Reason #863 Solei is a flipping genius

She insists on calling oyster crackers "hexagon crackers". Yes, we taught her what a hexagon was, and no, we didn't call the the crackers hexagons - she just figured it out herself.

We know where the brains come from, but luckily I know she got at least SOMEthing from my genes because she's also emotionally needy and super hott!

Solei-isms for the day

During prayer on lunch: "Thank you for Mommy's toothbrush and bless her toothpaste."

Then after lunch: "Daddy, that was apple-tizing!"

Meeting a girl older than her at the airport:
Girl: "How old are you?"
Solei: " One!"
Us: "No you're not!"
Girl: "Wait, are you 2 or 3?"
Solei: "I'm So1ei P@get!"

sappy video

For anyone who knows my mom and has 8 free minutes, here's the video I made of her first 60 times around the sun:

It's not the best editing job I've ever done, but it was done super fast and it made her bawl her eyes out, so I take it as a success.

So warning - Aaron Paget: it is long and boring to those unaquainted with the lady, so do NOT click on the play button. The boredom you will experience not having known the woman will possibly make one of your eyes fall out. You should probably send me cookies for saving you 8 minutes.

HAPPY 60th MOM!!!!

Imagine you are the awesomest woman ever, approaching your 60th birthday. You don't make a big deal about your birthdays (in fact, you keep your age a secret from lots of people, including and most importantly, your daughter in law). But, your husband has planned a big trip to Hawaii to celebrate and you grudgingly go along with it. Your only regret is that it's over Thanksgiving and you wish you could have your family all together for the holiday, but you know that's not happening since your kids live far, far away.

The vacation is a success - your husband treats you like royalty, wines and dines you and you even go snorkeling and take a surfing lesson! You reluctantly fly home, knowing that Colorado snow and your crazy stressful job teaching elementary school awaits the next day. Your second oldest son picks you from the airport and has a surprise waiting for you when you pull up to the house - he woke up early that morning and shoveled your driveway for you! Tired but grateful, you walk into your house. Wait a second... who cleaned the kitchen....

Suddenly, little figures appear, walking towards you - holding yellow daisies. What are your grandchildren doing in your kitchen?? They are in Atlanta, right?? And Kentucky?? You start screaming. And what is that - is that your son - and your other son - and your OTHER son - and your daughter and daughter-in-law - and your neighbors snapping pictures at you???

.... I don't think I can give the whole scene justice, but believe you me, it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. It's been in the works for a year to surprise mom for her big birthday since Jane discovered mom's real age and decided to throw the ultimate surprise party. Oh, the lies!! Oh, the deception!! With so many people in on it, you'd think that SOMEONE would have messed up and ruined the secret, but by a miracle, it was a total shock!! We didn't even jump out and yell surprise because we were afraid we would give her a heart attack. Heck, we almost did! We came from New York, from Atlanta, from LA, from Kentucky, from 10 miles away. We actually came in to celebrate Thanksgiving together, unbeknownst to mom. Dad knew and kept it all in amazingly.

So yeah, I blew it at the end of NaBloPoMo, but poor Jane and I were doing it together and the biggest thing we were doing we couldn't blog about since mom checks our blogs every now and then (it's been TORTURE!!!)- the last 3 days I've been so surrounded by preparing and spending every waking second with my wonderful family - and putting together a fabulous sappy photo mpongage of my mom's life, I didn't have a second to give to the blogs. I think it's a pretty awesome reason:)

Thankful

My family has had the same tradition for Thanksgiving every year since I was a little girl – there’s a long story about the pioneers attached to it, but the result is that we place 3 kernels of corn next to each person’s plate and we go around the table, expressing 3 things that we are thankful for that year.
It was all very serious until a few years ago when Uncle Rand picked the law that states we can take a “Right turn on red”. So in creeped some wacky ones. You HAVE to use one of yours to express thankfulness for a spouse or you’ll be in trouble later, but then you have 2 left to use at will. Jared has used “the interweb” as a thankful kernel for more than one year now.
So aside from the deep and meaningful things I have to be thankful for, here is my B-list of thanks:

• Goldfish crackers
  
• Pacifiers
  
• Space heaters
  
• Cell phones
  
• Digital cameras
  
• Sour cream and onion dip
  
• Laptops
  
• The dollar spot at Target
  
• The outrageous sales as a result of the economic downturn
  
• Body pillows
  
• Technology (“yeees, I love technology… but noooot as much as you you seeee….”
  
