Hair- for a good cause....

November- the Month I am DOING HAIR!

What? Katie is coming out of retirement? For one month and for one month only... or maybe more, we'll see.


The truth is- we are being extremely careful with our money right now, knowing that we might being spend a small fortune on moving our family to NY. And normally I am ok with tightening my budget a little bit...

But right now I am desperate (and I mean desperate) for some time alone with my guy. It has been a few years since we had a night alone. I am not talking about a date night. We get those (thanks to swapping hair cuts with fabulous babysitters), I am talking about a whole night together. The kind of night where you do what you want (go ahead and interpret that how you like), and then wake up whenever you want, without little blankies and binkies creeping into bed, without an alarm clock, without any distractions or obligations. Just us.

These past few years have been stressful. And although I appreciate the anxiety of choosing between two goods (UR or UW) over the stress of coping with the unknown- it is still difficult. The closer we get to moving, the more I realize that living close to family (who can help watch kids) will be ending. And I realize that the long dreamt of night alone could be postponed for a very long time...

SO- instead of breaking our budget, starving our kids, or sleeping in a tent in the back yard- - - I am going to do hair for a month! :)

I am hoping this is a Win- Win.

I know there are a few of you who have wanted to sneak into my house and get your hair done, and I know there are a few more of you whose house I want to sneak into to do your hair! (just kidding, I just had to say it) so- I will be available in the evenings all month, or the weekends of Nov 5ht and 26th.

Call me, facebook me, show up at my house (ok, don't do that)- just let me know.
:)

Oh the Irony...

JT got an email today from the University of Washington. He was asked to come and interview for a spot in their MEDEX Physician Assistant Program -- yep, that's right---

After we have been accepted to the University of Rochester's program - U.W. decides to ask him to interview for their P.A. school.

Was it all of you praying to keep us here?

Was it the Alumni P.A.'s that work with JT at the Hospital - who called U.W. to tell them that they are anxious to hire JT and need him to get accepted so that he can start working as a P.A. at Valley?

Was it the fact that this year U.W. did not mess up his paper work (like they did last year!) and realized that he is a perfect candidate for their program?

Or is it simply the irony of life?

And what does this mean for us?

Who knows.


I guess if he gets accepted JT will need to do some serious soul searching to decide what will be the better fit for him. Nurse Anesthetist or Physician Assistant? (let's be honest, my vote will probably be for the more lucrative of the two careers) And I guess where our family actually belongs right now.


Who knows.


So, let's take an already stressful situation of trying to downsize, finding a place in Rochester, while getting our house ready to show to complete strangers, hoping that one of them will be a reliable renter and then throw in on top of it all- an interview at U.W. and the possibility of not leaving Washington at all.

Apparently my life wasn't crazy enough.

9:15 p.m.

Saturday Night. 9:15 p.m. Just got home from a Halloween Party and I am trying to get my kids in bed. We are doing our Family Scripture Study and this is the conversation.

Me: "...they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord..." (2 Nephi 5:20)

Blake: What does it mean "they were cut off from the presence of the Lord?"

Me: (thinking to myself - What? You are actually paying attention??) Well,( I begin slowly, carefully choosing my words) they were not listening to Jesus anymore and so they were not able to feel His love for a while. (Uggh! Did I even answer that right? I know how to answer these questions for a teenager, or a class, or an investigator- but my 3 year old?)

Riley: I don't hear Heavenly Father or Jesus. Will I be cut off?

Me: (oh no!) No, sweetie, we are always trying to be good listeners to Heavenly Father. You are a good listener.

Riley: But I don't hear Him.

Me: Well, we hear Jesus with out hearts. Can you close your eyes, and be very quiet? Then you can feel His love in your heart. (*sigh* I did it. That was perfect, now my daughter will have a chance to feel and identify the Spirit! I am awesome.)

Riley: Nope. He is still far away in Heaven.

Me: (what? that isn't what I was expecting)

Blake: When I die, will I go to Heaven?

Me: (what?!)

Riley: Then you can hear Heavenly Father and Jesus and you won't get cut off.

Blake: I don't want to die. (tearing up)

Me: (oh crap! what do I do now?)

Me: Blake it is ok. You will not be cut off from anyone. Heavenly Father loves you so much.

Blake: I don't want to go to Heaven. Mommy, I just want to be with you!

Me: Don't worry, I will be there too. And so will Daddy and our whole family. We will all be together with Jesus.

Riley: Is Daddy going to die?

Me: (seriously?? it is 9:15 p.m. why are we having this discussion right now- after a Halloween Party- when your dad isn't even here to help me! why are we even awake right now!?) Sweetie, everyone will die someday, but we get to be together forever. So we don't need to be sad tonight. (preparing to launch into the 4th discussion and start teaching about the sealing ordinances of the Temple... of course, I taught the discussions in Malagasy- so the kids probably wouldn't understand any of it)

Blake: Well.... can I have some more candy?

Riley: No, Blake, it is time for bed! Let's pray, I'm tired.

Me: (...... speechless......)

Blake: I love you mommy.


It is now 9:45 p.m. on Saturday Night and I am in shock. Not sure whether to call that a pass or fail - guess it is just survival. If nothing else it was pretty comical.

