Kids Say the Darndest Things - Mar. '14 Edition

Taken from the sidebar......

Brookelle: "Oh my word, _______'s (a child in her carpool) car is SO MESSY!  It's a disaster.
Me: "Really?"
Brookelle: "Yes!   Like my bedroom!"  3/14

Matt & I had attended a 3 day "Royalty & Romance" marriage conference and when we came home the girls were asking about it.....
Me: "Well, we learned this home we live in is our KINGDOM.  Dad is the KING and I am the QUEEN.   So, guess what that makes you children?"
Haylee: "Me, Katelyn & Brookelle are the PRINCESSES!"
Katelyn: "And Ryan & Kyle are the PRINCES!"
Brookelle: "So, who's the MAID?!?"   3/14

Brookelle: "You know what Uncle Mike says?"
Me: "What?"
Brookelle: "He says ALL my bones are good!"
Me: (thinking...trying to interpret the meaning for a second) "Oh!   Did he say 'You don't have a mean bone in your body'?"
Brookelle: "Yes!  Because, ya know, I don't hurt people or say bad things about them...."
Me: "Oh, yes.  That's very true about you."
Brookelle: "But, ya know ________? (a kid in her class) He only has 3 good bones, and the rest are mean bones!"  3/14

The Sacrificial Jedi Braid

Ryan started growing a Jedi braid about a year ago.....

{Summer 2013}

It started out because he went so long without a haircut, and that resulted in REALLY shaggy, long hair.  So, when he finally did go in for a hair cut, he requested she leave just a little section long, to braid.

Not everyone liked it.....in fact, at our Youth Conference this summer there was lots of talk amongst those in attendance about cutting it off in his sleep - there was even a "pot of money" out for the person who would.....but it didn't happen.  I think they were afraid of the repercussions of messing with someone's personal perogative.

It wasn't my favorite - but it's HAIR!
My view on it is this:  Children committing major sins = a BIG DEAL.  Children experimenting with hair = NOT a big deal!

As time went on, it grew a little more.  (Ryan's in the yellow shirt)

{Fall 2013}

And more. 

 And it kept growing. 

{Winter 2013-14}

And growing.... 

{Spring 2014} 

Until this is how long it has gotten today.

He took pride in the fact that, due to another friend's Bishop making him cut off his Jedi braid before he submitted his mission papers, he currently had the longest Jedi braid at VHS.

And then this morning, Matt & I attended the "Mr. Viewmont" assembly at his High School.  It is a "Bachelorette" type event that Ryan was a contestant in.
All I really knew about it was that they had to do A LOT of filming over the past month and they had rehearsals like every day after school this week!!

We watched the "Mr. Viewmont" show and we saw Ryan make it through the "interview round."
Then he made it through the "dance off" round.
Then his team won the "scavenger hunt" round, and they advanced.
Ryan was in the FINAL FIVE!

These finalist all had to do a talent in front of the whole student body as part of the live show this morning - and he was quite nervous for this part.  (He was originally going to sing, but then changed it to "Brench" pressing the Bachelorette, herself!)

So, this is how the talent section of the show played out (click to enlarge):

 (keep in mind, we had NO IDEA what was about to happen!)

(Matt's high-pitched laugh/squeel may be just as entertaining!)

I ALMOST yelled out from my seat in the auditorium, "DON'T DO IT!" 
Why was my 1st instinct to yell & attempt to stop him?  That was a weird phenomenon since I didn't like it that much, anyway.  BUT I know he LOVED it (he even said those exact words in a talk he gave in church last month!) and it had taken a long time, and it wasn't a guarantee to be crowned "Mr. Viewmont."  I didn't know if it would be worth it for him.  But, I restrained myself......it probably is not a good idea to have the mom of a teenager do such a thing!  ;)

And, in the end, he did not win.

When I relayed the experience to his little sisters, Haylee's eyes filled up with tears and she exclaimed, "He did it for nothing?!?"  (Ahhhh, she DOES care about him!!)  ;)
To which [happy] Katelyn replied, "No.  He did it for his mission!"
 (True - there's a time & a season)

What a bummer he didn't win.  (We all think he should've!)  No other contestant gave so much for his Student Body!  ;)

(But, what a fun story & memory!  And a BIG surprise for Mom & Dad.)

It's Not All it's Cracked Up to Be

My son is now 18 years old.

That means he's officially an adult.
(at least that's what he's been telling me.)

So, he had a Dr. appointment the other day, and I just dropped him off at the building entrance while I went to park the car (since we don't have an extra car anymore, I had to drive) and I moseyed on in about 5 minutes later.  It didn't matter, because he's now an adult.

BECAUSE he's now an adult, he can check his own self in at the Dr. office.

BECAUSE he is now an adult, he also has to sign all "consent to treat" and other like papers himself.

