Gag Me With a Spoon!

So I am really not obsessed with Kate Gosselin, she just really really bugs me to the point that I cannot contain myself. A little history. My kids and I would occasionally watch Jon & Kate + 8 when Brady was out playing hoops. Her anal retentive tendencies were totally annoying then (no bare feet on the hotel room floor-no matter that we probably got this hotel room for free). Jon played the hen-pecked husband well. Then they moved to the huge new house and had guest stars appearing on their show and I thought to myself, "they are getting a little too big for their britches". Then they split up. Fine. Jon is a jerk. Kate complained that the TLC show was the only way to support her family and I think that is a bunch of BS. But at least with that show she was home with her kids (the reason she is doing all of this right?). Since the break up it seems she is always off doing one project or another, getting hair extensions, appearing in People magazine, telling an interviewer that she thinks her future is as a movie star, etc. Now I hear she has a another reality show with TLC in the works. That is it. I am done with TLC. I'm sick of people exploiting their own families for profit (go exploit someone else's family!). I'm sick of seeing Kate on the Today show daily. Really, what is she talking about? Who is with the eight kids? I don't know because I refuse to watch it. Gag is a word that comes to mind. I haven't watched Dancing with the Stars but I'm sure it would throw me over the edge. Maybe I am already there.

What did you do today?

Here is my day in all of its glory. I constantly feel like I can't get anything done. I usually use work as an excuse but I hardly did any work today and still have nothing to show for the day.

Wake up and put the laundry in the dryer and a new load in (it never ends).
Husband realizes and reminds me that son needs to bring research articles to school today (we had all weekend to do this but forgot!).
Help son find and print info on the planet Saturn for 3rd grade project.
Get email from boss requesting some info. Replied that I will work on it after I get the kids to school.
Help kids get ready for school--breakfast, clothes, snacks, water bottles, luckily they both wanted to buy lunch today. I realize that they should make their own lunches, snacks, etc. but babysteps.
Get dressed and teeth brushed 5 minutes before going to the bus stop. Wake up 2-year old to go to the bus stop.
Get older kids on the bus and go home.
Get 2-year old settled watching Sesame Street.
Research info for boss and email it to him.
More laundry--new load, putting away, etc.
Get on the computer and to check personal email, FB and blogs.
Decide that I need to be a super couponer (even though I don't know how). Spend too much time looking for and printing out coupons (I did save $8 at the grocery store tonight).
Got info and filled out application for son to do a camp at the Littleton Historical Museum this summer.
Made list of stuff I need to do--didn't get any of it done.
Decided I really hate my laundry room right now. It is a disaster!
Took call from someone at work and did a little work.
Made the bed, put away more laundry.
Put makeup on and fixed hair.
Went to lunch with sisters-the hightlight of my day. On the way I see two Moms out for a run (I think they are in my ward) with their jogging strollers and I feel lame because I never do that and I don't really have a friend to do it with. I don't even have a jogging stroller.
Get another call from work requesting something. I will probably work on it tonight.
Took 2-year old to the park. Realized that I don't fit in with most of the park moms. I don't wear a baseball or castro-style cap or have designer jeans or any Ed Hardy (or whatever it is) gear on. Also realized that I want a different style of sunglasses.
Got 2-year old down for a nap which entailed a "tough love" snuggle and watching Cars.
Checked email, FB and Blogger again.
Downloaded recent photos. Thought about posting photos to FB and then thought, "does anyone really care about these? Am I annoying for posting so many pictures? Am I just doing this for myself?" So I didn't post any photos.
Paid some bills online.
More laundry.
2-year old wakes up so I snuggle him on the couch for a little bit.
Start watching Oprah (Lisa Ling interviews child molesters) for 15 minutes until big kids get home (DVR the rest).
Get kids going on homework.
I work on the dishes, make kids clean up, yell alot.
Husband gets home from work--what do I have to show for my day? Not much!
We all finish straightening up the house-more yelling, decide to go out for dinner since we have to go to the library (Saturn project) anyway.
Dinner at Scholtzky's (Penn throws up), go to the library, check out muchos libros.
Get VM from babysitter (manny) who has been out of town for two weeks. The message is that he will be back on Thursday-yeah! and that he is working with his brother this summer (ugh, what will I do?).
Get home and we all decompress which entails the kids watching Phineas and Ferb while I try to think of who can help me out with the kids this summer (stress).
Watch a recorded episode of Life with the whole family. The Bower birds were the best!
Get Husband and kids in bed (our queen sized bed for snuggles).
Go running at the rec center for 25 minutes (until it closes). Man, I am out of shape!
Come home. Big kids still awake and snuggling, husband fast asleep.
Get kids in their beds.
Go grocery shopping (with all my coupons!). Plan healthy meals my kids will like in my head-what will reality be?
Come home and think about posting to my blog and then doing a little work.
Watch Intervention while posting and contemplating work.
The End

