Tuesday Tidbits

It wouldn't kill you to comment...I'm just saying.

Last Tuesday Michelle and I were able to meet up for pedicures at almost the last minute (i.e., arranged by text an hour before). We got there 15 minutes after the place opened so the scent of incense was overpowering! I was mouth-breathing immediately and feared I'd get a headache, but I ended up being fine. It must have been strongest by the front doors where we stood for a long time choosing our polish colors. 

After our pedicures I had to go to the Scout Store to get all the awards for the biggest Court of Honor of the year. Technically I was released a month ago from being the Advancement Chair Person but they hadn't called anyone else yet and I told them I'd do this last one. It ended up being quite the run around getting everything taken care of though so what normally takes 10 minutes at the store took 30. 

The lengthy visit at the store made me late for Lori's birthday lunch at Kneader's, but I texted them my order so it was waiting for me when I arrived.

Whitney made this for Lori's birthday.

I spent much of the evening organizing, labeling and prepping the merit badges for the Court of Honor.

We had deliciously Fall-like weather all week with cool temperatures and rain off and on. I absolutely loved it!

Whitney made a Barbie washer and dryer out of Pop Tart boxes (which I bought especially so she could make these). The shelf is an iPhone box. I wish I looked this cute doing laundry!

I finished reading Revolutionary Road and just loved it. Lori had been raving about it for so long that I finally borrowed her book and gave it a whirl. Now I'm bummed that I didn't have my own copy because there were so many poignant passages I would have marked. I think this is one I'll be rereading. I loved all the delicate nuances going on in the marriages portrayed and I felt comforted to know I'm not alone in some of my less than kind thoughts sometimes. Marriage relationships are complicated and we are all such flawed beings that often what's happening in a conversation is not really what's happening at all; this book beautifully illustrated this complicated dynamic.

"Both the Campbells made conscientious little clucks of amusement, and Shep discreetly inspected his watch. But the worst part--the worst part of the whole weekend, if not of his life to date--was the way April was looking at him. He had never seen such a stare of pitying boredom in her eyes.

It haunted him all night, while he slept alone; it was still there in the morning, when he swallowed his coffee and backed down the driveway in the crumpled old Ford he used for a station car. And riding to work, one of the youngest and healthiest passengers on the train, he sat with the look of a man condemned to a very slow, painless death. He felt middle-aged."
 page 71

Landon's "girl friend" Kassidy was sick on Sunday so he made her some Muddy Buddies (his favorite treat), wrote her a card and gave her a bottle of Powerade as well. We dropped it off after church. What a sweet guy he is! She was giddy about it and posted a picture of it on Instagram and then came into the office at school yesterday to thank me for dropping it off.

Tidbits

The 6th graders at Whitney's school put on a Renaissance Fair for all the students. Whitney has been looking forward to doing this for years! Her group made an Apothecary booth and each contributed over 100 items to sell for a .25 each.

I thought they had the best looking booth full of clever items.

Whitney got called into the principal's office this week because she was awarded "The Student of the Week". This came with a coupon for a free meal at Cafe Rio, oh la la.

My secret pal gave me this strange item. I have never seen this sort of thing before and thought it was funny and weird.

My mom, Randy and I roasted ourselves at Whitney's soccer game last Saturday (I got super sun burned on my pasty-white legs).

We had a family party to celebrate Robyn and Olivia's birthdays.

Landon is still the sweetest guy ever.

Amie brought Cafe Rio for a tasty car lunch this week.

Michelle surprised me by showing up with dessert for Wendy and I, which was very unexpected and nice.

I caught Landon walking by the office; I consider Landon-sightings a perk of my job.

Landon and I went to the high school to register him for his classes for next year! This was a bit daunting at first but he got everything he wanted so we were thrilled.

Lori and I went to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point on Monday. It was perfect weather and we spent 2 hours wandering around enjoying it.

 

This is one of my favorite photos from our wanderings, but I have many more I love.

My mom and I froze our nards off at Whitney's soccer game on May 1st! It has snowed earlier in the day and then was super windy and cold. We had dressed for the weather but still froze!

