I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

I sent this video to a few of you last year, but I just love it so much that I had to post it! Enjoy!

3 years

Two weeks ago, on the 14th, Matt and I celebrated the 3 year anniversary of our first, (and second), date. In honor of that, I thought I'd post about how we first met as well as a little bit of our story:

On Saturday the 12, my sister, Stewie, and I went to a country dance. While we were there, I noticed this cute guy with adorable puppy dog eyes checking me out. I kept glancing over and even smiled at one point. After what seemed like forever Matt came strutting over, (it's true-he struts), and finally asked me to dance. I said yes, but with the forewarning that I didn't really know how to dance. Apparently, he didn't mind how horrible I was, (and still am), since we continued dancing until they turned the lights on and kicked us all out. Before that though, as we were trying to talk while dancing, Matt asked me where I worked. When I told him he dropped my hands and stepped back from me! "You work at *****??" I was mortified! What was I supposed to do? So I said just that. "Should I go sit down now? or... did you want to keep dancing?" Luckily for him, ;-), he opted to keep dancing. We also discovered that we were both military brats, and had both lived in Germany at the same time, although in different places. After the dance was over, I gave him my phone number and headed home with my sister. I talked about "the guy who lived in Germany" the entire way home.

The next day, Sunday, Matt called me. We talked for a while and he asked me out to lunch for the next day. I said yes, and I think we exchanged email addresses. When he asked if he should come pick me up or if we should meet there I said it depended on if it was a date or not. If it was a date then he should pick me up. If we just just going as friends then I would meet him there. The next day he came to my work to pick me up for lunch with a red rose in hand; it was definitely a date. We went to Costa Vida and had a great time talking and getting to know each other. He asked me if I had plans for the night, and when I said no, invited me to come over for dinner.

The rest of the day we e-mailed back and forth, flirting the whole time. After work, I went to his house where he cooked dinner for me while I sat and watched. It was awesome! He made an appetizer of broiled slices of a french baguette, rubbed with garlic, and topped with swiss cheese. Next he served breaded pork chops, mashed potatoes... and something else. (It's been three years-I'm lucky to remember what I do!) He jokingly offered me wine, knowing that I didn't drink, and then served sparking apple cider, (he cooks and has a sense of humor!).

After dinner we had ice cream and watched Layer Cake. Once we were done with our ice cream Matt took our empty bowls into the kitchen. When he came back, without even thinking about it, I snuggled right up into him. It felt like the most natural thing to do. There was no awkwardness about it. I can't remember how the date ended, or what time I went home. I do know that we didn't kiss though. We saved that for a later date!

The first 11 months of dating were a struggle for us. We (I) went back and forth with what we (I) wanted. We stopped seeing each other several times, but it never stuck. I think the longest that we ever went without talking was a grand total of 2 weeks. After it was all said and done, we (I) just couldn't let go.

The first time Matt told me that he loved me doesn't really count but it's a funny story. He had broken his ankle and I went to the ER to be with him, (after the girl he was on a date with had left). They drugged him up before setting his leg, and he looked over at me and said, "I think I'm in love you with." After that, he pulled out his phone and starting texting me gibberish. Things like, "lKobmen kjh Tness." I don't have the original texts still, but you get the point. He was pretty high on whatever they gave him. I'm sure he doesn't remember telling me that, but it certainly got my wheels spinning. It took me a few months longer but we finally got on the same page.

Since then, we've been very happily in love. It's not to say that we don't have our struggles; we do. But the good far out-weighs the bad. Matt's wonderful to both Spencer and me. He's my best friend who I'm able to tell absolutely anything to, which I fully take advantage of, (even if it's just to gross him out). He's the guy who doesn't have a problem telling me if I need to go brush my teeth, or that I'm over-reacting and making a mountain out of a mole hill. He also doesn't have a problem telling me that he loves me or that he thinks I'm beautiful. He makes me laugh and fully appreciates my sense of humor. I simply don't have enough words to say how happy I am that we found each other and that even during the tough times, he didn't give up on me.

Matt's House

For those of you who haven't seen any photos of Matt's house go here. We've been busy putting up insulation in the garage and running speaker wire in a few places. It's been fun to get our hands dirty and feel like a part of it. He should be able to move in before Christmas. Yay for Matt.

