Christmas Morning

December 29, 2010

Here's some of Christmas morning...then I will have to do more later...it's storming outside and we have to shut down the computer.

 Cymbre's new rhino...

 Cooper's new lucky dog...

 Cooper's new Ipod Touch.

 Cymbre's new Ipod touch.



 Snuggies from Mom.

Britni'a panda hat and gloves from her friend.

Christmas Preparations!

December 29, 2010

So here's some of the Christmas preparations that have been going on at our house.....

I ALWAYS have to buy a couple of new snowmen...no matter what the kids say!  Here's a couple that come home to live this year...

 For my snowman Christmas Tree...

 This one has a little tiny baby one in his pocket!

 Cooper and Kandace making chocolate chip cookies.

 I made these rolls for Christmas dinner.  Cooper buttered the tops.

More cookies!

Our New Baby Lucy..We are so lucky!

December 29, 2010

Here's our new baby Lucy.....born Dec. 26th.  Caleb and Holly now have a very cute Baby Jack, and now an adorable Baby Lucy!

I think Grandma needs to make another visit...

 Here's the new Dad and Lucy..

 Just a few minutes old.

Isn't she just so cute...she was 8 lbs 2 ounces and 20 inches.



 With Aunt Shyla....who better be giving her hugs from all the Aunties!

With her Mom, Holly

They are home from the hospital now, and we got to skype them yesterday....such fun!  Everyone is doing great!

My Grandbabies!

December 28, 2010

So I am a little slow getting some pictures of the grandbabies up, and now we have another one, Lucy, who was just born this week.  I have to capture some photos of her, so we will just do the other ones for now.

Everyone be jealous!  This Grandma had SO MUCH FUN playing, snuggling, and loving these babies when I went over for Shyla to have her baby.  My little toy bag and I came home so lonely, that I decided there should be some kind of law that Grandbabies have to live close enough to Grandma to play when Grandma wants to play!  Sounds good to me.

So here's my babies....

 This is Baby Jack...just turned two, and we are enjoying reading some of Eden's books.

 This is new Baby Britain...and she likes to snuggle Grandma!

We spent hours awake at night just playing and snuggling....we made Mommy and Daddy go to bed!

 This is Baby Eden trying to learn how to be a fishy..Grandma finally got her to do it just before I left.  Isn't she just the cutest?

 Eden and Jack playing with Grandma and Great Aunt Issy...we made the mommies and daddies leave so we could spoil them!

Baby Britain with her eyes open....she is SO Snuggly!

Oh My Gosh!

December 7, 2010

I have been home from snuggling the grandbabies for almost a week, and my progress on Christmas isn't going well.  Those house is mostly decorated, but still have to do the greenry on the stairs, there are some gifts wrapped, some still to get in the mail, dance costumes are a mess from competition, a CAM baking basket needs finishing in the kitchen, and the family Christmas letter isn't even started.

Dad is out of town, so for the next few days....it's just me and the girls.

The girls have started their duet...it will be so CUTE this year.....Andee is doing such a great job with it.  Cooper is still working with Ms. Traci on her jazz solo to get it perfect each Friday.

Last night Cooper bought Uncle Larry a really funny Christmas present....we have to get the other parts still.  Just one more thing on the otherwise endless list for Mom to do.

We are having some issues getting some of the things we wanted for the girls for Christmas, so I need to spend some time online tonight...maybe I will have more luck that way.

The new Grandbaby, Britain Lilly came on November 21.Six pounds 8.3 ounces, and 19 incles long.  She is so snuggly.  She likes to be awake all night, and Grandma enjoyed just holding her.

Eden and Grandma because buddies while I was there, and she followed me around all day.  I enjoyed chasing her while she tried so hard to run away from Grandma.  She just laughed and laughed.

Jack and Grandma had fun lining up ALL his cars.  They stretch clear across the front room and into the kitchen....then he walks down the line and messes them up.  He loves his trains.

I think there should be some kind of law that grandbabies have to live close enough to grandmas that they can play whenever Grandma wants to play.  Of course, I would never get anything done!

Baby Lucy will put in her appearance sometime soon.

We are so blessed as a family to have two new members.

All the pictures are still in the camera, so I will have to add that to my list too.  I'll put it right after refilling Dad's tiger tissue box on his desk!

When we unpacked the Christmas decorations, we discovered two snowman cookie jars with no heads.  I have the hats, but not the head.....there must be a snowman murderer who lives in my house.....NOT GOOD!

Got some snowflake material to make a new tablecloth for the dining room table.  One that will actually fit the table.  Don't you think it's about time since we have had this table since we came back from England about 16 years ago?

We are finally done with ear tubes...Cymbre's last one is finally out.  No more ear, nose and throat doctor!

Had to turn on the heater for a few minutes this morning...used the fireplace first, but then I was told in the rest of the house....I just hate that smell that is there when you first turn on the heater.  The girls have been putting their clothes in the dryer to warm them up before getting dressed....of course, they had to wait for the dryer guy to repair the element over the weekend, but we are back in business today.

Well, this is NOT GETTING anything done for Christmas, so I better go get busy.  Finding a lucky dog is on the list today.

Have a good day, and get out there and help someone.  There are plenty of Grandmas like me who need help loading cars!

Love you.

Mom

Homecoming, Cymbre's Eye and Ward Talent Show

November 3, 2010

I am finally done with the dance competition costumes this year!   Everybody do a little happy dance!  It has taken me five months to get all the pieces together, altered, sewn, rhinestoned, and finished! 

Had Cymbre to the eye specialist again yesterday.  She has developed a floater, and he said that if she had any changes he wanted to see her....so we went.

Seems that the vitreal jelly that was detached at the back of her eye has totally detached now, and it is floating about her eye.  That's good in that it is no longer creating traction on her retina, but now her retina is extremely sensitive to detachment since the jelly is no longer there to help hold everything in place.  She is very lucky that it didn't detach the retina when is separated!  THANK HEAVEN for small miracles.  And thank goodness for priesthood promises that she will be ok.  This kid is so fortunate to even have her sight when technically her eye should have shattered when the yoga band hit her!

Cooper was crowned in a tie with her friend to be the sophmore princess at the homecoming dance....she was excited.  I took her to the hair dresser and got her hair done in an updo before the dance....and we bought her dress. Here's the photo of her dress, and her hairdo.

This is a picture of Cooper with President Meier and Bishop Bitter at her Game of Life Night.  It was a hugh success....we still get comments about what a great job she did.  Actually, it was a family effort, but we let her get all the glory.

Spent the evening tonight organizing some DVDs into a file box so that they take up less space.  Got this file box at the container store and it holds 100 DVDs.  I am putting the ones that I keep in the sewing room into the file.  Maybe then I can find the one I want, if I can just get the girls to put them back in the little file. 

Dad took the girls to YW, and they went on a scavanger hunt at the mall.  They seemed to have fun.  Cooper's team won again...as usual!  It is her favorite activity.

Guess this will be a short entry tonight....I am going to take my bath, and take my medicine, and go to bed while I watch the news.  I know, BORING!

More later....

Mom

We're DONE!

