Monday, February 20, 2012
First Chair
Dillan started taking violin lessons when he was seven years old, which I was supposed to be a participant in his practices. If you have read "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" that's me but dialed down about 90%. He's enjoyed playing the violin, even after he stopped taking lessons and has been performing with the middle school's orchestra. I can't tell if he's in the orchestra because he enjoys the violin or if he enjoys the ratio of girls to boys in the orchestra. There is definitely a social aspect of it that he likes.
So the District Honors Orchestra was coming up and Dillan told me that he was going to be first chair. I said "That's great" and then probably asked him if his homework was done or if he had any chores left to do. My parents were visiting so Kevin and I could go on a romantic weekend getaway (really, they came down to see Wicked, but I took advantage of them while they were here. AND it really WAS a romantic getaway, not an endurance event like a Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim hike!) so I took them with me to the performance. As always, one of the directors gives a speech that we are not at a sporting event and that there will not be any hooping or hollering for the performances, and that we are all to act in a dignified manner. Who do they think comes to these things? Crazed mothers? So, when it was time for the middle school orchestra to get the seats on the stage, I was looking for Dillan, who, let's face it, is not hard to miss. I could not see him. I thought, maybe he's in the back, but even then I would be able to see his head poking up. There was only the empty chair in the front saved for the first chair violinist. Well, you can imagine my overjoy when my boy walked on stage as the FIRST CHAIR VIOLINIST!!!! The emotion overtook me. I hooped so loud that my mom grabbed my arm and said "You are NOT at a football game!" That's my baby! I have held back at many of his performances where I knew what he was going to do, but this I did not know about and was pure joy! He got a solo part in one of the pieces that he played. The only thing that made me sad was that his violin teacher, who had a daughter in the high school orchestra, was not able to be there. She is the reason why he loves the violin so much and is such an excellent player. It gave me hope that I may be able to get Blake to that point one day.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Kevin to the Rescue
This is a common theme with Kevin. When we lived in Utah, he would carry a tow chain in the truck during the winter in the hopes that he could rescue someone stuck in the snow. So this evening, he and I went to Costco in preparation for my parents coming to town, when we pulled into our parking spot and there was a two year old boy on the top of a roof of a car, just enough out of reach from his very short and very pregnant mom trying to wrangle him off the roof. There was a woman "helping", but she was on her cell phone and talking to someone and trying to reach for the boy, who was out of her reach as well. Kevin walked over, and fortunately the ladies had the boy facing them, and Kevin took the boy off guard and just lifted him on the roof and put him in his car seat. He was touted as a hero through all of Costco. Little did they know that this is second nature to him. One of the many reasons I love him. That and he writes the best love poems.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Kevin's Door
I love my husband. Even better, I love that I married a husband that has such a great name to put in place of "heaven" in songs, such as "Knock, knock, knockin' on Kevin's door" by Guns 'N Roses or the LDS favorite "Where is Kevin? Is he very far?" or "Just Like Kevin" by the Cure. I think of how boring my life would have been if I had married a Steve or a Bob, altough I'm sure I would find a way to incorporate their names into songs, but it's so fun having a husband who's name rhymes with a great place to be. So it was my sheer delight when Olivia said that we needed to change a verse in "Joy to the World". She said "Instead of 'Let heaven and nature sing', we need to sing 'Let Kevin do his thing.'" I loved it!! But the sad part was that we didn't sing it on church on Sunday. Olivia and I were rready to belt that one out. Oh well. There's always next year.
There are two other songs that I believe were made specifically for my niece and nephew. The first is "No One" by Alicia Keys. How can you not sing "No-Ah, No-ah, No-ah" when you have a handsome nephew named Noah, especially when he's in the car with you? And when you have a niece named Oana, how can you sing Rihanna's "What's My Name?' without saying "Oana, what's my name?" She's a little diva too, that Oana. I love them.
Of course, my husband's name is not the only reason why I love him, but it certainly makes it more fun.
There are two other songs that I believe were made specifically for my niece and nephew. The first is "No One" by Alicia Keys. How can you not sing "No-Ah, No-ah, No-ah" when you have a handsome nephew named Noah, especially when he's in the car with you? And when you have a niece named Oana, how can you sing Rihanna's "What's My Name?' without saying "Oana, what's my name?" She's a little diva too, that Oana. I love them.
Of course, my husband's name is not the only reason why I love him, but it certainly makes it more fun.
