Coming Attractions...

I promise I will write my Week In Review tomorrow. I just haven't had much to say this weekend. I read a couple of books and saw a lot of movies the week though, so be ready for tomorrow.

Thursday Thirteen #47

Thirteen of My Favorite Kitchen Accessories:



I've made very little secret here that I can't cook very well (unless it's Italian cuisine). That doesn't mean that I don't try. Over the years, I've accumulated a few gadgets that I haven't used twice, but even more that I absolutely love and use constantly. So, here are 13 must-haves for my kitchen:

I bought a small one from the sales bin at Fry's during my first attempt at grad school many years ago. I didn't do so well at getting my Master's in Classical Archeology, but dang did I make some good pasta sauce. And it was much quicker to prepare once I didn't have to chop onions, carrots, and whatever else I felt like throwing in there by hand. I still have my clearance sale treasure many years later-and now I have a Master's too.


I don't mean to make this blog entry one continual ad for Pampered Chef or Tupperware, but they will both have lots of products on display tonight. This one here is my favorite PC purchase ever. It's not one of their pricier products, but I have used the one I have for about 10 years for innumerable snack times without ever needing to replace it. (I do like the fanicier apple peeler/corer as well, and I even have one. But I only use it for pies. I like my kids to eat their apple peels.)



Switching over to Tupperware now-I'm not sure how badly I needed these to organize my pantry, but the larger ones hold the contents of a full foil pouch food storage container which has been very convenient any time I've opened one. My pantry used to be pretty messy before I discovered these. (What? Not everyone stores a year's supply of food in foil pouches and cans? You think I'm weird for doing that? Hey, it's come in handy between paychecks more than a few times, my friends. And I am weird.)



Back to Pampered Chef for a moment. I bought and broke every other brand of wire whisk for several years before I broke down and went for quality over cheap price (not something I do easily). In this case, quality wins. I've had this about four years now and it still looks brand-new.



This doesn't look like Tupperware, but it is! I have no idea what scary price these go for in the catalog, but I earned them back when I sold Tupperware to pay for grad school. They are the nicest pots and pans I have ever owned. The lids do that draining/steaming thing, they are very sturdy, and they aren't kidding when they call them non-stick. (Which is good for the gal who still burns green beans.)


I'll never forget when Chris and I first spotted this on an informercial after watching a week's worth of taped All My Children episodes. I fell in love, and when it hit retail shelves a few years later; Chris bought me one for my birthday. We spent that summer at my apartment in Post Oak melting many an interesting combination with it. The tortillas didn't work so well, but I still use it to make my pancakes with some 15 years later. (It used to be the only way I could make them without burning them-as many of my poor mission companions would discover.) This one has been replaced once because the original was a little too well uh...seasoned after several years use. Still a favorite, and still something that I use often-even though I can make pancakes without burning them no matter how I cook them now.


But if I DO burn something, I sure love these Pampered Chef scrapers for clean-up. I order a set at any party I attend. They are inexpensive, the only thing to use on Pampered Chef stoneware, and the also are invaluable cleaning tools. I use them more for cleaning my floor and flat-range stove-top than I do for their actual purpose and I love them.


And I don't think it's possible to burn these. Did you know that you can use the rubber spatulas on the stove-top. I use them to scramble eggs and not once have they even looked like they broke a sweat. This is yet another example of paying for quality, and of course, they are made by Tupperware. (And yes, I earned them rather than paying for them.)



I got a set of these as a wedding gift and have used them pretty much every day since then.


Rarely do I fix Sunday dinner anywhere, but in one of these. I've had to buy a bigger one in the last few years, but it was worth the money.

And if you cook in a Crock-pot regularly, you've just gotta have these too!

My grandmother bought me a baking dish similar to this back when the Frankoma pottery company was still up and running. Sadly, it wound up being my only piece of Frankoma before they closed up shop. I use it about once a week.

And finally, if I'm going to cook and make a mess; I need something good to clean with-this is my favorite!

Thanks for reading. For more Thursday Thirteens, click here!

Friday Wednesday Flashback

Since I was four years-old, May the 28th has always meant one thing: My friend Michele's birthday. I'll never forget playing in my front yard on Normandie Dr. some 30+ years ago when a car and a moving van pulled into the driveway just across the street and, after being surrounded by Jake and Donna who were younger, and Darren, Dawn, and Robbie who were older; a girl my very same size climbed out of the car, waved at me from behind her mother, and held up four fingers to let me know she was just my age. We were inseparable for the next two years while her Dad finished college and have stayed in touch intermittently since then.

We have had many adventures over those years. I remember fondly our teen-aged visits back and forth here and in Ft. Worth: Climbing on our roof tops, ice skating at professional rinks and on the frozen blacktop at Whittier Middle School, watching The Lost Boys and Summer School endlessly (two of my recent movie quotes came from there because they were two of our favorites), letters, long-distance phone calls, silly crushes on stupid boys, driving around Ft. Worth at WAY too late an hour, poking fun at your Dad's taste in rental houses and neighborhoods, and meeting up at Six Flags. Lots of good times...and lots of making the best of bad times too. Parent fights, jerky boyfriends, divorce, and most recently the loss of her Dad. Which, sadly, is the last time I heard from her-and I wasn't smart enough to write down her cell number following that late-night phone call. Still a couple of hours surfing the web this morning found me a MySpace page, some pictures, and the news that she is expecting a baby boy! I left a Friend request, but even so I just felt the need to post some good wishes to the one person outside my family that I have known the longest! Happy Birthday Michele! I hope today is a good one! Just so you know, we may not be the best at keeping in touch, but I've remembered it was your birthday each and every year since 1976 and I hope to hear from you soon!

Just Some Thoughts

I've mentioned how much I loved the movie Juno. What I haven't said is that I won't allow my daughter to watch it and that I'm a little unsure I approve of any of the Young Women at church seeing it either. If I were to make this point at church, some well-meaning person would likely tell me that if I don't want my children watching something, I shouldn't watch it either. Obviously, I disagree with that. I loved the movie because I am old enough to know that teen aged pregnancy doesn't really end in 'happily ever after.' I can appreciate the story and separate the dreamy ending from the reality of the situation. As the older sister of a one-time teen mom, I think I definitely have some perspective. BUT, I also love a good story. The same is true for most of my favorite shows. In real life, Starbuck and Apollo are a dysfunctional mess with no rooting power whatsoever, but I love to watch them make out on BSG. Do I really think there's anything good or beneficial from a couple of people meeting up once a year to cheat on their spouses? Absolutely not. But Same Time, Next Year is one of my all-time favorite movies. And while I seem to have outgrown them lately, All My Children, Days of Our Lives, and As the World Turns; used to brighten my afternoons every week.

