Is it bad... and a conversation with Max

Is it bad...

that I can hear my kids beating on each other but I'm sitting here...blogging?

that I tried on skinny jeans today...and felt really fat?

that I am dreading soccer tomorrow?

that I'm depressed I cracked my i-pod touch?

that I'm thinking of letting my kids have cold cereal for dinner?

The other night I was laying by Evan in his bed, talking to Max (whose bed is in the same room).

Me: "Max, I think we should say a special prayer for Molly. She's in the hospital."

Max: "O.k., but who do you love most - Molly, Ruby or Matthea?"

Me: "I love them all the same...just like I love you, Xander, Ben and Evan the s-"

Evan (interrupting): "EVAN!!!! You love Evan! Mom loves Evan the best!"

I guess Max got told.

Nothing in particular

I am currently driving this beast while my van gets fixed (a teenage boy who shall remain nameless wrecked into it). I hate this thing. It's humungous yet not nearly as roomy as my van. It is impossible to park and takes 1/2 a gallon of gas to pick my kids up from school. It makes me love and appreciate my van so much. I miss you van! I can't wait to be reunited!

Saturday we went to Mattas. It is way far away but it was worth it just for the salsa. Mmmm...Mattas.

Yesterday me, my sisters and sisters in law took my mom out to lunch for her birthday. Ruby got to come too. She looks scared in this picture because I'm not holding her. Later she told me I am her favorite aunt, then I snuck her some pazookie (just kidding - not about me being her favorite aunt but about the pazookie part - I ate all of that myself).

Molly got jiggy with it. I could've cuddled her forever. I know I'm her favorite aunt too.


All of us (minus me) at lunch. We had so much fun.

On another not interesting note, I threw out my back. That's what I get for trying to do squats with weights while yelling at my kids. Next time I'll put down the weights first.

Max and some random stuff

*Note: if you are not familiar with my church this next paragraph might not make sense to you.

Today at church I sat in on Jr. Primary singing time. The chorister was picking children's names from a jar with popsicle sticks and wouldn't you know, Max's name was selected. Then he had to pick a heart from off the wall. Each heart had a key phrase that was part of a song the primary would sing. So Max's name was picked and he happily picked the farthest heart on the other side of the room. When he brought it to the chorister she realized that it was a song that none of the kids knew. She then asked Max what his favorite song was so the kids could sing that instead. He briefly looked at her and then proceeded to look for another heart to pick (all the while me and the chorister are asking, "Max! Do you have a favorite song?" and he's happily ignoring us). He picks another heart and the song happens to be: "Mother, I love you". The kids sing the song. And then Max exclaims, "Just so you know, that is NOT my favorite song!" and keeps repeating that until he sits down. At this point I just pretended like he wasn't mine.

Have you been watching America's Best Dance Crew? Did you see this? And did you notice at the end the girl puts on her sunglasses while doing all those head spins. Seriously. I think Quest Crew might be in trouble.

Did you watch the Oscars? And see the opening when Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway sang together? SWEET. And the middle when Hugh Jackman and Beyonce did a little song and dance number? Pretty darn good, that's all I got to say. Enough to make me watch the whole show even though I had to listen to all the stars and their political rants. It seems like they are only tolerant of people who feel the same way they do. It irritates me. But I'm over it. Do you think Heath Ledger only won out of sympathy? I'm only asking because I didn't see Dark Knight.

Making music mixes makes me happy. Try saying that 10 times! I made a Coldplay mix and a Killers mix today and can't wait to listen to them.

It's the little things.

I'm still busy...

trying to get my camera fixed. Uggg.

hanging out with and entertaining 6 boys instead of 4 (Justin & Jeremy stayed with us Monday & most of Tuesday - their mom and dad are in New York)

attending the grand opening of Ganem Jeweler's Scottsdale store

tying up loose ends for the annual insurance audit at work (double uggg)

attending the So You Think You Can Dance tour. I could go on about this all day. I'll only say that it was worth the hour drive there and back and the $45 I'll shelled out for a babysitter plus what I spent on gas and the tickets. Soooo worth it.

