Worst Day, First Day

It just so happened that all of the following occurred on August 23rd of last week:

1 - Sam started his first day of pre-school

2 - Lucy and Jake started their first day at elementary school

3 - We are in the middle of re-financing our home and the mortgage adviser needed several documents asap

4 - My dad had a scheduled oral surgery--I told him I could pick him up and drive him home

5 - My mom needed a ride to the airport

6 - I had a doctor's appointment that I had to keep because it takes 3 months to get in to this doctor

7 - Lucy started her first day of gymnastics

8 - My dad needed 3 prescriptions filled

9 - My dad needed to be checked on throughout the day (he lives alone)

10 - My tire pressure light came on necessitating a trip to the tire shop (ANOTHER nail needing to be patched)

11 - I needed to fill up my car with gas

12 - The gas pump I used wasn't working and I had to drive to another gas station

13 - On my way to my dad's house (again), I realized I forgot the prescriptions and his driver's license and I had to drive all the way back home to get them 

14 - I had to drive to Provo for the third time that day to get my dad's car

It was the WORST. DAY. EVER!!!!!

I have never been so exhausted.

Any one of those items above, even 2 or 3 of them, would have been totally manageable on their own, but all in one day???

It was a nightmare!

I barely had time to snap a few photos in the morning before the madness began.

(Jake absolutely, positively would NOT let me take his picture--same with Josh.  Oh well.....)

This was one excited boy!

Oh my goodness!  She is adorable!

Note to self:

Never, ever plan ANYTHING on the first day of school!

Leaves of Three, Let It Be

Leaves of three, let it be.

That's what they teach you when you are a new boy scout.

Stay away from poison ivy.

Here are pictures of my boy scout.

He is covered head to toe in poison ivy.

He is itchy, blotchy, miserable and constantly covered in Calamine lotion.

And that boy scout would be my 41-year-old husband.

He went on the high-adventure camp out and was the only one to come home and develop the worst case of poison ivy rash I have ever seen.  

Ok, so this is the ONLY poison ivy rash I've ever seen but it's pretty bad.

He wouldn't let me take pictures of his torso.

I think it is positively sad hysterical!!!

Flowers

The flowers that I planted back at the beginning of June....

Exploded into THIS:

AND this was AFTER I weeded out several flowers.

My flowers went absolutely CRAZY this year!

Tinfoil Dinners

I haven't posted a recipe for a long time.

Probably because I've hardly baked any treats this entire summer.

It's too hot and we'd all rather have snow cones, or ice cream, or shakes.

This isn't a dessert but one of my family's favorite dinners.

Tinfoil Dinners:  SO EASY!

Bacon (pre-cooked--you can cook beforehand yourself or buy it already cooked.)

Potatoes

Carrots

Butter

Salt and pepper

I line them up assembly style and just pile on all the ingredients. (That stuff on the top is butter that I just broke off of the cube and placed on top.)

Variations:  Chicken

Hamburger

Green or red peppers

Tomatoes

Pretty much anything you like.

It's hard to mess up.

Fold tinfoil over food and fold all edges.

You can cook these outside, over charcoals in a fire pit

or in the oven.

In a fire pit, these only take 15-30 minutes to cook, depending on how hot the coals are.

In the oven, I bake them at 400* for about an hour or until potatoes are soft.

My family likes to put cheese or sour cream on their dinner.

I just like lots of extra butter and salt and pepper.

Sleeping Arrangements

I went to bed really late one night, and when I went upstairs to my bedroom I saw this:

(I am shocked that the flash from my camera didn't wake them all up.)

Lucy and Josh were camped out on the floor.

Sam is konked out next to Jeff.

And last but not least, Georgia, my sister's dog that we are babysitting for the week, asleep at the foot of the bed.

Where's Jake?

Jake likes to sleep in his own bed like his mom.

Things I swore I'd Never Do

1.  I swore I'd never buy Crocs...

BUT

My sister Julie, mother of twin boys about Sam's age, came to visit last summer.

Her boys wore Crocs.  They were cute on the boys (but, come on, ANYTHING is cute on twins.  Am I right?)

AND....they could get them on and off by themselves.

AND....they are waterproof.

AND.....comfortable.

Sam has his regular pairs of shoes for church and when he goes to school...

 BUT....we love Crocs the very best

 AND...we already have a pair for next summer.

2.  I swore I'd never buy a minivan

I've already sung the praises of my "5th child" in this post.

3.  I swore I'd never let my daughter take jazz.

I sort of grew up a ballet snob.