June 13, 2010

We are finally done with dance recital this year....THANK GOODNESS! I cannot take another day of how Kristin treats the girls. She allows Cooper to do everything, but Cymbre can't do anything. She breaks her own rules for Cooper, but Cymbre has to obey all of them, and some we don't even know about. And EVERY time I tried to talk to her or ask her something, I was told I was being disrespectful. Well, a parent has to be able to ask questions.....and I didn't need Hintze thrown in my face everytime I ask anything.

The inconsistancy at the studio was more than anyone ought to have to deal with.....she asked Cooper to dance her solos in recital...fine, but Cymbre couldn't dance hers. The rule was if you qualified to go to nationals, you could dance. So how come Cooper who didn't even compete because she was injured danced her solos in both shows, but Cymbre who did qualify for nationals in competition couldn't dance at all? She says she let Cooper do it because she was injured all season, but if she let Cymbre dance people would think she was playing favorites. EXCUSE ME????

Dad sent her an email when we got home from recital telling her that the girls were done. She lost her two best dancers.....around $5-6,000 a year, and several other girls are leaving the studio too. Now there are just a few things still to be sorted out, but Dad said she cannot charge anything to the credit card, and we needed money back for costumes we never received.....and she isn't to contact the girls or I.....THANK GOODNESS!

We think we have found another studio. They do off campus which is a big deal for the girls. And it's a bigger studio, so there are more girls who can dance at similiar levels as Cooper and Cymbre.....and we already met with the studio director for a couple of hours last week. She wants to see them dance this week...but that's just to say she has seen them. She googled them before we even got to the studio, so she already knew what they could do. She will let them student teach, and she was looking for a tap teacher, so we gave her Andee's number. Never know, she may end up there too.

Andee is still going to come to the house twice a month to work on hard tap things with the girls. We are still going to Mark Goodma's Tap University, and the new studio lady said that she would let Mark come and use her studio....that means he would finally have a place to come to Houston, so we wouldn't have to travel to get to him. This may be a good move for the girls afterall.

Moving is extremely hard, but they will make new friends, and we know some of the girls already there.....still I wish we didn't have to do this.

Had an interesting talk with a lady at recital....turns out she is a costume designer looking for a seamstress. She doesn't sew, but loves to glue on rhinestones.....she may come in handy someday. We exchanged phone numbers since I sew. You never know, something may come of it.

In other news....how very newspaper of me!

Cymbre's eye faded out while she was dancing and it took until we were at church to come back. I was beginning to worry we might have yet another problem....but thank goodness, no, at this point.

Cooper lost her contact while she was dancing yesterday...so we called and Dad brought the other ones when he came to see the shows.

Cymbre's magic Tinkerbell tape seems to have worked for holding her kneecap in place, but it doesn't like to be under tights....so we will have to come up with something to do about that....maybe Jeff will have some ideas when we see him again. I need to find a place to order some of it....it's a kinesiology tape....whatever that means.

I have to go get some bloodwork done again tomorrow morning....and I am finally getting my blood sugar down where it needs to be. They better not mess around again with my thyroid medicine....I hate that when they do it.

Cooper looks really great in her new glasses.

We have dentist appointments this week, except for Cooper...she wants to wait until after she gets her braces off to have hers done.....he promised her she would get them off before she goes back to school. We'll see.

The housefly that we have been chasing for a week finally met his demise this morning....I managed to get him. He was really enjoying landing on Cymbre's pop tarts every day, but NO MORE! He made the mistake of landing on the faucet when I was standing there this morning, and paid for it with his life....and yes, there were animals hurt in the making of this story! And no, I don't care.

I have video of the recital, but didn't get it off the camera yet, so you will have to wait to see Cooper's solos, and Cymbre's and Cooper's groups. They say patience is a virtue!

Well, that's about all I can think of right now....

Everyone get out there and do something nice for someone else this week....do it for a stranger. Make their day.

Love you all bunches.....and Grandma needs to SKYPE GRANDBABIES!

Mom

The Pestilence Continues!

October 12, 2010

Ok, so when Dad comes home again he has to go to Lowes and buy me some better pestilence fighting tools!  I had to use the vacumn to catch a lizard, who then promptly figured out how to get out of the vacumn. I had to brush him out from behind the toilet tank with a wooden spoon, and he ran across the wall.  So then I had to hit him off the bathroom wall with the plunger!  He got flushed this time.  AND, when we came home from dance, there was this hugh grasshopper on the glass part of the back door.

The only tool I had to attack him was the mop!  So I hit him, and OF COURSE, he flew.  The girls were screaming that he was on me, but they didn't tell me where.  SO, then I was jumping around like some deranged person!

I think sanity reigns supreme at the moment, but who knows what lurks just outside the back door tonight!

It's time for Dad to come home....I'm just saying!!!!!

PS  I hear you all laughing!!

Goopy Scissors! CAPTURED Lizard!!!

October 10, 2010

So now I had to wash the scissors with goo gone because we used them to cut the sticky back velcro pieces to put on the file folder games for the grandbabies.  That stuff makes your hands stink!  And there isn't much I have found that takes away that smell on your hands, but the stuff works great at getting sticky stuff off scissors. 

We have now finished several sets of the file folders games....Cymbre will be displaying them next weekend for YW in Excellence program.  We still have some more to do for the value project, but she has a good start.  And the best part, is the Grandbabies will have them for Christmas.

I caught a lizard in the vacumn tonight....of course, Dad is NOT here when I need to catch the dumb thing!  So we got the vacumn out, and sucked him up...then I left the vacumn running for a few minutes to make sure he was good and in the canister....and now I will wait a day or so until he is dead, and then empty him into the OUTSIDE trash can.  I sure hope that canister opens from the bottom instead of having to shake the stuff out from the top....that could be bad!

I have our home teachers on call this next two weeks while Dad is gone....who knows what's going to go wrong, but something ALWAYS does!

We have to take Cymbre down to the medical center in the morning early.  Her eye still goes out, so the doctor wants to make sure that everything is still stable.  I think he just wants some more information to share at his next medical convention where he goes to teach.  Seems to me, they should pay me for her to be a case study.  Who knows, maybe they will take some more of those really cool pictures of the inside of her eye.

I FINALLY have the two tap costumes done and rhinestoned.  MAJOR accomplishment...now on to the jazz one.  I am still waiting for some of the parts to get here, so I have been crocheting on the baby blessing blankets for the coming grandbabies.  My hands are certainly letting me know how they feel about all this crocheting....I pack them in ice some nights.  I really should cave in and go back to the doctor.  They have hurt me for over a year since the locker incident the beginning of last school year.  The physical therapist gave me the name of the best hand guy in Houston, but I think they will just tell me a steroid shot, and I am not sure that I want to peel myself off the ceiling!  And those shots will really mess up the blood sugar stuff that is finally getting to be where it needs to be most of the time.

Dad is in Norway and Liverpool this week, and then home just for a day or two and off to the SEG convention for another week.  I am bracing myself for no sleep, and trauma!  You would think after almost 32 years, the trauma would have stopped by now, and I would have learned how to sleep when Dad is out of town.  I guess it's just knowing his body is in the house that makes it so I can sleep.  I even set the alarm, but still spend most of the night watching TV or sewing, or on the computer.