Wait! Let me also say this: Ian and I both LOVE art. Not just paintings and photography. But dance and music as well. I love to hear a song or see a dance that tells a story. It's the same with a sculpture or picture - I love to look at something that I can connect with. Or that makes me feel something. Maybe that's why this was my favorite dance last night. I loved seeing Bleeding Love, No Air and all the others... but this one gave me the chills.

P.S. I really hate Costco.

Joy-full

Some things that bring me joy:

I just love this boy. I love his kisses, his hugs, his giggle, his voice. Nevermind that he keeps me up half the night...I love him to bits!

I purchased some piano music for some Coldplay songs. I'm learning to play "Clocks". This makes me happier than you'll ever know (J is learning the guitar part - can you say du-et?). I really want to learn to play "Death and All of His Friends" but the music for that hasn't came out yet.

Big, bright aisles. Everything I need in one store. Nuff said.

The only thing better than an In-N-Out burger is a free one. Thanks for lunch, mom :)

This is the Chandler Public Library. It fulfills my love of reading without me going bankrupt buying books. LOVE IT!

Speaks for itself.

What brings you joy?

Music Monday and More

Let's start with the more portion of this post. This morning started off with car trouble, a missed PTA meeting and a to-do list the size of China. By 5:00 pm most things were accomplished so of course we got some grub with the Ganems and headed over to my mom's for some SYTYCD therapy. (I can't even begin to tell you how much Tiffany and I needed it). Here are some photos.

Boys to Men

On to Music Monday. I love musical theater. So much so that I shelled out big bucks one year for us (including Xander and Ben), my in-laws and my parents to go see Lion King at Gammage. Ian and I had already seen it in LA and LOVED it. So it was no wonder that I loved Across the Universe. Afterall, the same woman who brought Lion King to the stage directed Across the Universe. Sure, it's trippy in parts, but the overall film is gripping (yes, gripping) and wonderful. Very artistic and beautifully done. And the actors all have great voices (unlike Pierce Brosnan in Mama Mia - UGG! - atleast he's nice to look at). Here's a clip (it was so hard to pick just one)(give it a chance - it's only 3 1/2 minutes of your time):

Also, I have to mention Mama Mia (again). When the play comes back to Gammage I will be going. The movie was creative, cheesy, funny and highly entertaining. Here's the trailer:

P.S. Any one who wants can borrow Across the Universe. And we will be going to see Mama Mia this weekend again - so leave me a comment if you want to come - WARNING! I will embarrass you by dancing at the end. And not the pretty kind of dancing, either.

P.P.S. I already paused my music for you so that you can watch the videos. That's just the kind of friend I am.

Captain's Log Stardate: 7.11.2008

My dad usually cuts my boys' hair. Ian is too much of an artist to do it (when he doesn't reach perfection he'll just shave their heads). But dear dad has been slaving away to finish The Lodge and the boys' hair was atrocious. Ben was getting dreadlocks - even though I made him wash his hair every other day. Xander had helmet head and Evan looked like a little Dutch boy. So off to Snip-Its we go. And snip-it we did. Of course, Max had to get a hair cut too - he can't be left out. It went surprisingly well. Xander even opted for a purple faux hawk. The other boys were too chicken. Personally, I like Evan's cut the best - where has my baby gone (sniff, sniff)?

After we headed over to the Ganems for some pool time. We all had a splendid time eating, hangin' at the pool, eating again and watching t.v. Us girls watched Project Runway. I might be addicted - it was FIERCE! Evan kept us entertained during commercials with random dances, playing trucks, giggle fits and head drops - as I like to call them. The weight of his head sometimes overwhelms him and he has to drop in half - "downward dog" style.

I'm tired so there will be no cake today - but I will post the recipe on the other blog when I get around to it...so maybe never. The rain was nice - don't cha think? Although the humidity - not so nice.

Ben's ear infection seems to be getting better - not nearly as much whining today - but still enough to know he's not over it yet.

Xander was quite pleasant today except for some whining about some video game he is dying to get but we don't even have the system required to play the game. Arguments with that kid are like a circle - they never end and never get resolved.

Max was a little onery but he and Liam were like peas in a pod mostly. I enjoyed watching Liam "teach" Max how to swim. According to Liam, Max made it to the final Finals. Max also has these little bursts of anger sometimes that I'm hoping he'll grow out of.

Ahhh, crap! I forgot they had free slurpees at 7-11 today.

