As I drive to work, or the kids to school, or the grocery store, or even if I just walk out my home or look out a window I am inspired by the area I live in. The clouds, the storms, the changing of the leaves, the seasons, the wildlife, and the mountains all play a part; always changing and always inspiring.
I struggle with a disease. When I started this blog, I thought I would write about it. I thought the blog would allow me to speak about the struggle, the pain, the gravity and hopelessness I feel, at times. It is a living part of me and should reside here, in this blog. But, I have a hard time writing about it. I hate dwelling, whining, or even thinking about it. Yet it exists, weather I speak about it or not. And even though some days are hard, most days, are not.
Casi and I at 8:00 am, Saturday morning, on our way to see New Moon. Casi is very excited to see film in a "I got up way too early" sort of way.
The tickets we purchased included, the movie (of course), breakfast, and a raffle; of which our whole group won! Cyndee won a bag of chocolates, Casi a bottle of O.C.D. (Obsessive Collin Disorder) hand sanitizer (made with love by Cyndee), and I won a smack on the head with Cyndees chocolate as it flew threw the air over a theater of people. Giving me a free headache for the whole movie! Yea, Me!
The biggest disapointment of the movie was Edwards car. Luckily, I was told a month ago, by Cyndee, that my cute C30 was not in New moon. Edward was given a different car. *sob, sigh* Of course, I was totally disappointed... for at least 2 weeks. I even lost interest in the film. Since seeing the C30 in action was what I enjoyed most in Twilight. But, I persevered and went to the movie. During the first scene when Edward parks at the highschool in a sleek black Xc 60 I did not erupt in dissapointment and even smiled when I heard a an adable gasp from Casi sitting next to me.
As I drive to work, or the kids to school, or the grocery store, or even if I just walk out my home or look out a window I am inspired by the area I live in. The clouds, the storms, the changing of the leaves, the seasons, the wildlife, and the mountains all play a part; always changing and always inspiring.
Antelope Island is a place that owns my heart; interlocked with my passions for the environment, birding, and beauty. Yesterday I went to the Island to see three rare gull species that were seen earlier this week. I did not see any of them. Instead I observed a storm and a small raft of social Bonaparte gulls gracefully play a game of "roll over" as they floated with the currents.
"Belch". Tanner likes to convert burps into open mouthed, drawn out, rumbly, belches. He can compete with Homer Simpson. I think his lips even rumble; due to the force of the burp coming out of his mouth. This drives me crazy.
Initially I was proud of his accomplishment. The day he figured out how to burp. His whole face lite up. I might of even clapped and shouted "yeah!". Of course, he was much younger and his burp was cute and innocent.
But now, he is a belching monster.
"What?" when I give him the displeased mom look. "I had to burp" he says innocently. As if the burping is a method to keep his head from exploding.
I am not a big fan of telling your kids non truths well unless, its for adult comedy. Then its O.K.
So the other day when Tanner walked in the house and gave off this disgusting belch. I lied.
Me: sitting on the couch getting the bird nerd on; reading birders magazine. Without looking up, I said "Tanner, do you like your left hand?"
Tanner: "What?"
Me: (Still reading the magazine) "Do you like your left hand?"
Tanner: "Yeah?"
Me: (slowly, I turn page of magazine and still don't look up). "Well if you keep burping like that your left hand will fall off!"
Tanner: "What?" Out of the corner of my eye, I witness the look of concern as it blooms on his face.
(Casi, behind tanner, peaks into the room a grin on her face)
Tanner: concerned now, says "but I have to burp sometimes".
Me: (still reading the magazine) "Well, I guess you better get it under control or 'pop!' just like that it will fall off.
Tanner trudges upstairs deep in thought, Casi and I control giggles, and the burping has stopped (at least for a week or two).
Update: I just learned that Casi elongated the causes of burping to include the "growth of a tentacle that you can not control"
A quick post of Halloween pictures; for documentation purposes only...
Casi: The Game of Twister
Tanner: Zombie Ninja
The first picture is his hair before we tried to "Mohawk it up". Next year I may try to get him to do an Albert Einstein.The hair and expression in the photo make me think he could pull it off.
OK. We went and did the "go out and pick your pumpkin out on the farm" thing. It may have been overratted... well, it could have been the farm we choose...I think. OK. It probably was.
We pulled up to a cute little farm in the middle of Sandy. To the side of the entrance road, pumpkins were neatly arranged in rows alongside young, newly planted fruit trees. Part of me wondered if the pumpkins were even grown at this location yet appreaciated not having to trudge down muddy rows of dying pumpkin plants to find the perfect Jack -O-latern shape. There were a few other families there. Some, like us, wanted pumpkins and searched the rows with their kids. Others wanted fall pictures and were arranging pumpkins and kids; camera in one hand, kid in the other.
Tanner picked out his pumpkin almost immediately. He was so excited to get one home and carve it that he did not care about the artistic nature of choosing a pumpkin. This may have bothered me. I think every decision should be painfully thought about. Options weighed. He also insisted on carrying the 25 lb pumpkin to the wagon himself. Now I dont know his body weight but I would venture to say that a 25 lb pumkpin is more than half of it. So all I have to say about that is Preeeetttty iimmmmprrrrreeesssive!
The photo of him carrying the pumpkin, makes me wonder if he will one day be a contestant in the Worlds Strongest Man. If you have not seen this competition; you should. Its quite entertaining and the large bulky men are not so bad either.Hehm. Anyways, check out Tanners picture compared to the strong man. See! He has pretty good form. Oh, and by the way. Tanner does work out.... just ask him.
Casi, as usual, avoided the camera LIKE the PLAGUE! Complaining immediately as we left the truck; seeing I had the camera. I commented (a bit too loudly) that "at least I wasn't forcing her to pose with a pumpkin". Feeling bad for the mother who was still trying to make her kid do just that a few rows over. Then when she found her pumpkin, I suggested she pose with it. Perhaps she "should show her love for your pumpkin and kiss the pumpkin". She declined such silliness with a smirk expression which said "Mom, are we really related?". Tanner then exclaimed that he "would kiss the pumpkin" and I took a picture (not shown).
Eventually, I was able to manipulate this shot. It was taken while her face was turned towards the ground (the pumpkins are actually on the ground). The image, though, when turned this way makes her look like a happy, golden-haired, giant excited to consuming tinner pumpkins and that makes me get a smirk expression which means "I think I'm funny".
Once we got the pumpkins home, everyone started carving.Well, except Nate who went to the internet. Casi started work on Frankenstein, Tanner carved bats, and I "did what the pumpkin told me to do" with a crazy, evil (because his eyes had a mean expression), eagle eyed, cigarette smoking personage. Then Nate, once finished with his research, started work on his version of the flaming skull. We all think he won "the award".