So why is it OK for me and not my impressionable daughter to watch such things? Because I get it and she doesn't. I get that these things are just my preferred form of escapism, my distraction from the day-t0-day drudgery of raising four kids, cleaning house, and working part-time. I understand that behaving myself in real-life the way characters on TV or in a movie would, at the very least, make me look a fool; and at worst, come with permanent negative consequences. But my daughter? The younger youth at church? It's hard to say. I'm proud to write that I've watched very few episodes of Jerry Springer, but I've seen enough to know that this next generation doesn't seem to operate under that same filter of reality. They get an impulse and they act on it with no thought whatsoever for what happens next, and I find that more than a little scary. They see something on a movie and they try it at home. I don't like it, but I see it. As a mom, I hope I do a good job of teaching my children what's real and what's fiction, but until I do; I have a responsibility to make sure they are introduced to the world on a need-to-know basis and there are some things they just don't need to know yet. I, on the other hand, have learned more than my fair share, and I think that justifies the occasional escape from reality as long as I understand that's all that it is. And believe me, I do.

Music Monday

I heard this one on Monty's Friday Night Live broadcast and now it is my new favorite song:



Most Keith Urban songs 'speak' to me, so I wasn't too surprised at how much I love this one.

Weekly Winners: Birthday Edition

Cheeky Birthday Girl


"Dude, back off..."



"Don't make me smack you!"



If only you knew how many outtakes there were before we got one with all 4 looking at me.



Different cake, different day, same birthday girl



Keeping a safer distance



Partied Out!



Just warming up!



"Let's get this party started!"



Soon-to-be nephew



Best party snack ever!





Scariest birthday present ever (from Mom, of course)



My birthday loot from a few weeks ago since I haven't had a chance to brag about it yet.

Check out more Weekly Winners here! And thanks to Lotus for hosting the weekly photo-fest!

Week In Review

Watching-

Dancing with the Stars-

OK, I finally got curious enough to watch a few episodes. It's a fun show! No big surprise that Kristi Yamaguchi won, but I do now have a big crush on that football player.

Grey's Anatomy-

As usual, I loved every minute of the two-hour episode. I'll admit that I didn't really care about them shipping Rebecca off the to "hospital" at the end, but I loved the Alex/Izzie moment. I also loved George standing up to the Chief, loved the Chief telling Meredith "I'm not a bad guy," and then finally going home to his wife. I loved that Meredith was pacing and cussing over her romantic gesture, and of course I loved the Mer/Der reunion. Also, I can't believe I ever thought about dropping this show over the addition of Lexie Grey. We needed her! And finally, welcome back Christina! (Also wasn't unimpressed or put-off by Callie/Hahn-there was just so much to love about this episode that I just kind of looked, said "It's about time" and held my breath for the Mer/Der final scene.) I can't believe I forgot to babble and rave about how much I LOVED Dr. Bailey's extensive beyond-the-movies Star Wars knowledge! She even knew about the twins (and I'm glad she didn't mention poor Anakin, I still haven't forgiven THAT writer). I wonder which Grey's writer is a Star Wars fan.

In My Netflix Queue-

Knocked Up-

I knew I would love this one, and I was right. It was cute, funny, and touching in all the right amounts. A little icky in places, but my inner 12 year-old boy likes that in a movie. I could have lived without the baby crowning shot as that was more than I ever saw during the birth of any of my four children-but it did explain why I always got sent home with a good script for pain meds. Ow! (They do offer a mirror, but I declined without regret during each delivery and this movie only confirms in my mind that I made the right call.) I also loved the nurse telling her to "tone it down" and her response to him. I had a similar experience with my first baby, and my only regret some ten years later is that I didn't "accidentally" kick her when she said it. She was right by my foot too. Darn. (Chris-I'm talking about the one who was called in when they thought I was an emergency c-section and who bitched at me because they called her in "for no reason." See, she needed a good kick.)

Extracurricular Activities-

Super Kids Day-

We got do it this year! (Rained out last year) Big fun with the sno cone machine, runs to 7-11 for bagged ice, a little sunburn, record heat, and older kids trying to take more than their fair share. Also, a dunk tank for the principal and PE teacher (and the counselor at the end of the day when we picked her up and tossed her in). I know I'm no longer "in charge," but I sure hope they let me volunteer again next year.

Talent Show-

Despite her diva tantrum, Natalie did a beautiful job when she performed as did her friends who played, jump-roped, and other fun stuff. I really need to start Tristan with some kind of lessons next year, because he really wants to be on stage too. Maybe I could have all four of them sing-they will all be at the same school in the Fall for one year, and one year only.

McDonald's Night-

McDonald's will let non-profits (like PTA) set up and earn 20% of the sales in return for a couple of hours of volunteer work. We did this on Friday from 5-7. I can't speak for all of us, but I thought it was really fun. My grandmother drove over to get food for my kids (at her house, so Dave and I could actually help) and wouldn't you know that would be the one day that favorite cousin Eric called her back promptly on the cell. The conversation went like this:

F.C. Eric: Hey Cuz, watcha doin'? (He already knew, but being the closest thing I have to an older brother, he likes to taunt.)

Me: Wiping down tables at McDonald's

F.C. Eric: See, I KNEW that Master's would really pay off for ya! Hey! Do ya think in 6 months they'll let you flip burgers?

Me: You should see what I'm flipping now.

I love Eric, really I do. And the PTA made some good money for nothing more than putting stickers on kids, wiping tables, and greeting families. Good times. Good week. But I'm glad summer is here!

Elisa's Birthday-

The baby girl turned four today, but we have been celebrating all weekend. Friday was her classroom party which was really cute and fun. (Especially the way she swatted Tristan anytime he stood too close to her or birthday cake.) Her party was yesterday. The poor thing woke up with an ear infection and, after a "thank God she was in town" visit to her ped in the morning, she spent most of the day sleeping while we prepared for her party. She perked up for a hot dog off the grill, some cake, and about three presents. But once she opened her Care Bear from Gran D. She was DONE for the night and fell asleep with it on the couch. She opened everything else this morning with a lot more pep and excitement thanks to her antibiotics. She also thinks that she should be allowed to do everything she wants today "because it's my birfday," but who doesn't feel that way on their 'birfday' no matter how old they are. It's just hard for me to believe I no longer have any babies in the house. And a little sad. Not missing the diaper changes, though. Pics of all the celebrating to follow when I post my Weekly Winners later today.

