Overheard...

"Abrielle, today is the last day you have to be really, really good; then you can just be normal..."

Dear Elves...

Dear Elves,

I wont to be a elv just like you. Cus my mom sed that Santa Clos coud do majik and trn peopl in to elvs. I wunt you to reit a lettr to send me infrmashin.

Your Frend
Carsten

Not Feelin' It....

I'm one step away from being Scroogy this year. I honestly don't know what my problem is. I am usually FANATIC about Christmastime. Tree up day after Thanksgiving, Decorations up the next day. Shopping done, wrapped, and mailed. Batch one of Cinnamon Bread made and eaten before December 5th. Batch 2 by December 10th. Batch three by December 15th.....etc, etc....

That's considered "Normal-Shelly...."

This year....I just realized that Christmas is 10 days away. Seriously. I looked at the calendar yesterday and said, "Whoa! Christmas is next week!!"

The tree went up about a week ago and I just finished the last bit 2 days ago. The Christmas decoration were unpacked (thanks to Elf #1), but were not placed anywhere in particular until the threat of the entire church youth group coming to my house last Sunday whipped me into action (I have some pride still...) 1st batch of bread made yesterday. Christmas shopping....well....let's not go there.....Remember the Friends episode where Chandler and Joey bought everyone presents at the last minute from the local gas station? Maybe my kids would appreciate a nice air freshener......

I cannot find the antidote. Christmas Story (bible version)? A Christmas Story (Movie)? Christmas Candy? Caroling? Lights? Decor? Gifts? Wrapping? Nothing has worked.....

I think this year I'll just smile and nod and wait for New Years.....

An Open Letter...

Dear Stuff....

We have had a long, glorious relationship. Perhaps that is why I feel I can speak freely now. You are driving me crazy. Really, certifiably crazy. My family can vouch for this.

You are everywhere I turn. The desk, the counter, the couch. This afternoon I sought respite in the one place I thought would be free of your persistent presence, but alas, there you were on the toilet seat.

I admit, it has not always been this way. There was a time when I looked upon you with desire. We were inseparable. Five moves, 3 states. It was you and me. Together. You were worth the extra long moving truck. the additional rent for an extra bedroom, the extra boxes and wrapping---just for you.

It was not in the forecast for us to remain that way. Really, the forecast is at fault Hurricane Rita changed us. I left you behind during our flight (or crawl, as the case may be) and upon my return, things were ... different. You looked different. Felt different. You hadn't made the cut. You were not in the trunk. You weren't "needed," "necessary," or "important." You were left behind. Had the winds not shifted, that could have been the end of you then.

Have you felt my gaze? I often look at you and wonder why we have been together all these years. Upbringing? Yes, I admit, I was reared with stuff. Lots of it. Trinkets galore. A Pledge-dusters dream. But I swore you off. I declared myself liberated, yet there (and there, and there, and there...) you are. I wondered if you were fulfilling some deeply repressed need in me. Did your presence make me feel loved? Secure? Safe? No, just irritated and annoyed.

I thought I had conquered you. I declared myself victorious. Trash! Goodwill! Salvation Army! There! Proper homes for you. Retrospectively, I see that my declaration was premature and I let down my guard. Did you creep back in? No. You are too vain for that. You hauled yourself in a UHaul. I felt your draining presence from the front seat of the SUV. You fed off of my energy across three states and two time zones, leaving me empty, decrepit, languid....

You are my thief. You steal my time, my energy, my patience, my garage. I want them all back. Yes, including the garage. Both sides!

Yes, my stuff. We must part. It's for the best. You deserve a proper resting place, someone who truly loves you; or at least doesn't view you as a plague. I bid you adieu, auf wiedersehen, sayonara, buh-bye. There is no sentimentality left that can save our relationship. Please accept your fate and move on...and out....forever....

Freely....Shelly

Road Trippin' -- Wheeler Farm

Day Four -- I had planned buffer days in between the planned events so we could all rest. However, our next day of rest was interrupted by a (long!) trip to urgent care. Alyssa had a terrible ear infection. Drat.....her ears are so cute and tiny, but they have no defense system. Gladly she perked up quickly (Thank you Amoxicillin) and was good to go. Oddly enough, the urgent care was staffed that day by Dr. Wood, who was my PCP from infancy until I married and moved, and Mr. Russell, the physician assistant I would see when Dr. Wood wasn't available. What are the chances of that? Neither of them are usually there.....

