Mark your Calendars!

For those of you who remember - I reviewed a book awhile back... well Farworld Water Keep is now shipping from Amazon.  The official release date is Sept 12th, when I'm sure it will show up in at least one bookstore near you!

If you DON'T remember the review - well, it's over there in the archives - just find it and get with the program already!   Or, click this.  and This will take you to the Q&A.

For my loyal Utah readers (you know who you are) who live near enough to take advantage - J Scott Savage (the author of the aforementioned book) is going to be having a release party at the Spanish Fork Library on Saturday, September 13th from 12:00 to 3:00.  There will be "free food, free posters, drawings, and all that good stuff" according to Scott.  Besides all the good stuff - 20% of any proceeds from the event will be donated to the library!!  If anyone drops by just tell him I said "hi" since I'm going to be stuck hours away at a party that I just found out about yesterday...  be sure to check back to see how much fun THAT is!

He also has a new website here if you want to check it out - since he's almost done with book 2 I'm getting excited to read again...  maybe the book blog won't be too neglected for long?

Preschool, Peer Pressure and Pants...

PRESCHOOL
it was perhaps the longest morning of our lives... M began preschool today.  In past years with the older children I have always opted for morning preschool/kindergarten schedules.  For a change we went with the afternoon schedule... BIG mistake!  Perhaps every morning will not be like today but I have never seen M so excited for anything.  It was a good thing that we had PTA meetings and grocery shopping to keep us busy until 11:30 - but the time between then and 1:00 seemed to go on and on and on...  

She got herself ready this morning in her "banana dress" and even did her own hair - which, being the wonderful and accepting mother I am, I took her to CostCo and PTA meetings with her spazzy hair and 3 mismatched hair dealies (the big flower included).  Then, being the neurotic mother that I ALSO happen to be, I fixed it prior to taking her to preschool!   She seemed to have a good time and will certainly not have any issues returning on Thursday!  I think the biggest issues will be the days she doesn't get to go!

PEER PRESSURE

On a completely different subject - have you ever asked your children what they would do if all of their friends were jumping off of a cliff?  I found out today... or rather, I found out what T would do even if all of his friends were far too chicken to jump off of the cliff.  The YM/YW went repelling for this evenings' activity - only a handful of the boys were able to make it down the cliff, and of course most of the girls did just fine.

PANTS

oh yeah, the pants issue - T did mention how proud he was of himself that he was able to make it down the cliff with his in a clean and dry condition...  a little scary 'eh?

Holiday Happenings

Friday: getting ready to leave town was difficult - unfortunately Lamby-kins had a hard time getting with the program and M had to put him on the "naughty step"...  hmmm, maybe we watch a little too much Super Nanny?
M then proceeded to pack a "few things" for the trip - lamby-kins is in one bag, her Tinkerbell pillow is in another, and her favorite blankie is in the third... good thing I thought to bring clothes for her!

The night concluded (after a long and torturous car trip) with a wonderful fireworks display watched from the comfort of Megz backyard...  a better view could not have been found and all the soot just brushed right off.  And for anyone that was concerned, H's trampoline induced "illness" didn't turn out to be anything at all!
Saturday started with the cousins and a visit to the local Fire Station for their open house - we picked up a few freebie pencils as well as a great pamphlet that I'm sure will be useful in helping P get through the last of his Wolf Badge requirements!  One week to go!!!  Q was off on a bike ride while we slept in and got ready - but two bikes and two inner tubes later I'm sure he was wishing he had chosen to come and climb on fire engines with us.  We proceeded to walk through the park where there was a talent show (and a voice I fully expect to hear next year on a Nationally Televised Reality/Talent show). 

After lunch we got a tour of J/A's new house which really gave me hope - it IS possible to stay in a reasonable budget and have a well put-together look.  Nothing about the house looks "standard" or "cookie cutter",  super choices... I'll have to call A next time we put a new stucco color on our house!  

After Dinner... well, let's just say I was regretting all the fatty and processed foods that I'd indulged in - I went to bed early - completely forgetting that being in someone else's house meant that there was good TV on and I could have seen something fun...  

Sunday was a little more laid back... lazy time was followed by church which was followed by lazy time...  and then study time taught by none other than Q and I... you missed out if you weren't there, Ethan can fill you in maybe?  

And then... the cousins!  After 2 nights of just our family (boring...) the kids were joined by some cousins... this made for a long getting to sleep process, but they had fun!

