Spring Cleaning the deck

This is my porch swing.  Sad looking, isn't it?  Between sun and snow, dog claws and little toddler fingers the cushion and its innards were pretty hashed.

The whole deck and all of the cushions that live on it really needed a good wash down.

And if that weren't enough, the colored/stamped concrete patio also was in need of a scrub and a new sealing.

Looks a lot better, yes?  Stinky smelling sealant in a pump sprayer that gave my hand cramps from holding down the handle for so long...but I can't believe what a difference it made.  (I don't know if the pictures really do it justice.)

The deck is now all ready for the warm spring weather.  Everything is all sprayed down and cleaned up, we have a new swing cushion and even some pretty little hanging pots.  We've already spent an enormous amount of time out there over the past week and a half or so.   

Lost Lilian!

At first, I didn't think anything was wrong. Lilian is well known for her tenacity in searching out friends for play. When I came home and Julianne told me she didn't know where Lilian was, I was more irritated by the fact that she had fallen asleep on the job rather than the fact that Lilian was missing. In fact, so certain was I that Lilian was doubtless just down the street, I didn't immediately try to track her down. I had been home a good 10 minutes before I instructed Brandon to find and bring his younger sister home.

But he arrived home empty handed after knocking the doors of the most likely candidates. I was surprised but still not too worried. I called both Rebekah and Julianne, each of whom had left for the evening to be with friends....Rebekah earlier, Julianne shortly after I arrived home. I grilled them, trying to get clues as to where Lilian might have gone. Think hard, I told them. What had she been doing, who had she been with, what had she said? They didn't shed much light on the situation. In fact, if anything I just became more irritated with them for not taking better care of their sister. And so with that irritation dissolving into the first pricks of worry and fear, I gave Brandon more suggestions for houses to check while I started the rounds of text messages and phone calls.

Time passed. Brandon made the rounds on his bike. Texts came in from neighbors by the dozens expressing concern and offering suggestions of houses to check. Lilian's primary teacher drove his car to check the park and other areas throughout the subdivision. Other neighbors came out to help me search on foot. It was cold and getting dark. We had been pounding the pavement for a good 45 minutes with no luck. And with each knock and the subsequent, “No, we haven't seen Lilian...she's not here” the grasp on my emotional control would slip a little further. I was settling uncomfortably into panic and despair, trying desperately not to cry when my friend Mirissa made a comment. “You know,” she said, “we once lost my niece. We looked all over and were so panicked. But it turned out she had hidden under a bed and then fallen asleep there. Is there any chance Lilian might have done something similar?” In my head I doubted it. Lilian doesn't nap easily...and she had slept in this morning. But the emotional side of me grasped onto that idea like a life line and I hoped...oh, how I hoped! 

We joined up with Brandon who was coming back on his bike and told him we were going to check the house. The three of us walked in the front door and Brandon ran down the hall to Lilian's room. “She's here!!! She's asleep in her bed” he yelled triumphantly. I could see the little lump of sleeping Lilian and my legs wouldn't hold me anymore. I slumped against the wall in the hallway and slid to the floor, my head in my hands while I bawled out of sheer relief. Mirissa let me cry for a minute or two, then gave me a hug and slipped away. I made the necessary texts and calls to let the concerned neighbors and searchers know that Lilian had been found and to thank them.

Lilian seemed a little confused as to why I wanted to love on her for so long. Sleep befuddled notwithstanding, she knew she hadn't been lost. Why was mom so freaked out? Apparently she had been cold. And when she found Julianne asleep on the couch, she took matters into her own hands...put on her pajamas and climbed under the covers in her bed, eventually falling asleep. When Julianne woke up, all she knew was that Lilian was gone. It didn't ever cross our minds to check the house because why would Lilian put herself to bed at 6:30-7:00 in the evening? Especially when we knew that she had been out and about with friends just slightly earlier. Chalk it up to a life lesson learned. Check the house first, when a child goes missing. You could save yourself a lot of emotional grief...

