Shaun wasn't as lucky as he was on Father's Day. He didn't get breakfast in bed. I figured that one breakfast in bed in one week was good enough. He went to work as usual that day. I headed down to Warwick to meet up with my friend and her son Michael (Landon's friend that I mentioned in an earlier post). She was going to be down there to go to Trader Joe's (our favorite whole foods market!). Unfortunately, they don't have one closer to our neck of the woods so we have to make the half hour trek south to stock up once in a while. Anyway, she suggested that we meet up and go to a park near Trader Joe's. I beat her there and saw that the park was closed due to a fox invasion! So, I gave her a call and we decided to go to Chuck E. Cheese to at least let the kids go somewhere fun. We were there for a couple hours. Caden played a ton of the game where you shoot the basketball. He is obsessed with basketball for some reason. He is drawn to basketball hoops too. I don't know what it is, but its funny. Landon also got stuck in the tubes, well kinda! Hahaha! He got up to the top and couldn't come back down. He was scared of going into the tubes and going down the slide. I was a mean mom and told him that he couldn't go on any rides or play any games until he either went into one of the tunnels or went down the slide. Basically he spent most of his time up there crying. He's a little chicken sometimes. I thought it was funny though...I'm mean, I know. Then some little girl went and helped him down at some point. So, I told him that he couldn't do anything until he decided to at least try going in a tube or go down the slide. He refused, so he just sat in the booth. When I had only one coin left, I told him again what the deal was. He finally agreed to try again. This time around he was successful. Although he didn't go down the slide (which looked fun, by the way), he still played in the tunnels. I just don't want him to grow up being too afraid to try things and give up so easily. I don't want him to miss out on anything... It reminded me of the time that I took the boys to the indoor playground at McDonald's one afternoon. There was a big net thing with platforms the kids could climb on. At the top there was a slide that was much bigger than the little baby slide that he and Caden were playing on. He went up a couple times but wouldn't go down the slide. Finally, we were getting ready to leave. I asked him if he would like to try again. He said no. I then told him that it looked like so much fun and that I thought he would enjoy it. So, he decided to give it one more try. He got to the top and Caden and I looked on from below. After a little while he disappeared. I stood there wondering if he was just too far back for me to see him. Then I heard a loud, "WHOAA!" And then I saw two little feet come out the bottom of the slide. He jumped out looking triumphent and proclaimed, "I DID IT!" I laughed so hard. It was one of the cutest things and one of my favorite memories. I do have to add that Caden went down a slide for the first time at that McDonald's. That was really cute too. Caden is just the opposite of Landon. He is fearless. After a couple of tries going down the slide by himself, he was sliding down on his belly and backwards...crazy kid.
After our mini adventure at Chuck E. Cheese, we went to mom and dad's house so that the kids could eat lunch and I could drop off stuff for Shaun's birthday. I also set up his birthday present in the garage (where its been for a month or so). I got him a new lawn mower. Since it was such a big purchase, I knew that I couldn't get away with using the money in our joint account and have him not notice it. So, I had to use the money from my private account. I have been so excited about this gift since I decided to get it for him. The lawn mower that we had was old, and it didn't bag the grass. The new one I got him mulches, bags, its bigger, and it self cleans. Not to mention that its self propelled! I had to drag the box out from behind my mom's other car (the one that she never drives...I don't know why. If I had a luxury vehicle, I'd drive it ALL the time...even across the street to our mailbox to get the mail!) I read the directions and put that sucker together all by myself! I slapped a bow on it and positioned it amongst my dad's garage rubble...they are remodeling so half the garage is taken over by tools, molding, paint, etc. After that, we went home and made his birthday cake. I made a chocolate heath bar cake (from scratch...what? Did you just confuse me with Martha Stewart? I know, I'm awesome. Hehehe!). It was YUMMY! Although, the whipped cream decoration I put on top started to melt.
My mom picked us up after work. Shaun left straight from work to go to mom and dad's house. Dad wasn't there since he was in Mexico for the week on business. But he called to wish Shaun a happy bday. Shaun opened his presents. Mom and dad got him a Lowe's gift card and a novel in Spanish that Shaun has wanted for awhile. Then we got ready to leave. I made believe that all I got him was a card and the boys got him a few cans of Sour Cream and Onion Pringles. I told him that I wanted a water out of the garage. So, he went into the garage and got me a water. I followed him hoping to hear a reaction of some sort. Nothing. He just came back in with the water. Gosh...what a dork. He had totally missed it. I gave him a look with my camera in hand. He said, "Was there something that I was supposed to see?" Duh. He went back out and saw his present. He was thrilled.
After that, we went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We ordered way too much food. But it was so good. Plus leftovers for the next day is wonderful since that means that I don't need to cook! Then we went home and had cake. It was a fun day! Hopefully, Shaun felt the same! Hahaha!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The First Voice Lesson
I gave my first voice lesson on the 21st. I was really worried about it. I thought that maybe I wouldn't know what to teach, or that I was under qualified. It turned out ok though. I met my student and her mom. They were both really nice. My student had just come from taking finals, so I felt bad that we went over the actual mechanics of singing and did some reading. She sang one of the songs that she did in chorus. I was relieved to hear that she could actually hold a tune!! I gave her a song to practice at home and I taught her some new vocal exercises that she could also do at home. Her next lesson won't be until the 8th of July since she was going out of town that next weekend and then I would be going to Hell...I mean out of town the next weekend too. Luckily, the lesson went really well and she seemed very receptive. I just now have the task of looking for accompaniments to go with the songs. We'll need accompaniment cds so that we can record her singing the songs so that we can evaluate her. She'll also need accompaniment cds to take home with her to practice the songs. Ugh...I just don't want to buy any. They get pricey and the accompaniment cds usually only have a couple songs that I actually want to use. I'll have to just download some I guess...if I can find the songs that I want! Wish me luck! :)
Father's Day
Father's day was a crazy day! I was soo tired! It started off with me getting up at 5:30 in the flipping morning to make Shaun breakfast in bed. (That lucky bum!) I thought that giving myself about an hour to make and serve breakfast would be plenty of time. He has bishopric meetings every Sunday at 7:30, which means he has to leave our house by about 6:50/7am. I made him some french toast made with a french loaf and my special batter, homefries (my secret recipe), bacon, and some fresh sliced strawberries. The homefries are what takes the longest to make. The first time I made these it took me a few hours to peel, cut, season and cook them. Keep in mind that I was in Junior High. Consequently, my cooking skills or should I say my chopping skills were lacking. Plus I was using a really dull knife, which sucks when you're trying to cut potatoes. The homefries were done by about noon that first time I made them. So, now my dad makes fun of me all the time about it. Anytime I tell him that I'm making homefries for breakfast, he laughs and says "Oh great! We'll be having breakfast at about noon!" And then he'll mock me by pretending to slowly cut potatoes one cube at a time with an oblivious look on his face and his mock buck-toothed grin. I tried to keep the time in mind when I was making them this time around. Since I rushed on making the homefries, they didn't turn out quite as good as usual. But everything else turned out really good. Unfortunately for Shaun, I was still running late. He patiently waited in bed because he didn't want to get up to start getting ready and spoil my excitement of getting him his breakfast in bed. So, by the time he got his food, he had to inhale it quickly and hurry to get ready. Luckily, his ride was a little late so it wasn't too bad. He did end up having to go out barefoot since he didn't have time to get his shoes and socks on in the house.
I decided to stay up instead of go back to sleep. I ate some breakfast, got my primary stuff together, got our stuff together to go to my parents' house right after church, got the cards and gifts ready, and got myself ready to go. I only had Landon that day, since I wanted him to go to Primary in our ward. So, my parents took Caden instead on the previous night. I would have gotten him up to help with breakfast, but it was way to early for him. Landon is the easiest to get ready since he can pretty much get himself ready. So, we ended up being a few minutes early for church! That doesn't happen to often. We're lucky if we can make it to Sacrament by the opening prayer!
