Stacy and Shawn: Hey, Kezie! You got a giftcard from Grandma and Grandpa yesterday. If you want, we will take that money, and the money that we got for Christmas, and go buy a Wii. We could get some games, and you could play them.
Kezie: No, I don't think I would like that very much.
Stacy and Shawn: *flabbergasted silence*
Seriously. We offered her a Wii and she said no. And, for the record, her gift card was ten dollars. Apparently she has big plans for that money that involve My Little Pony, and not video games.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Ow.
When Ivy was born, I got over my fear of needles. I had my blood drawn so many times that it got boring. There were so many bruises in the normal blood-drawing places that they had to get creative, and if felt like needles had poked me pretty much everywhere
Ever since then, I have thought about going to "donate" plasma. You know those centers where they suck out a bunch of blood, pull out the plasma, put the rest of your blood back, and then give you thirty bucks. Yesterday I took the plunge and went in.
You know you live in a college town when the plasma center is booked two weeks in advance. I got to stew about having huge needles in my arm for a whole two weeks before actually going and having it done. Then I got to wait another two and a half hours at the center. I was asked the same questions by three different people--does anyone change their answers on the third time? After two hours, do some people go, "Oh, you know what? I did take illegal drugs intravenously last week. I'd plum forgot."
Finally they got me into a donation chair, where they completely discounted my right arm as a possibility for insertion of their huge needle. My left arm was all right, but the vein is deep. First they told me that insertion may not go well, and then they handed me over to a newbie for the procedure. It didn't go well.
The blood left my arm just fine. I sat there for five minutes, ignoring the Simpsons marathon on the TV and reading my book. Then the blood started returning to my arm, and it started to hurt. I flagged someone down, and she dug the needle deeper into my arm, then left. By then the senior person on the floor had noticed that something wasn't going right, and came over. The way the needle was inserted, the blood couldn't get back into my arm. She couldn't pull out and re-insert the needle, and she couldn't adjust it without taking it out. She called over her co-senior person on the floor, and they spent five minutes apologizing to me and discussing what they were going to do.
In plasma donation, the blood is supposed to be returned to you. This is why you can donate twice a week. If they didn't return to blood to me, I wouldn't be able to donate for another eight weeks. They acted like this was a big deal, though at this point I wasn't sure I really cared. They decided that my other arm had a big enough vein for the slightly-smaller-than-huge needle that they could use just to return my blood to me, so they switched to that arm. They couldn't use that nice big vein where people usually draw blood, but had to use that smaller one on the inside of the arm--the one that hurts. I remember that well from my hospital stay and the creative phlebotomy that occurred there. So they unhooked me, and then re-attached a bunch of tubes, and then put a needle in my other arm, and turned on the machine that gave me back my blood. I noticed that they didn't leave me alone at all this time; whether to check that I was all right, or to keep up friendly conversation so that I wouldn't feel inclined to sue, I am not sure.
Once my fluids were back where they belonged, the very nice employee who was keeping an eye on me strapped ice packs to my arms, and got me a bottle of water and a granola bar (special treatment!). I could not, of course eat the granola bar, as I had ice packs strapped to the inside of my elbows, but the gesture was nice. I then had an escort to the cash machine and then the door, and was told that next time I should be sure to ask for one of the trainers, and things would go much more smoothly.
As I sit here and type with sore arms, do I think I'll go again? I spent three hours reading, in a place where no one called me Mom, and people brought me food and drinks, and I left with thirty bucks. You bet I will go again. The soreness is nearly gone, there is no bruising, and a normal donation will be a piece of cake after this one. As an added bonus; the more of this stuff I run into, the more sure I am that I want to pursue this medical career track I've switched to. I can totally handle it.
Update: there is bruising. Rather a lot of it, actually. But seeing as I had to remove the band-aids before I knew it was there, I'm still going to say that it's not so bad.
Ever since then, I have thought about going to "donate" plasma. You know those centers where they suck out a bunch of blood, pull out the plasma, put the rest of your blood back, and then give you thirty bucks. Yesterday I took the plunge and went in.
You know you live in a college town when the plasma center is booked two weeks in advance. I got to stew about having huge needles in my arm for a whole two weeks before actually going and having it done. Then I got to wait another two and a half hours at the center. I was asked the same questions by three different people--does anyone change their answers on the third time? After two hours, do some people go, "Oh, you know what? I did take illegal drugs intravenously last week. I'd plum forgot."
Finally they got me into a donation chair, where they completely discounted my right arm as a possibility for insertion of their huge needle. My left arm was all right, but the vein is deep. First they told me that insertion may not go well, and then they handed me over to a newbie for the procedure. It didn't go well.
