Saturday, March 21, 2009
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!
Yep, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Come Monday, I'm another year older. Perhaps I'm even wiser... let's hope.
Walmart or Target?
As a childcare provider, I'm the lucky recipient of many gift cards during Christmas time. I get everything from Jamba Juice to Bath and Body Works. I don't even feel uncomfortable walking into Starbucks anymore.
This year among my booty I got four gift cards to Target and one to Walmart. I hate going to Walmart. Besides the fact that it's further away than I like to drive, I have never had a nice experience there. But I had a gift card! So today after dropping the boys off with some friends at The Jungle, I braved the San Jose store. Ghetto. I hate to be rude, but there you go. I was very glad my kids weren't with me.
As I walked in, I overheard a couple of police officers speaking with a customer and a couple of employees. They were looking over a picture of some kids and discussing the fact that these kids were trouble makers and had been here before. I decided to make this trip as fast as I could. Problem was, the place was so crowded I had a hard time manouvering my cart.
While walking up an isle near bedding, I saw a group of punk teenagers were throwing pillows at each other. One pillow fell to the floor in the middle of the isle. The boys laughed at each other and one kid told the other to pick up the pillow he had just thrown there. No one did. They stepped over it and moved on. The lady next to me rolled her eyes and picked up the pillow.
While looking at some curtains I was debating on whether to buy for my kitchen, a lady walked up to the same curtains, reached over me, and exclaimed to no one in particular, "How much are these?!" She asked as if she was awe-struck by their beauty (the ones she was looking at were pretty hideous, actually). I realized she was actually talking to me much too late to respond, so I ignored her. She didn't leave. She just kept looking at the curtains I was looking at. So I make a quick decision on what I wanted and left.
Then, when I was looking at some thread, another lady walked up behind me, practically pushing my cart aside, chanting "glue, glue, glue, glue".
It was time to leave. Now. I didn't even stop to use the bathroom, even though I'd been needing to go for the last hour. I took my cart and went to the cashier. She didn't even look at me. No "hello, did you find everything you need?" Not even a "have a good day". I swear I could have held a knife up to her and she'd never known it. Did you know the credit card key pad has the question, "was your cashier friendly" on it? I checked the box "no".
Two miles up the road was a Target. I walked in and instantly I knew why I always go to Target instead of Walmart. Friendly employees, normal people, crowded but not stifling.
If I ever get a gift card to Walmart again, you can have it. I don't even care how much it's for, I'm not going there anymore.
This year among my booty I got four gift cards to Target and one to Walmart. I hate going to Walmart. Besides the fact that it's further away than I like to drive, I have never had a nice experience there. But I had a gift card! So today after dropping the boys off with some friends at The Jungle, I braved the San Jose store. Ghetto. I hate to be rude, but there you go. I was very glad my kids weren't with me.
As I walked in, I overheard a couple of police officers speaking with a customer and a couple of employees. They were looking over a picture of some kids and discussing the fact that these kids were trouble makers and had been here before. I decided to make this trip as fast as I could. Problem was, the place was so crowded I had a hard time manouvering my cart.
While walking up an isle near bedding, I saw a group of punk teenagers were throwing pillows at each other. One pillow fell to the floor in the middle of the isle. The boys laughed at each other and one kid told the other to pick up the pillow he had just thrown there. No one did. They stepped over it and moved on. The lady next to me rolled her eyes and picked up the pillow.
While looking at some curtains I was debating on whether to buy for my kitchen, a lady walked up to the same curtains, reached over me, and exclaimed to no one in particular, "How much are these?!" She asked as if she was awe-struck by their beauty (the ones she was looking at were pretty hideous, actually). I realized she was actually talking to me much too late to respond, so I ignored her. She didn't leave. She just kept looking at the curtains I was looking at. So I make a quick decision on what I wanted and left.
Then, when I was looking at some thread, another lady walked up behind me, practically pushing my cart aside, chanting "glue, glue, glue, glue".
It was time to leave. Now. I didn't even stop to use the bathroom, even though I'd been needing to go for the last hour. I took my cart and went to the cashier. She didn't even look at me. No "hello, did you find everything you need?" Not even a "have a good day". I swear I could have held a knife up to her and she'd never known it. Did you know the credit card key pad has the question, "was your cashier friendly" on it? I checked the box "no".
Two miles up the road was a Target. I walked in and instantly I knew why I always go to Target instead of Walmart. Friendly employees, normal people, crowded but not stifling.