I am starting to really understand how much of my job as a mother is being a Teacher. I remember as an EFY Counselor they would constantly remind us to be alert to "Teaching Moment" - little golden opportunities to teach, testify, or uplift one of our youth. They counseled us that these moments would rarely come in a classroom or from a pulpit. But from walks on campus, talks in the cafeteria, or late nights eating pizza. I have told myself as a Mother that I will need to be on the look out for these moments- someday. (who knew that someday was today?) I have reminded myself that no matter the effort I put into teaching my Sunday School kids the scriptures, or sharing the Gospel with my neighbors- if I am missing the "Teaching Moments" at home- I am missing the mark. Most of us have heard David O. McKay's quote "No other success can compensate for failure in the home" (p.s. after scouring the internet all night for a reference to the talk where he said those profound words I just discovered that President McKay was actually quoting someone else - J.E. McCulloch to be exact, which led me to this blog that I really enjoyed- who knew?). I have always liked that saying and usually tied it to careers or other success we might see unrelated to our families. But tonight- I realized that it is any success. Whether I am the best missionary, the best Sunday School teacher (which I totally am... cough cough), or best anything- if I am not the best mom- the rest of it will hardly matter.

This post has a Part II.... I know, I have never done that before. But it is late- and I have a lot of thoughts that follow this.

For now, I will go to bed picturing Blake's innocent little teary eyes saying how he doesn't want to die and me wanting to kiss him and squeeze him and tell him that he will be fine and he will never die. But that isn't true, and I can't tell him that. I can tell him- he will always - always- be mine. And he will probably look into my eyes... and ask for more Halloween Candy.

In Denial

Here it is- 7:30p.m., my kids are sound asleep, JT is at work, and I am on my computer. This is so unlike me. I have a ton of things I should be doing- besides the normal things like cleaning my bathrooms, sweeping the floor, and polishing my nails. I should be getting things done.

I should be searching for housing, figuring out costs. I should be downsizing, decluttering, and donating all of our accumulated stuff that won't fit it in our tiny apartment in NY. I should be budgeting, planning, and organizing. I should even (as a friend recently suggested) be making my Bucket List of things I need (ok, really, just want) to do before I move across the map!

But what am I doing? Blogging. Why? I am in denial.

I can't seem to wrap my brain around all of this. And every time I do, I get overwhelmed. So I am rambling on the internet! I even checked out facebook, browsed on pinterest, and watched a youtube video. (things I never do!)

But seriously -- I'm stalling.

So here is what I am going to do. First, I am going to go clean my carpets... ok, not really, the Kirby Guy is coming back to do that any minute. First, I am going to let the Kirby Guy clean my carpets for free. Then I am going to go listen to the Relief Society Broadcast that I missed the other night. And after that, I am going to start on my Bucket List. That's right. No NY tonight. No cleaning, no planning, no stressing, no moving.

Now I have told you all what I am going to do. (therefore making me somewhat accountable to get up and do something) This is what YOU are going to do. What?! Sorry, it's too late to pretend like you are not reading this post. I know you are, I can see you on my stats. (that's not true, Josh tried to help me figure that out months ago and I have been too lazy to look at it ever since.... but if I wanted to- I could see you on my stats -- if Josh reminded me how -- and know that you are reading this!)

So - your job- is to help me come up with that Bucket List! (or come declutter my house - your choice) What are the things we have said we wanted to do together? What are the things I will wish I had done when I am gone? (those of you who have actually moved for something other than a mission will be able to help me with this one) What are the things that I have put off or forgotten about? How can we make the most of our time before I go?

Now, leave me a comment, plan the event, and find me a babysitter. :)

Thanks - I feel much better now.

It's all relative...

Blake is officially potty trained. Thank You. Thank You. But please, hold your applause till the end of the post.

(Side Note: For all of you who wonder what my children actually look like- I tried to add a pic of my little guy right *here* but Blogger hates me too much and would not stop showing me the dumb exclamation mark in the triangle saying it was waiting for the pics that never came!! uggh! I try, I really do, it is hard to be hated by technology-- pouty face)


Anyways, we decided Pooping in the Toilet was about as big of an accomplishment as we could ask of our little 3 year old guy. It was a rough go at first. And he has been willing for a while to do #1 in the toilet, but still going to his favorite hiding place to do #2 in his pull up.

So a few months ago- I bribed him.

This is how I know Bribes Don't Work. (At the beginning of summer I bribed Riley with a Barbie Doll if she would jump off the diving board with her cousins at her Grandma's house. No go. She did not care at all about a prize- she would not jump in. Then a few months later we were there with our friends and out of the blue she jumps in! No bribing, no begging, just her own free will - of course she immediately reminded me of the Barbie I had promised months before! ) With Blake I bribed him with cars and monster trucks to just "do a poopie in the toilet" - that was two months ago. And although cars and trucks are his favorite he wouldn't take the bait.

Finally last week, of his own free will he did it. Just sat on the toilet and pooped. He was excited to show me what he called his "little poop" and then proceeded to remind me of the little car I owed him. I took him to Fred Meyer and he chose a single Hot Wheel. "Wow, that was easy" I thought "I was expecting him to go for the talking Lightning McQueen or that two foot Monster Truck! but no, he picks the smallest car here!" I patted myself on the back for a great bribe and a frugal child and we went home.

The next day he did it again. He was just as excited to show me his "long poop" and then proceeded to tell me that he would now take a "Limousine Car" and maybe tomorrow he would have a "Big Poop" so he could get the "Big Monster Truck"!!!

Not only does my son think each poop gets it's own vehicle- he thinks that the size of the poop is relative to the size of the reward!!

I am going to be in big trouble when he is a teenager!