Thanks for my job.

This post isn’t about Ida although I am very thankful for Ida and she will get her own post soon. No, this just happens to be the most recent photo I have of my job. Ida was with me for Take Your Daughter to Work Day.

I love being a librarian and I love teaching. I love my coworkers and I love working with community college students. I’m very thankful for my job.

There is no Arizona

Too long since I posted last!!! Soorryyyy

Also, does anyone else remember that '90s country song "There Is No Arizona"? Because, it's all I can think of when I think of Arizona.

I went to Arizona with my sisters and mom last weekend. It was amazing. It was so fun and so warm and I ate so much good food and got so much good sleep. Even just riding on a plane by myself was amazing, and I hate flying! 

I was so nervous beforehand though. I have weird anxiety about doing things like going on trips or even just going out at night. Even though I want to do fun things and connect with people, I either worry about leaving my kids (as in trips) or I get introverted and cranky about leaving my warm house (as in nights out, evening meetings etc). I realize the ridiculousness of this, but I'm just writing it down because it's true. What's also true is that I have never once regretted going on a fun trip or going out at night to do fun stuff. Not once.

I can't remember her exact wording, but my girl Gretchen Rubin refers to this concept of having to do stuff you don't feel like doing (or in this case, stuff that makes you nervous) in order to be happier. It's true. I am infinitely happier for having gone on this trip that I was oddly nervous about. Polly apparently did not really notice that I was gone, and she picked up nursing again as soon as I got home. Although about a day into my trip I realized that if she did wean herself, I'd be totally OK with it. I would not have realized that if I hadn't stepped away. Sometimes I just have to make the plunge. Go for it. And then realize once again that for me, making myself go for it is always the better choice. Every single time.

Thanks for my jobs.

Wow, November flew by. It always does! This time of year STREAKS by! I love blogging about what I'm thankful for. It makes me feel so happy and warm inside. Truly.

I got home from work and sat down to write this (because I didn't want to forget on my final day of thanksblogging) and wondered what to write on my final day of thanksblogging. And I decided that I'm thankful for my job. But I'm also thankful for all my jobs. I feel that I have multiple jobs. And I like them all. I have a job at home, raising my kids. I have a job at work, working my work.

This picture which my mom took of me at my first "real" job in my first (and only) real office... Classic... And so funny...

Also funny that I still work at that job 10 years later. Sort of. Don't have an office anymore. That will happen when you go from 40 hours a week to... 8 hours a week.

I like that job a lot, and I like my coworkers. Even more than that job, I like this job and these coworkers:

The job where I go to water parks and my coworkers suck their thumbs and pick their noses. OK, it's not all fun and games and field trips and nose picking. It's hard stinking work. But I LOVE it. Except when I don't love it, and that's ok. A good cry and a good pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk and I'm usually back to loving it.

Well anyway, I also like my job at church which I am still new at and which I am still refining my approach to (Matt will insert here that I "need to stop sending so many emails") but I love it anyway and people can delete my emails if they want to. JK, don't delete them. Please don't

Weekend blur

Polly and I went to California this weekend! We flew there with Hannah and Rhoda. Beginning of the flight (with Hannah)

End of the flight (with me) after staying awake THE ENTIRE FLIGHT. How?!?!

We visited Grandma Helen first thing on Saturday.

We visited Grandma Mary second thing but I don't have a pic of that (yet--my aunt took one and is going to send it to me. I hope!)

Then we went to my sister Bonny's for a few hours. Also no pics of that.

Sunday we spent the entire day in Malibu. First we heard Ara speak in church, then we went to their house and ate delicious food (thanks Phoebe!!!) and I talked to approximately 1,000,000 people. Ok not actually that many but I do have a big extended family. I wouldn't want it any other way.

My mom had the brilliant idea of bringing a pack'n'play and setting it up in Bruce's office. Jackpot! Polly actually got a real nap. It was delightful.

I love my aunt Donna so much. I love all my aunts. I'm a lucky niece!

I wish I had more photographic evidence of the trip, but that's all I got! It was so good to see people I hadn't seen in way too long, like my cousin Karl and his wife Laura. And my aunt Alice. And my aunt Debbie and cousins Amanda and Alyssa. And Bruce's parents and brother! (It's been like 10 or more years.) and lots of other people who I can't remember now because my brain is mush. No pics of any of those people.

