Magic Review

I’ve hooked Brian up with a few people looking for magicians for parties in the next few weeks. The wanted him to tell him about his show and he asked for my help, “How would you describe my magic show to someone?”

“STUNNING!” was my reponse.

Ben piped in, “Well if you watch it…about 20 times then it gets kinda boring.”

Cub Scout Registration

I was just perusing through old posts making sure all was in order on the blog when I ran across this post. Still in draft mode. It had me cracking up. I see why I didn't publish it at the time. Now a year and a half and a quarter globe away from the situation I can laugh at myself (and the people that about made me lose my mind). Enjoy and have a laugh on me today.

Written August 23, 2013 - in the middle of Cub Scout registration where we topped out at 176 scouts. I was the poor schmuck who accepted the job of registrar.

If you want to see how hard I can bite just write "see last years form" on the Cub Scout registration forms and assume I will go to the hot and sweaty locker and dig through old dusty papers because you are lazy. IDIOTS!! You can't take 10 seconds to write it down? I have given up all my free time for 3 weeks to do this volunteer job and you can't fill in a critical line like that?

And NO I won't lead your den because you want to be involved in your kids life. I don't have one in your grade level and already do TWO JOBS for the pack.

NO I will not organize your uniform order. I have my stuff already and got burned when someone didn't pay me last year. And I didn't even need anything for my own kid. It was just something I did to be nice that turned into a disaster.

NO you did not pay. Like I told you before. You didn't send me any money.

NO cub scouts isn't like basketball camp where you drop them off for 4 hours and go get a pedicure. It is MANDATORY that tiger parents attend with their boys. You aren't an exception.

YES I am going to require that you complete the form. The WHOLE form. Just writing the scouts name at the top doesn't cut it.

NO we will not change the date of the pack meeting for 160 families because you can't make it one day. You aren't that important. 

YES you may need to step up and lead a den or else there won't be a den for your kid to attend. I WILL NOT LEAD YOUR DEN. Remember? I already have two jobs with the pack and you have none. Plus I am room mom and help at my church and loads if other stuff while you go to lunch with your girl friends or golf with your buddies. Volunteer organization means get off your butt and help!

I am about ready to throw in the towel. Too many idiots in this country. It's full of a bunch of unrealistic people. 

Kissing Hand and Seperation Anxiety

We have been inundated with Kissing Hand crafts these first two weeks of Jacob’s school. Finally today I asked him if some of the children are having a hard time leaving their Mommies and Daddies.

“Yes! The boy with curly hair is SOOOOOO annoying.”
“Why is he annoying?”

“Because he just CRIES so much each time we start class and at the end and each time you end class he cries the WHOLE time through the whole class. All the way from the beginning to the end, even when he is eating.”

 

Jacob’s not going to be our sympathetic one in the family I guess.

Wasting My Time

Aug 16, 2013

"Mom, when you make me do work you are wasting my time."

"Sorry. Which work is wasting your time?"

Jacob wrinkles his nose and thinks for a second, "I don't know."

Afternoon Slump

Aug 15, 2013

It's mid afternoon and I've hit a slump. Laying on the couch checking my email Ashlyn came it and gave me a friendly French kiss. Then she climbed up on top of me and laid down with a knife and carrot. Then we chilled together. These are some of the moments we love having a helper here to make dinner. My life rocks today and I may be tired but I'm happy!

Young Women Camp

Aug 8, 2013

So Ben took a look at my luggage for camp and asks, "Is that how much we usually bring for one person on a trip?"

"No, I have to bring extra because I'm a leader."

"Wow mom. That's A LOT of stuff. I really hope the ferry doesn't sink because of your luggage."

Gee thanks. 

Shopping Assistant

Today I went shopping at the Reeves house for hand me downs that will fit my girls. I took all four kids to give dad a break at home alone for a bit. Ashlyn didn't appreciate my divided attention so she eventually decided to "help" me put by being right in the middle of the action. Not helpful, little lady. Not helpful. But very cute.

Ashlyn Bubbles

2 Aug 2013

I finally caught Ashlyn and her amazing talent on camera. Usually she stops when I come around and tries to play with me.

Jacob Engaged, Planning 1,000 Kids and Going Black

Jacob asked the other day, "Mom, can I marry Maddie?"
"Sure kiddo, but not until you are a grown up."

In the car yesterday Jacob asked "Mom, when will my skin turn black?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I don't like it when the people with black skin touch my chin." (He's referring to Indians and the like with darker coloring.)
"I don't think you will ever turn black but when you get bigger they will stop touching you. They never touch mom or dad and usually don't touch Ben."
"Okay."

"I want to have 1,000 kids."
"Wow! How big will your house be?"
"It will have a million rooms so every kids gets their own room."
"Won't they be scared to sleep alone?"
Considers my comment for a minute.
"I will sleep with each one of them."
"How will you do that?"
"I will sleep with one for half the night then change and sleep with the other one."
"But what about all the other ones?"
Thinking again.
"I will sleep with each one for one minute and change every minute."
"Won't you be tired if you have to walk to a new room every minute? You won't sleep a lot."
"Mmmmmm......no 'cuz I'll go the highest one, the medium one, then to the next one down, then to the next one down until the one hundred number kid and start all over again. I won't be tired."

