the reason

Regarding yesterday's question about why my toes are just so durn funky, you all 'danced' around it *giggle* except for Amanda who hit the (toe) nail right on the head!

Yes, it started in ballet as a small child that I would walk on my toes. But I then continued to walk on my toes all the time, from age 4 to 9, without the aid of ballet! Yup, 4th grade and I had an awful habit of walking on my toes. As Amanda mentioned in the comments, I had an evil 1st grade teacher who was trying to cure me of this (as well as the habit of biting my fingernails) and so she made me wear a sign on my back at school that said: I must walk flat!! If you see me on my toes, give me a swat!

So randomly throughout the day, kids got to beat on my first grade self. Isn't that awful? Can you imagine a teacher doing such a thing nowadays? Ms. Manion I hope you are rotting somewhere hot!

Her tactics still didn't work because I did it for another three years, stunting the growth of my toes and building massive calf muscles that are the bane of my existence today.

Amanda, how did you know/remember that about me?? We must have really had some great share sessions as college roommates back in the day! I'm gonna send you a little gift in the mail for getting the answer correct!

more like 12 of 26th--all about feet

Yeah, this 12-of-12 took me long enough to post, doncha think?

It's just cuz I got so bored with it. However, it is what it is and I need to just post it and move on. Perhaps some day I'll look back on this with interest instead of looking at it now and feeling like I need to go scour something. Feet. Not my favorite things.

All in the sake of interest--here are my 12 from the 12th of this month. Don't judge my crazy-stunted toes. **10 points if you can remember why my toes look the way they do** (Mom, Ben, you can't participate)


Cameron's horrid holey shoes. This kid is soooo rough with his shoes; he drags his feet, he scuffs, he uses them instead of the brakes to stop on his bike...it's just a given fact that I have to buy him 2 sets of shoes every year. Thank heavens for cheap Payless shoes. (perhaps that is also the problem?)


When I decided to do my 12-of-12 about feet, this was the first pose that came to mind. Don't you just love clean kiddo feet and skin straight out of a bubble bath? Clean and soft and wrinkly. :)

Both Cameron and Sean got new shoes (Sean's had holes too!) so back to Payless we went. They loved getting to try out their new shoes by running around the store. I'm sure the store clerk did not love it.


The afore mentioned alien toes showing off my come-on-spring! toenail polish. I so envy ladies with pretty feet and toes. Mine just aren't. (anyone remember why?)


Probably my favorite picture of the bunch--Cameron on the trampoline, me laying down underneath in the grass. I love how my kids don't even question when I ask them to do strange things for pictures. It's just another day in the life of a scrapbooking family.


Sean sits like this when he watches TV. I would think this is tremendously uncomfortable.


Running out of nice feet ideas, I took a stroll to my closet to show you some of my favorite shoesies. Pretty sure I got all of those at yard sales. I hate paying full price for shoes.


Ethan's sock-clad feet while he's curled up on the recliner. I love socks. I live in them.


Another Ethan shot while he is seriously concentrating on his DS game. He's the one kiddo I'll still allow to wear velcro. Somehow as you grow older, velcro shoes just don't look cool any more. Why is that?


Cameron sitting on my computer chair while he plays an online game. Remember how the other day he got a nail in his foot? It's cuz the bottom of his shoes looked like this!! Isn't that so sad?


Cameron's closet. Gotta love those $1 flip flop sales from Old Navy.


And of course the self-portrait of me in work-out gear, doing a stretch. My foot's in the picture (though I had to really strain my brain to creatively come up with this pic) as well as my forehead and cowlicks.

How about next month, I actually post 12 of 12 near the 12th? Think it's possible? Try it for your blogs, it's kinda fun. I love looking back on previous posts. :)

how to peel a potato

I've shared this with many of you already, but I just had to slap it on the ol' bliggity blog as well.

Cuz I think it's just so cool.

And I'm easily amused.

And because this technique for peeling potatoes is so dang simple, I just can't believe that no one ever shared it with me before.

Thanks to Lorie for pointing it out. (Lorie, one day, you and I are gonna do lunch; I don't care if I have to drive all the way to Austin to do it.) *smile*

potato peel pies and tetanus shots

It's Monday night as I write this blog and I wax introspective as I lay in my bubble bath, reading a yummy book ("The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" -- I know many of you have read it, I'd love your thoughts) and relaxing when I should be studying for my Microbiology Lab quiz tomorrow. But what is modern academics when there's a whole WWII-era, delicious tale to be read? It makes me want to send telegrams and wear red lipstick and wake up to the sound of a goat outside my window.


