Stress Relievers

School and work have been kicking my lily-white trash lately, to the point that I have been living in a pretty constant state of stress/panic for the last two weeks or so. On Saturday, when we all went to Carsnobs so Randy could meet a client, all that built up pressure finally got a release. As I was standing outside the shop, I realized that the huge muddy field behind the office could be my salvation.

I don't think Randy believed me when I asked if he would mind if I drove our Acura through the stewing ponds of lava-grade muck. But he did believe me when I loaded up Carter and Camryn, carefully made sure their seatbelts were buckled, and then roared through the field, spinning cookies and tossing mud everywhere.

It was FABULOUS.



I wish this image could do justice to the large amount of mud and rocks that caked my car on Saturday. Actually, after two car washes there are still remnants of my moment of glory on the running boards. And I can't tell you how much it drives my obsessive compulsive son absolutely BONKERS to see that the car is still muddy. He comments on it every time we get in the car. As for me, I fondly regard it as a memento of my journey.

Other stress relievers this week:

Loud music:



Food:




And of course, Family:



(I am on my laptop and I don't have a pic of Randy, but he's been really really kind and helpful this week. Thanks, Hon!)

I will be ok if I can get through this week, so the end is near. I just hope the car and my waistline make it through the end of the semester without too much damage.

Cars! Cars EVERYWHERE!!

This is what my living room looks like ALL THE TIME.



They are Hot Wheels (and other various toys of the transportation variety). Hundreds and hundreds of Hot Wheels and I feel like they are multiplying like gremlins and taking over my house. Whenever I get them put back in the bucket and shoved into their permanent place under the lamp table (ease of access for the little one, you know), they are usually out again within an hour. AAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

Unfortunately, Randy feeds the habit. And since he is a CARSNOB like you would not believe, they have to be HIGH END Hot Wheels, like Mercedes and Porsches.

Is there a treatment for car snobbishness? Anyone? Because it's beginning to run in my family.

Random thoughts and happenings

It's been a few days since I posted anything--mostly because I have been literally drowning in work and school. But I have a few free minutes right now to breathe, so I thought I'd give an update on us.

Randy started a new job on Monday. He left the Intermountain Taylorsville clinic and moved to an urgent care clinic affiliated with a private family practice down in Lindon. YES, we know, it's a long drive. However, if this job works out like we're hoping (and praying) it will, Randy will be spending more time at home with us, possibly making more money, and will not be bringing home mountains of paperwork and messages that he used to have to work on for HOURS at home when he worked for IHC (not that we're not grateful for IHC...we are.). In my book, it's a no-brainer.

(Excuse me while I calm Carter down and pull his hand out of the pirate ship it's been shoved into.)

Since Friday, I have done the following: finished two novels and a short story for school, conducted phone interviews for work, done grammar homework from hell, written five stories for the paper, written a five-page paper for class, managed to keep the house in order (somewhat) keep meals on the table and even did a load of laundry, all while being the supportive wife and mother of my family's dreams.

In other words, life has been crazy busy.

But tonight I get to chill for a while and get grounded again before the madness cycle starts over.

Two thoughts:

1) This evening at Target I bought some really nice swiss chocolate, just for me. Tiramisu flavor. I highly recommend that everyone shop at Target and buy some really nice swiss chocolate for themselves--any flavor--because it was really nice to pop some of that creamy deliciousness into my mouth, and I want you to feel as nicely as I did!

2) Many of you know that I worked for a company called Apex Alarm for a few years before Carter was born. It has gone from being kind of small and unknown to a nationwide giant in the home security market. Today I saw an ad for the company along the entire left side of one of the UTA buses at the Trax station, and it brought back fond memories of my time there. Like all jobs it was frustrating sometimes. But the owners and employees are good people, and it's a good company. So if you are in the market for some beefed up home security, call Apex. www.apxalarm.com.

That's about it for today. Kind of a long and rambly post--sorry about that. My next post will be way better, I promise.

Unfair and Unjust

Today, Carter helped me a lot around the house. He and I cleaned up his horribly disorganized room, then we took a lunch break before he helped me vacuum. I think he thought that after all that work he was entitled to some "me" time, because right before his nap--knowing full well that naptime was nearing--he asked if his friend Katie from across the street could come over to play. I said no, and that it was almost time for a nap.

