M@t Returns!

It has been a blissful four days since Matt's return Friday evening! It has also been very busy. Matt's plane landed a half hour early. Luckily, the kids & I had everything prepared so we were able to jump into the car and go get him. We did have to swing by and pick Chloe up from a birthday party on our way to the airport. She insisted that "it is tradition that she be in the car when picking dad up from the airport" I tried to assure her it would be fine if she stayed at the party and we could pick her up when it was over. I thought it was sweet and obvious that she missed her daddy!

We had a full weekend of various activities and errands. Matt has adjusted surprisingly well, with little to no jet-lag. He took the kids to see High School Musical 3 on Saturday night, so I could do some last minute Primary preparations. It has probably helped that we have gone to bed earlier than normal and also taken naps to combat his jet-lag. Overall the transition back into family life has been smooth! Matt seems to have had a great time in Prague. I can't wait to see the pictures!

Missing M@t - Day Nine

Talk about a crazy day! I was busy this morning with Primary stuff,(meeting) and while I was gone Chloe called and left a message for me to bring her belt she forgot to put on this morning. Unfortunately, by the time I got home and got the message she had already received a "white slip" for dress code violation. Our little Chloe is not a rule breaker and goes out of her way to abide by every rule humanly possible, so she took the white slip personally, but I think she took the fact that one of her friends ratted her out even harder. I don't understand "mean girls" but Chloe is friends with this girl and continues to be so, despite my best efforts to discourage it. Probably because she has a bigger, more forgiving heart!

Jordan finished his wooden scrapbook at the Webelos Den Meeting over at the Young's. It looks amazing and I will post a picture Tuesday where it will be displayed at Pack Meeting. He will be receiving his Arrow of Light Award and his craftsman pin at this Pack Meeting! Very exciting for Jordan!

Chloe had to baby-sit this evening and it went smoothly. No phone calls home for tips on cooking or anything else. She also had dance class this evening. She was way excited about dance because they measured her for the costume for the concert in December. It sounds really cute, can't wait to see the finished product.

The excitement is in the air here at the home! As I write this late at night here is SLC, it is morning time in Prague where Matt is heading to the airport to come home! We are ready for him to be home.

Missing M@t - Day Eight

It's been one of those days. Not a bad day, but not a great day.

I had to start off my day with ironing which was not all bad because I got some much needed iPod listening time in.

I was stood up for a phone date. (I'm sure he had a good reason.)

After school, we ran some errands searching for vampire teeth for Chloe's costume party for her Activity Day's Party. The clerk at Shopko said every kid in the valley seems to be dressing as a vampire for Halloween and then she told us what stores to avoid because she had already searched earlier that day. Crisis was averted because Chloe decided to go as a "Hippie Stayin' Alive Party Gal" (her spring dance costume came in handy!) We will continue our search for vampire teeth on Friday when we have more time! I'm hoping she'll decide to go with the Hippie for Halloween night, but chances of that are slim!

Chloe had fun at her party. Everyone loved her costume. All was well until dinner time. Needless to say, Chloe is going to bed hungry tonight. She has developed this horrible, nasty quirk. Chloe refuses to eat leftovers. Contrary to the belief of her father who says I taught her this - so not true- this annoying trait has really been bad the past two months. I understand that there are things that do not reheat well, but this was a pasta dinner that only gets better with age. I gave her a choice to eat what was offered or she could go to bed hungry. She went to bed hungry! I was hoping after having our Family Home Evening lesson on President Boyd K Packer testimony on being frugal and conservative she would be willing to eat what's offered, but that is not the case. Don't worry, I checked a parenting website and a kid will not starve to death from missing one meal, no harm done. I just get to go to bed feeling like a crappy mom.

Surprisingly Jordan was rather cooperative on all issues (homework, shopping, dinner, bedtime.) That is a shock. I think he's trying to butter me up for something.

Tomorrow is a new day and I think it is going to be great!

Missing M@t - Day Seven

It was so chilly today I had to check the weather to see if we were expecting snow in the next few days. Luckily, the forecast is clear. The wind brought the chilly air into the valley. The wind has also stripped the trees of most of the beautiful fall leaves. I have pictures for proof.

This picture was taken last Saturday afternoon.

This picture was taken this afternoon.
Very chilly!

Chloe was a trooper during soccer practice despite the 55 degree weather. Jordan on the other hand came to the car for warmth in 10 minute intrevals.

I am not posting much today because I am in the middle of a really good book and want to devote my spare time to finishing it. Suprisingly, it is a book about dogs. I usually go by the old adage "Cats Rule & Dogs Drool!" Except for puppies of course, but then again anything mini is cute. That is why our cat is super cute because she is a cat and she is mini. Another picture for proof of cuteness.

Here are some other things that are super cute!