The blood left my arm just fine. I sat there for five minutes, ignoring the Simpsons marathon on the TV and reading my book. Then the blood started returning to my arm, and it started to hurt. I flagged someone down, and she dug the needle deeper into my arm, then left. By then the senior person on the floor had noticed that something wasn't going right, and came over. The way the needle was inserted, the blood couldn't get back into my arm. She couldn't pull out and re-insert the needle, and she couldn't adjust it without taking it out. She called over her co-senior person on the floor, and they spent five minutes apologizing to me and discussing what they were going to do.
In plasma donation, the blood is supposed to be returned to you. This is why you can donate twice a week. If they didn't return to blood to me, I wouldn't be able to donate for another eight weeks. They acted like this was a big deal, though at this point I wasn't sure I really cared. They decided that my other arm had a big enough vein for the slightly-smaller-than-huge needle that they could use just to return my blood to me, so they switched to that arm. They couldn't use that nice big vein where people usually draw blood, but had to use that smaller one on the inside of the arm--the one that hurts. I remember that well from my hospital stay and the creative phlebotomy that occurred there. So they unhooked me, and then re-attached a bunch of tubes, and then put a needle in my other arm, and turned on the machine that gave me back my blood. I noticed that they didn't leave me alone at all this time; whether to check that I was all right, or to keep up friendly conversation so that I wouldn't feel inclined to sue, I am not sure.
Once my fluids were back where they belonged, the very nice employee who was keeping an eye on me strapped ice packs to my arms, and got me a bottle of water and a granola bar (special treatment!). I could not, of course eat the granola bar, as I had ice packs strapped to the inside of my elbows, but the gesture was nice. I then had an escort to the cash machine and then the door, and was told that next time I should be sure to ask for one of the trainers, and things would go much more smoothly.
As I sit here and type with sore arms, do I think I'll go again? I spent three hours reading, in a place where no one called me Mom, and people brought me food and drinks, and I left with thirty bucks. You bet I will go again. The soreness is nearly gone, there is no bruising, and a normal donation will be a piece of cake after this one. As an added bonus; the more of this stuff I run into, the more sure I am that I want to pursue this medical career track I've switched to. I can totally handle it.
Update: there is bruising. Rather a lot of it, actually. But seeing as I had to remove the band-aids before I knew it was there, I'm still going to say that it's not so bad.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Halloween
I have found another thing to like about living in Orem. This neighborhood loves Halloween, and trick or treating was a lot of fun for the girls.
My little hula girl and my little witch. Not a scary witch. A nice one. Who spent most of the night without her hat because it kept falling off.
Kezie got to wear her costume to school, and spent the day eating treats and playing games. Those were the days
Almost every house on the street had decorations beyond the traditional jack-o-lanterns. There were fog machines and creepy noises everywhere. One house had set up tables and chairs and was serving nachos, hot dogs, and cider. The three houses across the street had become elaborate cemeteries, complete with lit torches, a coffin that opened and closed, and this impressive display:
The pictures don't do the ghost in the window justice. It glowed and floated around the room. I have no idea how they did that.
The night was sometimes a little bit too spooky for Ivy, who sometimes wouldn't go up to the creepier houses without me at her side. She loved saying, "Trick or treat!" and decided that it was worth it. Kezie did just fine, and seemed to enjoy the scary--but not too scary--atmosphere.
Trick or treating was one of my favorite things as a kid, and I am so glad that my girls get to have the experience.
My little hula girl and my little witch. Not a scary witch. A nice one. Who spent most of the night without her hat because it kept falling off.
Kezie got to wear her costume to school, and spent the day eating treats and playing games. Those were the daysAlmost every house on the street had decorations beyond the traditional jack-o-lanterns. There were fog machines and creepy noises everywhere. One house had set up tables and chairs and was serving nachos, hot dogs, and cider. The three houses across the street had become elaborate cemeteries, complete with lit torches, a coffin that opened and closed, and this impressive display:
The pictures don't do the ghost in the window justice. It glowed and floated around the room. I have no idea how they did that.The night was sometimes a little bit too spooky for Ivy, who sometimes wouldn't go up to the creepier houses without me at her side. She loved saying, "Trick or treat!" and decided that it was worth it. Kezie did just fine, and seemed to enjoy the scary--but not too scary--atmosphere.
Trick or treating was one of my favorite things as a kid, and I am so glad that my girls get to have the experience.
Friday, September 23, 2011
It never ceases to surprise me when I find myself in the middle of a real conversation with my five-year-old. I'll ask a question, or she will, and the other will respond, and two minutes later I realize that not only is my little girl very curious, she is also quite bright and getting very grown-up.