I'm a Weiner Winner!

A few days ago, Swistle left a nice comment on one of my blog entries. (We share similar opinions on the hotness factor of BSG's Lee Adama.) Trying to be a good blogger, I reciprocated the visit and found that she was running a contest. So, I multi tasked by introducing myself AND entering the contest in the comments. And it turns out, I won! Yay me! Now, I can expect good mail along with the usual bills, catalogs, and those Disney Movie Club DVD's that I keep forgetting to decline. But that's not all! I've also found a lovely new blog to read AND I get to 'Pay It Forward' by hosting a contest here and sending out a package of my own creation. I'm not sure what I'll put in there yet, but an unopened Disney DVD is a very distinct possibility.

Freedom

For the first time in three years, I am no longer a PTA President. I finished. It feels pretty good. I started this blog to vent about the stress of juggling a lot of kids while getting a Master's and serving on the PTA board. Now that I've finished with two out of three, is there anything left to write about? I sure hope so...But it's definitely time for a new chapter.

No Blogging Tonight

I'm hot, tired, stressed, and completely sucked into Grey's. My word for the week is "finish," but not so much when it comes to writing a compelling blog entry. One. more. day. of school.

Why I Didn't Call This Blog "The Sunshine Place"

Today was tough. This week has been tough. I've managed to miss my kids winning each of their end-of-the-year awards, half of Natalie's talent show performances, AND she and I are in constant conflict. Yesterday, she pouted because she was only (ONLY) getting to sing a solo while accompanying herself on the piano, instead of getting to play three songs on the piano like last year. (I only remember two and they were shorter pieces than she plays now.) So last night she refused to look for her music saying she wasn't going to play at all. This morning, she was crying because she couldn't find it in time to leave for school and I was the meanest mom in the world for not finding it and setting it out for her while she was asleep. We had some not-so-friendly words all the way to school. Once we got there, I talked to her music teacher and found that she already knew the music and had been performing from memory during each practice. So, she was still on the afternoon program and felt like she could do it. That was a relief, but I still spent the drive to work trying not to cry over how much she and I clash lately. (Moms of older daughters? She's 10, is she ever going to like me again?) I got to work where I stayed for all of three hours and I feel like I contributed nothing useful beyond sweeping out one of the buildings. Sorry guys.

Then I came back, enjoyed the talent show, but didn't give myself the time I needed to finish up some much-needed PTA business. And so I had to leave the school with yet one more task almost-but-not-quite done. (The School Store isn't air-conditioned and I started getting all dizzy and spacey like I do when I get over-heated, so I really did have to leave at that point.) Apparently, I am the queen of unfinished business today and I can't help but wonder if all of this tail-chasing is really benefiting me, my co-workers, my children, the kids they got to school with, or anyone else who counts on me. And I just can't say for sure that it is anymore.

That 14th Article...

We were rather fond of reciting this to each other on my mission. I had forgotten it until a PTA budget meeting and a Stake YW planning session made it my theme for today:

14th ARTICLE OF FAITH

"We believe in meetings, all that have been scheduled, all that are now scheduled, and we believe that there will yet be many great and important meetings scheduled. We have endured many meetings and hope to be able to endure all meetings. Indeed, we may say that if there is a meeting or anything that resembles a meeting or anything that we may possibly turn into a meeting, we seek after these things."

All I can say at the end of it all is that is next year's PTA Officers had better make every penny that they budgeted for today and that this years Girls' Camp had best be all our Young Women can talk about for the next year. And that I'm glad I'll only have Stake Young Women meetings to worry about from now on. Believe me, that will be plenty.

Why Blogging Has Been Light Lately

I'm tired and mildly sunburned thanks to Super Kids Day today-but I loved being there. There's a big full-day group at work tomorrow, a school awards assembly in the morning and a mildly ill Elisa to shuffle to grandma's tomorrow (likely at the expense of the awards assembly) all because I have the nerve to think showing at up my job is just as important as any other job that anyone else in this family has even though mine pays a lot less. (My mom tried to scare me from supporting Obama by saying the first thing he would do is shut down Tinker-Oh Lady, you SO don't know me when think that would be a deterrent.) Then there is the budget meeting Tuesday afternoon and the Stake Presidency meeting that night...The talent show on Wednesday and the Girl Scout ceremony on Thursday, followed by the McDonald's night fundraiser on Friday. Are you all ready for summer? I know I am.

Week In Review

Reading-

Shadow of the Giant by Orson Scott Card-

OK, the little blurb on the back of the book did not prepare me for how emotional this story was going to be. I knew Bean would face a "tough choice," there was nothing about a global war, or spousal abandonment, or...or...babies (OK, I kinda knew they would be in there) or phone calls 50 years after the fact, or all the other stuff that really touched me. This is likely my favorite of all the Ender series so far. But there are more, and now I'm definitely reading them too.

Watching-

Grey's Anatomy-

I don't know what I liked more, Mark trying to change, all the scenes with George and little Tuck, Bailey trying and failing to talk things through with her husband, Lexie's two key scenes (with Christina and Meredith), or Meredith saying "I'm no quitter." (OK we all know it was the last one-but the whole episode was great.) I can't believe it's already season finale time. I'm glad I decided to watch this show again.

Battlestar Galactica-

The difference between my husband and I when we watch this is that he likes to predict each plot twist, and I like to be completely shocked. When she said "jump" I about fell off my chair. Dave said "I saw that one coming." (Personally, I think it's more fun to be me watching this show.) I was happy to see Lee again, I miss him being in every episode. I think Dave's a little jealous of him, actually. I also saw glimpses of the Laura Roslin that I like and admire as opposed to the one who shot at Starbuck a few episodes ago. That almost took her off of my good list permanently. But we all know how I feel about Starbuck. Also, I'm guessing the actor who plays Gaeta agreed to one more season only IF he got gratuitous singing scenes? Otherwise-huh? Still, his singing voice is the only redeeming quality I've seen in him since Season 4 started.

At the Movies-

Made of Honor-

Saw it with Chris, Lanie, and Wendy and we loved it. Obviously not Oscar material or anything, but we've sat through much worse in our time. It was cute and so was Patrick Dempsey. I also liked seeing the dude from Rome (Kevin McKidd) working and having hair kept me from confusing him with Lucius Vorenus. I just wonder which of the accents is real.

Extracurricular Activities-

My weekend included eating out at Legend's, a visit the the OKC Art Museum (and lunch at their cafe), dinner at Louie's on the Lake, a late-night Super Mario Brothers tournament with my cousin and my niece (I have still never rescued the princess and am determined to accomplish it) and a lot of time spent with some of my most favorite people ever. All in all, I've got no complaints about this week.