Monday morning's parade was interesting at least... notice the pink umbrella being carried by that princess... that's because just a few minutes into the parade it began to pour...  the kids were still scrambling for candy - but we got out of there before the hail began thank goodness!
The weather put a damper on the hike plans - but hanging with family playing games was still fun...  and eventually the sun did come out - the kids immediately ran outside and spent hours on the trampoline... jumping, jumping, and doing hair... aren't they cute!  Poor H though - I'm pretty sure that after awhile they realized that nothing CAN be done with that mop... that beautiful, beautiful mop...

and then, the culmination of the weekend... another long torturous car ride home... but we made it, life is good... and I have to run off to another PTA meeting so that real life can reign once again - bummer.

A Looong Week...

After our walking fiasco of Monday - Tuesday was spent as a prep day... preparing the many ways in which we would improve our Wednesday.  Did you know it's nearly impossible to find a regular tape player these days...  of course all my books on tape are exactly that "on tape" and finding a small tape player was much more reasonable than buying new stories on CD!  Oh, that reminds me - I really need to call Radio Shack in the morning and tell them to go ahead and sell that walkman they were going to hold for me when it came in...  they don't even stock them anymore... because really, who needs one?  In the process of finding all the books on tape I ran across a stash of old 80's music...  which is about as useful to me as that stash of crayons... hmmm, this recycle art project could get really interesting...

Of course things went about half as well as we'd planned (that's pretty typical) since M refused to wear shoes (at least then she stayed IN the stroller) and would not listen to the same book twice... so we have to bring a couple of tapes for the trip there and back.  Whatever works right?  Wednesday was also S.E.P.s - which, for those of you who are not "in the know" stands for Student Educational Plan and is a fancy shmancy way of saying Parent Teacher Conferences.  This early in the year they are basically another back to school night - but you actually get to talk to the teacher in this one.  My brilliant children H and P were of course given good reviews by their teachers and I came home feeling like maybe, just maybe, we will survive another school year.  

Wednesday night was also "game night" at the church building - where a few people who actually enjoy board games can get together and play for a little while.  Seeing as a good friend of mine was in charge and I actually do enjoy a good game - I went and enjoyed myself.  There will not be future game nights as there were just 4 of us, but I may have a few new games that I will have to try out another time!

Thursday - that's today right?  The walk to school felt like a race to see if P could get far enough ahead that I would give up on walking near him.  Apparently being walked to school by your mother isn't "cool" after 2nd grade?  That or the girls just walk unbelievably slow... I'll go with that explanation as I really am unwilling to give up my "cool" quite yet!  I spent a good long time talking with childhood friends and catching up with them - with much thanks to Q's parents who located my long lost calling card - I didn't feel badly at all using minutes that I thought were lost forever!  Q had "ministering night" and M and I went to her preschool open house where she actually acted shy for a few minutes... don't know where that came from, but once good buddy A was there - and C whom she has a little 4 yr old crush on - she was a bouncy flouncy girly girl as always.  I concluded my day by walking with a neighbor around the local park for an hour wishing that the lights would illuminate all parts of the trail!

Now that my week has involved enough activities - I have decided to do nothing tomorrow.  If only - I will actually spend the morning at the car dealership having them repair my left turn signal because I am getting very tired of mapping out every trip around town with only right hand turns!

Enjoy your holiday weekend - I'll see some of you soon (those who live where I am visiting) and you others, well, I'll be back next week with lots of fun stories to tell I'm sure.  Family is always worth at least one good tale!

Killing two birds with one...

oh wait, maybe "killing" isn't the word to use - unless you're talking about my back... 

This morning I decided that we were going to be EFFICIENT and while walking to school we would satisfy one of P's scout requirements by picking up litter on the way.  Nobody was very excited about the prospect but I left the house armed with a backpack with gloves, trash bags, and a water bottle.  M was happy to come along for the walk as long as she could bring "checkers bunny" and a little pet rock who doesn't have a name but is the younger sibling (sometimes sister, sometimes brother) of "Rocky" (always a girl).  

Well, about 1 1/2 houses up the hill (still a mile from the school) M tells me "my knees are getting sleepy" and this is where I should have seen it comin' - but no... not me, we truck up to the intersection where we meet the neighbor and let her knees have a little rest.  Out comes the neighbor with her twins in a stroller and we are off like a herd of turtles...  very determined turtles who happen to be picking up trash!

