I Am Getting So Old

• My baby turned 11. Photos are somewhere in a camera still. Will post tomorrow. She was an MC in the school talent show this week and is going to a Girl Scout camp out this weekend. I am driving the girls up but not staying overnight. I hope! It's too cold and I'm much too old to do the cold!!
• My other baby has a HIGH SCHOOL Parents Night Program to get him registered for 9th grade. I don't think I'm ready to turn him over to the hard cruel hallways of high school.
• Another cute baby is taking the ACT Prep course and has to spend hours, countless hours, studying and doing homework for it. Taryn goes on the weekends for 3 hour classes. The next test is in April. Right now, BYU is at the top of her list, so all that studying could net wonderful results if she gets in her #1 choice university. That's why we work so hard!
• I went to my oldest baby's last game of indoor soccer....EVER! Well, maybe not ever, ever, but you know what I mean. This team has been together for years, and they are all graduating high school and scattering to the four winds for college. Mike took pictures. Another post of pics to follow. It was fun to see them play and finish their season undefeated. This was on Monday after the big day at the dentist and I was in alot of pain, so I took another darvocet so I could go. I didn't say anything about it, so Indy didn't know I was "on something". She looked at me during halftime and said "What's wrong with you?". It's a lovely thing when your teenager asks you if you're high. Actually it's a really funny thing when you're on something and you're teenager asks you if you're on something. I thought I looked and acted completely normal. Apparently I was slightly "glazed over".
• And then there's my aching back...cutest little boy in Pre-K turned me into a bucking bronco when I was working with another child while sitting on the ground. I have a rule about staying vertical for a reason! If they spot me anywhere near their level, I get levelled! Or ridden! Well, since he was dressed up like Clint Eastwood meets Elton John what could I do but buck him off while he shouted "Ride 'em Cowboy! Yee-haw!!!". Then I gave him a standing up ride (so as not to be mobbed by the other 10 kids in the class) for each word he made so he'd make his 3 words that rhymed with cat and that's when I pulled a muscle in my back. Geez, it's not like I'm 50!
• You know you're old when you enjoy listing your health problems. I do have one more. I was Struck By a Spatula Wielding 2 Yr Old while playing Tag Ms. Chrissie with him and his 2 brothers ages 4 and 5 during his mom's 30 minute after school parent teacher conference. Why couldn't we play without spatulas?! Well, that's a very good question! One, it just wouldn't be as much fun; and Two, the little guy had a spatula in his hand when I peeled him away from the classroom and the fit he was about to throw because he wanted to stay and play. So the game was made up to distract him and boy did it work! They rode trikes and had spatula's and if they tagged me with their spatula I was frozen until another one rode by and tagged me to unfreeze me. Well, you would have thought any injury would have come at the hands of one of the older ones, but no, a freak hit by the cute little guy busted a vein in my finger...weird, huh? It still really hurts and it was 2 days ago. It was good exercise though because let me tell you, after the first few not so gentle hits, I decided to run the entire time!

Dreadful Monday

The day I've been dreading since my dental visit earlier this month has arrived. I wish I was Jason today - at least he got to get knocked out for his dental work! I don't have any new cavities, but I've got some old ones that have to be replaced and two other teeth with fillings apparently have cracks in them so now I get to have them crowned. So, to summarize: 2 crowns and 3 replacement fillings all in one day so I can just get it over with. I did ask if they could just knock me out for it and they laughed. Guess that's a NO. Probably because I'm usually the gal asking if I can get away without any numbing...and have successfully done so more than once. Boy do I hate that numbing!!! I have a secret stash of darvocet from my surgery and I do believe I will call for permission and then put one to good use. I have had migraines and a bladder infection this week and I am at the tippy top of my pain threshold, one more thing will send me over the edge. A totally numb face for half the day will do more than that, lemme tell ya!! Beware those who live with me! This may be your only warning!!! Especially if the dentist says no to the drugs too. Then I will not be the happy camper they all know and love.

Guth Wedding - Florida

Friday morning we left for Tampa Bay, Florida. My dad Fred and Jan were getting married on Valentines Day. We had an early 6:15am departure, so we were up at 4am. Besides the fact that we couldn't be happier for Fred and Jan, the other neat thing about this weekend - it was the first time all of Fred's kids were together at the same time in the same place! My brother Ron and his wife came in from Arizona. My brother Carl flew in from California. My sister Chanda and her husband David arrived from New York. And my sister Crystle and her husband Matt and their daughter Milynn were in from North Carolina. To say the least, we filled up a living room!

Saturday morning was a breakfast at Butterfields with all of families, while Jan and Fred were busy getting ready for the afternoon. Saturday at 4:00pm was the wedding and reception. Sunday was spent at the beach with Ron and Mary Lee followed by a special seafood restaurant dinner. And Monday was spent at the beach and shopping. Below are some select photos from the weekend. There are plenty more, but too many to post all of them.

