Recitals, Programs & Parties

Tis The Season!  The season of Orchestra Recitals, Music Programs, and Christmas Parties.  Peyton had her first Orchestra program on Tuesday and wouldn't you know they scheduled Hayden's music program for the same night.  This is where you flip a coin and see which parent ends up at which program.  I got Peyton's program and Kevin got Hayden's program.  We both set out with recorders in hand.

Peyton's program went well!  It turns out I didn't need earplugs for the sixth grade violinists.  Not only that, you could ACTUALLY tell what Christmas songs they were playing.  They only got to start using their bows a few months back, up until that point they were only allowed "plucking."  They did a great job!

I could not wait to see Hayden's program on the video recorder.  I started the video....What a Ham!   Hayden's place was top row, very end, on the right.  As all the other students faced the music teacher in the center, Hayden turned and faced directly toward Kevin and my mom and the CAMERA.  He was the only one facing that direction, so he kind of stood out like a sore thumb.  I am pretty sure he was playing it up for the camera.  He did alot of smiling at the camera, eye brow raising and over exaggerating with the words to the songs.  One of the songs he sang talked about Santa getting fit and ready for Christmas night.  It talked about Santa running on a treadmill.  Isn't that a huge contradiction to Jolly Old St Nicholas?  We all know Santa is a Cookie, Binge Eater on Christmas Eve!  Who wrote this?  Next thing you know they will have Rudolph getting Rhinoplasty!  I asked him why he didn't face his music teacher like the other kids.  He said, "I don't need directing, I know all the songs."

We have had Kevin's work party and a holiday open house with a party or two to follow this week.  So far, I am proud to say I am Snuggie free when it comes to White Elephant gifts!  Last year I took a Snuggie and ended up with 2!  (I will refer to this as "The Curse of the Snuggie 2010")  Those things can multiply.   I got a Chili's gift card and Kevin got a lovely candy dish.(It was a win/win.)  I have high hopes for our  other gatherings.  The kids will be performing a Christmas play at our church this Sunday.  If you are out and about, come and see it, it will be great.

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!  What a totally American holiday! It's the only holiday that you are encouraged to wear pants with elastic waists, over eat all of the richest of foods and HAVE Dessert (You would never dream of eating that many calories the rest of the year), watch TV all day with family and take a nap!  It is also the only holiday where we are Thankful for everything we have on Thursday and are trampling each other and spraying each other with pepper spray on Friday for things we want.  (Trampling and pepper spray were the headlines for Black Friday shopping on the news today.)

Alot of my facebook friends have been listing things they are thankful for each day.  Doesn't it just bring life in perspective when you realize all the good you have in your life.  Something I am extremely thankful for is getting to have Thanksgiving dinner with my 93 yr old grandmother this year at her house.  After a health scare earlier this year where she had to have an irregular heart stopped and restarted, it is really a blessing to spend time with her.  When I walked in the door she was standing over the kitchen counter overseeing the food preparation.  Alot of dishes she had prepared herself and she would not have had it any other way.  She does not take her Matriarch role lightly when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner. 

Alot of family and friends are starting their own holiday traditions this year.  They are taking up the torch, so to speak, and creating new traditions for their growing families.  They are finding themselves in a transition period where they will be the ones to be the keeper of the turkey! (Or enchilada in some cases)   This year has been the year that I have noticed my Grandmother seems to be her age, there is a new frailness to her stance.  A slowness is her getting up and a hand searching for something to hold on to as she moves from place to place.  I am thankful for the time I am getting with her and all the love she has given to me throughout my life.

I am so thankful for my family. 

Hallows Eve

It's the day after Halloween....the day in which teachers are thankful that we send our kids to school crashing from their sugar high.  The day in which you try to figure out creative ways to incorporate all your left over Halloween candy in to Thanksgiving recipes. (Won't this candy corn look adorable as decoration on top of my dressing?)  The day my Jack Russell Terrorists spends hiding Tootsie Roll pops in my shoes, laundry baskets and bras.  (He is great at hiding eggs at Easter too!)    It's the day you realize that you only have 53 days left to get your Christmas shopping done.  (Say it ain't so!)