I'm sure you've noticed the bad habit I've gotten into, yes? I quite forget to take my camera anywhere I go. We had that whole lovely Saturday filled with ideal photo ops and not one picture. Well, aside from the blurry ones caught on Danny's camera phone. I need to put the camera out where I can see it and remind myself that life is happening before my eyes. Tetanus-raving tootsies and all.

My day was busy, not only with the unexpected and, as it turned out, needless pediatrician's office visit, but full of all those things I like to do on Monday. Throw in some cub-scout errands (anyone want to buy a Krispy Kreme card?) and studying (yes, I did do it) and my day was quickly over by the time my kiddos came home from school. Mondays sure fly by.

I want you to know I still have not missed a day on my exercise, prayer, or scripture reading habits. 150 pages in after 15 days. :)

I have several stories I'd like to share with you all, but somehow can't find the words to make them interesting and/or thought-provoking. Some day, when I've gotten over how embarassing it sounds, I'll tell you the story about my lovely Valentine's/Anniversary gift and what a completely ungrateful wretch I was about it (well, not really, but I feel like I was ungrateful even though I really was ever so grateful). And some day I may finish up my 12 of 12 for the month of February (all about feet) which sounded like such a great idea on the 12th but since has lost all appeal to me. And some day I may just start taking pictures again which might make this blog a tad more readable.

Now, I must get back to 1946. Cheers.

48 hours in summary

The weekend:

The plan was to go see the Declaration of Independence being shown down at the Capitol building for one day only. We stood in line, bearing the brunt of Freedom of Speech in action (an anti-mayor movement going on down the street), and after enduring for 30-40 minutes, were told that the wait was still another 90-120. We might have stayed, but we were on a tight schedule so we had to move on.

From there to the Scottsdale Arabian Horse show where some of Cameron's artwork was featured (along with many other schools' kindergarten through fifth graders). It was fun to see his art displayed for all to see--a picture of a horse, of course. From there we went into the stands to watch a bit of horse judging. Not too much going on; these horses were just for show, but they were interesting to look at.

From there back to Phoenix where we got our taxes done. That came out better than expected, so we left happy.

We babysat my nephew this weekend, so for the most part, I didn't have to entertain the kids at all. The four of them got along really well and kept each other busy. :)

Sunday I played the organ for the first time. I am made of coolness am I not? *snort* It went fine, not perfect, but no worries. We had dinner with my brother-in-law's family, the nephew was picked up, Cameron got a rusty nail in his foot, and we went on our way.

Today, pediatrician's office for a tetanus shot (turns out he didn't need one) and the week begins with a bang.

How was your weekend?

a complaint letter

Dear Yoga,

You suck.

and

Are you kidding me?

and

You want my hands where? When my legs are where?

and

I'm supposed to be able to reach my toes from this position?

and

I can't feel my left butt cheek anymore.

and

If I was supposed to look like a crane, I would have been born with feathers. Or yellow paint.

and

Oooooohhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmm........

(Check out my delightful *snort* P90X journey here)

busy day ahead

I get to play the organ this week at church (oh goody) so after I drop off the boys at school, I'm going to go down to the church and practice a bit. I shouldn't be so nervous, but I am.

Then I'm gonna do a little bit of Visiting Teaching (which in our church means, we go 2x2 to visit each other, see how one another are doing, leave a little spiritual thought, and be of any help we can). I get to teach the lesson this month. (double goody)

From there to the school for a study session and then my first Microbiology test. (triple goody!) I think I'm prepared, but as this is the first test of the semester with this teacher, one never knows how much or what to prepare, if I'm studying the right things, how she tests, grades, etc.

From there I have got to try to finish Jane Eyre as I have another book due back at the library soon and I don't want to have to get back on the waiting list! Too many books, not enough time! Can't wait for this summer and 2.5 months of no school! For me, likely longer since my CNA class was canceled and who knows if there'll be another available in the fall or not...

Tonight, Relief Society meeting at the church--for all the ladies--talking about organizing our homes and lives. Always a good thing. I may or may not make an appearance at this. I might be just too dang tired by then and heck if it isn't going on right smack dab in the middle of "Survivor", after which I need to do my exercises for the day. Oy.

