Strange Bedfellows

These are photos of my bed.  I should say the bed Darrel and I share, but he doesn't think I share very well.  Can you figure out which side of the bed I sleep on?

The bottom picture (haven't yet figured out how to integrate photos and text) is the bed my sister and I shared until I was about 16.  It was in my grandma's guest room before that. It's an old wrought iron bed and one of the side rails used to slip out causing the bed to come crashing down at unpredictable intervals.  It makes me chuckle to think of laying there in bed with Liza and out of nowhere...KABOOM!  My dad eventually stabilized it with a c-clamp, but by then the cardboard boxes we had under the bed for storing our special things were rather battered. Still, I love that bed and the memories it holds, which is why it became Grace's when she moved into her new room last summer. Darrel found a welder who was so nice to fix it for no charge and then we repainted it.  

When Darrel and I got married we bought the least expensive bed we could find.  A metal frame and a double mattress and box spring.  It was a wonderful bed for newlyweds.  Any time one of us turned over, the other had to in order to still fit on it.  We became quite synchronized.  (I wish I had some time lapse video of that!)  It was very cozy. When my sister got married, we passed this bed on to her and it has since been retired.  I'm convinced the smaller bed makes for good marriages.

Enter the modern bed.  Darrel and I bought this for our second or third anniversary.  We love this bed.  It's extremely comfortable and the perfect size.  It's not so big as to allow little interlopers to sneak in unbeknownst to us in the night, but large enough that we can face each other without suffocation or knocking knees.  And it provides just enough room for a great snuggle with the kids on lazy mornings.

But Darrel does not like that I steal his covers.  I tried explaining that as someone who grew up sharing a bed, I learned to hold onto my blankets.  Honestly, I don't try to take them all, but every morning, the picture is about the same.  Sorry, honey.  Stay warm.

Piece of Cake

THANK YOU BROOKE!

If you read a few posts ago, you know of my cupcake disappointment.  Today I was surprised by a knock at my door and opened it to Brooke, who offered me a choice of two cupcakes--chocolate or white.  Now, I'm usually a chocolate person, hands-down.  But Mrs. Backer's white cake is a whole other story.  Brooke (not a native to the Salt Lake area, by the way, which makes spotting the bakery quite impressive) happened to see this bakery on her way back from taking her husband to work and stopped in just to get me a cupcake.  That in and of itself is pretty great, but she did it right before lunch time, with all 3 children in tow, begging for something yummy to eat. Downright heroic.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a cupcake to eat.  And I'm not sharing with anyone.

Thanks for making my day, Brooke!

Fire Hazards

I am happy to report that our house is no longer in danger of burning to the ground.  At least not due to a refrigerator fire.  I got a letter in the mail yesterday from Maytag informing us that some electrical part in our refrigerator's compressor could malfunction and cause a fire.  I called the toll-free number to schedule a repair and within minutes I had an appointment for this morning. Very slick.  Kudos to the Maytag automated repair scheduling system. 

But can anyone tell me why appliance repairmen are allowed a four hour window in which they can show up at your house?  What other professional gets this kind of leeway? 

"Nurse, I need some pain medication."  

"Sure, I'll be there sometime between 8 and noon."

The computerized voice told me someone would come between 8 a.m. and noon and would call first.

I wasn't about to sit around the house for four hours, waiting, so I decided since it was their fault I needed the repair, I would take my cell phone with me and go about my day and they could call me when they got there.  Besides, that way Justin and I would be safely out of our home should it start smoldering before then.

This morning the kids had a special event at school called "Gals and Goodies" where I got to go early and have breakfast with them.  They were very excited about it.  It's nothing fancy, just muffins and bagels from Costco and juice, but they love it.  I was just about to head out the door when the repairman called.  He was on his way.  Now what? I couldn't disappoint the kids, who could care less about refrigerator recalls. (I made the mistake of forgetting about "Gals and Goodies" the year Spencer was in first grade and felt like the world's worst mom when my dejected son brought home the lei he'd made for me to wear for the occasion.)  This is when it comes in handy to have a husband that works five minutes away from home.  I called Darrel and by the time I was back from breakfast (complete with lei) the repair was all done.  I don't like being alone in the house with a repairman, anyway, so I was glad not to have to deal with that either!  Thank you Darrel!  And now, not only will our house not burn down, but the top of the fridge is dust free and everything that has rolled under the fridge for the past few years has been swept out.  Nice to get those places you never see but know are filthy cleaned every now and again.  All that dust under there is probably a fire hazard, anyway.