Halloween

Here are some photos from Halloween. Matt did everyone's make-up, (well except for mine). He did an amazing job on both his and Spencer's make-up. Check it out:

Yay!

Matt's been gone on a business trip since Sunday. It's not like he's been gone a super long time... but it's been long enough. :-) He's coming home tonight as long as he gets a seat on his flight. Yay! I'm excited.

The Fringe

The last week or so, I've taken to watching Fringe. It's a new series written by J.J. Abrams, who also wrote Alias and Lost, both of which I love. (who doesn't love Sawyer??) Anyway, so far the Fringe is kind of like X-Files, which I don't mind at all. One difference is that it appears that each of the cases is part of something they call "The Pattern", which I assume... is a pattern. I'm a genius, I know. I'm intrigued, and I'll probably keep watching for a while. If you're interested and you've missed the first couple of episodes, you can watch them online here. Hopefully this will actually answer some more questions and give a little more resolution through the show then Lost does though. Lost just has me confused, but I need to know how it ends!

On another note... I worked out tonight. Yay me!

Adventures In Babysitting

We've got this really great babysitter who watches Spencer from the time that he gets out of school to when I am able to leave work. She and her husband are in their early/mid-twenties and have two kids. I think they are 2 and 3 years old. Spencer's been going to her for the last year and has really enjoyed it. She's great about getting him to do his homework and letting me know if there are any problems. She's also helped hold boundaries with him. We just love her.

This school year has been pretty rough so far. She's been stressed out with her husband's new school schedule and hasn't really been available as much as I need. Turns out, she's pregnant and not feeling well at all. She's got some strange cold-flu-thing that she had with her last pregnancy and isn't sure when she'll be feeling better. She let me know all of this tonight, and then she quit. Uuuuuggggghhhhhh. She was really, really nice about it. And I get it. I really do. I wouldn't want to watch someone else's kid if I was sick 24-7... hell, I probably wouldn't even want to watch my own kid if I was sick 24-7.

But still... now what? It took me a while to find someone we were happy with in the first place.

What I wouldn't give to be able to be home with my son.

Soccer Season

For the last 3 or 4 years Spencer's been playing soccer with the city program. It's been a good experience for him and each year he gets a little better. Last year he did well, but didn't really seem into it. He was the kid who was spinning in circles on the field or picking dandelions when he should have been trying to stealing the ball from the other team. I wasn't going to put him back in soccer this year but he asked me to sign him up again on the condition that he had to really play this year instead of just mess around.

This year has been a lot better; he's been working hard and playing different positions. So far, his favorite position to play has been either goalie or defense. (I'm guessing because he doesn't have to run around as much as offense does.)

Here are a couple of pics from the first few games:

2nd Grade

Spencer started 2nd grade this year. We're very excited about his teacher, which will be a change from last year. She's in my mom's ward and comes with very high praises from Spencer's babysitter, who is also in the same ward. She seems to enjoy teaching and Spencer likes her so far.

Here are some pictures of Spencer on the first day of school, (which was nearly a month ago):

Child for Rent

If anyone wants to rent, (at no cost), a child for the day, I happen to know of a child who would much rather spend his Friday off of school with other kids then at work with his mother. ;-)

1954

I stole this from Todd's blog. I think it was spot on for him. I'm not so sure about my results though... "more then a little innocent" will probably raise some eyebrows for those who know me well. :-D

You Belong in 1954

You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in!

What Year Do You Belong In?

My Day

Do you ever have those days where you swear your brain has just packed up and gone on vacation? I think I have more then my fair share of those days, like when I went to work with my slippers still on, or when I forgot to wear deodorant to work or even, (gasp), a bra- I still don't know how I managed that! Anyway, today was another one of those days for me. Well, not the entire day, but certainly the last few hours of it.

First, I was standing in my boss' office talking to her about some tax issues while swinging my security badge around on the end of the lanyard. Next thing I knew, my badge swung up and I smacked myself in the mouth with it. I stood there for a second, looking at my boss to see if she had noticed, which, OF COURSE, she did. Then I said the only thing that came to mind, "Ow!" Thankfully at that point she burst out laughing with me. I'm sure my boss already doubts my intelligence; this probably is just icing on the cake for her.

