gummy bears

Okay, so we made an unexpected and much-needed trip to Target with the kids tonight. Man, was that wild! I went through a whole bag of gummy bears to keep people "happy" and still there was whining, shoes continually coming off, kids demanding to "walk" (but not with you), minor injuries, sibling fighting/teasing... all while we were trying to buy important and expensive items for the house. You think this move is causing my children to need a little more attention? Ummm, YAH!

just like Christmas

It's so nice to unpack your stuff and find that specific item you've been needing. We had stacks of boxes all over but today we made some progress. My job was the kitchen and I worked on the kids bathroom... and I would have done more but I laid on the couch with a fever, and clogged head. Ross is an amazing unpacker. Our basement, living room, family room and our bedroom are lookin' good thanks to Ross. I'm so glad he took today off of work.

Allen and Abby are EXCITED about everything! They LOVE this house. they LOVE when I find a box of toys they haven't seen in a while, they LOVE the yard, they SMILE at the new neighbors we've met, they found fireflies FASCINATING, they were THRILLED to watch Daddy mow the lawn. It was kind of fun to go buy a lawn mower -- this yard thing is a first in 6 years of marriage.

My FAVORITE thing of the day was unpacking my china (which has traveled across the country and been stacked in every student housing cupboard...). It finally has a place of it's own!!

I was so giddy I seriously started jumping up and down with glee. (Mom, I posted this picture just for you! Notice my bouquet on top -- still looks like it did on my wedding day.)

So, except for my cold, headache and fever, it's been a very good day. Excuse me while I go grab another tissue.

Home Sweet Home!

We did it! We bought a house in Northern Virginia.

We refer to this place (to the kids) as "the house with blue shutters."

For the curious folk, this house was built in 1961, has 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, has a fenced-in backyard (which I love!), is next to an elementary school (which the kids love!), and is a 6-minute walk to the train (which Ross loves!)

Click on the photos below to a have a peek inside. (Of course, the furniture you see is not ours.)

Send me an email if you would like our new address :)

passing the time

I took a break from packing and came downstairs to see what the kids were doing. Allen was still watching Beauty and the Beast, but Abby was playing with some new "toys" she found in a kitchen drawer. Whatever keeps her happy, right?

summertime

This video was a performance we enjoyed on our cruise ship last August, which Ross found on youtube. (We were sitting to the left of the piano, but you can't see us). This musician, WT Greer, was awesome. We heard him perform on the boat a few different times. Awwww... the memories of our cruise in Hawaii.

stuck in my head

Remember Biff from Back to the Future? Well, he's a comedian and he made up a song with answers to questions that people ask him. Ross showed me this video this morning... it's kind of funny. Since it's stuck in my head it gives me something to hum to while I pack.

Bust a move!

Okay. I'm really excited to move into a house. And I'm more excited to know that we will NOT be moving again next summer. This our 6th move in 6 years. Call me crazy, but I think it will be good to call a place home for a little while.

Some "fun" memories of move #6:

• Ross packing 11 boxes in one day
• Someone knocking on the door (with their realtor) wanting to see your house right in the middle of mopping the kitchen floor. Too bad my phone number was listed wrong so I never got the message.
• A full dining room full of boxes.
• Finding the security system (oh! Is that where it is?) in our closet
• Trying to pack with two active kids who will do ANYTHING to get your attention.
• Keeping the house somewhat in order because you never know when a realtor is going to stop by. Sometimes you don't get the message. (i.e. A realtor knocked on my door RIGHT in the middle of naptime. (I was napping too. You can't really ignore them because they have a key to enter. What can you do? Hide in the closet?)
• Going without things you because efficient Ross already packed it. (Where is my ladle?)

And don't worry... the fun continues for a few more days.

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People have asked what the kids think of all this. So I interviewed them:

Note: I told them a few weeks ago that when we moved to "the house with blue shutters" (which is what they call the home), we would have new neighbors and we'd have to make new friends. I guess that concept really clicked.

Gabe Dixon Show

We went to Jammin' Java, a small club in Vienna, and sat about 25 feet from the performers. I wish I could play the piano like Gabe Dixon. If anyone has seen the new movie, Proposal, his song is the first thing you hear in the movie. (I couldn't find the video online yet because it's still so new). Ross and I had fun at this concert and we even split a piece of apple pie. This was an awesome show!

I.M.ing

You gotta love instant messaging in the middle of the day...

