Candi Candi Candi

The story of a bear; or love defined

2009-08-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

In the beginning there was a little girl

and the girl found a bear.
The girl loved the bearan took the bear everywhere she went

and the girl was happy
The bear got dirty
The bear got washed
The girl grew

The bear stayed her best friend
The bear lost a leg

The bear had his leg sown back on

The bear returned from whence he came
To see his grown up friends
He stayed with the girland the girl was happy

Isaac's 5th birthday party

2009-07-13T13:53:00.001-07:00

Let me start by saying that Isaac is five, and it is great. I think he finally got what birthdays are all about and why they are associated with numbers.
Also we had Shane from "Scales and Tails of Utah" come to the party and he could not have been better. I almost feel like persuading Kaitlyn to have a snake party also.
That said, there was a hiccup in the event this year. Isaac is child number one, so he gets all the experiments. The experiment this year was a friend birthday party. Isaac was in preschool all of last year and is a very social guy, he always told me stories about all of his friends when he came home. I have always thrown family parties for him, but I figured now was his chance to have all of his five year old friends over. We gave out invitations with brightly colored snakes in them on the last day of school a month ago to all 17 kids in his class.
Not one of them came.
Why?
Is it because his birthday is in July or is it because all but two of the kids in his class were Mexican? I am not being derogatory when I say Mexican, I could say the US census word "hispanic," but as everyone of those kids was from Mexico I don't see the point.

I'll be honest, I'm hurt. I've defended this little elementary school all year saying that these little folks from Mexico were doing the best anybody could, that their parents were focusing on their educations and that they were well cared for and polite and that Isaac was in no way suffering from having an entire class of kids that were different than him.
Apparently different to them meant they couldn't be friends.
I've tried to be good and be tolerant and not care that my neighbors aren't legal and they eat goats, but I also want my son to have friends. I guess when the Mexicans live in a community with so many other that are the same as them they don't have to be friends with the one white family on the West side of Salt Lake, but what are we supposed to do?
Luckily when the snake guy put the scorpion inside his mouth Isaac forgot that none of his friends came.
I realize that probably a lot of this is my fault because I am not very good at making friends, it takes me about three years to be friends with someone. Even if all of those ladies that waited outside the preschool door with me had spoken English I doubt that we would have talked much more. I waved to Jennifer's mom at Walmart once, I thought we were making headway.
At least Isaac still had a great party, once Shane, the snake guy, realized Isaac got shorted on the friends he pulled out all the stops with a scorpion, a lizard, and a tarantula. Plus Isaac and Kaitlyn got to hold all the snake they could handle.

And then my brain fell out: or, Why I love text messaging

2009-04-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

I wonder if I'm the only one who does this..

Do you know the moment in sappy movies when someone says “Penny for your thoughts” or “What are you thinking right now?” Invariably the response is some deep and romantic thought. I live in fear of these moments. At least my husband has realized my secret. At any given moment there is nothing going through my head. Absolutely nothing. It’s worse if I hear a song, then I can’t even try to think of something else. I admit there are a few times when my mind wanders into really bizarre territory, but this is not very often. I believe this is one of the reasons I’m not a very good driver, or gardener, or pick my son up from school-er.

Leaving a message on an answering machine is a particularly obvious instance of this. If you’ve ever gotten a message from me, you understand what I’m talking about. This is how it goes:

I think of a reason to talk to someone long enough to get the phone in my hand.
(if I can’t find the phone or I have a wrong number, I completely stop the process and probably never try again, also explaining why some people who should have gotten messages from me never did.)
I find the number in my phone and dial, contemplating any weird spellings or funny patterned numbers. If, at this point, I don’t start chanting the reason I am calling, all is lost.
(if, however, I text at this moment-hallelujah-I sound like an intelligent person)
(chant reason in head, i.e. babysitter at 3, babysitter at 3, babysitter at 3, babysitter, that’s a funny word, why don’t they say baby watcher, or baby holder, or...)
The phone begins to ring, I count the rings, don’t ask me why, I don’t know, I must count. I like it when the rings are multiples of four, but it never is.
I listen to the greeting message, I wonder if I need to leave my number, I wonder if the person knows what they sound like on the phone, I wonder a lot of things and at this point my mind is completely blank
I am always surprised by the beep, I forgot it was coming.
stunned silence, I can’t remember why on earth I have made this phone call.
I stammer, I say something about calling me back and possibly needing a favor as fast as I can, I remember to say my name and I think I say my number, but at this point, it could be anyone’s number, then if I piece anything together I am cut off by the answering machine.
Mission accomplished.