Not an hour later, I was in Wal*Mart with Spence picking up a few essentials. Matt called while I was doing the self-check out. I managed to scan all of my items and even found the right code for my grapes. I waited for a few moments, but I couldn't figure out why I wasn't getting a receipt. I was done. I had scanned everything. I had pushed the "Finish & Pay" button. I had bagged it all. I had... wait... no... I hadn't paid yet. THAT was why I didn't get my receipt. My heavens. Guess I can't talk on the phone and do self-check out at the same time.

So I hung up with Matt, paid for my items, and walked out of the store. I started to unload my cart when I realized that I didn't have anything in my cart! Nothing. I hadn't grabbed even ONE bag from the bagging area. I had paid and then left. So of course, I went back to get my bags, hoping nobody had noticed and ran into one of the Wal*Mart workers running out with my bags. *sigh* What do you say at that point? "Thanks... I'm just an idiot. Don't mind me."

My next dumb thing was to come home and first thing tell Matt all about it. At least it had him rolling on the floor laughing at me, literally.

I think it's about time to go to bed... I've done enough for today. :-D

Some New Photos

Joining the fun

Here is a fun little game... leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time or a long time, anything that you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It is pretty funny to read the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Vegas Vacation

We went down to Las Vegas last week, kinda for the 4th. We flew in Tuesday evening and left on the evening of Friday the 4th. We both needed a break from work and whatever stresses we had going on. And it was well worth it! We had a great time.

We flew on Jetblue, which was a first for me. Did you know that they have little tv's on the back of every seat? You can watch DirectTV for free with your own headphones. We watched The Office the whole way down there. It was the fastest flight I've ever been on! Here's a photo Matt took with my camera out the window of the plane, (proving that no matter the camera, he knows how to take a great photo!):



Matt got us a room at the Bellagio with a view of the fountains - pretty cool! We spent the first night running to the window every 15 minutes to watch them go off! Housekeeping came in twice a day to clean up and even replenish our chocolates. :-D This is the view from our room:



And here is Matt proving that he really is suave enough to be staying at the Bellagio:



The next day we spent some time at the pool, walked around a bit, had lunch at Todai, an all-you-can-eat sushi bar. mmmm... it was good, although not the best that I've had. However, you can't complain about all-you-can-eat sushi for $13 a head. Afterward we wandered around the Miracle Mile Shops and stopped for the rainstorm:



That evening we went to a show and then went out with my best friend from high school, Krissy, her brother, Kit, and his wife, Kirstin (pronounced Kerstin), and a whole mess of boys who were hoping for Krissy's attention. Some things never change!

We had a pretty good time, but we stayed out WAY too late. We were supposed to meet up with Krissy the next night, but we decided we actually wanted to relax on our last night in Vegas. We spent some time at the chocolate fountain place, (I don't know the name of it):



Then we went out front of the Bellagio and Matt took some AWESOME photos of the fountains:

The last day we ate a chocolate and berry crepe for breakfast in bed, ate at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, took some more photos, and then came home!

Over all, it was a fun trip! I'm glad we went! I'm also glad we came back when we did and still had a few days to rest and before having to go back to work.

Piano Lessons

Spencer has been asking me for music lessons for a few months. I've been dragging my feet about it for a couple of reasons; 1. practicing takes a lot of time and that's something we don't always have a lot of; 2. music lessons can be pretty costly, especially if you have to buy a new instrument; 3. I don't want to have him start the lessons and then quit once he finds out how much work it really is. However, even after explaining all of this to him, he still wanted to take them. He initially asked for piano lessons, then violin lessons, and finally guitar lessons. After talking to a few music teachers we found out that piano is the best instrument to start with and will set the child up with a good foundation. Since we already have a piano, this worked out well for us!

I talked to Spencer before hand, and explained to him what I had learned about starting an instrument. I then let him choose what he wanted to do with the understanding that he would have to stick with it for a least a year. He chose to start piano lessons. We interviewed a couple of teachers and had a mini lesson with each of them. After these, he still wanted to do it. So we picked a piano teacher and set up weekly lessons.

Yesterday was his first official lesson, book and all. It went really well to begin with. He remembered the hand positions and sat with proper posture. He was responsive and attentive while learning to count out each note. He even made it through 4 songs before he realized he was actually going to have to work a little. I could see the exact moment when he started to get frustrated with himself. I think the teacher realized this soon after and she quickly wrapped up the lesson. She complimented him and told him that he was very talented and that he did an excellent job. I was so proud of him!

