The Case of the Port-a-Potty Tipper...

Several weeks ago when I was on my girls trip (post to come)...I committed to posting on my blog once a week.  I have yet to rise to the occasion.  Seriously, once a week is not a difficult thing to do.  And yet, I have failed.  But in my new spirit of not feeling guilty (I want to be like Carrie when I grow up) I am just going to look ahead and start fresh. 

So what to post about??...

Jury Duty.  I was the fortunate recipient of a jury summons.  Actually, my original summons was for last year at this exact time...but as I was great with child I got a doctors note and was given an extension for 1 year to nurse my baby.  Well, the state of Idaho does not mess around and I was sent my new summons for this week.

This morning my number was called.  So I had to go in.  I will admit, I have always wanted to serve on jury duty.  It would have been much more convenient to serve before I had kids, or even in the past 4 years when it was really easy to get away during the day...but alas they wait until I have an 11 month old who rules the roost. 

So this morning after Jonah and Rachel had left for school I headed out.  I got to the court house and to the jury room as instructed.  They had "Remember the Titans" playing and we sat and sat (I cleaned out my diaper bag) waiting for instruction. 

Finally, my time to participate in upholding the laws of the land.  I had been given a blue badge.  The yellow badges were directed to their court room.  I sat wondering what kind of a case they had been assigned too.  Would it last all day?  Would it run through the week?  I sat and planned my speech to the Judge in the event that the case I was assigned to happened to be the case against my neighbor who shot and killed someone at the Walgreens around the corner last spring.  I would stand and explain to the court that I would need to be removed from the case due to my relationship to the defendant.  (I really didn't have any kind of a relationship with the defendant, but our family did enjoy going to look at their Christmas lights set to music each year--and I knew that would be reason to be excluded from the case.)  It was going to be a very dramatic Oscar winning performance I tell you!

So I sat and sat...played some words with friends with Jane...and sat some more.  Finally, my moment came.  The lady in charge was at the microphone ready to instruct us to our court room.  Instead the judge came in to speak to us.  She explained that the case we were to be assigned to had actually been resolved the night before, but a court clerk or someone had not properly processed the paper work and so we did not get notified.  She was very apologetic for wasting our time, but thought we should know what the case was that we would have the opportunity to decide. 

It seems the defendant was accused of tipping over a port-a-potty with someone in it, and then got in a fight with the man who was inside once he removed himself from said port-a-potty.  Apparently, the defendant finally admitted to having been the tipper.  So there you have it.  My big moment...stripped from me...but alas, I'm grateful to live in a state that isn't afraid to use tax payers money to get down to the bottom of important issues like port-a-potty tippers.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I don't have to go back.  I can't ride this emotional roller coaster again.

Where oh where has my little blog gone...

It has been one year and 2 months since my last confession...or uh...post.  I've had so many posts go through my mind, but getting them actually typed and posted is a totally different story.

I have so much to catch up on it's hard to know where to start, but my intentions are to at the very least post some pictures and then make myself take the time to write.  My intentions for this blog have always been to have a record of some sort for our family...and...to have an outlet where I can vent and share my outlook with anyone who cares. 

This post is already being cut short...by a sweet little crying baby...who I will post about soon!

Have I mentioned I hate May?

I do.  I'm certain that anyone with kids in school will agree with me.  May brings tests, 6,000 projects, end of year programs, teacher gifts, recitals, sports...I could go  on.  I just want it to be done.  Can I also say how lame I think it is to have Kindergarten Graduation.  We are on our 4th Kindergartener and 1st Graduation--thank you Texas for not having the Kinder graduation.  don't worry, I am not planning a protest.  I will go.  I will be happy and excited for Seth, and if I'm in a good mood I may even take a picture or two.

On a more positive note.  We have finally received some nice Spring weather.  What a treat.  I am excited to get out of my house and start working on the yard.  Tonight is the Father/Son campout...the one redeeming thing in May.  Seth has been so excited.  He calls it Father/Son camp.  The only slight drawback is that they are going to the sand dunes to camp which means...lots of sand for me to clean up.  Oh well, it's worth the night of quiet.  Too bad I'm so worn out my usual, late night project/movie night will likely be an early to bed night.

17 days to June!!

In my dreams...

I have it all together.  I dreamed this morning that Jared's brother called me to offer me tickets to a "choir banquet and Tiffany concert".  Tiffany??  Odd.  Anyway, in my dream I was lucid enough to remember that Jonah had a soccer game at 1:30 today and I needed to dip 200 strawberries for Relief Society tomorrow.  So I had to turn him down.  When I woke up I was so proud of myself for rmemebering my schedule, because I generally can't remember what day it is anymore.  Here's to progress--even if it is in an unconscious state.

I don't know if anyone even bothers to look at this anymore...I don't.  But then again, I know there's nothing to look at.  So let me catch you up.  My neglect really stems from 2 things (on top of the regular sports, school, church and music lesson chaos). 

First...last September I was called to be the Relief Society President in our Ward.  This basically means I am over the womens organization in our congregation (women 18 years old - dead).  It is a a big responsibility, but a great blessing to me and our family.  I feel like I have already learned so much. 

Second...I am pregnant.  Technically due Nov. 2, but will likely be late October sometime.  My kids have all been early.  This has been a rough pregnancy so far.  While I have been quite sick with all of them, this one has really kicked me in the behind!  I am 15 weeks, and having more okay days than I have in the past 2 months, but still throwing up and not able to stomache much.  Jared and the kids have been great.  It's been a good opportunity to really get the kids working around here.  They are generally wiling to do their work...I over look the occasional stomping and dirty looks as long as the job gets done.