My Special Kids

So, I probably do not blog (brag) enough about my kids. They really are quite amazing to me! Here is a poem Quinton did at school. I have to hide on the side of the fridge because if he saw it on display he would rip it up. He's just that way.

Here is a drawing Sophia did for her friend Elana. I had to hurry and scan it before she gave it away. As you can probably tell it is the Cheshire Cat. What I love are the peace sign eyes. She likes peace signs and I think that is so cute! She is very observant and vivacious.

What can I say about Penn? He entertains and amazes us daily! He is the proof to me that children come with their own personalities. I think he came with extra!

Here is a picture of me in my new glasses.

A few more Quinton items before he finds them and destroys them. I love the candid baseball picture since we can't get him to smile for posed photos. I'm glad the photographer got this shot!

Not that there's anything wrong with that

Signs that I am well on my way to becoming an old woman....

I get chilled and need to wear sweaters and jackets like never before.

The heated seat in my car is my friend.

I was telling a story the other night and saw a look in the listener's eye that I recognized. It was that look of "I have already heard this story but I am going to indulge her".

I am developing strong opinions about things that are really not that controversial (i.e. when a product says reduced sugar but they replace the sugar with artificial sweetener. Why can't they just reduce the sugar?!). See what I mean?

I am starting to hold grudges.

I check the fiber content of food I eat.

I feel the need to butt into conversations when I hear inaccurate information.

I'm sure there are more but I can't remember.

The pictures above are a couple of ladies who I love very much and skinny dip with on occasion. Here is to growing older with style!

A Little ELO?

So last night I was at the grocery store when I heard a song that took me back (way back) down memory lane. The song? All Around the World by ELO--you know Electric Light Orchestra. You don't remember it? Well it goes something like this, "Everybody all around the world I have a message have you heard the word? There's gonna be a party all over the world". When I was about 8 or so my friend Cheralyn (I don't even remember how to spell her name) and I would roller skate or simply run around in circles in her unfinished basement to the Xanadu record (and when I say record I mean the actual record with the blue label with a rainbow on it). It was awesome!

I loved roller skating. I had blue skates with red and white accents while Lysa had white skates with red and blue accents. I always wanted the white ones but the blue worked just fine. Remember when you first learned to skate down your driveway? Remember the really steep driveways on the block that were always there taunting you to try them? I remember when I got some hand me down skates that looked likes sneakers with wheels on them. Blue and gold if I remember correctly. Those were cool too. Ooooh and I had a very cool shiny roller skating jacket. Did it have an applique skate on it? I think so. Or did I just want one and now my mind has tricked me into thinking I had it? Remember when we skated to and from Burger King (did our moms know what we were doing?!) and I pulled Lysa by the balloon string wrapped around her wrist and nearly severed her hand? Sorry Lysa!

So what are some good roller skating songs you may ask? Here is my list:

Xanadu--duh

Centerfold--I didn't know what it meant

Freeze Frame

Whip It

Let's Get Physical

Another One Bites the Dust

Eye of the Tiger

Stayin' Alive

Disco roller skating at Classic Skate in Orem during my BYU days was fun as well. I lived for those Saturday nights. If you were my sister or roommate I'm sure I pressured you into going with me on more than one occasion. Where else could you wear short shorts and shiny jackets with tube socks, I mean come on!