Off My Beaten Path

I spent most of my day in The City. At one point, my fuel light came on. Oh! The irony of being excited about gas selling for $3.50 a gallon. The station was at the corner of N.W. 1oth and Western so it's a good thing I wasn't all dressed up, wearing some of the nicest jewelry I own, and sporting my cutest, but most impractical pair of shoes so that I stuck out like a sore thumb who couldn't move very fast. Oh wait! I was, I did, and I couldn't. But did I mention I filled the tank for under $64.00?

Friday Nights in Norman

I'm actually out for the evening with friends, but if I weren't I would be simultaneously plugged into Monty's radio show and the newest episode of Battlestar Galactica. As Dave Letterman pointed out, the new season started in March:



As good as it feels to get out once in awhile, I'm grateful for Tivo and podcasts so I don't have to miss anything. And, because I've pretty much determined that the BSG writers have sacrificed the storyline of these two star-crossed lovers for the greater good of ending the series before it starts sucking, just watch this and sigh. I know I do:

A Nice Family Dinner

Me: OK everyone, I need you at the table in 5 minutes!



Crickets chirping, piano keyboard/computer/wii/Gameboy playing sounds, no one answers



Me: Dave? Can you help me set the table? Dave? Dave?! DAVE?!



Walk out of kitchen to find Dave sitting on couch/lying on bed/walking into bathroom and locking the door. Always within earshot, but in no way helping.



Me: Uh Dave?



Dave: Huh?



Me: Dinner, in five-that means you TOO!



Dave (sensing danger): Oh, didn't hear ya. Did you hear that kids?! Get your butts to the table.



(Just like the Pa Walton, that one.)



AT THE TABLE:


Natalie: Aw man! I had chicken at LUNCH! Can I be excused? I ate at Laura's. I don't want this.



Me: Why don't you stay here and keep us company then.



Tristan: I can't cut this meat with just my fork.



Elisa: WAH! WAH!



Dave: What's wrong 'Isa?



Elisa: I WANTED THE PONY PLATE AND CAROLINE HAS IT!



Dave: But you said you wanted the Princess plate.



Elisa: NO! IT'S CAROLINE'S!!



Caroline: I got the pony plate, I got the pony plate.



Me: Caroline stop it. Elisa, no crying at the table. Stop or go to your room. (Crying stops, Dave trades the girls plates. Caroline thinks about protesting, I call on her to say the prayer to distract her.)



Caroline: Dear Hevenly Father...



Elisa: I NEVER get to say da PRAWER!!



Caroline: We thank you for this food...



Tristan (dejected): But there's only water to drink...



Caroline: Please bless the food and water (I mentally thank goodness she doesn't ask God to turn it to wine) and help me have a good day at school and bless that my friends can come over and play



Tristan: That doesn't have anything to do with dinner!



Elisa: I WANNA say da pwayer!



Caroline: In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.



Me: Indeed.



Tristan: I still can't cut my meat!



Dave: Then take my damn knife and shut up! (Hands Tristan a Cutco Steak Knife, I silently cross myself-hey, I served my mission in Italy didn't I? And let's face, the Holy Ghost RAN from this table several minutes ago.)



Natalie: TRISTAN IS GOING TO CUT HIS HAND!! TRISTAN PUT YOUR KNIFE IN YOUR MEAT BEFORE YOU CUT IT!



Tristan: I am NOT going to cut my hand Natalie! OW! I cut my hand. (A superficial wound, fortunately.)



Me: Please make it stop!



Caroline: (After eating approximately 1.5 bites of food) Can I be excused?



Elisa: Cut my meat! (Her original plate had the meat pre-cut on it. According to Parenting with Love and Logic, I should let the consequence follow that she has a hard time cutting and eating her chicken for choosing the other plate.)



Dave: Cut her meat up, will ya? Poor baby!



Me: (to myself) So much for Love and Logic. (I cut this meat, and as I do it she shoves a huge chunk in her mouth before I can slice it up for her.)



And then I conceeded defeat and left the table. Notwithstanding the fact that I cooked it all, I guarantee you if I don't go back and clear it now-it won't happen. Sigh. And while I AM prone to literary exaggeration on occasion, every incident and bit of dialogue recorded here happened at the dinner table last night. Some days, I don't know why I get out of bed. I am completely outnumbered here.

Introspection

Natalie had yet another recorder performance last night, this time for the 5th Grade Celebration assembly. I dropped her off at 5:45 p.m. and was told that they wouldn't be done until 8 p.m. I enjoy my daughter's performances, I plan on attending one on Thursday; but that one will be the fourth one with ALL THE SAME SONGS as they played for the other three shows. I decided to skip this one and head over to a beloved, but seldom visited friend's house to see her three month-old who I hadn't seen since he was still in the hospital.

It was a lovely two-hour visit. The baby smiled and cooed at me and eventually let me rock him to sleep on my chest. And my friend and I talked about anything and everything. While she doesn't get as much screen-time on my blog as Chris, Lanie, and Wendy; she has known me almost as long. I was very touched about one of the things she said midway through the conversation:

"There are very few people in this world who care about things the way you do or love others as strongly. When you love, you really love. You may screw up and do things wrong, but you love people with no thought for how it will work out for you in the end."

You know, I thought I was the only person in the world who knew that about me. I've always thought that one of the things that make me an even half-way decent writer is because I do seem to feel things with an intensity that is at least twice as strong as a normal person. I think that's true of anyone with an artistic personality. The feelings involved in writing, painting, sculpting, or playing a musical intrument have to be overwhelmingly intense for the average Joe to have any kind of response to what has been created.

While the highs are great, having a sensitivity to life that is much more powerful than most people's does not come without its drawbacks. Loving something intensely leaves you incredibly vulnerable to it (or him, or her). I have been very guilty of trying to hold back or hide feelings out of fear of the pain that comes when things don't work out as I hoped they would. And, ironically, it's usually been those pathetic attempts at holding back my feelings that have cost me whatever it was that I wanted. Fortunately, and frighteningly, I am unable to hold back any affection from my children and so instead, I live in constant fear of something happening to them. Those are times that it's not so great to be me. On the plus side, my highs really are quite something. I am one fun mom to take on vacation. I am quite the softie when it comes to hurt feelings. And I am incredibly loyal and protective of anyone, anything, and any idea that inspires that great love in me. I like to believe that my rather over-sensitive perspective on life means that someday I will publish something beautiful and inspiring that will make people stop and think. What it probably means is that I'm bi-polar and should seek help immediately.