Wishing on a star

Star light, star bright
First star I see tonight.
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have the wish I wish tonight.






Lilian was super excited when she realized that we were outside as the sky was darkening. 
"Mom," she said..."I can wish on a star tonight!"
She's been anxious about wishing for days now but usually by the time she thinks about it the sky is already full of stars.  And as everyone knows, the wish is only good if you wish on the first star that appears.
Excitedly she made a wish.  And then another and another and another.
"It's okay if I make lots of wishes, right Mom?"

I wish....
That I could be a princess
That I could be a fairy
That I could drive when I am little
That I could have red eyes like a vampire
That I could go to Disneyland again someday
That I could be a superhero and have hot lava come out of my hands

I didn't have the heart to tell her that the "star" she was wishing on was really an airplane....

Wherein I tell my short, young-looking teenaged daughter..."Someday you will be glad for your youthful look when something like this happens to you..." (Title by Julianne)

I'm going to paint you a picture:

I'm at the high school in the hall outside of the choir room. 
(Rebekah is inside at an audition...but that doesn't really play too much into the picture other than the fact that she isn't with me.)
I'm sitting on the ground leaning against the lockers with my knees bent and my feet on the floor.
I'm wearing knee-high brown boots.  Gray skinny jeans.  A funky, colorful t-shirt.  And my cropped, blue levi jacket. 
My hair is long and pin-straight and I'm wearing big gold hoop earrings.
My arms are leaning against my legs and I'm holding my iPhone which is open to facebook.

Can you see the picture?  I only start with this to point out that apparently in the way I'm dressed and sitting, I look somewhat young.

A high school boy...most likely a senior, comes walking down the hall and takes in this picture of me sitting there.  He has no idea who I am but obviously is friendly and outgoing because, after realizing what classroom I am sitting outside of, he calls out a hello and then, "Good luck on your audition!"

I smile and correct him by saying, "Oh no...I'm not auditioning."  But it is only as he gets closer to me that he says, "Oh!  You're the mom of someone auditioning!!"  And then as he continues down the hall he calls back, "Well, good luck all the same...sometimes auditions are just as hard on the parent as they are on the kid!"

I laugh.  And feel really good about myself. 

Because there is no doubt in my mind that as that boy rounded the corner into the hallway and saw me there, he totally thought I was a teenager!  He realized his mistake fairly quickly.  But still, to be 38 years old and look young enough to be mistaken for a high schooler, even if only for a few seconds...I'll take it! 

First World Problems

Yesterday evening I was snack-y.  I stood restlessly in front of the pantry for quite some time (there wasn't much to choose from since I hadn't been to the store in also quite some time...) and finally settled on pistachios.  But as I pulled out a handful I made a comment to Bryan...something along the lines of, "I really enjoy pistachios but sometimes I purposely choose not to eat them because it's such a pain to shell them."  Bryan laughed out loud and said, "That sounds like a First World Problem."  And then he pulled up a website of internet memes....

Just for uninitiated such as myself:  The term Internet Meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the internet.
And according to the Urban Dictionary, First World Problems are defined as:  Problems from living in a wealthy, industrialized nation that third worlders would probably roll their eyes at.

And yes, my comment would've fit right in.
Here are a few of my favorites:
(Not only did they make me laugh...but I related a bit too familiarly with them.)

If you are laughing really hard and want to see more....click here.

Airports....the good, bad and the ugly

The Monday morning security/TSA lines at the Denver airport were long and slow.  Bryan took my place in the full body scanner and spared me the indignity so I could be the parent accompanying Brandon through the regular metal detector.  Apparently children under 12 can't be required to go through the scanner...too much like child porn, apparently.  Seriously, what freedoms have we given up in the name of security?  I'm not sure it is worth it!  But once we re-packed our suitcases of laptops and liquids and re-dressed in our shoes, jackets and metal jewelry we made our way through the airport on the little underground train system that transports people between terminals.  Brandon found a spot at the front of the lead compartment and leaned up against the window for the speedy ride.  Luckily we were in the terminal furthest away because that boy whooped and laughed (and provided entertainment for the rest of the train) the whole way there.  He thought this picture was cool because the lighting makes it look like he has a fireball shooting out of his hand.  :)

Regionals Gymnastics Champion!

