Spectrum Magic

November 8, 2013
The Spectrum magic is back!

Mother Nature I Forgive You

November 7, 2013
I guess I'll forgive Mother Nature for the cold and snow earlier this week.

Glow Sticks

November 6, 2013
You can't tell from the picture, but I built Cole a super cool body suit out of glow sticks tonight. Best $1 find at Target ever!

Cushion Fort

November 5, 2013
I didn't take a single picture today.

So you get a picture from one month ago today.

The kids love playing with the couch cushions. They turn them into all kinds of things from pirate ships, to slides, and forts. If you look really, really, really closely, you just might see two pipsqueaks hiding from mom in there.

My Name

November 4, 2013
It's really quite remarkable to watch a child grow up. Little moments when they recognize the letters in their name are some of those times when you sit back in awe at all they know and do. Cole has figured out all the letters in his name. Everywhere we go, he spots "C" and "L" and "O" and "E."

Yes, I spelled that C-L-O-E.

Hey, there's always room for improvement.

Pie

November 3, 2013
When your husband says he wants a slice of apple pie, you make the man an apple pie.

Game Day

November 2, 2013
It's not crazy. It's game day.

{And thank heavens for a gorgeous, warm game day!}

Pure Joy

November 1, 2013
A moment of pure, childhood joy.

The City Library

October 30, 2013
I had a meeting tonight for work at The City Library in Downtown Salt Lake. The meeting was fascinating... a screening of Frontline's "League of Denial: The NFL's Concussion Crisis" and a panel discussion.

And just as fascinating was the library itself. It was really beautiful all lite up in the night.

Bad

October 29, 2013
How bad is it if I'm already eating caramel popcorn and it's not even 10 a.m. yet? Seriously. Someone stop me.

Grocery Store Helper

October 28, 2013
This kid loves to go to the grocery store with me. I'm hoping that if I suffer through his pleadings to buy this or get that that someday he will take over the cooking and shopping for me.

Raining Leaves

October 27, 2013
I don't know about the weather at your house, but it's been raining leaves here all day.

Doughtnut on a string

October 26, 2013
This kid is a doughnut-on-a-string eating machine!

I hate dance

October 25, 2013
Number one reason why I hate dance... makeup and lots and lots of hairspray. But it makes her happy and she looks beautiful.

She's so fluffy!

October 24, 2013
For $25 Blu better stay out of the dirt for at least a full day. I paid good money for that oatmeal shampoo bath and whatever other pampering she got at the doggie spa.

Even the alpha male said he didn't mind having her around now that she's super soft and fluffy and doesn't stink!

Zero Fatalities: A goal we can all live with

October 23, 2013
This is why I do what I do. For the last six years I have had the incredible honor of working with families who have lost a teen in a motor vehicle crash to tell their story. Today was our press conference to release our 6th teen memoriam, "Unfinished Stories." With our press conference over and done with - and extremely well covered by our local media stations - I can breathe again. 

This never gets easier but it is worth every second of time, every email and phone call, every worry, and every tear to make this happen. I love these families. When I catch myself speeding or distracted on the road I see their faces.... I promise I will never forget and I will do everything in my power to ensure their stories live on so no other family has to suffer such a loss.

You can read their stories at http://health.utah.gov/vipp/pdf/MotorVehicle/2012TeenMemoriam_FINAL.pdf.

I'm fine Mom!

October 22, 2013
"Mom! Stop following me! I'm fine!"

Sheesh.

Night Owl

October 21, 2013
It's 12:30 in the morning and Cole woke up from his "nap" about an hour and a half ago. Sweet. Does anyone want to come and watch hours of cartoons with him until he's ready for "bed"?

Twinners

October 20, 2013
We picked up the kids from my parents today (thanks Kimmy and Mom). I must admit, I really, really enjoyed a weekend free of little people needing to be fed and entertained every second of the day. We got a ton of stuff done around the house, took the dog on a walk, ate dinner at a real restaurant without spending money on kids' meals that they didn't eat, watched T.V. and just enjoyed doing whatever we wanted when we wanted.