Airplane ride home Polly slept a little and cried the rest of the time. But it's ok! It's over now!

This morning I took a 2-hour nap, chatted with my neighbor/good friend Tiffany before she moved away to Florida (so sad) and I then went on a bike ride to the park with Polly and Lars! My house is a complete disaster. It's really bad. I don't even care. I'm taking the kids out for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll do some laundry later. Probably not though! Recovery day for the win. I'll face real life tomorrow. (Or will I?) 

It's all video, video, video

The kids got a Wii for Christmas. I was never much of a video games person (when I was a kid we had a Nintendo but we were only allowed to play it on this tiny black and white TV in my parents' room... which is so funny to me now...) but over the last year Lars for some reason got obsessed with playing idiotic games on the Internet. The big kids didn't care as much but they still got roped in. It never ended well and we figured that at least with a Wii there was a social aspect (and a physical exercise aspect... sometimes...) and the games were better designed.

Four months later, it still doesn't always end well, but I'm still glad we got it. (Sort of.) They're only allowed to play it on Fridays and Saturdays, and sometimes on other days off from school, and sometimes I wonder if those limitations make it more of a hot commodity, in a bad way. But I'm not going to budge on this one. Weekdays are already too full of other things. And Sundays are special. Summer could be a problem... but I think I'll still stick to the Fridays and Saturdays rule because honestly if it's unrestricted Lars can spend hours on that thing. (I mean... ahem... He COULD spend hours on it... Not that I'd know from experience or anything) Anyway, we'll see how that goes.

Long weekend, sweet girl

We had a 4-day weekend!

Ida started it off with a nice long nap in my bed on Friday morning.

I love how in tune she is with her body's needs. She's my most likely kid to sleep in, take naps, and stop eating sweets once she realizes she's starting to feel sick. Ha!

We went to a friend's birthday party at Frying Pan Farm on Friday and I took zero pictures.

They played at our friends' house while I went grocery shopping and they found a dead bird which they brought into the house. Definitely no pictures of that one.

Then we went to another farm on Saturday--this was a fall festival type thing, not a working farm--and I took exactly one picture.

If it had to be one, I guess I'd choose that one! Heart-eyes...

I also took a video of Polly's first swing ride. Here's a screen shot. More heart-eyes.

There was a super weird corn maze in the shape of Taylor Swift's face (aerial view, that is) with detailed trivia questions about Taylor Swift's life, the answers to which helped you turn left or right. Creepy...in a way I think they didn't intend.... We stayed late at the farm at a campfire with friends and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows for s'mores. There were fireworks too. No photographic evidence of any of it but my kids were soooo happy.

Sunday was church and we had friends over for dinner. That was nice.

Monday was Ida's birthdaaaaay! Matt took her to McDonalds for breakfast (her choice). Then she wanted to go swimming. So we did. Polly loved it, and I love that she loved it.

Which reminds me of her first time in the pool, this past summer, which she did not love, but her siblings thought it was hysterical. (Cute baby bathing suits from aunts Lindy and Phoebe)

After swimming we had Cafe Rio for dinner. Also Ida's choice.

Then she went to Theo's soccer practice with Matt and Theo and they picked up a pint of ice cream at 7-11 on the way home.

I sure love Ida. What's not to love?!?

I'll make her seventh birthday video someday. Probably after I finish making her sixth one. ;)

Happy Easter, happy spring

Remember how photos of my kids keep taking me by surprise?: Babies, the mother slayers

They keep growing up. I love looking at old pictures and videos and remembering how they were. But I sure am loving how they are now. So much fun. So self-sufficient. Yet still so willing to snuggle with me. I am loving this stage of motherhood.

P.S. I took these photos the week before Easter. I am not a mom who makes her kids dress up for Easter if it's general conference weekend. No, Matt and I spent two days straight listening to talks (including but not limited to my girl Rosemary Wixom. Hers was my favorite talk of this conference) while our kids ran in and out of the house happily and sweatily. It was such a long winter, I was not about to make them spend two of the most gorgeous days of 2015 inside. They caught a few minutes of talks here and there. In between building a fort out of dead branches and eating their meals in it.

On Sunday in between sessions we meandered through the woods on a trail while Theo and Ida rode their bikes. They rode their bikes! I think I'm more excited about the fact that my kids can ride bikes now, than I was when they learned to walk.

Happy Easter. Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Abundance is everywhere I look these days.

