Shall We Dance?

Josh thought he'd give Jonah and Ellie a little dance instruction on how to waltz. I found this particularly amusing because (and don't be offended, honey) Josh really doesn't dance. Neither do I for that matter. I always thought it would be fun to learn. I know that ballroom dance was kind of popular thing to do as BYU couples, but since Josh's family is more a "Mormons for Devils" kind of family we never did get that opportunity. I'll just have to stick it on my "Things I'd like to do Someday in my Spare Time" list...right up there with learning how to stay sane being the caretaker of three kids under the age of four. I've been failing pretty miserably with this one lately...hence the picture. It reminds me why I try at all.

Here's another one...


Elizabeth, this one reminded me of you and your post about your hip Star Trek shades.

And one more because I do have three children and don't want the third growing up with a complex...

P.S.

For a 50% discount you may use my discount code MSO-ORCH-51 at the door or on the website when you purchase tickets at http://www.mesaartscenter.com/main.aspx for the Tchaikovsky concert.

Symphony of the Southwest

I'm attempting to step up and do my part in getting the word out about our concerts coming up in hopes that with every one's help we can save the symphony from having to fold! Plus, they really are great concerts with a fantastic music selection. Hope you can make it to one or all of them!

The Best of Tchaikovsky
March 22, 2008 Classic Concert
Saturday, 8:00 p.m.
Symphony of the Southwest
Conductor, Cal Stewart Kellogg
Location: Mesa Arts Center (Ikeda Theater)
1 East Main Street, Mesa, Arizona
Emotionally charged evening of the great Russian composer's
masterpieces. Rich harmonies and stirring melodies of Romeo
and Juliet Fantasy Overture. Capriccio Italien and the
Symphony No. 4 will make your heart dance and spirit soar.

The Price of Freedom
A new musical by Rob Gardner and McKane Davis
Date: Friday, March 28; Saturday, March 29
Time: 7:30pm
Location: Mountain View High School
NW corner of Brown and Lindsay Rd., Mesa, AZ
All seating is General Admission, first come first serve
Starring: Jordan Bluth, Aaron Ballard, Tyler Maxson, Linsey Maxson, Jenee Prince, Kaitlynn Kleinman, and James Burnham.
Featuring members of the Symphony of the Southwest conducted by Rob Gardner.

Spire Music and the Symphony of the Southwest present "The Price of Freedom," an emotional musical tale of the soldiers who fought in World War II and the loved ones they left behind. Written by Rob Gardner and McKane Davis, this powerful musical is based on actual correspondence between soldiers and their loved ones. The stories are real, the characters inspirational, and the evening one you will not soon forget.

Proceeds from this performance will benefit the Symphony of the Southwest and Mountain View High School Performing Arts.

Here's the link to the website with more specifics and a sampling of the music. http://www.spiremusic.org/tpof/

If you buy tickets online they are $8 as opposed to the $10 you would pay at the door. Not a bad deal! Easy and cheap.

Back in the Saddle Again

Blogging was beginning to feel like just one more thing I couldn't keep up with in my life until I remembered I can't let myself go down that path. Maybe you all are familiar with it from time to time? The one where you think you're going to just keep sinking lower and lower into the ground under the weight and pressure of all your responsibilities? And never ever be able to get catch up with life? Well, it's a frequent thought process with me and I'm trying to be better. This is a crazy time of life. If I could just remember that and go a little easy on myself...

So, here I am trying to catch up a bit and it won't be exactly what I wanted, but it's at least something to keep our family journal recent.

February/March Top 10 List

10. Jonah got put in time out. (What a surprise, I know!) When Josh got home from work we told him about it, Josh asked Jonah why he got put in time out and Jonah replied very seriously, "I don't know, Dad. That's a good question." The little smarty pants.

9. Ellie has boycotted bed time. We finally started putting her in the play n' go if she got out of bed...and that cured her! Mean I know, but she actually stays in bed now without us having to lay down next to her for an hour while she tries in vain to settle down. I never expected to have a night owl. Josh and I definitely do not fit that mold.

8. Mom came home! Now it feels as though she was never gone and I love that we have her back. What amazing experiences she had while away. It was a blast hearing about it all. Here is one of my favorite pics from here mission and then some of her return at the airport.

Jasmine, Afton and the welcome home sign

Jasmine, Mom, Nate and Jenna

7. Climb to conquer cancer. Josh's work was involved in this event so the whole family got to go. Jonah was so excited until 1, he realized that this sort of climb didn't include actual climbing of rocks and the like and 2, it was a little colder than we anticipated. About 10 minutes into it Jonah started asking to turn back, Charlotte was screaming in the bijorn, Ellie had fallen out of the stroller and needless to say we were getting some pretty pathetic looks from our fellow hikers. When we did finally turn around Jonah exclaimed, "Hey, why is everyone going the wrong way?"





6. We discovered that Charlotte LOVES to swing. Sorry the video's a little long. It was just cracking me up. I couldn't stop.

5. Josh turned 28. I know for the most part we as a human race generally try to stay as young as possible for as long as possible, and I can't speak for Josh, but I for one am totally fine shedding my 20's. I think I've kind of always hated being the youngest...the youngest of my friends growing up, the youngest in my family (almost), and now it seems the youngest in our ward. It shouldn't bother me and I don't know why it does. Maybe I'll just leave it at that since this is about Josh and not me. For his birthday Josh got cleats, a nerf bow and arrow, a princess magnet book and a gift certificate to the spa. So the last few were really surprises for Jonah, Ellie and me but that's Josh for you. Even on his birthday you can't spoil him.

Thank you Uncle Bob and Aunt Shell for the fun pinata!

4. Charlotte learned assisted walking.

Cute bum!

Jonah took these last two.