I like to think of myself as a pretty rational individual, I can usually make intelligent comments in my classes at the U--not Sunday School, however, I can never read scriptures in church because I am always on the wrong one. My attention is always captured by dust motes or a dirty mark on the back of a chair between when I hear the scripture reference and when I get around to raising my hand. When I actually focus, I manage to write coherent sentences, finish the dishes, and change the laundry before it mildews. I like to think that most days I manage a respectable amount of focus, but I know there are times when my mind just falls out, takes a personal day, leaves me like the scarecrow stuck on a pole. The worst days are those days when Spencer comes home and asks me what I did all day and it’s a blank. I try to remember, but the best I come up with is a lot of giggling and cereal stuck to my socks.

Kaitlyn saying "chocolate"

2009-03-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

I promise that's what she's saying. We have to avoid certain aisles in the grocery store...

Youtube of Isaac skiing

2009-02-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

Isaac's primary talk

2009-02-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

Isaac had his first ever primary talk today. He got to talk about how the priesthood blesses his family, this is the talk:

I am going to talk about the Priesthood.

In James chapter 5 verse 14 it says
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

This means when people are sick or hurt they can ask for a priesthood blessing to get better.

In the Friend this month there was a story about President Monson when he was young. Pres. Monson was on a boat in the Navy when one of his friends got sick. The sick man asked Pres. Monson to give him a priesthood blessing to help him feel better. Pres. Monson gave him a blessing and in the morning he felt better.

This is a picture of my daddy and he got really sick last week. Our friend Josh Davies came to give him a priesthood blessing and now daddy is getting better.

I’m glad we have the priesthood to help us, and that my daddy can give me a blessing if I get sick or hurt.

He got to hold up the picture of Pres. Monson from the Friend and I also printed this picture of Spencer and him for him to hold. He did really great, he spoke very clearly into the microphone and everything. He did have to breath heavily into the microphone every chance he got, but I think that sort of adds to the effect of the four year old talk.

Kaitlyn's big girl room

2009-02-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

This Kaitlyn's new big girl bed that she is very excited about. Lots of fluffy covers and pillows.
She's a little bit swallowed up, but she still has managed to fall out of the bed twice since she's had it.
It's a trundle bed with drawers so she is actually on two mattresses-in case she has sleepovers, but then after we built the bed in her room we realized you can't pull the trundle out unless you shut the doors, and Kaitlyn is not quite big enough to get the trundle ready all by herself.
This is her flower night light, it's actually her favorite part of the room, and of course the princess decals.
Her new big girl dresser.
And sort of a whole room view, it's a very small room, but she is a very small girl. So there you go.

I have called a retreat and am waving the white flag...

2009-02-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

So Kaitlyn and I have been in a battle, there have been casualties on either side and I am conceding a temporary defeat so that she will cease fire. It began on a Monday morning just over four weeks ago with a great quantity of princess panties and a tiny toilet. Now my background is from Isaac who potty trained in about three weeks when he was two years and seven months old. We were in daycare then and I saw all of these three year olds who refused to be potty trained and were cognizant of the power they had over their parents. Not me, I vowed, I would potty train before the child was old enough to realize that his or her parents were desperate, I would get them early.

It was a cold morning when Kaitlyn was two years and three months of age, and I figuring that girls learn earlier than boys, thought we had as good a shot as any. For four weeks it came in fits and starts with really good days and abismally bad days, Kaitlyn telling me she needed to go potty every 10 minutes whenever we were out, especially at Ikea where the labrynthian store made sure I walked at least four miles that day, and me living in fear of carrying her on my shoulders. Oh sure, we made progress, but then like Hansel and Gretle of old I could find my way back to her room by a trail of pebbles that no pigeon would eat.

