This excites me

I have to admit that I usually keep FAR FAR AWAY from politics on my blog. However, McCain's move today in choosing Sarah Palin as his VP choice excites me. I was not real thrilled with the choices for president we had. I didn't really like McCain and the more I hear from Obama I definitely don't like him. I find him to be very condescending every time I hear him speak. The more I hear from McCain the more I like him. His choice today was brilliant in my humble opinion. Palin seems to be a woman that I can identify with. This is a fiscally conservative woman who knows what it's like to raise a family. Who knows what it's like to live on a blue collar income. She wasn't educated at some ivy league college. She is a sportswoman. She has taken on corruption and won. I was excited hearing this announcement. Now, remember, we're all friends here and I don't mind conflicting opinions but there's no need to be rude if you disagree with me. We're all entitled to an opinion and my opinion is that this is GREAT.

TOO excited

This morning cookie woke me up around 6:30, talking to Sushi who was getting ready to leave. He also had a hard time falling asleep last night. I told cookie to come back to bed and try to get more sleep after sushi left. He tried. He tossed and turned and sighed and cakes came in at 7. At which point I gave up. They were both so excited about school. Cakes had a preschool orientation today at 9 am and cookie couldn't wait to see what the gingerbread boy had been up to. We went to the orientation and cookie bugged me the whole time about whether or not it was time to go to kindergarten yet. We had lunch and I took him to kindergarten. I had a VERY tired boy waiting for me when it was time to pick him up. Right now they are up in their rooms having 45 minutes of "quiet time". The 45 minutes has come and gone but I'm not waking the bears. Sigh, it all just makes me want to rush out and have a few more, uh, wait. . . sigh.

First Day of School

Lucky you! You get two posts from me today! Today was Sushi and Cookie's first day at school. I got the picture of sushi and cookie and then everything went to crap. I have had a crazy full day and I am exhausted! Here is the picture of the two.



After I took this picture I took sushiboy to the park and ride to catch the bus to school and came home for a few minutes before I went to the gym, I went to the gym, worked out, then came home with 40 minutes before cookie needed to be at school. In that time I needed to get some lunch for the kids and a shower. Not a problem if I hurry. The kids got some lunch and cakes wanted muffins for lunch, she likes them warmed up in the microwave. I needed to hop in the shower still so I did, of course, cakes wants another muffin, I tell her to have cookie help her. All of a sudden I hear her come running into the bathroom thrilled saying "I did it myself mom!" She's done this about a hundred times with my help so I thought she did. I try to finish my shower with the 3 minutes I have left. All of a sudden, Cookie comes bolting into the bathroom and says, "Mom, the microwave is on fire". He grabs Cakes and runs out of the house, I run out of the shower and stop the microwave and open the door and there is smoke pouring out the door of the microwave. The microwave wasn't on fire but the muffin was now a piece of charcoal. Here is the picture of it complete with the 13:05 minutes left when I stopped the microwave.



I had cookie open all the doors in the house and I finished my shower, put some hair stuff in my hair and told everyone to get in the car, we take cookie to his first day of kindergarten and I have to laugh because like every mom there I have my camera, it's like a freaking pauperatzi convention! I do take some pictures though because there is only one first day of kindergarten





While cookie is at school and I only have one child (ok, one and a half) with me I decide to track down more documents for cakes and get to the post office. I dropped off my stuff at the post office then I go to the school where cakes had preschool last year and get copies of all her documents and request they transfer her records to her new school. Then I decide to try to get to the doctors office to see if they can get me some documentation for the social security offices that will prove that she is indeed living and she is who I say she is. (I found out yesterday that a birth certificate doesn't count as ID for a four year old, apparently I need something that proves she is still alive and who I say she is. I either need a letter from the school district saying she is enrolled in school or a letter from her doctor saying he has treated her and she is living. The social security offices say that too many people have stolen the identities of children who are deceased, crazy eigh???) The doctors office is closed and since her new school doesn't have her in the system yet they can't give me the note I need until tuesday when she starts school. I'm basically caught in a gigantic beaurocratic loop. After that I take the copied documents to her new school and tell them they should have her documents by friday. WHEW, all that was accomplished in about an hour. I come home, have lunch and go pick up cookie who had a GREAT first day. The highlight of the day is that they made a gingerbread boy who escaped and is causing havoc all over the school. I think it might take a week to catch him! Anyways, I am exhausted. By one o'clock I had a full day. The rest of the day we have all rested. Cookie is tired and grumpy and I'm just tired. If you made it through this post you deserve a nap, like me!