No need for Matt to be getting homesick from all this cuteness he is missing! He will be home soon enough! Lots of Love from the family! xoxoxox

Missing M@t - Day 6

Back to the daily grind. The fun is over - kids are back in school. Back to never-ending chores for me. I did get a small treat on the way home from dropping the kids off at school this morning. I have to drive through two school zones on my drive and right before one of those school zones some jerk face cut me off and sped through the school zone, but he got his comeuppance. There was a "copper" waiting on the corner street and he pulled him over! Even the crossing guard was laughing at the dope! That was definitely the highlight of my day, aside from talking to my sweetie - talking to him is always the highest point of all my days!

The countdown is on: only four days until Matt returns home!

I have shows that I am holding off watching until Matt is home. Some of those include:

Fringe (sometimes Matt has to explain things to me),
Survivor (I don't know how much longer this will be on our TiVo),
Grey's Anatomy (I hate this show and only watch it because Matt does),
CSI (I'm still trying to get over Warrick's death and might need Matt to pass me some more tissues),
The Amazing Race (Who else is going to laugh when I say "Honey, I need you to blow on it" all during the show - I'm just hoping I don't find out who's been kicked off before Friday),
The Big Bang Theory (okay, so I gave in and watched it, but Sheldon was so funny I won't mind watching it again),
How I Met Your Mother (Okay, so I watched this one as well and I will have trouble watching it again because things have not panned out the way I was hoping - I probably just gave it up to Matt but just in case he is too tired to understand and you know what I'm talking about keep it under wraps so he can be surprised),
and last of all, Heroes (it's a must that we watch it together!)

I don't know when we will have time to watch these shows as well as many others that will continue to pile up over the next four days?!?! It seems that the kids have every moment planned out from the time Matt steps off the plane (the pumpkin patch, trick or treat on Halloween street, boo at the zoo, and high school musical 3 movie!) I've told them it all depends on the jet-lag! Matt might want to crawl into bed and sleep for three days!?! It always varies.

Missing M@t - Day Four and Five

Finally, some me time! Taking a moment, now that the kids are in bed, to catch you up on my adventures from where I last left you. I believe the kids had gone to my mom's for a sleepover. Now that was bliss! Not the nighttime part, because honestly, the house was tooooo quiet and tooooo empty. It was so strange to be all alone, even my kitty was being standoffish (probably because of the scolding she received the night before) The blissful part for me was when I finally got to sleep (2:45am) I was able to sleep in until 10:45 am! Heaven!!! The kids came home about 12 PM. My mom visited for about an hour - shocking- she usually doesn't stay to visit! Then the kids and I started on our chores. Well, we actually made a list of the chores that needed to be done and then we each grabbed our books and proceeded to read. Did I mention we had company coming at 7 PM?! Thirty minutes into our reading the doorbell rings, and it's my good friend Robin. How embarrassing! I'm still in my pajamas! It's all good, because she is not "made up" for the day yet as well. We chatted about this and that, and then because my kids decided that was the time to be glued to each arm of the couch, Robin finally said "I need to talk to you in private." I promptly sent the kids away, and braced my self for news of more drama in the ward/neighborhood. But come to find out it was "Top Secret" information that she had gotten permission from the Stake President to share with me! You'll have to wait til my Day 5 part of this post to find out that "Top Secret" information. BTW - I was given permission to share the news with Matt so long as he kept it out of the blog and emails for a day!

Onto the rest of my Saturday, the kids and I finally got busy with the chore list and the house was sparkling when company arrived. Our company consisted of my cousin Tanya and her husband Kevin. I baby-sat Tanya when she was a kid (she is about 9 years younger), and she is one of the few baby-sitters we ever had for our kids. (Our kids were precious cargo, we didn't leave them with too many people - that, and the real reason is we were dirt poor!) Tanya is one of Chloe and Jordan's favorite people on the planet, so when she got married a year and half ago they have been feeling abandoned. The girl has her hands full between a job, full-time school, being married, soccer, and now a baby on the way! Needless to say the kids were over joyed when she called and wanted to get together!

Highlights from our night of fun started with us playing Jr. Catch Phrase. I had the word "funny" and so I said "daddy thinks he's very ____?" The kids start shouting out "manly, athletic, smart," and then they brought up "roses" (I can't put the whole quote because it is an inside family joke!) We were rolling on the floor and then when the laughs stopped Jordan says "I miss daddy, do you think he is missing us?" It was a sweet, sweet moment. From Jr. Catch Phrase we moved onto Whoonu?, where we learned that Kevin is not very manly and really enjoys bubble baths! The best game of the night was Conga. On one of the questions where the group had to guess what world record I wanted to set that started with the letter "B" - Chloe's guess was "Beaver Tamer?!!" The correct answer was "Books read." It was a fun, fun night with many laughs and many yummy snacks (Tanya brought brownies!) We all agreed we needed to do this again soon and definitely when Matt is in town!