Until her final and unbeatable strategy came as the clock struck one and a half yesterday. She had done well early on waking up dry until after I took Isaac to pre-school at 11:15AM, there is no mistaking that bowlegged walk and the smell that follows as she tried to sneak away undetected, but I rallied, #2 is hard to manage, it took Isaac the longest, so we suited up with new pants and an explanation of the benefit plan where a glorious assortment of raisins and stickers could be hers if she just stayed clean and dry. We continued an hour later, an urgent cry of "Mommy!" had me running, but sadly too late. More of the scat, a nigh unthinkable amount of the brown ruiner of destinies packed down the sides of her pants. This almost brought me down, I have killed a dog over lesser evils (alas a story for a different post, not entirely on purpose, but it was my hand that signed the release). Anyway, to return, I cleaned her off and set her on the potty, shutting the door of the bathroom so that she might ponder what she had done. I took a 15 minute break to shower and get a cool head about me, when I returned to the incarcerated I realized I had made some critical error because there was laughter and singing on the other side of the bathroom door, not sounds of penitent remorse. I creaked open the cell door and saw red, quite literally, the entire bathroom and it's occupant were redecorated with red dry erase marker. I need to now buy stock in the company that makes "magic eraser." My tiny terrorist was covered with war markings on her face and completely colored-in legs and feet. I could see it was not the time to hold grudges any longer so we made up, I clad her in her last pair of shorts and we danced to my bathroom where she helped me apply my war paint. Newly refreshed and bonded I was sure the worst of the day was over, we reconvened to the living room, not even 10 minutes later she delivered her final Machiavellian maneuver and uttered the words "uh oh, poop." She did not run to the bathroom as I urged and I was almost relieved that she had misspoke, for it was only pee, but then I watched in horror as the stream of liquid ran down her red legs and off her red feet and dyed the carpet. That's when I threw in the towel and a lot of "kids n' pets."

well, anyway...

2009-02-01T11:49:00.000-08:00

I have really meant to make a post for awhile now, but whatever. Since January I am in school, Isaac is in school, and Spencer is in school. Kaitlyn is potty training and it is not going well, thanks for asking. Isaac is on a basketball team, both of the kids are in swimming lessons, and I have committed to being at the gym 4-6 times a week. Inherent in that list are the bulk of my goals and resolutions for the coming year, I'll let you know how it works out. I am hoping on this blog to post things that would be helpful to others, like a list of my favorite cookbooks, or how the battle between Kaitlyn and I about the potty is going, we'll see--I'm just not sure I can customize it to do what I want. Also I have some killer video of the kids that I have been collecting with our new digital video camera so hopefully when I figure out iDVD my posts are going to be awesome. That's it for now, just wanted to post something before I forgot about it again.

Isaac draws a giraffe

2008-11-24T22:16:00.000-08:00

This kid just loves to draw and he is trying really hard to get it right, this is the second giraffe he drew (in the first one he couldn't figure out where to draw the trunks). Anyway, we looked up a picture of a giraffe, no trunks, and I think he did awesome.

fourth folder, fourth photo

2008-11-17T11:07:00.001-08:00

okay, this is the 4th 4th picture, it is from a Halloween party in 2003. The two people we still hang out with are Doug on the right and the guy in the hat is Tom.

This is also from the same party, I think it's a better representation of Jake, Spencer, Doug, and Tom. I believe at that time they would have been playing ATV Off Road Fury: Hockey. This was a funny thing to do, thanks Megan. Okay I tag Gina, as long as you have finished what you need to finish.

School Pictures!

2008-11-10T20:46:00.001-08:00

Isaac got his school pictures back today, his first school pictures ever, and they came out so great!

And now, Halloween pictures

2008-11-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

A joker-esque face on batman
These brief picture taking moments were the only times Kaitlyn would wear the hat
Still, she was pretty happy to be a princess witch
This is an action shot of batman
Here he is actually pretty happy, and I believe that is the hoof of a big horned sheep in the background.

And no, I could not get a decent picture of the two of them together. Their brains were addled by the expectation of candy candy candy.

3 of 3

2008-11-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

This last post is why I pay taxes.
I pay taxes because I want to be an American, not just because of the accident of where I was born, but because I bought and paid for this great country. It is mine and I own it, at least a part of it. I know that I do not pay as much as someone who earns more then $250,000 a year, but is my contribution really so small that the government, my government, counts it as nothing at all? I sincerely hope that the people are asked again before our right to own a piece of this great country is taken away. I, for one, cherish my freedom to stand tall as a stock holder in my own country.
Maybe it is time for me to be the change I expect to see.