Rachel just finished up soccer and basketball.  Whew!  She was pretty busy there for a while.  She has a few more weeks of piano until summer break.  She is looking forward to Girls Camp and Soccer Camp at BYU with Sophie P.  We all are lookng forward to seeing Sophie!  In fact last night Seth was asking how many days it's going to be until we get to see her!!  Rachel is doing okay with her diabetes.  After 12 years, I think a lot of days she's had it with the whole thing.  Her blood sugar is harder to control now.  We are working on getting her to be more responsible for herself.  She is a trooper.

I made the executive decision to pull Jonah out of piano.  I just couldn't take it anymore.  He didn't love it, and needed so much help with his practicing and I just couldn't do it anymore.  He is taking violin.  He got one for his birthday and he and his friend Dallin take lessons from Dallin's mom.  They will both be playing in the 6th grade orchestra next year.  Jonah is finishing up his soccer season.  He still is quite timid when it comes to team sports, but he has gotten in there and touched the ball a few times this season and runs with the pack, so we're calling it a success!

Luke is doing well.  He just recieved his wolf in cub scouts.  He's not doing any sports right now...but swim team starts the day after school is out!  He's excited about that.  We still haven't really figured out what to do with him medically.  He's doing "fine" right now...still having seizures, but not feeling sick from the medications, so we've decided not to mess with it. 

Seth keeps Jared and I on our toes...literally.  He is one lucky kid.  All of our kids have had siblings at home at this age...and full day kindergarten.  He has neither!  AND since Jared is working from home now he has us both all to himself every day until 12:45!  He's always got us participating in something.  The other day we found ourselves playing some strange game with a jumprope at 10 in the morning.  Seth is in swimming lessons right now...getting ready for his first swim season.  He's doing great and ready to start competing!  He will also be starting baseball in a couple of weeks.  He is on a team with his friend Kasey.  Kasey made it clear from the beginning he DID NOT want to be hitting off a tee.  So coach pitch it is!  It will be fun to watch.  Seth is a go getter when it comes to sports.  And this will be much different than our last experience with baseball--that would be in 2005 when Jared thought it would be a good idea to sign up all 3 kids at the same time in TEXAS!  It was miserable.  He now agrees that was not a wise choice.  Fortunately the weather here is much more agreeable to sporting events.

Not much else to tell.  I am so tired of school I can hardly wait for it to be over!  Never thought you'd hear me say that did ya?!?  I really am this year.  I am so tired of the reading logs and the ridiculous Kindergarten homework, and the lame projects.  I don't have time for busy work.  And with all 4 kids swimming confidently this year I figure we can just spend lots of time at the pool.

22 days and counting....

What did you do for Spring Break??

We went sheep shearing.  Exotic I know.  I will take you on a picture tour...

The company logo.

The Ellison brand.

Poor little sheepy.

Annie, Travis and the boys.

This is my favorite picture...you can see another herd being brought in in the distance.

Eating at the cookhouse.

The cute little lambs. 

Bails of wool.

It is always so fun and interesting to watch.  After the sheep adventure we did enjoy a real Spring Break.  Jared took the kids to Los Angeles...I went to Salt Lake for my own little break.  Life is good!

I've always been a firm believer in this philosophy, however...

Jared's not buying it...

"The boy who won the trophy"

I'm sure many of you have had the privilege of hearing me on my soapbox ranting and raving about trophies.  I am not a fan of the trophy...and even before Pat Gray dubbed the rising generation "trophy kids" I was taking a stand. 

I have a big sister who is quite accomplished.  As a kid she EARNED many trophies.  Some for winning tennis tournaments, others for placing in the Elementary Reflections Contest.  I used to marvel at all of her trophies sitting on her shelf in her room.  I myself had no need for a shelf because I had no trophies.  And I was okay with that.  (editors note:  I was the stick pull champion for my age group for 3 years in the Stake Olympics..I believe they gave me some sort of a medal)

Anywho...My parents came up this weekend for my twin nephews 1st birthday, and with them they brought all our "stuff".  I guess my sisters and I are officially "out of the house"!  Ann had a whole box full of her trophies. 

Sunday night we all went to Annie's for the twins birthday dinner.  It was lovely.  The festivities also included a haircut for Cael...pictures to be posted later...and a mean game of balloon darts.  For those of you who have not played balloon darts before, you blow up your balloon...don't tie it and then let it go and try to hit a target.  The person with the most points wins...or in our case when my dad is taking score, the kid who is the worst loser wins.  That would be Seth.  In this case the prize for the winner was one of Ann's old trophies with a sticker over the name plate that said "1st place ballon darts 2010".

While I think that the biggest contributing factor to Seth's poor sportsmanship is that people let him win too much...I do have to say that I was kind of glad that he got the trophy.  All his siblings have a few trophies for swimteam, soccer, and various other activities (of which they were NEVER in first place and therefore in my opinion should not have received a trophy). 

Let me tell you this trophy has already gone a LONG way!  He is so proud.  Yesterday he asked if he could take it to school to show his class.  I said, "Um, NO!"  He then asked if he could tell all his friends about it..."Sure".

Last night Luke's friend Ashley stayed for dinner.  Mid-way through dinner Seth disappeared and then returned with his trophy which was proudly displayed on the table and an inappropriate amount of boasting was done. 

Later in the evening, Jonah was trying to get Seth away from his school project he was working on.  He pushed Seth out of the way and Seth yelled, "Hey, don't hurt the boy who won the trophy!"  Clearly, the balloon darts win has really gone to his head.