I'm so much busier now than when I was working!!

it's a mind, body, and spirit thing

I've already mentioned that last week we started the new exercise program, and I'm back on the diet wagon, but I wanted to mention something else I started anew again that same Monday.

The Relief Society sisters--women in our ward age 18 and up--had given themselves a collective challenge and goal to read the Book of Mormon all the way through starting January 1st and ending around General Conference time, April 6th or so. (The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and not a substitute for the Bible; we believe in and follow the teachings of both) Being that I'm semi-sequestered in the primary behind the piano, I hadn't heard about this plan until a couple of weeks into January. However, as week after week went by, I kept thinking I should jump in on the challenge and try to read the 530-some-odd pages before April anyway, because everyone was talking about the challenge.

At our Fast & Testimony meeting a couple of weeks ago (and for you non-LDS I realize I'm speaking a foreign language right now, my apologies, come to church with me and you'll find out what I'm talking about!) several sisters got up and spoke about the merits of regular reading and the growing testimonies because of it.

Now like my friend Heather said, it's not like this is a new concept...reading scriptures every day? We're supposed to do that anyway! But I'll be the first to say daily scripture reading had lost it's priority for me, for a time, and with that, daily prayer and all those good basics that, shame on me, I should have down. It's hard to feel the spirit if you're cutting yourself off from the most basic of communications with the Father. And how am I to develop a relationship with Him if I'm not talking to him every day? I mean, duh.

So I once again resolved to develop this good daily habit of reading my scriptures daily and praying, morning and night. I don't always remember--this morning for example, I said my morning prayer as I was driving to school, but I'm sure Heavenly Father heard me and appreciates my new effort. :)

Thus the goal for me is about 10 pages a day and I can finish it up by the first weekend in April, when I can watch and listen to General Conference and listen to the Lord's Prophet on Earth speak to us and teach us. Mostly and quite simply, I look forward to a renewed testimony of the Savior. Like my daily exercise, I haven't missed a day and I feel pretty good about that.

I'm thinking of it as a whole new me--mind, body, and now spirit.

mommy & the boys' day of fun isn't fun without pictures :(

So yesterday was a packed President's Day, from before 6am when it started til after 10p when it ended! I so wish I had pictures to accompany my post today, but alas, there is good news at the end of today's blog about that!

First, we did our annual family photo shoot with the amazing Christine. I always get so stressed out taking pictures--keep the kids clean, make the kids smile, pay attention, do what the photographer asks you to do, stay away from water, smile danggit, smile!! And today, I vowed I would just go with it, be cool, be easy, and enjoy the experience. And I did. :)

Christine took us to the Saguaro Ranch Park which has so many great photo sites! I think we really got some good ones. I look forward to seeing the final result!

Then we picked out some donuts and went to the city park for a good hour. It was pretty crowded, and strangely, cold and windy, so I just huddled next to my man while the kids played.

We went to the mall trying to make a return (didn't work out well), rented a movie, got some snacks for said movie, and headed back home. The kids then watched "Aliens in the Attic"--which was the cause of lots of giggling!!-- and I made dessert for last night's Family Home Evening.

We then relaxed a bit and hit Hungry Howie's for dinner, (I was good and only had 3 pieces, and no donut earlier) had a nice family home evening about having a Testimony in Jesus Christ, and ate our yummy dessert by the fire.

Then Dan and I did our p90X workout, starting week two, which I'm happy to report, went a bit easier and smoother than last week's day one--and it's the exact same workout.

Oh, and along the way, Cameron found Sean's camera that has been missing for 2 weeks--and the reason I have neglected to buy a new one...I just knew his was around somewhere! I am so excited!! :)

What a great day.

Be sure to check out our P90X blog for some new developments. :p

ethanism

"Here Yellerrrrrr, Come back Yellerrrrrr...... best dum-dum dog in the west!"

(we've been watching a lot of this movie recently)

our perfect dozen years

So it's the big Love Day 3-day weekend and everyone in the house has been in a flurry getting all ready for the kids' Valentines parties at school--well, everyone in the house without a Y Chromosome. We've been busy making Valentine's boxes, cards and candies and these sweet treats I made up and bagged for the three teachers (found on Lorie's site here, who snagged it from Schlosser Designs seen here.

