And the "Plan" Crumbles...

As most of you know, I applied to BYUI for the fall 2011 semester so I could get my degree in Elementary Education. Before you all scream, "Education?! Are you NUTS?!" it's the best career for my family right now. I can be home with the kids all summer and not have to pay out the nose for a baby-sitter during those months. Add in the fact I can boss around 25 kids every day and have weekends off, it seems like a good fit.

However, all that is a moot point.

I received a very formal letter on Tuesday from BYUI informing me they "regretted to inform me I couldn't be admitted at this time." Why? Very simple--decisions I made 14 years ago as a nineteen year old, that's why. Let's go back to the fall of 1995, shall we?

I was fresh out of high school, with as many dreams as I had zits on my face. I'd been accepted to ISU along with most of my friends. My head was full of important images of me attending classes, walking through campus, making new friends, and indulging in everything adults do. Well, I walked through campus, made new friends, but in my sophomore year I decided going to class wasn't all that great. I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, so going to class seemed like a waste of time. Besides, they interfered with the afternoon episodes of "MacGyver", lunch with friends and midnight movie matinees.

When ISU politely asked me to leave on academic dismissal, I wasn't discouraged. I was going to be a travel agent! It's what I loved (still do) and was good at. I went to a travel school, graduated with flying colors and then went off to work in Seattle. After a few years the Internet was quickly making travel agents obsolete, so I was left at a dead end. Then my next major mistake was made---I met my future husband and thought I didn't need to work anymore!

Fast forward fourteen years and I'm a single mom with useless skills, a GPA not high enough to be accepted into BYUI, and rather embarrassed by my teenage naivety. The only thing I don't regret is the "single" part.

My choices?
1. I can go back to ISU. (Not really a choice at all.)
2. I can attend BYUI as a continuing ed or part-time student until my GPA is pulled up to an acceptable number, and then re-apply for full-time status.

Now, what is the lesson not only I, but we all should learn? The decisions you make today truly DO affect what happens tomorrow....or in fourteen years.

At nineteen, I thought I knew everything.


At thirty-three, the only thing I know for sure is that I don't know anything.

Amelia's delicate, petite mouth

And by that title I'm talking about it's physical make-up, not what comes OUT of her mouth. She had her 6 month check-up yesterday and all went well! No cavities, healthy gums, but too many teeth for her tiny mouth. The dentist took x-rays that showed all her current teeth as well as the ones waiting below. While it was really cool to see, it also proved Amelia has a somewhat painful few years ahead of her. I knew she'd need braces from her first appointment three years ago, but yesterday it was time to start making some decisions.

The dentist suggested in the next year we start prepping Amelia's mouth for braces. He offered a few options we could do so she wouldn't need TWO sets of braces. None of them are pain-free. Luckily Amelia had headphones on watching a movie while we discussed our options. The one that seems the most painless (in the long run) is to pull all 4 of her canines to make room for her 12 year molars, as well as the adult teeth coming in that are twice the size of her baby ones. All four of her wisdom will have to come out as well.

The very kind dentist handed me a card for an orthodontist and suggested going in for a consolitation in the next six months or so. Amelia, by this time, had realized SOMETHING wasn't right with this visit and pulled the headphones off. The dentist finished up and we left to make another appointment in a month to pull out a few teeth that were loose so we could move things along. I guess the Tooth Fairy better start saving up some money!

Amelia with her pearly white princess teeth. Too bad she can't keep them!

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Our last weekend was....eventful. We went down to visit Katie and David in Ogden. Amelia and I had a great time. Cooper did not. Cooper doesn't like to leave the house. He's a homebody like I've never encountered. I have to talk for half an hour to get him to come to the grocery store with me. He goes to preschool pretty well, but it's still difficult sometimes to get him out of his pajamas.

