Busy, busy, busy...

So, we have been quite busy today...

We have spent almost the whole day watching "ThunderCats" cartoons...

and reading "Garfield" comics.

Don't be jealous.

Oh yeah, and we ran the dishwasher, too!

Saved by...

It is the day after Christmas.
Which means that I am totally, officially, and absolutely
SICK
of hearing holiday songs.
I am usually pretty bored and tired of them around the first week of December, actually.
Because immediately following Halloween, every radio station in the world seems to start playing christmas songs.
Almost two solid months of "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and dozens of others. I just can't take it! Even holiday songs that I like become tiresome after hearing them several times a day, for two months in a row.

So, on the way to work tonight...
Radio Preset 1: Blah (christmas song).
Radio Preset 2: Blah (another christmas song).
Radio Preset 3: Blah (yep, another freakin' christmas song).
and then...
Radio Preset 4: Oh, how wonderful!!!!!
Thank you, oh so much, for playing The Clash. "London Calling" was just what I needed! The Clash is good anytime, but, it was
especially awesome just now.
Saved by The Clash!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, newly resurrected 101.9 The End!!

And So This Is Christmas...

Hope everyone has a wonderful and merry Christmas!

Homework

Today Charlotte had homework to do.
Not unusual, because she gets a new homework packet every Monday.
Today's section of homework?


Kindergarten Physics, I think....

"Place an ice cube in a bowl, and a scoop of ice cream in another bowl. Which melts fastest?"


LOVE IT!


All things considered, I am a big supporter of homework that involves ice cream.
I just hope tomorrow's homework will require doughnuts, cookies, or Twix!

Thanks...

Thank you...sooooo much.
To everyone who called or e-mailed to check up on me because of my last post.

I was honestly overwhelmed with gratitude.
And, just to let you know, I am doing much better.

Thank you.
I wish there was a better way of saying that but, I can't think of anything better, so...

Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.

Bye Bye

Dear Universe-

I quit.
Long, complicated story, but...
I quit.

-Dani

An Open Apology...

Hey, Dad and Mom- remember when I was younger? Back when I thought I knew it all?

Okay, remember how I thought it was so horrible and cruel that you wanted me to put away my clean laundry, and not just leave it in piles on my bed, or floor, or dresser? Or how you hated it when I put everything into the dirty laundry basket, regardless of whether it was even dirty? Remember how I thought it was sooooo stupid that you made a fuss over rewashing 'clean' laundry? Remember how I thought you guys were sooooo lame for that?

As in, "What's the big deal? You're doing laundry anyway, what difference does a few 'not-necessarily-dirty' items make?

Remember all of that?

Okay then....... From the bottom of my heart, I apologize.

You were right.

Rewashing clean laundry bites.

Seeing clean, neatly folded laundry end up in piles all over the place bites.

Having all of this come back to bite me........bites!

But, maybe you'll think it is funny.

I deserve that!!

Happy Turkey Day...

Gobble Gobble.

It's the end of November already?

So it is nearly Thanksgiving. As in, the turkey feast is only 72 hours away. And you know what that means.....That's right! Pictures from Halloween! Because after all, I am nothing if not consistent. And I think I have posted pictures of the kids very late, no matter the holiday or occasion. So, here they are, in keeping with my unofficial motto in life: "Better late than never."

Barrett + Ninja= Happiness!

He LOVES the movie "G.I. Joe." And his favorite character is the awesome, silent-but-deadly ninja, Snake Eyes. So, of course, when we found the Snake Eyes costume, it was a no-brainer. He loved it. Can anything be more adorable and cool than seeing your little son dressed to kill and wielding the sword with deadly skill and fury?!!

Charlotte as Princess Ariel. Surprised me. I have never known Charlotte to love Ariel all that much. I mean, we are talking about Charlotte, so any princess is definitely not going to be a bad thing, but still. She was super excited to find a "real Ariel hair" for her to wear. I think she has secret plans to be every single princess for Halloween. Awesome. I have the easiest costume finding job now!

Savannah. Oh Savannah. She has begged and pleaded for this costume for the last three years. So, I give you, Savannah- Batgirl. She was so excited that we finally let her have it. And, she just looks so flippin' cute!

I had to post two pictures of Savannah, because it was just so funny and cute to see her all wrapped up in her batwings, ready to fly away, and then....wingspan! So cute. She loved her costume. And I think it just may be my favorite costume she has ever chosen!

All three of the cutie-patooties!

Not sure why or how, but we failed to get a good picture of Colby's awesome pumpkin carving skills this year. You can see Charlotte's owl pumpkin, next to Barrett, which was very precariously held together by three toothpicks. You can see a little of Barrett's bat pumpkin by Charlotte. He was pretty excited for that. And Savannah's pumpkin? Well, don't ask me, because it did not appear in any of the pictures, and I honestly don't recall!!

They had a fun Halloween, despite the wet, wet weather. We still have Halloween candy at our house. Maybe I should let my kids have more than one or two pieces every other day or so. Hmmm....

Book Review 2...

Okay, so I decided to postpone reading "A Tale of Two Cities" for a couple reasons: 1- I own the book, so I can read it whenever I want, and 2- I had two books being held at the library, so I decided to start with those. Here is what I just finished: This is one of Jules Verne's lesser known works. I happened to stumble across it on the library's website, and decided to try it. You know what? I really wanted to love it. I read "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" years ago and loved it. I started "Around the World in Eighty Days," but I never finished it (both books are on my wish list at the library, though).

I did not love this book. It was just 'okay.'

It just didn't grab my attention and hold my interest the way "20,000 Leagues..." did. I never felt myself emotionally responding to any parts of the story.

Despite not loving this book, I still stand by my long-held belief that reading a book is never a waste of time!

So, on to the next, which happens to be....

"Paradise Lost" by John Milton.

I have never read this book, but it was on a list of suggested reading titles at some point in high school.

I am excited. I love books about religiosity and spirituality. And who doesn't love an epic poem?

Pampered at the hair salon...

Charlotte did my hair today!! She is very talented.