Theo's week

Matt baptized Theo on Saturday. It was such a nice weekend. My parents came on Wednesday night, Hannah arrived on Friday, and Matt's parents and his brother Jeff and his wife Deb came on Saturday. 

The baptism itself was simple and sweet, with tons of younger kids there watching the 4 boys from the stake who were getting baptized. Afterward, there was a short program where the other newly baptized boy in our ward recited his favorite scripture (the 4th article of faith), the same boy's mom gave a talk about the Holy Ghost as Comforter, his aunt sang "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" while I accompanied, then Theo recited a scripture from Mosiah 18 (the verse about the people clapping their hands for joy and saying "this is the desire of our hearts") and my mom gave a lovely talk about listening to the Holy Ghost's promptings. 

Then the Primary prez and bishop gave talks and the boys were confirmed. Our dads and Jeff stood in the circle for Theo's. (Robbie hadn't arrived yet.) Hannah played the piano, Deb led the music, and Lynnette offered the closing prayer. 

Theo had mailed out invitations to local friends, and we were happy to see several friends there as well as our family.

Matt didn't bring his own white clothes to baptize Theo in, so he was pretty psyched that there was a long-sleeved polyester jumpsuit option which must be from the '70s, anyway he jumped right on that. If I had known there was a collar + belt loop option I would have brought a tie and a belt. Really would have rounded out the look.

They both did great, and the blessing Matt gave Theo was very nice.

We spent the rest of the day eating lunch at Noodles (Theo's choice), hanging out at the air & space museum at Dulles, and eating delicious pizza. Theo didn't want to skip swim practice that night (in fact he woke up Saturday morning and immediately said, "today I get to go in the water twice!") so Matt and Jeff ventured out into a super short yet intense blizzard to take him. 

Sunday morning was so cold and icy that church was canceled. We spent most of the day hanging out and talking, the kids played outside in the snow, and we had a nice little sacrament meeting at home with all our guests before dinner.

The kids have been at home now for 5 days, between the Presidents Day holiday, and church and school being canceled. But amazingly, it has been so nice. Hardly any fighting. Just lots of happy uninterrupted playing. I spent most of Tuesday on the phone with mechanics figuring out a car issue and completely ignored the kids but still--no issues, or if there were they worked them out themselves. Then I spent this morning painting the inside of a closet. Still the kids played happily. Stopping in occasionally to check my progress.

So I've discovered how much of an influence Theo has over the younger kids. When he's happy and pleasant, they are too. And even when Lars and Ida have fought this week, Theo has mostly stayed out of it. Matt and I have been praising Theo up and down for what great choices he's been making. 

Maybe it's a coincidence or maybe he feels a new responsibility--I don't know. Either way I'll take it, even if it ends up being short-lived. I am so thankful for Theo. What a blessing in our family and to me personally. I have learned so much from him and he has progressed so much since the rougher days of 4, 5, 6 years old.

Love this darling boy.

It's official

Last night I took the big kids to the Messiah Singalong at a local stake center.

They refused to give me normal smiles for the photo.

Both kids have been to a singalong before, at the Kennedy Center in 2009

And Theo went to one with us in 2007, also at the KC.

Until 2008 or 2009, apparently they always did the KC singalong on a Sunday afternoon. People stood in line on Saturday morning to get their free tickets. Theo did fantastically the year we took him as a baby in the afternoon. That was a fun year. Hannah (who introduced the event to us) was here for the semester and she got our tickets for us so that we wouldn't have to wait in line. The conductor is fantastic and it's worth the wait, I think.

Then they changed it to a weeknight starting at 8 pm, and you had to stand in line and pick up your own ticket that same afternoon, which was daunting but we figured we'd try anyway. Ida was 14 months old and Theo was just shy of 3. They actually did pretty well but we left at intermission anyway because we didn't want to tempt fate. Plus Ida had kinda thrown up, but she was still kinda at that age where we were like "is that throw-up or spit-up?" More info than you needed, I know. 

We've been to the Kennedy Center one a few other times without kids also.

Anyway about the more local one we went to last night at a neighboring stake--Matt and I went to the same stake center singalong when we first moved here in 2006. Every year since then, I've forgotten to check the date and time until it had already passed. But this year I remembered! Matt wasn't super in the mood and Lars needed to go to bed anyway, so it was just me and the big kids. We had a great time. 