But alas the fun had to end. And don't go thinking I'm a mean mom... those two pipsqueaks had three days of staying up late, playing, and having their Aunt and Grandparents at their beck and call. And their Uncle Kurtis. With matching shirts, matching eye protection, and matching hair cuts. I think someone is a little attached. Thank goodness he doesn't have a matching paintball gun... yet.

Remembrance Event

October 19, 2013
I came home from a long and very emotional day of work (on a Saturday too) and saw a bunch of sunflowers sitting on the T.V. stand.

I assume they were for me since Jeff and I are the only ones home this weekend.

Jeff didn't know the irony of this. Today was our Family Remembrance Event. A yearly event I stress about for months and months until it's finally over. Each year we publish a memoriam of stories of teens who were killed in car crashes the previous year. Just before we publicly release the book, we hold a remembrance event for all of the families we've worked with. It's basically a giant grief support group where each family can share their story and how they're doing. We've done this for six years and it never gets easier. You learn to distance yourself from these teens and their families until you meet them in person and then the emotions you've held back come flooding out. And you realize that for some of these families, they've been coming for six years, every year.

I love these families. I really do. They are amazing and courageous. I so wish I could take away even an ounce of their pain. It's their pain that drives me to keep working on this project year after year.

This year our grief counselor was unable to attend our remembrance event. I was in a panic for weeks until one night on a walk I remembered hearing a presentation from the director of The Bradley Center for Grieving Children and Families. An early morning phone call and I was talking to Carrie Moore about our project and need for someone to come and help our families. She graciously accepted. As part of her presentation she showed a video (that I'd seen before and which I'd remembered on my walk) about her own journey through grief. Her husband was killed in an airplane crash 17 years ago. One of the other men killed in the crash had some sunflower seeds with him. A year after the crash what had once been a black hole in the earth had turned into a mountainside of sunflowers where none had been before the crash. 

Jeff's sweet gesture reminded me that our Heavenly Father loves these families and gives them strength to overcome their darkest times. These Teen Memoriams are inspired.... hopefully to teach others who read them but more importantly to give the families some healing. 

You can download our 2011 Teen Memoriam, "Unfinished Stories," at http://health.utah.gov/vipp/pdf/MotorVehicle/2012TeenMemoriam_FINAL.pdf.

Lazy Bums

October 18, 2013
It's 11:30 and these two lazy bums have done nothing but build a bed out of the couch cushions and watch cartoons.

Oh, and have second breakfast. 

At this rate, we'll be dressed by bedtime.

Pumpkin Painting

October 17, 2013
Carving pumpkins seemed like way to much work this year. So I got the paints out and let the kids paint all of them. Even the one Jeff had apparently claimed as his own... for carving.

I'd like to say it was a blissful, enjoyable experience but giving two kids a whole bunch of paint is kind of stressful. At least for their mother. But despite my nagging and yelling and impatience, we all managed to get the pumpkins painted. Now we just need to hope it doesn't rain (or snow) otherwise we're going to have to start this whole pumpkin painting fun again. 

No Timeouts

October 16, 2013
Cole struggles with timeouts at school. Some days a lot. He doesn't like to take naps (even at home) and apparently that's a big no-no at school. I find it a tad ridiculous that they can't let him go outside and play with the older kids. I know I couldn't hold still on a tiny mat for two hours! Or if you shoot your friends with a pretend gun... um, yeah, we actually got a note about Cole shooting his friends. Lame.  And totally stupid.

You know it's bad when the first thing your kid tells you when you pick him up is how many timeouts he had that day. And it's really, really bad when he won't tell you how many timeouts he had.

But some days things go almost perfectly and you hear, "Mom! Me have no timeouts today!"

Bribery does work after all. Now if I could convince his teachers to let him pick something other than a stamp as his reward for four days of naps and no timeouts!

Ditto

October 15, 2013
The holiday of choice, in this case Halloween, can officially begin now. The Ditto sign is back up.

Haircut

October 14, 2013
The men in the household take their haircuts very seriously. Even when they ask to hold their mommy's hand.

Raspberry Picking

October 13, 2013
I hope Pearl remembers picking raspberries ("picking" is a loose term as evident by all the raspberries that don't make it into the basket) with her Grandma just like I do with mine.

Good Deed

October 12, 2013
The kids and I did our good deed for the day. We made and decorated some cupcakes for the ward's Halloween carnival.