We had a small get together Friday night with friends and family.  Costumes were required!  Everybody brought a ghoulish dish.  Lots of good eats to be had.  (Can you really call a party a party without spinach dip and sausage balls?  I think not)  We also set up a fog machine with strobe lights outside our front door so all of guests could cough & choke while having seizures as they rung the doorbell.  We filled the bathtub with water and glow sticks and put radio active signs all around the bathroom as the tub glowed with a greenish hue.

We played scary movie charades, I know it was wrong to include the movie title "The Human Centipede" in the mix on the grounds that it is soooo wrong, but it made for a great acting out in charades.  (You know you have been married a long time when your spouse gets what you are acting out from one small hand gesture!)  By the way, when Kevin was trying to show us on his arm how many syllables, I yelled out, "Taking your pulse!"  This is not cool in the charade world I found out.

We had a witch, a zombie WalMart associate, Troy from Swamp People, Cotex, a Convict, my sister-in-law came dressed as a WalMart shopper (dressed in her pajamas of course like all WalMart shoppers).  I was Minnie Mouse, I really felt the need to rap every time I put on my big hands. (Those hands were made for over exaggerated hand gestures!  Yeah, BOY!)   Kevin was an Avatar, but he lacked the commitment his costume required!  His full body blue suit ended up half off by the end of the night with his mask disregarded for eating!

Hope you had a great Halloween, now get to Christmas shopping!

DIY

Well in between soccer games, football games, cheerleading, open houses at 2 schools and all the practices that go along with....I've been getting my DIY on.  By the way, Hayden's football team is undefeated, if they win their game this Saturday at Ector, they get to play at Ratliff for the championship.  The whole DIY thing is totally not my fault.  I have been looking at Pinterest and they have got me believing I can re-upholster a chair, create a great up-do, make some wonderfully creative Halloween decorations, cook some good recipes all while putting together a fabulous outfit.

It made me feel like a DIY slacker!  I was bound and determined to make something. (In between practices of course)  With my limited cooking skills, I decided to tackle Fall Mix.  A trail mix that includes pumpkins and candy corn (FALL).  This got my confidence on a high.  IT LOOKED LIKE THE PICTURE, therefore, I passed the first DIY test.  On to the next one--Nutter Butter Ghosts on a stick.  (Any food item on a stick gets higher DIY points by the way.)  Foods on a stick are very popular in the Pinterest community.  Apparently, there is a lot of eating on the run with this group and they need a stick to be able to drive and eat their cookie/cakes/apples.  My ghosts did not turn out as well.  Peyton said they look more like mash potato monsters than ghosts. 

I decided to move on to a non-food item.  Halloween Wreath, you are on my list!  This DIY project cost only about $20 total.  I got a wooden letter, a wire wreath, a festive bolt of ribbon and two bolts of black tulle.  After painting orange and black spots on the letter "K" for Kidd, I cut squares of the tulle and tied them onto the wire wreath.  I then added the ribbon and letter.  After 240 feet of tulle, I DID IT!  (A person needs to be willing to devote a lot of cutting time to this project.)  This was probably my favorite thing in the whole DIY experience.

With Purpose

Since the last blog, I have gone to Albuquerque for a leadership conference.  It was a good trip!  The weather was a little cooler, I got to hang out with some great people, I got to shop.  I got a white notebook full of stuff.  (You can never have too many white notebooks.)   We got to hear lectures from various authors for 3 days, one of which was a recently retired VP of American Airlines.  After setting down and looking at the itinerary for the first day and seeing the first day meeting was going to last until 9 pm, I wrote the following words at the top of my page:

God has you here for a purpose--work your hardest to find out what that purpose is.

The funny thing is, & I can't tell you how often this happens to me, where a reoccurring theme will pop up, that "having a meaningful purpose in life" came up in the meeting throughout the weekend.  Maybe if we started each day with the thought that we are purposeful in our actions we could capitalize more on our creative contributions to this world we share? 