The production itself wasn't "professional" like Kennedy Center level but actually I kind of loved that. (Most of the performers probably were professionals in the past or still are.) The soloists were all fantastic. We sat in the third row, and Theo and Ida occupied themselves with either following along with the lyrics in the songbook or checking out the orchestra players in front of us. Or eating Altoids. It helped that it was a very abridged version, less than 90 minutes total.

In the meantime, while the kids cheerfully endured it, I soaked it in. Pregnancy hormones got the better of me and I couldn't keep away tears during my favorite parts. Might I recommend (if you're a Handel's Messiah novice)

-Overture (orchestra)

-For unto us a child is born (chorus)

-Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion (soprano) <--my fav part "He is the righteous Savior, and he shall speak peace unto the heathen...he shall speak peace...peace..."

-He shall feed His flock/Come unto Him all ye that labor (alto/soprano) <--this is one that I listen to all year long. Love it.

-Behold the Lamb of God (chorus)

-Surely He hath borne our griefs/And with His stripes we are healed (chorus)

-Hallelujah (chorus) <--gets a bad rap and is overplayed but in the context of the performance it is so good, and especially good in a singalong because it is really easy to sing!

-I know that my Redeemer liveth (soprano)

-Behold, I tell you a mystery/The trumpet shall sound (baritone and trumpet) <--I am obsessed with this one, it never disappoints me, and the baritone and trumpet guy totally rocked it last night.

I like listening to audio recordings of the Messiah, and I often have it playing on the stereo, and I even like hearing live performances. But nothing compares to participating in a singalong. Nothing! I'm glad my parents always took us to singalongs when we were kids and got us firmly entrenched in this beautiful Christmas tradition.

We also decorated our Christmas tree yesterday. So I think I can say that now it's officially officially Christmas.

Thanks for this city.

We spent a chilly Saturday afternoon in DC with old friends. I'm thankful for those dear friends and thankful to live just 15 minutes away from this big, beautiful city.

Beach day

It took us almost all summer to get to the beach this year. As far as I am aware, I have made it to the ocean every summer of my life. Of course I lived in California for 17 years (and three more summers after that), so that made it pretty easy to stock up on beach time, but I've even made it happen when we were landlocked. I also have a somewhat OCD tradition about getting in the water (I always have to get in, even if it's for just a few minutes).

I wasn't about to let the opportunity get away this year, so after a busy few months of this or that, or rainy weekends or whatever kept us from going, we made it to Rehoboth Beach one Saturday in mid-August.

Usually we stay about 4 hours (since it's a 3-hour drive each way) but we stayed a little extra long on this day--we were having too much fun, I guess. On our way home we stopped and got delicious fish tacos at a little place in Rehoboth called El Dorado. It was in a tiny strip mall next to a seedy-looking bar--always a good sign. Actually I think I was the only one who ordered the fish tacos, but anyway they were delicious.

Maybe one of these summers we'll do a weekend or week at the beach again. For now, or for the last 4 years anyway, we've made do with day trips and it's worked out just fine. Oh, we love the beach.

Summer nights

We've had some fun amphitheater times this summer. Our friends Chrissy and Matt invited us to see Beck with them at Merriweather Post Pavilion. I'm a Beck fan but not super dedicated, so I was glad we got lawn seats.

I was extra glad when it ended up being a gorgeously amazing night. Surprising in July, but welcome. It was in the 60s with a breeze. This summer's weather has been really mild overall, and I'm loving it.

Sean Lennon's band opened and was pretty good, although I couldn't tell you the name of the band or any of the songs.

Beck was just as weird and goofy as I expected, and put on a great show. He started off strong with "Devil's Haircut" and played mostly old faves from Odelay!, Midnite Vultures, Sea Change, and Guero. "Loser," of course. And some new ones from his latest album, whatever that might be called. Honestly I thought the album was a bit of a snoozefest when I listened to it on Spotify (his albums seem to alternate between super-funky and super-snoozy), but live, the songs were great. His touring band is apparently also his studio band, at least currently. They were so good.

He ended strong with "Sexx Laws," "Debra" and "Where It's At" for encores. I took a few videos, but... you will never see them. Since I can't load them via my Blogger app.

It was a really fun night to spend with each other, friends, and a good dose of nostalgia. 

