Ready for anything!

The big day arrived! We dropped off Sarah and Heather at BYU yesterday. I was so ready! I put all my money, ID, and credit cards and secured them safely into the pocket of my cute, black, BYU approved, knee-length shorts. I had my camera and we were all set!

We drove down to BYU and hurried to the ID center so the girls could get their BYU Id's. The room was full of fellow students all waiting for their id. "Huh," I remarked loudly. "It looks like no one else brought their mom!" Sarah moaned and elbowed me. Hard.

I knew we had an appointment at the bank next, so I reached my hand into my pocket to reassure myself that I had the money and my ID. And it was empty. I felt that rush of panic start as I frantically put my hand into all my other pockets just to check, but they were empty as well.

I clearly remembered putting everything I needed into my pocket. I know I had! I looked down in dismay at my black shorts feeling very betrayed.

Except I wasn't wearing black shorts.

Then I remembered. Right before we left I had changed into a pair of jean capris!

Off to the bank we went anyway. I informed the bank guy that not only did I not have the money to put into the accounts, I didn't have any id on me either.

So much for feeling like I was on the ball...But I did have a camera! That has to count for something, right?

Laundry time.

When we drove up to Massillon, Ohio to visit Nick we thought it would be fun to surprise him by washing his laundry while he was busy marching.

His laundry was very dirty. And by saying "very dirty" I am being kind. It was more of a "toxic-nasty-should be burned" kind of dirty.

Anyway, we put all his laundry in one of those super-duper-triple capacity sized washing machines, put it on the "For The Love Of All That Is Holy, Get This Laundry Clean!!!" setting. And watched it work it's magic.

We finished and put his laundry away nice and neatly into his duffel bag. And waited to see if he would notice.

That night my son came over and asked us what we had done to his clothes.

Hummm. "We washed it?" My daughter replied.

"Why?" I wanted to know.

"It's so clean!" he replied sounding surprised and amazed.

Well we had just washed it...I wonder how he does his laundry?

Maybe he just hasn't found the special setting yet.

Self-discovery.

We learn things about one's self when we are in adverse situations. This summer I spent 3 weeks "volunteering" on the Cadets food truck. We worked 15 hour days, slept on an RV with 8 other volunteers and worked hard all day in the sun.

Things I have discovered:

1. You can judge a shower by how it looks. I can forgive a lot about a shower if the floors are clean.

2. I require more than 3 hours a sleep at night. My brain just doesn't function properly and it takes me a long time to connect the dots when going on only a few hours of sleep.

For example: I put the other food truck crew members cell phone numbers into my cell phone using their first name and food. (Mainly because I don't know their last names and it gives me a quick reference to who they are.) So one day I got a call from Robin Hood. And I was like: "How did Robin Hood get my number? And why is he calling me?" It took me several minutes before it finally occurred to me that I had mistyped "Food" and put "Hood" and that it was Robin from the food truck calling. See? Not so quick...

3. I don't require a lot of time to get ready. I was amazed at how quickly I could take a freezing cold shower. And without access to a mirror, I can be dressed and back to the food truck in only minutes.

4. Please and thank you can go a long way. It was amazing how just a simple thank you from one of the kids made it all seem worth while. Some of the kids were so polite and gracious and thankful for the work we were doing for them.

5. Aprons are wonderful things. The first day I went through 3 changes of clothes. Then someone introduced me to the aprons and it was, well, amazing.

6. I do not like heat, hard physical labor, and functioning on little to no sleep.

I'm so thankful to know this about myself.

And after saying this, I can guarantee that I will be one of the first to volunteer to be back on the food truck next summer.

I guess I won't be getting that nomination for mother of the year...

Today as Anna and I were leaving the dentist's office, I realized I had received several texts. So as we made our way to the car, I quickly tried to reply to them. Since the dentist's office is on the top floor of a junior college, there was a group of college students hanging around outside.

I heard several of them talking as I walked by. "Oh my gosh. Did you just see that?" And, "Can you believe her mom just clobbered her in the face with the door like that?"

My first thought was, "poor kid, her mother should be paying more attention" and then I turned around.

And saw Anna. She was standing in the doorway with her arms loaded down with all of my stuff (Obviously I couldn't text with my hands full), her face smashed against the glass door.

I ran over and opened the door for her. As we walked by again, I heard someone say, "Poor kid."

Trying to redeem myself I paying extra close attention to make sure Anna was completely inside the car with the door shut and seat belt fastened before I drove away. Because that's what a good mother who is paying attention does.

Look! Our very own tomato!

We have a plethora of tomatoes growing on our back porch. Anna counted 17 green ones.


We also have strawberries which didn't do so well. I think we got 5 or 6 tiny little strawberries. And one raspberry plant that has yet to produce a single raspberry. I wonder if they aren't just snobby fruit that are offended by being planted in kitty litter containers...


For a while our neighbors thought that we were growing illegal substances on our back porch. But we set them straight.


So it appears that gardening isn't really our "thing." But we are trying really really hard. And we're going to eat our tomato and smile.

Charting new territory.

I've been wondering if there is a protocol. You know. For how long you are actually supposed to wait after your children leave for college, before you can take-over their bedrooms. And put your stuff in there.

My kids are telling me that I can't actually have their rooms until they leave.

In theory, I guess I have to agree with that. It does make sense.

Except if I wait until after they leave, who will be there to help me pack up their stuff and re-paint their bedrooms? Who I ask you?

So this was my general thinking back in May. Maybe a day or two before the girls officially graduated from high school. As I had them pack up their belongings. Into nice plastic bins. That are now stored neatly in a closet.

And Sarah really did do a great job painting the new recording studio.

P.S. Lest I seem too uncaring, please notice that I did leave a "guest" bedroom for the girls to use if they do decide to come and visit in the future.

And I sincerely hope that they will come visit.

Gone fishin.

The other day we took the kids to go trout fishing. They caught 12 fish in just a few minutes. It was amazing.

But the best part was they have this guy that cleans and fillets them for you. While you wait.

So there we were. Watching the guy fix up our fish. Happy and feeling relieved that he was doing it and not us.

One of the kids remarked that maybe having fish guts spattered on you just might be the worst thing ever.

"I bet there are worse things," my sister commented.

Yeah, I thought to myself---hemorrhoid's are way worse than that.

Seeing the look of surprise and horror on everyone's face I realized that I had just blurted this out. In front of everyone. "I mean, it's just what I've heard. It's not like I would know this from, um, personal experience or anything." I assured everyone.

I'm sure they believed me.