Tonight, she was telling me a story about a dragonfly that she found with a friend, and I said something in the voice of the dragonfly. I expected her to react to the silliness of a talking dragonfly, but instead, she stopped, thought a moment about what I'd said, and than smiled. "That's funny."
Tonight, she was telling me a story about a dragonfly that she found with a friend, and I said something in the voice of the dragonfly. I expected her to react to the silliness of a talking dragonfly, but instead, she stopped, thought a moment about what I'd said, and than smiled. "That's funny."
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
It was no secret to anyone that I was not excited to move to Orem. I liked where I was in Ogden, I liked my house, I liked my neighbors and friends, my support network, and the walkability. I liked my favorite restaurants and stores, and the proximity to my family. I was not happy about leaving.
I have found that for me, the key to liking a new place when I move there, is to find a few things about it that I love, and that I can't find elsewhere. So, the things I have discovered about Orem that I love:
The fruit stands. Kezie goes to Cherry Hill Elementary, so named because this area used to have fruit trees galore. While I haven't run into any cherries yet, there are little peach and apple and pear orchards tucked away into a lot of the local neighborhoods, and there is often a stand outside where the family sells the fruit by the box. The price is good, the quality is good, the service is friendly, and you can actually watch people picking the fruit that you are about to eat. I have a half bushel of pears on my table right now, ripening and waiting to be canned in a couple of days.
The library. The Orem City library rocks. The selection is good. They have entire seasons of TV shoes, past and present, which you can rent for a dollar or two. They have sheet music, and ebooks, and nice employees, and a book drop that you can use even when the library is open, so you don't have to drag two kids out of the car and into the building just to return a book. Plus, if I want something that they don't have, Orem residents can also use the Provo library for free.
The BYU creamery. This tiny little grocery store has excellent prices on milk (and BYU brownies) and actually has decent prices on a lot of other things, too, including deli chicken and corn dogs. Plus, they have an in-house ice cream shop. And, in the corner, there is a picture of beard-growing contest winners from the 1950s. Methinks there is a rebel in the store management.
Provo Canyon. It makes the drive to my in-laws much shorter, and more pleasant. It's pretty. Last time we drove through it, we saw a goat riding in the back of a pickup truck, ears flapping in the wind. What's not to love?
There. Four things so far. After four months in Utah County, I think I am finally convinced that I'll enjoy spending the next five years here.
I have found that for me, the key to liking a new place when I move there, is to find a few things about it that I love, and that I can't find elsewhere. So, the things I have discovered about Orem that I love:
The fruit stands. Kezie goes to Cherry Hill Elementary, so named because this area used to have fruit trees galore. While I haven't run into any cherries yet, there are little peach and apple and pear orchards tucked away into a lot of the local neighborhoods, and there is often a stand outside where the family sells the fruit by the box. The price is good, the quality is good, the service is friendly, and you can actually watch people picking the fruit that you are about to eat. I have a half bushel of pears on my table right now, ripening and waiting to be canned in a couple of days.
The library. The Orem City library rocks. The selection is good. They have entire seasons of TV shoes, past and present, which you can rent for a dollar or two. They have sheet music, and ebooks, and nice employees, and a book drop that you can use even when the library is open, so you don't have to drag two kids out of the car and into the building just to return a book. Plus, if I want something that they don't have, Orem residents can also use the Provo library for free.
The BYU creamery. This tiny little grocery store has excellent prices on milk (and BYU brownies) and actually has decent prices on a lot of other things, too, including deli chicken and corn dogs. Plus, they have an in-house ice cream shop. And, in the corner, there is a picture of beard-growing contest winners from the 1950s. Methinks there is a rebel in the store management.
Provo Canyon. It makes the drive to my in-laws much shorter, and more pleasant. It's pretty. Last time we drove through it, we saw a goat riding in the back of a pickup truck, ears flapping in the wind. What's not to love?
There. Four things so far. After four months in Utah County, I think I am finally convinced that I'll enjoy spending the next five years here.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Kezie loves dinosaurs. She says she wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up. We've been to the dinosaur museums in Vernal and Ogden, so we told her I'd take her to the one in Lehi for her birthday. A few weeks later, i found out that they had reduced admission prices every Tuesday in August, so the girls and I could go to the museum for $4 total. I was really excited about this, and so were the girls.
We got to the museum, and found a line. A loooooong line, which we waited in for half an hour before we could even get in the building. It was crowded, and noisy, but it was fun, and worth the $4. We will not be going back and paying full price, though. The Ogden museum is much, much better.