Comments
I know it may seem like no one reads my blog because #1 Lack of Followers and #2 Lack of Comments. It really doesn't matter to me if no one follows my blog, since the reason why I blog is so my mom has something to print and put in her binder marked "Kim's Blog" that she can easily grab if there is ever a fire in their house, and run out and proclaim to all of the neighbors that she saved it, and then they can cheer, until they realize that it was just my blog that she saved an nothing really valuable. I do have followers that through no fault of their own, have no idea how to publicly follow me. I am no technology expert, so I can not say "It's so easy! All you have to do is put this in, and then put it on your thingamadoodle, and there you have it!" I barely know how to follow other people's blogs, and even at that, I don't really follow them, but occasionally read them, and if I have a witty comment, THEN I will leave a comment. But I do have comments, mostly from the recent blog that I posted titled "Mom's Awesome" that I want to share.
The first comes from my oldest sister, Jen. She sent this out to the whole dadgum family
:No this is NOT a harassment (yet) to get in your December news. It is a shout out to our wonderful sister Kim who is an amazingly talented writer (I think you missed your calling in life, or rather you have more than one calling). I am an avid follower of her blog--even though I am not accredited as a follower because I can't figure out how to do it. I can always count on a good giggle when I read it. She wrote a most wonderful blog about Mom. I say "Ditto". If I was as talented of a writer I would say all those wonderful things and more. I had fun being with mom and dad for just a few days this month and all I can say is we are very blessed to have them as parents, friends and examples. I hope they have have a great time on their adventure this month and look forward to seeing where the Lord will have them serve a mission. In case you have never read Kim's blog you can find it on www.kimmicakes.blogspot.com and I highly recommend putting it as a favorite and checking it often. (Although it was quite a while in between the last posts--must be because she was working on getting that #1 mom status
That sparked others to read it, meaning my mom. Here's what she said:
The first comes from my oldest sister, Jen. She sent this out to the whole dadgum family
:No this is NOT a harassment (yet) to get in your December news. It is a shout out to our wonderful sister Kim who is an amazingly talented writer (I think you missed your calling in life, or rather you have more than one calling). I am an avid follower of her blog--even though I am not accredited as a follower because I can't figure out how to do it. I can always count on a good giggle when I read it. She wrote a most wonderful blog about Mom. I say "Ditto". If I was as talented of a writer I would say all those wonderful things and more. I had fun being with mom and dad for just a few days this month and all I can say is we are very blessed to have them as parents, friends and examples. I hope they have have a great time on their adventure this month and look forward to seeing where the Lord will have them serve a mission. In case you have never read Kim's blog you can find it on www.kimmicakes.blogspot.com and I highly recommend putting it as a favorite and checking it often. (Although it was quite a while in between the last posts--must be because she was working on getting that #1 mom status
That sparked others to read it, meaning my mom. Here's what she said:
It is nice to know that you have my funeral talk written. Don't lose it. It will save you time many years down the road when you are asked to speak. All I can say is that I am grateful that you are getting older and only remember good things. Fortunately we painted over the writing inside the bedroom closet "I hate mom and dad" written during the angst of teenage years. Probably after we'd cleaned your room and thrown out AAAbras.
Love you and am looking forward to our February trip and event. Love Mom
Well, I never said my mom was known for her honesty, as I have NEVER had a AAA bra.
My sister, Nikki, also made a comment in the family newsletter:
I also ditto Kim's ode to Mom. Now she just needs to write one about dad.
Okay, Nikki, that one is done. Check http://kimmicakes.blogspot.com/2010/06/happy-fathers-day.html.
Thanks to those of you who read this silly little blog. I hope that you leave with a deeper sense of peace, refreshment, and wisdom. Who am I kidding? Refreshment?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Bilingual Daughter
The school district sent a form in the mail to return to school to indicate which language was the primary language spoken at home, what language did the child speak, and what was the first language the child learned. I filled it out and gave it to Olivia to return to her school. She asked me what it was for. I explained to her that it was a form for the school asking which language that we spoke at home and that I had put that we speak English. Then she said "I speak Spanish." I said "Really? I didn't know that. Will you please go brush your teeth and get ready for school?" She said "Si." Then this afternoon, her and I were going to the school to watch Chloe in her chorus performance. Olivia asked where we were going and I said "To escuela." She said "What does that mean?" I said "I thought you spoke Spanish." She said "I was just tricking you. Of course I speak Spanish."