Ron, Carl, Mike, Fred, Chanda, Crystle

Ron, Carl, Mike, Fred, Jan, Chanda, Crystle

Mary Lee, Ron, Carl, Chrissie, Mike, Fred, Jan, David, Chanda, Crystle, Matt

Waiting for the wedding to begin...

Thought this was a cool pic...

The wedding ceremony...

My family chatting with Ron and Carl

Presenting Fred and Jan Guth...

The first dance...

Chanda and David...

Cutting the cake...

Matt and Milynn dancing...

Front row: Mary Lee, Ron, Matt, Crystle, Jan, Fred, Chanda, David, Chrissie, Mike, Carl
Back row: Indy, Taryn, Mariah, Gib

Sunday at Anna Maria Island beach with Ron...

Mike and Ron walking the beach...

The Coombs family...

I thought this was a great shot of Chrissie...

The Rod and Reel restaurant we ate at Sunday night...

Gib playing football at the beach on Monday...

Monday was a much sunnier day...

The girls just had to get a pedicure on Tuesday before we returned home...

Surviving

We are excited for this season's Survivor! We almost know one of the contestants! The brother of one of Indy's favorite teachers is on the show. Benjamin Wade. He does real good too. Insider knowledge.

We have to survive a very early morning flight tomorrow to FL. There's talk of people sleeping in their travelling clothes and rolling out of bed and staggering to the car (after they brush their teeth because ewww, not sitting next to puppy breath on the plane). Mike was starting to push for even earlier, then relented and said we had to be in the car at 4:30 am, knowing it might really be 4:45 before we're out the driveway. I was going to say by 4:45 and hope to be on the road at 5:00. The plane takes off at 6:15 am. But the good news is we'll be there when it's still breakfast time on the East coast! I guess that's the price we have to pay to spend a few days in sunshine and enjoy Fred & Jan's wedding. We are really looking forward to it.

I don't know if I'll be able to blog. I don't know if we're even taking the laptop. I haven't even packed yet. And Survivor! starts in 40 minutes! I guess I better get packing. If we get everyone's bags in the car tonight we'll just have carry on's and sleepwalkers with minty fresh breath and flashlights to find the car tomorrow. Somehow, we'll survive!

Be Mine

Here's Mariah's Valentine box creation. It is one of those priceless moments in life because you realize this will probably be the last one she makes. Remember the days when you filled out a valentine for each kid in your class and made a box for all of your valentines to go in? 5th grade is the last year the kids get to do that and Mariah made a beautiful box to mark the occasion.

But you're never too old to be a kid, as I proved when I bought Mike some 3D valentines with Shamu on them. We met while working at Sea World, so I just had to get them. He is still finding them in the nifty hiding places I stashed them in. And I also bought some very cool 3D valentines that turn caterpillars into butterflies, teddy bears into ducks, etc., for preschool kids. And candy bracelets. Yup, you are never too old to be a kid! I didn't get to make a box though.

Over It

Wow there is a huge difference between walking 3 to 5 miles a day at preschool, followed by a fairly regular M & F walk of between 3 to 5 miles and going 6 miles with Gib and some Scouts and dads on a little hike (Mike wasn't feeling well and the 6:45 am start time was a serious deterrent!) Up and over a hill, and another one, and another one, I lost count how many - and I'm talking the kind where you can't talk because you're concentrating on sucking in enough oxygen to breathe your last breath - and in slippery mud 2-3" deep in many places. Oh, and let's not forget the rocky spots covered by just enough water to send you ice skating! Downhill. My calves have yet to stop aching whenever I stretch my legs. I thought for sure a 5 mile walk today would work it all out. Nope, it all still hurts. Maybe more. And, get this, Gib and I have agreed to....DO IT AGAIN! He needs to get in hiking shape for Philmont this summer and I just need to get in shape. We have better plans this Saturday, but we'll be back on the trail...yippee. Oh yeah, one more thing, lest you think "aww, what a nice mother-son activity!" I never saw Gib after we got out of the truck! I did however carry all his water and his snack in my backpack. He and his friends ran the whole hike. Kids - what a bunch of freaks.

Today Mariah has her first Talent Show rehearsal. She was chosen to be an MC. I am kind of glad they took her for that spot instead of singing. Not that she couldn't have done it, but to be honest, we live in an area where alot of kids are already years into singing lessons and I just didn't see us getting the song performance ready on time. Mariah was okay with being chosen for either spot, so it's all good. A parent has to be at this first meeting, which I did last year, and it was endlessly long and boring, so this year I know to sit at the back and be ready to slip out when I can't stand it any longer. We do have an appt to keep so it's good to have an excuse.

I have been asked to stop and pick up 3D animal valentines for Mariah. If I leave now, I can check the corner store and maybe I'll find them on the first try. Wouldn't that be nice?!

A Note From the Hairdresser

Taryn came home yesterday from getting her hair cut with this note for me:

Dear Chrissie,

This note shall serve as a warning. You are hereby notified to never come near any member of your family again w/scissors or I will come to your house and throw all of your scissors away.

Love your friend Lori


C'mon, the bang trim wasn't that bad!!!!