So....even though I am pretty antisocial I think I will try to get a group of ladies (hey ladies!) together to go roller skating some night. If there are enough of us we won't be as scared of the teenaged hoodlums who probably hang out at the Skate City these days. Who's in? I promise not to wear short shorts!

What is running through my mind while watching the Olympics...

Is that guy really wearing overalls? Is that guy really wearing a top that looks like a corset with pink lacing? Does that guy really have feathers on his hands? --The black feather outfit actually looked good and was evidently designed by Vera Wang, but still. How do they spin so fast? Am I a bad person because I kind of didn't want Lindsay Vonn to win? Shaun White sure has a thing about open shirts during interviews, he also wears a lot of rings. How old is Bob Costas and when did he start coloring his hair? How do those moguls effect the knees? I can barely walk down the stairs in the morning. How do they walk after that? Are any athletes besides snow boarders allowed to listen to their ipods while competing? I know that Curling has a long tradition but is it really a "sport"? I would have to argue that pool or shuffle board are the next logical sports along these lines. These althetes are brave-there is no way you could get me on the ski jump or downhill runs or in a speed skating outfit for that matter.

Advice

So Brady's mom loves a quote on the wall at Jimmy Johns: Experience is what happens when you don't get what you want. Ain't it the truth?! So here are so other little pearls of wisdom/advice that I gleened (sp?) mostly from my TV. I know, I need to get out a little more!

**Please don't interpret this as me thinking I know everything or suggesting that these little phrases can replace the scriptures, prophets, parents, etc. as places to look for guidance. Ok?

Try? There is no try only do. Oh Yoda, wise you are. Often the anticipation of doing something is scarier than actually doing it. The hardest part of running for me is the first few steps. Quinton is terrified of going on Splash Mountain at Disneyland. He has gotten himself so worked up about it he is literally frozen with fear. Well, not literally, I guess that phrase is overused but trust me he won't budge. He has dreams about it, he watches videos of actual

riders on YouTube, has us describe it in detail, etc. He is obsessed with being scared of it. If he just did it, Splash Mountain would lose its scary mystique. What is your Splash Mountain?

Just keep swimming. This is literal advice for me these days. "Hey Beth, you want to do a triathlon?" Me: "Sure". Me trying to swim for half a mile: "Panic!". Anyway, I like Dori's advice here. What else can you do? You've got to just keep on keepin' on!

Let it go. Keep moving forward. This is from Meet the Robinson's which is actually a really cute movie. My kids love it because it has little hidden Disneyland references and we LOVE hidden references especially of the Disney sort--also known as "Hidden Mickeys". Am I overusing quotes in this blog post? Trust me, I need to "Let it go". Easier said than done. This phrase is actually what got me thinking about this post.

You can't always get what you want. No no no. No no no. No no no no. It won't even help if you keep on asking. Yo Gabba Gabba anyone? We don't watch YGG much but this is a song from the Jack Black episode which is really really funny. My favorite part is the last sentence. No matter how hard you want something, most of the time you can't force it.

Your sister should be your best friend. Feel free to insert brother, mom, dad, spouse, son, daughter, etc. This is from my Dad and is good advice. He gave it to me when I was a teenager and annoyed that my younger sister wanted to hang out with me and my friends. Your family (in most cases) can be your greatest source of comfort, camaraderie, fun, entertainment, etc. What would I do without my family?!

I made a good choice...in [choosing] my best friend(s). I don't remember Mater's exact words from Cars but it is a sweet sentiment nonetheless!

Well, as you can see my scanner is working! Here are some nostalgic pics of some of my best friends.

Looking our best! Yes, we are a near-sighted bunch.

Wow, a picture with both the Merc and the Omni!

Brady and I in our younger years. He still looks young but not this young!