I let the kids sleep in my room again (such a sucker) and I actually was out like a light until the alarm went off at 7 am. We made it to church a little earlier than usual because I had extra prep work to do for Primary. The kids were awesome helpers with the chair set-up (big thanks to Chloe!) Jordan as usual was drawn to the chalkboard (and of course he is wearing dark blue pants, so he had hand prints all over!) It's all good as we slide in to our bench just as the Bishop stands to start the meeting, it is crowded today so we are sharing with the Call Family.

Drum roll, please. (I don't know how to type the drum roll sound, just make it in your head.) We have a new Bishop! We have been waiting forever for this change! Mainly, because Bishop Stock has been in for a long, long time. We are so happy with the new Bishop, which happens to be Robin's husband. That was the news she came by to tell me. The only reason she was allowed to tell me is because I had to run Primary all by myself. We had already planned to do a run through of our Primary Program that is next week with Jr. and Sr. together (about 70 kids.) Jenny, our first counselor in the presidency couldn't be there for the first hour because her husband was put into the Bishopric as first counselor once again! Thankfully, I had our secretary who did most of the leg work. And the kids were incredibly reverent and wonderful. It was one of my best Sundays in Primary, which will make it that much harder when I am released in the next week or so (that was the other piece of news Robin shared yesterday.) Many tears will be shed when that day arrives! Our ward is in good hands with Bishop Riding! I am very happy!

After church we headed to my mom's for lunch/dinner. While driving the kids asked to call Matt (I think they're missing him.) They talked to him for the few minutes he had to spare (I guess he was out to dinner or something?) My mom made her famous pasta. It is the best pasta sauce if you like spicy and I absolutely love it. She sent me home with a bowl and a loaf of garlic bread. (Sans noodles is really the best way to eat it!) We played games. Jr. Catch Phrase again, and Apples to Apples (I hate this game, but I actually won this time!)

That is the extent of Day 4 & 5. Lots of fun was had! Surprises were revealed! And the family is still missing Matt!

Missing M@t-Day Three

Another glorious non-school day at the Roblyer household. Surprisingly, we all slept in until 8:15 am. It could have had something to do with the restless night because of the house containing three "scaredy cats!" One literal, two figurative! It was my fault for listening to Matt that Indiana Jones was a fine movie for the kids. Apparently, Indiana Jones mixed with aliens was a little too much for Chloe and Jordan to handle. I had Chloe turning all the lights on after the movie, because we had it "movie theater-style" and it took some rationalization to convince her that it was all silly and though she knows it was a movie and not real - it freaked her out! Jordan just moaned and whined in his sleep the whole night through and refused to sleep in his own room. Then the literal "scaredy cat" Princess Fuzzyboots woke me up three time meowing in my ear, running up and down my bed. I thought this meant "get me a drink," but instead she led me around the house like I was following Lassie, saying "show me what's up, girl?" (I'm sure this is an actual quote from a Lassie show?!?) I checked the house out each time and found nothing wrong. I don't know what the kitten's deal was? Maybe she was looking for Matt? Maybe she didn't like the kids being in my room? Who knows? I don't speak cat, all I know is that I was annoyed all night long!

We baby-sat some neighbor kids for two hours that were in our carpool until about a week ago. I was afraid they had pulled out of the carpool after some cross words from me to the oldest boy. But thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case. I thought it was funny when this boy asked me to pull out my Nintendo DS and battle him in Zelda Battle. Sadly, I only won once and it wasn't a battle I won, it was exactly one turn. But I think I got my cool status back from him, so that's good!

Chloe and Jordan both had piano lessons this afternoon. We thought Chloe had violin, but the teacher had forgotten to call and cancel. We are giving her a pass on that because she has a lot of drama in her life right now.

Chloe went to sleep over at my mom's house. Jordan originally didn't want to, but of course 45 minutes after my mom had picked up Chloe, he changed his mind and I drove him over to my mom's house. (I hear a tiara and roses comes with the Greatest Mom title, that's the only reason I drove him over!)I asked Jordan many times, and for whatever reason he didn't want to sleep over and then for whatever reason he changed his mind. Kids!

Now it's just me and scaredy cat! I think we are going to put in a movie and maybe even go to bed early! Still missing Matt and can't wait to see more photos from his adventure! (I do have to put in a plug about how great he has been at calling and emailing - gotta love that Blackberry!)

Pity Party For One

Here I am wallowing in my Pity Party For One. I have many Pity Parties For One. Sometimes they last a day, sometimes an hour, sometimes five minutes. My longest Pity Party For One was a couple of months, which actually happened to be this past summer. It was a dreadful summer where I was focused on all the things I couldn't do or couldn't enjoy. I do try to put on that brave smile for those watching!