The primary kids sang in Sacrament. They sang "My Dad" and did really well. I'm always so proud of them after they sing for everyone. They never let me down. Even though they are small in numbers, they always manage to sing their best...but only for when they are singing for everyone which is just fine with me. A couple of the nursery kids who had been practicing the song with us came up too. (Well, technically one of them should be in Sunbeams, but he is the only one so they let him stay in Nursery until Michael (Landon's best friend) and Landon move into Sunbeams with him.) Jo-Jo went up with his older siblings and Michael ran up there by himself. But when he got up there, he disappeared. We looked for him for a little bit and someone on the stand pointed out that he was hiding under the Sacrament table! It was too funny. I don't think that his parents had realized where he went. Shaun (who was sitting in the row in front of them) didn't know where he went either until I told him. That kid is funny.
For the remainder of Sacrament, I was having a rough time trying to stay awake. The last speaker was a little monotone so that made it worse. Somehow I survived church...although I don't remember too much of it...it's all a blur!
After church, we went straight to mom and dad's house. Shaun made some sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches for everyone for lunch. Landon ate 1 and a half sandwiches!! He ate half of mine, a few bites of one of Shaun's two sandwiches, and stole half of one of my dad's two. I was surprised that he ate it and liked it.
After lunch, I gave dad and Shaun their Father's Day cards and gifts. I got them each three pairs of dress socks. (Bostonian had a sale on their socks. They are normally 3 for $18, but I got them at 6 for $20! They're great socks too. They're made from bamboo, but are really soft and are antibacterial. So, they don't stink AND they have a lifetime warranty. If they get holes in them, you can take them back and they'll replace them for FREE!!) We also got dad a gift card to Borders. I had picked one up for Shaun's dad too and sent it out the day before...a little late, but at least I sent it out!
For dinner, Shaun and dad grilled up the steaks and the corn. We also had some lobster. Mom and dad only bought two lobsters but they were at least 4lbs each. They were HUGE! The four of us were only able to finish one. But it was sooo good....All in all, I think that it was a fabulous Father's Day.
I decided to stay up instead of go back to sleep. I ate some breakfast, got my primary stuff together, got our stuff together to go to my parents' house right after church, got the cards and gifts ready, and got myself ready to go. I only had Landon that day, since I wanted him to go to Primary in our ward. So, my parents took Caden instead on the previous night. I would have gotten him up to help with breakfast, but it was way to early for him. Landon is the easiest to get ready since he can pretty much get himself ready. So, we ended up being a few minutes early for church! That doesn't happen to often. We're lucky if we can make it to Sacrament by the opening prayer!
The primary kids sang in Sacrament. They sang "My Dad" and did really well. I'm always so proud of them after they sing for everyone. They never let me down. Even though they are small in numbers, they always manage to sing their best...but only for when they are singing for everyone which is just fine with me. A couple of the nursery kids who had been practicing the song with us came up too. (Well, technically one of them should be in Sunbeams, but he is the only one so they let him stay in Nursery until Michael (Landon's best friend) and Landon move into Sunbeams with him.) Jo-Jo went up with his older siblings and Michael ran up there by himself. But when he got up there, he disappeared. We looked for him for a little bit and someone on the stand pointed out that he was hiding under the Sacrament table! It was too funny. I don't think that his parents had realized where he went. Shaun (who was sitting in the row in front of them) didn't know where he went either until I told him. That kid is funny.
For the remainder of Sacrament, I was having a rough time trying to stay awake. The last speaker was a little monotone so that made it worse. Somehow I survived church...although I don't remember too much of it...it's all a blur!
After church, we went straight to mom and dad's house. Shaun made some sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches for everyone for lunch. Landon ate 1 and a half sandwiches!! He ate half of mine, a few bites of one of Shaun's two sandwiches, and stole half of one of my dad's two. I was surprised that he ate it and liked it.
After lunch, I gave dad and Shaun their Father's Day cards and gifts. I got them each three pairs of dress socks. (Bostonian had a sale on their socks. They are normally 3 for $18, but I got them at 6 for $20! They're great socks too. They're made from bamboo, but are really soft and are antibacterial. So, they don't stink AND they have a lifetime warranty. If they get holes in them, you can take them back and they'll replace them for FREE!!) We also got dad a gift card to Borders. I had picked one up for Shaun's dad too and sent it out the day before...a little late, but at least I sent it out!
For dinner, Shaun and dad grilled up the steaks and the corn. We also had some lobster. Mom and dad only bought two lobsters but they were at least 4lbs each. They were HUGE! The four of us were only able to finish one. But it was sooo good....All in all, I think that it was a fabulous Father's Day.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Oh Happy Day!
So, Tuesday came...and I was nervous all day. I was hoping to hear from my agent but I wasn't going to get my hopes up. Like I said in my last blog, I was 80% sure that I had blown my chances since I was late for the audition. But I was still a little hopeful. Then at 2:13 pm, my phone rang. It was my agent. My heart skipped a beat and I had to tell myself that she might not be calling me about the Safety 1st audition. It could be another audition she wants to send me to or send the boys to. I very calmly answered the phone. Oh gosh, I can't contain it anymore...I GOT THE JOB!! I jumped around a bit, did a little dance, did some weird little kick thing in the air, screamed a little bit, and called my mom, my dad, told Shaun on instant messanger, and told my buddy the mailman. The shoot is scheduled for the 24th. That's all I know right now. Nikki will get back to me when she has the details, like the time, what to bring with me, and the rate. All I have to say is that its about freaking time I landed myself a shoot. GOSH!
Off to Salem
Monday was a little hectic. I had a casting call up in Salem, MA. It was for Safety 1st. My appointment was for 9am. Its usually a 1 1/2 hour drive from Cumberland to Salem (although with the way I drive, I can usually do it in an hour flat...plus the fact that speed limits are mere guidelines here and you'd have to be an out of towner to be going the speed limit). I got up that morning and gave myself two full hours to get there. I decided that the best route to get to Salem was to go around Boston instead of going through. The morning traffic going into Boston is horrendous...actually no matter what time it is, its bad). So, I left at 7. I got off at the 95/93 split...I took the 95 to go around Boston. I looked down at my GPS and it said that I had 30 miles on 95. When I finally got onto the 95, we never went faster than 40 mph for almost ten miles. I was sooo annoyed. I was going to blow a gasket if I had to endure another 20 miles of that. Luckily, once we got past the exit for the 90 (that goes into Boston too) the traffic sped up. Needless to say, I was about 5-10 minutes late for my appointment even after blowing the doors off of cars I was passing at record speeds! Of course when I get to the building, I didn't remember the name of the photographer so I didn't know what Suite number to go to. That made me even more late. I thought for sure there would be a receptionist or some signs leading me to the casting call. Consequently, I had to call my agent, who didn't know the Suite number. So, she gave me the photographer's phone number. When I got up there, I was surprised to see that I was the only one there for the casting call (hence the reason for no signs). I thought for sure there would be others auditioning. Then after talking to the photographer about what I would be doing, I found out that Safety 1st had chosen only two girls to audition for the shoot. Great...I was pretty sure that after being late I had blown my 50 percent chance of getting the job. Of course, I had to throw on the charm to make up for it. The reason for the audition was to make sure that the model could actually pull off the part of looking like a nurturing mother. I had told the photographer that I had two kids and he said that I should have no problems then. By the end of the audition, the photographer and I were best buds. Hahaha! He even gave me his card so that I could email him pictures of the kids so that he can recommend them to his clients. I gave him one of my comp cards so that he could do the same for me. After my audition, I went back to my parents' photography studio to pick up the boys. While I was there, one of my friends called and wanted to hang out. So, I met up with her at the Providence Place Mall and we did some shopping and ate at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. It was fun! Its been so long since I'd been shopping. Once I start, I can't stop. I LOVE to shop. But, I have been good and I restrained myself from getting everything that I wanted. I stayed away from the shoes. (I know, I'm proud of me too!!) I got a candle that was on sale (75% off!!) at Bath and Body Works. I got a workout outfit that was on sale from NY and Co (16 for the top AND bottom). I got a really cute shirt from the same store (7 dollars). I got some cropped leggings, a tunic to go with my leggings, and a cute cardigan thing to also go with leggings, all from Forever 21. I think I did good! I was able to get a bunch of clothes without spending too much. I do hate paying full price for anything. And YIPPEE for new clothes!
