Kids make wimps of their Parents!

Every Monday night, Alicen and I have a family home evening with couples in our ward. This last Monday we got on the topic of kids and I told the story of this sign above. I figure I might as well put it on my blog too. The story goes- I was driving home one night and come over the viaduct on 1300 south in Salt Lake and this sign was on a billboard. I don't know if I just saw my little girl in the picture or thought of just kids going to bed hungry. But I got a sick feeling in my stomach and a little teary-eyed. Now I am not hurting financially to the point my kids would go hungry; if that is what you are thinking. But the sign just made me think, and with me being easily emotional over things (thanks Mom), This sign just hit me right.
As I continued with this story, everyone was cracking jokes. One of my friends Collin said it was funny I started to get teary-eyed. His wife shot back saying "you would do the same thing."They are due to have their first kid in a month. The whole conversation was so funny. Danny my cousin, said he saw the sign and didn't think anything of it. It's interesting to me, that I would have been like Danny before I had kids. Once I did have kids little things like this get you. Some one once told Alicen that when you have kids you look at everything totally different. I believe that to be true. Just like this sign who would have thought I would get so emotionally attached to a sign. It just makes me sick to think that there are parents that would rather buy beer, cigarettes, or other items instead of food to feed their kids. I could or would never put my needs above my kids. Anyway, that was the story. It was just funny to see every ones reaction to it. I am sure if anyone read this (please someone) you will laugh too.

February 19, 2009

Today is McKinley's birthday and she is 2 years old. I can not believe my little girl is that big. It makes me feel so old, however I could not see my life with out her in it. I am so glad to see her become a cute little girl. She is growing up so fast but making the best of every opportunity she has had in her own life and also in ours as her parents. She has been a handful with her being so indepenant and wanting to be so big. Everyday is a new advanture with her. Happy Birthday McKinley!!

Just like the Mish!!

I got a forward at work called "Godly Humor" from a co worker. They were all pretty good but this one was the best. The caption below the picture is just perfect. On my mission to Alaska, we had a inspiration drawing like this one. Only ours said "break the ice and Baptise." On this picture it has the two people frozen in the ice. Ours had the convert frozen in the ice with the elders out side. For some reason, this picture reminded me of my mission. Thought I would post it, just becuase that is how it some times felt in AK.

Film Class Update

Recently in my film class, we have been going over Genre's and documentaries. However, this week we have started watching Musicals. For Genre's, my teacher had us watch the western movies- 3:10 to Yuma, Stagecoach and Blazing Saddles. Yuma was really good and like a western should be now a days, action and gun sling. Stagecoach was good since it has John Wayne in it (I like John Wayne movies) but it was in black and white. Its a hard movie to watch since it all takes place in a stagecoach with no real climax. Blazing Saddle was made by Mel Brooks....Enough said. The three movies are so different in almost every way but they still have the Western idea.

After that it was onto Documentaries which were just plan boring. I had to watch a PBS documentary on Jazz and it turned into a history event. I could barely stay focused it was so slow. The worse part was the narrator- he was monotone and slow speaking. A real head nodder. The musical idea was the next week. My teacher likes to start off with older movies and work to more current movies. We ended up watching the movies "singing in the rain" and "stormy weather." I have never seen either but half way through singing I tuned out. Then the only part I watched in Stormy weather was the Jumpin Jive. The rest of the time I was doodling a superhero with a "K" on its chest.

I do have to give props to the dancers in both movies, they did a good part with dancing and such. The two guys from Stormy Weather was really good. I could never do or want to do as many splits as they did through out their dance routine. Towards the end it just looked painful to watch. Its too bad half my class did not see that part. Once the musicals started, about 50% of the class got up and left. I stayed to watch, even though I doodled ninety percent of the time. At least next week, we get to modern musicals. Most likely Phantom of the opera or Moulin rouge. I would laugh (or cry) if he brought in High School Musical. I will just have to see. But that is my update on what we have been watching. I am getting well rounded in different movies.

Its kinda sorta like getting the Heisman!

Like I said in an early post about buying couches from the clearance center at Furnature warehouse, I also found this football player statue there. I really liked it! I really dont know why maybe because it looks old fashion or something you could find at the D.I. I just thought it would be perfect sitting on my desk at work. As we're getting all the billing information taken care of, I asked the salesman "since we were buying couches how much for the football player statue?" His answer was perfect, he said "you can have it, only if you never bring it back and never let me see it again." I was just in shock. It was a done deal from there. As I carried it, I felt like I had just won the Heisman Trophey in a weird way. The statue having been on their sales floor as a prop for like 10 years and the owner was ready to see it go. Its really old looking, it has some scratches, dents and paint missing but I like it. I am now the proud owner of this statue. It cracks me up everytime I see it.

Shopping

Over the last couple of weekends, we have got furniture shopping. With our tax return coming back soon, Alicen wants to get new couches for our house. We have been every where around the Salt Lake Valley. The first two pictures were at Ashley furniture. They have strollers for the kids to ride in that look like cars. McKinley did not want to be in them until she saw how much fun Tait was having. So we had to get two. They liked running into each other, (the pictures are bad because they where taken by my blackberry phone camera).

The other pictures were taken at Furniture warehouse on Road Redwood. They have a huge rocking chair and we had to get a picture of them (again on Blackberry phone). This chair was not a big hit like the cars but they liked it for a minute or two. And we had a pushy salesman trying to show us everything in the store.

We finally found the couches we want at the Clearance center for Furniture warehouse still on Redwood. They are really nice. The only way we could find a couch big enough for me to lounge in and not have my feet hang over was a sectional. It was really nice and on clearance, which you can never go wrong. Anyway we will not have any more stores to run around in. McKinley had fun at all the stores because we let her roam free and she made the best of it. She would go to every couch and jump on them. It was great fun.

Sleep, I need sleep!

In a marathon, runners say you hit a point call the "wall." You are so tired and exhausted that you don't want to go on. Well I have hit that point in lack of sleep. Over the last week, I can almost count the hours I slept on my fingers and toes. Everything has made me hit that wall. To start off, I had a 5-6 page paper in my film class due, a math test to prepare for. Both of these due in a day of each other. When I have school work due, I work so hard on my homework, I dream about it! Making sleep obsolete and my night really long. On top of that my children cant figure out that night time is for sleeping. McKinley is almost 2 years old and still wakes up in the middle of the night to get a refill on her sippie cup. Then wants to have mommy tuck her back in and sing to her. I have gotten up to take care of that, and everyone knows trying to explain my mommy will not be coming in or explaining anything to a 2 year old is impossible. Then my little boy Taitan who is 7 months old, cant figure out how to sleep at all during the night. He still gets up 2-3 times a night. He was sleeping good in the front room by himself but Alicen disliked the pen set up and so he moved back to the room. No sleep again!
Then over the last week, Alicen has had a major migraine headache. Making her pretty much immovable. We cant seem to figure out what is wrong with her. But she is just in a lot of pain and she cant get to sleep at all.
Since I am such a light sleeper anyway, when Alicen is sick I am awake with her, (key note: Alicen is not quite when everyone else is asleep. Especially when sick). So lately I have been up for Taitan's fits, McKinley needing something, Alicen being so ill. Then not forgetting the sirens of police and fire trucks running up and down 9Th west, my cat chasing something in the house, neighbors getting home late or leaving early. I really am get exhausted. I now know and see why when my Dad sits down or lays down some where he is out in like 30 seconds flat. Life is exhausting I have come to find out. It don't look like its going to lighten up any time soon either.