Week In Review

Reading

Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card-
I accidentally skipped this over this one and went from Ender’s Shadow to Shadow Puppets and I wanted to fill in the gaps. It was worth it. I may actually like this one better. I bought Shadow of the Giant when I got this one as a ‘Happy Birthday to Myself’ presents, so I will start it next week-time permitting.

Watching-

Battlestar Galactica-
Does this really have to be the last season? That’s all I’m saying here. It’s just such an amazing show. I’m even more confused than ever…but in a good way.

Grey’s Anatomy-

I really wanted to give up on this show when Nurse Rose showed up-apparently, I wasn’t alone in that. Once Ms. Shonda Rimes promised us all that Mer/Der would soon be back ‘on,’ I decided to watch again. I really liked last week’s episode. Loved the Lexie Grey quote, laughed at the questionnaires and, frankly, I even liked the speech Mark gave to Rose; but not as much as I loved what Bailey said to the nurses. Apparently, I just can’t quit this show.

At the Movies-

Forgetting Sarah Marshall-

As usual, this won’t make me any friends among fellow church members; but I loved this movie. All the characters were ‘real,’ the scenes were funny and touching, and while it was made by the same creators as “The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” and was realistically crude in places-it was a bit more subtle. And there was very little about this movie that didn’t make me laugh. I will definitely be buying this one.

Extra-Curricular Activities-

I’ve done lots of extra chauffeuring this week for Natalie’s Recorder Choir performances around town and next week will be even busier. Our PTA Movie Night was fun, but I’m glad to see activities winding down as the school year ends. I’m finalizing most of my summer plans now. There is Girls’ Camp in June, Phantom of the Opera in July and the annual visit from thatgirl and family (even Cowboy is coming along this year!), the youth trip to Nauvoo (on a charter bus, no less-haven’t done that in awhile), and FRED in August. We are headed to Lake Tahoe this year. Some exciting things are happening at work too...we’ve had kids out there daily since the middle of March, but that is starting to wind down too.

Father’s Day 2008-

This didn’t get posted last night because I was having WAY too much fun watching my Dad and my Grandfather play golf on the Wii, which prevented our Tulsa departure for a couple of hours past the normal time. We got in late last night, I was exhausted all day today-and yet, as long as I have a Pawdad or a Namaw to see in Tulsa, I will go. And I’m grateful that they are still here to inspire those exhausting round-trips.

Congratulations!

Miss Wisabus is an official OU graduate! (Stop by and give her a high 5!)

About That Post...

I almost want to delete it because I am feeling so much better about life. BUT, I don't want to lose all the good comments so it I'm leaving it. But, I will follow up on it by telling you all that I spent this evening first at the Storehouse doing dry-pack canning with one of my best friends at church. We then went on to finish our Friday by hanging out in the nearby Little Caesar's parking lot in my car while sharing a $5 pizza and laughing at all kinds of inappropriate stuff (which was certainly more fun than the canning). In short, don't ever let me tell you again that I don't have close friends at church. I will even go so far as to admit that I can be a bit melodramatic when my feelings are hurt. If you knew me in real life OR have read this blog for more than a month, you probably already knew that. Either way, life is good (AND I have about 3 months worth of powdered milk in my pantry now).

And since we've already established that I'm going to hell anyway, this made me laugh 'till I cried today.

Best Line of the Day

"I just called three of my ex-boyfriends to find out how unforgettable I am. I left messages, I'm sure they'll call me back."

-Lexie Grey

Lexie, I wasn't sure about adding you to the cast of Seattle Grace. By saying that, you have become my new best friend. (And you've told my life story too.)

Sitting In a Corner, Eating Worms-Updated, Twice!

My Thursday Thirteen plan for today was to list some of my favorite church memories since I can, at times, dwell on the negative aspects of my faith. So, I came in, checked some emails, and went to my Google reader. A fellow Mormon Mommy blogger, of whom I am rather fond, had posted pics of her daughters and since they didn't come through the reader; I clicked through to the actual blog to see them. AND I found I had been deleted from her blogroll. If this blog could generate income from the number of times I get added and then dropped by fellow LDS Mommy bloggers; I could live quite comfortably. As it is, it just hurts my feelings and brings up all of the "What on earth did I say wrong this time?" "Why don't these women like me?!" "Why don't I fit in" "What's wrong with me?!" "Why did I bother to get baptized?" and other 'woe is me' questions. I serve in the Stake YW Presidency and am worthy to hold such a calling, so obviously who I am is acceptable to a few people who live around here...but even when you are 36, it still hurts to be the odd-gal out. The Thursday Thirteen will have to wait while I find myself a corner and throw a pity party for one. And the last question left to answer is: When will I accept that I will never be "one of them" and just get over it.

OK, I think I figured out the problem. Yet again my inappropriate sense of humor is at fault here. But, if I have to choose between being my own best entertainment or having the approval of some nice Mormon Mommy blogger, well...it's not really a tough call, is it?

(I didn't quite fit in at any of the other churches I attended either.)

And if you haven't read what my good friend Anne wrote in the comments, you should. It's the best part of this post!

A Night Off

Tonight's regularly scheduled Stake YW Presidency meeting was canceled. I suppose I shouldn't be as happy about it as I am, but well...It's been a few weeknights since I've been home. The laundry is in the dryer, the dishes are in the washer, today's storms have abated enough for me to turn on my laptop; and the kids are obsessed with Super Paper Mario on the Wii. (Yes, I made them do homework and chores first! Remember, I'm one of those 'mother of the year' types.) And so, I find myself with some unexpected time to blog and so much to say that I'm not sure where to start.

I've mentioned here many times that I spent my teen years very involved with a youth organization called Rainbow Girls. Until recently, it has been my opinion that outside of the lifelong friends I made and a cute boy or two that I met; I gained very little from that experience. I've also felt like my LDS mission to Italy was also a failure as the only people I knew who got baptized didn't do it until long after I had returned to the stated.However, in retrospect, I have to admit that I was wrong about that. Just about everything I needed to know for the last three years of my life, I learned from Rainbow and from my mission.