As most of you know, but for those of you who are just stumbling upon my blog, I have been watching my body deteriorate for the last ten years from a disease known as FacioScapuloHumeral Muscular Dystrophy (fsh muscular dystrophy). Since the birth of my children I have watched this disease kick into over drive and become aggressive causing my body to have extreme weakness and stripping me of my independence. There are so many things this disease has taken and continues to take away from me. Each year the decline in mobility increases and last year my doctor gave such encouraging words like "I think it's time for a wheelchair". (Which I was given a prescription for in November of 2007 and finally decided to fill it in April 2008 and I have been fighting the insurance company ever since - because they say it's not for home use, but if they saw the size of my home they would see why! But insurance rants are for another blog post!)

It's the little things I miss like going downstairs to do laundry, going grocery shopping alone, going to the mall alone, cleaning my house properly (I don't think my house has been truly clean for a while now!) I miss being able to walk without worrying about falling every second. I miss getting up and down from a sitting position with a little grace and dignity (it honestly looks like I am in some circus act!) I miss running around with the kids and Matt. I miss "girls night out"-I think my newest circle of friends aren't quite comfortable or aren't quite sure how to help me with those kinds of outings. But I have family that is the same way so I don't blame them for not including me.

The latest invite for my Pity Party came from Matt, who informed me that Prague is not "Diana-friendly" (which means handicap friendly.) I was a little surprised because Quest Magazine (a monthly magazine from the MDA-muscular dystrophy association) listed Prague as one of the few accessible European countries. I guess I will scratch that destination off my list. That's the third scratch mark I've made on my list this year. Originally, we were going to try and see Counting Crows in either Phoenix or Portland. We were also going to try and go to Hawaii this fall or winter but that has also fallen through. And now I have scratched Prague off my list. It looks like the only destination for me is 'homebound!' I guess I will have to continue living vicariously through my world traveller, and through the blogs that I stalk (as long as they stop deleting said blogs!)

The thing about these Pity Parties is that I don't want them to last long enough that suddenly I have turned into a "Bitter Betty". I know we are suppose to endure to the end (or as I like to call it - suffer with a smile!) Some moments are so overwhelming that I need a Pity Party. I also know that even with this disease my life is so full of other blessings. I have so many things around me that I absolutely relish in. The most important reason I can't let these Pity Parties last is, I have a son who is already in a full fledged fight with this disease and he is only ten. At least I had twenty-two years of full mobility, where I was able to participate in sports, dance, and pep squad. I was able to have a normal life. This is something looking less and less likely for Jordan even this early in his life. I think he needs to see someone being a warrior through this and not a victim.

So I know it is time to stop dwelling and time to continue enduring! And the best thing to help me end this Pity Party and dry all those tears of sadness is a clip from something that makes me laugh so hard it brings tears of joy! Enjoy this clip from ELLEN! (*note to readers* I apologize for the inconvenience, but IT Lyte is on the other side of the globe and not here to show me how to attach the video correctly - but the video you want to select on the page my link takes you to is Friday, 10/17/08 Aw Snap! It is worth the effort!)

Missing M@t - Day Two

It was another full day here, me doing the single parent gig. The kids are loving their days off from school. Chloe's friend finally went home about one o'clock this afternoon after sleeping over. Jordan pulled a double dose of scout activities for the day. The first scout event I had to take him stomping, screaming, and crying. He did not want to go!! It was with the 11-year old scouts and it is a requirement in order for him to earn his arrow of light. Thankfully, Jordan came home with a smile and a "thanks for making me go, mom." That was a relief! I asked what turned his frown upside down - and he went into a stream of sentences about how cool our State Capitol Building is! He asked if I have ever been there and I proudly told him , "yes, we have actually been there as a whole family for an Eagle Court of Honor many years ago (I think you were three and Chloe was four years old) and before that I attended two high school dances there with your father." That made him even more excited because Jordan said the tour guide actually talked about high schools having dances there. This prompted Jordan to ask to see the pictures from the dance, but sadly the box is too buried in our clutter/laundry room downstairs (a project for Matt when he gets back). The other reasons for Jordan's smile was the scout troop stopped at Leatherby's on the way home. Lucky!
Chloe had a baby-sitting gig that lasted two minutes this evening. I dropped her off at her "job-site", then I dropped Jordan off at his second scout activity and when I pulled into the drive-way there she was. Apparently, the couple's friends had mixed up the dates on the calendar so they post-phoned it to next week. Chloe also had dance this evening so it all worked out for the best.

I do have to say, I am loving this gorgeous weather. I was in a panic last Saturday worrying what the weather was going to be like while Matt was gone, after all it was snowing a few days ago and now were back to this lovely crisp, autumn weather!

The kids are now snuggly in my bed watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (is that the title? I don't want to get up and check.) That was the extent of our exciting day! Did I mention my favorite part? I got to sleep in until 9 am! Unfortunately, I won't be able to tomorrow because we are baby-sitting some neighbor kids early in the morning. Maybe Saturday can be another sleep in day. I can only hope!