Kezie's favorite dinosaur is the T-Rex. (Yes, I know this is a Utahraptor. It was too crowded to get a pic in front of the T-Rex).
Ivy's favorite dinosaur is the triceratops, so the girls built one.
There was a person working on some fossils in a lab, which you could watch from the museum. Ivy was fascinated, because there was a real person in the museum.
We got to the museum, and found a line. A loooooong line, which we waited in for half an hour before we could even get in the building. It was crowded, and noisy, but it was fun, and worth the $4. We will not be going back and paying full price, though. The Ogden museum is much, much better.
Kezie's favorite dinosaur is the T-Rex. (Yes, I know this is a Utahraptor. It was too crowded to get a pic in front of the T-Rex).
Ivy's favorite dinosaur is the triceratops, so the girls built one.
There was a person working on some fossils in a lab, which you could watch from the museum. Ivy was fascinated, because there was a real person in the museum.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
She's off to kindergarten! 
I can't believe she's this big. I did make it through the drop-off without crying, though. She was so excited she hardly noticed that I'd left.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Humor at our house
Kezie: why did the chicken cross the road?
me: I don't know. Why?
Kezie: to get to the other side!
Kezie: why did the chicken cross the playground?
me: why?
Kezie: to get to the other side!
me: do you mean 'slide'?
Kezie: yes. To get to the other slide.
Ivy: Why did the chicken cross the road?
me: why?
Ivy: to get to the other monkey bars!
me: I don't know. Why?
Kezie: to get to the other side!
Kezie: why did the chicken cross the playground?
me: why?
Kezie: to get to the other side!
me: do you mean 'slide'?
Kezie: yes. To get to the other slide.
Ivy: Why did the chicken cross the road?
me: why?
Ivy: to get to the other monkey bars!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
What's going on now. Alternate title: Minutiae.
This happened months ago, but I have to write it down in case we forget. I was at school, and Shawn was home with the kids, so it must have been in March. Ivy and Kezie were downstairs playing, when Shawn heard the sounds of a very upset two-year-old coming up the stairs and toward him. She was crying, "Daddy, help! Help, Daddy!"
Shawn rushed to help her, and couldn't see anything wrong. She tearfully held up her hand, where two of her fingers were crossed. She couldn't uncross them. He took care of it for her, and she bounced off happily to play with a, "Thank you, Daddy!"
We were supposed to go camping with the Averetts this weekend, an annual event. The campsite they chose is a great site and we had a blast there last year. On a good day, the road is rather difficult to traverse in our little sedan. We set off at eight thirty on Friday to meet the rest of the family near ice cave peak. An hour into the trip, Ivy started throwing up. We pulled over and I spent twenty minutes trying to clean up the kiddo, the car seat, and the car. She seemed fine then, so we decided to keep on. We hit construction, stopped again to let Ivy breathe because she said she felt sick, and then hit more construction. By the time we reached the Uintah Basin, patience was a little thin, but we hoped the weekend would be worth it.
Getting to this campsite requires a windy trip up a mountain, on roads both improved unimproved. I do not mean "unimproved" in the "this road is packed gravel" sense, but in the "this road is dirt and has big chunks of rock in it, and rains have been washing it away for years, and there are huge puddles"--and that's the good part. The rain pouring down and destroying the road in front of our eyes did not help. We came to a point where there was no going further. We tried other routes, and at one point I got out and walked through the rain to see if I could figure out where we were and how close we were to the campsite. Answers: I have no idea, and definitely not.
We finally gave up, and headed home wet, tired, and in a car which smelled terrible. Sigh. No camping trip this year.
On a related note: a twinkie not roasted over a campfire is a twinkie not worth eating.
The house is still for sale. It is getting almost no interest. It's frustrating; it's such a nice little house, in a great neighborhood, and I loved it. Someone else needs to love it, too.
I'm a CNA now, so I should probably go get a job. I don't mind working jobs, it's finding jobs that bothers me. It's the filling out the application, getting references, going for the interview part that I hate. Plus, there are some terrible nursing homes in existence, and I'm afraid I'm going to end up working in one. Fingers crossed.
Homemade buttermilk scones might be my new addiction. These things are good
Buttermilk scone recipe
I'm missing my friends and neighbors in Ogden like crazy. Also: my gas stove. And Szechuan chicken from Maple Express, and not getting lost, and working in my yard, and having a play room for the kids, and large windows that look outside rather than into window wells, and being closer to my family. There are a lot of good things about Orem, but nothing replaces those things.
Shawn rushed to help her, and couldn't see anything wrong. She tearfully held up her hand, where two of her fingers were crossed. She couldn't uncross them. He took care of it for her, and she bounced off happily to play with a, "Thank you, Daddy!"
