Since U Been Gone

When Glenn travels for business, things just aren't the same.

I have to do things I would normally make him ask him to do.

Change Andrew's sheets.


Take out the trash.

One side of the bed goes unused.

(Oh who am I kidding. I totally spread out. Right smack dab in the middle.)

I pass the time with silly projects.

I take the kids to CiCi's.

And then go get myself some Subway to eat after they're in bed.

Even my toes get cold and lonely.

And then, finally, he's back.

And the kids who have waited up for him come running down the stairs.

And he and I get to snuggle on the couch.

And the bed is no longer quite as big.

And I won't have to take out the trash.

Making the world go 'round

This week I love...

...my friend Sandy. I have actually loved her for three and a half years now, when she was a bummed out teenager who had to move cross-country for her senior year of high school. I was just a dorky, uncool young women's president, but for whatever reason, she and I clicked. And even though I have two perfectly good real ones, she is like a little sister to me. This week she is heading off to Utah to be a super-awesome missionary at Temple Square. But we couldn't let her leave without preparing her feet for sensible shoes and lots of walking, so she and I went to get a pedicure. Her bright pink toes will be her little secret...

(I was too afraid to ask the Asian men who did our feet to take a picture, so this is all the proof we have!)

...muddy legs and bare feet. The 60 degree weather was too much to resist. Sure the backyard is a swamp, but the kids were begging to go out as soon as they burst through the door after school. How could I deny them?

...notes on my pillow every single night. Yes, every night I get a little note from Emma and Leah. Emma calls it her EMMAil (which I think is very clever). And even on the night they slept over at Grandma and Grandpa's house, Leah still wrote me a quick one.

...my funny valentine. Andrew came home with this love Valentine's Day gift. Are those gang signs he is throwing? Who cares--the kid is irresistable.
And then there is this paper he filled out, answering questions about Valentine's Day and all things LOVE. (Not really sure what the point was, maybe just to get a 7 year old's perspective?) Andrew answered that he would go to a cheesecake restaurant for a date--because that's where Glenn and I had gone the week before. And he answered that he does indeed have a Valentine--it's me! He will tell me "I like you because you're you." What more does a girl need? The last question is "What advice would you give to how to get a date?" Andrew answered "I love you or will you marry me?" He regrets ever writing that one down. He looked over the paper again and muttered "Why did I write that? I would never say that!"

...Valentine's-inspired pizza. And pizza in general.

...Andrew making TWO baskets in his game today! He is up to twelve points in his whole career.

...love notes!

LOVE...
It's what brings us together today.

Home Making

Last night I got one of the nicest compliments I think I've ever received. My friend, having come to my house for the first time the day before, said to me, "I just wanted to tell you that you have a beautiful home. It is very warm and welcoming." To most, it may not seem like much. But to me, with the home I have lived in for a dozen years, it was just what I've always wanted to hear.

My house is green. Not forest or olive or hunter. But a minty kind of sea foam green. I don't know if there is a "green" to describe it. It used to have green shag carpet (that was definitely olive) and brown and yellow striped couches and orange and brown kitchen wallpaper. There was stained linoleum, a leaky bathroom, and 1920's-style bicycle wallpaper. Mint green walls in the living room, light peach walls in the laundry room, and in one bathroom, metallic bird wallpaper.

{you thought I was kidding about the bicycle wallpaper, didn't you?}

We've chipped away at the home improvement over the years, Glenn and I, as time and money have allowed. Every wall in the house has been stripped of its drug-induced designs and has been slathered with paint. We've fixed the leaky shower, laid laminate flooring, and most of our furniture now has a 21st century style (there's still that pesky dining room table).

But there's still so much to do. All the projects with the biggest price tags (of course). Windows, gutters, siding.

And in some ways, it has been the siding that I am most uncomfortable with. The most visible part of my house is the most blatantly out-of-date. In my community, with my kids' friends living in half-a-million-dollar homes, I have felt a little self-conscious about the green.

But knowing that it's not worth going into debt over, the green has stayed. And I decided that I could work on how those half-a-million-dollar home owners (and everyone else) feel when they come over. We are working hard to have a home that is not just outwardly beautiful, but warm and welcoming. And I think it has less to do with what's on the walls than what goes on within the walls.

