Swimmers, Take Your Mark

The Swim Meet today is against Provo's city team. That means, of course, since it is not at our pool, we are swimming at Echo Canyon, I mean, the Provo Rec Center. It is an indoor pool. Muggy, humid, echo-y. Good reminder to bring the Tylenol.

For The Girl, this is the final meet before our county finals. Next week she will miss the meet with Springville because of trek. The following week will be the county finals.

For The Boy, who already missed the team's time trials and the Spanish Fork meet due to Scout camps, he will swim in both the upcoming meets and then the finals. Then, he tells me, he is "done swimming". I am not sure about this, but he seems to think we FORCE him to swim everyday. What I believe is the real story is, I force him to the pool every morning--whether he swims for the team is his choice. But if The Girl is going for the team workout, and I am going for the water aerobics, then he can come and read a book, or do some math review, or spelling helps--if he chooses not to swim. Now, does THAT sound like I am forcing him?! I didn't think so. He is so dramatic. [Wonder where he gets that from?]

So we are headed to Provo in a bit. Knowing we are getting to the end of the season, I am a bit sad. I like the swim season. I like the kids being up and at it in the morning. I love being at the pool. I love the swim team kids I get to work with in the bull pen.

After this summer hobby, scrapbooking just doesn't hold the same social interactions for me. I guess that is what PTA work is for, right?!

Let's Go Already

You know when you have been working on something so long that you get past the point of really caring anymore and you just want to get it done? That is the point I have reached with our Pioneer Trek. We leave next week. We have been planning since October. I am ready to load the buses and go for it.

It isn't that I feel exceedingly confident that this will be a piece of cake. It won't. I am frankly a bit nervous how I will do physically, and more so emotionally. But I know that I am done talking about it.

We met five times this week--not counting the phone calls we've had--for last minute details, alterations, problems. It is too much,. Let's just go already! My brain is melting with all the trek info as it is.

This thought pattern will surely shift come Monday night when we are loading trailers and the reality of what I am going to have to do really settles in. Then I might just chicken out. No, not really, but I will certainly want to chicken out. But it is probably like getting into the pool at 6:45 AM. It is just easier on the system to jump in--dive in head first in fact--than try to ease into it.

Let's just go already.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

It is just never a dull moment around here. Today was no exception.

Before the orthodontist appointment this morning.... but after swim practice...

After the orthodontist appointment...but before the Advil requests began.

A Whole Lot of Harry

Yesterday was full of Harry Potter for me. I love this series of books and the movies are pretty dang good too. I know they are not every one's cup of tea, but I love them.

Several weeks ago--probably about the first day the presale tickets were available--Dear Friend Amy called to see if I wanted to get midnight movie tickets with her and her family. Figuring Genius Golfer now had a job and had to be at work, and not taking a nap, during the day, I opted for three tickets--for me, The Boy, and The Girl. We have never done a midnight movie, but with no plans the following day a nap could make it work.

When I told GG about my plan, he was put out that I didn't include him in the fun. He pouted a bit and then just mocked me for the childish delight Harry brings me. He told us that he would go by himself the next day then. *pout*

Fast forward to about a week ago.

Dear Friend Wendy emailed me to ask if I wanted to get early bird tickets with her family to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with her family. Her lovely hubby, Jeff, was invited by their company to a private showing the afternoon BEFORE the movie was released. Making it a 2 PM showing on Tuesday afternoon.

This was just the answer. I asked Wendy to get me just one ticket. I would go with them to the early bird showing (!!!) and GG could take the kiddos to the midnight show and I would deal with the afternoon crankies in return. Perfect.

Then I called Dear Friend Amy to tell her the plans had changed slightly, and please don't be mad. Then she told me that one other friend who had planned on going with her may not make it. Would I like the leftover ticket if she doesn't make it and then I could go with my family and make it a midnight family movie event? I thought, "OK!"

Sure enough, the other friend couldn't go. So I picked up one more ticket via Amy and made napping planned for Wednesday afternoon.

