Marco . . . Polo . . .

I just had to post this although most everybody that reads my blog already heard the story today. I really want to put this down for journaling's sake. As I have mentioned before, I'm sure, I tend my four year old grand daughter four days a week during the day. Today, she was sick and stayed home with her momma. So when I picked the twins up from school one of them asked me where Ava was. I did the pretend shock thing and then said, "Oh no! I must have left her napping at home! We better get home quick before she discovers I'm not there!" I smiled and they were like, "Really?" I said, "Yeah!" We all got home and I went about my chores and Courtney went about homework (as usual) and I told Jacob to go pick up the lawn (dog logs) and we all dissipated. I didn't think any more about the incident. While I was coming up from the barn from feeding my horses I saw Jacob coming up the driveway looking pretty exhausted. I'm all, "What you been doing?" He says (with a VERY serious look on his face), "Mom! I've looked down at the creek and up by Boomer's grave (our dog that died) and everywhere. I can't find Ava. Do you know where else I should look?" OMG! We live on 26 acres of VERY rolling hills with a creek running through it and he covered quite a bit of it from the sounds of it. I almost felt bad if it hadn't been so dang funny. I said, "Why are you looking for Ava so bad?" He replied, "Well, I just wanted to play with her today. I haven't seen her in a long time and I miss her!"

Up Hill Both Ways in the Snow

I know we've all heard those stories from our parents. How hard they worked and how easy we all have it. Right? Yeah, well I was just pondering just that scenario this morning as I watched my son balk at the fact that I wanted him to be out of bed by 10:00 a.m. each morning and get some school work complete. Where did he get this attitude anyway? BOTH of his parents are and always have been hard working individuals. No lie. Okay, to bore you to tears, here's my "up hill both ways in the snow" story.

My mom was a hard working single mom. She raised us kids and provided a wonderful ranch for us to grow up on complete with my beloved horses (which to this day I'm insanely addicted to). When I was ready to drive a car "your's truly" was going to have to get a job and support that new obsession of mine. So I got a job at a donut shop then later upgraded to the restaurant. So, if you know anything about me, you'll know that just working 20 hours a week or so was just not going to cut the mustard. Nope, no way! I ended up working 40 hours + per week on the graveyard shift, got to school by 8:00 am, finished school at 3 and was home for some chores, horse bonding time and then off to bed so that I could be up at 9:00 P.m. and back at work by 10. I typed for the school newspaper so I had to be at school at 8 and then classes began at like 8:45. IF I had everything in order, I could squeeze a wee bit of homework in before school or on my break at work.

When I was 18 and moved out on my own (yes, we did do that back then - nobody lived with the rents for like fricken for EVER!), I ended up landing a day shift at the restaurant and decided that I could now take on MORE! I took a swing shift job dispatching tow trucks and then picked up a grave shift dispatching ambulances. Fortunately, my jobs had different days off so that I could sleep some times when I had an off shift. There were times, however, that I worked 48 hours straight through. I was exhausted and really hated life (I regret all of this but it's just indicative of my personality).

Would I recommend this regimen for any of my children? Heck no! In fact, I've always said that I wanted my children to enjoy high school and focus on getting great grades. I discouraged them from working while they were in school. They all ended up getting part time jobs to have some "change to jingle in their jeans" (a saying my mom used).

My mom has often said over the years that there were some things that she would have done different if she could do the parenting gig over again. I'm sure discouraging me (or possible prohibiting me) from working so much would have been one of them. She has said in the years since my high school time, when I mentioned that I almost dropped out of high school because i was so overwhelmed, that she is surprised that I didn't. Boy am I glad that I stuck it out!

I do appreciate all the pushing my mom did when I was growing up. It has molded me into a hard working individual that doesn't expect a free ride. I enjoy knowing that what we have is the result of my husband (and myself) working our tails off.

Stress Free Me?

Why does it always seem that when you get over one "stressor" in your life there's another one sitting right there on the horizon? It sometimes feels a bit defeating.

I was working on the family bills the other day and was elated that I was finally able to send off our last installment of property taxes for 2010. I've been stressing about it for months. It's been sitting in my "in" basket teasing and taunting me since like last October or so. Oh, I'd acknowledge it's presence and all and I would pick it up and give it a glare just to let it know that I completely disapprove of it's persistent nagging presence in my life, but then I'd put it back down and tuck it neatly at the bottom of the stack of other bills that seem to also be screaming for attention. It felt so good to send that little demon on it's way! Yay for me!

I was sitting back at my desk with my feet up congratulating myself when I noticed that there was an email from my realtor in my inbox of my email. My heart always gets giddy when she emails me because I'm hopeful that there is some good news and I could hardly wait the 2.3 seconds it took for my computer to open it. Well, there was good news and then there was . . . reality.