Morning Routines

So I got this material when I responded to another blogger's post (thanks Amy) about her son who wakes up early to avoid being late to school.  I decided it would make a good post for my own blog:

Spencer gets mad at me when I don't wake him up by 7:30 a.m. because it ruins his "schedule". But, just to keep me on my toes, if he gets up on his own, he likes to sneak around getting ready for school and if I should chance to see him before he's done he falls to pieces. So, I have to carefully check the crack under his door for a sliver of light to see if he's still asleep or not. If it's dark, I can tell him to get up, but I have to hurry out of there to avoid being grumped at for not waking him up sooner and also for waking him up at all (it's a double-edged sword). If the light is on, I hurry back upstairs so he won't see that I've discovered him. If he's made it upstairs before I get up, I have to pretend I don't know he's around (though he's pretty good at hiding now).  

Grace is the one that obsesses about being on time. Every morning after we get in the car to go to school she asks, "Are we late?" I've started answering her before she even asks. Granted, we are always hurrying out the door, so I explained that I hurry them to PREVENT them from being late. Still, she asks every morning and any time we're on our way to some time sensitive event...birthday parties, church, dance class etc. What can I say, life with kids is very entertaining.

Oh, and I promise I will put more photos on here when I can find a camera...with batteries that work.

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Sometimes it's not the big things that get me down, but a lot of little disappointments in short succession.  Does this ever happen to you?

Today was Monday.  Never a favorite day of the week to begin with, but I also had an appointment for my annual exam with the doctor early this afternoon and all the fun that entails.  I got in the van and put in a favorite CD.  No little voices coming from the back seats ordering which song to play or where the volume should be set.  I was going to enjoy this! I ejected the kids' CD and put in mine, The Bravery.  After a brief whirring and some other mechanical noises that didn't sound so good, the CD player spit the CD back out.  Hmmm, that was weird.  I tried again.  Same thing.  In desperation, I put the kids' CD back in.  Out it came.  Aw, rats.  I started driving in silence because I didn't know any good radio stations and didn't want to spend the time searching for one.  Already running a little late.  After a few minutes the silence wasn't too bad.

In order to reward myself for putting up with my exam every year (and sitting in a waiting room full of pregnant women), I relish going to Mrs. Backer's Bakery and treating myself to a cupcake. The bakery is conveniently located right across the street--I promise I didn't choose a doctor based entirely on that...not entirely.  

It was a beautiful sunny day.  I walked across the street anticipating the confectionary delight that awaited me.  I pulled on the door handle and was yanked forward again. What?!  I looked at the sign on the door. "Closed Sundays and Mondays".  WHAT??!!!  You've got to be kidding! But it was no joke.  Irritated, I walked back across the street. I decided I'd make cake for our family night treat.

At least I could take the scenic route home.  I was done with my appointment a good half hour earlier than I thought I would be, so I didn't need to rush back.  Justin was asleep and Darrel's mom was there.  I drove from 1st South up to where the road curves into City Creek Canyon and there I stopped short. ROAD CLOSED, read the barricades blocking the entrance. Thwarted again?!  I turned and drove back down A Street and through the city.  I guess I did get to see the new Church History Library (my brother-in-law works there, hi Andrew!).  woohoo. City Creek runs along in front of it and they've got tons of daffodils blooming among the rocks in the creek bed. That looked cool.

"I'll get a quick nap when I get home", I thought.  I was in the living room chatting with my mother- in-law when I heard a familiar voice.  It was only 1:30.  I told myself Justin was talking in his sleep, but a few moments later he walked down the hall proving me wrong.  It was a good hour before he usually wakes up.  I put my head in my hands. 

And that was the end of that.

I Vont to Suck Your Blood!

I gave blood today.  I got a pink bandage in honor of Grace, who hates the idea of blood.  It helps her not be so freaked out that I actually voluntarily let someone take my blood.  Am I the only one that likes having a reason to just sit down afterward and have a drink and a treat?  I know, kind of a silly little thing, but I guess it's one of those little things that counts.  I've gotten smart enough to donate in the evenings now so I can go to bed soon after.  I find it saps my energy. Tonight, I had to go to a R.S. meeting following the blood donation and then wait for the basketball guys to finish so we could set up for a funeral. I was told not to do any heavy lifting. Do chairs count? Anyway, I seem to be fine and didn't get as tired as I thought I might. So now I'm finally home and can take off my bandage and go to bed. Gonna need some rest for tomorrow.

