A good portion of my life has been spent playing the piano for everyone else's diva moments. Now it's my turn. I invite you to accompany ME through my life's diva and, well, not so diva-like moments. It'll be entertaining. Promise.



Monday, May 30, 2011

Busy May!

Well, looking through these photos I obviously need to clean my camera lens better before I take pictures! 

The last day of school happened two weeks earlier this year.  They are trying a new program in Kaylee's school district where the kids who don't need remedial help get out two weeks earlier.  So yay for two more weeks of summer!!
We spent a fun day at Sea World in San Antonio with Shawn's parents who came for a visit this month.  We had been passing a nasty virus around the family and poor Aaron had it worse on this day.  He was out of it for much of the day, poor lil guy.

They tried to touch a dolphin - got close!
He did enjoy Shamu though!
Ready for church with my cute kids!
Last day of school - can you tell she's excited??!
We love and will miss Ms. Jones.

Dorothy came with me for Kaylee's last day party - we got to eat some yummy pizza and watch some bouncing-off-the-wall excited kids. 
The requisite Taco Bell stop - a Smith family tradition.  Anyone for a free refill?!  :)

My little chefs preparing the goodies for our American Idol party.  I love how Kaylee made Eva pose with the olive can.  :)  That's my girl!
And to finish up our May we are off to see the biggest tree in Texas!  Pictures to come!  (I know you are all dying with anticipation...)  :)

Friday, May 27, 2011

Crappity Crap of all Craploads

Well. The past two days have been just, well, crappy. Now, in an attempt to not throw a pity party for myself, I will focus on the good moments of the last two days. All one of them.

So, here we go.

GOOD MOMENT OF THE LAST TWO DAYS:








Oh, never mind. It hurts my poor lil noggin to have to think that hard.

However, I know the two of you who actually read this blog don't come here to revel in my pity parties, so let's dish about American Idol instead. What, you're bored with that too? And you think I have no life? Well, rub it in, why don't you, while I listen to the almost three year old whine for the two hundred thousandth time today while his nine year old sister takes over as mom by threatening soap in the mouth, and yes I know there were supposed to be hyphens in that sentence but I'm too lazy to switch screens on the iPod.

Well, if American Idol bores you, as it seems to judging by the fact that I had two, yes two friends take pity on my poor soul and come to my AI finale party... 'sok, the rest of you missed out on yours truly mistaking Marc Anthony for one of the reject contestants from the audition round. Coulda happened to anybody I say.

ANYWAY, if you're not an Idol fan (and can I just say that James got robbed) then maybe you will accompany in the next great television adventure of 2011...America's Got Talent!!

What's that??

Whatever. YOU get a life.  I'm gonna go read American Idol:  The Untold Story.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Free Time

What do you do with your free time?  Is there even such a thing as "free time"?

When I graduated from High School we were still using word processors for our papers. The Internet was there, but not widely used. Same with cellphones.

Fast forward 11 years and I have my first baby. I regularly use the Internet for e-mail, surfing, online classes, and listening to (not watching) General Conference. My sister has been out of High School for 2 years and she used the Internet for all of her papers.

Fast forward another 9 years and here I am holding this 2 by 4 teensy, tiny black box in my little patties and updating my blog, checking my social media sites, checking my e-mail, and playing Scrabble with Schweets, all while watching my favorite show on TV.

Rewind 150 years. Women spent ALL DAY cooking, cleaning, I can't even say doing the laundry because that makes me envision Whirlpool and Maytag...let's just call it 'washing clothes'.  Hard, physically exhausting, grunt work. 

Fast forward from today 50 years...2061.  EVERYONE ON EARTH will have lived to a certain degree, or at least have been exposed to, techonology in all it's many faces.  Where will we be?!  How will our interaction (social media) develop further?  I will be 86 years old in that year, and will have spent a lifetime right in the thick of technology.  I wonder if I will have a computer chip in my head.  I wonder if there will be a machine that will take my laundry out of the washer and put it into the dryer.  Maybe I will have my own personal robot that will then fold my laundry and put it away.  Then what will I do with those minutes of my day that have been freed?  Am I saying that my ancestors never had any free time?  Hardly.  The amount, and type has evolved drastically and I can't help but wonder what it will look like in the future.

What's my point?

Well, I just find it fascinating.

That is all.

Monday, May 9, 2011

The Sad Demise of Garfield and Diego

1.  BUC days = similar to state fair but on city scale.

2.  Nine-year-old ventures out with friend's family to BUC days.

3.  Comes home toting 2 adorable goldfish she won at BUC days.

4.  Informs me that 2 adorable goldfish will need a home and food tomorrow.

5.  Next afternoon finds me at Walmart purchasing home and food.

6.  Get home only to realize that purchased home does NOT come with gravel and foilage so beautifully displayed on box.  After digging out magnifying glass it is discovered on the bottowm of box in teeny tiny letters that home does NOT come with gravel and foilage so beautifully displayed on the box.  Home is left half-assembled.

7.  Next morning nine-year-old decides temporary home needs to have fresh water. 

8.  2 adorable goldfish apparently do not prefer fresh water. 

9.  Garfield passes first, leaving nine-year-old in a tearful panic and yours truly scouring the internet for ideas to save Diego.

10.  Meanwhile, DH kindly removes Garfield and sends him to sewer heaven, prompting a fresh round of tears from nine-year-old.

11.  After putting up a valiant fight, Diego joins his buddy Garfield in sewer heaven.

12.  Home gets packed back in beautifully decorated non-gravel and foilage box and is mercifully returned.

13.  Moral of the story:  If you ever happen to go to BUC days in Corpus Christi, TX, and you have a school-aged child who will inevitably win a goldfish or two, buy a proper home BEFORE the fair.

14.  And don't forget the gravel and foilage.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Becoming

I went to a convention last weekend called Time Out for Women in San Antonio.  It was awesome.  Sheri Dew was the keynote speaker and I love that woman.  She gives the most powerful talks that I connect to everytime. 

The theme of the conference was "Choose to Become".  They asked us to pick one are of our life where we wanted to 'become' a little better.  I chose to focus on becoming a better mom.  Well.  Can I just say that the adversary must have called a pow-wow with all of his followers within the 24 hours of me being home and focused on this 'becoming'?!  HelLOOO!!  Can we say, attack of the terror child?!  In the form of a cute two-and-a-half year old boy who has suddenly turned into broken record, whining, time-out is my best friend little monster?!  Oh my goodness.  I have high hopes that in 42 days, 7 hours, and 31 minutes when he turns 3, that my little monster will take the form of a smiling and pleasant toddler. 

Now, lest you think I live with a little hellion 24/7, let me reassure you that we do have our good moments.  Just tonight, he cuddled on my lap while I sang to him after being very cute helping me read 3 stories before bedtime.  I love times like that.  They make up for the Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, ad nauseum in the car, and the  But, WHY?!  (in the whiniest voice possible of course followed by fake cries) that I hear at least 20 times a day. 

Raising kids is hard.  It's definitely NOT all roses.  Sometimes I wonder how we'll all ever survive when I'm looking at a pee-filled, dissasembled pull-up scattered all over the bathroom floor.  But, we do, and we rejoice in the good moments.  Like watching his big 'ol smile as he runs to me from the troll bridge. 

Even with the opposing forces, this is one battle I will win.  Just need those little time outs every now and then...

4 Months Old!!

My girls on their 4 months birthdays - can you guess who is who?!

 
Happy 4 Month Birthday Rebekah!  I love you!