And just to clarify, I still DETEST having my picture taken, but.....my dear, sweet Charlotte was oh-so-proud that she did my hair all by herself. She asked if I could "take a picture and put it on your computer."

So, here you go.This picture was taken so you can see the lovely red flower clips she picked out, and put in all by herself. She picked these because they matched my Utah shirt.

This picture is so you can see the ponytail, which she honestly did all by herself (after I showed her how). She was also VERY proud of the bobby-pins.And this is because she wants to make sure you can see "Mom's face with her hair pretty."

So, there you go. And, in case you wondered, you might be able to have Charlotte do your hair. I can't guarantee, though, because she is quite in demand.
I hear that Julia Roberts has booked Charlotte to do her hair for the Oscars.
Charlotte turned down a chance to do Angelina Jolie's hair, because she is just too scary for words.

Book Review

I just finished reading a book. For the past year or so, I have really been on a kick for reading books that I read as a child. I have also been reading books that Savannah expressed interest in. It has been a lot of fun, and I have really enjoyed going back in time, through a book anyway, to the things that excited me years and years ago.

So, this is the most recent book I have finished-
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's "Frankenstein."
I had to read this book in my 9th grade Honor's English class. Anyone else from Mrs. Roach's class reading this?!!?!! At the time, I remember thinking it was a little too long in parts, and it really wasn't one of my favorite reads from that class.
Oddly enough, when I began to re-read it a couple weeks ago, none of it seemed familiar to me. Isn't that strange? There were a few parts of the book that seemed kind of familiar, but, by and large, I felt as if I was reading it for the very first time.
To be fair, it has been twenty years since I was in 9th grade, but still, I found it so strange that most of the book was very new to me.

Result of reading it a second time?

I LOVED this book! It moved me in so many ways, and brought so much to my attention.
Colby will not be at all surprised by this, but I cried. Three or four times throughout reading this.
I cried for The Creature. A lot. My heart breaks for him, and I found myself wanting to yell and scream at the book, and show my contempt for how badly and horribly The Creature was treated. I found myself wanting to yell and scream at Frankenstein, for the odious and rotten way that he treated The Creature. I felt that his mistreatment of The Creature was infinitely more sad and unforgivable than the suffering caused by others.
Even so, I also found myself feeling slightly sympathetic and sorry for Frankenstein. It is hard for me to describe, but, I felt bad for him sometimes. He made a terrible mistake, yes, but, he really saw no way to correct it, or to make things right, without inflicting terrible sadness on himself, on the people in his life that he loved, and on the general human population at large.
I still find him to be mostly a "bad guy," but, at times, I did pity him.

Really, I loved this book. It just might be one of my favorites. It was a book that made me think of scientific ethical dilemmas. It made me think of religious and societal dilemmas.
It made me think.

I have nothing against books that are read merely for fun. I LOVE books (and movies, for that matter) like that. Sometimes I just want to read something and laugh, or enjoy simply for enjoyment's sake.

But, I also love books that make me think, long after I have finished reading them. Books that inspire thought and debate, sorrow and pity, anger and fear, and many other emotions.
Books that seem to arouse your mind and intellect, and seem to stir your very soul.

I loved "Frankenstein."
5 stars.


Next up: Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities."
I had to read this in high school at some point.

(although I just got an e-mail from the library, and one of the books I had on hold has come in. Grrrrr!! Should I continue with Dickens, or should I pick up Jules Verne's "A Castle in Transylvania?")

Hey, sports fans...

Charlotte is not a fan of sports, generally speaking. Not a great shock to anyone, I imagine. Still, she has seen her big sister play soccer for two seasons a year, for the last 5 years; or, in other words, for Charlotte's whole entire life.
She has seen her father obsessively watch every Red Sox game he can find on TV, and she has gone to several Salt Lake Bees games in her life.
She has seen her little brother play teeball for the past year.
She has seen her father watch every Utah Utes football game he can find on TV (and has been "asked" to watch them, as well. :o) )
So, even if she isn't so much a "fan" of playing sports, she has at least been greatly exposed to them.

Which makes the following experience all the more entertaining, and so very "Charlotte."

The other day, we were flipping through the channels looking for something to watch for a few minutes. We happened upon a college women's softball game. Charlotte said, amid great wailing and indignation-
"No, I don't want to watch a stupid soccer game!"

Huh. Softball=Soccer.
Yep, she really isn't a fan of sports!

Who's the boss?

Today, I had to work from 7am - 3pm.
As soon as I got home, I asked Colby how the kids were, and if they had been good all day.

Colby then told me something that Barrett had said...

After breakfast, when all the kids were finished asking Colby "where's Mommy?" a thousand times, he and Barrett had this conversation:

"Dad, when Mom's not here, you're in charge."
"Oh, okay. So, who's in charge when Mom AND Dad are home?"
"Mom's in charge, because she's the boss."

Poor Colby!

:o)

Don't worry, I won't let all this power go to my head!!!

Note to Self...

Remind me that I
HATE
putting together gingerbread houses.



It does not matter how adorable the gingerbread house may look on the box.
It does not matter how cleverly advertised as "easy to build!" it is.



I HATE THEM.

And, just in case you wondered,

NO-
our stupid Halloween gingerbread house came out looking
NOTHING
like the picture above.

We demolished it, and ate the pieces.

Stupid gingerbread house anyway....

Counting down...

4 more days...
or 100 more hours...
or 6000 more minutes.

Miss him already.

Can't wait until Friday when he comes back home.

It's a really good thing Colby only has to travel twice a year at most.

Big questions...

Today at lunch...

Charlotte: "When I die, I'm going to ask Jesus why He made me love oatmeal SOOOO much, because it's my favorite, and I love it!"

(gales of laughter from the kids)

Barrett: "When I die, I'm going to ask Jesus why He made my Mom not give me cookies at breakfast."

(more insane laughter)

Charlotte: "Well, when I die, I'm going to ask Jesus why He made Mom SOOOO scared of spiders, because they are soooo yucky and gross, and they freak her out."


Hey, Charlotte- get in line for that question!

Kids are endlessly amusing.

Music Theory

We have already established that I love music. Hopefully, you have caught on to that from previous posts, or from visits to
my house, or whatever.
Love music.
Always have.
Probably always will.