And while I am speaking about my darling daughter, get ready for her, people. With a new trampoline there have been a couple of incidents when she has felt slighted and that she is getting the brunt of bad jumps. So she called a family meeting to discuss the problem. And interestingly enough, all attended (except Blake who was asleep), and she got them to agree to rules regarding proper jumping etiquette.
And while I am speaking about my darling daughter, get ready for her, people. With a new trampoline there have been a couple of incidents when she has felt slighted and that she is getting the brunt of bad jumps. So she called a family meeting to discuss the problem. And interestingly enough, all attended (except Blake who was asleep), and she got them to agree to rules regarding proper jumping etiquette.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
#1 Mom
For the second year in a row, I have been crowned #1 Mom! And this year it was a different daughter that gave me the title, so it must really be true., although last year I was World's Greatest Mom and this year it's just #1 Mom, so I guess that could mean #1 Mom in the USA or #1 Mom in Phoenix or #1 Mom that lives in our house. It's not easy being #1. I have a lot of competition out there who have been vying for #1 status as well, and it's difficult to quantify how one wins the coveted #1 Mom title. Is it the number of crafts one does? If that's the case, I should be #19, 388 Mom since I don't craft. Is it the tidiest, most organized home? That obviously cannot be one of the criteria. Is it the calmest, most even tempered one? I've lost it there too. Literally. So I guess the only way one gets this title is by being the #1 Mom for the child(ren) that she has. But here's the bonus this year. I was told by Chloe that ALL her friends think that I am the coolest mom. Of course, I probed for names. Who exactly thought that I was cool, because they were in for a big treat. She gave two names of her best friends and I knew I had done my job right. Because not only am I #1 Mom and Cool Mom, but I have been told by all my children that I am Mean Mom. I am the mom equivalent of Secretariat. I have won the Triple Crown. And I don't know if any other horse in history has gotten a title in another division, say, in dog racing, but I have been given two other notable titles: Fantastic Aunt (instead of Great Aunt because I have a great niece and great aunt sounds like Great Aunt Ethel who was o-o-old) and Fun Aunt, because I dance around like crazy with my nieces. I have to work on either Blake or Dillan to get another #1 Mom pen for Christmas this coming year. Since Dillan has less time to be at home and has the ability to read and make a purchase of that sort, I will work on him. So if he asks next Christmas what he should get me, you have your suggestion ready.
Mom's Awesome
This is not a blog dedicated to me. It's the other mom, MY mom. The inspiration for this came to me when she announced that she and my dad were going to go to see my little sister, Stephanie, and her family in Texas, have a day at home to rest, and then head to Washington to see my sister, Jen, for a week. I declared that it was The Favorite Daughters Tour, then wondered, why weren't they coming to see me.
This is the only picture that I have of me and my mom. Really, it is not a picture of me and my mom together, per se, nor is it a picture of just us as noted by the people in the background and The Pineapple Delight I am beginning to enjoy from the Polynesian Cultural Center. But I love it because we are both smiling and happy, which is usually not the case when I am around my mom. I tend to make her a little crazy and irritable.
Here are the reason why Mom's Awesome:
#1 She can cook. I know this is what a lot of people say about their moms, but whenever I go back to Utah, I am actually glad to get away from my mom's cooking because I love it too much. She can whip anything up for a crowd in seconds flat. And it is very healthy and tasty. I remember when I was growing up that she would make 10 pizzas at a time. Our family got three and the rest she was giving away to people that were sick or needed pizza. The kitchen would be packed with pizza and I may or may not have picked an olive or two off, but I loved those times.
#2 She helps everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. I went back to Utah this summer and heard from so many people how she had changed their lives, etc, because of all that she has done for them. I really want to have a witty come back like "Oh yeah? You should try being her daughter" and then recant some torturous event that happened or ways in which I was neglected, but I have nothing, because she is a helper to all. When Kevin and I were selling our house in the Avenues, the wife of the couple that ended up buying it was from my home ward and she told me how my mom had been like a second mom to her when her mom had died in a tragic car accident when she was a teenager, and how my mom would take her to functions where a mom was needed. I never knew this. Maybe because all the good that she does is under the radar and she's not looking for any acknowledgements for her good deeds.