He looked at me, knit his eyebrows together, and borrowing a line from his new favorite movie said, "Mom, it's unfair and unjust."

I think he would be quite an effective lawyer (if he hadn't told me a few days ago that he wants to be a dentist like Uncle Daegan). But he still had to take a nap.

A Website for the Little Ones on Snow Days

Upon reading some of my friends' blogs, I've noticed there have been a lot of snow days out there lately. So I thought I would spread the word on a website that has saved my bacon a few times with my sweet yet busy and inquisitive son.

"Peep and the Big Wide World" is one of the few cartoons I will let Carter watch because 1) It isn't loud and annoying 2) It teaches things like counting, matching, simple science concepts and problem-solving and 3) Peep, Chirp, and Quack are just so darn fun to watch. (Quack especially.)

It used to be on TLC in the mornings, but it's been taken off the air. Luckily, the website still shows daily videos and the games are GREAT. Carter's been playing them since he was 2. They are simple to understand and play, but every game teaches him something, which is really important.

So everyone show the love to Peep and log onto www.peepandthebigwideworld.com. Your kids will love you for it, you can trust the content, and you might even have time to read a magazine while you enjoy a mug of hot chocolate.

The New Republican PAR-TAAAY!!!!

I saw this and had a flashback to my days at Ricks College (and probably Boise State) where 73% of my friends were just like this. Oh, how times have changed...for me, at least. I'm down to maybe a 34% ultra-conservative buddy quotient. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Oh, and don't forget, they're "SUPER SUPPORTIVE of President Hussein Obama."

Cheers to the average American taxpayer

Because obviously the average American taxpayer's money is what is keeping this country afloat, especially when prominent members of this country's political machine are kissing their careers goodbye over their choices not to belly up to the bar.

That's right. This post is for you Tommy D., Nancy K., and Timmy G.





How the h*** do you guys expect us to believe that you "overlooked" THOUSANDS of dollars in taxes that you owed this country? For things like live-in housekeepers and cars with drivers?? In this country, you are the privileged. Millions of us scrimp and save to pay the taxes that keep our country going. But you? You can't prioritize hiring that accountant to make sure that the right amount of the MILLIONS of dollars you recieve every year is given back to the government that PAYS YOUR SALARIES!!!! I'm sorry, but your public service--the service you signed up for--does not negate your responsibilities as taxpayers.

I'm glad you've decided to withdraw your nominations for prominent offices (except for you, Timmy. How you got the job I'll never know). If you can't be bothered by the basic demands of being a member of this nation, you don't deserve to represent the nation. Period.

Small Miracles

Last week, I took Carter with me to our Young Women's activity where all of us were painting cute picture frames.

First scare--Carter walked up and said, "Mom, I am sticky." And I noticed he had yellow paint on his hand...and therefore all over his dark green shirt. Problem solved by taking him to the bathroom, stripping off his shirt and rinsing it out. Carter was more than happy to run around shirtless for the remainder of the activity, although I'm pretty sure I got bad-parent points for letting him run around shirtless IN THE CHURCH.

Second scare--I had given him half a piece of gum before the activity, and after the painty-shirt episode, he said, "Mom, I lost my gum." I asked everyone very politely NOT TO MOVE!! while Natausha and I looked around on the floor, the table, in his clothes, on his shoes. We didn't find the gum anywhere. Carter finally admitted that he had swallowed it. I think he felt sorry for us.

Because here's where the miracle comes in.

I found the gum today. Where did I find it, you ask? I found it after I pulled a full load of Carter's laundry out of the dryer and one of his socks stuck to the sleeve of my shirt. As I pulled the sock off, I simultaneously noticed the ice-blue gum binding the sock to my sleeve and the minty fresh smell permeating all of the clean clothes. I frantically searched every piece of clothing and to my utter shock and delight, not one other item was slathered with gum!

I now firmly believe there is a good fairy watching over me as I try to keep this house in order. I just wish she would fold the laundry and put it away, too, because the clean laundry piling up around my house is really getting out of hand.