Cakes' Birthday Party

This happened a few weeks ago but things have been busy so this is the first chance I've had to post! Cakes had a great birthday party. She had about 6 of her friends over and we painted fingernails and toenails, played dressup, had cake and icecream and opened presents. I kept is simple. I figured for girlies between the ages of three and five that was plenty and it was. Enjoy the slideshow!

Star sightings at the Social Security Office

We had a great day today, after the gym and a shower, the kids and I met up with Sushiboy and we went with him to get his books and student card and go to lunch together. It was a lot of fun. After that I figured that since I was in the bigger city with all the offices I would try to replace some of the documents that I seem to have lost. Somehow, I have misplaced Cakes' ssn card, her birth certificate and her immunization record. So I went to the birth and death records office and got a new birth certificate for her and I then went to the social security office. I walk in, get our number and notice a very short black man sitting next to us. Cookie proceeds to stare at him, I tell cookie it's not nice to stare and look again. Yep, Gary Coleman was sitting next to cookie. I wish I could say he was nice and gracious but nope, he just seemed like the "angry elf" on ELF (you know the movie with Will Ferrell). He seemed suspicious and about to lash out at anyone and very grumpy. So, there you have it, my exciting star sighting at the social security offices.

Kindergarten Orientation

Cookie had his Kindergarten orientation on Wednesday and his assessment on Thursday. He did pretty good. I have noticed he has a tendency to freeze up when he is in a testing situation, a lot of the stuff he knew he couldn't answer for the teacher. She seems to be a good teacher, this is her first year teaching kindergarten, she has taught first, second and third grades and is now trying her hand at kindergarten. I'm sure she'll do fine. I had to shake my head at one of the mothers at orientation, the teacher was explaining that one of the disciplinary measures she would use if necessary would be to take away recess time. Sounds fair to me. However, one of the mothers, in front of everyone (her child and all the other kids there included) starts arguing that the teacher can't take away recess time. State laws say you can't and kids need outdoor time. The teacher calmly replies, actually, recess is a privilege and NOT required, I won't take away the whole time and any motor development that kids need CAN be done in the classroom. I was floored. I can tell who the pain in the butt mom will be. I just hope she isn't the room mother, I certainly don't want to work with someone like this. I would have signed up to be the room mother except I think my life will be a lot busier come December. I couldn't believe that this mother would undermine the teachers authority like this in front of her child. Not surprisingly, she was also arguing and upset with the teacher when the teacher explained that school starts this coming Wednesday. I guess she didn't read the letter she got??? Cookie did great on his assessment. I had to laugh when he told the teacher that we read books backwards (like anime books, can you tell sushi has read a few to him!??) and I was very proud of how well he did with numbers and patterns. I have a very smart boy on my hands!

Cookie Monster's pet

Cookie monster has been saving his money for a lizard. I told him he needed to earn the money himself because one, I wanted to procrastinate getting the lizard and two, I wanted him to realize that a lizard cost a lot of money. Today we went by the pet shop and he decided he wanted. . . . a hampster instead of a lizard!!!!! I told him that was a great choice. It is a lot easier to take care of and a lot more fun. He chose a dwarf hampster and it is absolutely adorable. It's about the size of a thumb and so cute. I googled a picture because I didn't want to wake up the boy to get a picture of the one we got, it pretty much looks just like this.



Now I hope it doesn't escape. . . .

Rude people

I posted this on another blog that I contribute to but I thought I could use your advice too. Let me know what you think.

Let me start this post by letting those of you who don't know that I am expecting. I'm almost 6 months along. I'll have a c-section Dec 2. I am NOT one of those cute tiny pregnant women, I have a host of issues that make it so I look huge. I have big babies, (my first was 9lbs,4oz, my second was 8lbs,5oz and she was two weeks early) I have two hernias, I have a tilted uterus and I carry all out front, there's not much inside me. There is a woman (who I also visit teach) who EVERY week in church goes on and on and on about how huge I am and then says "I hope I didn't offend you". Quite frankly, this week was the last straw, I'm not sure if I'm particularly grumpy today or what but I have had enough. I really am a little angry. I realize I am big, I know it more than she does. I have this happen not only by her but by complete strangers at least once a day. My question to you is, how do I tell people that I'm aware of how big I am and I am indeed only having one, not multiples without sounding like a complete B****. I am really amazed that people think they can tell me how huge I am simply because I'm pregnant. You wouldn't say that to a woman who wasn't pregnant and just big. Shouldn't they have some manners too???