The Goings On

This is Elliott. One of the funniest and cutest kids around. Too bad he doesn't belong to me. Last night Tiffany let me come over to her house for a kid-free So You Think You Can Dance party. Tiffany's older 2 kids were spending the night elsewhere and Jason took the younger two to play arcade games. We got take out from Cafe Rio and Goldenspoon and then had a dandy time breaking down the dances. I didn't want to go home. And here's the best part...Tiffany is re-decorating part of her house so she gave me some stuff! YIPEE!!! Elliott has some pretty good dance moves himself - he showed us when he got home. I love her kids like they are my own. Which brings me to part 2 of this post:

Here are Liam and Max coloring tonight. Liam is spending the night. It is a first for Max - he's never had anyone spend the night before but has been begging me. Mostly because his older brothers have spend the nights. So far, it has been the best EVER. They have played light sabers, played super heroes, made Lego's and messes and now are coloring. As they color they are discussing Spongebob and how funny they think Patrick is. It does my heart good to see that Max can get along with another child his age. I love to hear their conversations. I tried to video tape one, but my camera didn't have enough memory.

While Max and Liam played, I was able to clean my whole kitchen and organize some cupboards. This made me happy. It is raining. This also makes me happy. All of the arguments, yelling and whining that went on today are a thing of the past. I'm going to make a "Death by Chocolate" cake tomorrow - from scratch! This makes me drool with anticipation.

Life is good.

2 lazy 2 blog

Random Facts courtesy of Darrel:

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for Blood plasma.

No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven (7) times. Oh go ahead...I'll wait..

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes or shark attacks. (Watch your Ass )

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty (50) years of age or older.

The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.

The King of Hearts is the only king WITHOUT A MOUSTACHE

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. (Since Venus is normally associated with women,what does this tell you!)

Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

Most dust particles in your house are made from DEAD SKIN!

The first owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer. So did the first ' Marlboro Man.'

Walt Disney was afraid OF MICE!

PEARLS MELT IN VINEGAR!

The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

It is possible to lead a cow upstairs... but, not downstairs.

A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six (6) feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. (I keep my toothbrush in the living room now!)

Richard Millhouse Nixon was the first U.S. president whose name contains all the letters from the word 'criminal.' (who thinks up this stuff???)The second? William Jefferson Clinton (Please don't tell me you're SURPRISED!!!)

And the best for last..... Turtles can breathe through their butts.

Questions & Thoughts

What would possess me to enroll my children in swim lessons at 5:00 pm? Am I crazy? Do I like the smell of my own body odor?

I finished The Host and now am reading it again. I loved it that much.

Was it just me or was Benji's West Coast Swing disappointing last night? What was that song? Couldn't he pick another Fat Boy Slim song? You can't go wrong with Norman Cook :)

Does anyone else listen to songs and make up dances in their heads to them? Because I have a SMOKIN' dance cheorographed to "All These Things I've Done" by the Killers. Seriously awesome.

Archer Farms makes a killer cereal called French Vanilla Almond Crunch Granola. It is my new addiction.

Evan is the new Max.

I love the Stills Family. And cantalope too :)

The Fourth of July is my second favorite holiday. I love this country!

I love my bike. I rode it tonight with storm clouds all around, listening to ian mcculloch. It made me so happy.

Brian and Kim made my day.

Happy Friday

I had a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com and got these in the mail today. I don't know about you, but I LOVE getting stuff in the mail. It's like Christmas. I also got a toy for Max for his birthday. Some superhero villian that I'm not familiar with.

It's the little things that get me through the day.

P.S. Kim - I know you're jealous of my Housemartins c.d. If you play your cards right, I'll burn it for you.

Pretty toes

This weekend was jammed packed. Friday I took the boys to see Kung-Fu Panda (thanks Kim for watching Evan). My mom went with us - I'm not sure if she liked it - she slept through the first half. That's o.k., if you know my mom you know that once the lights go out so does she :) At least she didn't snore...too loud. The movie was hilarious! Max sat by me and I got to hear his commentary, which was also hilarious.