Of course, once we walked out the door he told me he was done. He doesn't like piano lessons; they aren't fun. We sat and talked about it for a few minutes and he cried a bit, but in the end he decided he's going to stick with it, (which is good since I wouldn't have let him quit just yet anyway).

It was so frustrating though! On the one hand I completely empathize with him. I remember what it felt like to get frustrated with how much there is to learn on the piano, and I expected it to happen with him as well. I just didn't expect it to happen after the first lesson! On the other hand, he agreed before hand that if I signed him up for piano lessons he would stick with it for at least a year. I don't want him to learn that once something gets a little hard, you bail. He needs to know that you stick with it. Ultimately I think I handled it alright, but it wasn't easy to keep things in perspective.

As far as the teacher goes, I really like her. Of all the teachers that we met I felt like she was the most comfortable with teaching as well as being well educated. We'll see how the next month or so goes, but I have high hopes.

He did get up this morning and start practicing right away. He did well, and was pretty excited to get to summer camp and tell his friend that he had practiced the piano already. Sounds like he just needs to take a break when he gets frustrated rather then push himself.

Big Freaking Spider

Here is a picture of the Big Freaking Spider that I had to kill tonight:



I know I should have put something down next to the spider before I took the picture, but honestly it was hard enough just taking the picture. So here is a quarter for comparison:



I generally don't freak out about spiders and am pretty good about taking care of these things on my own. THIS one, however, totally freaked me out. Doesn't it look like he was looking at me?!? And I don't care what anyone says, that spider was way bigger then the quarter! I had to call Matt to provide moral support, (which means he made fun of me until I got up the guts to squished it).

I still feel like I have spiders crawling on me.... ew!

Scenic White Board Photo

All day long I work in an office building. I sit in a cubical in the middle of the building, far, far away from any windows- which can be kinda depressing, especially during the summer when I know it's supposed to be warm and sunny, but I just can't seem to feel summery at all. Sometimes I take a break just to stare longingly out the break room window, or when I'm feeling daring, even go outside and walk around the building to soak up some sunshine. Anyway, even though I don't have a window in my cubical, I do have a white board. On said white board my dear friend and co-worker, JaNae, has taken to drawing me a scenic view to enjoy from the comfort of my own chair, just to brighten my day. And it works!

I love her drawings so much that I just had to post her latest one. Regretfully, I don't have photos of the previous two she's done, but this one might just be my favorite one:

Couple's Photo

Yesterday Matt and I went up to Ephraim to spend some time with his parents and sister. While we were there we went over to his dad's work and got the tour of his office with a window. Afterwards we sat on the grass in the field and Matt played with his camera. He didn't really expect to get any good photos since he was just playing and letting his dad and sister play, but he actually got a few good ones- with him in them! I'm pretty excited since I've been asking for a couple photo of us for a while and some of the ones that turned out were of us.

Matt uploaded them to Costco for me and even had a 8x10 printed of us to hang in his house. Tonight when he got home he put it in a frame and put it on his wall in the entryway. I was feeling pretty special! I mean, he's got a picture of us hanging there for everyone to see. That's a good sign right?? As I was admiring it, I thought maybe it was a little crooked and I went to straighten it. I guess I straightened it too much because it went totally crooked the other way. I pushed it with my finger to the other side and knocked it off the wall! It crashed down and hit two stairs before it finally stopped in the entry way and broke! The glass shattered, the frame splintered and even the photo got scratched from all of the glass. I guess that'll teach me to be cocky! ;-)

I got...

... a new camera! I've never had my own brand new camera so I'm excited! And it's small enough to fit in my purse so I won't be at one of Spencer's events suddenly finding that I've forgotten my camera. Yay!

The Host

The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I finished The Host over the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it, even more so then the Twilight series! The pace was good and overall the book was an easy read. Stephanie Meyer did a wonderful job of introducing a new point of view for an alien invasion, while still keeping it simple enough that you could connect with the main character, Wanderer, an alien. It was hard for me to decide which side I was on and how I wanted things to end.

I really liked the resolution with "The Seeker." The book did a great job of explaining what was going on there and why she just wouldn't give up.