My kids love music, too.
Hopefully always will.

Which brings me to my point of this post:
"Why I Do Not Fear My Kids Listening To Music."

Let me explain.
A little bit ago, I was having a discussion with someone about music. About what we like now, what we used to like, what we wish we could still find, etc. And then it turned into what our kids like to hear and listen to.
Interesting conversation.

My kids like to listen to a wide variety of musical styles, genres, etc. Some of the things they like happen to be the same things that
Colby and I like. Go figure!
Not all, but much of their musical taste is shaped by what they have been exposed to at home. My kids have a constant diet of music fed to them at our house. Depending on our mood, it could be anything from Billy Idol to Beethoven; Ella Fitzgerald to My Bloody Valentine; A.F.I. to Elvis; Metallica to Enya; ABBA to The Clash; Depeche Mode to Disney Princesses. And anything and everything in between.

I was asked how I thought my kids react to some of the
music that I like.
I asked what she meant by "react."
Basically, she meant what kinds of things does "my music" teach my kids, or say to my kids.

You know what? Honestly, I really don't think of things that way. Whether music, or movies, or clothes, or hairstyles, or anything else, I don't categorize them into "what could this
possibly 'make' my kids think or do."

Because I remember what my childhood was like.
My dad is one of the biggest old-school style cowboys you'll ever meet. Deep, twangy, hillbilly country music for him. The closest to "rock" music he likes is Fleetwood Mac and Kim Carnes.
A good ol' country boy, through and through.
My mom likes almost every kind of music you can think of.
Growing up, I had exposure to the old classic greats of country music, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Sr., and many others. From my mom, I also heard a lot of the Moody Blues, The Pointer Sisters, The Beatles, Tina Turner, Blondie, and a whole lot more.

I still love a lot of the same music I heard as a little kid. I still hear the Pointer Sisters, and I am immediately transported back in time, and I love that nostalgic feeling! Whenever I hear a good old classic country song, it reminds me of my Dad, and I love that feeling too.

But, I also found music that was uniquely mine, in a way. It was music that I came upon on my own. Music that my parents didn't have at home, and didn't always "love."
It was music that spoke to me, for whatever reason. Music or lyrics, or a combination of both, that touched me. It touched my heart, my soul, whatever you want to call it.
It was music that was Mine.
Music that meant something to me, deeply.

I was then, and I remain now, very grateful to my parents for allowing me to become whoever I was going to become, and for letting music play an important role in that 'becoming.'
Even when the music wasn't exactly their taste. I mean, my Dad tried really hard to like Depeche Mode and The Cure and Skinny Puppy, but it just wasn't for him! But, he let it be 'for me' and I will always be appreciative of that.

I am certain there were times when my parents were concerned, and worried about me. And maybe they even questioned if 'my music' was playing the wrong part in my life, but they still chose to
let me be 'me.'
They allowed me to be myself, even when that meant they had to listen to Depeche Mode or The Cure VERY LOUDLY because that was what I needed.
I love that about them.

And I intend to give my kids the same chance.

Because I know that even if I had the personality type that would allow me to be a dictatorial parent, and force my kids to listen to the "right" music, or to force my kids to stop listening to the "wrong" music, they would still find music they could call "their own."

I know that eventually my kids will gravitate toward whatever music speaks to them.
I know that it may or may not be music that I love.

And I know that I will be so proud of them, and so excited to see glimpses of whoever they are going to be.

I am not afraid of music, and I am not afraid of
what it "might do" to my kids.

Stupid News....

Had a great two weeks....NOT!
My hip is killing me, enough that I actually made an appointment with an orthopedic specialist.

Diagnosis: Greater Trochanter Bursitis.
Okay.

Treatment: Lortab every six hours. Why Lortab? Well, in a nutshell, because I don't react well to Percocet.

End result: I don't react well to Lortab, either.
I think I'll take the 'holy crap, this HURTS' pain from the bursitis over the constant nausea, dizziness, alternately shaky and numb hands and feet, and total fatigue from the Lortab.

Apparently, my body does not like narcotic pain relievers.
And just when I was thinking of becoming a pain-killer addict, too.

Hurry, Tooth Fairy!

Charlotte has officially joined Savannah in the "big girl" club-
she has lost her first tooth!
She is very excited about it, and cannot wait until the Tooth Fairy takes it away and leaves her money instead.

Welcome to the "Big Girl Club," Charlotte!

Random Savannah...

Savannah is wonderful. Let me tell you why.
Well, actually, let me briefly highlight some of the reasons why, because if I don't, you'll be here reading for a VERY long time. Yep, she's that awesome!

So, Savannah is sweet. Inside and outside, she is sweet.
Tender. Loving. Kind. Sincere. Thoughtful.

The other day, I was downstairs, and noticed that Savannah had made her bed, and pretty much cleaned up her room before she went to school. But, the best part is, I never asked her to do it. She just did.

I have been told many times, by many people, that my Savannah is very sweet and caring to other people. All of her teachers have said that she is a wonderful student to have in class, because she is so willing to be a friend to everyone, and tries so hard to help.

She tries so hard to make sure everyone around her is feeling good about themselves. A few days ago, Charlotte was trying to put together one of her toys, and it evidently was not working the way Charlotte intended. Charlotte, who is just a tiny little bit like Dani, was not pleased, and having a slight impatience-induced temper tantrum over it. Savannah tried to help her, and pointed out that the way Charlotte had put it together made a great bed for her Little Pet Shops. Charlotte was so glad, and proud that she could "build a Pet Shop bed all by myself!"

And, just because I love this about her:
Savannah loves music, and appreciates and favors a more soft, mellow and quiet range of music than I do. Not that I don't like soft, mellow music or anything, but she LOVES it, much more than I do.
A little while ago, Savannah put in a CD while we were cleaning up a bit, and getting dinner ready.
Her choice?
"The Best of Ella Fitzgerald."
And her remark after the music started:
"Mom, it's impossible not to smile and be happy when you
listen to Ella."

LOVE my Green-eyed Beauty!

How do I love thee...