So, what do you think that lizard thinks about being inside the vacumn canister?  Do you supposed his Mom is out there somewhere in the dark of night looking for him?  Is there some sort of lizard police that she would call to help her.  Do you suppose she even knows he has met his final demise?  And that I don't feel bad about it either?  Is she camping outside my front door waiting to run inside the very next time the door is opened?  Maybe he has a little family of baby lizards waiting for their Daddy to come home, maybe bring some dinner.  Maybe he has a baby girl waiting for a princess tea party, but her Dad will never show up....TOO BAD little lizard! (I know, somewhat harsh, but I don't put up with the little things in my house!)  Do you suppose that he is allergic to the dust in the vacumn with him?  Does he like to live in see through houses?  Did he eat dinner before he was captured?  (I don't care if he is starving!)  I know, harsh!  Maybe he was sucked through those dyson wind tunnels and lost conscienceness, and doesn't really know where he is...I don't think I have a lizard hospital in my vacumn, but this isn't the first one I have sucked up either....who knows what they may have going in the the hoses!  And why do lizards like to come in my house anyway...they live OUTSIDE!!! Not in a house with carpet, air conditioning, and furniture.  I mean have you every really seen a little house outside with all the comforts of home and lizards coming in an out?  Come to think of it, why would you even look for a house like that outside?  I have never seen them carrying brief cases, and looking like they were actually doing anything worth while either....they just like to hang around the doors and invite themselves in at the MOST INCONVENIENT times!  And if you don't see them come in and catch them right away, they like to hide in the moss in my ficus tree right by the front door, and then when I am dusting the thing, they suddenly decide that it's time to come out of hiding and SCARE the CRAP out of ME!!!  Do you know how hard is it to keep your wits about you and catch a fast lizard when you are scared to death because the thing just tried to walk up your arm or your leg?  Speaking from experience....it's NOT EASY!!!  I usually am jumping around making sure the thing is not on my person anywhere.  And DAD is never here when it happens to be my protector.  What is with that anyway??  Maybe we should build a little one way lizard door so that they can only get out!  I have tried sweeping them out the door once or twice, but the vacumn is a more reliable form of capture.  And when was the last time you saw lizard spray at Lowes?  I have not seen a lizard trap by the mouse ones at the store either!  So I use the only form on LONG HANDLED capture that I have at my disposal...gotta love that vacumn!

And on a more serious note:  I have heard this song twice now this week, and both times I cannot sing along because I feel the Spirit so strongly.....so I want to share the words with you once again.

It's called:  Lord, I Would Follow Thee

Savior, may I learn to love thee,
Walk the path that thou hast shown.
Pause to help and lift another,
 Finding strength beyond my own.
Savior, may I lean to love thee--Lord, I would follow thee.

Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can't see.
Who am I to judge another?  Lord, I would follow thee.

I would be my brothers keeper,
I would learn the healer's art.
To the wounded and the weary,
I would show a gently heart.
I would be my brother's keeper--Lord, I would follow thee.

Savior, may I love my brother
As I know thou lovest me,
Find in thee my strength, my beacon,
For thy servant I would be.
Savior, may I love my  brother--Lord, I would follow thee.

I love this song, and I think about it often as I am helping someone who needs my help.  Most of the time it is a stranger I help.  I cannot sing this song, at least not the whole thing because the Spirit touches my heart so deeply and I am overcome with that wonderful warm feeling I get when I am close to my Heavenly Father.  I sat in the lobby the other night and heard 17 stakes of YW and some General Authorities singing this song...needless to say, the tears were filling my eyes as they are now just thinking about this experience.

Feeling the Spirit, just like at this moment, is something that comes very easily for me when I am out doing something for someone else....it has always been that way for me, and my hope is that my children might have a little glimpse of that feeling each day as they are out in the world hopefully helping someone that they see needs some help.  Just this past week I was in the grocery store and saw an older lady struggling to reach a thing off the top shelf....I stopped and asked her if I could help her.  With tears in her eyes, she said that no one ever asks her that.  I felt the Spirit so strongly at that moment, and then I just had a thought about that scripture that goes like...."if you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" and my mind could picture the Savior standing there in the grocery store.  Had I not stopped to help, I would never have had that experience that day.  A simple act of getting something off the top shelf brought my Savior's Spirit so close to my heart.  These kinds of experiences happen to me often....sharing a happy meal with a street person, giving a water bottle to some hot road construction workers, helping an older woman put her groceries in her car.  I guess I learned how to do these things when I served as the RS president while we lived in England all those years ago.

So, get out there are serve someone...step out of your comfort zone.  You don't have to put yourself in any danger to find someone who could use your help.  In all the years I have been doing things like this, no one has every yelled at me or threatened to call the cops.  Just do something today.

Love you all, especially my GRANDBABIES!!!

Mom

A Busy Week!

October 1, 2010

My goodness, it's been a busy week around here.....Cymbre has been down with bronchitis, Cooper has been at dance until her knee began hurting to much....she hurt it at solo rehearsal on Saturday, and now she can't dance for a week. She did something to the tendon right by her kneecap! I still think dance will kill her one of these days! When she dances, it's all or nothing, and that is sometimes what hurts her I think.

Dad finally didn't have to put Cymbre in the car and drive her around for an hour freezing her out with the air conditioner last night. She just managaed to sit in the steam in the shower, do her medicine, and slept in the recliner. We also put vicks on her feet and socks, and never heard a cough out of the kid. THANK YOU ANITA!! We all got some rest last night!

We have gotten to skype our Baby Eden a couple of times this week, and Baby Jack was with her once....It's always VERY EXCITING to this Grandma to see those cute little babies. I am so looking forward to going to play with them when Shyla has her baby! However, I just don't think it's fair that she stays at the computer and talks to Grandpa, but crawls away to play when it's Grandma. What is the deal? We so enjoyed hearing Baby Jack sing us songs and tell us the alphabet!

They have adjusted my insulin yet again....and this time it is working, but some days now my blood sugar gets way to low! It's a fine line to balance everything, but I am feeling better most of the time.

Dance costumes are coming along, and Cymbre's tap one is finally down to just finishing up the jewelry. It's even rhinestoned. TOOK FOREVER! I am thinking about entering it in the costume contest to see if I can win again. We'll see. I am working on Cooper's now, but hers is mainly taking in a top, and hemming pants, and rhinestoning. Parts of the jazz solo are beginning to arrive, so that will be the next one. Then the duet. We have the dresses for those, and the feathers for the hair, so hopefully, that one won't take to long either. After all, I do have to take time out to go play with the GRANDBABIES!!!

Cooper is doing much better at driving, but we haven't really gone out to practice this week....Dad needs to take her this weekend.

We are glad that it is jammie church this week. We love General Conference weekends!

I must get the jacket made for Cooper for her homecoming dress....and hem the dress.

This sounds like all I do is sew! That's not true most days, but lately it is the truth!

The girls want to do their solos in the ward talent show....that should be interesting. No one at church has ever really seen them dance, so they will be a hot topic of discussion I am sure. Oh to be a fly on some peoples wall! Particularly those who love to gossip!