I didn't expect it.  I didn't see it coming.  But Brandon took 1st place All Around at REGIONALS!!  After a season of consistently taking 1st place at all local meets, it wasn't too big a stretch to expect a 1st place at the state meet.  Not to diminish that win, because being the level 5 state gymnastics champion is a pretty big, brag-worthy deal!  But regionals...well, that's a bigger to-do.  Our region includes all mens gymnastics programs from Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado.  I don't know the official number of gyms that sent competitors but trust me, it was a lot!  So I had been prepping Brandon.  This was our first regional meet and I didn't want the pressure to get to him.  I wanted him to just have fun.  I told him that it was totally okay if he didn't get 1st place...to not even expect it, really.  To just go out there and do his best and enjoy the last meet of the season.  I figured he'd do well.  But with the sheer numbers of competitors and judges who were more than likely a bit more strict, I guessed Brandon would come away celebrating 3rd or 4th place.  And celebrate we would, because 3rd or 4th would be huge!  But though yes, the judges were more strict and Brandon got his lowest scores of the season, he STILL took 1st place!  Brandon's newest Best! Day! Ever!

Regionals were held in Colorado Springs at Air Force Academy so though we were only there from Saturday afternoon to Monday morning, it was still a fun little trip for the three of us...Bryan, Brandon and myself.  Is it weird if I admit to the little thrill I get walking through the airport, wheeling my carry-on suitcase behind me as I prepare to board an airplane that is taking me to a new city?  Those of you who are rolling your eyes are obviously either home-bodies or businessmen who travel far more often and for far less exciting reasons than I.  I have to admit though, the tiny little tube of an airplane we traveled on this weekend was a little bit claustrophobia inducing.  And when the storm clouds over Denver had us bouncing around wildly, I nearly lost my breakfast which is unusual for me.

But driving the hour from Denver to Colorado Springs was beautiful.  And the Air Force Academy campus is absolutely gorgeous, all tucked up on the side of the mountain surrounded by wooded areas.  We ate at some fun restaurants that we don't have at home.  (Elephant Bar?  So yummy!)  Brandon had an awesome (and LOUD) waterfight with a few of his teammates in the hotel pool.  (I soaked in the hot tub...much nicer, in my opinion.)  Brandon and I saw "Titanic" in 3D at a nearby movie theater.  We even found an early Sacrament Meeting to attend on Sunday morning.  It's always fun to walk into a church meeting filled with people you've never met before but still feel completely comfortable and welcomed.  I need to unpack and Lilian refuses to leave my lap...I guess she missed me.  But yay for a fun weekend!  We've returned home happy, proud and (amazingly, somehow) relaxed and ready for a new week.   

  

Brandon's level 5 team took 2nd place.  The whole team, gym-wide....spanning the whole weekend of region sessions took 5th place overall.  Meaning that the older boys from our gym did darn well also!  WOW!  I think Coaches Adam and Gabe were pleased.  (I also think in this picture they are relieved and very ready for their long and exhausting weekend to be over!  Level 5 was the last session Sunday evening of this Regional competition that started early, early Saturday morning.)

100 Years

100 years ago today the Titanic hit an iceberg.  And then a little less than 3 hours later she broke into two pieces and sunk to the bottom of the ocean.  So many things contributed to that ship going down.  From ignored ice warnings, to pressure to beat speed records.  Complete and unshakable faith in the new and modern construction of the ship leading to arrogance of its "unsinkable"-ness.  A lost pair of binoculars for the crow's nest.  A perfectly calm night which meant no tell-tale signs of waves frothy and breaking against the base of an iceberg.  Trying desperately to turn the ship at the last second to avoid a head-on collision...which instead lead to the death gash in the side of the ship.  Tragically, if the Titanic had continued on directly into the iceberg, she most likely wouldn't have sunk....or at least hung around long enough for other ships (the Carpathia specifically) to come to the rescue in time.