Steak and Lobster...a match made in Heaven
On Sunday, we had church as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. We had made plans with my parents to go up to Norwell, MA to visit some family friends, the Nelsons. Annie is from Taiwan and Carl is from Massachusetts. They were in our ward in Warwick about 16 years ago or so. Anyway, that's where we met them. They have been living in MA for most of the time we have known them. They bought their new house a couple years ago in Norwell and its gorgeous. Annie started her own company a while back. Its a school that teaches English to Asian students. I believe that they have since branched out and started teaching English to other nationalities. They have made a fortune off this company. They are basically self-made millionaires...but they are so humble you would never know it unless you went to their house and heard of all the exotic places they have vacationed at. They now have two kids (the oldest is almost 16-Ian- and the youngest-Kayla-is 13 or 14). They are the sweetest kids ever. They are so good with Landon and Caden. I know at that age, I was not interested in hanging out with little kids. I didn't even like little kids until I had my own. Anyway, they are super smart kids, with really great personalities.
The reason for our visit was because Carl's son from a previous marriage was bringing his girlfriend over to meet the family. Since Annie is not super close to Chris, they wanted to invite us since we have met him on multiple occasions and dad took him to a Def Leppard (I think) concert since Carl wasn't available to take him. (I know...my dad at a rock concert...hilarious). Anyway, Chris' girlfriend was so sweet. She's from France and was in Massachusetts as an Au Pair for a former Boston Bruins player. She was also going to school out here (that's where she and Chris met). I believe she is heading back to France to finish up school now. But before that, she is heading to Hawaii for a little vacation. For dessert she made some fantastic crepes! She was supposed to email me the recipe, but she might have forgotten...I'll have to ask Annie. For dinner we had some yummy steak and lobster...I LOVE lobster. The missionaries were there too. After dinner and dessert, we had a spiritual message that was shared by the missionaries. Julie is not a member and Chris is inactive. However, she seems very interested in the Gospel since she doesn't agree with some of the Catholic beliefs. I'm glad to see that she showed interest. It might make Chris more inclined to getting back to the church. Not to mention the fact that she is fantastic and would make a wonderful member. It was another fun night hanging out with friends and eating fabulous food.
The reason for our visit was because Carl's son from a previous marriage was bringing his girlfriend over to meet the family. Since Annie is not super close to Chris, they wanted to invite us since we have met him on multiple occasions and dad took him to a Def Leppard (I think) concert since Carl wasn't available to take him. (I know...my dad at a rock concert...hilarious). Anyway, Chris' girlfriend was so sweet. She's from France and was in Massachusetts as an Au Pair for a former Boston Bruins player. She was also going to school out here (that's where she and Chris met). I believe she is heading back to France to finish up school now. But before that, she is heading to Hawaii for a little vacation. For dessert she made some fantastic crepes! She was supposed to email me the recipe, but she might have forgotten...I'll have to ask Annie. For dinner we had some yummy steak and lobster...I LOVE lobster. The missionaries were there too. After dinner and dessert, we had a spiritual message that was shared by the missionaries. Julie is not a member and Chris is inactive. However, she seems very interested in the Gospel since she doesn't agree with some of the Catholic beliefs. I'm glad to see that she showed interest. It might make Chris more inclined to getting back to the church. Not to mention the fact that she is fantastic and would make a wonderful member. It was another fun night hanging out with friends and eating fabulous food.
Saturday is a special day,...
On Saturday, we were supposed to go to the Gaspee Day Parade. But, we woke up late, and it was a little cloudy out. The parade route is right by my parents' house. I have gone every year that I have lived in RI (just like the Gaspee Day Fair I mentioned in an earlier blog). I guess I should explain what Gaspee is. Well, this is the way the story goes. The British put a restriction on foreign shipping between them and their colonies in 1651. Anyway, the Gaspee was a British ship that was patrolling the Narragansett Bay. One day, it tried to stop a boat called the Hannah to search it. Well, the captain of the Hannah didn't want to stop. He also knew the waters much better than the British. So, he led the British in a chase. The Hannah was a smaller boat that had a flatter bottom that could handle shallow waters. He led the Gaspee over a sand bank and it got stuck and the Hannah got away. Later that night, a group of rebels snuck onto the Gaspee, looted it, and torched it. That's right British...take that. Anyway, that, my friends, is what actually started the American Revolution. Not the Boston Tea Party, it was the burning of the Gaspee. So what? They threw some tea bags into the ocean...woopty doo. We burned a freaking ship down. 
Anyway, during the entire weekend, there are festivities going on celebrating that event. Friday night, (night before the parade) there are fireworks over the bay. Saturday is the parade and on Sunday, there is a reenactment of the burning of the Gaspee at Pawtuxet Village. There is a Gaspee Day committee where they not only organize the events, but they have people dress up, set up tents in the park, shoot cannons and stuff, and burn a little boat down in the middle of the bay.
I am sad to say, that I did not get to participate in any of these festivities this year (besides the fair). I'm not being a very good Rhode Islander, I know. Well, enough History lessons for one blog!
On Saturday night we went up to Beacon Hill in downtown Boston to surprise one of my best friends from high school. Fran is currently living in New Orleans until August. She is an assistant producer on movies. She usually works out of NYC but this movie moved production down to New Orleans where they are filming. She has been there since September or so (I can't remember now). She's working on the movie Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds...hubba hubba! Anyway, she flew into Boston Saturday afternoon so that she could participate in a charity walk on Sunday morning in memory of her younger sister who passed a year ago. Then, Sunday night she headed back to New Orleans. Fran's friend from Fordham University, who was also participating in the walk, set up the surprise get-together for her. We met at her apartment on Beacon Hill along with one of mine and Fran's other friend from high school. She got to the apartment and we surprised her! She was really really surprised! Then we went to dinner at Avila Restaurant. Fran's sister and her sister's fiance surprised her at the restaurant. It was a fun night hanging out together! We also had the argument about the Burning of the Gaspee being the actual start of the War, not the Boston Tea Party. Melina (Fran's sister), her fiance is from Massachusetts and people from Mass like to dispute that fact. So, we had Shaun, Tim (one of Fran's other friends attending the walk) and Chad (Melina's fiance) arguing with me, Fran, Melina, and Katie (our friend from high school) about that. The other two girls are from Long Island, so they didn't care either way. It was a very funny argument. Overall, it was a good night. We didn't get back to our car until 11:30...and we still had a 45 minute drive home. As a side note, I just have to say, the town homes on Beacon Hill are AMAZING. Shaun and I peeked into the windows of a few...ok, not Shaun, just me. I told Shaun that we are sooo moving to the city and buying one. Ah...one day.
Anyway, during the entire weekend, there are festivities going on celebrating that event. Friday night, (night before the parade) there are fireworks over the bay. Saturday is the parade and on Sunday, there is a reenactment of the burning of the Gaspee at Pawtuxet Village. There is a Gaspee Day committee where they not only organize the events, but they have people dress up, set up tents in the park, shoot cannons and stuff, and burn a little boat down in the middle of the bay.
I am sad to say, that I did not get to participate in any of these festivities this year (besides the fair). I'm not being a very good Rhode Islander, I know. Well, enough History lessons for one blog!On Saturday night we went up to Beacon Hill in downtown Boston to surprise one of my best friends from high school. Fran is currently living in New Orleans until August. She is an assistant producer on movies. She usually works out of NYC but this movie moved production down to New Orleans where they are filming. She has been there since September or so (I can't remember now). She's working on the movie Green Lantern with Ryan Reynolds...hubba hubba! Anyway, she flew into Boston Saturday afternoon so that she could participate in a charity walk on Sunday morning in memory of her younger sister who passed a year ago. Then, Sunday night she headed back to New Orleans. Fran's friend from Fordham University, who was also participating in the walk, set up the surprise get-together for her. We met at her apartment on Beacon Hill along with one of mine and Fran's other friend from high school. She got to the apartment and we surprised her! She was really really surprised! Then we went to dinner at Avila Restaurant. Fran's sister and her sister's fiance surprised her at the restaurant. It was a fun night hanging out together! We also had the argument about the Burning of the Gaspee being the actual start of the War, not the Boston Tea Party. Melina (Fran's sister), her fiance is from Massachusetts and people from Mass like to dispute that fact. So, we had Shaun, Tim (one of Fran's other friends attending the walk) and Chad (Melina's fiance) arguing with me, Fran, Melina, and Katie (our friend from high school) about that. The other two girls are from Long Island, so they didn't care either way. It was a very funny argument. Overall, it was a good night. We didn't get back to our car until 11:30...and we still had a 45 minute drive home. As a side note, I just have to say, the town homes on Beacon Hill are AMAZING. Shaun and I peeked into the windows of a few...ok, not Shaun, just me. I told Shaun that we are sooo moving to the city and buying one. Ah...one day.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Milk and cheerios do NOT go together...