Cymbre's eye hasn't gone out in the last couple of weeks....guess we are doing a good job not bumping her around. THANK GOODNESS! She sees the neuro opthamologist this month. He will probably want to take some more pictures of her eye insides to show at his meetings. They talk about her all the time from what he says. Too bad they don't pay us to see her.

Well, must get busy...have to get my Halloween goodies in the mail to those lovable GRANDBABIES! Maybe this time I might put something in for their parents too....we'll see.

Everyone needs to get out there and do some service today....pick up some trash, give a worker a water bottle, buy a happy meal and share it with a homeless person, take a cookie to a teacher, but do something.

Love you all bunches and bunches.

Mom

PS.. The fire truck just pulled up in front of the house....am I on fire? Better go!

Today!

September 21, 2010

So TODAY is the first day the I just pulled up in front of the school and Cymbre signed herself out! It was WONDERFUL! No parking, going in to sign her out, sitting and waiting with all the mom's who just like to complain and don't want to fix help anything, then back out to the car to leave. THANK GOODNESS! And, I don't have to go to school at 1:10 anymore to try to attempt to find a place to leave the car so I can go in to sign the kid out! I WON! Go Mom, Go Mom!!!!! I guess this proves that a well sent email to people who can solve problems works out in the end. There were some other moms who said that they were going to email the principal, but I don't think they did....she answered me within 20 minutes both times I contacted her. The other moms keep telling me that she never answered them yet. I have the problem solved, so she probably isn't going to contact them either. Probably didn't hurt that I had some suggestions on how to solve the problem in my email either. She went for Dad's solution, but they were already thinking about that solution anyway. She said that great minds think alike. Dad claims that it isn't rocket science. Of course, he would think that....

Today is also the day that I FINALLY finished sewing those silly peppermints on Cymbre's tap costume for this year! Everybody should be celebrating at this point!

Today is also the day I tried to figure out why the computer doesn't want to hook up to the right internet provider.....talk about frustration! Of course, it would help if the power didn't keep going out....I think we FINALLY have it back on the right one...but I won't let anybody sign off until Dad looks at the dumb thing!

Today is also laundry day! Now that the dryer actually dries the clothes, I am getting it done in one day! EVERYBODY CHEER!!!

Today is also a day I heard from two cousins that I had lost contact with. It's nice when someone you love finds you on facebook!

Today is the day I had to prove how old I was to buy cough medicine. Come on, anyone who is using cough medicine to get high is just stupid! Thank goodness I only needed one package because if I wanted more than that I probably would have had to hand over my blood, and my firstborn! I don't think that Britni would have been too happy with me! Maybe she would have liked living at the pharmacy, but I doubt it!

Today is the day that I decided to make another file for Dad to put on my keychain of photos of my GRANDBABIES! Cymbre made half the front of the frig with just all the photos I have printed of my babies! YEAH! Now I get to see their smiling faces ALL THE TIME! I LOVE THOSE BABIES!!! And I have decided that when I come for Shyla's baby...just the GRANDBABIES and me are going to do something together...all 4 of us. NO MOMMIES OR DADDIES! There may be ice cream involved! And Mommies and Daddies can't come home until Grandma says! And we are not promising to pick up the toys! Or take bathes!

Today is the day I finally figured out this border on this baby blanket. It has been making my CRAZY! But I got it now!

Today is the day that I spent over an hour on the phone with one of my very best friends. We both feel better now!

Today is the day that I have actually folded the clothes as they came out of the dryer....a true miracle at my house. However, I still have just as much ironing, so I'm not sure it was really worth the effort. Maybe what I really need is to not have all cotton clothes. But considering where we live, that's probably not the best option.

Today is the day I finally decided on the pattern to use for the baby blessing dress...however, I do reserve the right to change my Grandma mind!

Today is the day that I love my kids, and my GRANDBABIES!!!!!

Get out there and make today a day that someone will remember because of something you did for them.

Love you bunches and bunches. Kisses to those GRANDBABIES!

Mom

Lockdown!! What??

September 14, 2010

So today was the day the Cooper FINALLY got her top braces off. She is SO EXCITED. She says they sparkle like diamonds. She texted Caleb, and then Ms. Andee! Ms. Andee told her she would wear her sunglasses tonight. I just don't know what these two would do without their Ms. Andee! She is certainly more than just a dance teacher to them. We all love her so much...

AND, I go to school to pick Cooper up for off campus PE, and no kids are coming out of school. All the parents are just parked out there waiting. We waited for a few minutes, and then a whole group of them came out together. Cooper was telling us that the school was on lockdown! Great! Another time, lockdown, and nothing is said to parents. There were sheriff cars out in front parked in the fire lane, but they always park there. I really think the school has an obligation to let parents know what is going on. I realize they can't just come out and tell everyone, but how about an email? After all, they are supposed to be keeping our kids safe, and we keep going to get our own kids, and can't get them because the school is locked down. No kids, no explanations, no nothing! I think I will start by complaining to the school superintendent's office. That will probably get me called in for some meeting somewhere....but then maybe they will at least use the key communicators that they make some parents sign up to be, aware of these types of problems at the school. Last year, the fire trucks came, news helicopters, the whole deal. NOTHING was sent out to parents. So, why when the parents are paying the taxes that pay these peoples salaries, are we not informed of security issues at the school? And for that matter, why aren't the actual kids in the school informed of the situation at least the next day? Some days I think my tax dollars are totally wasted when it comes to school! And we pay enough each year to practically finance a year of college! And don't get me started on the list of school supplies I have to send even after I pay my taxes!!!!

And the middle school is having parking issues....for two years they have told the off campus PE parents to park in the fire lane in front of the school, run in, sign the kid out, and return to your car in case you have to move. So this year, the sheriff is out there making 28 parents figure out how to park in 8 visitors spaces! You can't park where it isn't marked for parking, you can't use the handicap spaces, and they don't want you to leave your car parked in the middle of the parking lot behind cars. OK, SO WHERE DO I PARK MY CAR??? It seems to me, they need to make the front office people park on the side of the building where the teachers are supposed to park, and label some more of the spots for parents. If there is a parent coming to pick up a sick kid, they are having the same parking issues when the off campus parents are trying to get our kids. Maybe I will just park in the principles spot! Her car is never there when I need to park...she must be out to lunch. That will probably get me in trouble with the sheriff too! Come to think of it, my taxes pay him too, so why can't he come up with a place for me to park my car?

Maybe, my whole issue stems from paying so many taxes!

On a lighter note, I am almost done with Cymbre's tap costume. Just have the over skirt left! And more peppermints to sew on. Then I have to buy tights, but I am going to order them online. I think I have a coupon somewhere. And she needs tan tap shoes...which I will also order online since I know her size.

Now, I just need the UPS truck to bring the rhinestones that were supposed to be here last Friday, so I can add the bling!

The girls got their new dance company bags, hanging bags, and sweat suits last night. Hopefully, they will hold up better than some we have had in the past. Cooper still needs her jacket, but they tell her that it is coming.

Dad has gone to the high school tonight for the open house. It's a general see the teacher for 5 minutes, get the emails, get the class lowdown, and go to the next class. He will probably be home before I get the girls home from dance.

