Who likes going to bed in the summer anyway?
I mean, given the choice between going to bed or staying up three hours past your bedtime eating popcorn and watching Wreck It Ralph at the park, I'd pick the popcorn and movie too!
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Heaven help me
Heaven help me.
She looks beautiful.
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And she's a natural. Really, I should push her to do the competition dance teams because she's the only one who remembers all the moves, timing, and smiles through the entire performance. I just don't know if my wallet can afford this talent. Or Jeff's patience to sit through a dance recital. {But I will admit, this year's dance recital being split into three different shows was awesome! Only an hour long!}
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The tumbling routine. Pearl has improved so much over the year.
Is it just me or does anyone else find the teachers during the performance almost as fun to watch as the kids? It's so funny watching them move, bounce around, and smile at the kids to help them remember what they're supposed to be doing.
The fan club. Minus the boy who was too busy spilling water from the drinking fountain all over the floor and his shirt. Or was he doing cartwheels in his cowboy boots right now? I can't remember.
Pearl's super awesome and adorably cute dance and tumbling teacher, Ms. Cecily. I loved her! And may have wanted to set her up with my little brother. Doesn't she have the most adorable smile and squinty eyes?
Despite her natural talent, the trophy she got, and how much she loves performing, Pearl decided she only wanted to do one class next year... Hip Hop. She likes the beaty music a lot better than the "slow ballet music."
She looks beautiful.
And she's a natural. Really, I should push her to do the competition dance teams because she's the only one who remembers all the moves, timing, and smiles through the entire performance. I just don't know if my wallet can afford this talent. Or Jeff's patience to sit through a dance recital. {But I will admit, this year's dance recital being split into three different shows was awesome! Only an hour long!}
The tumbling routine. Pearl has improved so much over the year.
Is it just me or does anyone else find the teachers during the performance almost as fun to watch as the kids? It's so funny watching them move, bounce around, and smile at the kids to help them remember what they're supposed to be doing.
The fan club. Minus the boy who was too busy spilling water from the drinking fountain all over the floor and his shirt. Or was he doing cartwheels in his cowboy boots right now? I can't remember.
Pearl's super awesome and adorably cute dance and tumbling teacher, Ms. Cecily. I loved her! And may have wanted to set her up with my little brother. Doesn't she have the most adorable smile and squinty eyes?
Despite her natural talent, the trophy she got, and how much she loves performing, Pearl decided she only wanted to do one class next year... Hip Hop. She likes the beaty music a lot better than the "slow ballet music."
Friday, June 20, 2014
Ride up to the "B"
We went on a short 4 wheeler ride tonight up to the "B" above the temple. It was the first ride of the season.
And I almost killed Pearl.
Neither one of the kids ever want to ride with me because in their word's, "Dad's the crazy driver, not you!" It's getting really irritating and worse now that we have "Skulls" {aka, the side-side-side as Fern calls it}. Looking back now, I'm really glad Pearl was the one stuck with me, even if at the time, I could have grounded her for life with her whining and crying about having to ride on the back of the ATV with me. If Cole had been with me instead, I'm not sure what would have happened.
Pearl and I usually drive behind Jeff and the "side-side-side" so we see when the boys decide to drive fast or go off the jumps. There's a few pullouts on the road that you can catch some air on and Pearl begged me to take her on the jumps. Trying to show her that I'm not a complete fuddy-duddy, I took her on the jumps. We were both having a great time - and trust me, I wasn't going very fast - so I gave in to Pearl's pleadings and decided to go one last time.
I don't know what happened, but when we turned to start the jump, I gave it some gas and just hit the turn funny. I doubt we were going faster than 10 miles per hour, if even that. It jarred us both enough that my hands jerked off the handlebars and then I felt Pearl's legs move from right next to my hips up into the air. I heard Pearl scream and instinctively grabbed her as I felt her fly next to the left of me. I grabbed her jacket and was terrified as I watched her dangling on the side of the 4 wheeler, with her hands dragging on the ground right in front of the rear tire. I can still see the image in my mind and it makes me sick to my stomach. She was screaming and I was so afraid I'd tip the machine trying to stop it {it was still moving because I grabbed her with my left hand which is the side where the hand brakes are and I was too panicked to remember to hit the foot brake}. I knew if I dropped her or rolled the four wheeler that the machine would crush her, even with a helmet on.
It was really scary... but I think the adrenline was so intense that I didn't really feel sick about what almost happened until after the ride was over. Sure we puttered along at about 10 miles per hour the rest of the ride and after listening to Pearl tell her Dad that I almost killed her a hundred zillion times - and have to go emergency potty in a bush... that was probably more horrifying to her than a near death experience - that's when it really hit me.
The guilt and nightmares didn't go away for weeks. And on the next ride we took at Bear Lake up our favorite trail, I was in tears when I just freaked out trying to get the machine over some big ruts... ruts that normally I wouldn't even bat an eye at. Jeff yelled at me to stop being a whimp but he just didn't understand the terror going through my brain that I'd kill one of our kids {that time Fern boy}. I couldn't live with that guilt.