BECAUSE he is now an adult, he can speak up for himself, he doesn't need his mom to answer for him.

BUT THEN, the moment I walked into the office, the two gals at the front desk asked, "Are you Ryan's mom?"

"Yes."

So, then they waved me on over to them and started going through the whole 9 yards with ME.

I reminded them, because I'm sure they already knew, that he is 18 yrs. old now. (after all, doctors always seem very interested in their patients' DOB - they ask it a few dozen times in the paperwork, over the phone for I.D. and in person, too.)

I found out later why.

Ryan told me the initial interaction went like this - he said he felt like an idiot:

Do you have a co-pay?

I don't know.

What insurance do you have?

I don't know

Do you have medical insurance?

I don't know.

When was the last time you were seen in our office?

I don't know.

Do you know your family medical history?

No.

Well, you'll have to fill out a new information chart.

OK.  

(And then he walked away, without the forms, and sat down in the waiting room - and that's where I found him when I walked in.)

They gave ME the stuff to fill out - and I promptly handed it over to him.
After he was done filling out the information - it's on an electronic tablet these days, with a stylus AND advertisements for drugs pop up when you're moving between screens.  What the what?!? - he signed his own name (he redid it about 5 times - to get his 1st official adult signature just right, ya know!)

I think he liked how it felt, doing such an "adult" thing, and he returned the tablet back to the front desk feeling good and less like an idiot than before.

AND THEN, they asked him for the money for the co-pay of the visit.

At which point, he had to call, "Mom!" (I looked up from my book, minding my own business in the waiting room), signal me to come up to the front desk, and have me open up my purse to take care of the transaction.

Man, being an adult means you actually have to do stuff - and know stuff - and pay for stuff!
Psfff!  It's for the birds!  ;)

**********
For the record, I did NOT go back into the exam room with him.  I let him field all the Dr.'s [awkward & personal] questions on his own, as well as show his back side to the Dr. in private.  ;)  And he got poked with various needles WITHOUT me holding his hand!
I had to let him regain his [adult] dignity somehow!  ;)

If You Hold It, They Will Come

"Money Friends" that is.

Matt is holding $10,000 in Cold. Hard. Cash. (all denominations of bills)

And I've got my hands on $20,000 (all Ben Franklins)

We spent the last 3 days at a "Royalty & Romance" couple's retreat where they taught us (among many concepts) that we have to have a healthy relationship with money.  Therefore, Ben Franklin is one of our "money friends."

The mentors speaking told us we needed to see the money and hold the money to be able to believe we can have it for real in our lives.

OK.  Will do!

For Some Must Push and Some Must Pull

.....as we go marching up the hill. 

{Name that song}

Listen HERE for a hint.

On Saturday, we noticed we actually had a day with hardly anything on the calendar AND we've been having warmer than usual temps, so Kyle had suggested we hike to Flag Rock.

Sure!  Why not?!?

Except when we tried to drive to the starting point, the road was still closed for the winter.

So, we improvised and found another of Farmington's many trails:  the Davis Creek Trail.

It is in the mountains, so it would be quite an ACCENT!  Lots of UPHILL.  So, Matt & I wondered if our younger children would be able to make it....???  I just said, I could take them back to the car when they'd had enough and wait there for the others to finish.

{Ryan was absent, off doing his High School thing with friends, attending the State Bball tourney in SLC}

Well, it turns out, we shouldn't have even worried about them!  The children went up the trail like gazelles!

WE ARE THE ONES to worry about!

 We are the ones who were begging for rests and telling them to wait for us.  And holding each other up. 

(And when I say "we" - it's really like 70% me, 30% Matt!)  :)

My calves were ON FIRE!!!  The angle the hill was forcing my feet into were killing them.  I guess that's why we're suppose to stretch before beginning any physical activity?!?
The thought, How far I've digressed, went through my mind about 43 times.

I never wanted to be one of those moms who don't ever participate in activities (sports, boating, races, swimming, games) with the family - who just sit on the sidelines and watch - so I was making myself do it!

But, my calves!  Ouch!  My knee!  Oh!  My hips!  Ugh!

At one point, Haylee took my hand and pulled me along.  Matt tried pushing me from behind, but then decided if he went in front and I hooked onto his belt loops, he could kind of "drag" me.  ;)  But, his not-quite-a-year-post-surgery-knee was not handling it the best, either.

 (I was kind of disgusted with myself.)

We saw a sign post indicating that we still had 2/3 of the way to go to reach "Pretty Valley" and I thought, Where's the chair lift when you need it?!?

I got to a point where I could see this view of dear ol' Farmington, 

and I pronounced, This is "Pretty Valley" enough for me!

And I turned around and went back down the mountain and waited for the rest of the brood in the car.

(The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!)