Cooper started her jazz solo, and it's HARD! If she can get it, I am sure she will win something with it. Now I just need a costume idea.

Cymbre's eye doctor wants to see her again, because since Denver when her eye went out, it has gone out several times. He wants to make sure that everything is stable. I don't really know what happens if they don't think things are "stable". At any rate, because I made a big fuss about her getting run into in the hallways with this kids who likes to run, they have given her a permanent 5 minute pass. So she leaves all her classes 5 minutes early to avoid the crowds in the halls. AND, teachers are now posted in the halls watching for the running kids. I basically told the school that if she ended up with a detached retina because they didn't stop the running, the school would be paying for surgery. They didn't like that so much. However, it says in the handbook that they make the kids sign every year that running in the halls is a NO NO! So, why are they letting them run in the halls? They found on the security tape where the kid runs into her, so figure out who he is, and issue some punishments. I realize that what she has is very rare, but she is supposed to be safe at school. Oh goodness, there's my soapbox again!!

Well, I must go take Cymbre to dance, and take Cooper her dinner.....we are warming up the mac and cheese that Cymbre made for us for dinner. I'll write again later....

Remember that Dad and I love you bunches and bunches, and get out there and do something wonderful to help someone you don't know. It will make you feel good!

Mom

Another Week Again!

September 6, 2010

The girls are home from school today since it's Labor Day, but we aren't really going to do anything special. Cooper wants to go start looking at Homecoming dresses. I am not paying more for a dress than I can make it at home for....guess we will start at Dillards at the mall. I hate the mall!

Dad is here today...he's out in the garage cutting out the pieces of PVC pipe that I need to make a skeleton. I found a pattern in a magazine that I thought was really cute....then we have to glue everything together. I have to save 4 gallon mile jugs to make the hands and feet, so you better get busy drinking the milk!

So, I bought some cute baby prints flannel to make jammie pants for the babies this year....now I just have to figure out sizes....it has cute little zoo animals on it! Also have some pink plaid for all the other girls in the family, and I think I bought the dinosaur for the boys. I just think....I have to look for it. Dad claims that we have a years supply of fabric....I keep telling him I could trade some for something if the need arises. However, I have been busy lately just sewing things up that I have had cut out for a while. And I have been sewing the peppermints on Cymbre's dance costume. It is taking FOREVER! This may be a costume that I enter in the costume contest at competition.

Dance is going pretty well so far this year...the girls are liking their new teachers, and the classes seem to be ok. The only problem is how much solos are costing....and I have told them we have to work something out. I have already paid more for a solo than ever before, and we are only half done, so we have to put some sort of a cost cap on it. I'm sure Ms. Andee will think of something.

The girls are getting excited to go to Mark Goodman workshop in Phoenix. We are only there for a few hours, and then we have to come home again. He turned it into a one day thing, so we have to leave before it's over because we couldn't change our flight. He is going to work with them privately though, so I guess that's ok.

Cooper will start her Jazz solo with the master teacher, Terrill this weekend. He sent her a song to listen to, and she liked it. Don't know if that will be the song they use in the end, and they are both still looking. Maybe after they figure out the song, I can come up with the costume. I need to get these done before babies come.

Found some lace to make baby blessing dresses, but still need the pattern and the under material. Also have a crocheted blanket to the edging stage. So, Dad had to figure out how to space 119 stitches on the edge of 78 stitches evenly. He drew me a picture, so we'll see how it loooks. That's just for one edge....I haven't told him he will have to do another smaller edge. I also found another pattern for the other baby blessing blanket....why do I always like the ones with the fancy edges? And why do those edges always have stitches that really follow no sequence?

Shyla: How much money do I owe you?

Must get dressed and busy...we have dress shopping to do. And I guess I have skeleton parts that will need gluing! Remember, drink the milk!

Have a great week, and get some apple cider to share with friends!

Love you all

Mom

We Survived The First Week!

August 27, 2010

We have survived the first week back at school with just a minor dance injury. Cymbre went to dance class on Monday, and strained her back! The kid just can't win. On Wednesday when it wasn't feeling better, I took her to the doctor. He put her on muscle relaxers, perscription motrin, and a numbing patch to wear at night. She did all her stretching before class, but obviously, she over stretched something.

I spent today just puttering around the house...getting rid of papers that have been left on the kitchen counter, sending wedding cards to people we got announcements for, making doctor appointments for the allergist, and then doing some mending and working on dance costumes. I still haven't figured out why the washer fills up with hot water when I set it to cold, but sometimes it fills up with cold. It isn't because the hoses are connected wrong...Dad already checked that. So today, if I wanted cold water, I just set the thing to hot! It is kind of confusing to my feeble sleep deprived mind though!

Cooper is going to be able to work with the Master Jazz teacher she wanted to work with on a jazz solo this year.....he is just as excited as Cooper is! He had her go downtown last night to his jazz class, and she had a wonderful time. Guess I have to come up with a jazz costume this year! Great!

Ms. Andee came today to work on hard tap steps upstairs. I think there was more giggling than tapping, but those girls just love her. Thankfully, she loves them back!

I got half the sewing room organized again...actually, Dad didn't do to bad getting things back where I had them....I just have to do a bit of fine tuning of things. Dad and I sorted through my elastic drawer and wound it all up in little bundles with elastics...so now, my drawer is VERY organized! We will see how long it lasts. And I found the clear elastic for making costumes that I needed! We did the velcro drawer too! (There must be a blog post in here somewhere...there are stray pieces of velcro that don't have the matching oposite side....)

The dryer is drying the clothes much better since Dad had the vent cleaned out....it was worth the money to me....I actually can get the laundry done in one day again!

I think we finally have all the school supplies bought for now....we will need more before the end of the year....I think they eat map pencils!

Cooper's Game of Life YW/YM activitiy is this next Wednesday....guess I am doing the decorating during the day as there won't be time after school with homework and dinner. We almost have everything ready...she still has to work on the program, and then I guess I will take it to Kinkos to run off. Don't know if I can do it by myself though, and Shyla was always the one who pushed the copy button!

We are skyping Baby Eden....back later.

Cooper has gone to the football game with her friend....it's not even for her school. But there will be kids she knows. It is the first football game she has gone to.

Enough for now...Eden is ignoring us, but we are talking to her anyway!

102 and No Power All Day!

August 23, 2010

So today was the first day of school for the year, and the girls made it to school just fine this morning. Cooper went straight from seminary, and I took Cymbre around 7am. The middle school bus that is supposed to come at 7am came at 7:30, and I'm not sure what time the high school bus came....but I think it was just before 7am....both were really late! I'm glad the girls don't ride them. I take Cymbre because she doesn't need to be bumped around on the bus by some dumb kid messing around so she can lose her vision, and Cooper carpools from seminary!