Another amphitheater experience was this past weekend seeing Jim Gaffigan at Wolf Trap with Matt. I love Wolf Trap and we both think Jim Gaffigan is pretty darn funny. So that was pretty great too. Next week I'm heading to Wolf Trap again, this time with Ida for the Sound of Music singalong. Will it be as fun as it was last year? Not without Hannah. But I hope it will come pretty close.

Yay for summer nights.

Trail Day: Scotts Run

School is still in session for another week and a half, thanks to so many snow days this winter, but it's definitely summer. Then again we have had a few weekends in a row of deliciously dry weather. It felt like summer in California feels. Like summer should feel. Not like you're swimming through the air, beads of sweat brimming up within seconds of being outside and mosquitoes zapping towards you with unbeatable force. But oh well. The humidity started for real this week and I'm resigned to it. We'll always have fireflies, so at least there's that.

I have been wondering what hikes would be like this summer, now that Lars is too big for the Ergo, so it was nice to go on our first summer hike with Matt along too. Funnily enough, Lars actually spent about 2/3 of the hike on my back in the Ergo. I think really he's just on the cusp of being physically able to make it through an entire hike, but he was sick last week, then gave up his binky, and I'm guessing that's partly why he has been the clingiest boy in the land for over a week now. He asks for hugs on an average of 20-30 times a day. He wants to be carried anywhere we go. And Matt is an acceptable second if I'm gone, but if I'm home, he wants no one else. So I squished him into the Ergo on my back for most of the hike and it wasn't actually so bad. Maybe we'll be Ergo-ing it more than I thought this summer.

Ida thought this tree's exposed roots were pretty cool.

This group of college kids (on the flat rock by the waterfall) were cracking me up. They were all scantily clad, with awesome '80s flair, and blasting a boombox. Whippersnappers.

If you don't recognize it from the pictures, this was Scotts Run in McLean. I thought this site was sort of helpful in directing us where to go: http://www.hikingupward.com/ovh/scottsrun/ The directions are a little complicated but I thought the pictures were helpful. The maps posted on the actual trail were really enough, though.

Mainly because we tried out Scotts Run last year--on a very humid Fourth of July http://lizer.blogspot.com/2013/07/trail-day-happy-fourth.html--and missed the waterfall, I was determined to find it this time. We parked in a different lot (the bigger lot which is further west on Georgetown Pike) and found it with no problem. It was maybe 2 miles (ish) to the waterfall and back. We will definitely go back.

I have an issue with safety while hiking trails, though. I just don't feel 100% safe in the woods with just my kids and me on a muggy summer weekday when you can walk a mile or more without seeing anyone. (On an amazingly beautiful Saturday like this past one, the trail was full of people and dogs, and I would have felt very safe even without Matt.) So this summer I will be forcing at least one friend to come with us each Trail Day. Look out, local friends. You could be next...

Warrior Dash again

I had a fun Saturday last Saturday. Some friends and I ran the Warrior Dash again. It was really muddy. And fun. It reminded me of why I love running. But I only really love it when it's not just running on a road. That is kinda boring, and when I do it, I look at my watch constantly. But when I'm running up and down a rocky trail in the woods concentrating on not falling, or running up and down a motocross trail, and squeezing through tunnels made out of rope getting giant bruisey rope burns, and climbing up and down giant sheets of particleboard trying not to get splinters, I just enjoy what I'm doing. It just feels good to be outside and covered in dirt and moving in unexpected ways using muscles I didn't know were there. I really need more of that in my life.

Picnic

Made these guys a picnic dinner to eat together at the park and once we all sat down to eat, they promptly announced they'd be moving over to a different table. "Bye!" Meanwhile Lars ate a fistful of blueberries, declared himself done with dinner, and ran off.

Also they refused the delicious chicken salad that I made, except for Theo who eats everything. Yet they liked the rubbery imported April watermelon which they had somehow convinced Matt to buy. All in all, pretty typical.

Delicious Chicken Salad

-Chicken (I used leftover rotisserie, you could use whatever)

-plain yogurt (plain Greek would be good)

-sliced almonds

-diced celery

-garlic salt

-pepper

-curry powder

Mix the ratio of chicken: vegs: nuts: yogurt that you like. Season it a ton. I ate mine on a lettuce leaf but I also like it on Triscuits. Or in a pita pocket.

I don't know why my kids don't like chicken salad. Is it because they're not middle-aged women? Well, I liked it as a kid. I'll keep trying.