I've been a Titanic buff for over 20 years.  My love of history started manifesting itself in high school and one of the first subjects that wrapped hold around me was the story of the Titanic.  I borrowed three books from the local library one day and read them voraciously, even taking them with me to a family Easter egg hunt.  My mother was suspicious.  "Why are you reading that?" she would ask.  "Are you sure you don't have to write a report on the Titanic?"  So baffled was she that I was reading a non-fiction history book for fun, she worried that I was working on a research paper but didn't want to tell her for fear of parental pressure.  I did indeed end up writing a research paper on the Titanic...but not until college.  When Bryan introduced me to the world wide web and told me that I could look up anything I wanted, my first search was for Titanic sites.  If you come to my house today you will find at least nine books relating to the Titanic on my book shelves...and that doesn't count the many that I've borrowed and returned to the library.  A few years ago when the traveling Titanic artifact exhibit came through Salt Lake City, not only did I go, but also bought replicas of the 1st class Titanic china which I proudly display in my china hutch in the kitchen.  So, yes.  You could say I'm a little obsessed.

When the big James Cameron "Titanic" blockbuster movie was originally announced, I had mixed feelings.  I'd seen other made-for-TV movies...all or which were decidedly cheesy and not entirely factual.  I was a little worried this would be more of the same.  And yet I followed closely all updates of movie production and had high hopes.  Could they do it justice?  Would they get the details right?  (Because trust me, I would notice!)  The hype, along with my expectations, were rising and I had worries that I would be disappointed.  But amazingly enough, the movie met and even exceeded those expectations!  I was beyond thrilled that James Cameron had taken such pains to immerse himself so fully into Titanic...even going down 2 and 1/2 miles below the ocean to view her for himself and using some of the footage from that trip in the movie.  And I fully admit that I sobbed.  The movie brought it all to life for me.

So today, I took Brandon to see "Titanic"...re-released in theaters in 3D format especially to commemorate this 100th anniversary.  The date has been on my calendar for months...and has been on my mind all week long.  So I thought that seeing the movie on this particular day, at least for me, would be very appropriate.  The fascination surrounding the Titanic that started for me, all those many years ago...the sinking, it's discovery by Robert Ballard in 1985, the continued updates on the deteriorating conditions of the ruins...the essence of the Titanic...apparently still has me in a very firm grip.

Favorite Photo Friday

Rebekah, June 1997
What does it say about me as a mother....that when my curious 13 month old climbed into the media cabinet and then got stuck...instead of immediately rushing to her aid, I grabbed the camera first?

Birds and Bugs

This doesn't bode well....

Flocks of birds searching for worms in a rain storm is not all that uncommon.  But this big of a flock...and MY yard being the ONLY yard they are flocking to indicate a bigger bug problem.  And it surprised me.  Because this is what my back yard looks like right now:

Very clearly we have some bug problems there.  A fact that has been verified by my local Trugreen representative.  If the birds had been flocking to my backyard I would not have been surprised.  The poor lawn had a very traumatic summer last year as a result of all the constant Man Cave construction in the back yard.  Some of the sprinkler lines were cut and capped which made for less than ideal water coverage.  And then remember the sad, sad day when a backhoe cut a wide and deep trench from the front of the house clear across the back yard?  (See here.)  So I was not surprised when in the early fall I started seeing evidence of bugs taking advantage of my poor defenseless lawn.  Needless to say, this summer will be more of a recovery year rather than a lush and soft, thick and green lawn year. 

But the front lawn too?  Really??  Sigh.