We survived day two without Matt! We all miss him, even the kitty! I find myself playing the time game throughout the day. It goes something like this -it is 10 PM here which means it is 6 am in Prague, I wonder what Matt is doing right now? It is probably time for him to get up, if he's not already, because the man is a bit of a workaholic ;-0

Missing M@T

I dropped my sweetie off at the airport about twelve hours ago and I already miss him! I wasn't able to give him a proper kiss goodbye because I woke up with a sore throat and didn't want to send him to a foreign land with sick germs - he has enough to deal with!
I already like this year of Catalyst the best. I'm thinking it is the fact that we have cell phones now. Last year, I think I waited three days after dropping him off at the airport before I got a phone call and even then I think I only got an email and then two days after that I got a crappy Skype phone call. That is a hard adjustment when you go to talking to someone many times a day, to suddenly nothing for a few days. There was also the worry factor- him in another country and being safe.
This time around, I've already received two phone calls - one when he landed in Atlanta, Georgia and one right before he boarded for Prague. Of course now, I have to wait til he lands in Prague which will be tomorrow.
Our first day without Matt was uneventful. The kids both had friends over after school. I was hoping to go to bed early and get the kids to bed early, but Chloe decided to have a sleepover. Jordan had to end his play date around eight because he has a Scout activity tomorrow. I also started to watch the debate only to be interrupted by a friend's need for a listening ear. And I couldn't reach the remote to push the record button. So I missed a lot of it. The parts I saw I really enjoyed and I liked this format much better than the previous Presidential Match-up.
Now I think it is time to hit the sack. I've got a back up plan in case I have trouble sleeping. I'm going to leave my laptop on and set it on Matt's side, then I will turn the TV on to a sports channel with the volume really low. It will be just like he's here! The only thing missing will be the clickety-clack on the keyboard and the constant Blackberry "buzzing", but at least the glow of the room will be the same!

Oprah and Joe Biden read MY blog!!!

You may have seen my post from a couple days ago all about politics in school. Well, it seems my readership has expanded all the way to Oprah & Joe Biden. They were even kind enough to leave a comment. I love comments! This is what Oprah and Joe Biden had to say:

Oprah said...
My only question... What would Oprah do?
October 11, 2008 7:20 PM


A voice of reason: Joe Biden said...
I wonder if the teacher was saying something against McCain or Palin, how would you react? Would you still be upset?
October 11, 2008 7:24 PM

In response to you Oprah, my idol, I think you would be proud of me standing up for equality. Insuring that all sides of an issue are discussed in front of young impressionable audience.

As for you Senator Joe Biden, I can assure you that if someone had mistakenly claimed that McCain wanted to end the war in Iraq or raise taxes on oil companies, which are the most profitable companies in the world, I would let the teacher know that he is wrong!!

On a serious note, I do think that both sides of the issue should be discussed when politics are in school and the teacher should always ensure that the information being handed out on such matters is correct. The one thing I have changed my mind on from my previous post is that I think it is important for the teacher to have an opinion and even share it with the class, as long as it is done responsibly with all the facts straight.

Now, I can only hope that Sarah Palin joins my readership, after all I am a soccer/hockey mom (wink, wink)!

I Need My Snuggie

I am freezing and the piles of snow have yet to arrive. I will officially be an ice cube when the never-ending snow comes. I think this coldness is what prompted a spur of the moment purchase last night - from an infomercial no less. It was not only me, Matt also jumped on the bandwagon. We are SUCKERS together! I know you're all curious now. Thinking to yourselves, "What in the world did Matt and Diana buy?"

It's called a Snuggie! It is basically a blanket with sleeves. Seriously, stop laughing. This is one of the greatest inventions of all times and I am kicking myself that I did not come up with the idea, because I have come up with many inventions that are famous today. (the car radio that displays the current song playing - thought of it years ago) Of course, I get no royalties because I just say an idea out loud and boom a year or so later it is famous.

Anyways, back to my Snuggie, a blanket with sleeves! Every winter Matt cocoons me in a blanket with a small opening on the side for my hand to still use the remote control. That's right in our house I rule the remote - let's face it I have better taste in shows. Just kidding, I have no idea why I have that power. This is just the way it has been since the beginning of our relationship and why change a good thing ;-) Now I won't have to be cocooned in because my Snuggie allows me to have my arms free to move freely without losing my warmth. And I can walk around in it. The best part is that we upgraded to have Snuggies with pockets! How cool is that??!! The only downside is that if I had my sister-in-laws sewing skills I'm sure we could have saved some money, and we also have to wait 3-6 weeks for delivery. I could be frozen solid by then.

If you are thinking to yourselves what channel did they see this on or how do I get one for myself (and your name doesn't rhyme with danny) go to GetSnuggie.com! You can be matchers with our family (yes, we bought one for each one of us!) You'll be thanking me later!