2 of 3

2008-11-06T12:16:00.000-08:00

Ahh, the political rant,
I have much to say, but I am not sure that all of my unrest needs spewed to everyone else, here goes.

Rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant rant.

I feel better.

I will say one thing about Katie Couric. After McCain's concession speech she said something to the effect that we must remember that there were valid reasons to support McCain that were not about race.
Thanks Katie, for tacitly calling all republicans racist for the whole campaign. Thanks for letting conservatives off the hook now that McCain has conceded defeat. Great, politics of fear not being touted by either campaign, but by the media.
I have not been trusting the media to be unbiased, but I had thought there were no lines the media would not cross in pursuit of a story, not even the position of loyal American troupes stuck in the invasion of a hostile country. But no there is a line, it's a half-black man endorsed by Oprah Winfrey.

And then finally : Socialism?!?

1 of 3

2008-11-06T12:04:00.000-08:00

I have not felt like posting anything for awhile for a few reasons. First I was very excited to post about my birthday and my lovely Imac, but than, the day after my birthday our house was burgled. I did not think I could recover from the loss of 16 months of pictures, almost all of Kaitlyn's life, gone on the skateboard of a teenager already on probation for criminal deeds. And four year old Isaac afraid to sleep because bad men, who looked like mice with red eyes, would come to take his things and his doggie blanket. However, now as our old lost things are being replaced with brand new things the grieving process for material possessions has come to an end. The second reason I have not felt like posting is that I have many political rants festering in the recesses of my brain, for that I turn to post 2 of 3.

A perfect princess

2008-10-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

I actually took this picture of Kaitlyn in her ringlets awhile ago, but I just loaded it onto my computer and it is so fun to play with pictures in iphoto that I had to post it. So this post is as much of an homage to my new imac as it is to my tiny princess in her ringlets, ribbons, and ruffles.

Chalk and School Clothes

2008-10-07T20:36:00.001-07:00

So Isaac suggested that we play with chalk before pre-school and of course because covered in dusty pinks, purples, and greens. He was just so darn happy while he did it, I couldn't even scold him for dirtying up his school clothes before school.

Toe painting

2008-10-05T12:05:00.001-07:00

This was our in between conference sessions activity. Isaac wanted to toe paint so I taped paper on the floor, squirted on finger paint, and let them go. Isaac was thrilled; it appealed to his artistic tendencies, the delight he gets from being a mess, and his hunger for thrill rides all at once. Kaitlyn was a little disgusted with me that I kept putting her feet in the paint and refused to get off the rug while Isaac created a multi colored slip 'n' slide. I also think they liked being hosed down afterward in the shower just as much as the walking in paint, or more in Kaitlyn's case. So per as Pres. Monson's request today will not be an empty yesterday (or lasterday as Isaac would say).

Kaitlyn on the computer

2008-10-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

She thinks she's so grown up. Whenever I leave the computer open she climbs right up and starts to "work." She also cannot resist having her picture taken.

Indian and the Jones

2008-09-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

So today Isaac wanted to watch "Indian and the Jones" and I figured the Last Crusade was the least graphic for the beginning. As we are watching the whole Young Indiana bit I realized that it is totally Arches National Park in Moab where the scout troupe is riding their little donkeys. Also there is an elaborate cave system under Moab? and there was a circus train that came right through the park that travels through a countryside of fir trees. Sorry that was my morning, and I just wanted to tell someone.

New School Clothes

2008-09-18T11:31:00.001-07:00

So this is not the first day of school post or even the second, but we finally broke down and bought Isaac school clothes last night and I thought he looked so dapper I had to post his picture. (Kaitlyn does not have new clothes, but she likes to be in pictures.) We hadn't bought Isaac any new clothes yet because it's still like 90 degrees everyday and you know, when you don't have kids in school you just buy clothes as needed. However, now his preschool has a uniform dress code so he can only wear blue, white, or khaki with no logos. This brought us to the Gap sale rack last night and now he is a sharp dressed man. I suppose this is now to be the routine every year and we got off pretty lightly with only $100.00. It's just weird, times and seasons and all that.