Around 9am, there was a big POP outside, and the power went out. I was leaving to take the paper recycling, and do some errands, and couldn't get the garage door to close....then it dawned on me that the neighbors generator for their house was running. SO, I had to get out and disconnect the garage door opener and manually shut the big door. Thank goodness I had several hours of errands, but I had to keep coming home to see if the power was back on in case I needed to do something with the insulin that is kept in the refrigerator. The neighbor told me I could bring it to her if I needed to...but I just didn't open the frig, and by the time I came home for the third time around 1pm, the power was back on. The house was REALLY HOT, so I turned on every fan, and set the air conditioner lower, and left to get the girls. Also turned the frig on power cool, to make sure it was cool enough for the insulin. Then I went and got the girls, fed them, and we went to the store to buy the school supplies that we ALWAYS have to go get after the first day of school. You really SHOULD NOT be without power when it is 102 with a heat index of 113 outside! Tonight, the house is finally getting back to 76 degrees with all the fans still running! Don't you just have to hate Houston weather! I live for the colder weather in November and December when it is actually 50 outside...that's shirt sleeve weather to me. And the neighbor comes out in her winter coat and hat!

The first day of school appears to me a good day for both the girls....Cooper's one teacher thinks she's the beat thing since sliced bread, and Cymbre seems to like her teachers. Although she says being in on level math is sort of scary because all the "Goth" kids are in there. Who knows, we may have to move her to upper level, but she doesn't want the extra homework that involves.

The girls don't really know what to do with themselves tonight since we don't have to be at the dance studio until 8:15, and we will only be there for 45 minutes! They have more classes and their student assisting classes later this week, but today is the easy day. AND, we don't dance on Friday, so Dad and I will still have our date night. YIPPEE!! Ms. Andee will still come every other Friday to work on hard tap steps upstairs, but she will be gone by 4pm which is before Dad gets home. Cooper is excited to have her Friday nights free....that means she will be able to do things with friends sometimes....or they can have a party here.

Both the girls have been given some baby classes to student teach again this year....they LOVE that. Cooper is also teaching with Ms. Andee at the Jr. tap level. She will LOVE that, as she LOVES Ms. Andee.

The tap solos are going great this year, and I have the costumes well under way. I got the miniature peppermints to make earrings for Cymbre's outfit, and just need to add some mesh to Cooper's to make it cover her chest...then rhinestones.

Went shopping for some stuff to make a baby blessing outfit today....haven't found just the right lace yet....but will keep looking. I have one blanket well underway, but still don't know if I like the thing....but will finish it anyway. And I found a blanket pattern I liked, but haven't got the yarn for the other baby. The other Grandma's are doing some things, so I have to double check on that.

The longer I am up today, the more I think that I am DEFINITELY NOT a morning person! I hate this school routine...up at 6:10, off to school, pick up at 1:40pm, and then homework, dinner, dance, bed. Then get up and do it all again the next day! I can stay up half the night, and I do most of the time, since I have basically given up on sleep...BUT getting up in the morning when I am FINALLY SOUND ASLEEP is really hard.

Cooper and Dad went to a Trek fireside last night, and I am not sure she wants to go on the trek. I think she would rather go to the Pulse Dance Convention in Dallas that same week instead of going out and getting eaten by the mosquitos and getting a sunburn. Her allergies don't allow her to sleep outside, so we aren't even sure she would be able to go anyway. What's bad is that because of the trek, they won't be having girls camp this next summer....which isn't fair to the beehives that can't go on the trek. It means that since they wouldn't let Cymbre go this past summer when she was turning 12, that she won't go to camp for the first year until she is turning 14 and a Mia Maid....I think we need to do something about this. Why should several girls who will be 14 have to be with the 12 year olds just because the others are going on a trek this summer? I think we need to email the Stake President.....obviously, this hasn't really been thought out. Cymbre isn't the only one in this situation....and why are they cancelling something that's part of the YW program to do something that isn't part of the program, and the 12 years olds can't participate in anyway?

While the girls are at dance tonight, I have to go to Barnes and Nobles and get the books that Cooper needs for her english class this semester.....I just love it when the teachers send home a list and tell them they need it tomorrow.....what if the book store doesn't have it? Have they ever thought that if they actually put the books on a school supply list and put it on a website, the kids might have the book before school started? Or how about, the school actually buys a bunch of the books, and let the kids buy them from the teachers? Just what do my tax dollars pay for anyway if I have to buy all the books? Heaven knows, they don't use those dollars to pay the teachers!

I got the box I needed to get all the stuff together for Caleb, Holly, and Baby Jack. I have a baby cradle full of stuff for them. I took Shyla's stuff to Denver, but must get this other in the mail.

WE GOT TO SKYPE BABY JACK YESTERDAY!!! WE GOT TO SKYPE BABY EDEN EARLIER THIS WEEK!!! Grandma is a happy person! Now I just need Dad to put the new pictures of the Grandbabies on my keychain.....maybe I need a bribe! Actually, I just need to make a file of the pictures I want, and then tell Dad and he transfers it to his laptop and puts it on the keychain.

Well, that's about all for tonight.....I'm tired!

Get out there and remember to do something for someone else today....

Love you bunches!

Mom

Only One More Week!

August 16, 2010

We are finally back home from Colorado! Now we just have one more week until the school rut starts all over again! One of these days, I will think of a better way to go to school. I just get SO TIRED of the same thing EVERYDAY! And while I wait for the same thing to happen everyday, I spend my time making more dance costumes....you would think since we have a full closet of them upstairs, I wouldn't need anymore. Just what is wrong with this picture?

We had a great time in Colorado, seeing the Grandparents, Cousins, Aunties, Uncles....and the best part was the Indian Fried Bread that Aunt Issy made us two days! It has been years since we enjoyed that, and we really did enjoy it.

The girls enjoyed going to the Sweatsville Zoo with Grandpa Flanagan, and going for ice cream with Papa Petersen. We went to Chili's with the Flanagan Family, and to Country Buffet with the Petersen side of the family. Aunt Nettie got engaged to Jason (yes, we like him), and the girls tie dyed shirts and socks with the cousins. They made a cousin crest and created sweat pants with it on them. We spend time loving Shyla and Baby Eden, and teasing Uncle Larry. We all worked on Cooper's Game of Life night she is planning for YW. I got love letters from Dad almost everyday while I was gone.....and yes, I brought them home to save in my drawer! Be jealous!

Pictures will be posted soon....Dad has to get them off the camera....

While we were gone, Dad cleaned the tile grout, cleaned the carpets, and got the dryer vent cleaned out...fixed the shower leak, and washed windows and dusted blinds.....I'll let him stay home alone if he is going to do all that stuff! The house looks great, and I especially like the roses on the counter when I came home.

More later....must go take care of my blood sugar...it's getting too low!

The Countdown Is On!

July 26, 2010

Well, the countdown for the Colorado Trip is FINALLY on! The girls are getting together clothes, and we are finalizing things that have to be done before we go. Dad will be here holding down the fort.

Cooper has ballet tonight....guess we will see how those ribs are doing. Then she will start her tap solo on Thursday evening.....that will be a good one this year. They are doing something totally different than they have done in the past.

Cymbre seems to be doing ok with her tap solo. She has managed to dance it for a couple of days now withouth pain in her knee! THANK GOODNESS! Just keep praying that it continues. It would be wonderful to not have to deal with that at competition.