When you turn 20, you "graduate" from Rainbow. You can do the ceremony locally like Chris, Lanie, and Wendy did the night before I left for the MTC or you can do it as part of the annual ceremony held at the state convention which was what I did. The ceremony was rather tearful and I remember very little about it except the words 'what you began as a service, you are ending as love.' (Probably got that wrong, it's been awhile. Though I have been known to point at my kids and say "My life is monumented there." Yes, they think I'm VERY strange-and so do those of you who didn't get that reference. But that's nothing new.) Either way, it was a fitting end to five years of my life that was spent memorizing parts, conducting meetings, working concessions at OU football games, making polite conversation with people I didn't have much in common with (old Masons and Eastern Star ladies) and going to dances and meeting cute boys. At least one, anyway. It is also a fitting explanation to how it feels to serve a mission. And I don't think it was by chance that I experienced both of these in the earlier years of my life. As I mentioned briefly in a Twitter entry yesterday, we elected a new PTA Executive board last night. For the first time in three years, it does not involve me as President, VP, or Co-President. It was an emotional day, and one that turned out much better than I expected when I mentioned in last week.

Four years ago, I enrolled my son in the local elementary Pre-K program because he had been "released" from any pre-school in town that didn't have a waiting list. I had some trepidation about this school. Many parents I attended church with moved out of that district as soon as their kids hit school age to avoid going there. Natalie had been in private school for four years for that same reason. But Tristan? Well, he's always marched to the beat of his own drum and that school as well as another one weren't in possession of that sheet music. So, to the public school we went. Once his enrollment was secured (Pre-K isn't mandatory, but it fills up fast), I was tapped by two good friends from church to fill in the vacated Treasurer position. The school's PTA program wasn't the biggest, but there was a core group of parents who kept things going. I enjoyed being a part of it, especially volunteering at the school store because I got to meet the kids and to keep my younger kids with me. (At that point, three out of the four because Tristan only went from 8-10:30 a.m.) I liked the school so much that I agreed to serve as secretary the following year and to take Natalie out of private school and enroll her too.

Suddenly, our "core" of PTA moms dwindled to about three and it was determined that I would be a Co-President. I had no leadership experience (or thought I didn't) and I've always had limited organizational skills. Fortunately, the other Co-President had plenty of both and patiently guided me through the year. Still, I didn't feel like I had learned much and our luck at re-building that "core" group didn't hold. In fact, we had more people move or have children move on to middle school. Our treasurer agreed to do one more year even though she no longer had kids at the school, just because she is great. I again volunteered to be Treasurer and drove away on the last day of school relieved that whatever next year held, it wouldn't involve me having so much responsibility. It scared me too much.

Unfortunately, I was in for a little surprise at enrollment night. Last year's Co-President had not only split with her husband over the summer, she had moved away. With the exception of the Treasurer who had already gone above and beyond by agreeing to help out even though she no longer had kids at the school, there was no one left but me who still had even the smallest clue how to go about running a PTA. I didn't want to do it again, I didn't think I could do it again-I was in the final year of my Master's degree program, I was gearing up for a 6-month Internship, I had FOUR KIDS; but as I pondered it, I thought about all those kids I had met through the window of the school store or at Skateland school nights-our PTA pays for more student programs than many of the ones at other schools in town, and I'm almost positive we do it on the smallest budget. I could NOT let these kids go without what the PTA could give them (field trips, artist-in-residence, popcorn and pizza incentive parties, and the once a week school store where they can buy snacks for a quarter). I spotted a mom who had been the Boxtop chair the year before, she was very pregnant, but she was THERE. I recruited her as a Co-President immediately and called another mom and sweet-talked her into serving as Secretary. Between my own inexperience, my Co-President's maternity leave, and few other factors; we struggled all year long. In the end, we made it through only to have the Co-President move (military), the Secretary move, and the Treasurer tell me apologetically that her kids were now well into Middle school and she needed to move on with them. (Still love her, by the way because she HAD already gone above and beyond.) And so, I was almost back to square one...almost.

By stocking the school store on Thursday afternoons, I had befriended another mom in the parking lot who watched me unload for a couple of weeks before offering to help. I concluded that made her good Vice President material. Another mom had helped me keep records during the candy sale-yet again, I was giving up my much coveted Secretary job. Yet another two mothers had stepped up to chair Teacher Appreciation Week and said they would help in any way that didn't involve an executive board position. I made a note to delegate more to them this year (I did and they made me look better than I deserved). Finally, a fellow mom of four volunteered her husband as Treasurer and I was thrilled to have a Dad on board.

While last year's piece-meal team of officers barely got things off the ground at any point during the school year, this year's team hit the ground running! Our new secretary knew pretty much everyone at the school and, unlike shy, hates-to-ask-for-help me, she drummed up several good parent volunteers. She was a true secretary keeping us all connected and on-task with her emails. We started out by taking what was going to be a small movie night and turning it into a very lucrative raffle. One of our most creative moms got together with her family and remodeled the faculty lounge beautifully on a budget that would have made Trading Spaces or Design on a Dime weep with envy. We were also able to purchase new computers for the school, pay for some nice landscaping, and do a lot more than just cover the field trips. I've never been more proud to be part of something than I was this year at school. How amazing it was to have a whole team to help with all the things that used to fall to Dave and I. Did you know being President is more like being the quarterback who sets up the plays than the one person who takes care of everything? I didn't until now. And in the end, despite differences in opinion and other bumps in the road, I learned to love that team I served with-and I hope I showed it to them. And above all, I love those kids that I've served all these years. It's always been about them, and I feel confident with the new officers succeeding me; that it always will be.

And as I've reflected on these things in the last 24 hours, so much of my life as a whole makes sense to me. While I was never comfortable BEING the boss, I was always able to run an executive board meeting efficiently. Perhaps because I was twice a Worthy Advisor (President) in Rainbow? Asking for donations wasn't my favorite, but I could do it more easily thanks to the eighteen months I spent going door-to-door in Italy. Making conversation is also not my strong suit, but serving at all of those Masonic/Eastern Star fundraiser dinners sure was good practice for that. And the school store? How many years in Rainbow did I spent capping Cokes at Owen Field? (Still what I call Gaylord Memorial Stadium, just 'cause I can.) Can't say I went to any dances (though I've danced plenty to the radio down in the school store) and as a married gal, I'm certainly not going to notice whether or not the boys I work with are cute; (I was going to say I didn't meet any cute boys, but we do have the principal and a few dad volunteers whose feelings I don't want to hurt-so I'll just say instead that I'm no longer allowed to look.) But I can see the rhyme and reason of why so many things in my life have worked in the ways that they did. And again, something I once began in service is now ending in love. I never thought I would look back on my time in Italy as "the time of my life," but it was. And I never thought I would say this about my time as PTA President, but in the end it really has been a great four years.