The only part of the book where I did feel a little disappointed was at the end. It almost seemed as if the author were trying just a little too hard to please everyone. However, it worked, and even I was happy with the ending. It made enough sense to me, and the very last part of the book put a wonderful twist on things. I would like to see her continue on with this line of "going native" like Orson Scott Card did with Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow.

If you want to find out more about the book go here:The Host.

Don't Try This at Home!

Not a Garage Sale...

... not a Yard Sale, but a:



I saw this sign while driving around recently. I have to say, this may be my favorite sign yet.

Which Superhero are You?

Your results:
You are Wonder Woman

You are a beautiful princess
with great strength of character.

Wonder Woman		68%
Spider-Man		65%
Hulk		60%
Catwoman		60%
Iron Man		60%
Batman		60%
Robin		55%
Supergirl		53%
Superman		50%
The Flash		35%
Green Lantern		25%

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Gratitude List

I've decided I need to develop a little more gratitude in my life. I've been such a grouch lately, I can't even stand to be around me.

1. I'm grateful for Spence. He's in the other room painting a wood airplane and singing to himself. It puts a smile on my face when he sings to himself.

2. Medical Insurance. I got a bill yesterday for $1600+. I'm so glad they are billing the insurance for that first!

3. My ipod. I mainly use it to listen to books while I'm driving, or doing some mundane task. It sure helps the time go by faster AND I get to do one of my favorite things! Read!

4. Having The Office on DVR. I missed the first couple of seasons, but the ones I have seen have been a lot of fun to watch. (The last episode was especially funny, btw.)

5. Matt. He took my child shopping for Mother's Day. I have to say, I think that's pretty cool.

I'm not sure how often I'll do this, but I've seen a few of my blogger friends doing this and it seems to be a pretty good tradition to start. Thanks for the example!

My mom: (by Spencer)

Spencer's class filled in these little worksheets last week. It was fun to see what his answers were. I have it hanging up at work so it's taken me a bit to remember to copy these down.

My mom reminds me to say: I love you.
My mom likes clean: theings.
My mom wants me the wash: the dishis.
My mom tells me every morning to: git drest.
My mom tells me that it's important to: de safe.
My mom tells me not to play: with gans.
My mom tells me not the waste: fud.
My mom wants me to be kind to: frends.
My mom loves to have me: ther.
My mom asks me: to be safe.
My mom says yes when: I be gud.
My mom says no when: I am bad.
My mom tells me that she will always: Love me.

As you can tell, he got his spelling skills from his mother! ;-)

Happy Mother's Day!

I know it was a couple of days ago but better late then never, right?

I do want to wish all of my woman friends and family a Happy Belated Mother's Day! I know so many fine mothers and future mothers. I hope each of you enjoyed your day.

I know I did! Friday I went to Spencer's school for the 1st Grade Program. They did awesome! It was so sweet to be there when Spencer walked in and immediately started grinning from ear-to-ear once he saw me. They sang 3 songs and recited a little poem. Most of the moms teared up, of course. After their program, they invited the mothers back to classrooms for cookies and punch. When we walked in the kids had flowers for their mothers. Spencer was so proud to give me a flower all on his own:



Later that evening Matt took Spencer to the mall and helped him find a gift for me. Spencer is usually very good at keeping a secret; not this time! Within 30 minutes Spence inadvertently let me know that I was getting earrings. Once he realized it, I pretended that I hadn't heard what he said. The next day Spence was visiting with me while I was making breakfast. He talked to me about what they almost got me... and then told me that they decided on earrings instead. About 2 seconds later he caught himself. Again. :-D

Saturday, Matt watched Spencer for me while I took my mother out to lunch. We went to Mimi's Cafe and had a very nice visit. She gave me a bag of rice for my food storage! I wouldn't say I'm excited about it, but at least we've got something more then the food in the 72 hour kits to eat in the event of an emergency!

Sunday was a nice relaxing day for me. Spencer gave me the earrings in time for church. I love them! He, (with a little help from Matt), did an awesome job.