She suggested that she bring another realtor into the picture that is more savy with the horse world to help market out place (YES!). Then, she suggested that they come up to our place on Monday so the new realtor can have a "look see" and chat with me about some specific horse things pertaining to our place (OH NO!). Not "oh no" about meeting, no, that's a good thing. The "oh no" is that I've completely let the place go outside because it's been raining like a booger for EVER! The weeds have completely taken over and it truly looks like Sleeping Beauty's castle after the tenants had been asleep for 100 years! How the flip am I gonna hustle and make this place presentable when I've got church this afternoon and drill practice tonight?

Answer: I'm not.

There, stress over. I'm just going to hope and assume that they understand the weather "sitch" and will just give that nod and smile that says, "we know that you're going to get this dump cleaned up lickety split so we are not going to say anything at this time about your lack of attention to detail." Righto!

Leprechaun Trap

I remember those rascally little things. Man how I hated them! I hated when the assignment came home from school that we needed to build yet another witty leprechaun trap. I remember my children really getting into the spirit of it and how, in my mind I was thinking, "this is the most stupid project EVER!!"

Eat your words, Jody Weltz. What I would give to have those days back. Those days when my children were carefree and innocent. Those days when they loved me and adored me and thought I was the best thing since sliced bread.

These days are quite different. These days I'm the bane of their (Well, just one in particular) existence. None of my children have gotten through the teen years gracefully. Right now, I'm dealing with the worst yet. Yeah, this one tops the charts as far as Weltz teenagers go. The rub? So far ALL of my children that are grown love me again and I think they, once again, think I'm the best thing since sliced bread (well at least that's the fantasy that I'm hanging onto). Because I think MY mom is the best thing since sliced bread (and why do we use that silly phrase anyway?)

I've been told that by many that the twins are going to be my greatest challenge and my greatest joy. I can see that. They are 13 yet still sweet and innocent. They still think I'm wonderful and they still hang onto childhood fantasies. Right now I think I'm going to just go with it and enjoy being someone's hero.

So, anyone who "has" to make a leprechaun trap for a school assignment . . . enjoy the moment because it will pass oh so quickly.

Family Business

Recently, I made a (not so smart) decision to take a class to learn something so that I could get a job. I won't mention what it was that I thought I was going to do but I will say that it went against everything that I and my family believe in (yeah, not so smart indeed). Skip was against the idea and balked quite loud about the $200 that I spent to take said class. Brandilyn was very unhappy with me and my best friend asked "why the heck would you do THAT?" My sister, Gail, was surprised and never discouraged (or encouraged, for that matter) me but said that I was a people person and would be pretty good at it.

Well, I took a week of the class and witnessed a lot of chaos in my heart, mind and home. Everything was in disarray and felt confusing. I hit my knees and prayed about my decision and clearly came up with the impression that this was NOT a path that I needed to be following. The next day I had an appointment with a client to zone her feet. Since I don't have an office anymore I go to my clients in their home. She had a cute little nook set up in her home that was her "office". I asked, "do you have a job that you work out of your home for?" She replied, "My family is my business. That is what I do. My family."

That hit me right in the heart. Yes, my family IS my business. It's the most important work that I will ever do. It is what Heavenly Father set me here to do. My family. I should not be pursuing anything that is not in harmony with that very important task.

My decision was made. My decision was reaffirmed by my bishop on Sunday (who felt "inspired" to have a chat with me - wow!) and now I suddenly feel free. It feels good to go about my day and do those tasks that I thought were mundane and annoying. I know that I won't feel this enthusiasm forever, but today it feels just right to be right here right now doing what I was ordained to do.

Oh, and that $200? Yeah, I guess that is a steep price to pay for a lesson well learned. Sorry babe.

Lately

I'm just feeling groovier than groovy right now because I got our tax prep stuff finished yeterday and ready to send off to the accountant. It's one of those chores I put off and put off and then Skip calls me and tells me that he has an appointment with our accountant on Saturday and I'm like, "HOLY CRAP! I better get those bad boys in the bag!" Well, in the bag they are and I even sent them off in a little box along with newspapers and magazines and such to Mr. Weltz to review and see if little ol' me has missed anything (of course, I haven't but it's fun for him to feel like he has the power to say I did, lol).

Also, I went to drill practice last night and realized that my horse is an unruly brat. I got called on the carpet (well, the sand) numerous times and so I made a decision that starting today I need to climb on board that obnoxious equine of mine and ride the living crap out of her. I did and it did my heart good to see her calm when her "work out" was complete today. I even made her suffer by having to witness the other Weltz horses snacking on long luscious grass right outside the arena (tee hee). I'm feeling a wee bit evil.

