Back to School

The kids have been in school for about 3 weeks now.  Better late than never, right?

Nick is a Junior in high school.  11th grade.    I have faith that this will be his year.  We seem to be off to a good start.  I have my fingers crossed that this system we've got going this year will work for him. 

Maddie is in the 8th grade.  Junior high is still tough, but she wasn't nearly as worried about going back to school this year.  I think it will be a good year for her too.

Zach is in the 6th grade.  In some ways it really bothers me that this is his last year of elementary school.  Growing up too quickly.

Christopher is in the 2nd grade.  He gets to keep his SPICE teacher, all his the aides from last year, but he also spends much of his day in a regular second grade class.  He loves all of it.  The only thing he isn't happy about is that he decided he would get to drive the bus to school this year.   I explained he needed to be "big like daddy."  He told me to "stop making me be little" and that when he's 10 he'll be "big like daddy" and he'll drive the bus then. 

reading, writing, and other stuff.

"other stuff"?!? Is that really the best I can come up with?!?

One of my favorite authors, Robin McKinley, has a blog which I still occasionally read, but not as much as I used to.  Recently however, when I see her link on facebook mentioning her new blog post, I usually just scroll past.  I didn't really think about it, I just wasn't in the mood.  And then the other day I did get to thinking about it mostly because I was thinking about this blog and how I've been neglecting it recently.

I realize there is ample evidence to the contrary, but I usually try to subscribe to the "No Whining/If you can't say anything nice..." method of blogging.  Which is why I think I stopped frequenting her blog, it felt like she was just complaining ALL THE TIME.  Her actual books are much better, I promise (if you like the whole fantasy genre which I do).

So I haven't blogged, because the only thing on my mind is this stupid ear infection.  It's been annoying me for TWO SOLID WEEKS!!!  I've been to the doctor 3 different times, and have been prescribed three different medications.  The infection part is gone, but the fluid buildup WON'T GO AWAY.

My hearing is all messed up, I either can't hear things, or I do hear things that aren't there (I heard a TV on the other night when all the kids where tucked snug in their beds and all portable electronics were turned in to me) which of course makes me feel like I'm crazy, and then there are certain sounds which actually do make me especially crazy.   I had to leave church early the other day because the organ had turned into my own personal torture device.  It's usually worse by the end of the day, and by then I have to ask Maddie to stop talking because her voice is especially irritating. I think it's just naturally too high or something like that.  Nick's and Zach's voices seem fine.  Christopher's is especially bad as well, but there's no point in asking him to stop.

And all this means I just can't think.  When there's not pain, there's constant pressure, which feels like there's a vacuum in my head, which at first I was like "Ha ha.  Get it? A vacuum?  Like in space? Ha ha" but now there's like this hollow echoing noise when I tap my teeth together or tap on my forehead.  So now between the fact that I'm hearing voices, my inability to think, the vacuum-like feeling behind my ear, and the hollow sound when I tap on my head, I'm thinking the joke isn't so funny any more. 

I'd like my brains/mind back now please.

So how come I'm telling you all this now?  Mostly cause at this point I'm afraid I will never get my own head back so I might as well just talk about it, and secondly because I was just inspired to write.  I've been reading this other book, I Capture the Castle, which I am LOVING by the way, and the story is basically from the point of view of this young girl through her journal.   And she talks about writing until her hand is numb, but she's so excited to get down the events of her day that she couldn't stop, and I started thinking about myself and how I used to be like that, and I have several (well hidden) volumes from when I was her age, but now in my (old) age I let little things like the inability to think stop me from writing.  (And let's face it, I am sure that there have been many other blog posts where whether or not I had a fully functioning brain was in question.  I know there's at least a couple over the years where I was under the influence of Vicodin or Percocet or something, and I'm sure there were many where I was totally sober, I just sounded like I wasn't). 

So I'm writing what's on my mind.  Even if the number one thing I'm thinking about is this stupid, stinking, annoying, ear infection.

Putting the "Fun" back in Funerals

John's grandpa died while we were in Utah.