I love being a mother to my son. This past month or so has been very difficult, but it's certainly helped me to recognize the sweetness of my son when he chooses to show it. He was so happy to spend the day with me and to shower me with kisses. I remember when he was born and the dr. handed my new born son to me. I looked at my own mother who was standing next to me and choked out, "I'm a mommy now." Since that moment I have loved like I never thought possible. I have been blessed not only to watch, but more importantly, to participate in the life of this amazing little boy. When I think of the last seven years it is amazing to me that it's really been that long. It seems like just last week when I was bringing him home from the hospital, or that he was getting his first tooth, taking his first step, saying "mama" for the first time. There have been difficult times trying to raise a little boy while being a single mother, but the good times have more then outweighed the bad. I thank Heavenly Father for the gift of my sweet little boy and for helping me to remember how blessed I am to have him in my life.

Baseball + Glass = Broken Window

This is what my front window looks like right now:



It's been broken for 12 days. The boy who lives across the lawn from us hit a baseball into my window. We weren't home, but the kid and his dad came over once we got home and said they would get it fixed within the week. It's been nearly 2 weeks now. Grrr...

Fight Update

I meant to post about this last week... and never got around to it. Obviously.

When I picked up Spencer from the babysitter, I was grateful for the time I had had to calm down. It's so much easier to dish out a punishment when you can think clearly. It also gave me the chance to call Spencer's dad and get him to agree with me on carrying over the punishment at his house. *sigh* (that's a whole other story right there!)

I had Spencer do his homework first and then sat him down for THE TALK. He told me what had happened. Their class was at gym and they were playing tag. Spencer thought he was on the base and Michael thought Spencer wasn't. Michael tagged Spencer, Spencer got mad, Michael got in Spencer's face and Spencer pushed him. It went from there with Spencer hitting Michael and Michael biting Spencer. Here is a picture of his bite mark: (Yes, I know it's a crappy photo, but it's all I've got.)



I asked Spencer how he felt and he said, "Sad, because I get in trouble everyday." I asked him how he felt about what had happened that day. He said, "Even worser. It's the worstest thing I've ever done to anyone." And then he burst into tears, which actually made me very happy as his mother. I wanted to him feel remorse and to understand that it's not okay to hurt another person because they tag you out of a game of tag. However, I don't think of this as Spencer being a bully, but more that he got upset over the game and lost control. I told him that his punishment was to be grounded from everything for a week: no tv, no computer or video games, no playing with friends and no violent toys for an indefinite period of time. He, of course, got very upset went to his room to calm down. A few minutes later I checked on him. I explained him that I wasn't trying to be mean; I was trying to help him understand how serious it was that he not start fights. He then got up and started gathering together his toy weapons for me. All in all, I felt pretty good about it. Until the next day.

His friend came to the door to see if Spencer could play. I let Spencer answer it and tell his friend that he was grounded. He did that, and then boasted that he had beat up Michael. I could have smacked him! I was so mad! Did he not learn ANYTHING?? I yelled instead.

The next day the same boy came back to the door. I was sick with the flu and told Spencer that he could not answer the door. Let the kid stand there all day, I was too sick to care. A few minutes later I could hear the kid and Spencer talking through the window. I yelled again, since that what I do so well. Talking to your friends through the window is a violation of being grounded! So... he did it again. Talk about having a thick skull, (I blame his father). So I added another day to his week long grounding.

Over the last week, he's been a brat through and through. From sassing me and telling me he doesn't like me, to conveniently forgetting that he's grounded. Having a child who's grounded is like being grounded yourself and being grounded as a grown-up totally sucks. Just so you know.

Today, however, he was awesome. He emptied the dishwasher. Cleaned some spilled milk from the fridge and floor. Restocked the water bottles. Washed the bathroom mirror. And even let me pick a game for us to play! And then he beat me at Trouble.

Some days, or weeks, I feel like a complete failure as a mother. And then there are the days where everything is perfect, or nearly so, and I think I just might be able to do this.

Fighting

Spencer got in a fight at school today. From his own mouth, and confirmed by the teacher: It started because he was tagged out of a game during PE. He thought he was on the base and the other kid thought Spencer was off of the base. So Spencer pushed him. And the other boy pushed back. So Spencer "took him down" and the other kid bit him. I haven't seen him but the teacher warned me that Spencer has a visible bite mark on his shoulder. The Principal is out today, but I imagine that both boys will be in to talk to her tomorrow.

I am at a loss of what to do, other then sit here and alternate between fuming, crying and guilt. Any well meaning suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

10 things that make me happy!