Yesterday at lunch, Barrett was eating his sandwich, and then said "Mom." Anticipating that he was going to ask for chips (which he knows he can't have until his sandwich and banana are all gone), I said "After your sandwich and banana, Bear."
Then, he just said "Mom" again. So, I just said "What, Bear?"
And he replied with: "Mom, you're so pretty."

This morning, we were on the couch reading a book, and he looked up at me and this conversation took place:
"Mom, can I marry you?"
"Definitely."
"Can I be your Prince, and can you be my Princess?"
"I'd love that, Bear!"
"I love you, Mom."
(me choking back tears of utter joy) "I love you too, my Little Prince."

Oh, how I love that boy!!!

Proof you're a Mom...

I think there are just some things in life that prove you are a Mom.
Like wiping a nasty booger off your kid's face with your hand because you don't have a napkin, kleenex, baby wipe, or anything else handy.
So, boogers on hands=Mom.

Or like fibbing about how delicious and yummy those brussels sprouts are, because you really want them to eat, and because you are desperate for them to eat something other than chicken nuggets and fries now and then.
So, lying (in a nice way!)=Mom.

And then there's this:

My Ipod.

Now I know what you are thinking-
"How can an Ipod prove you are a Mom?"

Well, let me tell you.

First, I LOVE music. All kinds of music. And I generally have music playing at my house all the time. I think I have mentioned this before, but, I think I may have some secret and undiagnosed phobia of silence. Oh well.

So, I love music. Consequently, all three of my kids love music too. All of them have their own Ipods. Not because we spoil our kids, though! Only because Savannah destroyed her Ipod Shuffle that Santa brought her, less than 24 hours after receiving it, and therefore inherited mine.
And then, Colby got a new one, so I got his old one.
And then I got a new one, so Savannah got mine again, and Charlotte got Savannah's.
And then Colby got a new Ipod Touch, so I got his old one, Savannah got mine again, Charlotte got Savannah's again, and Barrett got Charlotte's.
Everyone clear?!!!

Anyway, despite the fact that all of my kids have their own Ipods, with all the music that they want and love on them, I still have music that they want and love on MY Ipod.
Why?
Because I am a Mom.
Because my Ipod will play music without headphones, and they think it's so much cooler than their's.

So, because I am a Mom, my Ipod is full. No more room.
Because it has Hannah Montana on it- and I don't even like her music.
Because it has 3 Jonas Brothers Cds on it- and I don't like their music either.
Because it has the Toy Story soundtrack on it.
Because it has the Disney Princesses CD on it.
Because it has all of the kid's music on it, even though that same music can be found on their own Ipods.

So, now my Ipod is full, and I have no more room for music that I like.
Yep, I must be a Mom.

Pleasant Valley Saturday...

UTAH: 38 UNLV: 10

Air Force: 35 Team that does not deserve to be named: 10


All in all, a great day of football!!!

Back to school for Barrett...

It is official. My kids are getting too grown up. Here it is, the first day of my baby boy's last year of preschool!!
Barrett was pretty excited, and ready to go!!

So, I really don't know why the dagger was necessary. Maybe he expects bad guys to be at school. Maybe he just likes to be prepared. Maybe he's just a 4 year old boy who LOVES guns, knives, swords, any weapon of any kind. Maybe he's just too dang funny and cute!!

After I told him that he couldn't take the deadly weapon to school, he was kind enough to smile for me anyway. Such a good boy!

At the front doors of the school. Never fear, he wasn't scared or sad.....he just didn't really want me to follow him in. He's big, he told me.
Yeah, maybe so, but, I'm still a mom, and I just have to walk you in the first day!

And inside his classroom. He is so excited to be in "the big class" also known as Pre-Kindergarten. It's a big deal, he goes to school three days a week now!
On another note, he was pretty impressed with the shirt he picked out for his first day of school.
In case you can't see it clearly, it has three trees that are mangled or injured, and then the caption below then says,
"homework kills trees....it must be stopped."

So funny!

In the minority....

I find myself in the minority about several things.

For example, I think the music of the band U2 is absolutely and ridiculously overrated. Seriously, for a band that has been around nearly 30 years, I can't think of more than 2 songs of theirs that don't make my skin crawl and my eardrums want to burst. But, it seems that most humans on this earth think their music is amazing, inspiring, great, whatever else. Not me. Yuck.

Also, I couldn't care less about what I wear, how I look, how old the clothes in my closet are, if they're in fashion, whatever. Don't care. Never have. If they are clean, and if they fit me, hurray!! I'm happy. It kinda bugs my poor sister, who has been telling me for decades that I need a major style overhaul.

But, I have officially found another area where I am a definite minority:

Oh, how I detest that place! I have eaten at Cafe Rio on a few occasions, and every time, I hate it.
I honestly think I am the the only person on the planet who hates Cafe Rio.
Bring me Taco Bell.
Bring me Del Taco.
Bring me Taco Time.

But, DO NOT bring me Cafe Rio.
Yuck.

Back to school....again!

So now it is Charlotte's first day of school. Kindergarten. Already.

I can't believe how much she has grown. I can hardly believe that my tiny baby Charlotte Renee, who came into this world 90 minutes before her due date, and tipping the scales at 5 pounds, 10 ounces, is old enough to be going to "the big school."

Charlotte is super excited to be in kindergarten. She is soooo excited to be going to school just like Savannah. Now, if we only had the bus, her little world would be just about perfect! (now don't get me started on the bus situation, though, grrrr!!)

Charlotte just before we took her to school. She is sooooo excited, you can see it on her face, can't you!!??!!
Charlotte at her "table" that is kindergarten's version of a "desk." She was slightly annoyed by that, but I think she'll get over it!

She had such a fun day, and I can't wait for tomorrow- it will be the first day of school all over again, kind of. As of tomorrow morning, Charlotte is on 'A' track, in Miss S. Christensen's class.

I AM SO GLAD!!
I think it will make a HUGE difference, and I am very happy about the change. The only thing is, now I will have a traditional school schedule preschooler, an 'A' track kindergartener, and a 'D' track 4th grader.

Totally worth it. Bring it on!!