If I ever get a gift card to Walmart again, you can have it. I don't even care how much it's for, I'm not going there anymore.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Picture Catch-Up
Here is a picture gallery of what we've been up to the last few months...
Jelly Belly Factory
12/31/08
Our family with grandma, the Harline cousins, Uncle Jason & Aunt Jen and kids, Uncle Trent & Aunt Rachel, and Mike & Ruth Seagraves and kids
Mike was generous enough to buy each family a bag of Belly Flops. N~ was holding our bag and while shaking it over his head it suddenly burst open and spilled all over the parking lot. Everyone but N~ thought it was funny. Cousins Samuel and Dove snuck back inside and got us a new bag as a surprise.
When life hands you a bag of lemons...
(or in this case, a spilled bag of Jelly Bellies)
Make a MOSAIC!
Make a MOSAIC!
2/13/09
Dinner with the sister missionaries
Valentine's Day 2009
In the words of my good friend Kim:
"Who says Valentine's Day has to be S.A.D. (Single Awareness Day)?"
So we got together and celebrated... GIRL POWER style!
"My New Recipe" and Other Cuteness
One day this month while we were driving from here to there, N~ asked if we could "listen to that song My New Recipe". After a few minutes of confusion, I realized he was talking about a song from the You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown musical soundtrack. Its real name is "My New Philosophy". :) We had a good laugh together.
Last week he lost another tooth. He told me that I wasn't allowed to pull it out like last time, because he didn't want it to bleed. Of course, at this point the tooth was hanging by a thread, and he was having a hard time eating and brushing his teeth. But being the good mom that I am, I agreed not to pull it out. After school on Thursday I noticed it was missing, and he said, "Oh yeah! I was playing with it today and it just went 'pop!' And it didn't hurt at all, mom!"
B~ got new glasses this weekend. After the school nurse suggested I take him to an eye doctor for a more thorough exam, he was pretty sure he'd look like a nerd if he had to get glasses. I tried to convince him otherwise, but it wasn't until he started noticing on his own that all his "cool" friends at school had glasses, that he decided it might be okay. We got him a great looking frame that compliments his face, and when he put them on for the first time yesterday he said, "Wow! Everything is so clear! I can see the TV now!" Yes, that's very important. We got the glasses so he could see the TV. Priorities.
Doesn't B~ look intelligent?
Notice the gap in N~'s bottom teeth?
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Infamous "25 Things"
Yeah, so I caved. I've gotten tagged so many times on Facebook with this whole "25 Things You May Not Know About Me" stuff, that I finally decided to join the club. Here goes...
1. I have a strange attraction to the number 5. I'm the 5th in my family, I wear size 5 shoes, I'm 5 feet tall, my birthday both adds up to (the 23rd ... 2 + 3) and subtracts to (1972 ... 7-2) equal the number 5 --- there's more, I'm just too tired, and you're probably bored by now.
2. I whistle when I'm happy, blush at inappropriate times, and giggle when someone tells me a tragic story about themselves.
3. I started playing the flute when I was in the 4th grade and sometimes I still play -- but just in church.
4. I took piano lessons most of my life and never learned theory until I was in my mid-30's.
5. My 10-year-old knows more music theory than I do.
6. My 7-year-old pretends he sleep-walks and climbs into bed with me. I pretend I don't like it.
7. Someday I want to dance to "The Best Thing For You (Would Be Me)" by Nat King Cole and "Everything" by Michael Buble at my wedding.
8. I hate watching TV, but I'm inexplicably addicted to the old series "Charmed". (Thanks a lot, Rach.)
9. I once told my mom that my little brother climbed up the laddice on our back porch to get onto the roof. He got in trouble. But it was really me who did it. I still feel guilty for that.
10. I grew up thinking every family should go girl/boy/girl/boy/girl/boy/girl and couldn't understand what was wrong with everyone else's family!
11. My favorite thing to do on a weekend is curl up in my jammies and a blanket and devour a whole bowl of air-popped popcorn (with real butter and salt) in front of a chick flick.
12. My brothers and sisters and I found a recipe on the box of Cheerios when we were kids called "Hot Buttered O's". It's made by saute-ing a bowl of cheerios in butter on the stove. We ate it for breakfast as often as we could. I still eat them.
13. My first kiss was when I was 12 years old. I'm going to lock my kids up when they turn 12!
14. And since we're on the topic.... I want to end up with a guy who can make my brain go to mush when he kisses me. It's happened only once in my life. (Thank you "S" for showing me it was possible!)