That we aren't even able to go to.

Vision Screening

October 11, 2013
When my mom came to help at my school's vision screening when I was in Kindergarten, we discovered I couldn't see. Like really couldn't see. I literally didn't know there was a white paper with letters on it. My mom cried. I cried. It was soooo traumatic as a five-year-old. So when Pearl's school needed volunteers to help with the vision screening I decided I couldn't pass up the irony. Luckily for Pearl though, she has eyes like an eagle!

Home

October 10, 2013
I am getting homesick.

And a little stir crazy sitting in a hotel room all day. I miss my family. I miss Jeff. A lot. Which is odd because it's not like we're all lovey duvey with each other or even talk much while I'm gone. I'm not sure he even actually misses me. Other than maybe at dinner time. Eating out gets old fast.

Today I'm going home! Yeah! Although I'm sure my smile won't last long when I finally do make it home and Jeff shoves two whiny kids and a stinky dog my way and then disappears to recoup.

Room service

October 9, 2013
I missed out on an outing to downtown Detroit for dinner. I had too many work emergencies to put out AFTER sitting in meetings for eight hours. Blah.

So to console myself after working a 12 hour day, I ordered room service. It's nice having someone else cook your meal and bring it to you (while you're lounging in your pajamas) with a pleasant smile. Plus, there's not many places I can just walk to out here. Gorgeous suburbs do have their downsides.

Brisk fall walk

October 8, 2013
I can't get over how beautiful Michigan is! After the first day filled with rain, the sun has come out and the temperatures are in the low 70's by the afternoon. The trees are filled with bright leaves, the grass is green (with frost on it in the morning like the picture above), and the Dearborn Inn is spectacular. I am in love. And finding any excuse to sneak outside and walk around the grounds of the hotel.

Weinermobile

October 7, 2013

My Bologna has a first name,
It's O-S-C-A-R.
My bologna has a second name,
It's M-A-Y-E-R.
Oh I love to eat it everyday,
And if you ask me why say,
Cause' Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A!!!!

I had the chance to attend a private reception at The Henry Ford tonight as part of the conference I'm at (the National Association of Head Injury State Administrators conference or NASHIA).

Can I just say the Smithsonian has NOTHING on The Henry Ford! It was unbelievable! I mean, it has the 1952 Weinermobile for crying out loud! A huge, absolutely breathtaking building filled with everything you could possibly imagine to document America's history. I'd dare say Mr. Henry Ford was a bit of a hoarder.

I so wish I had brought my nice camera with me. Instead you get stuck with crappy pictures from my phone that will never do the collection justice. It was three hours of running around in awe, trying to soak in everything Mr. Henry Ford found intriguing. I think I may be sneaking out of a meeting to come back and get some souvenirs.

Flight

October 6, 2013
Waiting for my flight to Detroit.

Soccer Stud

October 5, 2013
Eh, who cares if my parents drove like crazy people to get to my last soccer game. I think I'll just hang out way back here and chase butterflies.

Or score a goal for the other team.

Awesome.

Romney Stadium

October 4, 2013
Our amazing quarterback blew out his knee (ACL.. I feel for him... been there), I froze my butt off, and we lost to the BYU but I still think Merlin Olsen Field at Romney Stadium is one of the most beautiful places to be on a Friday night.

Dot Cards

October 3, 2013
We're getting into the groove of homework. Thank goodness for the after school program! The kids are required to work on their homework for 30 minutes before all the fun starts so we usually have minimal "home" work to do before Friday.

One homework activity that we always have though are these little things called dot cards. Each card has dots on them, up to the number 10. You get three seconds to look at the cards and say how many dots on the card.

If you asked Pearl, Jeff, and Cole... well, pretty much everyone but me... they'll tell you how easy the dot cards are. I on the other hand struggle to get any of the dot cards. It's quite embarrassing. That's why I prefer to just take pictures.  

Picture Day

October 2, 2013
I redeemed myself from Cole's school picture day fail.

Today I actually remembered it was picture day for Pearl. And, she doesn't realize this, but I also had a best parent ever moment. I let her pick out what she wanted to wear and how she wanted her hair done.

Epic win.

And what a beauty I have!