Back to school...

Savannah has started school. Already. Blasted year-round school- I really HATE it. But, that's not important.
What is important, is that my little green-eyed beauty is in
4th grade!! I cannot believe it.
It seems only yesterday we moved into this house, and she was only 3, and just starting preschool. Here we are, six years later, and she is officially growing up. Quickly. A little too quickly, if you ask me!


She was pretty excited for school to start this year, for a few reasons.
First, she is in 4th grade now, and it's kinda a big deal! 4th grade signals "grown up kids" in elementary, apparently. Quite excited to be one of the bigger kids.

Second, her teacher is Mr. Gallagher, who Savannah may or may not have a slight crush on. I can't actually say if she does or not, because I got in trouble when I opened my big fat mouth (well, really my big fat computer....) and blabbed to the entire cosmos that Savannah has a little bit of a crush on those cute Jonas Brothers.
So, maybe, maybe not. Ask her.

Third, Charlotte will be at school with her this year. Only half the day of course, because kindergarten in (most of) Utah is just (glorified preschool) half-day. But still, Savannah is so proud to be a big sister at school. LOVE that about my dear Savannah, she is so tender and caring and sweet.

This is Savannah just before we left to take her to school. She was actually kind of nervous, but if you ask her, she is only grimacing because the sun was really in her eyes, and it was hard to smile.

And this is Savannah, in her 4th grade classroom, at her 4th grade desk, holding up her desk nametag.

After that, I promised I would not subject her to further embarrassment, and ended the photo session. Plus, Mr. Gallagher came in just then, so I was pretty much ignored anyway......


All in all, she had a wonderful first day back.
Happy 4th Grade, my beautiful green-eyed Savannah!

Oh, the things kids say....

Spaghetti.

Magic.So, what do these two things have in common?

Charlotte, of course!

Tonight, the kids asked what was for dinner. The answer was-- spaghetti and meatballs. That response brought on a full-fledged
"I don't like spaghetti" tantrum from all three of the kids.

A little later, when dinner was ready and getting dished up, Charlotte sees the plates on the table, piled high with spaghetti and
yummy meatballs.
With my back to her, I hear her adorable little voice say, in a slightly hushed and irritated tone, this:

"Abra cadabra, make this spaghetti go away."

Colby and I almost fell over laughing. Come on, Charlotte, tell us how you REALLY feel!!!

On a somewhat related note, Colby is not a huge fan of spaghetti. Something about eating it several times a week for two straight years on his mission. But, he really does love my
spaghetti and meatballs.
Come on, Charlotte- if Colby can eat it happily after nearly overdosing on it for two years, you can choke down a few bites without having to resort to magic spells to make the
dinner disappear!!!

Oh my, she is sooooo funny!

Charlotte's wonderful world...

Anyone who knows Charlotte at all knows that she is a Princess.
She loves to dress up, she loves to wear glittery makeup, she loves to wear high heels,
she LOVES to wear jewelry,
you get the idea.

On a typical day, Charlotte will ask me if she can wear a dress or a skirt. Since the weather has been so lovely and sunny and warm lately, the answer every single day has been, much to Charlotte's extreme delight, YES!

On a related note, the most effective and surefire method of punishment or discipline for Charlotte is to tell her that if she doesn't behave, or clean her room, or whatever, that I will take her dresses away, and she'll have to wear pants for a week.
Works every time.
Honestly, you'd think I was threatening her very existence.
That's how much she LOVES to wear dresses.

So imagine my shock when Charlotte came upstairs today after getting dressed.

She was wearing a simple shirt and capri pants.

Everyone, record this in your journals!! It may never happen again- Charlotte picked out and wore capris without it being a method of torture or discipline.

Oh, how I love my twirly-girly Charlotte!

In the realm of fantasy...

I like fantasy stories, don't you? I am a sucker for a good fairy tale, or a great fantasy/sci-fi story. Not really hi-tech, super-geeky sci-fi, mind you, but a good Terry Brooks novel is sure a fun read.

So, in the land of fairy tales and magic and fantasy and the like, you read of mythical creatures; or of magical objects.
Sucks that in real life, none of that ever shows up, don't you think?
In all my 30+ years of life, I have never, not once, walked down the street, and witnessed a unicorn flying through the sky.
I have never walked into a darkened room, and found a glowing stick so fraught with magic and wonder that my eyes burn from merely looking at it.

So many magical and wondrous things that I have heard of, and yet not seen with my own eyes.

But, today, I must confess, I did see something.

Colby claims that he has seen these particular things on numerous occasions. Often, he will try to point them out to me, so that I can share in the joy of seeing these elusive things.
But, alas, I have never been able to see them before.

I was afraid that I was one of those Harry Potter "muggle" types that just doesn't have the gift of sight. After all, I have read the "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and I thought, quite frankly, that they were horribly, and epically, overrated. And I'm just about the nerdiest bookworm ever, so what does that mean?!?!?

But, today, I saw them!!

Colby pointed them out to me, and for the first time ever, I can say with absolute confidence that I saw them too.

I saw, with my own two eyes............

are you ready for this........

Colby has gray hair.

Maybe 3 of them, MAYBE, but he is a little bit bugged
by their presence.
His birthday this year was a bit rough for him, as well.

Honestly, he has tried to show me his "gray hair" several times in the past few months, and I never see any. Truly.

But, today, I crossed over from the land of fantasy into the
realm of reality.
The mysterious Colby-gray-hair actually does exist.

And yet, Colby is still so dang hot and handsome!!

Dinner Debate

I have always heard about how important it is for your family to sit down and eat dinner together. You know, the whole "family togetherness" and all that. It is a time to be together, talk to each other, and just connect after a long day of work, school, chores, errands, whatever.

And really, our family is able to sit down, all five of us, and eat dinner together most every night.



Like tonight.



We were able to have quite a meaningful conversation. Charlotte and Barrett were debating the difference between calling something a "peepee head" and a "poopoo head."



Charlotte feels that "peepee head" is what you call someone or something you don't like or don't understand, or that you just want to call a name. According to her, "peepee head" is plenty descriptive.