This house is where a family is growing up together, where there are many prayers said and scriptures read, where you can hear fights and squabbles and "Thank you, Mom, for making us dinner," and "I love you." This house is where we sit down to dinner together and watch TV together and read books and play the piano and do homework. Our home's shortcomings have been made up for by the life and love inside. And how rewarding to know that someone has seen it and felt it.

But don't get me wrong...I can't wait for the day when the directions to my house end with "We're the big gray (or tan or white or taupe...) house."

It's all downhill

A little sledding excursion...

...while I took pictures from the car.

Andrew played basektball with snowballs (shocking, I know).

Brooke spent a long time working on the ultimate snowball.
(She is excited to look for it at recess today.)

Emma worked very hard to pull herself UP the hill on the sled.

She made it!

And was soon on her way back down the hill.


Leah also took several rides down the hill, but this picture is NOT the trip that ended with a collision, a huge bloody nose, an emergency call to Dad for some extra tissues and some wipes, and an abrupt finish to our outdoor fun.

Guess what else Brooke is going to be looking for at recess today.

You Can't Stop the Beat

When Glenn and I went to New York City for our tenth anniversary in 2006, it was literally a dream come true for me. I had wanted to see a play on Broadway my entire life, but it was a little difficult being on the opposite end of the country.

You can imagine my excitement as we planned to see not one, but two musicals. We purchased tickets ahead of time for one show, and decided to get half-price tickets to a second show once we were in the city. But the selection of shows available at the TKTS booth were slim. We settled on "Hairspray," and got decent seats, but I had my doubts.

That all changed pretty quickly for me as I entered the theater and the lights went down. It was my first Broadway play. Something I had been wanting to do my whole life. And the show was amazing. Our seats were better than decent--they were wonderful. The music and acting were incredible, the show was funny. And we saw one of the actors in the subway after and got his autograph. It was the epitome of a night in NYC.

Two years later, they made the play into a movie. And my kids were over the moon about it. (And I have to admit it, so was I.) We saw it in the theater, the girls had the songs memorized in no time, and of course we had to get the DVD. And then I saw that the musical was coming to Cleveland.

Playhouse Square has this wonderful program called "Smart Seats," where you can get theater tickets for only $10. OK, so they are up in the upper upper upper balcony, but who cares when you're on a budget and have a houseful of people who like to see plays. The tickets are such a good price that I made some Christmas presents for both the Franklin and the Chatty girls out of it, and last night, after three months of waiting, we got to see the show!

Who cares if you are so high up there are literally birds (ok, just one bird) flying around your head? It was a smaller theater so I really don't think there are any bad seats.

Yes, I know photography is not allowed, but I couldn't help snapping a couple shots at the end. I didn't use my flash, so no harm done, right?

As I was watching I remembered that the play has slightly more innuendo than the movie, and there were several things that I am hoping went over the kids' heads--in fact, Leah said to me, "Mom, there were some things I didn't get." Good, Leah, let's keep it that way.

And although the general consensus was that the movie was better and that parts were "weird" and "creepy" (but with these girls, what isn't?), I think the kids got a kick out of it. And maybe they won't have to wait quite as long as I did to see the real thing. Cuz that's where it's at...now baby run and tell that!

Notes from the Underbelly (of my house)

This cool ice formation was found on the edge of our back roof. My favorite part? The gorgeous blue sky behind it. Love that sun!

Mommy brain strikes again.

A little math equation for you...

This...

plus this...

multiplied by this...

divided by this...

....can only equal one thing.

Me, locked out of my car, in the Marc's parking lot, in a snow storm.

All I was trying to do is be productive. I dropped Emma and Leah off at school so that they wouldn't have to wait for the bus in the snow, and ran up to Marc's for some essentials before my friend dropped her kids off for me to babysit.

I thought I would further my productivity by starting the car before loading the groceries. As soon as I shut the door, I knew what I had done. And there I was, in freezing, blowing, blustery, lake-effect snow. With a cart full of groceries.

I grabbed the first person I saw and asked to use her cell phone. I called Melissa, gave her the code to our garage, and asked her to bring up the spare set of keys. She quickly agreed (my hero!). But her needing to navigate a three foot tall snow drift blocking the way to the side of my house and very bad roads left me with a bit of a wait in the elements.

