was a pretty good show.  He was really mellow, but still funny.  It was almost the same show that we saw last June, just with a different backdrop and a few different songs thrown in.  He didn't have his big video screen, and it just felt a little more toned down.  The crowd was surprisingly mellow, though.  Very few people were standing up and dancing, until the last song.  When he did "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk," that got everyone on their feet, including some white haired grandmas who were dancing enthusiastically.  Ha ha ha!  That made me laugh, especially considering the song is about some hot girl and her butt. 

Sunday I went over to my mom's and chatted it up with Heather, Katie, and my mom.  It was so nice to just sit and talk and talk and talk that I stayed until 2:30 in the morning.  The only thing we needed was Wendy.  I love talking to my sisters. 

Monday I think I did nothing.  Probably literally.  I have been getting little projects done every day, but not anything near what I should be accomplishing. 

Tuesday we went to my mom's and Heather made us a fabulous dinner.  We got more visiting and more cousin time.  Scott, Wendy, and I decided we are going in to business together.  Our first venture, or maybe adventure, is Saturday.  We'll see what happens. 

Yesterday, I did nothing again.  I mean, I did some chores and whatnot, but nothing too interesting. 

Today we are taking the boat out, maybe up to East Canyon to go fishing.  I need to run to the library and get a book. 

This brings me to the end of My Life: The Instant Replay.  On to my random thoughts. 

I hate snobs.  I'm so tired of people's snobby attitudes about music, movies, TV, food, clothing.  I'm sure I'm being hypocritical, because there is probably something that I am snobby about, and when I think of what it is, I will berate myself appropriately.

Ways In Which I Was a Dork Recently (At Least the Ones I Can Remember): 
Saturday after the concert, Sean wanted to gamble a few bucks.  I have totally lost interest in gambling unless I have a lot of money to play with, because I always lose.  Always.  Al.  Ways.  So I happened to have a book in my purse (who doesn't?), found a deserted lounge area, and read my book.  I'm such a party girl!  If you come to Wendover with me, expect wild times!

I was laying in bed last night and all of a sudden I realized I had made a grammatical error in something I wrote on facebook.  And then I couldn't sleep because I was annoyed. 

I really need a feature on my blog called What's On Brittney's Nails Today?  She always has the most awesome artwork on her nails, and I wish I had taken pictures of all of it.  Today it happens to be Batman. 

Between her two jobs, Courtney has been working a lot.  It seems like she works almost every day.  Her second summer semester just started, so now she has Microbiology with the Chemistry and Math.  I hope she can keep up with it all.

Summer

This is why I love summer so much.  It's when everything fun is going on for the year.  Next school year is going to suck, so I'm trying to live it up over the next 2.5 months. 

The Brantley Gilbert/Toby Keith concert was So. Much. Fun.  Brantley Gilbert sang all of his songs that I know and just generally walked around looking hot.  So much hot.  Gah.  Sean even took a picture of his butt for me, and that is what true love looks like right there.  Then Toby Keith sang tons of great songs.  I used to not like him because of his politics and his big mouth, but he's talked less and I've mellowed more.  I didn't much like "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue" and always thought it was a bit obnoxious, but I even found myself singing along with that one.  And I'll take "This American Ride" or "Made in America" over old Lee Greenwood and "Proud to Be an American" any day.   It was just really a lot of fun all around.

Friday night we went up to Mueller Park with my whole family (minus Peter and Courtney) and roasted hot dogs and had a great time.  The kids loved playing together there, and we got to sit around the fire and visit.  My camera battery died before I got pics of everyone.  Boo.

Saturday we had a luau at mom's house with everyone again.  The kids played water games and we ate such good food.  Katie put together a little presentation on ancestors, which is a Rasmussen family reunion tradition, and it was so interesting and sweet.  She talked about my dad and his mom.  He had such wonderful things to say about his mom, and it's no wonder.  She was one cool lady.  She was so artistic and just such a good person.  I always say that I'm country at heart because of my heritage, and my roots are country.  I love county fairs and gardens and camping and taking a drive down an old dirt road and small towns, and I love cowboys and rodeos and trucks and homewoven handicrafts and 4-H.  My grandma was a talented seamstress and Katie told us about how she used to make Western shirts for her boys.  What I would give for her to make one for me now!   Anyway, it was a great night with family.  Fortunately, I got my camera battery all charged up before the party.  Unfortunately, I left it sitting at home on the table.  Double boo.  I'll just have to steal Heather and Wendy's pics when they post them. 

Today was Father's Day.  We put some steaks on the grill and had corn on the cob and cheesecake.  Dennis came over for dinner, and it was nice to have him hang out with us.  Sean got some presents from all of us and one from himself.... a tool box for his truck bed.  He found it at a yard sale for a deal last weekend.   Not sure why my pic ended up so dark.  Blah.  Pictures schmictures. 

Upcoming this week:  Picnic at the park with the Chamberlains, boating at Pineview, Poison/Def Leppard concert, a tentative camping trip to Perception Park, and Trace Adkins concert.  I wish every week this whole summer could be this packed with fun.  My goal is to try.

Boating

First Pineview trip of the season:

It was a good trip.  The boat ran great.  I'm so excited for this concert tonight!  It's going to be so fun.  I need a cowboy hat.  Why don't I have a cowboy hat?