Barrett is of the opinion that "peepee head" is just not enough. He feels that "poopoo head" is much better.

They went back and forth; a five-year-old and a four-year-old trying to convince everyone else at the table that their word of choice was the best one.

I bet you are all so jealous of our meaningful and stimulating conversation. I know you're just so sad that you weren't at our house for dinner tonight, so that you could offer your opinion, and choose a side.

So, what are your thoughts? I need a vote- who sides with Bear, and who sides with Charlotte?

A Reverse Recommendation....

Just in case any of you are in the market for, or are interested in,
a home security/alarm system, I thought I might make a recommendation, in reverse.....

Avoid this security company at all costs:

Seriously, they have been a total nightmare.
If Satan himself comes to your door selling an alarm system, buy from him before you buy from Radius.

And that's all I can say. But, if anyone needs more details or information, I have plenty of Radius Security-caused "bad mood" left over, so I can rehash all of my gripes and issues at any time.

Grrrrrr.

And the winner is.....

Barrett!!!

Barrett is quite an athlete. Don't let his small stature fool you, the little dude is tough! There are many times when he and I play "football" during the day. Of course, it is Barrett's interpretation of football, meaning there is no actual 'ball' that we use. Bear's style of football is more like 100% tackle. He'll randomly shout "Mom, watch this!" and then run at me full-speed, pummel me, and quite often, knock me flat. He is a tackle maniac!

Today I was cleaning the bathrooms. Not really one of my favorite ways to pass the time, but oh well.
But, as I was in the middle of cleaning the bathtub, I hear a bit of yelling, and, assuming it is still Charlotte and Bear playing downstairs, I (kind of) ignore it.
Bad move, Dani!!

Next thing I know, there is a rushing sound, and then the feeling of a 31-pound handsome little devil slamming into me at full force!

I can now tell you exactly how Clorox disinfecting bathroom
cleaner tastes.
Yuck.
On so many levels, yuck.

The score stands thus:

Barrett: 1 million, Mom: 0

I Hate Nature...

I am not a fan of nature.
Not. At. All.

Today, as the gale-force winds were blowing, and making all the trees sway and bend and curve in a manner most bizarre and unpleasant, a terrible thing happened.

Nature happened.

In our front yard, there is a lovely, albeit small, red maple tree. In the upper branches of that tree, sits a little robin's nest.
My kids have had such a fun time this spring, watching the Mama Robin fly away to get food for her babies, and then coming back again with a beak full of dangly little worms. They have loved having the Nature Channel right in their own front yard.

Until today.

The horrific winds were blowing hard enough to knock all three of the baby robins out of the nest. Sadly, one of them did not survive the fall. The other two did.

And that presents another crime of nature. Mama Robin will likely abandon the baby birds now that I have tried to "save" them. I can't take care of them, and even if I could get them back up in their cozy little nest, Mama Robin will just push them right back out.

The defenseless, helpless, and innocent little baby robins
are going to die.

I hate nature.

The color wheel....

You know you love your daughter when.......

You allow her to pick out your nail polish color, and then, stick with what she picks, even if the color she chooses is this:

Yep, a delightful shade of pink Charlotte calls "Pretty as a Princess Pink." OPI calls it "Panda-monium Pink." Either way, it reminds me of cotton candy or Pepto-Bismol, and it is generally a color that I would not choose for myself. At all. I much prefer colors that are slightly more dramatic and moody, such as:

"Be Still My Heart," or, as OPI calls is, "Bastille My Heart." I like this color. A lot.

It is definitely one of my favorites. But, to be very honest....

This is my very most favorite color: "Black Magic."

I LOVE THIS COLOR!

It seems just as moody and cynical and pessimistic as I am.

But, because I love Charlotte, and because I love that she is so pink and fluffy and twirly-girly, I let her pick out the color, knowing full well that she would probably pick out a color that secretly makes me think of Pepto-Bismol.

So, now every time I look down and see my fingernails, I think of upset tummies from eating way too much cotton candy, and therefore, choking down Pepto.

Sure do love you, Charlotte.

Next time, I pick the color!

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday Colby!

You're the caramel in my Twix, and the salt on my popcorn.

Sure do love and adore you, Handsome Man!!!

Pop Quiz

Just a quick Pop Quiz. Very important. Take your time, and answer each question honestly, and truthfully, to the best of your abilities.

1. Dani thinks that:
A. Spiders are the literal spawn of Satan.

B. God created spiders in His fury over Adam and Eve partaking of the Forbidden Fruit.

C. Spiders are the very embodiment of Evil on the earth.

D. All of the above.

2. Dani wishes that:
A. Spiders, every single species, would magically and eternally disappear from existence.

B. All spiders would, at the very least, stay at least 3 million miles away from her.

C. All books and movies portraying spiders as kind, adorable creatures could be banned.

D. All of the above.

3. Despite her intense and burning hatred of spiders, Dani:
A. Is far too chicken to actually squash them.

B. Prefers to send in her cats to "play" with the spiders until they die, and then she will vacuum them up.

C. Will spray them with spider spray, hairspray, window cleaner, or any other remotely poisonous and/or noxious substance, hoping that they die a slow and miserable and tortuous death, and will then vacuum them up.

D. All of the above.


Okay, time! Pencils up.

The answer to every question was D, All of the above.
How did you do on this quiz?


As much as I am ready for warm weather, and the absence of snow and temperatures hovering at 30, I have to admit,

I HATE SPIDERS!!!!!

How is it possible that even with the dratted snowy February-like weather the last few days, the little eight-legged demons from hell have made their way into my house?

3 of them just today. I was really hoping that the evil creatures would react more like tomato plants, and that they would just shrivel up and freeze and die in this ridiculous cold snap.

No such luck.

I need a lot more hairspray..........

Because Everyone Already Knows......

Savannah likes the Jonas Brothers!! No matter how much she may try to deny it, she does. In fact, she LOVES the Jonas Brothers. I don't know that it even matters all that much which Jonas Brother you choose- she likes them all...a lot! Just in case you have doubts, Savannah has a Jonas Brothers CD, a concert DVD, and bedding.