I'm Not Dead Yet*

Sorry, too busy living my life to blog about it at the moment. I'm hoping for some time tomorrow or this weekend because there are definitely details to share.

*I'm quite sure I've used this quote as a title before-it's my favorite Holy Grail line. Spamalot is the final show of the Civic Center season and I'm getting rather excited about it. (We will be seeing it on June 6th. And yes, I find that coincidence particularly amusing myself.)

Overheard

I was listening to Bob FM and heard the following story:

A man who was about 40 had always dreamed of a black Camero with tinted windows. (Didn't we all back in the '80's?) He never got one, so he bought one for his son. He got to drive it to work one day because it needed new tires. He said he cruised along listening to Van Halen and feeling like he was 17 again. Unfortunately, once he got to work; the car was so low to the ground that his co-workers had to help him get out.

I can SO relate to that...

Can't we all?

Only I was into vintage Mustangs. I think I dated one guy about twice as long as he deserved just because he drove a yellow one. And it was as far from vintage condition as a Mustang could possibly be...Didn't dream very big back in those days, I guess.

Tristan's Big Day

"And, well, I've found a whole bunch of friends who have the same dream. And, well, it kind of makes us like a family."

-Kermit the Frog, "The Muppet Movie"

I knew that sooner or later I would be in the mood to write about Tristan's baptism. It was such a wonderful day that I wanted to be in just the right frame of mind to write about it. The thing is, it wasn't the service or even the ordinance itself that made things so special, it was the company that was with us that afternoon.

For many years, my only regret about joining my church was that I never really felt like I fit in with the other women. As a young single adult, it wasn't so bad. I was new to the church, people reached out to me, and I didn't mind that half the time I hid who I really was so that I would fit in better. One of the things I learned on my mission though, was that the Lord didn't need another Molly Mormon wanna-be, He wanted me for who I was-and me being myself during my 18 month mission really helped some of the people I encountered for more than that pretend-self I had tried to portray from the time of my baptism until I left for the MTC. Unfortunately, being exactly who I was when I came home really annoyed a few people. An old boyfriend and the new singles' Branch President, in particular-though I think my friends Tiffany, Christy, and Tracy liked the change. (I think they knew who I was all along, quite frankly.) *Anne, you always knew the real me, I never think of you as a 'church friend' which is funny all things considered.*

But the girlfriends I had at church went on their own missions, got married, had children, and we all got a little scattered. I made to to Arizona to be Anne's neighbor, but that didn't work out as I hoped it would; and I found myself back in OK. Afraid of rubbing people the wrong way, I always held back a bit at church and socials-and when I didn't, I always managed to offend someone. I had a few friends of the adult-convert-like-me variety, but they feel like they struggle to fit in as well. So, I decided long ago that, with a few previously mentioned exceptions, church would be a place where I worshipped; but not my number one social arena. That decision actually helped things and I enjoyed a series of very casual, superficial acquaintances (again, with a few exceptions who I don't want to feel slighted) for the rest of the time we lived in Norman and attended a couple of different wards there.

And then...we moved to Blanchard. At first, I worried that my children would disturb people. (There have been many babies born since then, but when we moved in-Elisa was the youngest one there.) I fretted over the lack of girls Natalie's age and the boys Tristan's age. I resented the 20 minute drive. And I felt a little weird at being just about the only family not related by blood or marriage to anyone else in the branch. But soon, I came to love the place and I can honestly say now that I can't imagine a place more perfect for my family.

We are very 'real' in that branch. There are only a handful of us to accomplish the work of any ward and none of us have the time or energy for any of the pretentious behavior that is so prevalent in just about any large church community. We have our faults and quirks and sometimes we step on each others toes, but at the end of the day we love each other because we are all we've got. Dave has really thrived on that after feeling like he would never outlive the "non-member who married the singles' branch Relief Society President" stigma that he felt dogged him all of the years we lived in Norman. For Dave's sake alone, I was willing to stick things out, but once my friends Deborah and Lauri moved in with children close to the exact ages of mine; it became home to me too. For the first time, I was "trusted" with the Young Women (thanks to Deborah and Lauri) and they have since become some of the very best friends I never expected to make at this stage in my life. (And I think we did a darn good job with those YW, too!) My kids have several sets of honorary LDS "grandparents," something I never dreamed possible. No matter how difficult my week or weekend has been, I never drive home from church on a Sunday without feeling like I've spent three hours in the company of people who love me. This was never more true than at the baptism last month.

It began with President C conducting. He is more like a favorite uncle than a Branch President, but the fact that he has a personal relationship with each member of my family just made it that much better. His wife spoke first. She was Tristan's Sunday School teacher and one of the few that he's ever respected enough to mind. I pretty much think she hung the moon and I loved how she addressed her entire talk just to Tristan. My parents were there, and they respond well to anyone who loves their grand kids as much as they do, and I think they could really see that here. Tristan and Dave entered the font and, as usual, all the little kids crowded to the front. I noticed that one of the younger mothers of whom I am very fond had stayed for the service even though she (as I once did) has three little ones ages four and under. The newest one was barely a month old and she had to be exhausted after three hours of church, and yet there she was patting my shoulder and making sure I was standing right where I could see the actual baptism.

After the baptism, the Valiant Girl class I was teaching did the musical number. (One of them was Natalie) As they sang, one of my friend Lauri's daughters came and sat by me, the youngest one went up and sat at the feet of the singers. She was soon joined by another toddler and they alternately shared and snatched snacks from each other. Some people might have seen that as chaos, but to me-it felt like home. Once Tristan and Dave got changed and came back in, my friend Lauri (mother of Tristan's BFF Andrew) spoke next. Another perfect choice and another former Sunday School teacher of Tristan's. (I have had two of her kids in my various classes too.) At the end, she and her sister (one of my few real friends from Norman-who brought another of those friends with her when she drove up for the service) also sang. Tristan was confirmed, and that other friend I've mentioned, Tracy, gave the closing prayer. Sometimes I've mourned the fact that I was born into a family that weren't members of my church...but if I hadn't realized it yet, I realized that Sunday afternoon that I do have a church family. It's a little dysfunctional and we definitely have our characters, but we are a family and the day Tristan became an "official" member of it will always be one of the happiest ones in my memory. Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday Indeed! or Nice Save Anne!