I just have to say, yesterday morning was a "hoot." I got the boys up, and fed them breakfast. They usually have cheerios and some milk. I guess I should clarify. They have cheerios and a side of milk. We haven't gotten into putting the two together...its just too messy for them to feed themselves. Anyway, I was in the other room letting them eat. Both the boys were at the table. All of a sudden, I heard a blood curdling scream from Caden. I ran out there to see what was going on. Caden was in full blown tears. His face was red and he couldn't breathe from crying so hard. I hastily tried to figure out what had happened. Then, I looked into his cereal bowl. There were his cheerios, floating in a sea of milk. Oh boy...Landon then turned to me and said, "I didn't want my milk anymore." He had poured his cup of milk into Caden's bowl of cereal, which for obvious reasons infuriated Caden to the point of tears. I silently laughed in my head and put on a stern face. I sent Landon into his room without being able to finish the rest of his cheerios and gave Caden Landon's bowl of cereal. Then I went into my room and laughed into my pillow so they wouldn't hear me. Landon has recently acquired a bad habit of putting food (or drinks apparantly) that he doesn't want into other people's bowls or onto their plates. He has also just dumped his water out onto the ground (outside, luckily) if he decides after one sip that he doesn't want it anymore. We're going to have to try and "nip this in the bud" before it gets any worse!!
Last night, I got an email from a mother requesting voice lessons for her daughter. My first student!! I am so excited. However, after the excitement wore off (very quickly), I started to panic. I started questioning my knowledge and if I would really be able to do this. So, I quickly went to work figuring out what I wanted to start off with and made a list of the materials I would need. I called the mother today to talk to her about sending her daughter in for an "evaluation" so that I would know where she was at with her skill level. The appointment is set for two Mondays from now. That will give me enough time to get my music stand, books, and other materials. Consequently, I have spent the majority of the day online shopping for the music stand, accompaniment soundtracks, and music books. Also, I need to find someone to come and tune my parents' piano. It needs it badly. My piano is stuffed in our basement. Besides, it doesn't make sense making students from Warwick travel half an hour to get to my house in Cumberland.
Well, there isn't much more interesting going on today in RI...its been a cloudy day with alot of internet surfing.
Last night, I got an email from a mother requesting voice lessons for her daughter. My first student!! I am so excited. However, after the excitement wore off (very quickly), I started to panic. I started questioning my knowledge and if I would really be able to do this. So, I quickly went to work figuring out what I wanted to start off with and made a list of the materials I would need. I called the mother today to talk to her about sending her daughter in for an "evaluation" so that I would know where she was at with her skill level. The appointment is set for two Mondays from now. That will give me enough time to get my music stand, books, and other materials. Consequently, I have spent the majority of the day online shopping for the music stand, accompaniment soundtracks, and music books. Also, I need to find someone to come and tune my parents' piano. It needs it badly. My piano is stuffed in our basement. Besides, it doesn't make sense making students from Warwick travel half an hour to get to my house in Cumberland.
Well, there isn't much more interesting going on today in RI...its been a cloudy day with alot of internet surfing.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Round Two...Literally
Today, we went to the Warwick Ward (my home ward). We received a bit of information that some things were changing in the leadership. We informed the bishopric of Shaun's absence last night at the party and I informed my primary presidency that I too would be gone. Of course, there were members of our ward that know my dad from working with him in the Stake and are currently High Council members. They all nodded knowingly of why we wouldn't be there.
Last Monday, mom had brought something up. She asked dad if he was going to tell us. Dad of course said, "Huh? I don't know what you're talking about." So after about half an hour of us prodding and begging for him to tell us, he just told us something to shut us up. He told us that my grandpa had a blood clot in his leg from the trip to China and that he would be ok. He just needed to rest and take some medication for it. Well, obviously, I'm not an idiot. That's not what mom was talking about. But we left it at that and we let it go for the rest of the week. Finally, on Friday night, mom brought it up again. Once again, dad laughed and blew it off by saying he had no idea what she was talking about. So, I stomped my foot and yelled, "DAD! You have to tell us now. Obviously somethings going on. Mom isn't making it up." Shaun guessed, "You're the new Bishop of the ward!" Dad laughed and mom said, "Yup!" At first, I thought it was a sick joke they were playing on us. Dad had already served as the Bishop for the same ward almost 15 years ago. Since then, he served in the Stake presidency and was released about 18 months ago. So, this would be "Round Two" for him. Even though its the same calling in the same ward, he has grown and changed over the past 10 years since he's been released as Bishop the first time around. It will be different for him and our family. For one, us girls don't live at home anymore. He won't have the same responsibilites to his family that he once had as Bishop before. For two, the ward has changed too. People have moved out and new people have moved in. Only about half the ward are the original members since my dad last served as Bishop. When dad finally got released from the Stake presidency over a year ago, I thought, "Well, now he'll have more time on his hands and he can be a little more relaxed." Although he had less meetings to go to and less traveling to do, he was not as relaxed as I thought he would be. I guess with a calling like that, you don't just cut ties with the people in the stake. He still called individuals in the stake to check on them and see how they were doing. He still served them when they needed help. He still thought about them. I would still find him by the fireplace in the dark living room at night deep in thought. His brow would be creased with worry for members in the stake; the people that he still deeply cared for and grew to love very much. That is why I admire my dad. I think he's one of a kind. That was more evident to me today. Members that were new to the ward when dad was first called to be Bishop relayed stories to me of how he touched their lives and caused their faith to strengthen allowing them to still be active after 10+ years. I too have learned alot from my dad through his example. His love for serving those around him shows. He really cares about the people around him and he always knows the right thing to say when we need to hear it the most. And the most important thing, he makes sure that we feel the love of our Heavenly Father and our Savior.
Right now in primary, we are preparing to sing for Father's Day in Sacrament. The song I chose was "My Dad." That song sums up how I feel about my dad. "It's plain to see, I want to be, like him in every way." If only I were so lucky to be just like him. All I can do is to keep trying.
Last Monday, mom had brought something up. She asked dad if he was going to tell us. Dad of course said, "Huh? I don't know what you're talking about." So after about half an hour of us prodding and begging for him to tell us, he just told us something to shut us up. He told us that my grandpa had a blood clot in his leg from the trip to China and that he would be ok. He just needed to rest and take some medication for it. Well, obviously, I'm not an idiot. That's not what mom was talking about. But we left it at that and we let it go for the rest of the week. Finally, on Friday night, mom brought it up again. Once again, dad laughed and blew it off by saying he had no idea what she was talking about. So, I stomped my foot and yelled, "DAD! You have to tell us now. Obviously somethings going on. Mom isn't making it up." Shaun guessed, "You're the new Bishop of the ward!" Dad laughed and mom said, "Yup!" At first, I thought it was a sick joke they were playing on us. Dad had already served as the Bishop for the same ward almost 15 years ago. Since then, he served in the Stake presidency and was released about 18 months ago. So, this would be "Round Two" for him. Even though its the same calling in the same ward, he has grown and changed over the past 10 years since he's been released as Bishop the first time around. It will be different for him and our family. For one, us girls don't live at home anymore. He won't have the same responsibilites to his family that he once had as Bishop before. For two, the ward has changed too. People have moved out and new people have moved in. Only about half the ward are the original members since my dad last served as Bishop. When dad finally got released from the Stake presidency over a year ago, I thought, "Well, now he'll have more time on his hands and he can be a little more relaxed." Although he had less meetings to go to and less traveling to do, he was not as relaxed as I thought he would be. I guess with a calling like that, you don't just cut ties with the people in the stake. He still called individuals in the stake to check on them and see how they were doing. He still served them when they needed help. He still thought about them. I would still find him by the fireplace in the dark living room at night deep in thought. His brow would be creased with worry for members in the stake; the people that he still deeply cared for and grew to love very much. That is why I admire my dad. I think he's one of a kind. That was more evident to me today. Members that were new to the ward when dad was first called to be Bishop relayed stories to me of how he touched their lives and caused their faith to strengthen allowing them to still be active after 10+ years. I too have learned alot from my dad through his example. His love for serving those around him shows. He really cares about the people around him and he always knows the right thing to say when we need to hear it the most. And the most important thing, he makes sure that we feel the love of our Heavenly Father and our Savior.