3. Ellie got caught red-handed, cheeked, eyed and every other part of her face. When all was a little too quiet upstairs I walked into my room to find these two little troublemakers sitting in the shower, make up bag out, very guilty looks on their faces. Don't worry Erika, I'm pretty sure Ellie was the instigator in this matter...as well as all others where mischief is involved.

...and yes, Ellie did find that bag of candy and stuff them all down before I caught it.

2. The Moons came for a visit!!! I questioned their sanity a little, wanting to spend their Spring Break in a desert, but am SO glad they did! We had a blast together, the weather was perfect and it was nice to get a little bit of Williamsburg back in our lives. Since I let Elizabeth take all the pictures with her very nice camera, I will refer you to her blog for details/pics.
http://www.moontimes.blogspot.com/

1. Jonah turned four! And here is one instance where I would prefer that he stay as young as possible for as long as possible. It all goes too quickly...the funny sayings, transient passions (i.e. transformers, bow and arrows, "Mom, I love you" a thousand times a day). I don't want it to end and yet with each new phase of life will come new things to be excited about I'm sure.
So Jonah had a little "Transformers" party (go figure) and loved every second of it. Of course he now has about ten transformers that I can't figure out, but he's grown very patient with me. Just this morning when he asked me if I'd transform his tank and I told him there was the possibility that I may not be able to transform it back and might even possibly break it trying, he said, "Let's just wait for Daddy to get home."





Until next month...

From 3 to 6

I am temporarily a mother of 6 for the next week. How do you mothers with 6 keep it all together??? The kids have been great, absolute wonders. It's me I'm worried about. Yesterday morning, day 1 of caring for 6 we get Maddy off for her field trip at 7 am (thanks Josh!), at 7:15 I open the fridge and there's her lunch. I leave the kids with Preston, get in the car going 70 in a 45 zone cause I'm thinking I would cry if I didn't get to eat lunch, barely make it before the buses take off, back in the car pushing 60 this time cause the adrenaline is still pumping wildly through my veins.

Then it's drop off Pres and Charley at school, run errands with a baby who has needed a nap for a couple of hours and isn't going to get one for another two, take Jonah to preschool, hang out to help him play his violin for show and tell (still with the grumpy baby and an overly helpful wanna be preschooler), home for about 30 minutes to give the tired baby a chance to rest her eyes, wake her up, head back to pick up Jonah, then home again for lunch, naps...

And then it's round 2. Wake up three sleeping kids to pick up Preston and Charley, home to practice, do homework and then back again to the school to pick up Maddy from her field trip, wait a half our for the late buses (while, thankfully, the kids play at a nearby park). And home again for dinner, valentines, bed time....ahhhh, bed time (except that mine didn't come for hours later).

So, I'm just wondering...how do you do it? How do you clean the house, or keep up with laundry, or even talk with your husbands? I'm just positive this all sounds mundane, even commonplace for you supermoms. But, my head is spinning. It is always amazing to me what a little perspective can do for you. It's like having your second child and thinking, what was so hard about just one or like having six for ten days and wondering, why the heck couldn't I get the laundry done with just three. What on earth was I doing with all my time (uh...blogging)?

So here's to perspective and it getting my rear in gear. And don't worry, Bek. I'll keep them safe for you. They'll have eaten loads more Valentine's Day candy than you'd like and may even go without a lunch a day or two but they'll be present and accounted for come Thursday...all six of them and then Josh and I will whisk away to some secluded tropical island for a week. Ha ha, just kidding! We really are all doing great. But you better come home with mom is all I have to say. Can't wait to see you, Mom!!!

Swan Princess

I just couldn't resist. I'm here at the computer, most of the family asleep (amazingly), and Jonah by himself in the other room singing along to Swan Princess.

"I see him smile and then my knees start buckling." And, "She started out as such an ugly duckling, and suddenly she has become a swan...." Of course there are the love songs as well, "Far longer than forever." And "Eternity, eternity, I'll love you for eternity." (or something like that)

He loves this movie and I don't know why but it just makes me smile and laugh. Probably because I know he'd tell you the reason he likes it is because of the "great animal" and the bow and arrows. Every day for the past week at least I'm picking up hangers and pencils (or more recently the dead tulips from outside) off the floor. These are the materials for Jonah's bow and arrows. And toward the end of the movie when Derek is fighting the great animal, Jonah runs for his bow and arrow and gives us all quite a show of being Derek.

And yet, I know he really just likes it for the music. Jonah and I both highly recommend this movie if you haven't yet seen it!

This is before he came up with the clothes hangers and is just using a pen and pencils, but you get the idea.

For Dad

I think Dad would have loved that I have live things growing in my home and really it's no thanks to me. If any of you really know Josh, you know that he's passionate...about what? Well, for the time being, about orchids. His other passions include birding, fishing, paper, me (whoops...did I just say that!). Anyway, so here's about half our orchid collection and only one in the picture is in bloom. But look at that cilantro! I'm not sure what to do with it once it is fully grown...

Back to Dad...he was also a man of many passions. He was the ultimate gardener among other things. When he was diagnosed a few years back with cancer, being the optimist he was, I think he was at least happy that he got to quit his job and finally spend some serious time doing what he loved. Anyway, looking at my window sill this morning I thought of Dad so here are some pictures of him and his passions.

Dad in his Queen Creek garden

Dad with his sweetheart

Dad working in the Gilbert backyard

And all the boys helping...(left to right) Alden, Josh and then my brothers: Ben, Andy, Nate, Dad and Kenny (Todd, where were you?)

My window sill...Josh could tell you all the names of the orchids. I just know that my herbs are finally growing!

Didn't realize this when I married him, but as an added perk, I got all the best of my Dad in him. Love you Josh.