Saturday Tricia, my mom and I got pedicures for Tricia's birthday. Tiffany recommended a place that does hot rock massages too. It was luscious. I love having pretty toes. It does wonders for my self esteem. After we went to Golden Spoon. I about had a breakdown when I saw they didn't have raspberry cheesecake - that'll teach me to get attached. Later on, Ian, Jared, Tricia and I went to see "Get Smart" and to Kona Grill for dinner. I enjoy going places with Jared and Tricia. Ian and Tricia have the same raunchy sense of humor. They had our waiter cracking up (I think he thought we were drunk). Good times.

P.S. Can you guess whose toes are whose?

Randomness

Max made a dream catcher at pre-school yesterday. He is so proud of it - he keeps telling me the colors and that it catches all of his bad dreams. I hung it by his bed last night and he kept touching it and looking at it and here comes the good news...he stayed in his bed all night! YAY! Who knew that relief was a couple of feathers, a paper plate and some yarn away?

Yesterday Ian stayed home from work. He was deathly ill. It was fun for Max because they wrestled most of the day. I had to go to Target and when I came back Ian was outside with the kids (Evan was with me). I did a double take until I realized that he had his freaky contact lenses in that make him look like his eyes are pure black (thanks Jared). Apparently Ian, Alexander, Ben, Max & Michael were scaring Joe and Dallin - chasing them around acting like Ian was a wild beast. It's like having 5 boys, I swear.

My favorite part of the whole movie

Ian has been bugging me FOREVER to watch Across the Universe. My mom got it from Netflix for him, so we finally watched it. Like Melanie said, the beginning and end were really good - it was the trippy stuff in the middle I didn't like - although Ian tried to convince me of the artistic vision of the movie as a whole - I thought if they cut out the druggie fluff (sorry Bono - that means you) it would've made the movie a whole lot better. I now have a crush on Jim Sturgess. Watch out Jim - I am stalking you.

I am reading Inkheart. I love this book. They're making the movie and I can't wait! Paul Bettany is going to be Dustfinger - I am so excited about that. Kim lent me her copy of the book but I might have to buy it. It occurs to me that I have an adolescent's taste in literature. Oh well, my love of Jane Austen proves I'm somewhat of an adult...Right?

I checked out the Twilight website yesterday. They posted pictures of the movie cast...I'm feeling better about their choice for Edward but really, Carlisle looks creepy, not hot. Come on, Hollywood - Josh Duhamel would've been perfect. And Ellen Page is Bella to a T. Just an opinion.

Oh yeah - the final book to the Twilight series comes out August 2nd. Can't wait.

Happy Birthday Adam! 18. WOW! I can remember the day you were born....

Happy Birthday Joe! I hope you have a great day (which ofcourse you will because I got you a really cool present that I will be borrowing...)

Random Stuff

My baby is sick. It's really sad. We've been lucky because Evan has never been sick before...until now. Ian and the boys went over to Jared and Tricia's last night to watch the ASU game (btw...check out Tricia's blog if you want to see some more pictures from Christmas Eve) and I stayed home with Evan. I held him the whole time. During that 3 hours period I dosed him up good with Tylenol and Motrin but his fever wouldn't go below 100. Surprisingly he slept soundly all night but I am taking him to the doctor today.

For the last few days I've been thinking that I'm not as young as I think I am. For instance, if I sit in one spot for too long my knees lock up and then it's hard for me to get going (I blame myself for running up to my 9 month of pregnancy with Max). Also, I love to ride my boys' razor scooters. The are so much fun. So on Christmas Eve I was riding Ben's home from my parents and crashed. BIG TIME. I don't think anyone saw me but I rolled twice. I have a bruise on my hip and I scratched up my elbow pretty good. I think I can do these things and then my body says, "NO!". It sucks.

Something else...the other day Ian and I were watching t.v. and a Target commercial came on. Max sat there, glued to the screen. Then he says, "I know they just want you to go to Target but that was AWESOME!". An advertisers dream. I should have Ian tell the story of Alexander and Benefiber. Alexander is also an advertiser's dream...hmm...let's all hound Ian to tell it.

Lastly (is that a word?), Alexander wants to start a college fund for himself. He is very concerned about going to college. He got a little bit of $ for Christmas and wants to open a savings account. My mom already said she'd contribute to it on his birthday. O.k. what 9 year-old is more concerned about saving for college then having $50 to spend? Maybe he knows he can't count on his parents...