Politics in School

Today, Chloe came home from school and asked, "Is it true that Obama doesn't salute the flag or sing the national anthem?" My reply was, "Of course that's not true! Who would tell you such things?" Come to find out it was her history teacher, Mr. Summers. Apparently, a kid in the class asked whom he was voting for and he said he would never vote for someone who didn't respect America enough to salute the flag or sing the national anthem, so his choice is clearly McCain. I, again, assured Chloe that Obama loves and respects America. And if he did such a thing as not saluting the flag, there surely had to be a good reason, but I firmly believe that your teacher is misinformed.

Fast forward to this evening - Chloe is at a friend's house and I thought I'd take a moment to research this. Mostly because if it was all lies I was ready to send an email to Mr. Summers asking him to keep his facts straight. This is what I found. Unfortunately, it is true. The moment was in September 2007. I was hoping there was a valid reason for Obama not to be saluting or that maybe the camera just didn't catch him doing so and the opposing team was taking advantage, but none of this is the case. However, it is not completely true. Obama does respect America and there is evidence of him showing his allegiance in many other moments, like this one.



Though there was one moment of Obama not saluting the flag, there are all the other times that he does.I don't think that one instance is damaging enough to keep Obama from being our next President. As Chloe pointed out in her class debate, at least Obama didn't give out war secrets while being held by our enemies! (Way to go our little Democrat!) Of course she only got three cheers out of that statement because her class and school is dominated by McCain lovers (but what do you expect in Utah, right?!)

The sad news is that now when she gets home later tonight I have to break the news that her teacher was SOMEWHAT correct. It will be interesting to see if this changes her from Obama to McCain!

Here's the email I sent to the teacher.

Mr. Summers,

My daughter came home from school today and informed me that you had told the class that the reason you would not vote for Obama was because he would not salute the flag or say the pledge of allegiance. I just want you to know that this is not true. Although there is the instance in September 2007 where such a thing happened, many other times Obama has shown his respect for our country. I do not care whom you vote for, it is none of my business. I just want you, a teacher, to give my daughter correct information – and not spread untruths. As far as I am concerned you should not be a “voter” in class, you should be facilitating discussions between the children.

There are many places online where you can see Obama giving the pledge and saluting the flag. Here is a link to one such video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fx16ZxFB4w

Chloe did enjoy class today and we enjoy her coming home with questions that inspire family research and discussions.


Hopefully this doesn't impact her grade!

Not so light and fluffy

I had a different post in mind for today that was going to be all light and fluffy all about how I (heart) lunch dates! But as great as my lunch date was, my light and fluffy mood has gone out the window. It has been a a whirlwind of emotions for the past two months because of the circumstances surrounding friends of ours. Just when I think I might make it through a day without crying over this horrible, horrible situation- reality is once again made clear. This time the reality came in the form of my daughter as she found out the last piece of the puzzle that we had been withholding from our kids. The sadness in her eyes was overwhelming as we confirmed and explained everything that she saw tonight. It's so unfair that she has to know now.
And after the tears comes the anger because these two selfish people do not understand the far reaching, ripple effects of their actions has not only hurt their own precious families, but those of their close friends, and their close friend's children who looked up to these once righteous people.
After the anger comes the love, because where there is love, there is still hope as we pray everyday that somehow our two friends will find a way to fix this mess.

Starburst, Skittles, and Fruit Snacks. Oh, My!

Great news!! Jordi Bear (he hates it when I call him this.) Okay, Jordan, is getting his braces off next month!! The day before Thanksgiving to be exact. We have been planning for this day since he got his braces on two and a half years ago. Jordan had to give up a lot of his favorite snacks and candy. And we are very proud of how well he stuck to the rules. Needless to say, it will be a day of gummi bears, licorice, potato chips, rice krispie treats, and of course dots!! Basically anything sticky, crunchy, and gooey will be at our "Braces Off Party"! We will then gorge ourselves with a lovely Thanksgiving meal the next day!

Parenting Test #1023

I wish that parenting came with a handbook. It is such a tricky thing, raising kids. Not just raising them, but raising them in a way that they do not grow up to quickly in this complicated world.

Matt and I grew up in two very different households, with two very different sets of rules. The things I was exposed to as a child would make your eyebrows raise. Where as far as I can tell Matt's childhood was relatively quiet and normal with a bit of strictness. With these two very different upbringings, it is now our time to raise two children to be decent, responsible, caring people. It makes me wonder if at times we are overly strict or not strict enough. It's about finding that balance. I want my children to be innocent but not naive.

We had a parenting test #1023 this evening, when Chloe was invited to go a haunted house with a friend and her family. Of course we had reservations like it's a school night, is Chloe too young to be going to scary things like haunted houses. But we came up with some stipulations. She had to have all homework, her 1/2 hour of piano, 1/2 hour of violin all completed before going and also had to be home by 8:30 PM. The whole time she was gone all I could worry about is that maybe we should be stricter and not let her have a social life?? Chloe did not get home until 9:15 by the way, but she was the first to speak up and say that this was probably not the best activity to do on a school night. I think that right there says we are on the right track. Giving her enough freedom, yet still having the rules and guidelines to keep her our little girl for as long as we possibly can. I know this is not the last test in our parenting course and I'm still waiting on that handbook to arrive in the mail!