Right now in primary, we are preparing to sing for Father's Day in Sacrament. The song I chose was "My Dad." That song sums up how I feel about my dad. "It's plain to see, I want to be, like him in every way." If only I were so lucky to be just like him. All I can do is to keep trying.
Playing Catch-up
So much has happened these past three days. I guess I should go through each day. I'll do a seperate blog for Sunday (today).
Friday "The Big Day":
We left for Warwick (my hometown and the town with the testing center where Shaun was supposed to take his GMAT) in the afternoon and got there at about 1. Shaun's test was actually scheduled for 1:45. I dropped him off and apparantly, since he was early, he was allowed to go in early to start it. While the boys and I were waiting, we went to my old high school to visit with my former chorus teacher. She was definitely one of my favorites and the one that I had spent the most time with, considering that I had her as my teacher for all four years, I had after school rehearsals with her at least twice a week, and not to mention going to all the chorus competitions and performances. I was only able to catch up with her for a little bit since she had to leave a little early that day. But she was so sweet and gave the boys each little stuffed animal hedgehogs. I was also able to talk to her about my teaching voice lessons to some of her students. This was something that I had been thinking about for some time. Shaun and I even discussed it as being an option for me right now. I just figured that after all those years and the money spent by my parents to get me voice lessons from the best in RI, why not? I've become alot more comfortable with the idea of teaching after my two years as primary chorister. It is interesting how our callings in church can always help us with our lives outside of the church. That's one of the things that I love about the church. Before that, I would never think of teaching voice lessons. I was just never patient enough or even any good at explaining how to do things. Anyway, Mrs. Phillips (my chorus teacher) said that it would be a great idea and that she has alot of students that she would like to take voice lessons. I just have to make a flier and email it to her so she can pass it on to her students. So, now I have the task of making a flier. I am not good at doing things like that. We'll see how it turns out.
After that, we went to my parents house, grabbed some food and went back out. I took the boys to some of my favorite spots to hang out. We went down to the Village (Pawtuxet Village, where the Pawtuxet River empties out into the bay) and walked around. First we went to one of my favorite second-hand bookstores. Then we went to my favorite ice cream shop a couple doors down and got two scoops of Butter Crunch ice cream and a large Dell's Lemonade. Yummy! After finishing those off, we walked to my favorite park. There is a swing set there and a slide. Its one of the most picturesque places. There is a beautiful gazebo in the middle of the park (this is the same gazebo that I had one of my high school friends draw for me before I left for Utah for school). This little park overlooks the bay. We played on the slide and swings for a bit. Landon was afraid of the swing which was very funny. He wanted to go on the swing, so I put him on there and started pushing. He screamed for a good five minutes. All I could do was laugh at him. (I know...Mom of the Year, huh?) I just kept telling him in between his screams that he wasn't going to get hurt and he was ok. Finally, he got used to it and was fine. At first he gave an hysterical laugh and said, "Its fun," more to convince himself than to tell me that he was, in fact, having fun. After about an hour on the playground, we walked over to the boathouse to go look at the ducks. We looked at the ducks for a bit and saw two cute little goslings swimming around. I was tempted to catch one and take one home at the risk of having my eyes pecked out by the mother and father geese! We went out onto the dock to hang out. Landon was content just sitting and enjoying the unsteady sway of the dock. Caden, on the other hand, just wanted to run around and look at the boats and the ducks. Finally, by 4:50, I figured that we should start heading home to wait for mom and dad to come home and take the kids so that I could go pick up Shaun. Of course, I got a call from Shaun at 5:20 telling me that he was done early since he got in early to take the test. I could tell by his voice that the news was good. He got a 690 which is in the 88th percentile! He was hoping to score above a 650. For only studying for this test for two months, it was a really good score. I am so proud of him! He is applying to MIT (his first choice), Carnegie Melon (his second choice), University of Texas, University of Washington, and BYU. Afterwards, we went out with mom and dad to celebrate at Shaun's favorite restaurant, Chipotle. Then mom and dad took the kids, while he and I went to Borders to look at the music books, and then went home to figure out what we wanted to do since we were childless for the night. We decided to go bowling. We bowled four games. I actually bowled a 150 on the last game (which is really good for me...most of my girls from freshman year should remember...hahaha). It was fun since we hadn't gone bowling in a really long time!
Saturday "You can't always predict thunderstorms":
We had been planning on going to the beach since Monday. We realized that neither of us checked the weather report. We checked Friday night and it said that there would be scattered thunderstorms throughout the day. Boo. So, Shaun got up early that morning and went to play basketball with some friends. He finally got back at 10:45 and the sun was peeking out. So, we checked the weather report again, and it said it would be clear until the evening when there would be thunderstorms. Stupid weatherman. So, we got packed up and headed for the beach. We stopped at our favorite seafood place and got some calamari (RI style...the best), clam cakes, clam chowder, and Shaun got himself a steak and cheese sandwich too...pig. Then we laid out on the beach for a few hours and relaxed. It wasn't as warm as I wanted it to be. It lingered near the low 80's, high 70's, but it was better than nothing. Finally, we headed back to Warwick to pick up the kids from mom and dad's house. Of course, we got there and mom and the kids were no where to be found. Mom didn't have her cell phone, as usual. So, after the ok from dad, we left and went to a party for our former Bishop and his family. While we were there, we talked to a new couple that moved into our ward. He is a physical therapist that was placed out here for the summer. He and his wife have a daughter who is a little younger than Landon. She's really cute. I made the mistake of "teaching" her how to "jump." When I say that I mean, I basically lift her off the ground. After about a billion times doing that, I was breaking a sweat and getting really sore. But how do you say "no" to a little kid? After that, I had to go home and take a cool shower. With the mix of the muggy air, and the "workout" I got, I needed one. On top of that, I got a little sunburned from the beach. That's what happens when I let myself get so dangerously white that I burn after four hours in the sun with no sunscreen. It never would have happened before kids. I now vow to never let myself get this white ever again.
Once again though, the weatherman was wrong. No thunderstorms that night. Sounds like the weatherman for weather.com needs to go back to weatherman school. I suppose maybe it's more difficult to predict thunderstorms. It's like life. You can't always predict the bad times. But it's always good to be prepared, just in case. And when those "thunderstorms" dissolve, just be happy and go to the beach!
Friday "The Big Day":
We left for Warwick (my hometown and the town with the testing center where Shaun was supposed to take his GMAT) in the afternoon and got there at about 1. Shaun's test was actually scheduled for 1:45. I dropped him off and apparantly, since he was early, he was allowed to go in early to start it. While the boys and I were waiting, we went to my old high school to visit with my former chorus teacher. She was definitely one of my favorites and the one that I had spent the most time with, considering that I had her as my teacher for all four years, I had after school rehearsals with her at least twice a week, and not to mention going to all the chorus competitions and performances. I was only able to catch up with her for a little bit since she had to leave a little early that day. But she was so sweet and gave the boys each little stuffed animal hedgehogs. I was also able to talk to her about my teaching voice lessons to some of her students. This was something that I had been thinking about for some time. Shaun and I even discussed it as being an option for me right now. I just figured that after all those years and the money spent by my parents to get me voice lessons from the best in RI, why not? I've become alot more comfortable with the idea of teaching after my two years as primary chorister. It is interesting how our callings in church can always help us with our lives outside of the church. That's one of the things that I love about the church. Before that, I would never think of teaching voice lessons. I was just never patient enough or even any good at explaining how to do things. Anyway, Mrs. Phillips (my chorus teacher) said that it would be a great idea and that she has alot of students that she would like to take voice lessons. I just have to make a flier and email it to her so she can pass it on to her students. So, now I have the task of making a flier. I am not good at doing things like that. We'll see how it turns out.