I'm really glad we had helmets on. And I'm really glad I got back on and have driven both machines since then. But I won't ever forget the terror I felt. Or Pearl's screams.
{The broskies. I have a feeling we will be getting a 2nd "side-side-side" soon to accommodate both kids who now have a perfectly valid reason for not wanting to ride on the ATV with mom.}
{Go ahead. Laugh. I know what you're thinking these dandelions look like. But seriously, I've never seen dandelions so big before!}
And I almost killed Pearl.
Neither one of the kids ever want to ride with me because in their word's, "Dad's the crazy driver, not you!" It's getting really irritating and worse now that we have "Skulls" {aka, the side-side-side as Fern calls it}. Looking back now, I'm really glad Pearl was the one stuck with me, even if at the time, I could have grounded her for life with her whining and crying about having to ride on the back of the ATV with me. If Cole had been with me instead, I'm not sure what would have happened.
Pearl and I usually drive behind Jeff and the "side-side-side" so we see when the boys decide to drive fast or go off the jumps. There's a few pullouts on the road that you can catch some air on and Pearl begged me to take her on the jumps. Trying to show her that I'm not a complete fuddy-duddy, I took her on the jumps. We were both having a great time - and trust me, I wasn't going very fast - so I gave in to Pearl's pleadings and decided to go one last time.
I don't know what happened, but when we turned to start the jump, I gave it some gas and just hit the turn funny. I doubt we were going faster than 10 miles per hour, if even that. It jarred us both enough that my hands jerked off the handlebars and then I felt Pearl's legs move from right next to my hips up into the air. I heard Pearl scream and instinctively grabbed her as I felt her fly next to the left of me. I grabbed her jacket and was terrified as I watched her dangling on the side of the 4 wheeler, with her hands dragging on the ground right in front of the rear tire. I can still see the image in my mind and it makes me sick to my stomach. She was screaming and I was so afraid I'd tip the machine trying to stop it {it was still moving because I grabbed her with my left hand which is the side where the hand brakes are and I was too panicked to remember to hit the foot brake}. I knew if I dropped her or rolled the four wheeler that the machine would crush her, even with a helmet on.
It was really scary... but I think the adrenline was so intense that I didn't really feel sick about what almost happened until after the ride was over. Sure we puttered along at about 10 miles per hour the rest of the ride and after listening to Pearl tell her Dad that I almost killed her a hundred zillion times - and have to go emergency potty in a bush... that was probably more horrifying to her than a near death experience - that's when it really hit me.
The guilt and nightmares didn't go away for weeks. And on the next ride we took at Bear Lake up our favorite trail, I was in tears when I just freaked out trying to get the machine over some big ruts... ruts that normally I wouldn't even bat an eye at. Jeff yelled at me to stop being a whimp but he just didn't understand the terror going through my brain that I'd kill one of our kids {that time Fern boy}. I couldn't live with that guilt.
I'm really glad we had helmets on. And I'm really glad I got back on and have driven both machines since then. But I won't ever forget the terror I felt. Or Pearl's screams.
{The broskies. I have a feeling we will be getting a 2nd "side-side-side" soon to accommodate both kids who now have a perfectly valid reason for not wanting to ride on the ATV with mom.}
{Go ahead. Laugh. I know what you're thinking these dandelions look like. But seriously, I've never seen dandelions so big before!}
Sunday, June 15, 2014
He's not very good at cooking
The traditional Father's Day ugly tie trade-in for a box of free Krispie Kreme doughnuts.
Dad's favorite!
And the traditional Primary class creations to help the kids tell Dad what they most admire about him. {My personal favorite, Pearl's answer to what he always says, "Oh snap!" Ha! So true! He's also got the four wheeling fun down too.)
And what he needs to work on.
In Jeff's case, cooking.
The kids have no idea the irony behind them both saying he isn't very good at cooking. Because truth be told, of the two of us, Jeff is the better cook. For the first five years of our marriage, I probably cooked three different meals. And they all sucked. But things changed when the kids came along and now I've got them convinced I'm the better cook!
Ha! Who knew Father's Day would turn out to be the best Mother's Day present I've ever had!
Now this is my real family!
Dad's favorite!
And the traditional Primary class creations to help the kids tell Dad what they most admire about him. {My personal favorite, Pearl's answer to what he always says, "Oh snap!" Ha! So true! He's also got the four wheeling fun down too.)
And what he needs to work on.
In Jeff's case, cooking.
The kids have no idea the irony behind them both saying he isn't very good at cooking. Because truth be told, of the two of us, Jeff is the better cook. For the first five years of our marriage, I probably cooked three different meals. And they all sucked. But things changed when the kids came along and now I've got them convinced I'm the better cook!
Ha! Who knew Father's Day would turn out to be the best Mother's Day present I've ever had!
Now this is my real family!
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