Ross Tucker: you saw a deer in the middle of the day?

Me: yes, the deer was right where you threw the pumpkins in October.

Ross Tucker: the animals have you surrounded...foxes and deer and squirrels and racoons...

Me: am I a Disney Princess or what?

Ross Tucker: one deer already tried to get us in November. now his friends are here to finish off the job...

Me: hahaha. I guess you should have fixed that mirror. It was the evidence they used to follow us here.

Ross Tucker: hope they don't follow us this weekend. maybe they have spies

Things I saw today?

• my hot husband leave for work (but it was earlier than when my eyes were really awake)
• a clean, mopped kitchen floor
• my visiting teach-ee (we met up at the park)
• a new haircut on Allen (I'm glad he cooperates and holds SO still)
• two lop-sided pigtails on Abby :)
• a deer (it's kind of fun when you are packing and you look out your back window and see Bambi eating right past your backyard gate)
• a full 15-book chart for Allen's Summer Reading Program (we're done in a day!)
• an organized front closet
• online stuff -- blogs and email
• Allen and Abby "reading" their own books
• a vacuumed family room
• an empty basement closet (which was completely jam-packed with toys)

And later tonight I will SEE Gabe Dixon in concert with Ross. We're doing our date night early this week!

Day for Daddy

Happy Father's Day!

A note to three fabulous fathers:

1. Here's a song just for you, Ross! Sorry -- Allen is a little preoccupied with tub toys to join in, but I don't think Abby minded singing a solo :) Our kids adore you. Thanks for being such a GREAT daddy!
2. Happy Father's Day, Dad! If you were here, I'd play you On the Trail (Grand Canyon Suite) and hopefully soon you'll hear Clair de Lune. We love you!
3. Happy Father's Day, Dad (Tucker)! For your enjoyment I'd play you something on the piano too. Sorry that Mom has been in the hospital. (Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday to Mom, too). We love you!

Week wrap-up

Hello, hello. I've return to the blog world. I got an email from a friend (thanks Catherine!) making sure everything was okay since I've been absent about a week. So I thought I should pop in and leave a post.

So I've been busy... I like to blog almost daily, but I've been busy. I've had family in town, been to several appointments, have to keep cleaning for our many viewers (please someone rent this place!), been taking things off the walls, and packing things up.

I've been packing so much up that when the kids leave a toy I go pick it up and pack it (but don't worry, I know which are their favorites so I pack the "unfavorites", but, of course when they see me take it, it becomes a favorite). Well, Allen figured that out and said, "Mommy, I gotta go potty. You won't pack my truck, okay?" Poor kid -- he was trying to hold it, hoping to play with his truck longer, not wanting me to snatch it once he left. After laughing about that, I calmed down on the packing frenzy and started a different project: a brunch (blueberry waffles and scrambled eggs). Then after 2 piano lessons the three of us snuggled in the recliner for over an hour and listened to the rainstorm... talk about POUNDING rain.

And before I return to packing I need to report about my family's visit. We had a BLAST! My parents and my sister Annette stayed for a week. Let me share what we did:

• 1st trip downtown: fun on the Metro, Ross's office (and saw the view from the roof), White House (still can hear the "President Obama, President Obama Please Take Action Now! You're Our Only Hope..." Sri Lankan Tamil ethnic group chanting at the front gates), South American Art Museum (18th and C NW), Lincoln Memorial, Reflecting Pool (Allen loved the ducks!!), Korean Memorial, WWI and WWII Memorials, and Washington Monument (I wonder how many 2 year olds say "Washington Monument" repeatedly. That is Abby's favorite thing downtown).
• 2nd trip downtown: walked around the Tidal Basin seeing Jefferson Memorial and FDR Memorial, and walked through the National Museum of American History. I taught a piano lesson and we toured our new house (in 2 weeks).
• Zoo! (Ross took the day off.)
• Allen's last soocer practice, went to the DC Temple, had a pizza picnic party at the park to celebrate my mom's birthday. She turned 60. Wahoo!
• Played the bean game, watched It Happened One Night and Cape Fear (old classic), and in the words of Annette, "ate and ate and ate". (Things we ate: Keith's chicken casserole, sloppy joes (crock pot), stroganoff (crock pot) over egg noodles, chicken taco salad (crock pot), roast (crock pot) and potatoes, key lime pie, brownies with ice cream, popcorn balls, ice cream sandwiches, birthday cake, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, watermelon, grapes, fresh pineapple, taco soup... which means my cupboards, fridge, and freezer are a little more empty which will make moving next weekend easier :)

Alright. That was a nice break. Now back to packing!!