After that, we went to my parents house, grabbed some food and went back out. I took the boys to some of my favorite spots to hang out. We went down to the Village (Pawtuxet Village, where the Pawtuxet River empties out into the bay) and walked around. First we went to one of my favorite second-hand bookstores. Then we went to my favorite ice cream shop a couple doors down and got two scoops of Butter Crunch ice cream and a large Dell's Lemonade. Yummy! After finishing those off, we walked to my favorite park. There is a swing set there and a slide. Its one of the most picturesque places. There is a beautiful gazebo in the middle of the park (this is the same gazebo that I had one of my high school friends draw for me before I left for Utah for school). This little park overlooks the bay. We played on the slide and swings for a bit. Landon was afraid of the swing which was very funny. He wanted to go on the swing, so I put him on there and started pushing. He screamed for a good five minutes. All I could do was laugh at him. (I know...Mom of the Year, huh?) I just kept telling him in between his screams that he wasn't going to get hurt and he was ok. Finally, he got used to it and was fine. At first he gave an hysterical laugh and said, "Its fun," more to convince himself than to tell me that he was, in fact, having fun. After about an hour on the playground, we walked over to the boathouse to go look at the ducks. We looked at the ducks for a bit and saw two cute little goslings swimming around. I was tempted to catch one and take one home at the risk of having my eyes pecked out by the mother and father geese! We went out onto the dock to hang out. Landon was content just sitting and enjoying the unsteady sway of the dock. Caden, on the other hand, just wanted to run around and look at the boats and the ducks. Finally, by 4:50, I figured that we should start heading home to wait for mom and dad to come home and take the kids so that I could go pick up Shaun. Of course, I got a call from Shaun at 5:20 telling me that he was done early since he got in early to take the test. I could tell by his voice that the news was good. He got a 690 which is in the 88th percentile! He was hoping to score above a 650. For only studying for this test for two months, it was a really good score. I am so proud of him! He is applying to MIT (his first choice), Carnegie Melon (his second choice), University of Texas, University of Washington, and BYU. Afterwards, we went out with mom and dad to celebrate at Shaun's favorite restaurant, Chipotle. Then mom and dad took the kids, while he and I went to Borders to look at the music books, and then went home to figure out what we wanted to do since we were childless for the night. We decided to go bowling. We bowled four games. I actually bowled a 150 on the last game (which is really good for me...most of my girls from freshman year should remember...hahaha). It was fun since we hadn't gone bowling in a really long time!
Saturday "You can't always predict thunderstorms":
We had been planning on going to the beach since Monday. We realized that neither of us checked the weather report. We checked Friday night and it said that there would be scattered thunderstorms throughout the day. Boo. So, Shaun got up early that morning and went to play basketball with some friends. He finally got back at 10:45 and the sun was peeking out. So, we checked the weather report again, and it said it would be clear until the evening when there would be thunderstorms. Stupid weatherman. So, we got packed up and headed for the beach. We stopped at our favorite seafood place and got some calamari (RI style...the best), clam cakes, clam chowder, and Shaun got himself a steak and cheese sandwich too...pig. Then we laid out on the beach for a few hours and relaxed. It wasn't as warm as I wanted it to be. It lingered near the low 80's, high 70's, but it was better than nothing. Finally, we headed back to Warwick to pick up the kids from mom and dad's house. Of course, we got there and mom and the kids were no where to be found. Mom didn't have her cell phone, as usual. So, after the ok from dad, we left and went to a party for our former Bishop and his family. While we were there, we talked to a new couple that moved into our ward. He is a physical therapist that was placed out here for the summer. He and his wife have a daughter who is a little younger than Landon. She's really cute. I made the mistake of "teaching" her how to "jump." When I say that I mean, I basically lift her off the ground. After about a billion times doing that, I was breaking a sweat and getting really sore. But how do you say "no" to a little kid? After that, I had to go home and take a cool shower. With the mix of the muggy air, and the "workout" I got, I needed one. On top of that, I got a little sunburned from the beach. That's what happens when I let myself get so dangerously white that I burn after four hours in the sun with no sunscreen. It never would have happened before kids. I now vow to never let myself get this white ever again.
Once again though, the weatherman was wrong. No thunderstorms that night. Sounds like the weatherman for weather.com needs to go back to weatherman school. I suppose maybe it's more difficult to predict thunderstorms. It's like life. You can't always predict the bad times. But it's always good to be prepared, just in case. And when those "thunderstorms" dissolve, just be happy and go to the beach!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Talkative, Bundle of Nerves
Today, I didn’t really do anything. When I say that, I mean anything productive. I decided to be lazy today. I watched a tv show or two, hung out with the kids, and goofed around on the internet. I ordered a couple of books online (just what my husband would love to hear-me spending more money). I tried to convince Shaun to take a half day today since his big GMAT test is tomorrow. I wanted him to come home at about 3, study for a of couple hours, and then hang out with us for the rest of the night. I figured he shouldn’t study so hard today because I didn’t want him to be burnt out for tomorrow. But alas, he didn’t get home until about 5:30.
He was so good last night when he got home from work. He changed and went downstairs to take his four hour practice test in his office. He started studying in his office about a week ago. I guess since it got down to the grind he was tired of studying with me in the same room. You can’t blame a girl for wanting to talk to her husband. Sometimes, I would forget that he was studying and remember something funny that had happened that day or try to relay a big epiphany that had just come to me. He would just give me this look that said, “Hello? What are you doing? I’m studying. Remember???” I realized that I yearn for adult conversation at the end of the day. That’s why he can’t shut me up when he walks in the door. The mailman avoids me for that very reason. I’m sure the last thing the mailman needs is a crazy lady chasing him down the street trying to strike up a long winded conversation about the weather (although, he is old and I can outrun him…I'm just sayin’). I just need some human interaction (not that my kids aren’t human…sometimes, but you know what I mean) especially on the days that we stay in. Now that the weather has been so nice, I need to plan more days at the beach, the park, and the zoo. That would be doing myself a huge favor, not to mention for Shaun and the mailman.
Anyway, after Shaun FINALLY got home from work, we went to an auction in the neighboring city. It was an auction for The Arts. My parents got the tickets because their photography studio donated two portrait sessions to be auctioned off. However, no one from the studio could go, since the photographer had to take pictures for a High School Prom tonight and needed my mom to be there to help out. It happens every year. So, every year, I look forward to getting free tickets to the event. I’m not gonna lie, I go for the free food. A bunch of restaurants in the area go there to promote themselves by serving select dishes from their menus. I never even buy anything (although I did bid on a couple things last year…I hoped that the people there were stupid enough to not outbid my ten dollar bid for Red Sox tickets with seats at the first baseline). I usually just stuff myself until I can’t move without the help of a forklift. That is just what I did tonight. The food, as usual, was fabulous. Even the kids liked the food, with the exception of a sample of the nachos with beans, cheese sauce, and salsa. Caden liked that dish, however, Landon took a bite of Shaun’s and spit it out on my plate-not on the side, ONTO my food. Sick. Other than that, I was surprised at how much Landon ate. He ate some pork, scallops, pasta (of course), and one of his favorites, clam chowder. We only stayed for a little over an hour. We didn’t really see anything that we wanted to bid on. However, I did see a couple of bikes that looked nice. I’ve recently decided that I really want a bike. But by the time we got there, the bikes were already at bidding prices above what they were worth. I’d rather just go to the store and buy one. One day…(Hmmm…I wonder if my parents still have my old bike. Yeah it’s purple with streamers and beads on the spokes. But who cares?)