Now granted, I'd LOVE to sit home all day in my pajamas and watch TV and eat, so maybe he's onto something. I realized when we arrived he was primed for a meltdown. Not only were we away from home, it was cold and rainy and he hadn't had a nap. After we'd left Temple Square it happened. He threw a fit like I've never seen from him right in front of the Church Geneological Building. Yep, right downtown. He RAN away, he's never done that! I ran after him, of course, since he was headed toward the busy street and grabbed his arm.

He. Flipped. Out.

I was so embarrassed. No, more than embarrassed. I was mortified. I was sure the prophet himself was going to come and see what the racket was about. I finally got him to the light-rail stop and he threw an even bigger fit. (I didn't know this was possible). It was so bad a homeless man AND a drunk man moved away from us because of the pure fury emitting from my almost-4-year old.

Finally, finally, FINALLY, Katie seperated us and managed to stop Cooper from running out into traffic. I fought back tears and we got back to the train. He calmed down a little, but the whole ride home I was worried he'd erupt again. It was brutal. We got back to Katie and David's apartment and David offered to watch him while the girls went out to dinner. I was out the door before he could reconsider.

Dinner was a lot of fun. I don't have much time with just Amelia or Katie. We learned during dinner it's all about the breadsticks and diet Pepsi. It amazing what that combination can do for frazzled nerves.

We got home and Cooper hadn't gone to sleep yet. He threw one more little fit and went to sleep. So, hopefully I've learned my lesson. I might not be able do anything about the weather, but I can alter our schedule and activities to hopefully have a better experience the next time around. One things for certain--Disneyland has been pushed back a few more years!

Cooper and Amelia in front of a fountain. Cooper loved throwing in pennies, nickels and leaves!!


Me on the train....on the way to SLC, before the "incident".


Amelia and Cooper on the train.






The girls at Pizza Factory. Katie gave Amelia a necklace like hers. Amelia was thrilled.


Yes, Katie, we ALL felt that way!


It's all about the breadsticks!


Sunday was slightly better Cooper-wise, and MUCH better with NASCAR and Moose Creek Chocolate Cake. Monday we did a little shopping, had lunch, and started home. We got home and I've never seen Cooper so happy. He smiled from the time we pulled in until he went to bed (happily) in his own bed that night.

I daresay he was happier than Andy at a Chuck-O-Rama.

Oh, Amelia!

Today was Amelia's 100th Day of School. She brought home a workbook filled with games and questions about things with the number 100. One of the questions asked:

What do you think cars, trains, planes and rockets will look like in 100 years?(trying to get the child to use their imagination).

Amelia's answer: The train would look old.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Ah, Valentine's Day. Everyone is smiling, hearts are full and love is in the air....except when Cooper and I went to Walgreen's this morning. He's been kinda cranky lately and it was a bad choice on my part to take him into the store in his precarious mood. I'd gotten the kids cute Valentine cups that lit up and Amelia's was cracked so I needed to exchange it. We entered a PACKED Walgreen's and quickly found a replacement glass. I went to stand in line but Cooper wanted to look at the toys. I told him we could after I bought the glass.

Not what he wanted to hear.

He launched into a fit that would make any mother cringe. I pulled him out of line and tried to speak softly and calm him down. No go. I tried to bribe him. He wasn't having any of it. Finally, I threatened to take away something very precious to him. He snapped. I put down the glass, tucked him football style under my arm and scurried out as fast as I could, my head down and my face red. After wrestling him into his car seat I locked the door and returned to the now-empty store. I grabbed the glass and made the exchange.

In the sprirt of today here three things I "love" about this recent altercation:

1. Everyone was staring at Cooper so no one looked at the horrible mommy with the screaming kid.

2. The store clerk who helped me was cute.

3. No policeman was waiting for me by my car to throw me in jail for leaving my almost-4-year-old locked alone in the car. (I think this was only because then HE would have to take care of Cooper.)

All in all, it's been one of my better Valentine Day's! Thanks to all the wonderful cards and valentine's you've all sent!! Love to you all.

The kids and their cups....before the "incident".