At first, no one paid me any attention. Meaning, no one asked if I was ok or needed any help. Did they not notice the drifts accumulating around my milk and eggs or my completely snow-covered jeans? Did they think I was just trying to get some fresh air? Waiting for a cab? I guess in a snow storm everyone kind of keeps to themselves. Until a little old lady asked if I was alright. And then two guys offered to give me a lift. Um, yeah, I think I'm good here. I'll risk frostbite rather than hop in a car with you, buddy.

And then, off in the distance, I caught sight of Melissa's car. Help had arrived! My savior was here. And the rest is history. I have a new-found respect and appreciation for my children who wait for their buses in this nasty weather. And I was pretty sure my cheeks were frostbitten. And that I had lost a couple of toes.

I need a vacation.

Mommy brain at its best.

The JoAnn's ad came out last week. A certain type of fabric that I happen to need was advertised at a great price. A "10% off your entire purchase" coupon was included. What could be better?

Today I headed out. I pored over the racks of fabric, trying to find just the right prints and matching contrast fabric. I put the bolts on the cutting table, changed my mind a couple times, realized that one kind didn't have enough fabric left and went back to choose another, and finally, finally, had all the fabric I needed. I headed up to the thread and picked out four matching spools, feeling very gratified. I mean, who doesn't love perfectly matched patterns and colors?

It was my turn to check out, and I confidently handed the lady my thread, my fabric, my fabric ticket, and my 10% off coupon. This was going to be a real steal.

Only the 10% off coupon isn't good until February 13.

Me: Well, ok, can I come back on Friday for my fabric?

Cashier (in so many words): The 13th, lady. It's a President's Day Weekend sale. Today's only the 3rd. What are you, dense? And, no, we can't hold it. Sorry. I got nothin' for you.

Me: Oh. Sorry.

And I walked out.

Maybe I should have just gotten the fabric anyway. After all, I had spent all that time picking and choosing, and the coupon was only 10% off. But I didn't. It's the principle of the thing. I wanted the deal and I felt sheepish for mixing up the dates. So I high-tailed it outta there.

And then I realized I had spent all that time in the store (and actually a couple other stores after that) with a sock stuck in the back thigh of my jeans.

For crying out loud.

Super Stinky Super Bowl

Once again, Super Bowl Sunday has come and gone. This year was especially lame. I haven't gotten into the Super Bowl (or football in general, for that matter) since the reign of the 49ers in the 90's. And then with the hometown-team-who-shall-not-be-named being less than stellar, I just haven't really cared.

But the men in my house are a different story.

They will watch any game, any time. And here are the rules for who to root for:

1. Your favorite team is the aforementioned hometown team.
2. Your second favorite is any team playing the Steelers.

And guess who was playing in the Super Bowl this year? The Steelers - and Glenn and Andrew's second favorite team. Yes, all of a sudden they were huge Cardinals fans. The mere suggestion that Andrew might possibly have Steelers colors on was enough to send him into hysterics. There is no way that boy will ever wear yellow and black.

We typically have a "Super Bowl party" with the Ryans and Franklins (which means we have regular Sunday dinner together, but we eat Super Bowl-type foods and call it a party). No difference this year, except Tyler and Becca were missing (don't worry, they were just home sick). For Andrew, it all went down from there.

First, no Tyler. Then those punks from Pittsburgh had to go and win the game. Sheesh! Can't this kid ever catch a break? All hope now rests upon the Cavs. Please, LeBron--help make a little boy's dream come true! I do not want to have to move to New York. Or Boston. Or LA. This town - and these sports fans living in my house - need a championship.

Held in such high esteem

It happens every quarter at the middle school. Two students are chosen from each homeroom as representatives of one of four values: responsibility, respect, tolerance, and unity. This quarter our own Emma was chosen for demonstrating responsibility.

She got to put her handprint on one of the four pillars in the cafeteria, where it will stay for the rest of the school year. Over the summer they will paint over all the handprints and start fresh in the new school year. For now, though, there is bright teal handprint serving as a witness to the success Emma is having in fifth grade!