My Secret Olympic Dreams

One of the unknown facts about me is that I swam for 10 years of my life. From the time I was 8 until I graduated from HS at 18. By the time I graduated I was tired of it. As a young kid when people would ask what I wanted to be I would tell them I wanted to be an olympic swimmer. This is a common dream and about on par with wanting to be a superhero or a policeman. Watching the olympics has literally made me itch with wanting to be in the water again. Feeling the water stream by your body as you glide through it and it feels and looks so effortless. Being able to close your eyes and feel the rythm of your arms and legs kicking in perfect harmony. Watching the athletes win and lose has brought back the wonderful and sometimes painful memories of the end of the race. When you hit the wall and immediately look up at the scoreboard to see if you won or not. If all those thousands of hours of gym time and pool time have paid off. Sometimes it didn't matter if you won, only if you did your best. I miss all those things. I mentioned all this to sushiboy today. Now is not the time to get back into swimming. I have a little bit of a problem with drag (lol), I have no one to watch my children while I go to the pool for two hours a day. I think it would be great to get on a masters team and get back into that competition, especially when you see such great inspiration as Dana Torres, a single mother who is 41 and getting olympic gold. I don't think I could win olympic metals but I could feel that thrill of knowing I won the race again. Perhaps when this child goes to preschool. . .

My first award

My first award! I feel so special! Thanks hoosiergirl!



We are home and thank goodness. The funeral was different than I'm used to, a little more country to be specific. The drive was LONG, about 26 hours in two days. My feet were swollen up about as much as I've ever seen. It has taken two days of not doing much to get them better. I skipped the gym on tuesday and only did a half hour today because I was feeling light headed and nauseaus. Hopefully I can get back to my hour to an hour and a half soon. I am just so happy to be home. Now for the ABC's of me

Attached or single? Attached forever to Sushiboy

Best friend? HMMM, my oldest friend is Al, I have lots of great friends, not really one in particular at this stage of my life that is my BEST friend, I have lots of wonderful friends.

Cake or Pie? Bananna Crème Pie (yummy)

Day of Choice? Saturday, the day sushi is home and we spend time together as a family, unless I have Pampered Chef shows to do.

Essential Item? My laptop

Favorite color? Green

Gummy bears or worms? Bears.

Hometown? Salt Lake City, Utah

Indulgence? Sweets, things like candy bars (Skor bars, I love toffee), apple or peach crisp, or chocolate chip cookies

January or July? July - my birthday month!

Kids? Yes. Cookie monster, Cakes, and baby in the tummy

Life isn't complete.... without my family, all of them (extended too)

Marriage Date? May 13, our five year anniversary was Friday the 13th. People were freaking out when we told them when we planned on getting married. I guess we’re not superstitions.

Number of Brothers and Sisters? 4 brothers and 4 sisters. I have to giggle when people talk about their “large” families of 4, I know what a large family is!

Oranges or Apples? Apples
Phobias? Ugh, spiders.

Quote? If you don’t want temptation to follow you, don’t act as if you are interested.

Reasons to Smile? My kids, sushiboy, our parrot baby, our beautiful home and yard, how incredibly blessed we are.

Season of Choice? Spring, I love it when everything comes alive again.

Tag Seven People? Sushiboy, Licorice Stick Lady, Karen, Michelle, Big Sis, Merritt, Fantastagirl. ALL of you receive the Brilliant Weblog Award, and we get to learn more about you! Yay!

Unknown Fact? I am not used to falling asleep at the same time as sushi, in fact I can’t, he either needs to go to bed first or I need to go to bed first, I’m sure this comes from all the late night study sessions sushi has had and being a light sleeper. Hopefully I can get used to having him around again once he graduates.


Vegetable? Carrots

Worst habits? I can chatter on and on, and on.

X-Ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound, definitely.

Your favorite food? Chocolate, fettucini alfredo, fresh veggies.