• Automatic doors on my van
  
• Chicken
  
• PBS
  
• Portable DVD players
  
• Those modest tee shirt companies for the tall girls like moi
  
• Mascara
  
• Chocolate
  
• After holidays 75% off sales
  
• Frozen dinners
  
• Super Target/Walmart
  
• That thing that clips my kid’s pacifier to her shirt
  
• Prescription meds
  
• Knee socks
  
• Metabolism
  
• Toilet paper
  
• Feet
  
• Contacts and sunglasses
  
• Sweaters
  
• Toast
  
• Nursery
  
• Drive-throughs
  
• Eyebrows
  
• Baby magazines with articles like “Why it’s okay to be a crappy parent!”
  
• Ponytail holders
  
• TV shows we can watch on the web because we were putting the little monster down while they were on the first time
  
• Being ridiculously good looking
  
• “For English, press 1”
  
• The interweb

That’s not in any way a complete list, but it outlines my priorities well I think. Hope ya’ll have plenty of stupid things to be thankful for too!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

this says Floyd wrote it, but he didn't - just lazy Rocketgirl on his computer

60 is the new 20

Celebrating my mom's 60th today - my parents took surfing lessons in Maui. DANG they're cool.

she's funny

Solei-isms for the day:

I'm singing a song ...

Solei: Mommy - STOP SINGING!!!

Me: You do not tell someone to stop making music! People can sing and sing all day long! *continuing singing*

she thinks deeply for a way out of this rule... then, the lightbulb goes off:

Solei: Mommy - FREEZE!

grrrrrr.....

then tonight, we were lazy and headed to Wendy's for dinner. We didn't tell HER that's where we were going, but the second we walked in the front door, she realized where we were and ran to the counter, stood on her tip-toes and shouted to the cashier:

"I need french fries please!!!"

We, including the entire Wendy's staff, just laughed our brains out. She continued:

"And chicken and chocolate!"

she paused... looked up at the lady and said with huge puppy-dog eyes:

"I need money."

5 and 5

So, I clicked in the pictures folder, clicked on the 5th folder and loaded up the 5th piture in it without looking, and this is what popped up.

That's me sitting back the band "float" in 2005 for the fall festival parade out here. While waiting, we decided to jam out, and we attracted a crowd... you can't take me any place!

(and yes, those pants still fit. AWESOME!)

Just a quick note to say - WOW we are blessed. I don't do math, but if I had to add up the stuff my student's parents have given me for Solei, the dollar amount would be astronomical!

I haven't had to buy her clothes in a YEAR, and toys and books and toys just roll in. My parents are the BEST! I teach their kids violin, and they are just thrilled to be unloading the stuff their kids have outgrown to somone who will use and appreciate it, and boy howdy do we!

Tonight we got out a huge set of Duplo Legos that we were given last week, and I think Solei had almost as much fun as Jared and I did :)

One mom gave us a huge box of VHS tapes she couldn't sell at garage sale - including 8 Veggie Tales tapes. I'd never seen them, but a few weeks ago when I had to stay home with a sick kiddo and I was trying to find something Sunday appropriate for 2 sick and cranky girls, I found the tapes she'd given me included the story of Esther and Daniel and the Lion's Den. She loved them, and they were WAY more interesting than those BOM tapes. Now she asks for the "cucumber stories" all the time.

I'm so glad my mom raised me with violin so I could be a mom and a teacher at the same time, and the extra blessings just keep pouring in. I am finding SO MANY things to be thankful for this year!

Beauty Shop

Guess what I did with to Solei today?? Painted her fingernails!!! A lovely lovely shade of pink. I played "beauty shop" with her so she'd let me put her hair up out of her eyes and cut her nails, and I decided to just go for it.