I thought (and darnit, still think sometimes) that ballet was (is) THE superior form of dance.

I have become a LOT more open minded since beginning teaching at my current studio more than 10 years ago.

The jazz teachers there are phenomenal at what they do.

So...as long as Lucy still takes ballet from me, then she can do any other form of dance she likes.

4.  I swore I'd never buy bunk beds.

They are ugly, cumbersome, and dangerous (do they come earthquake proof?)

BUT....I love this one from Pottery Barn and I think it will be our next major purchase for the kids' rooms.

There's just not room for 2 twin beds side-by-side, and a dresser in Jake and Sam's room.

5.  I swore I'd never get a dog.

And I still haven't.  Not officially at least.

I started dog-sitting my sister's dog, Georgia, last year when her other dog, Von, died.

She has become a part of the family and we love her.

Keri drops her off nearly every morning and picks her up at night.

We have her right now for an entire week while Keri is out of town.

She's the easiest dog in the world to take care of.

We all love her and I am slowly warming up to the idea of having a dog of our own someday (after Jeff retires).

6.  I swore I'd never go to Disneyland

(Again!)

I went as a kid.  Only twice.  Once when I was about 9 and once when I was 18.

We only went for one day.

It was crowded, hot, and miserable.

We rode only 3 or 4 rides the entire day and spent the majority of the time in lines.

It took a lot of convincing on Jeff's part (years) to finally get me to go.

We took Josh (3) and Jake (15 mos.)

Let me be cheesy for a moment:

IT.  WAS.  MAGICAL!!!!!!!!!!!

Long story short, we have gone at least once a year since then.

It is my very favorite place to visit in the entire world.

I like our Disney vacations better than Christmas.

I listen to the Disney Ride Theme Songs all year round.

I cry, really cry, when we have to leave and come home.

I sink into a minor depression for about 2 weeks after the vacation is over.

I start planning for the next one about 6 months in advance.

 I check the Disney vacation package rates every day.

I am obsessed.

We stay in the Paradise Pier in the park, get 6-day park hoppers, go off-season (that's key--no crowds) and ride all day, every day.

I'm working on getting Jeff to agree to go twice a year.

Come on, Jeff.  PLEASE!!!!!?????!!!!

Candy Jars

I love candy.

I must have some every day.

Time for a refill.

Some things I've learned since buying these jars a year and a half ago:

1 - It takes waaaaay more candy than you think to fill these up.

2 - The first time I filled them up it cost $54.00 (just the candy, not the jars)

I now fill only one of the small jars with "expensive" kind of candy:  m&m's, PB cups, etc., and the other two jars, especially the big one, with inexpensive wrapped candy:  taffy, suckers, etc.

3 - The jars don't work as a kitchen island centerpiece because the kids are constantly climbing on the counter for candy.

(I do severely limit the amount of candy and treats they can have each day.)

4 - If you move the jars to the counter by the sink, the kids still see the candy every time they enter the kitchen (50 times a day) and ask/beg for some.

5 - If you move them to the Butler's Pantry, it still makes for a fun decoration but it's more "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" for the kids.

6 - And last but not least, you will start to get a reputation in the neighborhood as the Candy Lady.

I have a slight fear that I am somewhat buying my kids friends with treats.

What I Do

I absolutely love my "job."

I can't really call it a job.

It's a hobby that I happen to get paid for.

I don't scrapbook.  I don't train for marathons or triathlons (I am the only one who doesn't, I swear!), I don't go to the gym to workout.

This is my "hobby,"  my outlet, my time away from home.

I love teaching ballet and I especially LOVE my girls.

Some of these girls, past and present, have been with me for 10 years.

We started a tradition last year:

A reunion ballet class with all my senior ballet students.

We did this 3 days before Chirstmas. 

December was usually everybody's favorite time of year for ballet because I always played Christmas songs for all the exercises, and we learned variations and dances instead of doing regular center work.

 So, for old-times' sake, everyone met up for class.

I played all my Christmas music, we ate treats, I let them chew gum and wear whatever they wanted.

(I'm usually very strict about hair, attire, and gum.)  :)

We laughed about old, funny memories, and just basically had a great time.

I love these girls!!!!!!

Law Firm Party

This year, the summer law firm party was at Hogle Zoo and the entire family was invited.

It was really fun because the zoo closes to the public at 6:00, but employees from the firm and their families got to stay until 9:00, eat a catered dinner, enjoy the nice, cool evening weather, and we had the zoo and the animals all to ourselves.

Thanks PBL!

We had a great time!