Well, it’s off to relax with my husband…as much as I can. I think I’m more nervous about his test tomorrow than he is. I guess he really has no need to be worried. He has studied more for this test than any other he has ever taken. And let’s just say that I’m very envious of his test taking abilities. In college, he could do the bare minimum to get an A in his class, barely pay attention in class, and then skim the book briefly before taking a test and still ace it. I secretly hated him for it. Yes, the GMAT is different. However, judging from the amount of time he has taken to study for the thing, he should do fine. I hope. Gosh, I’m nervous. I’m just glad I’m not the one taking it. I’d be peeing myself right now (pardonnez mon francais). No, really, I would be. Like I said before. I'm glad its him and not me.Wednesday, June 2, 2010
You don't have to brush your teeth...just the ones you want to keep.
Well, thankfully, today did not turn out like yesterday. Although, nothing super exciting happened today, at least no one threw up, spilled anything, or got into anything! We started off the day at the dentist's office. Why is it that we dread going to the dentist? To this day, I HATE going to the dentist, and the doctor's for that matter. Nothing against my doctor or my dentist (whom I've known since I was 5). I think it stems from the childhood dread of getting a shot at the doctor's office or being told that you have a cavity while at the dentist's and need a filling. I'm still scared of both. Not like that's the worst that can happen. Thankfully, I've never yet had to experience anything worse (knock on wood). Anyway, my teeth apparently look good, and no cavities...PHEW! Caden got his teeth polished for the first time and he was surprisingly cooperative. It was nice of the dental hygienist to offer to polish his teeth for me. Caden has had dark stains around the edges of his gums and teeth for the longest time. No matter how well I tried to brush his teeth, they wouldn't go away. The harder I brushed, the more he hated it and refused to open his mouth. If truth be told, the stains are probably my own fault. I didn't start brushing his teeth until after his first birthday. The thing is that Landon got all of his teeth in early (like I did when I was a kid). By his first birthday, he had a full set of teeth. I was brushing his teeth by the time he was 4 or 5 months. With Caden, he only has 11 teeth right now and he's over 20 months! He must take after his father as far as how fast his teeth come in.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I did, however, get my check in the mail for some extra work in a movie I worked on at the end of May. It was filmed in downtown Boston and is called "What's Your Number?" It was my first time being on a movie set. It was fun. I got paid to walk around and do nothing. It was fabulous!! I got to meet Anna Faris. She's actually really sweet, and short...even compared to me! One of the director's brought his pet pig onto the set. It was kinda cute. I might actually want a pet pig one day. His name was Kevin (ya know...Kevin Bacon?). Speaking of bacon, the best part of that day was the FOOD! We had a catered breakfast since we had to be there at 7 am. (That meant that I had to leave my house at 5 am to drive up to Quincy to catch the subway at 6am so that I could get to Arlington by 6:45 and walk to the cathedral on Newbury Street where "Holding" was.) There was a huge snack table on the set, with bins and jars of candy, platters of fruits and vegetables, bagels, yogurts, donuts, granola bars, juices, and they even had one of those Keurig coffee brewers where people could make their individual flavored coffees (iced or hot), which if I did drink coffee I suppose it would have been a big deal, although to the others on the set, it was a big deal. Lunch was fabulous. After we finished filming a gazzillion takes, we were driven off the set back to Holding where they had set up some tables and the food. The food not only smelled amazing, it even looked amazing. Everything was set up so beautifully. But even better, was that the food TASTED amazing too. It was one of the best meals I had ever had. I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. Anyway, after the fabulous food, they sent those of us that were non-union home first, since we had finished filming our scene for the day. I still have yet to decide if I want to become union or not. I learned from the other extras, that apparently do this alot, about how to become union and what the differences are in pay. They do get paid more, and they have contracts set up regarding break times and over-time. The down side is that after qualifying for union (which one of the ladies said should be easy for me), I would have to pay a whopping 1500 to get in. It would be worth it if I decide to do it though. For now, I'll just take whatever work comes my way and as soon as I qualify, I'll make my decision then. To act or not to act? That is the question. Ugh, more decisions I have to make.
I'm glad that this day was much better than yesterday or my entire weekend! At the end of the day, I can only hope for an even better day tomorrow. As long as its not any worse than the previous day, I can consider it a good day. As I smile in the mirror at myself after brushing my teeth for bed, I can only be grateful that I at least still have all of my teeth.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I did, however, get my check in the mail for some extra work in a movie I worked on at the end of May. It was filmed in downtown Boston and is called "What's Your Number?" It was my first time being on a movie set. It was fun. I got paid to walk around and do nothing. It was fabulous!! I got to meet Anna Faris. She's actually really sweet, and short...even compared to me! One of the director's brought his pet pig onto the set. It was kinda cute. I might actually want a pet pig one day. His name was Kevin (ya know...Kevin Bacon?). Speaking of bacon, the best part of that day was the FOOD! We had a catered breakfast since we had to be there at 7 am. (That meant that I had to leave my house at 5 am to drive up to Quincy to catch the subway at 6am so that I could get to Arlington by 6:45 and walk to the cathedral on Newbury Street where "Holding" was.) There was a huge snack table on the set, with bins and jars of candy, platters of fruits and vegetables, bagels, yogurts, donuts, granola bars, juices, and they even had one of those Keurig coffee brewers where people could make their individual flavored coffees (iced or hot), which if I did drink coffee I suppose it would have been a big deal, although to the others on the set, it was a big deal. Lunch was fabulous. After we finished filming a gazzillion takes, we were driven off the set back to Holding where they had set up some tables and the food. The food not only smelled amazing, it even looked amazing. Everything was set up so beautifully. But even better, was that the food TASTED amazing too. It was one of the best meals I had ever had. I thought that I had died and gone to heaven. Anyway, after the fabulous food, they sent those of us that were non-union home first, since we had finished filming our scene for the day. I still have yet to decide if I want to become union or not. I learned from the other extras, that apparently do this alot, about how to become union and what the differences are in pay. They do get paid more, and they have contracts set up regarding break times and over-time. The down side is that after qualifying for union (which one of the ladies said should be easy for me), I would have to pay a whopping 1500 to get in. It would be worth it if I decide to do it though. For now, I'll just take whatever work comes my way and as soon as I qualify, I'll make my decision then. To act or not to act? That is the question. Ugh, more decisions I have to make.
I'm glad that this day was much better than yesterday or my entire weekend! At the end of the day, I can only hope for an even better day tomorrow. As long as its not any worse than the previous day, I can consider it a good day. As I smile in the mirror at myself after brushing my teeth for bed, I can only be grateful that I at least still have all of my teeth.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Serenity Now
What a fabulous day to end my already fabulous weekend. Considering that it’s only 3:30 in the afternoon and I wish I could go to bed and start over again, one would say my day isn't going so well. It’s too bad that my first post is me complaining. But I'll try to end on a positive note...
The weekend went by quickly. Too quickly, if you ask me. It was fairly uneventful since Shaun spent the majority of the weekend studying for his GMAT, which he is taking this Friday at 1pm. (This fact he has reminded me of at the most random times over the past two months since he scheduled it.)
Saturday, I went to a local fair that is held yearly in my home town. It’s fun and even though it’s the same every year, I still look forward to it. They sell arts and crafts, jewelry, goodies, clothes, toys, and offer face painting/henna tattoos. I usually don’t buy much there. But it’s the atmosphere that reminds me of my carefree days of being in middle school and high school. It’s something that I like to drag poor Shaun to, although he doesn’t get why we have to go every year. This year, he was off the hook since he had a legitimate excuse. Instead I went with my Mom. Which is better, since she paid for most of the stuff that I ended up buying. I got a new skirt, some finger puppets for the boys, a dangly pair of pearl earrings to go with the necklaces I got in China years ago, and some dip mix (it’s the best dip mix ever…I’m not gonna lie, its one of the main reasons I go to the fair). After that, we went back to my parents’ house where Shaun was studying, Dad was working on some work stuff, and the boys were playing in the family room. After waiting for an eternity to get everyone to stop what they were doing, we went out to eat at our favorite Chinese restaurant. By the time we ate, it was about 5. I was famished since I hadn’t eaten anything but a lousy rice cake for breakfast. Then the boys, Shaun and I drove home where Shaun just did some more studying and I ran to the store to buy groceries for the week.