We were supposed to go camping with the Averetts this weekend, an annual event. The campsite they chose is a great site and we had a blast there last year. On a good day, the road is rather difficult to traverse in our little sedan. We set off at eight thirty on Friday to meet the rest of the family near ice cave peak. An hour into the trip, Ivy started throwing up. We pulled over and I spent twenty minutes trying to clean up the kiddo, the car seat, and the car. She seemed fine then, so we decided to keep on. We hit construction, stopped again to let Ivy breathe because she said she felt sick, and then hit more construction. By the time we reached the Uintah Basin, patience was a little thin, but we hoped the weekend would be worth it.
Getting to this campsite requires a windy trip up a mountain, on roads both improved unimproved. I do not mean "unimproved" in the "this road is packed gravel" sense, but in the "this road is dirt and has big chunks of rock in it, and rains have been washing it away for years, and there are huge puddles"--and that's the good part. The rain pouring down and destroying the road in front of our eyes did not help. We came to a point where there was no going further. We tried other routes, and at one point I got out and walked through the rain to see if I could figure out where we were and how close we were to the campsite. Answers: I have no idea, and definitely not.
We finally gave up, and headed home wet, tired, and in a car which smelled terrible. Sigh. No camping trip this year.
On a related note: a twinkie not roasted over a campfire is a twinkie not worth eating.
The house is still for sale. It is getting almost no interest. It's frustrating; it's such a nice little house, in a great neighborhood, and I loved it. Someone else needs to love it, too.
I'm a CNA now, so I should probably go get a job. I don't mind working jobs, it's finding jobs that bothers me. It's the filling out the application, getting references, going for the interview part that I hate. Plus, there are some terrible nursing homes in existence, and I'm afraid I'm going to end up working in one. Fingers crossed.
Homemade buttermilk scones might be my new addiction. These things are good
Buttermilk scone recipe
I'm missing my friends and neighbors in Ogden like crazy. Also: my gas stove. And Szechuan chicken from Maple Express, and not getting lost, and working in my yard, and having a play room for the kids, and large windows that look outside rather than into window wells, and being closer to my family. There are a lot of good things about Orem, but nothing replaces those things.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Riverwoods
We discovered an outdoor mall in Provo today when I took the girls to a local toy store that I'd heard about. There is a fun little toy store--which imports candy from Europe. I bought a Mars bar, currently chilling in the fridge and waiting to make me very, very happy. There are two little fountains for the kids to play in, half a dozen restaurants, indoor surfing, a carousel, indoor croquet (!) and an assortment of stores including Borders and Bath and Body Works. It's a fun little place where you can choose to go broke or spend nothing, and we had a lot of fun.
The only camera I had with me was my phone, so the pictures aren't great. The girls loved playing in the fountains. They were moving so fast that I couldn't get a good picture of them.
There was a raised platform with a pretty roof where the girls liked to play. Ivy said, while spinning, "Mommy, I a princess!"
Cute girls
The only camera I had with me was my phone, so the pictures aren't great. The girls loved playing in the fountains. They were moving so fast that I couldn't get a good picture of them.
There was a raised platform with a pretty roof where the girls liked to play. Ivy said, while spinning, "Mommy, I a princess!"
Cute girls
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
An apology to the parents of my childhood friends
To those whose homes I ran amok through, whose kitchens I helped wreck while experimenting with new recipes, who listened to giggles until three a.m. when I slept over, and who sometimes wanted to scream "GET OUT!" but didn't, and fed me a snack instead:
Thank you.
Thank you for speaking to me when we run into each other at wedding receptions and the like, and for friending me on Facebook, and for not referring to me as "that weird Ashauer girl" (at least not when I could hear you).
Why the sudden gratitude? (I include my own parents in this, btw)
We have moved to this nice, quiet neighborhood in Orem, and there are a lot of kids Kezie's age. This means that suddenly, we have have as many as half a dozen four and five and six year olds in the house at any given moment, some of which I can't name. They're playing hide and seek. They're arguing. They're eating snacks. They're throwing Legos at each other. They're staring at me while I make dinner (why is that kid still staring at me?) They're telling me my house smells funny (I'm sure yours smells better, kid. Why don't you go back there?)
I haven't yelled at anyone. I haven't screamed into a pillow or anything, but it's a little jarring to go from a quiet place where we made playdates or took walks with my kids' friends, to this much less formal system. It reminds me of my childhood, and now I feel for the parents of the (wonderful) neighborhood where I grew up.