I'd show you my own picture, but alas, have I mentioned that I am shy one digital camera right now? *sob*

As I've mentioned in years past, this is also our Anniversary weekend. Saturday marks the big Dozen years for my sweetheart and I. (Time sure flies when your house is filled with testosterone, yes?) We'll be celebrating today because he has the nerve to be working a 24-hour shift on our special day.


View my past bloggy soliloquies (there's a freshman high school word for ya) on anniversaries and the brilliant idea of getting married the day before Valentine's days, on past blog posts such as this one, where you get a rundown of our changed looks over the years.

Or this one where I remember a few simple things about our day 10 years prior.

Or this one where I detail how we met, started dating, got engaged, and married all within a 6 month period.

We've had some great anniversary/Valentine's dates including this one, in which I may or may not have been under the influence of Tylenol with Codeine. I had just started CrossFit that week (remember that?) and I was sooooo sore. Wait, that seems familiar...


Or this one a month later when we got away for an awesome trip to the Snowflake area, stayed in the world's most rad (yup, I said it) Bed & Breakfast, and went to the temple. There's a video included there that shows Danny knocking his skull pretty hard on some ice-packed snow. Good times.


Or these, 1, 2 (in which I almost make out with Captain Jack Sparrow), and 3 in which we celebrated our big ten years at Disneyland sans children. SO fun!


Or this one in which I got spoiled with a new ring. :)

So yeah, we share our lovey day with pretty much everyone else in the universe, but we still try to make it special for us. He's so good at this, always making me feel beautiful, loved, and appreciated. I'm so grateful for our nonperfect dozen years together! And here's to the next dozen!

I love you Danny!

see? moms spill too

Monday is my big clean-up day.

I've said it before, it's the start to a new week and I like to start out the week with a clean house. I deep-clean vacuum, do 2-3 loads of laundry, straighten and tidy the kids rooms really well, and sweep and mop all the tile. The best part about it is, I'm usually done with said chores by around 10am. I'm a morning person, and I like to get icky stuff done and out of the way so I can enjoy the rest of my day and week, when I'll just spot-clean as it's needed.

One of my big complaints regarding cleanliness (and I know all you parents totally know what I'm talking about here) is that when I clean it really doesn't take too long before everything's all mussed up again. This is really obvious to me when it comes to my kitchen floor.

Usually within hours after I've mopped, someone has splattered juice, or eaten their snack in mid-air (and not over the table or their plate for crying out loud), and otherwise dirtied up my pristine tile floor. It is So Discouraging, am I right? I find myself groaning out loud, "why do I even try?? I can't even keep it clean for 24 hours! I'm quitting and moving to Sweden!!"

I don't know why Sweden just popped into my head. *pondering* Do I want to move to Sweden?

Anyway.

I rant and rave and complain and point fingers and punish and grumble and count-to-ten and grit my teeth and pull out my broom and mop and clean clean clean, all the while wishing for a maid. Or a dog.

So I had to laugh this past Monday when I was enjoying my clean house...getting some dinner ready for the troops, and over the course of the evening, proceeded to spill FOUR times all by myself. Four times!? What the heck? I was rushing a little bit, but for the most part, it was just sloppiness and carelessness on my part.

It reminded me that nobody is perfect, we all mess up, we are afterall, human. (even me) I even pointed it out to the kids that Mommy spills too, and hopefully the next time my kids dribble sticky ice cream all over my grout, I'll recall that I had a messy day too, not so long ago.

Now excuse me while I go mop again.

we started the p90x program last night

...and today, even my eyelids are sore.

That is all.

confession: i am totally and completely full of scrap

I'm starting to really have to stretch for creative ways to use that word.  Just humor me ok?

Here are some of my latest scraptastic masterpieces.

I don't know what the deal is with me and orange lately.  I hate the putrid color, yet 3 out of my last 6 layouts have begged for orange.  *shrug* 

Last night during the miserable Super Bowl I did these next two.  Was it just me or were the commercials uber lame this year?  I think I laughed at maybe two of them?  There seemed to be a trend of nearly nekkid men or men in their underwear. . .that left me puzzling a bit.

Anyway, the first half of the game (when the Colts were winning) I produced this:

It's not really my 'type' of scrapbooking as it's rather messy and unaligned (I am such a linear girl-singing to Madonna's "Material Girl" in my head right now. . . "a linear, a linear, a linear girl. . ." and I really go for the less-is-more theory and adore white space.  Anyhoo, this page was about a creative mess so I wanted to showcase my own creative mess.  I like it.