Let me explain the bedding, because it is crucial to the whole point of this post.

So, Savannah has a brand-new bedroom. It is HERS; she no longer has to share with Charlotte. She's very excited about this, not only because it's more space, but because she gets to decorate her own room to her own liking- it doesn't have to be purple, pink, and Princessy anymore, because Charlotte can have that in her own room. Yay for Savannah! So, she picked out her room decor, and for her birthday, she received a Jonas Brothers super-soft blanket, a Jonas Brothers throw pillow, and a Jonas Brothers sheet set. This is in addition to the Jonas Brothers poster she received for Christmas. She placed the poster on the wall, directly above her bed, so that when she lays down, she can see the very cute, hot and handsome Jonas Brothers smiling down upon her, as she is laying on the pillow with the cute Jonas Brothers on it.

You get the idea.....she loves the Jonas Brothers, despite any and all protestations to the contrary.

Which brings me to today. I was (sort of!) teasing her about the Jonas Brothers, which (anyone who knows Savannah will already have guessed that it) did not excite her, or please her at all. I was (sort of!) teasing her about the perfect arrangement of the poster, the bedding, and all other things related to the Jonas Brothers. She eventually told me to stop teasing her, because it makes her feel embarrassed, and "how would you like it if I teased you?" I asked what she meant; how could she tease me? She just said "What if I told everyone that you thought someone was cute, and it made you embarrassed?"

So, I had to explain something to her.
Oh, Savannah, my dear, the thing is, I happen to have a major crush on someone, and I have since about 1985. And, pretty much everyone knows, too, so you couldn't really tease or embarrass me by telling everyone about it!!
I tried to tell her that if she likes those cute little Jonas Brothers, she shouldn't be shy about it, or try to hide it, or deny it.

Proclaim that love and adoration, Savannah!!


But, to try and make amends with Savannah, and to make her feel better, I posted one of my favorite pictures of my
(not so) secret crush.
So, here he is, Dani's major crush for about 25 years running....

The one and only, the delicious and perfect Martin Gore.

Isn't he adorable?!! I still swoon over this guy.

And, for the record Savannah, if I could find a pillowcase with Martin on it, I'd be all over it!! And I would buy the matching super-soft blanket, and pretty much anything else!

And for further record, just in case anyone is reading this post with growing panic and alarm, Colby is aware of, and fully supports my Martin crush. Don't worry, I know that Colby is the most awesome, the most handsome, the most amazing and hot guy ever to walk the earth.
I adore him.
The thing is, Colby is very secure in my love for him, so he is by no means threatened or scared of my decades-long, rapturous crush on Martin. He even downloads and sends me pictures of Martin. He was fully aware of my Martin crush when we met; he was fully aware that it was still there when we got married; and he is still aware of it now, thirteen blissful years later. Everyone okay? Good.

By the way, to all those who may be younger than I am..........if you must ask me who Martin Gore is, I reserve the right to sigh condescendingly, and then smack you.....but I will mean it in the nicest possible way!!!!

It is so easy....

I have decided that boys are soooooo easy to entertain.

This morning, I was messing around with the settings on my e-mail, and we came across a new background/theme for it:

Ninjas.

Well, obviously, Barrett thought I shouldn't pass that up, and so now, my e-mail page looks as though Snake Eyes has gotten the best of it.

Now he has told me about 20 times in the last 20 minutes "Mom, we need to check your e-mail."

I have a sneaky suspicion that he really doesn't care in the slightest about my e-mails, it's just that he is as excited to see the Ninjas all over the screen the 20th time as he was the first time.

And now he is dashing around the house in all his Snake Eyes gear, happy as can be.

It takes so little!

Battle Cry.....

This happened a while ago, and I thought I had already blogged it, but apparently I didn't, so, better late then never!!

Back in February, our family watched the Olympics. We love the Olympics, and the kids really liked it, especially figure skating, snowboard halfpipe, and the ski jumps. But, during the men's figure skating, there was a short little bio of Russian skater Yevgeny Plushenko. Well, Barrett LOVED watching him skate, and actually thought that his name was just about the coolest thing he'd ever heard. For days after, he would take his sword, his gun, his shield, or whatever weapon he happened to have, and then, before attacking whatever nefarious foe he was up against, he would shout "Yevgeny Plushenko!" and advance toward the enemy with deadly speed and force. Or, if he ever tripped, fell down, or otherwise hurt himself, he would say "ouch, yevgeny plushenko!"
That guy's name became Barrett's all-purpose expression: a battle cry, an expression of anger or hurt, you name it.
It was sooo funny, and I wish I had caught it on camera for you. He was so cute, and it was just adorable to see him, sword raised, face drawn in concentration, and then his adorable little-boy voice shout, at the top of his lungs, "Yevgeny Plushenko!"

So cute! How I love that little boy of mine!!

The Most Creative Award...

Charlotte has decided that she no longer wants to take naps during the day. Yes, I do realize that she is five, and that many kids her age haven't been taking naps for quite some time now. But, only in the last few weeks has she expressed her displeasure about naptime.
But, today, she told me that she couldn't take naps anymore, and it took every ounce of self-restraint I had to not laugh, because it was soooooo funny.
Charlotte takes the award for
"Most Clever and Creative Way To Get Out Of Doing Something"
for telling me this:

"I can't take naps now, because I am allergic to naps. Mom, do you know what "allergic" means?"

And then she proceeded to explain to me the definition of "allergic:"
'it means you really hate something.'

Huh.
So Charlotte is allergic to naps, and by her definition of the word, I am allergic to spiders, tomatoes, jelly beans, and the horribly
over-rated music of U2.

What kinds of things are you "allergic" to?!?!?

Barrett rocks!

I have already explained why my kids are the coolest, and yet, here I offer further proof.........

when we clean the house, I always put in a CD or two, and rock out. I mean, if I have to clean, why not at least have an awesome soundtrack to the cleaning, right? So this morning, it was Barrett's turn to pick the "cleaning music." His choice.........Yep, Dead or Alive!! And if that isn't cool enough, his second choice was........

The awesome Pet Shop Boys.