Five for Friday

1. I'm rewinding a bit here to June 21st when Robyn and I met up with my mom for her birthday. We had a nice lunch at The Blue Lemon. My mom is footloose and fancy free now that she has left Eagle Mountain and is living in civilization!

2. This is totally random but so funny to me. Back when I was helping my mom move I was going to stop at McDonald's to get a big beverage but I mistakenly got stuck in the drive thru line for Del Taco! I'm not familiar with these Eagle Mountain drive thrus so it was an innocent but humorous mistake. I couldn't get out and ended up having to sit behind 3 other cars before I could get out and over to the McDonalds. Hilarious.

3. Whitney, my mom, Robyn and I went to a baby shower for my cousin's wife recently and got to hold their darling 5 week old baby. It was Whitney's first baby shower and first time holding a newborn for a long time...she was smitten (so was I).

4. Patsy always beats me at Words with Friends and had scored her highest word ever on her previous turn, so I was thrilled when I scored my highest word ever (117 points!) on my next turn and had the lead for a short time. 

5. Cathy has been out of town this week so I had the challenge of making myself get up and go walking on my own. I succeeded on Monday and enjoyed the early morning beauty, but then ended up getting Landon's cold and haven't gone the rest of the week. Aargh!

Summer Culture

Last Monday evening we joined about 2000 other people for a wonderful outdoor concert at our local amphitheater (like 2 minutes away local).

We went to this concert last summer to support Brother Pew (a member of our Bishopric) and were happy that he has since started a symphony here and was performing again.

Lori and Robyn and her kids were there too.

I got about one page of Far From the Madding Crowd read while waiting for the concert to start.

There's something magical about listening to a performance like this while enjoying perfect weather outside.

A 95 year old man from our ward conducted the orchestra for the William Tell Overture, it was painfully sweet.

And then of course, the great Jenny Oaks Baker performed. She is amazing!

Landon and Austin were in the park area (along with a ton of other kids) playing football during the concert, they had a great time.

The crowd.

**Have you been to an outdoor concert recently?

What's your favorite instrument?

Would you like to conduct a song?**

Comment Window Tidbit: I have had a luxurious day of moving sprinklers, going for a walk, folding laundry, watching Netflix, writing cards and painting my toenails...ah summer!

Five for Friday

1. The kids went back to school Tuesday armed with tissues, hand sanitizer and strict instructions to cover their mouths well (it's amazing and disgusting how many kids just cough out into the open, it gives me the shivers), but I got pulled out of the end of 2nd period to come down to the office where I found Landon choking back tears and looking weak. The poor kid gave it a good try, but even though he had a note to sit out of P.E. he said he wanted to lie down on the gym floor (ew!). I was able to run him home and get back in 20 minutes.


2. I had my last scheduled Iron I.V. treatment. I will go to the lab for another blood test in a couple weeks to see how my iron levels are doing. I've been feeling pretty good but still haven't been able to sleep without Ambien and don't feel completely normal yet. I never realized how wonderful "normal" could be.


3. When I got home from my treatment, both Adam and Robyn were at my house. Adam had come over to kill time for a half hour before a meeting in Orem, and Robyn was dropping off her kids (we babysit them every Tuesday). It was too bad that they were both leaving as soon as I got there, but I like they we live close enough to see each other often.


4. Whitney left this note on the counter the other night around 8:00 (weird timing just before bed). We had been hanging out together, so I thought it was funny that she was putting more suggestions out there AND felt the need to do so with a note.


5. Landon actually needed my help with math homework!!! I think this is the first time he has ever needed help, and it's only because he missed so many days of school and wasn't there for the teacher's explanation. I was relieved that I could help thanks to my current stint in the 7th grade...where math is concerned he's definitely smarter than me dang it.


6. Randy's latest lunch sack creation for Whitney.


7. I am made banana bread in memory of Michelle's wonderful grandmother Charlotte. She was always baking amazing things and serving others, so her family members are baking today and giving the items to someone. This is only the 2nd time I've ever made banana bread (what the?) and it didn't go so well because the outside is done and the inside isn't. I turned the oven down and covered the top in foil, but I don't think these are good enough to give away...oh dear, my best efforts for Charlotte have failed.