Lately Cooper likes to run around in his underwear when I'm trying to change him into his pajamas. I thought it only fair I take pictures to torture him later.




Sorry about the delay in posts. Not much has happened the last two weeks. I've been working alot so I can party the next two weekends! Add in sick kids, there wasn't much blog-worthy!!

SuperBowl Sunday

Now normally I'm not a huge fan of football, but I don't mind watching it. In my opinion football players aren't as good-looking as NASCAR drivers so really, why waste my time? But it being the SuperBowl I thought I'd tune in for a bit of the action, as well as the commercials. Let me tell you, football is a lot more fun when you have a 6 and 3 year old asking you questions and making comments. Here are a few:

A: Why is she (Christina Aguilera) screaming the song?
A: Why are all those men wearing tights?
C: Those guys go smash! crash!
A: Why do they push each other? Are they going to get in trouble for fighting?
C: Look, mama! I can put it in my mouth, too! (He saw the mouthguards.)
A: His eye makeup is in the wrong place.
A: Is that a girl playing? (She saw what's-his-name with his long locks streaming out of his helmet.)
C: (Lowering his shoulder and ramming into Amelia, knocking her to the floor.)
J: Cooper!
C: I did it! I did it!

After that we turned the SuperBowl off.

In other news, this week is already looking to be better. Here's a few fun pictures:

Cooper is feeling much, much better.


Amelia holding a SMILING Matthew.

Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad WEEK.

Before I begin my long list of grievances, let me assure you I know there are people far, far worse off than me. However, after this week I don't care. I will now list everything that went wrong and hope my wonderful, compassionate readers will heap their condolences and sympathy upon me. Here you go, we'll begin with last Saturday:

Saturday:
WONDERFUL lunch with friends interrupted by former persistent spouse (4 calls and 2 texts in 30 minutes) who needs income tax information NOW.
The above continued well into the evening hours.

Sunday:
Cooper and Amelia both sick, no church.
Cooper begins running a temp of 102.4.
The new family pictures we took Saturday won't cut-and-paste to my blog.

Monday:
Cooper to doctor--diagnosed with walking pneumonia.
Cooper seemingly increasing in crankiness once diagnosed.
"Castle" was not new.
Informed by BYUI my endorsement has not been submitted.
Amelia coughing from 2:14am-3:21am.

Tuesday:
Deadline to apply for BYUI fall semester.
Cooper having lots of sick poopy from medicine for pneumonia.
Abundence of laundry (see above).
Bishop and stake president not home during the day.
No store in Rexburg carries my printer cartridge.
Cooper coughs from 11:56pm-1:15am.

Wednesday:
Bishop sent in endorsement but stake president did not.
Had to talk to students about missing the deadline--most of them didn't know anything beyond their own name.
Snow day because of extremely cold temperatures.
Both kids in an unusally cranky mood.
Cooper feeling just well enough to be a terror.
My car has a funky smell.

Thursday:
Cooper's teacher calls in the middle of grocery shoppping because he's thrown up.
I dropped my 12-pack of diet Pepsi and five of the cans exploded all over my garage and my pants.
My vacuum refuses to suck.
Rexburg has been completely bought-out of children's Nyquil.
I forgot to buy Cooper's fruit snacks, and he expressed his disgust and irriatation loudly and at great length.
I have no baby-sitter for Saturday yet.


Lest you think I'm an absolute grump, here's a list of GOOD things that happened this week:
Amelia P/T conference was great. Apparently Amelia is only sassy at home.
Cooper's doctor asssured me I wasn't one of "those" moms (paranoid, bringing her kids in for a sneeze, etc.).
My chocolate zucchini bread turned out.
I filed my taxes.
I had a lovely lunch with friends.
I slept through the night last night.
I haven't received one bill in the mail all week.
My stress has allowed me to lose 2 pounds!
We saw Matthew TWICE this week, and both times his eyes were open!
Book fair at Amelia's school.
I filed my FAFSA (although I may not need it now).