Partly, it was fun and gave me that happy feeling in my heart when I realize how thankful I am heavely Father gave me a daughter to share these things in. But then, after it all - I had this crazy sinking feeling - her hands looked so... not like my baby's hands, but a little girl's hands. Ak. AK.

whoops

It's bedtime and I didn't get to posting yet... okay, random thought for the day -
how weird is it that Solei and I have full conversations now?? It feels so natural, like she's been DYING to communicate since birth but every now and then it hits me - she SPEAKS! Pretty dang well, too. Her prayers are loooong and include everyone and everything she knows. Odd, odd to hear her asking to bless Cookie monster and triangles...
okay night!

Random Solei-isms

She climbs out of the tub, then flops in face first...

Daddy: What are you doing??
Solei: I'm a fish!
Daddy: Huh.. What kind of fish?
Solei: A kissy fish!!
*complete with kissing face*

*****later, and less adorable******

Peeping into my face, smiling brightly-

"Mommy, you're a poophead!"

Lazy and in a rush, I'm cross posting this. It's a video from a Tres De Solei performance a bit ago. Watch it and dream YOU were there, while I run off to yet another rehearsal. Cherrio!

During breakfast, Solei saw my rice crispies I was chowing down on a laughed:

Mommy, you're eating BUGS!!

It's crazy looking at pictures from the first year of her life now - THIS is the personality that was dying to get out.

No more boss...

Sorry these aren’t as fun as they could be…

So – my boss was fired today. As if my job weren’t insane enough. Starting today I report directly to the CEO. Our company is not doing well, even taking into account the current situation. Our CEO decided change in our execution was not coming fast enough.

I’ve only had a few bosses that I really really liked. This is one of them. I’m a little speechless. I’m waiting for a week or so to see what happens.

And I got another e.mail from Apple today telling me to keep them in mind if anything changes...

Sunday, Lovely Sunday...

This weekend our stake presidency was re-organized. Our stake president was released and his second counselor was called as the stake president. (for all you non-mormons out there, think of a new Bishop being brought in to take over a diocese). This happens about every 10 years.



To make the change, the Church sent out someone from Utah. This time around we were assigned an Apostle - Elder L. Tom Perry. Now, there are only 12 of these in the world, so a visit like this is quite an event. We were blessed to hear him speak on both Saturday night and Sunday.



During the meeting I felt very inspired to better my life and live like a better person. I guess that's the point. The theme was "Letting your light shine."

quick

Went to stake conference tonight and got to see and hear L. Tom Perry speak - it was amazing!!! Now off to sleep so I can be up and awake for tomorrow's session...

high heels

Coming up in January, I am thrilled to be in one of my dearest friend's weddings. SO THRILLED!!! The girl is a ball, and her fiance is hilllarious - even proposed dressed like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, song and everything. The theme is all swingin' 4o's and other brides are all these lovely petite gals, so the bridesmaids getups are geared towards the shorter end of the spectrum. So the shoes - though ADORABLE - make me 8 feet tall. I've had to practice walking in them!

I tried getting a picture of them today, but Solei wanted to wear them and followed me all over the house screaming. So, I got a picture of both!



I eventually gave in and let her try them on, She actually walked really well in them!

Did anyone doubt I'd have a little diva??

what I did today

The plow pose in yoga! It looks crazy painful, but it isn't too bad. It just made me feel like I was awesome ;) Also, I went to the kiddie gym with Solei,the one we went to with Nana and the boys on Monday. Nothing new there, just thought I'd post a nifty shot I got of Nana on Monday:

blogging about another blog

I'm lazy tonight. Today's post will be about another blog I adore - ikea hacker. I have been obsessing over their ideas ever since I came back to the states and dream of doing something like the creative brains that contribute there - this entryway table is pure genius.

Unfortunately I have no skills, no creativity and a toddler that makes meandering about the As-Is section now near impossible. Le sigh - at least there's a blog where I can dream!