Kashann and Clan

I am going start with text rather than photos. It seems like since I got my fancy computer and started uploading my own photos all the time - blogging is a chore that I don't look forward to. So today I am going to just write like the good old days on my old computer and not constrict myself to photo captions. So get ready for rambling.

Marcus walking is old hat around here so he's had to learn something new to get our attention. He can now "Mooo" like a cow and "Quack" like a duck. Savannah asked me yesterday if he is really early to do this. They all think their brother is the smartest ever. His favorite word is "Yeah" so we all get a kick out of asking him crazy questions and having him smile and give us another "Yeah". "Do you want a cracker?" "YEAH" "Do you want a drink?" "YEAH" "Do you want a . . . spank?" "YEAH"

Camille is also quite a smarty lately and loving her new first grade writing skills. She's always leaving me notes, especially when she is sad. Twice lately she was sent to her room for a temper that she has a terrible time controlling without a time out. After a few minutes of quiet she pokes her head out of her room and throws a letter down the stairs for mom. One letter said, "Im sory. I nid love." - I'm sorry, I need love.
Then a couple days later she was sent up to her room and threw down "giv me love mom"

It seems like a great way to vent her anger and calm down enough to come out of her room. I think she has middle child syndrome and really does need more love. I am working harder to "giv" her some.

Caroline was selected to play the elephant bird in her sister's school musical. She is supposed to sit quietly in an egg for an entire song before popping out for the big finale! She is VERY excited, so much so that I am sure that they better make an egg with a latch and keep it locked till the BIG moment.

Of course Camille had a huge fit when she found out she was the only sister not in the play. They won't let first graders try out but her four year old sister got a part. What? Luckily their music teacher caught wind of the family tension she had created and decided that Camille will be the only first grader to perform on stage. She is now a part of the circus and will wear a big popcorn vendor box. For some reason the idea of her walking around wearing a box keeps reminding me of Scout playing the ham in the first grade show in To Killing a Mocking Bird.

Not a glamorous roll but Camille so far is just glad to be included. We really get the special treatment at that school. I think it's all due to Brent and the fact that he is the only school father they haven't seen show up at the school wearing a wife beater tank top.

Seussical the Musical is April 1 and 2. Let us know if you want to see Kennon and Savannah duking it out on stage, Camille wearing a box, and Caroline in an egg crashing the show.

And we had another Birthday last week. Brent always says when it comes to birthdays I over do it. How many times have I heard the story about how one birthday his mother just gave him a pair of pants? So I got him a pair this year and wrapped'em up for his birthday Saturday. As I presented him with the gift I said, "Now let us know if this is all you need this year and you we can just forget about that pile of presents over there."

He didn't get it. But he did like the pants. Maybe his mom was right and that's all it takes and I have really ruined my own kids by spoiling them.

Besides the addition of a great pair of pants, it might be said that Brent didn't have the best birthday ever. I mean first of all who wants to turn 39 in dental school? Add in the fact that he got two tickets his birthday week. Oh, and Savannah fell asleep in our bed Friday night watching a movie with me so he turned 39 sleeping on the couch. The first thing I heard on Saturday, the morning of his birthday, was the front door slamming?? After a bad night on the couch he awoke with a start remembering he had never moved his car off the street.

What kind of a cop writes a guy a ticket on his birthday? The same cop that has signed all 5 of our parking tickets on this street. Officer #87. How much would Brent love to get #87 in his dental chair?

His other ticket this week was for failing to do a YEARLY inspection on the Buick. So, short story, my birthday boy was way too upset for the birthday present I surprised him with. I had scheduled his FIRST EVER massage, an hour long appointment with Shana. Truthfully, it killed me to make the appointment. Even with the student discount and the fact that it was a birthday splurge, I thought it was a waste of our precious money. But my stressed out Brent is always talking about how nice it would be to have a true massage and I thought, "Every 40 years is probably not too often".

Turns out we are both "Cheapos" (right, Kennon?) and he said, "Thanks but no thanks, honey. I just can't do it." I called Shana with the bad news and then gave him my best Swedish Massage and he didn't even need the student discount. After the massage I think he loosened up a bit and even allowed me to take him out for his free Red Robin Burger.

I can't believe he is going on 40! I am suddenly very concerned about stuff like heart disease and diabetes. I 'm thinking about tough love and considering putting an end to constantly restocking his bag of peanut M & M's that are a permanent fixture in his underwear drawer.

It's so sad that even on his birthday I can't help harassing him. Maybe on Valentines day I will sweeten up.

Then again, I am thinking of skipping the valentine's posts altogether. I can't handle hearing all the lovey, dovey thoughtfulness of all the perfect husbands out there. Brent and I are good. . . And I don't need to be reminded of all the stuff your husband is doing to blow you away for Valentines, because then I may start feeling sorry for myself for no reason. The way I see it the more we brag about our husbands the more we mess up each other's marriages. So I feel it is my blogging obligation to to make my husband look a little bad once in a while and then you can all feel so great about yours. I had to get a picture of Brent and his guitar. Like everything else we left his real one in Washington. This is the $7 Target one he stole from my store.

We do have a family tradition for Valentine's day. I make lots of red and pink stuff, like strawberry's on waffles and smoothies and have a special family breakfast. The kids may or may not get a little gift or goodie bag to go along with it. Don't want them to start expecting it so I try to have a famine every other year to keep them grateful and not surprised. This year may be the going without year. Savannah asked me the other day if she could HAVE A NEW DRESS FOR HER VALENTINES PRESENT.

Valentines PRESENT? I don't know what you are talking about, I told her. I think she is just having a hard time coping with the season ever since her teacher canceled Valentines. I guess she got mad one day last week and said, "That's it! I am canceling Valentines! I don't want to see a single Valentine come into my classroom." Savannah is furious. She had already spent over an hour creating her special valentines out of doilies and magazine cutouts of animals.

If only I would've had the foresight to save the tub of stuff I brought home from Angela's Shop & Swap ladies night out a couple weeks ago, I would have plenty of Valentine presents. Like an idiot I handed them all out the next morning completely forgetting about free christmas, birthday, and err.. . Valentines presents. Then that night we were over at Stephanie's for some Rock Band. She had missed the swap and wanted to know if it was any good. I told her I came home with just few things. Then, I looked down and mentioned I was wearing Erica's shirt. . . Oh, and Brent over there is wearing John's. Then I examined our other kids and for the first time noticed that all of us but Caroline were wearing swap items. Thanks, ladies.

I've been calling Brent, "John" all week since every morning he comes down in another swap shirt. And Brent's the one who told me not to go and if I did please don't bring anything home.

As for me, I am busy playing the piano for hours and hours. After a hundred times playing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, I still can't keep up with the sunbeams. But I have made it through two weeks of primary. I cried all night the night before my big debut. I was doing great till a certain someone heard me practicing about 10 p.m Saturday night and remarked, "You're telling me you have to play that song tomorrow?"

After that my confidence was shattered and I couldn't hit a note all night. The next day I murdered every song but miraculously always got the last note, and that's what counts right?

As I left the primary room the first week, I told the primary presidency to talk it over and let me know. I guess no one was even paying attention to my weak efforts because they just looked confused. . . and I have still have the job.

I really love church callings. They give me so many opportunites I never would have had. And I seriously just love thinking of myself as a pianist.