And while it was sad, and tears were shed, and he will be missed, it really was time for him to go. So it was kindof a good thing.  He'd already outlived John's grandma by a decade, and he was pretty much confined to his house with health issues, and was just miserable, and I've even been told he'd wake up in the morning and swear loudly because he didn't die in his sleep.

So, it was sad, but a relief as well.

And this might sound a little obnoxious, but I gotta say, he really couldn't have picked a better time to die.  We were already in Utah, so we were all able to attend, (if he died during the school year, odds are only John would have been able to make it) and since it was summer break, John's sister came out with her kids and we got to spend some time with them.   John's family is scattered across the country, and we got to see them all, with only a couple of exceptions.

Of course John's sister wanted to spend our time together down at BYU, so that's what we did.  We ate, we shopped at the BYU bookstore, we saw Despicable Me 2, and got ice cream at the Creamery. 

(Good News!! At seven years old, Christopher is finally willing to sit through whole movies now! So far just animated ones, but it's a step towards being able to do stuff like that as a family.)

Since we were going to see so many people at the funeral, I decided to bring my big camera in it's big ol' camera bag.  Of course I wasn't able to pull it out until after all the official funeral stuff was over, and several of us happened to go get ice cream at Farr's on the way back to our respective houses/hotels.  (John's family loves their ice cream- especially Root Beer flavored for some reason.)

It just felt weird to take pictures.   Despite being married into the family and being warmly welcomed and accepted by them (they really are very wonderful people) I still felt like an outsider, because he wasn't my grandpa.  While I could empathize with their grief, I really couldn't share in it, therefore taking pictures just felt so inappropriate.  "Hey, sorry for your loss.  Smile!" (I did manage to sneak this one with my iphone.)

Thank heavens for ice cream though. I'd been lugging that thing around all day, and would have been disappointed to not be able to bust it out and use it even a little bit.

Vernal or "When I was your Age..."

I love the movie Princess Bride.  I think it has to be my absolute favorite movie.  C'mon.  It has everything.  "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..." 

And it has the best quotes.  For instance, there's this line at the very beginning where the grandpa is talking to the grandson and he's like "When I was your age, television was called books."  Of course nowadays, it's not just television, it's computers and video games as well, and when I was a kid, we didn't sit around on our butts plugged into video screen going on virtual adventures, no, we did something wild and crazy and used our imaginations.  (okay, so I am sure I did do my fair share of watching TV and stuff, but I SWEAR it was like a fraction of what kids do today)

I'm having a hard time not ranting here.  I've deleted several paragraphs because I just sound like an old crazy lady who can't shut up about the good old days.  Going on and on about riding bikes and building forts and clubhouses and running through sprinklers and going inside for three reasons only: eat, use the bathroom, and cause it was getting dark and I'd get grounded and have to stay inside if I couldn't manage to get home before dark.

But as I sit here and try to write about visiting our friends in Vernal, I just get frustrated.  (Not at them, they're great) but at kids these days in general. 

I remember one day in particular it was gorgeous out.  Like a perfect day. 72 degrees outside and sunny, with a few white clouds floating lazily by.  And a breeze.  A lovely, lovely breeze.  I just wanted to be outside. 

But all the kids were inside plugged into something.  TV, computers, ipods, phones...

"Go outside!!! It's gorgeous out!!! This is why we leave Phoenix in the summer, so you can have days like this!!!"  I should have added, (but only thought of as I was writing this) "Do you know how many childhood summers you get?!?!? And THIS is how you are spending them?!?!?" 

So we'd force activities on them,

like going to the 4th of July Parade,

and rafting down the river (that's not really the river, it's actually the canal in front of their house, but it was the closest thing to a picture of a river since I left anything that could get ruined by water at home)

or hiking up a mountain,

and taking them to the pool where Christopher jumped off the high dive for the first time ever without a moment's hesitation, (and then did it over and over again- "Mommy!  I go BOOM!")

and learning to ride 4 wheelers.

Because let's face it, I don't think anyone, anywhere could look back on their lives and think, "I wish I played more video games."

Long story short, we had a great week in Vernal with our good friends.

 

Girl's camp

So, I mentioned that Madison went to girls' camp with our church and I gave her a faulty camera which died without capturing a single image of her time at camp.

