This is what Laura Ingalls Wilder does to our kids

Ryan reads the Little House books to the girls a few nights a week and this is what happened to them Saturday night at about. They had slept over at the neighbor's house on Friday night and Hanna admitted that they stayed up until midnight. I think Grace lasted about one minute and Hanna was out in about ten. I made Ryan keep reading because I like hearing the stories. When I was putting Grace to bed I couldn't help thinking about the Simpson's episode where Bart and Lisa are in foster care with the Flanders. They put them to bed at Rod and Tod's bedtime and Bart opens up the blinds to reveal a mid-afternoon scene. The sun is shining and all the neighborhood kids are out playing. That's how I felt when I put Grace to bed Saturday "night".

I bought something at The Gap!

If you're looking for a swimming suit that (in my opinion) looks good and doesn't cost a lot, The Gap is having a great sale right now. I bought a couple of their Essential Tankini tops and Essential Hipster bottoms that I really like. The top is padded which is very good for us small chested women, plus the pads are removable if you are lucky enough not to need them. The bottoms are full-coverage and I like the wider sides. You can order them on www.gap.com and they fit pretty true to size. They also don't have as big of a space between the top and the bottom as they show in the picture. Well, maybe if you're six feet tall but on me they touch. I got the one below and the polka dots.

I'm working!

I have an hour of prep time each morning before my students come. I usually use up the whole hour preparing for the day but I was so well prepared this morning that I find myself with nothing to do. Okay I could be planning for tomorrow but the computer was calling my name. Teaching is going okay. I'm feeling at a bit of a disadvantage because I haven't been teaching kindergarten all year. So far I've had help from the internet and Gwen who is my neighbor and also a kindergarten teacher, plus the previous occupant of the room I'm using. My students are easy going except the one little boy who I described to my mom as "having ants in his pants". He's also a nosepicker/eater but otherwise he's a nice kid who listens and seems to like coming. I have to develop a stronger tolerance for stinkiness and dirtiness if I want to make it in this profession. I admit I threw up a little bit in my mouth when I first saw him picking and eating his boogers. One little girl covers her ears when we sing, which I find a bit unsettling but it could be worse. I've already made my first "summer working money" purchase. I found a Wii at Walmart and decided this was what we all needed. My dad is pitching in for it as a gift to the girls. My next purchase will be Guitar Hero so I can feed my addiction at home. I think Rock Band looks fun but Ryan has no desire. I told him it would be fun to come up with our family band name and he suggested something like "Reluctant Father".

Bear with me

I'm feeling sad today. A lot of people in "the hood" are having babies and I'm reminded constantly of how normal it is have a healthy baby. It's almost been two years since Evie was born and I'm genuinely happy to say that it's easier to think about her without falling to pieces. That being said, it's days like this where I'm sitting at the computer with tears running down my cheeks that I think I'm still kind of a mess. When I see Hanna get excited about a friend's news of a new baby girl, I feel heartbroken that she didn't get to have her little sister. I see a neighbor with her new baby at church and I have leave early because I don't want to run into her. I'm not always this sensitive but this week has been hard for some unexplainable reason. I guess it's seeing people get what I wanted and fought so fervently for. It's plain old jealousy. Like my predictable exercise blog entries, I feel like my Evie entries are equally predictable but writing is the one therapy that I've really found to help. It's either medication or writing, so I choose to write.

Mexico

My mom called me a few months ago and invited me to go to Mexico with her in May. What a great mom! With the help of a travel agent friend, we booked five nights at the all-inclusive Riu Playacar in Playa del Carmen.

My mom and I on our room's balcony. We're dressed up for dinner but I soon realized that my interpretation of "dress" was much different than others. I think to most people it meant "wear a shirt and shoes".

This banana tree was in our resort and I just thought it was super cool. I don't really like banana's unless they are in a banana split but it would be fun to eat one off the tree.