My political statement

2008-09-08T11:12:00.001-07:00

I don't exactly comment on politics very often, but I have one thing to say. I don't want to be forced into doing something good. America was not founded on the idea of it's people being coerced into "doing the right thing". We are a nation that knows the choices and freedoms of one human being can make the difference for millions and I believe most of us humans are good beings out there trying to make a difference. I am a good person, I love to help others, I just want the freedom to be kind and generous and nation oriented how I see fit. I don't want someone else deciding for me through taxes or community programs how I should be helping my fellow man or woman. I think Sabrina is right on her blog, freedom is what's missing from this election. I wanted a president who I could be proud of, right now I'd just settle for one that isn't always telling me what to do.

All I know is I finally got this to work

2008-09-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is an homage to West High's class of 1998 and 1997. Everything you say in high school can and will come back to haunt you over and over again.

New school semester

2008-08-29T13:20:00.000-07:00

Okay I don't have a picture of me going to class, but I figured this was better anyway and pool rhymes with school so there. I just started my new classes, History and Philosophy of Music Education & Music Bibliography, and honestly I am looking forward to these classes. I thought I wouldn't like the bibliography class because I took that same class at BYU and well, I may get struck by lightening if I write this, but it was a total waste of space. That class was ridiculously tedious for no good reason and every assignment I did was totally bogus. The only reason this class seems better this time is the professor is not the biggest nerd on the planet and I actually need a thesis or project to graduate this time around. Last time I was a graduate performance student so I only needed to do a recital. After this semester I will be halfway done with my program-woohoo.

Inaugural Book Club Gala

2008-08-21T14:03:00.000-07:00

So tonight is the opening of the book club I am starting. I got tired of hearing about everyone else's clubs and I want one too. If you are reading this, let's assume you are my friend and that you should be invited to join my club of books, but for most of you distance is an issue. (Megan if you are reading this I want to invite you, but I knew you are busy tonight) So I will be attempting to create a blog of books to keep everyone in the know. Stay tuned.

All I know is...

2008-08-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

The end of the Criddle adventure at Beaver Ridge

2008-08-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

Zip Line

2008-08-12T11:19:00.001-07:00

We have so much to thank the boy scouts for...

Beaver Ridge

2008-08-12T11:01:00.001-07:00

Good Morning, Breakfast
Party Tent
Art Time
Foliage

Little sister

2008-07-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Now that Isaac has a new bike Kaitlyn gets his old tricycle which she has been eying for quite some time. She can't get her feet down to the pedals so when we go out to ride bikes she has to be pushed around like a princess or she yells at you.

Bicycle Bicycle Bicycle

2008-07-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Isaac got a big kid bike for his birthday and yes he has a helmet he just hadn't opened it yet. I think he figures he actually is Spiderman when he rides the bike. It has training wheels, but he is learning how to stop without dragging his feet on the pavement and how to honk the horn.

Birthday Birthday Birthday

2008-07-15T11:20:00.001-07:00

So Isaac has just reached the great age of 4 and he either wanted a firebreathing dragon cake or a purple bunny cake. It was a close one, but in the end the dragon won out. I made it out of cupcakes which was nice because then I didn't have a bunch of cake left over for like a week afterward. His birthday was pretty fun even though I didn't throw a big party for him this year, let's be honest though, he was more interested in presents then in anything else.

maybe maybe maybe

2008-06-06T02:37:00.000-07:00

Don't get too excited, but I thought I might try this again.
I have recently realized that my scholastic ambitions are a little unrealistic in that the establishment expects me to take 49 credits of undergraduate work, along with the 32 credits of graduate work, to certify while gaining a masters in music education. I am not giving up by any means and I expect to have a definate heart to heart with my counselor, as soon as I can decide who that is exactly, to trim those credits down to a reasonable level. I may, however, shift my ambitions slightly to fit my particular skill set. Where can I work with a masters in music education, but without the teacher certification necessary to educate in the public primary and secondary institutions? Bear in mind that I cannot currently play my axe at the level with which I gained my performance based bachelors. I am going to find such a place and then decide if I want to be employed there; be it a charter or private school or teaching under the moniker of a qualified professional in the public sector. I believe this is possible, any helpful comments would be appreciated. Good night, and good luck.