I had already hiked for an hour, and they went another hour (they made much better time without me) - luckily I was prepared with a book!

I heard later that Matt kept trying to get our children to stop and go back [using me as his excuse] "because mom is waiting."  

To which they [correctly] countered back, "Mom is fine!  She has a book!"

They found an awesome rock - and had to get on top of it, of course!

Apparently, scaling the mountain was not enough effort for 5 yr. old Brookelle, so she thought she should weigh herself down a bit more by collecting rocks along the way and putting them in her front pockets!  What?!?

That was nothing!  

Easy Peasy!

(Way to show me up!)

When can we come back?!?

 (Whoa Nelly! Not so fast.)

Matt & I were both rubbing our knees on the car ride back, then zonked out on our bed when we got home.

If You Want to Occupy a Whole Week of Your Life....

Just get this book series:

{The library even had two of the books in Large Print which was much appreciated by this 40 something yr. old - awesome!}

Yes, I know that it was not one of the books that I said I wanted to read this year as part of my New Year's Resolution, but I'm just on a slight sidetrack!  :)

Seriously, I started reading Book 1 on Tuesday night...

and finished it on Wednesday.

Then I started Book 2 on Thursday....

and finished it on Friday.

On Saturday, I started Book 3....

and was done with it on Sunday.

And then - you've probably guess it - I began Book 4 on Monday.....

and, of course, I completed it on Tuesday.

There you have it - ONE WEEK!!!

BUT get this.......somehow I was under the impression that there were only 4 books in the series (probably because that's all that is in the library), but I was wrong!  When I finished Book 4, there was a note on the last page announcing that Book 5 will be coming.......in May 2014!

WHAT?!?

So, now I have to wait for 2+ months before I can go on!

Oh, no!  What am I going to do?!?

Oh, I know.....probably return to all the normal things I usually do day after day - like eat, sleep, talk, & do laundry - when I'm not utterly caught up in reading.  ;)

While reading, I cried.  I laughed out loud.  I smiled.  I audibly exclaimed, "Oh, no!" and I thought (a lot).

I thought about things like:

money management

death

honesty

loyalty

loss/grief/coping

service

gratitude

prayer

forgiveness

morality

aliens - but I didn't think for long - I DON'T believe!

freedom/agency

love & marriage

illness

trust

and The Hand of the Lord in our Lives

My family noticed this crazy phenomenon of me going through the books so fast (when normally it takes me months)
that they would comment, It must be a really good book!  

Oh, it is! I replied.  

So, even my daughters started to ask me about it every day.  When I gave a little synopsis, they were INTERESTED.  Then they would later ask me for updates.......Now, if anything gets my extremely-not-a-fan-of-reading daughter actually drawn to reading - or a book - THAT is a good thing!!!

I'm on the waiting list at the library for Book 5.  Maybe, in the meantime, I can return from my "sidetrack" and read the other books I said I would read this year.    OR I can do something productive like fix my hair and go put gas in the car!  ;)

3 Gatsu!

YES!!!  It's March!

{finally}

Which means the worst months (January & February) are over!

Even though our weather has been mild the last couple of weeks, and today's weather hasn't change - it's actually the same - I'm just so RELIEVED we're moving onto March!

Winter has always been my least liked season, but I think, as I get older, my feelings about it are getting worse!  It's hard for me to be upbeat.  I'm not really a fan of winter sports/hobbies, so I'm not excited for snow ever.  EVEN THOUGH Utah has been known to have strange weather - snow as late as May - I feel like we're on the way out of the woods.

So, hopefully, most of the snow/cold/inversion days are over - both where I live AND where the airline I work for flies, so that we don't have to be so crazy, busy with tons of problems at work!

Hopefully, I can start to see my peeps again!  (We quit walking our kids to school when it gets into the 30's.)  It seems like we all stay inside our houses during the winter, and I don't get to see/talk to anyone.  Seriously, one day in January, I took a walk through and down every single road in my ward (church congregation geographical boundaries) and I did not see a SINGLE PERSON out.  What?!?  Do we have an anti-social ward?!?  Or people don't like to be outside in single digits when the air quality is harmful to your respiratory system?!?  ;)

So.....now that it's March, I've got several things to look forward to:

1. Having a lunch with my [long time, no see] friends
2. Going out on our semi-annual lunch with my aunts, girl cousins, & sisters on my mom's side of the family.
3. Attending a 3-day event, Romance & Royalty, with Matt up in Midway at The Zermatt Resort  (We won it!  Valued at $950)
4. Annual dinner at Ruth's Chris with a business partner (and on his dime!)
5. Spring Break with my family in Las Vegas
6. Going with TWO of my daughters to the FIRST General Women's Meeting that includes all girls age 8 & up.
7. And maybe this scene:
   

 {OK, so maybe not in Utah}

Welcome March!