Zodiac sign? Cancer - the absolute worst sign to have: a disease no one wants followed by a grouchy animal.

Work Party

Sushiboy and Dadguy had their work party today. Sushi won an IPOD nano, he's pretty excited! I thought it would be fun to get a picture with Bon since we are both due around the same time. I asked sushi to take our picture and he seems to have this uncanny ability to catch me with funny faces. Perhaps I should ask someone else to take pictures for me from now on! Well, they are what they are and it's fun to see both of us belly to belly even though I have a pretty funny expression.





Cakes' birthday party is tomorrow as well as a party for the women's group in my church (the relief society) it should be a busy day. After cakes' party we are heading up to Sushi's cousin's house for HIS birthday party and to drop off the kids. Then, early Sunday morning we will head out of here, pic up big sister and big grizz and head up to Idaho for the viewing on Sunday night and the funeral Monday. We should be back late Monday night. I am once again grateful to my friend licorice stick lady who is once again helping me by teaching the music for me in church on Sunday. What a great friend she is I appreciate that she is willing to help me. I'm also so grateful to Sushi's cousin's wife who is willing to watch our kids for us even though she is pregnant with twins and due a month before me. We owe her BIG time. Well, I'll be back on tuesday with great stories of the crazieness of family and traveling and three parties in one day. whew, here we go. . .

Boise again

Well, looks like we'll be heading to Boise again this weekend. Sushi's grandmother passed away around 6 this evening and they're thinking of having the funeral this weekend. We should know more tomorrow. I'm glad she was able to pass on quickly and not linger in pain. I know she is happier where she is and is back with her family and friends. We will miss her here but I firmly believe that those in our families who have passed away look out for us and protect us. I'm sure she will be another guardian angel in our family.

My new front yard

I thought I might post some pictures of the new front yard flowerbeds. I still can't believe my Mom and I moved a dumptruck load of topsoil to where we wanted it in the front yard. Unbelievable and while I'm pregnant, mabey I have inherited some of my mother's amazingness (she hiked a major hike here in Utah when she was seven months pregnant with my brother, crazy!). Unfortunately, I have had to take it easy once again for two or three days afterwards. Hopefully I'll be back up to speed tomorrow. The first picture here is what started the whole thing. The old flowerbed and grass were horrible, I couldn't even water because it would flood into our cold storage through the window. So, we put in a windowell extension, took out all the old flowers and stupid lavarock (I really, really, really hate all the lavarock around our yard, apparently, people around here LOVE lavarock, not me), and filled in the hole where the grass used to be. Then we extended the flowerbed out quite a bit and replanted the flowers. I do plan on planting grass seed here one of these days. I purposefully planted all the plants away from the house, the old owners had planted everything right next to the house and I couldn't water and it's just a bad idea to have plants right next to your foundation.



This next picture is where I connected two existing flowerbeds. There was a big space between the two and the pressurized irrigation was right there, it was such a pain to mow around the stupid pressurized irrigation. So, I just filled it in with a long flowerbed that wraps around the front to the side of the yard. It should be a lot easier to mow, you'll have to ask sushi if it is when he finally mows the lawn! I think it looks so much better, it looks a little bare right now but I have some daylilies and coral bells and iris' that will fill in nicely as well as some mums, anemomes, and other perrenials. In a year or two it should look really nice and filled in and I don't have to spend tons of money and time every year on annuals!



This last picture is just a shot from the front looking in to see it all together. I'm quite proud of myself, perhaps I can make this yard look great after all!


As a side note,sushi's grandmother is not doing so well, we may be going to a funeral sometime in the next week, I'm glad we spent as much time as we did with her. If it is the Lord's will she will pull through, if not she will finally be able to rest.

Bye bye brother, and yep, that's by our house

My brother graduated with his chemical engineering degree and is off to bigger and better things. We had a going away party for him and his wife last night we'll miss them they have been a big part of our lives. But I wish them luck in Texas. I hope they find great success. As a (big) sidenote, we came home to a big fire just up on the mountain by our house. It's not too close to our house but it still was a little close for comfort. I had heard that there was a fire up the canyon when we left for the party and was shocked when we saw it in the dark. It was pretty large and pretty close to some houses. I'm glad we're where we are and hope that no one lost their home.

Here is the link to the story if you want to read more