The thing is, they aren't bad kids. They're actually pretty good kids, and I like them. They aren't too rowdy most of the time, they haven't broken anything yet. The kid with the good nose and big mouth aside, they are mostly polite to me, and they include Ivy when they play. I want them here, because if they're here then Kezie isn't asking to go play at their houses, something she is not, for the most part, allowed to do. I don't even know the parents of most of these kids yet, and until I do I'm not sending my four year old to a stranger's house. So, I let them in, and give them snacks, and let them watch a movie if they want. But there are moments when I feel as though my house has become a zoo, and I'm trying to catch the elephants with the butterfly net, and I really, really appreciate all the parents who were parents to me.
Thank you.
Thank you for speaking to me when we run into each other at wedding receptions and the like, and for friending me on Facebook, and for not referring to me as "that weird Ashauer girl" (at least not when I could hear you).
Why the sudden gratitude? (I include my own parents in this, btw)
We have moved to this nice, quiet neighborhood in Orem, and there are a lot of kids Kezie's age. This means that suddenly, we have have as many as half a dozen four and five and six year olds in the house at any given moment, some of which I can't name. They're playing hide and seek. They're arguing. They're eating snacks. They're throwing Legos at each other. They're staring at me while I make dinner (why is that kid still staring at me?) They're telling me my house smells funny (I'm sure yours smells better, kid. Why don't you go back there?)
I haven't yelled at anyone. I haven't screamed into a pillow or anything, but it's a little jarring to go from a quiet place where we made playdates or took walks with my kids' friends, to this much less formal system. It reminds me of my childhood, and now I feel for the parents of the (wonderful) neighborhood where I grew up.
The thing is, they aren't bad kids. They're actually pretty good kids, and I like them. They aren't too rowdy most of the time, they haven't broken anything yet. The kid with the good nose and big mouth aside, they are mostly polite to me, and they include Ivy when they play. I want them here, because if they're here then Kezie isn't asking to go play at their houses, something she is not, for the most part, allowed to do. I don't even know the parents of most of these kids yet, and until I do I'm not sending my four year old to a stranger's house. So, I let them in, and give them snacks, and let them watch a movie if they want. But there are moments when I feel as though my house has become a zoo, and I'm trying to catch the elephants with the butterfly net, and I really, really appreciate all the parents who were parents to me.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
I'm it
My sister tagged me, so here goes:
4 shows I watch:
1)Eureka
2) Community
3) The West Wing (thanks to the wonder that is Netflix)
4) The Big Bang Theory
4 things I'm passionate about:
1) getting an education
2) finding a good deal
3) kids getting a good education and having a safe place to live
4) women are not inferior
4 phrases I say a lot:
1) It drives me crazy
2) don't hit your sister
3) I don't think so
4) not cool
4 things I have learned from the past:
1) Life just doesn't turn out the way you plan it
2) When life doesn't turn out the way you planned, it's o.k.
3) chocolate and peanut butter are always a good combination
4) people listen much better when you pretend you know what you're doing
4 things I did yesterday:
1) went to school
2) passed my initial CNA test (one more to go)
3) dishes
4) ran through the rain
4 places I would love to visit:
1) Manhattan (specifically the theaters on Broadway)
2) London
3) Austria
4) Washington DC
4 things I'm looking forward to:
1) passing my state CNA test
2) finding and learning a new job
3) throwing Kezie a party this summer
4) Les Miserables in May
4 things I love about spring:
1. flowers
2. it stays light later
3. I can work in my yard again
4. the heat bill is lower
4 shows I watch:
1)Eureka
2) Community
3) The West Wing (thanks to the wonder that is Netflix)
4) The Big Bang Theory
4 things I'm passionate about:
1) getting an education
2) finding a good deal
3) kids getting a good education and having a safe place to live
4) women are not inferior
4 phrases I say a lot:
1) It drives me crazy
2) don't hit your sister
3) I don't think so
4) not cool
4 things I have learned from the past:
1) Life just doesn't turn out the way you plan it
2) When life doesn't turn out the way you planned, it's o.k.
3) chocolate and peanut butter are always a good combination
4) people listen much better when you pretend you know what you're doing
4 things I did yesterday:
1) went to school
2) passed my initial CNA test (one more to go)
3) dishes
4) ran through the rain
4 places I would love to visit:
1) Manhattan (specifically the theaters on Broadway)
2) London
3) Austria
4) Washington DC
4 things I'm looking forward to:
1) passing my state CNA test
2) finding and learning a new job
3) throwing Kezie a party this summer
4) Les Miserables in May
4 things I love about spring:
1. flowers
2. it stays light later
3. I can work in my yard again
4. the heat bill is lower
Friday, April 1, 2011
Life at the moment
Life at the moment:
We have chosen a school! Shawn starts at BYU in the fall. He'll study physical chemistry. I didn't know what that meant, either. As I understand it, it's the intersection of physics and chemisty, blah blah blah....lasers. Lots of lasers, that they use to find out really useful stuff. It's chemistry without the chemicals and the beakers, and he's really excited about it. Even I think it sounds pretty cool.