I am trying to get the laundry done, we cleaned out the pantry last night (I HATE that job!), and Dad has been home today. Guess he took that 19/30 day....whatever that means! He has been working on scrubbing the kitchen tile grout...it needs it, but it is such a big job. He said he is going to get the downstairs carpet cleaned while we are gone. He is my angel in disguise!

I packed up some of the stuff in the sewing room that I didn't want to get messed up. Funny how protective I am of how things are piled in there....I know just where everything is, and the thought of someone messing it up makes my heart beat faster! Pretty bad I know!

Mark Goodman is being really kind, and wants to see the girls privately on Saturday when we go to Phoeniz.....thank goodness for small favors. He is a good contact to have in the dance world. The girls absolutely LOVE him! He is so kind to arrange his time to see them.

I have to go hem some jeans for Cymbre to take on the trip. We bought her some for school, but the ones that fit her waist are WAY TO LONG! OK, haven't they ever heard of different length inseams? Are we all the same height? NO!!! I mean really, would Russell really fit into Cooper's jeans? So tonight I get to break several sewing machine needles trying to hem the jeans. And since you practically have to mortgage the house to buy them, it would be GREAT if I didn't have to come home and fix them.

The girls appear to be excited about dance once again.....at least things seem to be going better than previously. Now the VERY LONG process of making friends begins again, but I think once the girls are in classes several days during the week, that will happen for them too. It's really hard to change studios. We really like Ms. Traci though, and she seems to be really trying to help the girls at this point.

Cooper went to Chili's with the senior girls for dinner last night. They wanted to get together before they all left for school....she is really going to miss her friends. Thank goodness for Facebook I guess.

Cymbre did really well at physical therapy this past week, and Jeff thinks that she won't have as much pain dancing this year.....we can always hope! I know she has been stretching like a crazy person.

Got Cymbre's x-rays on her teeth back, she has one root that isn't quite ready for full braces yet, so the orthodontist thinks it will be 2-3 months before we can start her again. So, we just have to keep this retainer thing going until then.

Cooper should be getting her top braces off shortly, and the bottom ones in not too long. They are just centering everything again. Then it's retainer's for her too!

We have finally graduated from Primary. Thank goodness! Cymbre was so ready to be done. She got her Faith in God award, but it took the primary 3 weeks to manage to get the certificate signed and too her. Ummmmm.....what?

We got to skype Baby Eden the other night....always a favorite thing for this Grandma!

The girls have been working on coloring file folder games for the babies for Christmas....I convinced them to do it as one of Cymbre's YW projects, and they are making good progress. Cymbre will get a project done, and Cooper will get some hours towards her honor bee. A win, win don't you think? And the babies will have some fun games to play as they get a bit bigger! So 3 wins I guess.

I have been working on the crocheted baby blanket for the baby blessings. Still can't decide if I like this pattern or not....maybe just a few more inches will help me decide. Pretty bad when I can't make a decision I know.

I have talked to Dad's family and let them know that we are coming, and that we want to get both families together on August 13th. It should be fun, and the girls are looking forward to seeing everyone at Grandma's house again.

There really isn't much other news....we've had a fairly quiet week for a change. FINALLY!

Remember that I love you, and that you should get out there and do some service for someone.

Love you.

Mom

Whatever! I guess....

July 22, 2010

Ok, so we started Cymbre's tap solo today....everyone needs to say their prayers that her knee will allow her to compete this year. She made it through about an hour of dance today....that's the longest she has done recently. She has been stretching like a crazy person this week! That muscle better grow if it knows what's good for it! That's all I have to say....

Cymbre's solo is called Peppermint Twist....she is going to wear the red short prom dress and I will add some peppermint design material to make some swirls on the skirt. Then some kind of hat, and I will be done with one costume. well, there will have to be some rhinestones.

Cooper's ribcage is still VERY PAINFUL! Thank goodness Dr. Ermac gave us some of those lidocaine numbing patches. That's what's allowing her to breath fully. He thinks she will be able to dance again next week. Why do we always have to get some strange injury at dance class.

We spent the afternoon cleaning out cupboards and drawers in the kitchen. Got rid of all the stuff I have collected over the years, and now we don't use.....you know, things like water bottles, baby spoons, toddler spoons, broken spatulas, bent wooden spoons, mixer beaters that the mixer died years ago. We discovered that we have tons of birthday candles. Guess we have lots of birthdays around here. We found all the corn on the cob handles....they were hiding down with the brown sugar. Who knew they were friends? And did you know that you can collect a million little medicine cups over the course of a few years. Those little pests seem to multiply right before your eyes. The measuring spoons are all matched up again...now I just have to teach the girls to not take them off the little ring things....then they will stay organized. The chances of that are about ten zillion to one! Gone are the tupperware containers with no lids, and the broken rubbermaid lids. All the runaway twisty ties are in a ziplock bag, and so are the holiday goodie bags I use for treats in the girls lunches. I discovered that I had a unique collection of broken wooden spoons. I mean what good is a spoon without it's handle? And just where are the handles? And the best find ever...the lids to my slimfast cups! Now I can shake it again instead of using a spoon to mix it up!

We had to go for Cymbre's new orthodontist x-rays....we were there fifteen minutes before our appointment time, and left the place 10 minutes before our appointment time. We were finished that fast! We had to go get this so we can begin her braces treatment again....now that her permanent teeth are all coming in. Thank goodnesss, we have finished paying for Cooper just in time to start paying for Cymbre.

Cooper is working on her honor bee for Young Womens....she is helping Cymbre on a value project. They are coloring file folder games for my GRANDBABIES! Funny, I convinced them to color them for Christmas for the babies. Now I just have to cut out, laminate, and add the velcro!

Cooper had a wonderful time at EFY. She is ready to go again already. She got her first standing ovation when she performed her jazz solo....she was thrilled. But she did say that since she hasn't danced in two months, her stamina isn't what it used to be.

Well, I am going to shut this down for tonight.....have to go get my bath so I can finish my book I am reading. I want to add it to the box I need to send Britni! Sounds like a good reason to take a bath to me....

It's raining yet again this week.....don't you just love hurricane season....all these tropical storms. Nothing like about a 1,000 percent humidity!

Well, everyone get out there and do something nice for someone you don't know. Make their day, and yours will be better too! I promise. Be brave...just do it!

Remember that Dad and I love you all very much...we are proud of you!

Love,

Mom

Insoles!

July 16, 2010

So today after Cymbre went to physical therapy for her knee, we decided that it was finally time to go purchase her new tap shoes and jazz shoes for this coming season. So we go to the dance store. AND, we start trying the tap shoes on. Well, things got complicated when we told the lady that she has to wear these insoles from the foot doctor in her shoes to help prevent the tendon injury she ENDURED last year. I say endured because that's exactly what both girls did! Those injuries are VERY PAINFUL! And I don't mind saying....they take FOREVER to heal! It seems that tap shoes are not like regular shoes....they look like regular shoes with taps on the bottoms. But don't let that deceive you! We tried on pair after pair, using her variety of insoles. Then we finally had to go to a bigger size in a different brand. For Cymbre, dancing without the insole is NOT an option! Now we have this brand that Cooper beat to death last year...but a more expensive shoe than Cooper had. Guess we will see what happens. We also found a jazz shoe....thank goodness without as much trouble.