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: General Conference Weekend kind of snuck up on me so I don't have anything ready to give my visiting teaching people, bummer.

Miscellaneous Monday

Last Monday I spent a couple hours at Jana's house taking pictures of her new baby Savannah. Savannah did great and slept through most of our photo shoot despite being moved around, but I love this one of her making her displeasure known.


I met my mom, Robyn and Ashley for lunch one day last week, which was enjoyable. They both ordered salads and I got the cheeseburger sliders...no wonder I'm twice their size. (Also, Ashley and I seem to have strange mole-looking dots on our faces in this picture, but we do not in fact have strange mole-looking dots on our faces in real life.)


Whitney's school choir performed with 11 other elementary schools at Abravanel Hall last week. It was cool to see them perform in such a beautiful place. The price of the tickets was $7 plus a SLC County fee per ticket, plus $7 for parking felt like a lot for such an event, I was glad I didn't wrangle any other family members into going.

Whitney is in the middle row just right of center.

I took this picture of our friend's son during Landon's soccer game the other day, he is quite the prolific drooler (the baby, not Landon).


The birds in our yard seem to have forgotten that because we feed them they need to do their business elsewhere. I don't know if they're trying to send me some sort of message (i.e., "more millet now, more millet now!" ) or what but they have bombed both our cars, our Adirondack chairs (front and back yard) and the rocks surrounding our flower bed. Good grief! I love having these chairs in our front yard, but I never actually sit in them because of this problem.

**Any bird protesters near you?
Am I fixated on drool lately or what?
Do you order salads a lot?**

Comment Window Tidbit: It's time to clean the garage AGAIN! How does this happen over and over and over again?

Creative Friday--Last Minute Changes Edition

I needed to move Creative Friday to Wednesday this week (it's crazy how often that has been happening lately) and got a call from Robyn asking for last-minute help tending Ashley while she got her hair done, since my mom was no longer able to do it.


Ashley and I are old pals, so it was no sweat to pick her up and have her with me for the day.

Eva immediately took Ashley to her room to play.

Michelle and I enjoyed our pork tostadas from Cafe Rio. We have found that it's the perfect amount of food and doesn't lead us to that overstuffed feeling which is so easy to fall into.


I got this upsetting envelope from the postal service this week. Inside it was the the top of a box I had mailed on March 4th that had somehow become separated from the bottom half of itself (it was a file box). I don't see how this is possible because I taped the crap out of that box, but they sent me a form to fill out.


Here I am trying to describe the contents of the box. It was about $200 worth of children's books that I was sending to a friend's kids. Good grief! I really hope they are able to find the box and send it or I'm going to be upset. I have never had a problem mailing anything before, so I didn't get any insurance on this. Aargh!

Here is this week's happy mess.

Michelle bought some gorgeous cards at Home Goods last week and then worked her magic and embellished them with her signature style.

I think they're painfully cute, but she had her doubts.

I absolutely love this mail bag Heather sent me a couple years ago, and use it to tote my supplies back and forth each week.


I had an Etsy order to fill and spent a bunch of my time cutting out good mail labels. I finished that order then wrote another 7 cards.


This is my senililty-avoidance list. This is how I keep track of what I send to who and when, then I come home and add to a Word document I've been using since 2006. If I didn't do this I'd be sending duplicate thank yous or none at all, yikes! As of today, I have sent 1,573 pieces of good mail.


I feared Eva would wig out when she returned from preschool to find Ashley playing with her Littlest Pet Shops, but she handled it pretty well. She made the funniest face of displeasure, but then regrouped and said, "That's okay, I'll organize them again later." Wow.


This was our first outdoor self-portrait this year (for Creative Friday that is). My red-dot fissure zits are healed finally, but my lashes are NOT looking 60% longer.


I finally took Ashley home around 5:00pm and was rewarded with some Girl Scout cookies.

Robyn's sassy new hair cut!

**Thoughts??**

Comment Window Tidbit: I'm finally feeling back to normal again after last weekend's Daylight Savings debacle.