Goodbyes Are Hard

We say goodbye to friends far too often living here where everyone and their dog is "only here 2 or 3 years" but no one leaves on schedule. Some leave after 10 months and are surprised and some stay 14 years on their 2 year assignment. Life is never predictable. Jonette made a great collage of a goodbye when her family moved back to Maryland. It's the perfect commentary to expat life.

 

Our family.

Ekbergs - went to University of Utah with him 15 years ago, met her here 2 yrs ago and went to Bangkok for a girls weekend away

Pitman & Peterson - both here a long while and on local package home schooling and in local schools

All the kids - we MUST be a Mormon group!

Jonette & Brooke - seen Brooke around but don't live close

Twittys - been around but live far so don't know them well but want to because they're fun!

Mona - don't see her often enough, darn ward split

Lifferths - moved to Singapore two months ago and already attending a goodbye party for Jonette who they swapped child care with

Szarka - been in Singapore 7 days, still jet lagged and peppered us with questions about where to shop, how to hire a maid, where is this, how do you that.

And the pictures go on, etc, etc

And that's how we roll here in the expat world. ALWAYS making new friends. You learn quick to jump in and get to know people and if someone invites you over, it's not a pity thing, it's just what you gotta do. All offers of friendship are genuine.

Things I Don't Miss Living Overseas

Things I had forgotten I wasn't missing by being overseas. "We are currently experiencing heavier than normal call volumes. All customer care team members are currently helping other customers. Please hold on and we will answer your call in the order in which it was received." Cue crummy hold music and ads for company you are mad at. I can't remember the last time I heard that stuff on a call! Our repair men in Singapore may not show up and they don't answer their phones but I guess that does mean I never waste time waiting endlessly on hold.

Why Can't You Cook?

 

It cracked me up to see one of my kids go do this to someone else. My first 3 kids, of course, would come and shove their bodies between my legs and the counter as I struggled to get dinner prepared and on the table. This week Ashlyn did just that same exact thing to Gina.

 

We were both dying laughing. She would wedge her little head between Gina’s legs and the cupboard and push, push, push with her hands until she had gained a foot hold and then lay down and push Gina farther and farther away. If Gina stepped to the side to get away, she’d follow and keep pushing with all her little strength. The pictures are both when Gina side stepped her and she was rolling over to go at it again. All smiles and determination!

 

So does that mean it’s not a “pay attention to me mom” thing, it’s just a “pay attention to me ANYONE” thing. Kinda made my day to laugh at someone else trying to ballet dance over and around a 18 month old while dicing an onion and trying not trip. She loves Gina.

 

Don’t worry. After I got the picture, I took her away to play in the living room so Gina didn’t sprain an ankle.

14th Anniversary

I think it may put me in the bad wife category that MY MAID reminded me that my wedding anniversary was coming up. I completely forgot. The good news? Brian appeared to be just as surprised as me when he saw it coming up on the calendar the week before. We are pitiful. But still happily in love.

 

We went to dinner at Hatched. It’s an egg restaurant and I thought it was fun. Maybe it doesn’t rank with Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse or Mortons for a special day, but it was such a sweet pick from Brian because he knows how much I LOVE eggs and we had tried a couple times to go in the last year before without any luck. So I decided to get a stake anyway and ordered the Cowboy Sandwich. Steak on an English muffin topped with a fried egg. It was delicious!

 

We were home by 8:30pm and passed Peter walking up the street to see Gina. He was surprised to see us and asked, “Isn’t it your anniversary?” “Yep. We’re old and boring and home already.” So we hung out with Gina and Peter for a bit then watched a movie and ate half a pint of $25 Ben & Jerry’s ice cream Brian bought to surprise me. You can only spend that much for a special occasion and I’m glad I ranked.

 

Happy Anniversary my love! I think life rocks because you’re around. Let’s take bets where we will live on our big 15^th anniversary. I’m guessing we’ll be homeless. Crossing fingers to be in negotiations for a residence in some undisclosed location. I hate uncertainty, but love that you’ll be by my side where ever we are heading. I love you.

Good Day Yesterday

Life looks good. I did happy dance all day.

House in Houston is finally remodeled, repaired and listed for sale. Which means the big bills will stop now.

Gina’s boyfriend, Peter, gave us a new bike two days ago - think third world trike to haul gear to work for grownups. Kids were happy ALL DAY LONG riding circles in the yard.

No fighting.

Lots of creating. They have been crazy busy building with tape and saws and a power drill and using everything in our recycle bin then floating their creations in the ankle deep pool in the back yard. Again. 

I kept my stamina up and powered through every single medical, vision, dental receipt from Aug 2012 to June 2013. Finally everything is in quicken, scanned to pdf files, sorted, logged in excel for tracking, and submitted. Big sigh of relief inside and I’m mentally gearing up for the fight with insurance to resubmit a minimum of 50% of those claims. Thus the 1 year delay. I’m tired of the fight to get money they know they owe.

 

Here’s the other big one…

And to top it off, I bribed Ashlyn to say "Mom" for the first time today (she's been saying dada for about 5 months and nothing else). Yahoo!