I was disappointed with the whole bargaining idea. I thought I'd be getting these sweet deals on jewelry etc but instead I left every transaction feeling a bit "had". I tried to get a friend a fake Rolex but the shop owner was not buying my sad story of me being a poorly paid teacher and my husband a cop.

Our beach in Playa. I've always wanted to go to a beach just like this. You can kind of see the buildings of Cozumel across the water. It was all lit up at night. Old men in Speedos are awesome!

The back view of our beach.

This iguana was just living in Tulum.

This is Tulum which was great. I was so hot when we were here that it was hard to enjoy. I kept thinking about the beach below and how great the water was going to feel.

The beach at Tulum which was my favourite beach. If I ever go back to Mexico, I think I'd like to stay in the Tulum area.

My mom and I went snorkeling one day which was another thing I've always wanted to do. I chose this picture because I wanted you to see how clear the water was. I'm about to be lifted up on the kite swing.

Towel girl that I thought was an octopus at first. Each day our maid left us some sort of towel sculpture.

Blurg!

My mom was in an accident yesterday. She went to sit in a chair on their deck and the chair wasn't all the way on, so she fell off the deck. I got one of those phone calls you dread. My dad barely able to speak which immediately made me think my mom was dead. Luckily she is alive but in a lot of pain. There are some other issues with preexisting conditions they found on the x-rays but I'm not going to worry about those until we know more. It's left me feeling helpless because I'm so far away. Monti (my brother) is only 40 minutes away so he was able to go over yesterday and his phone call after reassured me. I start teaching summer school on Monday and I'm frustrated that, for the first time in 10+ years I actually have a summer commitment that prevents me from rushing home and helping. My mom called yesterday when I wasn't home and told Ryan that I shouldn't worry about her, that she's sure she'll be better in a few weeks. My mom is the eternal optimist and I believe if she thinks it, it will happen. Why Monti and I didn't get more of her positive thinking is just one of nature's cruel tricks. Thoughts and prayers for my mom, Calee, would be very appreciated.

Just so this entry isn't all bad news, I thought I'd put this 1930s Marital Scale for everyone to try. I was only an average 1930's wife. Honestly, I think I lost major points because I do frequently eat onions, radishes, or garlic before a date or going to bed. Hmmm radishes.

Bust a move!

The running is slowing progressing and my side aches are getting better. I think I was just not used to running and my body needed time to catch up. I got extra motivation to exercise yesterday at the water park since I had to wear a swimming suit all day. Water park season is here whether my body is ready or not. I like going because I basically sit around talking to friends all day while our kids play. It's nice that the girls are finally at an age where I don't have to worry about them anymore. Anyway this is turning into a boring entry so lets talk music. I'm going to list a few songs I have on my Nano that motivate me when I don't want to run anymore. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them.
1. Lose Yourself -Eminem
2. Holiday -Green Day
3. Toxic -Britney Spears
4. Dance, Dance and This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race -Fall Out Boy
5. Canned Heat and Virtual Insanity -Jamiroquai
6. What Goes Around Comes Around -Justin Timberlake
7. Umbrella and Pon de Replay -Rihanna
8. Say You'll Be There -Spice Girls
9. C'mon C'mon -The Von Bondies
10.Bust a Move -Young MC
11.Sympathy for the Devil -The Rolling Stones
12. Seether -Veruca Salt

I also like myself a little Fergie and my friend Christine just sent me a CD full of 90's dance music that has a good beat. Obviously my running music differs from what I listen to normally but as long as it has a good beat and keeps me moving, I'm open to anything.

Everything is coming up Van Fleet!