We are mentally preparing for the move to Utah County, return to full time student life and budget, and the move back to an apartment. This means we are selling the house this summer, and I'm trying to tackle one project at a time, rather than thinking about the sheer amount of work there is to do before we put it on the market. I am sad to be leaving; this is a great house in a great neighborhood, and I'll miss it and the people here.
I am finishing up my CNA class, and will take the state tests soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm enjoying the training. I don't love the bedpans and the catheters and the denture care, but I do like working with the elderly, and I am finding myself fascinated by the little bits of medical science that I'm picking up. It makes me wonder what, when I get a chance to seek more education in a few years, I'll decide to do. For now, the plan is to find a job a couple of nights a week as a CNA, so Shawn can be home with the kids while I'm at work.
Kezie knows that she is going to have to move away from her friends soon, and she is sad. She is excited to be starting school in the fall, though. She has her first dance recital soon, and she's enjoying the fun of having an allowance, and not enjoying the responsibility of having regular chores. Growing up is hard, she tells me. She's doing a good job of it, though.
Ivy is having a hard time because I've been gone so much lately. When I'm home, she doesn't like me to be out of sight. She's growing like a weed, and she picks up new words every day. She is refusing to potty-train, which is driving me a little bit crazy. She still uses her cute to her own advantage, and I find myself letting her charm me into things without even realizing that she's done it.
So, life for the Averett's at the moments is not settled of calm, but at lease we know in what direction it is heading.
We have chosen a school! Shawn starts at BYU in the fall. He'll study physical chemistry. I didn't know what that meant, either. As I understand it, it's the intersection of physics and chemisty, blah blah blah....lasers. Lots of lasers, that they use to find out really useful stuff. It's chemistry without the chemicals and the beakers, and he's really excited about it. Even I think it sounds pretty cool.
We are mentally preparing for the move to Utah County, return to full time student life and budget, and the move back to an apartment. This means we are selling the house this summer, and I'm trying to tackle one project at a time, rather than thinking about the sheer amount of work there is to do before we put it on the market. I am sad to be leaving; this is a great house in a great neighborhood, and I'll miss it and the people here.
I am finishing up my CNA class, and will take the state tests soon. Keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm enjoying the training. I don't love the bedpans and the catheters and the denture care, but I do like working with the elderly, and I am finding myself fascinated by the little bits of medical science that I'm picking up. It makes me wonder what, when I get a chance to seek more education in a few years, I'll decide to do. For now, the plan is to find a job a couple of nights a week as a CNA, so Shawn can be home with the kids while I'm at work.
Kezie knows that she is going to have to move away from her friends soon, and she is sad. She is excited to be starting school in the fall, though. She has her first dance recital soon, and she's enjoying the fun of having an allowance, and not enjoying the responsibility of having regular chores. Growing up is hard, she tells me. She's doing a good job of it, though.
Ivy is having a hard time because I've been gone so much lately. When I'm home, she doesn't like me to be out of sight. She's growing like a weed, and she picks up new words every day. She is refusing to potty-train, which is driving me a little bit crazy. She still uses her cute to her own advantage, and I find myself letting her charm me into things without even realizing that she's done it.
So, life for the Averett's at the moments is not settled of calm, but at lease we know in what direction it is heading.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
I'm sure Freud would have plenty to say
I'm pretty sure we're crazy, but we started potty-training Ivy this week. I didn't set out to do this; she asked to sit on her potty one day, so I let her, and Shawn and I both got really excited about the idea that she could be done with diapers soon, so it sort of grew from there. We're trying to fit this in between the classes that I am now taking at two different schools, Shawn's grad-school research (USU or BYU? Feel free to weigh in), and the beginning of what will surely be a long and frustrating process of readying the house to sell.
I'm using the "potty party" approach I used to start training Kezie; basically it means that the kid runs around bare-bottomed for a few hours until she does her business without a diaper, and hopefully in her little potty. Ivy likes sitting on her special chair. She likes the attention she gets, and she definitely loves permission to run around naked all day. She does not yet like actually using the toilet; in fact, it seems to really bother her.