Now the fun begins…
Sunday, Shaun was up early for his meetings. I woke up and allowed myself ample time to get ready. However, Landon just doesn’t understand the urgency in getting ready within a reasonable amount of time. He slowly walked to the bathroom to go potty, and then played with the soap as he was washing his hands. He very slowly dressed himself after a considerable amount of time just sitting on his bed and examining his toes. Consequently, we were half an hour late for Church. So, we sat in the hall because I was too embarrassed to go traipsing into the chapel so late. It was fine though. I worked on some primary stuff as I listened to the talks and the boys played quietly with their finger puppets and quiet books. Then came primary…
First of all, I have to say that I LOVE my primary kids. They are so sweet and bring tears to my eyes every Sunday. You can see why the Lord tells us to be more like the little children. They are so forgiving, honest, unselfish, and loving. I have really learned so much more from them than I believe they have learned from me. Which is why we have callings in the church to begin with, right? To learn and grow. This Sunday, the younger children were very “wiggly.” We usually start with fun songs before primary actually begins. We did “Do As I’m Doing” about 4 times. My hope was that this would calm them down enough for the remainder of the hour. That started off fine…however, a few of the children obviously had a little too much sugar that morning. They couldn’t stay in their seats and were all over the place, which is fine for activity songs but to a point. Luckily, they calmed down enough for sharing time after getting some energy out. Singing time, for the most part, went well with the children. The Primary Presidency decided a few weeks back to start inviting the nursery children in for singing time. That meant Landon would be coming in. I was thrilled at the thought of having my son in there while I taught singing time. The first week they decided to do that, Landon was not there since he was in China with my parents. The following week was Stake Conference. So this would have been his first Sunday coming to primary. I had already begun singing time as the little ones were led in. But as the children came in and sat down in the front, I saw that Landon was not there at all. Instead I heard a loud scream from the nursery room. No doubt that scream belonged to my strong willed son. I was so upset, I had a hard time concentrating on teaching the children the songs. But I managed to get through it with only a few mistakes on my part. When I finished with singing time, I went out to the hall in search of Shaun wondering why he didn’t force Landon into primary, since I had seen him talking to someone right outside the hall when the nursery children were filing in. Of course, I couldn’t find him. I slowly walked back to primary fighting the urge to cry. I wasn’t sure why it upset me so much. I think it was because I was really looking forward to having him in primary with me. I calmed down by the time Senior Primary came in for sharing time. But then halfway through senior primary's lesson, one of the CTR 5 boys came in because he was being disruptive in his class. This was one of the children that had a hard time staying in his seat during the fun songs earlier. No one could control him. He was running around all over the place!! They tried to give him a bean bag to play with, and some crayons and paper so he could color. Finally, I took a shot at it. I took out those finger puppets from Landon's backpack in hopes of entertaining him enough to last until closing exercises began. Thankfully, that seemed to do the trick for a little while, but I could see that the novelty was wearing off quickly. Luckily, we barely made it to closing exercises! After the children were picked up by their parents, I went to get my own kids from nursery. Caden came to me easily, although he was very grumpy, but Landon refused to come with me. He just ignored me for a while and then yelled NO when I told him we had to leave. I even tried to bribe him. Finally, he grudgingly came to the door and threw the toys down onto the ground. UGH! By this point, the reason that I was upset with him to begin with all came back. I walked around the church looking for Shaun, hoping that we wouldn't have to stay long. After about ten minutes of looking for him, I gave up and went to the car to drop off my primary bag, my purse, and the boys' backpacks. We returned inside to sit by the Bishop's office, knowing that Shaun would turn up over there at some point. I sat the boys down on the sofa and gave them their sandwiches, hoping that would keep them busy for a bit. Finally, Shaun showed up and informed me that we would need to stay for an extra half hour. Needless to say, the boys got squirmy and couldn't sit still. Between Caden trying to run away, and Landon's back talking I was losing my mind. Unfortunately, we were at the church for an extra 45 minutes longer than Shaun had anticipated. After the events of the day, that was too much time to be at church. We got home and tried to put the boys down for a nap, which didn't happen. Usually, Landon doesn't need a nap, but I was hoping that the day's incidents were due to a lack of sleep and not anything else. I guess I was kidding myself. We went to a friends house Sunday evening to have dinner. Landon spent part of the time in time out. Need I say more? The only explanations I have for his recent behavior are A) he is just strong willed by nature, B) after his recent trip to China where he was treated like a king, he feels that he is above the law now, C) he tends to act up more when he is around people is very comfortable with (i.e. me and Shaun, and my parents), and D) the most important explanation, he's 3. On the most part, I have had very little issues with Landon or Caden for that matter. I have been very blessed with two good boys. I have seen worse kids and I have even been complimented on how well behaved they are. I guess when you expect more from your kids and you know how good they are the majority of the time, its hard not to be upset when they do act like kids and act up in front of others. If anything, it just makes you feel like you're a bad mother who has uncontrollable children that you have taught absolutely nothing to. Even if its not the case or not what people are even thinking. I guess I now understand my own mother.
For Memorial Day, I had planned on a peaceful day at the beach with all three of my boys. I wanted to work on my tan, get some reading done, and just have a good time with my family. I was talked out of that plan by Shaun and my dad but not without throwing my own tantrum of course. (Maybe Landon learned how to do that from me. I shot myself in the foot with that one.) Instead, we went to Purgatory Chasm (a park with some picnic areas, hiking trails and a crazy rock trail with little caves) with my parents and some old family friends. It was fun for the most part, except for the fact that the bathrooms were out of order by the time I had to use them so I had to hike an extra quarter mile just to go in the woods, and Landon wouldn't eat anything there. I don't even remember when his picky-ness started and how. He went from eating everything to nothing but bread, white rice, fruit, chips, mac and cheese, anything dairy, and anything sugary. Basically he's a carb addict who occasionally likes a side of dairy. Caden on the other hand, has a very healthy appetite. I'm lost as to what to do about Landon's eating habits. He is getting skinny and I hate the struggles when dinner time comes along. Apparantly, in China, all he ate was white rice and bread. It must be genetic. I blame Shaun. Shaun was the pickiest eater I had ever met. He and other members of his immediate family had the strangest eating habits I had ever seen. I guess when you come from a family like mine that had "well-rounded" tongues its strange to see people with such restrictive eating habits. Red meat and potatoes, and absolutely no vegetables. I must say, that Shaun has gotten better over the years. Landon, however has gotten progressively worse. He missed out on cake last night because he wouldn't eat one tiny piece of chicken. I'm afraid he's going to stunt his growth!
Today began as follows:
1. Clean up rice that Caden had spilled all over the floor. Our friends from our ward moved to Seattle about a week and a half ago. Before they left, they brought over some opened food from their cupboards that they couldn't take with them. I still have not gone through it and put any of it away. Consequently, Caden got up this morning and went straight to it and spilled the open box of Minute Rice.
2. Clean up Landon's puke at breakfast. Undigested cheerios and milk. Super. He hardly ever vomits. It must have been because he didn't eat anything yesterday.
3. Clean up spilled milk. Caden had crawled onto Landon's seat while I was trying to clean Landon up and tried to drink the rest of Landon's milk from Landon's "big boy" cup. It got all over the floor and chair that I had just cleaned up from Landon and all over Caden too.
4. Clean up graham crackers that Caden got into from the same bag of stuff that our friends gave us. I really need to put that stuff away.
5. Deal with crying children because there was a thunderstorm. Just what I need when I already have a headache.
This was all before 3:30. I really wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry while I was cleaning up endlessly today. At one point, I did both at the same time. If someone saw me, they would have thought that I had gone insane. Maybe I had. I would have gladly let someone toss me into a padded room with a straight jacket and call it good as long as I was alone. But I guess its these moments that as parents, we will look back on and laugh and wish that we could go back to those days. Maybe.
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