#3 She can throw a party. Our house was the gathering place for all parties in the ward or family gatherings. She's even had parties there when she hasn't been home, that's how good she is. I didn't realize how important this was until I moved away and find myself missing all of those family gatherings (especially when I hear about an event that got a little heated). Thanksgivings have 50+ people there, and she has made her home a welcoming place and made sure that everyone who enters, whether she knows them or not, feels that happy, peaceful feeling that she exudes. But she did have a misstep at an event. I remember one baby shower that she threw and everyone had gathered and were talking, eating, and having a good time, when my mom asked where the guest of honor was. It was then that she realized that she had not invited the recipient. She quickly called her and she came over, so all was well.
#4 She is industrious. My mom is one of those people who never sits still, because when she does, she falls asleep from all the work that she has been doing. She wakes up early, early (which used to drive my cra-a-zy when I was a teenager and wanted to sleep in) and works the live long day. Now, I wake up early. I don't get as much done as she ever did, but I try and emulate her. We never had a plumber come to our house when I was growing up. That's because my mom fixed everything. If there was an issue with anything, she would fix it. Her and my dad had major projects they did every summer when my dad was off from school. They added a room on the back of the house, redid the kitchen twice, made an extra room downstairs. I could go on and on.
I could go and on about how awesome Mom is too, but then I would make myself and other moms feel bad because we aren't doing as much. And by other moms, I mean my sisters. I kid of course. Those are four separate blogs right there that I need to do on how I am not as great as they are. I bet they get it from their mom. So way to go, Mom! If you have any comments on how awesome you think mom is, please leave them. Or, you can leave a comment on how awesome YOUR mom is. Yay for mom's!!
Here are the reason why Mom's Awesome:
#1 She can cook. I know this is what a lot of people say about their moms, but whenever I go back to Utah, I am actually glad to get away from my mom's cooking because I love it too much. She can whip anything up for a crowd in seconds flat. And it is very healthy and tasty. I remember when I was growing up that she would make 10 pizzas at a time. Our family got three and the rest she was giving away to people that were sick or needed pizza. The kitchen would be packed with pizza and I may or may not have picked an olive or two off, but I loved those times.
#2 She helps everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. I went back to Utah this summer and heard from so many people how she had changed their lives, etc, because of all that she has done for them. I really want to have a witty come back like "Oh yeah? You should try being her daughter" and then recant some torturous event that happened or ways in which I was neglected, but I have nothing, because she is a helper to all. When Kevin and I were selling our house in the Avenues, the wife of the couple that ended up buying it was from my home ward and she told me how my mom had been like a second mom to her when her mom had died in a tragic car accident when she was a teenager, and how my mom would take her to functions where a mom was needed. I never knew this. Maybe because all the good that she does is under the radar and she's not looking for any acknowledgements for her good deeds.
#3 She can throw a party. Our house was the gathering place for all parties in the ward or family gatherings. She's even had parties there when she hasn't been home, that's how good she is. I didn't realize how important this was until I moved away and find myself missing all of those family gatherings (especially when I hear about an event that got a little heated). Thanksgivings have 50+ people there, and she has made her home a welcoming place and made sure that everyone who enters, whether she knows them or not, feels that happy, peaceful feeling that she exudes. But she did have a misstep at an event. I remember one baby shower that she threw and everyone had gathered and were talking, eating, and having a good time, when my mom asked where the guest of honor was. It was then that she realized that she had not invited the recipient. She quickly called her and she came over, so all was well.
#4 She is industrious. My mom is one of those people who never sits still, because when she does, she falls asleep from all the work that she has been doing. She wakes up early, early (which used to drive my cra-a-zy when I was a teenager and wanted to sleep in) and works the live long day. Now, I wake up early. I don't get as much done as she ever did, but I try and emulate her. We never had a plumber come to our house when I was growing up. That's because my mom fixed everything. If there was an issue with anything, she would fix it. Her and my dad had major projects they did every summer when my dad was off from school. They added a room on the back of the house, redid the kitchen twice, made an extra room downstairs. I could go on and on.
I could go and on about how awesome Mom is too, but then I would make myself and other moms feel bad because we aren't doing as much. And by other moms, I mean my sisters. I kid of course. Those are four separate blogs right there that I need to do on how I am not as great as they are. I bet they get it from their mom. So way to go, Mom! If you have any comments on how awesome you think mom is, please leave them. Or, you can leave a comment on how awesome YOUR mom is. Yay for mom's!!
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