Spring Break and the Easter Bunny

It was snowing when Spring Break started this year, so I had a stroke of brilliance and decided we might as well take advantage of it and take the kids skiing.  What a great idea!  We invited Darrel's dad and he told us the outing would be his treat (an even better idea!).  It looked as though most people escaped to sunnier climes to enjoy the break as we pretty much had the mountain to ourselves.  We had a great time, despite the fact that Spencer started manifesting some sort of virus by throwing up when we got there.  He didn't want to let the opportunity to ski go to waste, though, so between trips to obscure spots in the trees and one garbage can, he skied his little heart out.  Now that's a tough kid.  He can keep up with me pretty well on the easier runs now and this is only his fourth time, I think.  I wish I could pick up on anything that easily! Grace did a great job on the bunny hill with Darrel and later me.  When Spence had enough he and Darrel went to the car and Grace stayed with me until everyone was ready to go.  I think she could have kept going until the sun went down!  Now, I'm going to try to post some pictures of the event.  Wish me luck...O.K., well they are not posting like I expected, but I suppose I'll figure it out sometime.  At least they are there.  

Jammin'

Two months ago we ran out of strawberry jam.  I have plenty of raspberry jam in the freezer, mind you, but my children inform me that raspberry and strawberry are two totally different things.  They eat strawberry jam on pancakes or anything pancake-like, and it's the only thing they will ever let me put on a sandwich.  Needless to say, they have had some very sorry home lunches the past two months.  (Just try making a lunch without a sandwich, that requires no refrigeration and can't include cheese).  Why not just buy more, you might ask?  The simple answer is that I am a jam snob.  I haven't eaten store-bought jam...well...ever, really, except maybe at a restaurant or someone else's house.  My mom always makes jam, but hers is cooked.  When I got married and moved out on my own I discovered the bliss that is freezer jam.  Just like fresh strawberries (O.K., strawberries with a lot of sugar--even better) smothered on homemade bread.  I was hooked.

So, today, I'm up to my elbows in strawberries.  Yesterday I was at the store buying celery and some rolls for a new recipe I was making for dinner (Easy Cheesy Chicken Rolls--delicious and all that the name promises) when a display in the produce section caught my eye.  Strawberries by the case, on sale for only $7.77!  I quickly grabbed a cart and stacked three cases in it, debated whether that was too much, then decided I'd better err on the side of caution.  

I now have 9 containers of the yummy stuff sitting on my kitchen table awaiting the mandatory 24 hours of sitting-on-the-table time before they can be put in the freezer.  What happens if you put it in the freezer prematurely, I don't dare find out.  And I still have almost two cases of strawberries left to convert to jam.  I may have over-estimated a bit at the store in my desperation to make sure I never run out again.  Guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow!

Sorry You Asked

My sister-in-law asked me how my Conference weekend went.  This was my reply:  Conference weekend was good and bad, how was yours?  It was nice not having to conduct anything or pass around any sign-up sheets or worry that an instructor hadn't shown up.  I do wish the kids would listen better the couple of times we make them actually sit still on the couch and pay attention, which is only when the prophet is speaking.  They tend to make a lot of noise and argue whenever we insist on it, so it's almost not worth the effort by the time they're all crabby and Darrel and I have lost our tempers.  Do your kids listen to it all?  I'm sad to say I actually TiVoed the afternoon session of conference (but haven't yet watched it) because I was cleaning my house.  Yes, that's me, the R.S. pres., just trying to set a good example.  Rats.  I wouldn't normally have put that much effort into cleaning on the Sabbath--just tidied up and vacuumed the living room since Lindsey and Stew were coming, but Justin spilled half a bottle of vanilla on the kitchen floor during lunch and it went EVERYWHERE and it was sticky.  So, I ended up having to move all the chairs out and have Darrel replace the little pads on the bottom of them while I mopped the floor.  I also had to scrub the toilet...two-year olds don't have the best aim.  It's nice to have a clean kitchen and bathroom, I just wish it wasn't at the expense of my eternal salvation.