The first time, she came running to me in the next room screaming, "Broken! Broken!" and cried for five minutes. The second time, there was less shock and fewer tears, but she was obviously still disturbed by the whole process. I'm not sure what exactly the problem is, but it doesn't seem to have turned her off of the idea. Maybe this will work. *crosses fingers*
I'm using the "potty party" approach I used to start training Kezie; basically it means that the kid runs around bare-bottomed for a few hours until she does her business without a diaper, and hopefully in her little potty. Ivy likes sitting on her special chair. She likes the attention she gets, and she definitely loves permission to run around naked all day. She does not yet like actually using the toilet; in fact, it seems to really bother her.
The first time, she came running to me in the next room screaming, "Broken! Broken!" and cried for five minutes. The second time, there was less shock and fewer tears, but she was obviously still disturbed by the whole process. I'm not sure what exactly the problem is, but it doesn't seem to have turned her off of the idea. Maybe this will work. *crosses fingers*
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Things are looking up
It's been kind of a rough several months at the Averett house; illness, unemployment, and lots of unpleasant little things have made life a little bit difficult. This last week or so, though, things have been looking up:
Shawn was accepted to BYU's Physical Chemistry PhD program
Shawn was accepted into Utah State's chemistry PhD program (after initially being rejected. They changed their minds).
We got home Sunday night, and couldn't put the car in reverse. This is especially problematic because the car was in drive at the time, and reverse is in-between drive and park. We did finally get the car parked and turned off, but couldn't get it back out of park without using the manual shift release button, which seemed like a bad habit to get in to. So, I learned Ogden's bus system very well, a very nice neighbor picked me up from my night class, and we did okay for two days. The really good news; the car is still under warranty, and the repair was both quick ad FREE.
Even without a car, I've been able to get everywhere I needed to get by bus with my free student bus pass. This includes the WorkMed clinic out in Nowheresville where I had to go TODAY to get a drug test for my class, and the car dealership. The one place I couldn't go, a nice neighbor was available to come pick me up and take me home.
All of this public transit means I've been doing a lot of walking. This week's weigh-in should be a good one.
The weather was perfect for all of this walking around I've been doing.
Both girls slept all night. That's the first time that has happened in at least a month.
I started a CNA program this week. The hope is that, combined with a bachelor's degree and Gerontology major, I'll be able to find work soon. It's not something that's ever been on my list of life goals, but I'm excited about it.
All in all, things are looking up. Here's hoping they stay that way for a while.
Shawn was accepted to BYU's Physical Chemistry PhD program
Shawn was accepted into Utah State's chemistry PhD program (after initially being rejected. They changed their minds).
We got home Sunday night, and couldn't put the car in reverse. This is especially problematic because the car was in drive at the time, and reverse is in-between drive and park. We did finally get the car parked and turned off, but couldn't get it back out of park without using the manual shift release button, which seemed like a bad habit to get in to. So, I learned Ogden's bus system very well, a very nice neighbor picked me up from my night class, and we did okay for two days. The really good news; the car is still under warranty, and the repair was both quick ad FREE.
Even without a car, I've been able to get everywhere I needed to get by bus with my free student bus pass. This includes the WorkMed clinic out in Nowheresville where I had to go TODAY to get a drug test for my class, and the car dealership. The one place I couldn't go, a nice neighbor was available to come pick me up and take me home.
All of this public transit means I've been doing a lot of walking. This week's weigh-in should be a good one.
The weather was perfect for all of this walking around I've been doing.
Both girls slept all night. That's the first time that has happened in at least a month.
I started a CNA program this week. The hope is that, combined with a bachelor's degree and Gerontology major, I'll be able to find work soon. It's not something that's ever been on my list of life goals, but I'm excited about it.
All in all, things are looking up. Here's hoping they stay that way for a while.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Little moments
Yesterday, I put Ivy in her fanciest dress for church. We were talking later, and I pointed to her and said, "Who's that?"
She pointed to herself and said, "A Princess!"
On the way to church, Kezie and I were talking about the snow. I said I thought the snow was pretty on the trees. She said, "They look like chocolate covered pretzels!"
You know what? They do.
She pointed to herself and said, "A Princess!"
On the way to church, Kezie and I were talking about the snow. I said I thought the snow was pretty on the trees. She said, "They look like chocolate covered pretzels!"
You know what? They do.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Happy Mommy Moment
I was in Primary today, substituting in the class just older than Kezie's. During sharing time, the kids were given dough and asked to make something out of it that they loved that was created for them. There were lots of cute things; a zebra, a favorite climbing tree, food. Then it's my Kezie's turn, and she holds up her long lump of clay and says, "It's my sister, Ivy."
And my heart melted a little bit.
And my heart melted a little bit.
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