It doesn't take long before one of the pieces of trash puts a small hole in the bottom of the bag which then releases a steady stream of someone's discarded Hawaiian Punch and other unpleasant liquids - but P carries on with a grimace on his face.  By the time we crossed the main intersection (about halfway to the school) M was DONE.  She wasn't moving, she wasn't even standing anymore - every once in awhile she would go about two sidewalk squares ahead (to see something I was pointing out) but now I am wishing I had never prompted even one extra forward step.

After a long rest the neighbor had caught up (after going all the way to the school and delivering my children for me) and it was time to go home...  it's all downhill so M should be happy right?  Oh no, now she is sitting on the sidewalk and refusing to move a muscle... especially those muscles which cause the corners of her mouth to turn up.  This could get ugly.  Despite much begging I finally picked her up with the agreement that I would carry her until we got to the red car and then she could walk to the corner where I would carry her again until another red car showed up.  Thinking we would turn this into a learning opportunity we discussed the color of each car along the way:  "Is that a red car?"  no, it's black  "Is that a red car?"  no, it's silver  "Is that a red car?"  (it WAS)  no, it's green.  Suddenly my daughter is colorblind as well as lazy.  If you could have seen the grin on her face when she was insisting each red car we saw was actually green, you wouldn't worry about her intelligence as much!  She did get put down a number of times - and occasionally took a few steps, but mostly I was glad for neighbors with more patience than I was in possession of this morning.  We spent a lot of "rest breaks" in the shade waiting for me to feel able to cart around a 4 year old again.  Amazingly, about 3 houses from home she got a burst of energy and began to run down the hill - which lasted up until she was told that No, it is a little too early to go bugging A if she can play!

So now you know why my back is killing me - and I'm going to take a moment to have gratitude for Ibuprofen.

Tomorrow, I'm staying home and letting her brain rot in front of the television - take THAT you educational opportunities!

Update!  Tomorrow we will try again - with stroller along, some books on tape, and her very own water bottle - I need the exercise!

Lazy....

I have been meaning to get my house more organized the past few weeks... more than one fellow blogger (tracey and laura) have posted their successful before and after pictures and try as I might, my after pictures were looking, well - worse.

So yesterday - my dear sweet spouse took all the kids for an evening hike (after they did their own chores... with a little prodding and pushing) while I finished washing and folding all the laundry, straightening up my scrapbook room, and going through the "trash stash" - which is what I affectionately call the pile of important papers that resides next to my bedside table... usually they're not as important by the time I get around to them as they were when they went into the pile.

It's far from perfect - and no, I didn't take any before and after pictures - but it was a nice relaxing evening getting things done that stayed done...  until of course the children came home and took their Saturday night showers - I now have a load of towels and a load of hiking clothes all waiting to be washed.  I love that they all came home exhausted - straight to bed!  They'll be waking up soon though, so I'm enjoying the last few minutes of peace, quiet, and clean!

Celebrity Fashion Influence

Back to School has already happened here - all the school shopping is done, and what a close call!  It's a good thing I didn't know about the money saving tips that were on CBS this morning - The little boy wearing a $45 messenger bag over his $35 corduroys, $35 plaid shirt, $25 graphic tee and $30 newsboy hat (with apologies if I misremembered - or purposely overstated - any of the numbers)...  and then the lovely trend of metallic shoes - inspired by celebrity fashion trendsetter Suri Cruise, who wore her silver Mary Janes all summer and has set the fashion world on end thereby.

I think I'm going to be ill...  but maybe that's because I'm wearing my $7 pants from Ross and two shirts that were less than $20 combined...  I'm apparently underdressed even for the toddler set!

Is our world really this shallow - or is it just the news?  I spend a LOT of time at my kids' schools - and I have yet to see a little boy come traipsing in with his GQ inspired newsboy hat (ahem, hats aren't even allowed in any schools my kids go to) or a little girl with her metallic flats (yeah... play kickball in those!)

I'm sure T would love it if I had that kind of a back to school shopping budget, but then he'd just buy more of the reasonably priced stuff and not blow it all on one outfit!  

Okay - I'm done venting... almost - you should have seen the little $70 dresses that these kid models were supposedly going to wear to school... what little boutiques are they shopping at - and don't they have Targets in New York???