Awkward

October 1, 2013
Nothing makes you feel more "womanly" than having another man (my doctor... just to get that cleared up now) tell you, and I quote, "You have a beautiful cervix. See you next year!"

Oh the joys of being a woman.

"Me Hungry!"

September 29, 2013
Every night... every single night... just as we've got jammies on, teeth brushed, and are heading to bed, the boy starts whining, "Me hungry. Me hungry! Me hungry Mom!"

AHHHH!

I can tell you what Jeff would say about the whole situation. I'm too soft. I need to yell more. I am a pushover. The kid should eat more dinner... or in some cases, any dinner.

He might be right but I have serious unresolved issues with food, especially hunger. Now I know he's not going to starve to death (and yes, I have actually sent him to bed hungry before despite what Jeff might tell you), and I know I need to be tougher on him, but in my mind if I can get his tummy stuffed full, we all sleep better.

Some nights it's applesauce or a banana. But lately it's been cereal. I mean, what better way to go to bed than a bowl full of sugary cereal?

I really am a push over, aren't I?

Claude Monet

September 28, 2013
Pearl came home jabbering about some Claude Monet thing at school. I had no clue what she was talking about.

Let me clarify. I know who Claude Monet is, or should I say was. But I didn't understand what she was trying to explain to me about art class and how she is the Claude Monet this time becasue her teacher liked her picture the best. To say Pearl was more than frustrated with me over this would be an understatement.

It finally clicked when I picked her up from school and I noticed a brightly colored bulletin in the hallway. Her art teacher had picked a few students from each grade to be the artists of the month for their impressionism paintings. Once I finally figured out what she'd been trying to tell me, my proud mom side kicked up a notch and I forced her to smile through embarrassed teeth in front of her painting.

That kid. She makes me smile.

School Carnival

September 27, 2013
Tonight was the long awaited and much anticipated (by Pearl) school carnival. With a special guest appearance by Jaws pictured above.

We've had super summer heat, snow, rain, and freezing temperatures. Ah, the guessing game of Utah weather. This year it leaned more to the freezing cold side. I was so grouchy because, one, I didn't get lunch, and two, I was so blasted cold I just wanted to go home. We let the kids spend all of Jeff's money on carny rides and gross hamburgers before calling it quits. I even won a silent auction item and surprised Pearl with a new dance bag.

The PTA can consider our dues paid!

Tender Mercy

September 26, 2013
This isn't a great picture of the sun breaking through the clouds off in the distance, but it's a tender mercy for me.

Every year have the honor of working with grieving families to tell their stories of losing a teen in a car crash. We hold a remembrance event for them and have a grief counselor conduct a workshop. This year, I found out our grief counseler couldn't come at the last minute and I have been sick with worry about what to do. A chance memory of a presentation I'd heard from The Bradley Center for Grieving Children and Families a few years ago on my walk last night and then an early morning phone call - which I expected NO ONE to answer - and the director just happens to pick up the phone and all if fixed.

I an so grateful my Heavenly Father loves these families that He will use me, someone far less worthy of His goodness to help them find some healing... each year everything seems to magically fall into place.

Third Position

September 24, 2013
Today was parent day for Pearl's dance class. Which means you can go and watch them to see what they're learning. I really didn't want to have Cole tag along... he's not the quietest, most obedient child AND dance/tumbling is two hours long... but with Jeff still at work and Pearl about to tell me that I'm the worst mom ever for NEVER going to her stuff, I didn't have much of a choice. Hopefully her teachers caught my vibe that we weren't leaving.

Cole was actually fairly good during dance class (and with tumbling class being pretty chaotic, he just sneaked in the routine lineup and did everything the class did). He stood in the back with me and even though he came close to being grounded for life on a few occasions, when he started copying Pearl's ballet positions, my heart melted. I guess I'll keep that little twit for a few more days.

I'm sure Jeff was proud when I posted his picture perfect form in third position.

I want to cry

September 23, 2013
I walked into my office after a meeting first thing in the morning and almost cried. I'm not joking. I had to turn around and walk back out to find someone to talk to so I'd get my mind off the bazillion emails, sticky notes, folders, emails, and to-do lists that never go away.

I really, really, really want a house elf

September 22, 2013
I really, really, really want a house elf.