Magic Potion Lotion

A while ago Matt brought home a bottle of lotion and said, "Here you go, Stephani at work made this." I admit there was some eye rolling and a bratty comment from me that went something like, "Oh, great another Martha!" Now in my defense I have sensitive skin, so I'm always a little leery about new beauty products. However, I promised to try this lotion out of respect, after all Matt is this womans boss.

Where do I begin to describe this wonderful product? From the moment I tried this lotion I fell in love with it! Matt hears every time I use it "Feel my silky, soft elbows!" I have dubbed it the "Magic Potion Lotion!" I don't know why Stephani hasn't gone into business with this formula - it would be bigger than anything Bath & Body Works has ever sold. Stephani's lotion is light, non-greasy and you don't have to smell like a fruit basket. But best of all it leaves your skin silky-soft! It's the Magic Potion Lotion! Sadly, my bottle is nearing the empty stage. Remember that when Stephani becomes famous for her Magic Potion Lotion, you heard about it from me first!!

Amazing Race

I posted last week about some of my favorite shows. I feel one of those shows needs another shout-out. Amazing Race. This show was on tonight and it had everything a show needs. Suspense, drama, and, best of all, comedy. This show had people saying some of the funniest things while they were under the stress of making it to the pit stop first. Some of those included: "Maybe we need to dig?", "They didn't even say hello", "I had them get another plane", and the best line of the night came from the wimpiest cry-baby dude I have ever seen in my life. After bumping his head on the trunk of a car turned to his girlfriend and said "Can't you see that it's bleeding?" - must have been invisible blood, no one could see it bleeding. Then he said "Now I need you to blow on it."
If you aren't watching this masterpiece, what are you waiting for? Tune in every Sunday on CBS. You will not be disappointed!

Just One of Those Days

It was one of those days. The kind of day where the rain continually falls, making it the perfect background noise. We snuggled together as a family to tune into General Conference, in our matching shirts that Matt bought for us. Matt got us "give" said the Little Stream shirts. I don't think he intended them for General Conference but we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to wear our matching shirts as we lounged around together.
General Conference seemed to come at a perfect time for me (even though it comes at the same time each year.) I just feel like I've been in a bit of a funk lately, so it came at the perfect time to refill my empty "spiritual well". After conference it was time for our semi-annual traditional dinner at El Farrol's courtesy Matt's parents! Although the food was not up to it's usual standards, I am so happy that Chloe's game was cancelled so I could hang out with the family. And as always while the guys attended the Priesthood Session, the kids and I walked around The Quilted Bear. To top it all off the rain was still drizzling down as we came home. I hope it continues because I love to listen to the rain while I drift off to sleep. See what I mean by just one of those days. Rain, Family, Food, Spiritual Enlightenment. What more could you ask for in a great day??

Decorating for Halloween!

After the kid's music lessons today, they wanted to decorate the house for Halloween. It was mainly Jordan's idea, and he even decorated his room! Here are the results.

This is Jordan's graveyard in his room on his bookshelf.

I am not a fan of Halloween lights, but Chloe and Jordan insisted. I think they did a pretty good job!These are bonus pictures of our magical kitty!

Kids make holidays so much fun - now that we've decorated the next thing on our list is costumes. This year the kid's school is doing something different- where they have to dress as a character from a book. I will let you know what they decide on later, right now I am trying to convince Chloe to be something other than what she's chosen. We will see who wins that battle!

Fall Is Here

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I love the crisp, cool air. I love the changing color of the leaves. But most of all I love the fall t.v. line-up. I admit I am a bit of a t.v. junkie. My TiVo is always full of shows awaiting me. I thought I'd share my list.

Shows I never miss:
Heroes
How I Met your Mother
Fringe
The Amazing Race
Pushing Daisies

Shows I enjoy but if missed I can live:
The Big Bang Theory
Criminal Minds
Survivor
Terminator:Sarah Connor Chronicles


Shows I am trying to break-up with but haven't yet severed ties:
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice

Shows I'm ashamed to admit that I watch:
90210
America's Next Top Model
Lipstick Jungle

There you have it. If you have a favorite show that is not on my list. feel free to let me know. I am always open for new entertainment!

Weekend of Fun!

Lesson learned. Painkillers and blogging do not go together. After duking it out in the blog-o-sphere I am happy to report that Matt and I are still on speaking terms. But enough of all that, I have more exciting things to blog about. Like my awesome weekend in St. George and Las Vegas. So here's a play-by-play:

Thursday we had a nice drive down. I listened to my new iPod which rocked!! We ate at Paula's Mexican Restaurant when we arrived in St. George. It was fun to see how much Matt loved it. He loved it so much that if they had stock on wall street he would buy it all up! We played Phase Ten which I lost, no surprise here!