I got tagged! I'm so excited- Thanks Debbie!

10. My Mac. :-D

9. Pedicures.

8. Homemade ice cream. mmmmm. I made mint chocolate-chip on Saturday; Matt and I can't stop eating it.

7. Losing weight... which I'm not doing currently, (see #8).

6. Reading a good book. I LOVE to read. I take my book with me where ever I go; you never know when you'll find an extra 5 minutes of reading time!

5. Playing the piano. I don't play well enough to play publicly, (in church), but there's something about being able to create music in my own home that relaxes me and helps to clear my mind.

4. Long lasting friendships. You know those friends where you can go a month without talking, but once you do it's as if no time has gone by? I don't have very many of those, but I sure do love the ones I have.

3. Family. My family drives me absolutely crazy at times but I love them dearly and often... they make me happy. Or at least certain members of them do. ;-)

(Notice there is no #2. I'm really not sure which of the following makes me the most happy, so they are both #1!)

1. Matthew. He's just amazing. We have such a wonderful relationship and are able to be open and honest with each other. He truly is my best friend.

1. My son, Spencer. He is the light of my life. His sweet hugs and kisses can brighten any day.

I tag... Stewie, Todd and Steph. :-)

Apparently The Best Toilet EVER

I found this this morning on Dooce and just had to share with everyone. I made Judy watch it with me a few times as well to get her morning started off right. I'm not sure if it's funnier that it's a commercial for a toilet/bidet or that the couple seems to enjoy it so much. Either way, you've got to love their facial expressions.

New Glasses

Spence got his first set of glasses today! So of course I asked my famous photographer boyfriend, (see below), to take photos of the boy-child in his new glasses; Matt said he was booked full. I think USA Today has gone to his head! ;-) However, after a bowl of homemade chicken and rice soup, he finally relented and took some fun photos for us:

USA Today & Matt

Matt made an exciting discovery last night! I'm very happy for him: Congratulations Matt!

en·tre·pre·neur

After building the car lot, (see below), Spence came up with a way to actually earn money for himself- by charging people 1¢ to hear him play a song on the harmonica! He got a plastic bag that already had his name on it and using a marker added 1¢ under his name. He then got his harmonica and went out onto the front porch to solicit whoever might be walking by for money. He did end up making 26¢ from his mother but that was the extent his money making venture.


It was worth every penny to watch him close his eyes and tap his foot as he played a soulful tune.

Spring Break

Spence is on spring break this week. I feel bad for him as he's mostly just had to hang around while I work. Today I was able to work from home and let him play instead of being trapped in my cube at work. This is what he did with all of his spare time today:



In case you can't understand him, he's showing off the car lot he built. We went with Matt, (formerly known as Skip/Guy), to look at cars on Saturday, which is what sparked his interested in car lots.

Young at Heart

I want to see this!

Kindness

I loved the talk by Elder Wirthlin today. The story that he told about when he was a young boy brought me tears. It may have been that he was the same age as my own sweet little boy, or just the simple faith and great courage it took for him as a child to stand up to his own friends. Too often, even as adults, we stand by idly as friends or family do things that we are uncomfortable with. I know that for myself, I often lack the courage to speak up for fear of the repercussions.

The story Elder Wirthlin told was of a boy he knew as a child. The boy had physical and mental disabilities and was often a target for other children's bullying. Some of these bullies were friends of the young Elder Wirthlin. They would push around the handicapped boy and make fun of him. At one point the boy told the bullies, "You are not being kind to me!" but it made no difference to the bullies. Finally Elder Wirthlin could stand it no longer. He, at 7 years old, found the courage to tell his friends to stop being unkind and to stop hurting this disabled boy. He admitted to being concerned that this may be the end of some friendships, however, it wasn't. His friends instead listened to him and began treating this other boy with kindness.

Imagine what a huge difference this must have made for the disabled boy! All because one 7 year old boy had the courage to stand up to his friends. What a great example this story is for me. We aren't always aware of what our words or actions can mean to another person. So easily we can influence someone else's life in a positive... or a negative way. And really, how difficult is it to share a kind word with another person?