Tuesday (finally) rolled around and I had a presidency meeting at 11. SO I left the kids with jobs to do while I was gone. Then I came home and checked their work and made sure they had lunch. Dear Friend Wendy was picking me up at 12:45 to ride to the movies with her. I told the kids Wendy was picking me up and they didn't bat an eye.

I loved the afternoon preview--especially once I was assured that we weren't in for Harry Potter and the Hacking Hairball. All the ticket said was "Harry Potter and the H". It was so much fun. No cranky people who had to have waited in line all day, and the babies int eh group even fell asleep. Wonder of wonders! I loved it.

Wendy dropped me at home and I made dinner and then laid down to rest until time for the later evening show with the family. We left here about 11:15 PM to head over to the theater.

The midnight movie crowd was dressed up, cheering, and full of energy. Knowing this movie was 2 1/2 hours long--sans previews--you needed the energy to stay awake throughout. But the added enthusiasm from the audience made the final dimming of house lights and opening Warner Brothers logo very exciting!

3 AM we got home and immediately crashed. I know I am headed to bed early tonight. But both chances to see this movie were great! Many thanks to the Dear Friends who hooked us up with reserved family seating at midnight and my surprise, run-away-from-my-children, afternoon cinema experience!

Pledge to Retrench

Well, for first biting my tongue and not being snarky then waiting until the afternoon to post, I was rightfully chastised for my venomous diatribe on guilt. I can't win a battle with myself.

Actually you, gentle readers, cannot win. I snarked anyway. Dangit.

So, I apologize for my selfish and pity-party remarks yesterday. I will retrench and do better today.

That is not normally how I see myself, anyway. Making my personally focused snark a bit distorted. Plus it bummed me out the whole rest of the day.

Thanks to all who commented--either here in writing or in person. I need good friends who will help me off the slippery slope.

To Snark...or Not to Snark

I had a thought to write about something completely petty today. I had phrases come to me that referred to another person in a not so nice way. I could picture the final line of the posting, but it wasn't nice and I probably wouldn't want to say it if Jesus, or my mom, was standing beside me. So I decided not to write that post.

Which is why I am finally writing today and it is 4 PM.

Apparently I am more snarky first thing in the morning.

That can't be good.

Instead of my previously thought-out and only-mentally-prepared, but personally-direct snarky post, I will just give you a rather generic one. Let me apologize in advance.

My to-do list today was a full 8 inches long, and I wasn't writing very large. so far, remembering that it is 4 PM, I have only got 2/3 of it done. For this, I do have some guilt.

Do I have unrealistic expectations about how much I can get done each day? Yes, of course I do. I am a thoroughly modern, Mormon mother.

Do I wear myself out attempting to cross it all off the list each day? Yes, of course I do. (See the reasoning above, again.)

Do I feel in some subconscious way that I have to prove myself worthy of being able to stay home and raise my kids/keep our home/prepare for upcoming events without the benefit of a second paycheck bringing additional income into the family? Of course I do.

Being a thoroughly modern Mormon mom is not for the slight of heart, gentle readers. If you are going to be 100% committed to this Mormon mother lifestyle, you must prepare yourself for something insidious. Guilt creeps in at every seam. You don't even see it or hear it coming. It just does.

You can push yourself with to-do lists, or 5 hour long trek meetings on a Sunday morning, or four pair of homemade bloomers each for yourself and your dear daughter for the upcoming trek, and still you feel guilt.

You can prepare weekly menu lists, shop for bargains, and use coupons to get the absolutely best deal only to finally give up and request a drive through dinner and you will feel guilt.

You can be vigilant in attending and working hard in your water aerobics class every day while the kids are in swim practice (thus using your time wisely), drinking a gallon of water a day (even when you would prefer and frankly crave that quantity of diet coke), and even choosing yogurt and granola for breakfast (when donuts sound so much better) each day and you still feel guilt.

Perhaps this guilt-ladening is the most direct way we see ourselves as the modern version of theTen Tribes. The Jewish mothers are famous for their guilt. Apparently, this is a by product of being a "chosen people". But it only affects women. That figures. And it sucks too.

Video Sunday

Some days you know all you have to do is wait for it. The laugh will come to you.

And it makes you laugh harder because they are blonde.