15. When I'm alone I listen to musical theater soundtracks in my car and imagine I'm playing the lead role while I sing along.
16. I think Hugh Jackman should dedicate a song to me before I die.
17. I was a missionary for my church for 18 months when I was 21 years old. I got to meet thousands of people from hundreds of countries that I didn't even know existed. And it all happened on a small 10-acre plot of ground named "Temple Square" in Salt Lake City.
18. I've only been outside of the United States once in my life. I spent Thanksgiving weekend on a beach in a border town in Mexico when I lived in Tucson, AZ.
19. I have a passport. I hope to use it someday.
20. I'm a succor for compliments. Flattery will get you almost anywhere with me!
21. While on said beach in Mexico, in the middle of the night, I used a diaper so I wouldn't have to find a bush. I was 8 months pregnant with my second child. (Those little wonders sure can hold their own!)
22. I cry at least twice a week -- and usually it's not because I'm sad.
23. I secretly jumped for joy when my 10-year-old told me that he had a girlfriend.
24. I eat home-made oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough when the kids aren't looking.
25. I run a preschool and a school-age after school program. I tell everyone that I miss being a teacher, but really, I like being the boss better!
1. I have a strange attraction to the number 5. I'm the 5th in my family, I wear size 5 shoes, I'm 5 feet tall, my birthday both adds up to (the 23rd ... 2 + 3) and subtracts to (1972 ... 7-2) equal the number 5 --- there's more, I'm just too tired, and you're probably bored by now.
2. I whistle when I'm happy, blush at inappropriate times, and giggle when someone tells me a tragic story about themselves.
3. I started playing the flute when I was in the 4th grade and sometimes I still play -- but just in church.
4. I took piano lessons most of my life and never learned theory until I was in my mid-30's.
5. My 10-year-old knows more music theory than I do.
6. My 7-year-old pretends he sleep-walks and climbs into bed with me. I pretend I don't like it.
7. Someday I want to dance to "The Best Thing For You (Would Be Me)" by Nat King Cole and "Everything" by Michael Buble at my wedding.
8. I hate watching TV, but I'm inexplicably addicted to the old series "Charmed". (Thanks a lot, Rach.)
9. I once told my mom that my little brother climbed up the laddice on our back porch to get onto the roof. He got in trouble. But it was really me who did it. I still feel guilty for that.
10. I grew up thinking every family should go girl/boy/girl/boy/girl/boy/girl and couldn't understand what was wrong with everyone else's family!
11. My favorite thing to do on a weekend is curl up in my jammies and a blanket and devour a whole bowl of air-popped popcorn (with real butter and salt) in front of a chick flick.
12. My brothers and sisters and I found a recipe on the box of Cheerios when we were kids called "Hot Buttered O's". It's made by saute-ing a bowl of cheerios in butter on the stove. We ate it for breakfast as often as we could. I still eat them.
13. My first kiss was when I was 12 years old. I'm going to lock my kids up when they turn 12!
14. And since we're on the topic.... I want to end up with a guy who can make my brain go to mush when he kisses me. It's happened only once in my life. (Thank you "S" for showing me it was possible!)
15. When I'm alone I listen to musical theater soundtracks in my car and imagine I'm playing the lead role while I sing along.
16. I think Hugh Jackman should dedicate a song to me before I die.
17. I was a missionary for my church for 18 months when I was 21 years old. I got to meet thousands of people from hundreds of countries that I didn't even know existed. And it all happened on a small 10-acre plot of ground named "Temple Square" in Salt Lake City.
18. I've only been outside of the United States once in my life. I spent Thanksgiving weekend on a beach in a border town in Mexico when I lived in Tucson, AZ.
19. I have a passport. I hope to use it someday.
20. I'm a succor for compliments. Flattery will get you almost anywhere with me!
21. While on said beach in Mexico, in the middle of the night, I used a diaper so I wouldn't have to find a bush. I was 8 months pregnant with my second child. (Those little wonders sure can hold their own!)
22. I cry at least twice a week -- and usually it's not because I'm sad.
23. I secretly jumped for joy when my 10-year-old told me that he had a girlfriend.
24. I eat home-made oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough when the kids aren't looking.
25. I run a preschool and a school-age after school program. I tell everyone that I miss being a teacher, but really, I like being the boss better!
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