Office Visitor

September 21, 2013
My kids love coming up to my office in the afternoons. The problem is, they don't seem to understand the concept that people are actually working there. Which means they can't scream when I tell them I don't have any treats for them or any money to go to the cafeteria to buy something. Or when their sibling won't let them have the chair they want, in the exact spot they want it, and with a certain smelly marker.

It gets ugly real fast.

Thank heavens for gracious coworkers who ignore my whispered threats to "use an inside voice" and "if you can't be quiet, we'll have to leave" or "don't touch that!"

Management meeting

September 20, 2013
Apparently my management team does better when we meet outside of our stuffy office building and when food is involved.

Lots and lots of food. As in a delicious lunch AND dessert. Paid for by our boss, thank you Trisha!

But when you've been discussing staffing issues for three hours plus, you need a little sugar. Right?

Picture Day Fail

September 19, 2013
You've heard me loathe about picture day before. I hate it. Hate it. It's the one single day that my children have to actually look like they aren't orphans. And usually the one day that we all wake up late, are grouchy, won't eat, scream when getting our hair combed, cry over the clothes that mom wants us to wear, and just plan run like mad men to get there before the photographer leaves.

In six years of school picture days I have never felt so free, so calm as I did today.

The secret?

I forgot.

Completely, 100% forgot.

Thank goodness it was just Cole's picture day. Pearl would never have forgiven me if she'd gone to school looking like she'd just rolled out of bed.

Mr. Fern wore a lovely ensemble of an Aggie tee shirt and a pair of hand-me-down shorts. Awesome. At least the kid was representing our Aggies. Not horrid. Until he peed all over his shirt. Cole often refuses to go potty when he wakes up and I've learned that he can usually go about an hour or so after he wakes up before it becomes an emergency. The problem was, we hit emergency right when we got to school (and as I'm lugging my lunch box, his spare clothes, a coat, my coat, my purse) into school and then freak out because I have just been ensured the Mom of the Year Award for forgetting picture day. We run into the bathroom as I'm squawking at him to hurry and pee before he pees his pants. He did.... just not aiming in the toilet. Epic.

To say I was laughing and calm about the situation would be a lie. I was fuming! I had a meeting to get to and was ready to explode. Cole was throwing a fit because he wanted to wear his Aggie shirt for picture day and NOTHING else. So we sat in the office waiting for his shirt to dry. After about 10 minutes, I'd had it and took it out of the dryer and made him wear it. Still wet.

Awesome. Hilariously awesome. I did laugh about it once there was nothing to do but wait for that pee shirt to dry. And it will make for one funny story when we look back and everyone asks why his shirt looks stained.

Tooele

September 18, 2013
I went to the booming metropolis of Tooele today for work. A site visit to the local health department there. It was actually a gorgeous day to drive about 40 minutes outside of Salt Lake. I so wish I had stopped and taken a picture of the Great Salt Lake.

As I pulled into town, I was flooded with a childhood memory. My Grandpa Allen was a psychology professor for years at USU and he'd often teach extension classes at the USU satelitte campuses to earn some "fun" money. I got to go to Tooele with my grandparents for a few days while he taught a class in Tooele. Boy did I feel like a celebrity staying in a hotel with a pool! Watching T.V. all afternoon while my Grandma clipped her newspapers and had a nap. And walking with my Grandma to the biggest, most awesome store down the street in my young mind... Walmart! Oh how my expectations have changed :)

But it really was the best weekend. Just me and my Grandma hanging out together, talking, laughing, swimming, shopping. We even bought matching Keds sneakers (block colors in maroon, navy, forrest green and I think a tanish color) at Walmart and for years (until my feet outgrew them), we'd wear them proudly together like twinners. I'm sure she still has them buried in her closet somewhere.

The Best Western hotel was still there but the Walmart that I thought was the coolest place I'd ever been to in my entire life at the time was gone. Apparently the Super Walmart ran it out of town and the old building is now a shopping strip with several stores. It made me a little sad.

I should venture to Tooele more often. As the locals say, "It's only 300 miles out and 30 miles back."

Constitution Day

September 17, 2013
Today we celebrate the adoption of the United States Constitution, signed in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, PA. It's also a federal observance to celebrate those who have received their U.S. citizenship.