Allen's soccer group

We participated in a ward soccer group. There were three groups (U4, U5, U6) which met each Saturday for about 2 months and practiced soccer skills together. The group was composed of Vienna ward families and the parents volunteered to do coaching, purchase/bring soccer supplies, snacks, medals, t-shirts, final party... it turned out really well. Instead of paying $160 to join the Vienna Youth Soccer League, I paid $10 and it was perfect!

Bloom Where You're Planted!

"No matter what our circumstances are right now there is goodness just waiting to be discovered. It takes courage to take those steps, to move through our lives with gratitude for what is and live with faith that we will find the treasures waiting there for us. Just start where you are, look for the treasures and richness all around you and learn to love where life has placed you." (An excerpt from today's Meridian Magazine)

"Life is not about surviving the storm but learning to dance in the rain."

morning agenda

All these events were done with two kids. They were extra quiet, big helpers and super listeners. Our little pep talk this morning (and in between) worked!

• 9:15 stopped at the grocery store for a bag of flour (ran out right in the middle of a project)
• 9:30 went in to get my blood drawn (no not pregnant :), just routine testing for diabetes)
• 10:15 Allen's final Gym Jam class; Abby and I read books and watched
• 11:20 eye appointment -- full dialation exam and fitting for new contacts
• 12:10 home for lunch

At the end of my eye appointment they told me that since I ordered a year supply of contacts that I could to chose a free pair of sunglasses. So just picture -- me in the back corner trying on sunglasses (with my eyes fully dialated) while Allen & Abby (clear around the corner) sitting on the floor in the check-in area watching Care Bears on our portable DVD player. They were perfect!

My parents fly in tonight. Right now we are making cinnamon rolls (Allen had fun helping), I've got to mop my kitchen floor, I need to clean out the car and I have to teach a piano lesson at 4. The kids are excited to see "Grandma & Grandpa Schmidt and Ma-Nette (Annette)."

cool calendar

Some of today's highlights:

• Ross and I are in sync with our online Google calendar (this is cool! I recommend it!) and we are making plans for this week while my family is in town.
• Abby ran up the aisle at Stake Conference and was half way to the speaker before Ross snatched her up. (That's out of character for her. She must have been really bored :)
• Ross got his home teaching done and made up nicknames for all of us. (LT, SB, Triple H)
• Allen told me about the First Vision, prodigal son and Peter/Jesus walking on water. (We talked about the last two stories at meal times this week). He also sat on the piano bench with me while I played "I Am a Child of God" (his request) and he sang some and played a few notes (with my help, of course! I'd show him which note to touch right before a main chord).
• I made some really good chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

Here's some photos that were taken last month at our preschool party. A friend just emailed them to me.

2 year old Abby

We got these taken at Target. Using coupons I paid under $6 for a package (of the first shot), but when I went to pick them up at the store, they weren't in. Because I had made a second trip they gave me all the additional sheets (you know, the ones that they print up extra and charge a ton for?) for free. You gotta love when you get free adorable photos of your kid!

the royal treatment

... is something my dentist mentioned to me today before my crown.

Here is today's counting lesson:

• 1 trip to Target to pick up Abby's portraits
• 2 kids who enjoyed teasing/chasing each other in Home Depot
• 3... or is it 4 crowns that I've had since we moved to Virginia? It's sad that I can't remember. (My dentist couldn't either). I guess I'm officially OLD.
• 5 boxes I bought at Walmart for the move
• 6 times I had to load kids in/out of car with pouring rain (and an umbrella handle tucked under my chin)
• 7 quarts of popped corn ready to be made into popcorn balls
• 8 ceiling fans for our house, maybe :)
• 9 phone calls made by Ross, setting up appointments regarding moving
• 10 treats that I need for Allen's soccer practice tomorrow

Is it Wednesday already?

This week has gone fast. We've taken dinner to the missionaries, ran errands and did some shopping, went mini golfing (again) and swimming, played at a park with some friends, finished laundry, did cooking (with kids' help), had some crazy indoor play, enjoyed some new library books, and have been getting ready for a move in 3.5 weeks. (Thanks to Ross we've got a stack of boxes ready to go in the dining room and the basement.)

Right now Ross is packing and I'm listening to a rainstorm. Love it, love it. I better go help him :)