Once again Courtney had to head off to school in her pajamas today. For whatever reason, an hour just isn't enough time for her to get up, make her bed, get dressed, eat breakfast and brush her hair and teeth. I kind of felt sorry for her but she wasn't even in the neighborhood of being ready to go when we were at that last possible minute we could wait before we were late. I let her be late on Friday thinking that would have an impact but no dice. Today was met with a lot of tears and her being angry at me. Once again. . . no Mother of the Year award for me. Sniff sniff.

Green Acres

Remember that TV show forever ago called Green Acres? So do I. Zsa Zsa Gabor always dressed up in her finery wallowing around the swine. Lol. Loved it. It was funny in its day.

However, I feel like I'm living that show right now only in reverse. 14 years ago when we made a choice to move out in the country, Skip was going through his mid-life crisis, I guess. Men do that around 40 years (women 50 evidentaly). I was grateful that that was the "change" that he wanted at that point in his life in lieu of a younger, prettier, peppier girlfriend.

Now, he lives in LA at a posh little apartment where he gets to come home every night and do whatever he pleases. No one to answer to, no one to nag, no chores to do. Just a sweet little life. Once a month I saunter down and join (bother) him and a couple times a month he comes up and reckons order on the ranch.

We are making noise (well the ranch is for sale so I guess it's more than just noise) about moving. Our focus at the moment seems to be the Phoenix area - more specifically a sweet little area called Queen Creek where they have a lot of horse property. Now, however, my husband is gently suggesting that we get rid of the horses and move into a condo or a small house - say what?? Yeah, I'm having a little (lot) trouble with this concept.

I'm like "the chores!" and he's like "the stores!". What's a couple to do? My take on it is this: He has to live down in LA and work and he gets the perk of having his own bachelor pad. I'm the one that has to live full time with my miserable (lol) animals. Shouldn't I be the one to choose what kind of misery I get to live in? I think so, too.

Heel, Toe, Dosey, Doe

Skip was chatting to me about his life here in his new apartment. It's quite different from our life out in the country where it's just us and we don't really see or hear anything from our neighbors much.

He was telling me how his upstairs neighbor (a woman, I guess) gets up about 15 minutes before he does in the morning. Evidentaly she wears heels and he can hear her walking around. He said, "She walks like you, heel first. I don't understand that because I walk on my toes first." Say what?????

Okay, so this morning I observed him walking around and, sure enough, he was walking around like he was sneaking up on someone. Lol. Yeah, tippy toe. I totally never noticed that about him before! So then when we were outside walking around by the pool, I noticed he was walking just normal (I will add here that it was most DEFINITELY heel first, btw). I didn't say anything because I didn't want to cause a stir, but what the heck is that all about?

Well, here's the conclusion I've come to. My husband doesn't want to disturb anyone so I'm sure he self consciencely walks around on his toes so as to not make any noise when things are quiet (I have busted him sneaking up on me and listening on my phone convos before so I know how quiet he can be). Me . . . I am who I am and I'm evidentaly not considerate of others. Well, I guess it could be said that I do have other strengths though, right?

Perfect Date

It's funny because I was dreading today for quite awhile. I had to appear in court with one of my children and, quite frankly, the situation had the potential of going south pretty bad. Of course, the judge asked us to return in a couple of weeks to revisit the situation so I/we get to stress about the whole sitch for a bit more. Sigh.

Anyway . . . one of the reasons I was stressing about today was there was the possibility that my trip to LA to visit Skip was going to get cancelled because of this potential court outcome. By the judge putting the whole ordeal on "hold", I got to hop on that plane and fly the big birdie south. Yee!!

Skip promptly picked me up at the airport and we went back to his crib to "kick it". We watched a movie and then decided to get out and grab some grub. We went to an awesome restaurant called The Veggie Grill. OMG! I had the BEST dinner out EVER!!! We had like portabella mushroom burgers (no bread bun, here!) on steamed kale with miso sauce. There was a generous dollop of guacamole on top and the other "burger" (we shared everything) was a grilled veggie burger with sweet potato fries. This veggie girl was in hog heaven! So so so happy. I savored every morsel of my dinner.

We then went bowling (yeah, this square "home body" couple) and had a blast (Skip won). It was mega fun. While we were there, it became "midnight madness" and they turned the black lights on and played some pretty hip tunes. I dug on it - Skip . . . not so much. We then snagged some frozen yogurt and came back to the apartment to kick it some more.

In my opinion? Yeah, PERFECT date. Thank you babe for showing your girl an awesome time. I love you to bits!