Girls are EVIL

At 2:33 this afternoon my cell phone rang with a call from a number I didn't recognize. I answered it and was surprised to hear a little girl's voice asking for Spencer. Usually I don't have him with me in the afternoons, but today I had to pick him up and bring him back to work with me. Being the nosy mom that I am, I asked who it was and heard something like, "Shelly Davie." I gave the phone to him and then sat back and watched.

First he made a funny face and then just held it... and held it... and then held it some more. Finally he said hello and then his face went from it's normal pink-cheeked look, to scarlet in a matter of seconds. Then he said bye, and hung up. He looked at me and said,"She said she really has a big crush on me and really wants to kiss me!! And then she said bye and hung up!" And then he fell over in a fit of giggles.

The best part is, he has NO idea who she is! None. Doesn't know a girl named Shelly or Sherry. Regardless, even though the whole thing was pretty funny to me, I did have to have the talk with him about kissing. I don't want to make it a huge deal at this age, but I did tell him that kisses should be saved for when you are older, (like 18), and that girls are evil. Ok, I didn't tell him that girls are evil, but I seriously considered it!

Typing Test

74 words

Speed test

1st Grade Family Presentation

Here are some photos of Spencer's Family Presentation. His step-mom came down from Tooele and brought Spence's brother as well as their dog, Baby. Spencer was very happy to be able to show off his little brother. My mom came as well as a surprise for him. He loved being able to talk about her and his papa who lives in Japan. He brought his Bumblebee Transformer and all of the medals he has ever earned and got to explain each of them. He also read a story that he wrote about when he was little. Attached is a picture of the poster we put together last night. (All of the photos are courtesy of Matt (thanks Matt!) At the end of the presentation they sang a song about how Spencer is a V.I.P. in his family and then he got out hand out treats and some pencil grips. Over all if was a great experience for us all.

MySpace Follies

I've been dating Matt for about 2 and a half years, 1 and a half exclusively. We've got a great relationship and I'm head over heals in love with him. We rarely fight and when we do it's often a miscommunication. Our biggest problem is that I want things to be moving faster then they are. It's a lesson in patience and acceptance for me. :-)

Yesterday things got a little out of hand. I wanted some reassurance that even though things aren't moving as fast as I'd like they are, at least, moving! But I didn't quite go about getting that reassurance the way I should have, (like... over IM = dumb). He ended up feeling attacked and that I was blaming him for all of the problems in my life. Oy. The conversation ended not well.

Later in the day I logged in to myspace and for whatever reason started looking for Matt. I've looked for him a few times, but always using his full name. This time, I used his nickname and, what do you know? I found him. I was surprised to see that he had an account, but even more surprised to read that he would "like to meet a girl that we both share similar interests." And even more shocking was that his relationship status was "swinger."

This wasn't exactly comforting in my already emotional and insecure state. I have always trusted Matt to not cheat on me. He's been through some pretty rocky relationships and we've both felt the sting of a cheating significant other. Of all the men I've dated (or been married to) he's the one I wouldn't have pegged as a cheater. So knowing all of this, I tried to be rational. Which, as some of you might know, isn't easy when you're already a basket case! I figured that this was probably something he wrote before we had made a commitment and that we spend so much time together as it is, that he wouldn't have the time to cheat! On the other hand... there's always that doubt.

I'm not the type to stuff things. I either talk about things as they happen, or I explode over something small. I prefer option #1. So I got Judy to come over and watch Spencer after he went to bed. Then I went to talk to Matt and get it out in the open. I asked him if he was looking for someone else, if he was cheating, if he was meeting new girls, to all of which the answer was no. And to reassure me, I asked to see his account, and without hesitation he let me. He said he didn't even know it was still on there and that he had written that before he even met me. He deleted it and changed his relationship status from swinger, (which was a joke), to in a relationship. And he even apologized for it all... and he wasn't mad at me for freaking out. We laughed about it a bit and he held me while I bawled.

Now today I feel pretty dumb! I remember how much I love this guy and how lucky I am to have him. And I feel retarded for doubting him and am so grateful that he puts up with my little dramas.

Procrastination

About a year ago I started a blog... I just didn't post anything on it. Then about a month ago I decided that I really needed a place to write it all out while still being productive - and what better place to start then on my long forgotten blog? Of course it's only taken a month to come up with a url and title for said blog, and then a week more to actually post on it. Such is the life of a procrastinator. Even now while I really should be catching up on other things... I'm doing this instead!