Then, the second half of the game (when the Colts seriously lost all star quality and eventually, the game) I produced this horrid little number.

Not that it's so bad, it's just, it was supposed to be a simple lift (from Stacey Michaud, you rock) but from square one (literally) I had troubles.  That color of maroon was hard to match and I printed out the small pics of E. on my printer which was just finishing up its color cartridge, so the color's all wacko there. . . then I redid the title like 4 different ways, had a devil of a time with the bracket, and my cricut started freezing on me for some reason.  In the end, a page this simple should have been a no-brainer and instead, I feel like ripping it apart.

As well as my life-size poster of Peyton Manning.

I'm just kidding.

I don't own a life-size poster of Peyton Manning.

It's of Dan Majerle.

#9 you stole my heart 20 years ago (yoiks that's ugly in writing) and it will not be given freely to another.

Which layout is your favorite?  The birthday one looks really good in person because it has lots of fun bling on it.  And I look rather skinny.  :) 

things you can buy for $100

Just a few more days left to enter the V8 V-Fusion $100 gift card contest over on my review blog!

What can $100 buy you?

• about 200 candy bars
• 2 pairs of jeans at The Gap
• a doctor's office co-pay through my insurance company (grrr)
• a really great hair coloring at a nice salon
• dinner for 2 at The Melting Pot (I so want to go there some day...maybe for dessert?)
• a one-way airline ticket from Los Angeles to Phoenix (I have proof of this one)
  
• 2 balcony seats at the theatre
• 100 songs on itunes
• 2 1/2 fillups at the gas station
• about 8 minutes with a lawyer
• an hour-long massage
• a passport (I have the receipts)
• 2 seasons of extracurricular activities through your city's rec. department
  
• 20 pounds of gumballs
• 5 new release DVDs
• about 50 boxes of cereal, if it's on sale
• a really great run at the scrapbook store
• a new cell phone
• an accountant to do your taxes this spring
  
• a digital camera (hmm...this is what I would buy...)
• 2,900,000 grains of rice

Ok I'm done, you get the point. $100 could get you a lot of great things! Go enter!

uploaded lately on my ipod

"Somewhere Only We Know" -- Lifehouse

"Say Hey (I Love You)" -- Michael Franti and Spearhead

"Hey, Soul Sister" -- Train

"Wishing Well" -- Airborne Toxic Event (who's name means a lot more to me now that I'm taking this Microbiology class...now excuse me while I go bathe myself in bleach)

"Poker Face" -- Daughtry

"Swing Swing" -- All American Rejects

"Waking up in Vegas" -- Katie Perry

and about 28 (no exaggeration) songs from Glee. I *heart* the music in that show...could care less for the characters and the story line, but the singing is so fun! Here are several of my favorites:

"Don't Stop Believing"

"Defying Gravity"

"Somebody to Love"

"Sweet Caroline" (just love Puck's voice!)

"The Thong Song" (I can't help it, the picture of Mr. Shuester singing and dancing around to this song just makes me happy)

"Alone" (with Kristin Chenoweth)

"I'll Stand By You" (Finn's voice has totally grown on me)

Do you see why I have 28 of them downloaded? They're so good!

What are you listening to?

rest in peace, ol' blue

For my camera, Ol' Blue, that bit the dust *ahem, was broken by my child* last week.

Our relationship started over 2 years ago when I received him as a Christmas present from my dear hubby. It was love at first sight, well, as much love as $130 at Wal-Mart can buy ya. We went everywhere together, my Fuji and I...we shared holidays, special moments, he came along on date nights, and made record of my fondest moments throughout the past two years.

Things were not all peaches and cream. We had our rough times together. We had to go through a bit of counseling to get over the great Drop of '08. He was wounded. His scar never fully healed. I never completely forgave him for giving me a less than ideal portrait during the swimsuit season. And we decided it was best to never bring up the double chin incident from Christmas Eve 2009. Some things are better left unremembered.

However, nothing could get between us. He was the source of many self-portraits. Many twelve-of-twelves. Many campouts and scrapbook pictures and posed/staged/cheesy grins from my younguns.

It was a sad sad day when coming in out of the rain, my dear sweet Fuji gasped his last, jammed, and turned off, never to beep at me again.

Ol' Blue, I will miss you.