With all the problems Cymbre has, it's just not worth going without the stuff the foot surgeon says she needs.

Her physical therapist is beginning to get frustrated. It seems like every week we are dealing with pain somewhere different in her knee. He thinks it's because she has grown 3 inches just this summer, and her muscles are not keeping up with the bones. Today he said she needed to go home and live with him, or he needed in install cameras in our house in order to monitor her every move to see just what's making what hurt. She thought going home with him would be the best. I think she is a bit biased though since she knows he has a new baby at his house! I mean...I'm just saying! Today they were working on her ham string and then again below her knee. I guess, in the end, we decided to just write down everytime something makes it hurt. And also what she was doing for 30 minutes before to see if we can put together some kind of pattern as to what it causing her such irritation. Some days it doesn't hurt at all, and some days she can ride her bike with Dad with no pain. Then some days, all she has to do is try to attempt to dance for a few minutes, and it sends her for ice with tears. At this point, I am living for the promises she has received in multiple priesthood blessings to finally kick in. She keeps being told that everything will be fine, and that she will be able to continue to dance. I must admit, I would rather that happen sooner than later though. I have decided that I do not handle medical issue frustration well at all. And after this past year with the girls and my own health issues, you would think that I would be better at this frustration part. And it is alright with me if Heavenly Father just decides I can't do this and doesn't make me keep trying! However, it doesn't look like that's going to happen, so we have a physical therapy appointment for Friday at 10am AGAIN! Jeff thinks we will deal with this Osgood slaughter stuff she has until she is fully grown! Wonderful! Why can't bones and muscles grown at the same speed....and why does it have to happen to kids? Cymbre is really good at ENDURANCE though...so I guess something good has come out of this experience for her when combined with her eye issues this past year. And another benefit, we are having fun with all the therapists at the place....they all come say hi to her...and they all cheer her on. She is the youngest patient they have.

Cooper received a standing ovation for her jazz solo at the EFY variety show yesterday. She was pleased since she really hadn't danced the solo since recital. That's the first standing ovation she has received, and I must admit, we were all very proud of her....I don't think that kind of pride is bad! It looks like her foot is fine....thank goodness! She hasn't tried pointe again yet, and frankly, I'm scared to let her. However, there is no holding her back....so let the dancing begin! at least I know a wonderful foot surgeon, and a terrific physical therapist!

This coming Sunday will be the last one for Cymbre in primary....she is SO READY to go to Young Womens! And we are ready to finally graduate from primary. I mean, we have been going for 27-28 years! Don't you think it's about time?

Cooper had a fantastic time at girl's camp, and now has another special friend in Brother Bennett. He came to us last Sunday and told us that he was the driver home after the river rafting trip. It was late, so he stopped and got a 44 oz Dr. Pepper to have some caffeine to keep him awake. However, he had Cooper in the front seat with him, and he has decided that if you have Cooper in the car, NO ONE needs caffeine! He said his face hurt, and his stomach muscles hurt because he laughed so much on the 2 hour ride home with her. I guess her having BFF's in the priesthood leaders, and the patriarch is not such a bad thing these days.

Cymbre and I have been working on some sewing she wanted to do lately while Cooper has been gone. She has made two blankets, one for Baby Jack, and one for Baby Eden. Currently, she is making a tote bag to use on our trip to see Grandpa and Grandma. And then we also have some summer shorts we are finishing.

The girls are more than excited to be going to Denver for a couple of weeks. They are excited about seeing their cousins, but Grandpa is the REAL DRAW! Go figure! I think Grandpa is in for at least one trip to Dairy Queen, and one trip to Country Buffet while we are there. And then there are the cousin sleep overs, and they want to go to the farm animals made from tools with Grandpa Flanagan, and then they want to go to Arby's for lunch with him too. We didn't have time to do that again last time, so we are hoping to kidnap the Grandpa's and do it this time. Maybe I'll just let the Grandpa's take the girls, and I'll go to lunch with Aunt Jean! We girls ALWAYS go to lunch with Aunt Jean!

AND....the best news this week! we are having another GRANDBABY!!!! It's a girl! And there is a second one coming in January, but we don't know what that one is yet.....can you believe it? It's SO VERY EXCITING! This Grandma has already starting shopping and planning the sewing! I have to get it done before I have to start making dance costumes again.

That's about all the news for today.....say your prayers for Cymbre's knee, and remember Aunt Anny too. And while you are at it, why don't you take a cupcake to your neighbor....it will brighten their day.

Love you bunches and bunches.....

Mom

Back To School Shopping!

July 12, 2010

So Dad took Cooper to EFY in San Antonio today, and we are waiting for him to come home. While he was gone, we took the sweat mobile (green Van) to the store to do some school supply shopping.!

I like to get the shopping done before all the lunatic moms are on the aisles thinking that they are the only ones who need items, and start fights when the supplies run low! I know I end up paying more for some of the stuff, but I still have my dignity when I leave the store. AND, I don't have to fight all those little kids grabbling everything the last week before school!

The girls absolutely LOVE to go school supply shopping...they look for the really neat folders, highlighters, pencils, etc. And we have discovered that if you don't do the shopping when they first put everything out, it isn't there anymore.

I could order the supply kits from the school, but the girls don't like the brands they put in those kits. The markers are dried out, the binders break the first time you use them, and the kleenex is scratchy! Hence, we yearly shopping trip.

It's also new underware time....I think underware is built to wear out just as school finishes so you have to buy new before you can send the little darlings back! AND, you CAN'T find just a package of WHITE underware anymore. You have to have all these crazy patterns and colors. Or you can have disney characters....what teenager wants Tinkerbell underware?

I am also in the market for a bulk order of flash drives. It seems that the teachers LOVE to have things turned in to them on them, but they can't manage to GIVE THEM BACK to the kid! They all probably have big drawers full of flash drives hiding in the back room somewhere! AND, we put our name on them BEFORE we turn them in, so what's the problem? Maybe the teachers don't know that you can actually RE-USE a flash drive.....they can be erased you know! Cymbre lost like 6 of them last year....I feel like I should send the school a bill! Is it to much to ask for the flash drive to be returned like a graded assignment paper....oh wait, those don't seem to get returned either.....half the time they are lost between the turn-in basket and the grade book! AND that's always the kids fault too! What's with that when the kid put's the paper in the basket, and the teacher loose's the thing taking it home to grade, but then the kid is accused of not turning it in. OR my favorite, it must be in with some other class....it wasn't turned in on time. WELL, how did it get with another class when the kid turns it in at the beginning of their own class period? Maybe teachers need to be just a tad bit more organized? Do they consider how much time the kids spend doing the assignment that they so carelessly just loose? My son-in-law was a teacher at BYU, and he didn't seem to have issues with lost papers, or missing graded assignments! Maybe I am just a bit biased in his direction....he is married to my daughter, and the dad of my GRANDBABY! But my son was in his class and didn't have a problem too!

Well, at any rate, we have finished Cymbre's supply shopping and will have to take Cooper when she gets back from San Antonio.

Guess that's about it for right now...going to buy movie tickets!