"Waturday"

That's how Justin used to say Saturday, but he has since learned how to pronounce an 's' sound.  I don't want to ever forget how he used to say it, though.  So cute!

Saturdays pass us by much too quickly.  I always think I'll get all these things done and then suddenly it's time to make dinner and I look around wondering what I've accomplished all day.

A typical Saturday involves Darrel or I reluctantly getting out of bed to give a persistent child their breakfast, after we've held them off for as long as possible.  That child is always Grace or Justin, or both.  Even if Spencer is awake then (half of the time he's not), he doesn't want to eat just yet. On the weekdays we're all together at breakfast time, eating the same thing, but on Saturdays we are very relaxed and eat what we want when we're ready.

Cartoons are a must after breakfast.  Justin likes to do whatever the big kids are doing and readily follows them downstairs.  He watches some of the shows, but also plays with his toys. It's fun to have them all get along, which they mostly do.

Once cartoons are over, Darrel gets to watch his "piece d' wood show", as Justin calls it.  Justin likes to watch it, too, and it's very cute to see him and Darrel snuggled up together on a chair watching "This Old House".

Lunch seems to come right after breakfast.   Spencer and Grace have piano lessons after that and then they get to walk from their piano teacher's house to Grandma and Grandpa's to play. This is the best thing about Saturdays.  They get to go to garage sales, go on hikes, see the horses at a nearby barn, or go to a store or the park.  But they have just as much fun playing cards, hitting tennis balls or searching for worms at grandma's house, too.  As soon as Justin is up from his nap, he's looking for his shoes and ready to join the kids to play with his favorite person, "Pa".  Any Saturdays that must be missed for various reasons are a tragedy for us all.

Darrel and I have also been the beneficiaries of my parents' generosity with their Saturday time.  When the kids are gone, I can go to the grocery store or run other errands completely ALONE.  I get almost panicky wondering what's the best use of my time when there are so many options.  Today I chose the grocery store so now we are stocked up for the month.  I even splurged on a few items I don't usually buy since the kids are off for spring break this next week and will be constantly on the prowl for snacks.  They are like bottomless pits these days, and they're not even close to being teenagers yet!  I guess they're stocking up for summer when they can run wild outdoors all day and swim at grandma's house every afternoon.  Ah, summer!

And just like that it's dinner time, bath time, and bed time.  The day is done.  And I look around and think, "I guess I'll catch up on Monday."

What Did You Do Today?

Darrel and I trade off bedtime duty every other night.  Whoever is putting the kids down snuggles with them for a few minutes before saying goodnight.  (Well, as long as they've gotten ready for bed in a timely manner and without lots of reminders.)  

Last night I was snuggling with Grace, whose first question is always, "What do you want to talk about?"  Snuggling with Grace always involves talking.  Sometimes I come up with something and other times I tell her it's her turn to decide, but she's always trying to weasel out of thinking up the topic of conversation.  So, last night I told her I wanted to talk about what she did that day.  She gave me all the highlights: her teacher was back at school after a day's absence, she played a game with a bunch of girls from her class at recess (I had to guess their names), she liked her lunch (shrimp poppers), and her best friend calls her "Crazy" for a nickname.  Grace also wanted to make sure a baby wouldn't just start growing in her tummy out of the blue, which is a topic for a whole other post someday!  (Nothing like discussing the birds and the bees with a 7-year old.)

When we were done with her day, she quickly came up with a clever way to keep me in her room a little longer.  "Mom, what did YOU do today?" So I told her how I went walking at the track and then came home and how I got the guinea pigs out for the little kids.  She got a kick out of Justin trying to give them a bath.  Then I told her I took a shower and did some stuff on the computer. 

 "What did you do on the computer?"  

"Put some things on a website about our family."  

"Like Brooke's?"  

"Yes"  

"Can everyone see it?" 

"No, only people we know will want to look at it." 

And then finally I was able to get out of her room so she could go to sleep.  What's funny is that Justin has picked up on all of Grace's tricks for keeping us in her room.  Things like, "I have a question" and then trying to "remember" (ie. think up) her question while I stand there.  He also says, "Me need something", another Grace-ism, or asks for a hot pack and numerous drinks.  Ah, the age-old ritual of getting kids to bed at night.  I have a feeling it hasn't changed much over the centuries.  Good night!