Today was birthday number 36. I've never been one to lie about my age, but I'm thinking now that I may want to stop counting. It started out as a decent day. I didn't have to drag anyone out of bed or carry anyone kicking and screaming to the car to get us all to school on time. Jack FM serenaded me with U2, Beatles' "Revolution," AND Duran Duran all in a row on the drive into town. (I took that as my gift from them!) I got the school store all stocked and ready to go for the day and I even managed to turn in my kids' picture money. We did have a full day of kids at work, but all three classes were amazingly good. In fact, the class before lunch said "aww" and sounded all disappointed when I told them it was almost time to dismiss so they could eat. That NEVER happens. (I took that as another gift.) My boss came through with a double fudge cake, and throughout the day; emails and MySpace messages streamed through their respective Inboxes wishing me a Happy Birthday. Our Gypsy tickets just happened to be for tonight, but I thought that worked out well as a celebration; especially since I was feeling pretty low-key about the whole "one year older" thing.

I got home with the kids, cut them each a slice of office birthday cake as their after-school snack, and everyone was feeling pretty festive. I started looking through my closet and thinking about what I was going to wear...and then I made a big error in judgement. I decided to check my email one last time to see if anyone else remembered my birthday and to write down the directions to the restaurant where I was meeting my friends for dinner. I should have called some one's cell instead. I got an email that, to put it mildly, was hurtful. So hurtful, in fact, that it made me do that crying/shaking thing that I hate. Rather than enjoy my birthday, I spent my evening (even during dinner AND the play) trying to decide whether it was meant to be that way. My wonderful friend Lanie (who has known me since I was 15) said whether it was intentional or not, if it hurts, it hurts and that I have a right to my feelings. (I knew there was a reason that I still liked her after all these years.) Exactly what was written is irrelevant as I freely acknowledge that it was likely not a personal attack-just a very harsh critique of my shortcomings as a leader and an event planner, and I freely admit that I'm not great at either one. However, this particular event is the last thing I will ever do for the school as a PTA President and now there is no way that evening will be any kind of special to me at all. It will now be one big walk on eggshells. And frankly, I'd be a no-show if I thought I could get away with it.

And so, I came home from an evening that held a lot more promise at 4 p.m. than it actually delivered when the Civic Center curtain went down at 10:30. (And here I was thinking the worst birthday I would ever have would always be the one when I was dumped on my 16th birthday by the first boy I ever kissed. I know, Kyle who?)
Even my grandmother noticed how sad I seemed when I picked up the kids, but frankly I didn't feel like expending the energy it would have taken to explain the situation so I told her I was tired and sad about being older. THAT she could appreciate, so she left it alone. You might ask who would be foolish enough to check her email yet again upon returning home, and well, now you have your answer. But this time, it was a good email. Not only did Anne wish me a Happy Birthday, she wrote a whole blog post about it, complete with pictures (Yes, that is the Mesa temple in picture #2 and the OKC temple in picture #3). And really...that's all I needed to make it a good day after all. Thanks friend, if I had to endure Middle School, meeting you in the 6th grade may be the only redeeming thing that ever came from it. Well, that and the whole restored gospel thing. ;>)

Thursday Thirteen #46

Today's TT will have to be a "cheater's version" because I'm just too tired to be creative. The best TT I've ever seen is at Miss Wisabus' blog, if you like classic musicals and dance movies it is a MUST SEE! For a not-so-great one, I leave you all with this:

Thirteen Things about My Day Today

1. I had 5th graders in the One-Room Schoolhouse-I didn't have to worry about who could read or write or do multiplication and division and I had the most fun I've ever had teaching in there today. (Yes, part of my job is to impersonate a turn-of-the century Schoolmarm complete with a long skirt, lace-up shoes, and my hair in a bun. I get paid to do this. The rest of you can suck it-my job is the coolest. And yes, I'm not unaware of all the naughty parallels that you people could draw here, but for goodness sakes-it's a CHILDREN'S museum.)
2. They were half-day instead of full-day visitors which meant I wasn't utterly exhausted by the time they left. And also there were cookies from City Bites at lunch. (I refer you back to the "my job is the coolest" comment above.)
3. Jenny, the Bloggess told me "you rock" in my comments section. Between her post yesterday and today's comment, she's made my day two days in a row! (I'd say I love her like she loves Amy Sedaris, but I'm not sure anyone loves anyone like Jenny loves Amy.)
4. After Natalie declined my repeated suggestions to audition for the CCOC summer production, she decided she might like it after all. THE DAY AFTER THE AUDITIONS! Fortunately for me, they scheduled another date for more auditions. Thus, they ruined my summer-long "I told you so" plans. But they would have been trumped by Natalie summer-long "but I really wa-a-nted to try out" whining plans, so I'm glad it worked out after all. I called at lunch to get an appointment for May 10th. They asked us to come in today at 5 p.m. instead!
5. Natalie didn't finish recorder choir practice until 3:45. It didn't leave us with much time.
6. While waiting for her outside the school, my three year-old COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED!
7. Another little girl said she saw her on the playground located on the opposite side of the building. (She likely crossed the parking lot completely unattended to get there. Just give me my 'Mother of the Year' award right now 'kay?)
8. I RAN to the playground with my other two kids in hot pursuit. One said "Wow Mom! I didn't know you could run like that!" (Or probably that I could run at all-let's be honest here.)
9. I saw her and CRIED. So did she. But only because I wouldn't let her stay on the playground. She was in full-blown tantrum mode by the time we got to the car.
10. I was still shaking as I drove the other girls home, they regaled me with stories about how they had done the same thing to their mothers. They made me laugh. I love 4th graders. (And I soothed the tantrum with comforting words and a slush from Sonic. Seriously...MOTHER OF THE YEAR.)
11. We raced home to find Natalie's music and resume. It never happened. I paid $4 to download and print it from the Internet. Forgot to print the resume even though we already had that saved.
12. En route, I forgot the location of the church where the auditions were held. Would you believe that one of my best friends AND her mother are both members of that church and that I attended each of their weddings there as well as many other visits during my teen years? (Not to mention that I've lived pretty much my whole freakin' life in this same town.) Yeah, I would believe it of me too. What can I say? I was flustered, but we still got there in time.
13. The girl that went before Natalie had her music in the proper folder, her resume, AND was wearing a church dress with Mary Janes. Natalie was in her school clothes with the sheet music in three separate pages hot off the printer. (So much for my career as a professional stage mother, eh?) But even so, she had an awesome audition. I am totally in love with the lady who worked with her. I hope she is invited to participate. It is a perfect way for her to spend her summer.

*BONUS*

Then I came home, collapsed on the couch, and haven't moved since. The End.

P.S. Dave made dinner. It must be my birthday or something tomorrow. Oh wait! It is! The End.

P.P.S. For better Thursday Thirteens, click here. That is all. (Betcha thought I was going to say "The End" again.)