Friday was a day of relaxing for me. Matt went golfing. The kids played at the park. Later in the afternoon the kids went swimming while Matt and I went "sight-seeing". We had In-N-Out Burger for lunch which was nasty. I had looked forward to this all month and it was a let down. Next time we will eat at the restaurant instead of take-out, I've been hearing that was the problem. Friday evening we played Mexi-Train with his Aunt Jennie. That was a hoot! She played by the non-rules which absolutely drives Matt crazy, but one by one we all turned to the dark side and used the non-rules way of playing to save ourselves. All of us except for Matt. Then the best part of the night - we played Phase Ten again and guess what??!! I actually won!! I even took a picture of the score sheet to record this monumental moment. I never win with his family - this is a HUGE deal to me. As much as I enjoy playing games it was becoming a joke that I could never win, but now I am a WINNER!

Sadly, that was all the time with the Roblyer's. We had a blast with everyone but it was time for us to move on to Las Vegas. My brother, Mikey, moved there about a year ago and this was our first time visiting him. Here's his house.

I really like the neighborhood, even if his car was stolen the night before....He had a Honda Civic and it was broken into twice in Salt Lake and then twice down in Las Vegas before it was finally stolen. I think it was more of a car issue than a location issue. Despite the stolen car, he still showed us a good ol' time in Vegas.

We started at The Mirage where we went to The Secret Garden. At first I was disappointed with this exhibit, then we got to the baby tigers and it made up for the lack of animals. There were five baby tigers all from the same litter in Florida. Four female and one male. The male tiger was a golden one the other four were snow white and white striped. SO adorable! Especially when they fed them with baby bottles. My favorite part is when I called "kitty kitty" and one came my direction. I could have stayed there all day and watched them play! I wish I had better pictures, but Matt is obsessed with his blackberry camera and refuses to tug along an actual camera that takes decent pictures. So if you'd like to see pictures head over to his blog.

After The Mirage we went to Caesar's Palace. Which I hated. I am not a window shopper. I don't like to be places where I can't buy things and this is one of them. They had many gorgeous purses and handbags. Many sparkly diamonds. But it was all about window shopping and personally I think a big waste of our time. We also had lunch at Planet Hollywood at the kid's request and that also sucked. Next time we know to skip Caesar's Palace altogether!

Next was the New York, New York where Matt, Jordan, and Mikey went on the roller coaster. Then we headed over to M&M World. That was a cool experience. I am not a huge fan of M&M's, because I am not a huge fan of chocolate. But the kids love M&M's and my grandma has given Jordan collectible M&M dispensers since he was a tot, so it was cute to see him so excited to be surrounded by M&M stuff.

Probably my favorite part of the night came next when we went to the Mandalay Bay Hotel (where my brother works) to see the Shark Reef. It was amazing. They had all kinds of sea life and it was displayed beautifully. I also liked this hotel the best. It seemed the cleanest and prettiest by far. We spent a long time going through the whole exhibit, and the kids seemed to like it a lot. My brother's wife even joined us for this adventure. I was beginning to get a complex that she doesn't care for us much, so I was happy when she showed up! We also went for ice cream at the Luxor. Best pina colada smoothie and best praline pecan ice cream I've ever had. The waffle cone was nasty though. Chloe agrees about the waffle cone (hers was even dipped in chocolate and she still didn't like it). But we all agree it was the best ice cream!

Finally after a full day of adventures, it was time to hit the sack by the time we got back to Mikey's it was about one in the morning. The next day was time for us to say good-bye. The kids were really sad to say good-bye to my brothers dogs (Sophie and Lucas). We had a fun time and look forward to visiting again. Even though Vegas is not our kind of town, we still manage to find some good, wholesome fun! Thanks to my little brother for showing us around - we had a blast!

Sleepless in Salt Lake

I could also title this post 'R.U.D.E. needs to learn some R.E.S.P.E.C.T.' !


I some how have managed to hurt my back/shoulder. Which has rendered me useless and in bed, except for those necessary moments where I have had to drive to pick up kids because a five mile walk seems cruel for kids at this age. So needless to say, yesterday after picking up the kids from school the pain was unbearable and I took some pain medication (tylenol just wasn't cutting it.) As I was trying to sleep tonight someone decided to stay up late and blog. In the bedroom. With the lights on, t.v. on, clickety click of the computer and non-stop blackberry buzzing that seemed to be right in my ear as he down loaded picture after picture. Just as he's finishing up and I'm finally annoyed enough that I am fully awake now, I ask for a little conversation to help me get sleepy, but I am informed that "this is sleeping time"!!! Really?? I wasn't aware that people were allowed peace and quiet when they wanted to sleep. But no need to worry out of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. I am in the kitchen clickety clicking away so my sweetie can enjoy his peace and quiet for "sleeping time"!

Maybe this should be title 'To Ticked of To Sleep'!