The Utah Highway Patrol Association banquet was on Wednesday and Ryan and I always like to go. It's usually good food but the main draw is the door prizes at the end. Of course they put them at the end of the program so no one leaves because we all think we're going to win the $1000 Sig Sauer pistol. Unfortunately Ryan and I usually win the $10 cloth cooler, the Highway Patrol DVD (whaa?) or nothing. Ryan's mom once won a night in Cedar City and tickets to the Shakespearean Festival which she kindly gave to us but that doesn't really count because we didn't win it. This years banquet was extra boring and long so I was really hoping we would win something that would make the evening worthwhile. They always start with the lame prizes (golf balls etc) and then work their way up the the good ones. I had my eye on a weed whacker but it came and went without my number being called. We were down to the last three prizes and Ryan and I had won nothing. Let me set this up for you. Usually when your number gets called, you raise your hand quietly and someone brings you your prize. It's all very civilized for a cop party. They announce that they are now drawing for a $300 shotgun from Cabela's but I'm feeling pretty pessimistic about the whole thing so I'm not even really listening. They then read "621" and I realized this is Ryan's number. Both Ryan and I jump up, yell "YES!" and then I yell "THE VAN FLEET CURSE IS FINALLY BROKEN!" So we livened things up a bit and the long, boring night was saved. Ryan found out that we could use the gift card for anything at Cabela's and since he already has a nice shotgun, he used it to buy a tent and a GPS system for our car. So happy Father's Day to Ryan.

Our new tent that will actually fit all of us. Ryan and the girls slept out in the backyard last night and liked it. Dad your order wasn't there yet. Also Dad we don't have any pads to sleep on. *hint hint*

Hanna is into making collages and these are two she made today. I find the Heath Ledger as "The Joker" one kind of disturbing. Strange kid but she just may be an artistic genius.

Ma toilette

Jen challenged other bloggers to post ten pictures about us but I got stuck on my toilet. She posted one of her toilet which I thought was funny so I took one of mine today to share. How boring is a picture of my toilet? Very. I've been cleaning the house all day because tomorrow we are having a bunch of realtors walk through and then they'll give our realtor feedback. This is what I think they're going to say, "You're asking too much." If this is, in fact, what they say, then we'll have to make some decisions. I'm kind of sick of talking/thinking about it, so I'm going to end it there.

I've been waking up at 5:40 three days a week to go running while Ryan gets ready for work. Let me just reiterate how much I hate waking up early. I HATE IT! Some mornings I think I'd rather have my eyes poked out but I get up because if I don't I'll just feel guilty and lame the rest of the day. Once I get dressed and outside, it's not that bad. I like listening to my music and I run until I get one of my usual side aches and then I walk until I can run again. If you have any ideas of how I can rid myself of those side aches, I'd love to hear it. There is this community of runners out at that time that I didn't know about. I'm starting to see some regulars and we say "hi" to each other. I actually have a gym membership but it's in Spanish Fork but I bought it before gas was $4/gallon. So now I only go to the Saturday morning spin class and basically eat the $30 membership fee due to the insane gas prices. Anyway once again I begin a new exercise routine and bitch about it. I'm feeling very predictable.

I made my toilet photo black and white. That makes it arty.

The girls were playing with Photobooth and I liked these pictures. Two versions of "sisterly love."

Snoop Dog! You need to get yourself a jobby job!

I got myself a jobby job today. I hope I'm not writing prematurely about this but I think it's pretty much in the bag. I'm going to be teaching summer school for three weeks starting June 23rd. I got the call today and it sounds like I'll be in charge of three kindergarten children in a combined class that includes eight grade one students. He asked me if I wanted to teach kindergarten alone but since I've been out of the teaching loop for 9+ years, I decided it would be better to be in a combined classroom. The exciting news is that I'm actually making a decent wage. Ryan's mom has kindly agreed to watch the girls for me while I'm working which is from 9-12 each day. I was going to sign them up for one of the town day camps but the only one they had when I was working was "Hooray for the USA!". You know how I feel about any sort of patriotism toward the United States. Just kidding, I'll probably let them go.