See, my son is soooooo cool! He picked out two very sweet CDs to listen to, all on his own, without any coaching or persuasion on my part!
Just don't tell my darling sister Steph!

Top Five Lists

I know it has been a while. So I thought I might post a few things that have been on my mind the past little bit. Nothing tremendously important, or amazing, or groundbreaking, but, oh well!


The Top 5 Reasons I Love Barrett:
1. At this point, I think he has the cutest and most adorable little voice in the universe. Seriously. I could listen to him talk all day long, and just smile. It is kind of hard to get angry at him, or try to discipline him sometimes. His little-boy voice is just sooooooo adorable, I usually melt. Love it.

2. He has an adorable smile and giggle!!

3. He is quite a Super Hero geek, just like his Daddy. Maybe it should concern me, but it doesn't. There is something completely and utterly adorable about a nearly-four-year-old boy who can hum the Superman theme music; who lifts his arms up, and before taking off at a ridiculously fast pace, says "To the rescue!!" and other such Hero geekiness. I kind of hope he never outgrows it. Batman Forever, Bear Bear!!

4. He makes the funniest faces! He has a wide range of smiles and smirks and lopsided grins that just make me laugh!!

5. This is my favorite, mostly because I think it will most likely become a less and less frequent occurrence as he gets older. So I cherish it for now. Barrett will come up to me, at totally random times during the day, and say "Mom, I so much love you." Or he will say things like "Mom, you are such a pretty girl," or other such (sweet and sincere) lies that he has learned from hearing his Dad say them to me all the time. I am sure that the day will eventually come when he won't tell me how he so much loves me, or that he thinks I am a pretty girl- that would be a total cramp in his style. Oh, how I do love my little Barrett!

Top 5 Reasons I Love Charlotte:
1. Once again, her delicate and fragile and girlie voice. She just sounds like a Princess, and I love that about her. She is so girlie, and so twirly, and so fluffy, and so Princessy, but in a good way. Love it!

2. She is soooooooo sassy! Maybe this should bother me more, but, for some reason, it just doesn't. Charlotte has some serious fire and sass in her personality, and I love it. She actually reminds me of my Granny East. She was a tiny thing, not even 5 feet tall, about 90 pounds at the most, but she was a spunky and fiery and sassy lady! I loved that about her, and I love that Charlotte has some of that. Granny passed away when I was in high school, so Charlotte never had the chance to meet her here, but I am sure that Granny was teaching Charlotte up in heaven, making sure that the sass and fire keeps going.

3. She likes to read. The same books and stories, over and over and over and over and over again, but I love it. I am glad that she loves to read.

4. Her favorite colors are Pink, Light Pink, Dark Pink, Princess Pink, Tinkerbell Pink, Baby Pink, Shockingly Bright Pink, Cotton Candy Pink, and any other variation and shade of pink that you could possibly imagine. Pink Power forever, Charlotte!!!!!

5. Her awesome and funny face that she makes whenever she "plays" Guitar Hero with Colby. She likes to "play" the bass, and she takes it very seriously. She makes the most focused, concentrated, and Rock Star Chick face ever. I love it!


Top 5 Reasons I Love Savannah:
1. She has the most enormous deep green eyes I have ever seen! I LOVE her eyes. I always said that if I ever had kids, that all I wanted was for them to have Colby's eyes. They can suffer through life with whatever they were unfortunate enough to inherit from me, but at least inherit their father's huge, amazingly deep green eyes. If they get his excellent vision as well, even better....so far, so good on that!

2. Her tender, emotional and sincere little heart. Savannah is the most sensitive and sweet girl in the universe. And what's more important and amazing, is that she is incredibly sincere as well. She is not in the least fake or artificial, she really is very sweet, kind, and loving. I love it.

3. She pretends that she doesn't have a massive crush on the Jonas Brothers, which I think is sooo funny and cute. She gets all red and embarrassed whenever anyone brings it up, and it's just funny. But, she really does like them, and she really thinks they're soooooooooo cute, and it is so adorable. I wonder if my parents thought it was funny and adorable when I was her age, and had a major thing for Martin Gore. Oh wait, I still do......oh well, don't judge me.

4. She pretends to like me, and to think it's okay if I am "myself" around her friends. Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but, let's be honest- I am really kind of a dork, and kinda crazy, and to a nine year old, that spells certain doom if ever her friends see that. Bless her heart, she likes me anyway, despite my innate nerdiness!!

5. She is such a Daddy's girl. I cannot even tell you how much I love that. It just makes my whole heart swell with joy whenever I see her with Colby. She adores him, and she loves being with him, and playing with him, and talking to him. Honestly, it does make me a teeny bit jealous sometimes (or a lot of the time), but I really do love how much she loves him, and looks up to him.


And, finally, my darling sister Steph's Top 5 Reasons Why I Should Be A Little Worried and Embarrassed and Concerned:
1. All three of my kids know ABBA songs. Lyrics, humming the tune, the whole thing. They have a disco thing going on, and it just disturbs Steph greatly!

2. They all know Depeche Mode songs. Same thing, lyrics, music, all of it. Very sad, to Steph.

3. They all know Erasure songs. Even sadder than Depeche Mode, according to Steph!

4. They all love New Orleans Saints football. Well, as much as Charlotte can love football, anyway...... But, this is plain devastating, because Steph thinks the Oakland Raiders are the only team that should exist in football.

5. That I do not color, highlight, or otherwise "improve" my hair!! I keep trying to tell her that it is a wasted effort, because my hair is sooooo blonde that any color just fades in a week, at the most; and I can't highlight any lighter, or I'd look like a platinum blonde bimbo, and I just don't think I could pull that look off even if I wanted to; plus, I just don't care enough. Which, to Steph, is the most sad and grievous part of it all, I should care more about my hair, my clothes, whatever, and I just don't. Oh well. At least I really love baseball, and my favorite team is the Boston Red Sox, so that has saved me in her eyes, at least a little!!!!!

Because I Love Him!!!!

I happen to adore my Colby!!

He is the coolest, most awesome and funny guy in the universe.

Today we celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary.

Happy Anniversary, Colby!

Here's to us!!!