Day Five -- Alyssa was perky so we headed to Wheeler Farm. Popular for field trips and such, I had always heard about this place as a kid, but never went. So we drug Grandma to the farm. We sang Old McDonald on the way which the kids quickly changed to "Uncle Donald." They laughed hysterically at this and had to call Uncle Don and tell him about it. On his farm he had a Kodi, Kelsee, Jed, Jacie, and Aunt Jan. They kids made up some very interesting sound they each made....Very interesting.....

Treehouse
(Abrielle, Carsten, and strange kid who wouldn't get out of the picture)

Carsten's highlight of the day? Seeing the animals? No....Feeding the ducks? Nope.....Spending time with the family? Nope (well maybe a little)
There were a dozen or so old rusty tractors sitting around all over the farm....and you could climb on them and move levers and touch the steering wheel and stay there as long as your mom would let you.....AWESOME!!!


Abrielle puttering along....enjoyable, but not her highlight....


The Puttering Princess







Where is Alyssa? No we didn't forget about her. Remember, this is antibiotic day 2. She wasn't at her perkiest and mom wouldn't let her pick up the dirt/manure and eat it (mean mom), so she hunkered down and found her thumb. She was happy.....


Feeding the ducks/geese/swans....What a deal. For around $1 you get a huge bag of feed filled 3/4 of the way. They kids loved it.



Even Alyssa, who woke up just in time....She laughed so hard when the ducks would duck underwater for the food......






The sign of a good day of Road Trippin'? At the end of the day, this happens.....







Ahhh Success.........

Road Trippin' -- Johns Reunion and Natural History Museum

So, now we're at Grandma's!!! Day one....The Johns Family Reunion. I don't know why I don't have pictures of this. I distinctly remember taking some. When I'm more awake, I'll hunt more (in the video camera perhaps???) They have to be somewhere....Anyway, we had a great reunion with my mom's side of the family. Sadly, not nearly as many people came as I would have hoped, but it was great nonetheless to see cousins I hadn't for years. Afterward, we drove up Brigham City to Peach City Diner for fabulous ice cream. Yummy.....

Day two was Sunday....Church, family visiting, Sunday dinner (yum!).....

Day three...acting like a tourist begins. I spent a few weeks before the trip searching for free/cheap stuff to do in Utah that I had never done. You know, the stuff tourist do, but locals often don't. My family, being locals, had not done most of it, so we got to drag them along.....

1st stop--Utah Museum of Natural History---Mondays are free during the summer. My Mom, niece, Kodi, and sister, Ranel, and her family came and it was great. 70% of the exhibits are hands on! My kids love putting their hands on stuff!!

Hmmm....I wonder if my Princess kissed this frog, what would happen???

Mom and Kodi going Native...I could NOT get mom IN the teepee. I'm not sure why she is anti-teepee, but she refused. Kodi, on the other hand, folded her 5'9'' self into this studio-teepee space. What a sport.

Kaylee, Abrielle, Carsten, and Korbin's legs

Making a Cox/Gallini Witches brew....Yummy!

(Carsten, Korbin, Abrielle)

Carsten in a dino-footprint...


Abrielle checking out the fossils. They had a working paleontology lab
onsite with various fossils at different stages of preservation and casting,
plus a lot of small castings you could touch and hold.

I have no idea what they were watching, but I'm not sure Carsten is enjoying it
and Abrielle is apparently a little nearsighted....

Dino-Dig Pit

Delicate work....


They had a large basin filled with little multi-colored plastic beads
and water entering at different points. By watching the effect the water had
on the different "landscapes" who made with the beads,
you learned how
"water can break stuff up and make a mess of things you build"
according to Carsten.

Watch out for the Raptors!!!!
(Carsten, Korbin, Kaylee)

Seriously, Watch out!!!
(Abrielle, Korbin, Kaylee)

After the museum, we went to a little park nearby and had a great picnic. Thanks Grandma, Kodi, Ranel and family for coming with us!!!

Overheard...

Ok. so this didn't come from my child, but it made me laugh so hard I had to post it....

All of the kids in our congregation are doing a musical program tomorrow. They have worked hard all year learning songs (I get the fun job of teaching them music) and now they get to show off a bit for their families and sing and give little talks about what they have learned. As a reward, tomorrow after the program they were told their would be a surprise.

So...before we start practice today, a little boy is invited to come up and give an opening prayer....

"...and please bless us that we'll all figure out what the surprise is..."

One of the counselors in the primary presidency and I were sitting right by him and were trying so hard to contain our laughs. It was so cute!!! He was so serious!!!

I love kids!!!