So, since I can't share those images with you, I figured pictures of my time at camp OVER 20 years ago would be like the same thing.  (For reals. Most if not all of these pictures were taken in 1992.  That makes me feel old.)


Me in the tent.  I actually think this one is 1988 or so.  Like my first year of camp.



Camping and junk food are made for each other.



Best outfit ever. Thermal underwear, sweat shorts, Esprit t-shirt, tulip shaped necklace made of wood, and a baseball cap.



Craft time!!!



First Aid.  That's a bone sticking out of my arm.  Ouch. At least I got rid of the thermals.



First Aid again.  Same wound, but now with blood.



Singing campfire songs!



We all got matching sweatshirts.  Apparently I spilled down the front of myself and took it off before picture time, but pretended to wear it so I would wouldn't look ridiculous. 



I can only guess that we were dressed up for a skit.



Self portrait. This one is actually 1994.  Sorry it's so blurry.

So that's about it.  Girls' camp in a nutshell.

Playing catch up.

I hate playing catch up. 

As with everything else in life, (dishes, laundry, watching all my DVR'd shows) keeping up with blogging is a whole lot easier than trying to play catch up.

And I think I've set a new personal record.  I'm like 2 whole months behind.  Go Me.

So. Summer Happened.

Actually it's still technically summer, but school starts in a couple days, so summer break is over, but we still get to enjoy 100+ degrees for a couple more months.  Yay.   At least I have plenty of blogging to do to keep me busy and out of the heat.

So our summer was basically divided into to parts- Arizona and Utah. Pretty self explanatory.  Today I will be focusing on our time in Arizona.

We hung out here for a month doing the usual, you know trying to keep cool.

Christopher and Zach had swim lessons and swim team stuff. 

Zach was on the local "swim team" but wasn't interested in actually racing.  I didn't make him because the meets usually fell on nights that I was pretty busy, so we didn't make it to a single meet.

 I took them to the pool a few times.  There is a local pool that is open a couple nights a week until 9pm, which is a total win-win for me as it's cool enough that I don't have to get into the water (or a swimsuit) and can just sit and read but still keep an eye on them, AND nobody gets sun burnt.  Oh, AND it's less crowded.  So that's like win-win-win.  After a few excursions, Christopher learned he likes waterslides.  We get excited about every little achievement with that kid. (most of them are hard fought.)

Maddie went to girls' camp.  I gave her my old camera to take pictures with, but it died taking the very first picture.  I heard she had lots of fun.  She came home dirty and tired and with a smile on her face and talked my ear off for a couple of days and had no major injuries and was relatively bug-bite free, so it sounds like it was a total success.

I was going to treat you with pictures of my years of girls camp instead, but that would require finding the pictures, and scanning them in, and I think there might have been technical issues which required help, so clearly that's probably a lost cause.  Too bad. Unflattering pictures of myself from the early nineties are always fun stuff.

Nick went to Scout camp and EFY.  I have no pictures of either of these things either.  I might be able to track some down, but I think they were scarce as well.

I have to say though THANK HEAVENS for those two weeks Nick was gone off to camp/EFY.  Nick said all it took was about two days of Scout to get his head on straight.  Nick had a girlfriend last year that as parents we weren't too excited about.  I won't go into details, but at the end of the day, his dad and I were pushing "Dating Lots Of Girls" and "No Serious Relationships" and he thought we were from another planet and knew nothing.  Even though just a year ago he thought it was a great plan, and he was excited about it, but a year later, suddenly he's talking marriage. (to her)  His texts between himself and her were vomit inducing.

For Reals.

Fortunately after just two days of fresh mountain air and lots of fun activities like rappelling and horse back riding, and many testimony building moments, and no access to a cell phone, and suddenly her spell was broken.  And then we sent him to EFY, where he met lots of cute girls from all over the valley,
and suddenly he was VERY Single.   And our Evil Plan worked.  Muahaha.

Of course there's a whole new year spread out before us, and anything could happen, and then there's the little fact that he has no driver's license and no job (no money) so that makes dating hard, but we are back on the right track, so that's a good thing.