The dump

Ryan just left to take the girls to the dump. My kids have never been to any sort of dump so I insisted that he take them today. You can't call it a childhood unless you've been to the dump with your dad. I grew up loving dumps. It's true. I have fond memories of my childhood trips to the dump. My Grandma Wilde lived on a farm and her property bordered the Welling dump. Oh man, that place was a treasure trove of unspeakable delights. We would wander over there unsupervised and dig through trying to find the perfect thing we had to have. Then we'd take our treasure to one of the old grain bins we used as a fort and "decorate" it with our finds. I remember one time finding a box of rotten tomatoes and we had a blast throwing them at things. We were easily entertained.

When I worked for the Town of Magrath in the summers, one of our jobs was to empty all the town trash cans. This meant we got to go to the dump about once a week. By then Alberta had converted all their dumps from open holes to a building that had a trailer at the botton. So you back in, dump your trash over the edge into this trailer that would be taken to some mysterious "super dump" or whatever. Harry the Indian (yes, we were very PC back then) was the "dump master" and I think he liked the dump just as much as I did. He had a little table set up with his best finds on it. His favourite cowboy hat was actually one my friends dad had thrown away. He had a Book of Mormon (he wasn't Mormon) on the table and it had another fellow worker's name in it. My favourite was a picture of the Alberta temple in a puffy cloth frame, the kind we all made in Young Women at one time or another, and town worker Deanna recognised it as hers. I know others out there have similar great memories of trips to the dump, so feel free to share.

My brother was kind enough to send me a picture of the Magrath dump. Thanks!

Hanna's birthday

Hanna turned nine yesterday and brought with it many changes. She told me she felt more "mature" now and that was helped by her new purse. Apparently having a purse makes her feel "like a woman." We took her to The Brick Oven for pizza because she knew she'd be sung to and get free ice-cream. How could the offspring of Ryan and I want to be sung to in a restaurant? Her birthday ended with a sleep over although two of the three girls couldn't sleep over. I got this weird vibe from them that maybe they weren't allowed to sleep over at our house. Whatever. Because one kid is a lot easier than three. Anyway, Hanna is a really special kid. She was as super hard baby and I don't think anyone in the house had a full night sleep until she was over a year old and by then I was pregnant with Grace. How we had the energy to get pregnant with Grace is a miracle in itself. She was "fussy" but also a lot of fun. When she was happy she was very happy and had a great laugh. She never wanted to be still which is why I think sleep was just a hassle for her. You can't move when you're sleeping! Now she has turned into this fun, albeit sassy kid who seems to belong to another family if it weren't for the unmistakable family sarcasm. I'm glad she is a part of our family because she definitely keeps things lively.

This was at Hanna's first birthday. She cried after we sang Happy Birthday to her. How things have changed.

Hanna can be very naughty. She blamed it on Sock Monkey.

But she is very willing to help and likes to clean.

Hanna likes to be silly and she likes her dad.

Hanna loves Grace and is a good big sister. She also likes to be in the water.

She has big blue eyes and is happy most of the time.

She slept the first week or so and then the fun began. A rare moment of peacefulness captured. She now sleeps like a champ.

Hanna liked to put things on her head but she especially loved this bucket. We called her "buckethead."

Hanna on her ninth birthday. She's still a very happy kid but oh so silly.

Mmmm...Cucumbers

*Warning: This has adult content.*

Good kids

Hanna and Grace did so well in school this year that I thought it warranted a post. Both were way above grade in reading levels and both had pretty much perfect report cards. Hanna got a certificate from the Utah State Board of Education "in recognition of scoring in the top ten percent nationally" on her Iowa Tests. Basically it's a year end test all grade three students take. I don't like the tests but it's still cool when your child does well. Now summer is here and I don't know what to do with them. We bought Seven Peaks Water Park passes again so Tuesday and Thursdays we'll be there. Will anyone else be there?

Hanna and Grace getting ready for summer. We have a neighbor with a pop machine and they just love to waste their money there. I've had to limit their trips.