A Year's Growth

So my profile picture was taken almost exactly one year ago (well 11 months ago, really). I find it amazing how much the kids have changed in one year's time. What do you think...

That was then...and this is now

We went out to Rich and Charlene's for dinner. Dave's sister and family were there. The first thing our niece Sheridan said to Carson was "Wow you're tall" and then she said "That means Aunt Heather is the smallest one in her family." So in case you can't tell from the picture, Carson is a good 2 inches taller than me now and almost sees eye to eye with his sister. Amazing that in a year he grew almost 6 inches. No wonder that boy is always hungry!

And Katelyn is looking older, too. I think she is hoping to look older after the drama teacher she didn't get a role in the fall production because she "looked too young". We thought that she was going to be told she "looked to white" for the winter production because they were doing Aladdin; but the cost of Aladdin's copyright was too expensive. They are doing Brigadoon instead. I think she should look just right for that play--she definitely has the right complexion.

One Foot In, One Foot Out

Earlier this week as I was driving home from dropping Katelyn off at the high school, a "Dr. Laura Minute" came on to the radio. I usually keep one ear remotely tuned in to these small segments, letting my other ear and mind focus on driving, the laundry list of "to do" items for the day, etc. But this particular day, I listened with both ears because the caller was a LDS female and I'm an LDS female. The caller started off by saying how much she loved her faith, she loved being Mormon, she practiced the Mormon faith faithfully. After all of that, she then said "BUT, I love to drink wine. I love to drink alchol. I really, really want to drink. Do you think, Dr. Laura, that this is OK and that I should drink?" Dr. Laura's first response was that she couldn't tell the caller to disobey a major tenet of her religion and faith. The caller said "You're right. But do you think I could have one foot in, one foot out?" Here is where I really started listening. Because if you have ever listened to Dr. Laura she is pretty black and white. If something is wrong, something is wrong. So you know what she said? She said "Well, I suppose it is better to have one foot in, then no feet in. I would rather you live your faith imperfectly than have no faith at all." Excuse me, Dr. Laura, but what happened to all of your previous advising of learning self-control, self-discipline, and sometimes what we "want" isn't really what we need or should do? I am not a perfect Mormon woman by any means, but I also don't go around looking to blatantly disobey doctrines thinking that somehow they pertain to everyone but me. Anyway, this phone call became a dinner conversation later that night. I asked the kids what they thought--can you have one foot in and one foot out. Katelyn: You definitely have to have both feet in. Carson: Yeah, what Katelyn said. Both feet in. Dave: I think you would get pretty cold standing in an open door.

And Now for the Rest of the Week

Tuesday was like Friday since there was no school Wednesday. Dave and I even went out Tuesday night. Ok, so it was to Katelyn's choir concert, but it was still a night out. The concert was a benefit concert for the local VFW. It was actually an amazing concert. I love these types of events because they always make me so grateful to be an American and so proud of those who have served our country in the armed forces. Wednesday was low-key. The problem with having a day off in the middle of the week is that means you have another Monday. Fortunately Thursday's Monday was N.O.T.H.I.N.G. like Monday's MONDAY. There was no nit-picking. No time-sucking 1st grader. I steered clear of all soda machines. Katelyn called twice to double check on the after school plans. David put a new battery in the Honda on Wednesday. Dinner was ready. AND the sporting event of the evening (middle school wrestling) went great. Carson beat his guy 13-0. Wow, seeing him in his singlet this year demonstrates what a little more testosterone can do--he has real muscles in his arms and legs! Then it was Friday and since we had gone out on Tuesday's Friday, we just enjoyed a quiet evening at home watching the snow fall. Well it was sort-of quiet. The boys were having some gaseous issues. Usually such things aren't funny, but last night it seemed that we all had received a dose of junior high sense of humor. Everyone but Katelyn, that is. She had a choir competition across the mountains and won't be home until Saturday at midnight. This morning (Saturday) the boys left early to go deer hunting. I joined my friend at 7 a.m. to go on a leisurely 6-mile run. It was delightful. The air was crisp, but no wind. The snow that had fallen last night had melted off of the roadways so we had a clear, non-slippery surface to run on. We each shared how the week had gone and before we knew it we were back at the club and it was time to go home. PS Carson didn't get a deer. And I lost the coin toss for going to get Katelyn tonight. But you know what? This week wasn't too bad.

Yesterday was $*%?!

I know that lately I have been all sunshine and roses, cheery and jovial, but yesterday was too much. There wasn't one particular thing, but a series of lots of little things that typically I just laugh at, but yesterday they just seemed to get to me. I started the morning off doing one of the more fantastic tasks of my job, nit-picking. Yep, I have a master's degree in nursing so I can spend the morning picking nits out of children's hair. Then it gets even more fantastic when I get to call parents and say, "I know that you spent all weekend shampooing, combing, and nit-picking, but there are still nits and our district has a "no-nit" policy." Parents are, of course, more than a little miffed that they have to come and get their children and they tend to take their frustration out on the one who made the phone call. Sorry, I know the policy sucks, but it is what it is and your child cannot be at school until s/he is nit-free. A first-grader doesn't want to be at school so he complains of his stomach hurting. I spend 30 minutes with him, walking around the school, talking about his favorite things, prepping to go back to class only to have his now-happy persona completely unravel when we get to his classroom. I talk with the counselor, but the counselor can't help because s/he is in the middle of something. Ok, I will just not get to the state-mandated vision/hearing screenings today. Finally I do convince the first-grader to go to recess with the promise that I'll call his mom while he is out and then come and tell him what she said. Happy again, he goes to recess. I talk with mom, report back to him and don't see him for the rest of the day, but the vision/hearing screenings are still not finished. Lunchtime, usually a relaxing few moments. Except not yesterday. Yesterday I decide to purchase a soda (a rarity to say the least). I push my selection and out comes the pop, but not my selection. No, it is a *&%^ Coke. I hate Coke. Honestly, could this day get even worse? Never ask that question! Finally home from work, but no Katelyn. Katelyn usually is home by 3, since her school dismisses at 2:20 and she has to ride the bus. 4 o'clock and still no Katelyn. I call a few of her friends to see if she had mentioned any after school plans. Nope, they all say. Now Katelyn is usually very good about calling me if she has something come up and she won't be home on time. So I drive to the school and walk around. Still can't find her. It is now 4:30 and I'm feeling a little panicky (probably from drinking the caffeinated soda at lunchtime). I've called Dave 3 times by now, but he has quit answering his phone because he knows there is nothing he can do from CDA. It's 4:45 and I have to leave in 5 minutes to get Carson from wrestling. 4:50, tears streaming down my face, I hear the garage door open. Katelyn is finally home! Only a smirk from her when she sees my tear-streaked face and a lame excuse that she didn't have a phone to call from. Don't even try to pull that one on me--there are phones in every classroom of that school as well as a free student phone! Waiting for Carson to get done with wrestling practice. Here he comes so I turn the key to start the car. Nothing. Try one more time. Nothing again. The battery is dead in the Honda. Call a friend. She'll see me in 10 minutes. I have jumper cables. Carson asks every 2 minutes in that 10 minute waiting time if I would try starting the car again. Finally I ask him to quit asking because he is giving me a headache. Friend arrives, jump the battery and away we go. Home now. Time to fix dinner. Crap, the hamburger is still frozen so no tacos for dinner. What to fix. The kids want waffles. So Katelyn fixes waffles for them and I eat a bowl of oatmeal. I love waffles so the oatmeal is a total disappointment. Monday night football. Broncos lose. This day sucks.