Some other good things came out of these discussions:

1)People don't care how much you know, until they   
    know how much you care.
2)Trust your leadership
3)In serving others, you must ask the right questions.
4)No decision is a bad decision--This means not doing anything is allowing some one else to have control over you and make the decision for you.
5)Reconstruction is harder than new construction.
6)Perfection is the enemy of good.  If you strive for perfection every time, it may take away from your good work because you can never be satisfied.
7)You have to be able to do a work around, this means coming up with creative ideas work around problems that may come up.  This may also mean being bold & accepting of change.

Good stuff huh?  Now for the fun stuff.  When I was in high school, my parents took me to Carlsbad, NM and I HAD to have a pair of white fringed ankle moccasins.  So, when we went shopping in the old square and saw a sign for moccasins I HAD to go check them out.  Don't worry, I didn't get white ones, don't start having an 80's flashback.  I got grey ones!  So comfy.  Maybe 20 yrs from now I will go back to NM and get some more.  The art there was truly inspiring.  Of course my kids love all the odd ball, kookie souvenirs--so I got them some New Mexican jumping beans.  The first night back in the hotel room, I kept hearing a ticking sound from all sacks.  "Do you hear that?  It sounds like a clock ticking."  Was their a bomb in my sacks?  OH YEAH!  It's the jumping beans, you could hear them all weekend.  They loved to jump around 4 o'clock in the morning!  The kids loved them, they have already made the rounds at show & tell at school and the dog has not ate them yet.

I also brought Kevin some hot sauces.  One is called "Colon Blow"  he hasn't had the guts to try this one yet!  (HaHa! Get it?  Guts?)

Be PURPOSEFUL in your actions this week!  What Lasting Fruit are you now bearing? 

Short & Sweet

Okay this blog is going to be short & sweet, just like me.  I jest!  I am suppose to be reading right now and working on my homework.  What homework you ask? (OK, I know you really didn't ask me, but I am going to tell you any way.)  I got asked to go to a Leadership conference in New Mexico this week.  (Yeah, this is where the panic should be setting in, I just said this WEEK.)  I know, I don't see it either, I just don't feel like I fit the bill for leadership.  I decided that when I turned 40 I would not say "NO" to any opportunity that came my way no matter how intimidating it might be. 

So, the deal is I go with a group from my church to Albuquerque this Thursday and come back Sunday.  I go to alot of meetings and I am assigned a book (this is where the homework comes in)  that we are to write a little summary about.  I have tried, I really have.  Apparently all the SpongeBob Squarepant cartoons have given me ADD.   The area in my brain that was cooperative for homework throughout college and high school has apparently departmentalized and eradicated itself to create room for 80's song lyric trivia!  But look, using the words "departmentalized" and "eradicated" shows you I have tried to read this book because it contains really big words like that!  It's only 150 pages and it is like swimming through Jello for me.

Oh, by the way, the one book I was truly hoping I did not get on the list is the one I was assigned.  What's the book you ask?  (Again, I am sure you are not asking, but I am going to tell you any way!)   The book is titled, "Change the World."   NO PRESSURE HERE!  That is kind of a tall order and not sure if I want to be the one in my group assigned to that task.  (I am such a slacker!)

One more thing.  I love catalogs.  They are my guilty pleasure that I get every day in the mail and visually shop.  Look, this picture shows what I got in the mail today alone.  (Not really!)

I have a new love, thanks to my sister-in-law, Margie.  It's called Pinterest.  It is virtual pin boards that you can pin items on to that have visual interest to you.  You can also follow other people and check out all of their Pinned Interests.  It is like catalogs on line for everything!  What does this have to do with my homework you ask?  (OK, OK I know you are not asking this at all--but this line of questioning is working for me tonight in my blog.)  Pinterest is the other distraction that has kept me from doing my homework this week!  THANKS ALOT MARGIE!

So, a blog that was going to be short & sweet just turned into a really long blog and a big distraction.  I have got to get to reading!  I got to go!

One more thing, look at the head band Peyton bought today for Halloween.  It's really creepy, but not as creepy as my eyes when I take pics on my IPAD.  I DIGRESS!

Splurge

Last night I got to have a Splurge Party!  What is a Splurge party you ask, a Splurge Party is a private shopping party at Maurice's.  A while back I was in the store shopping and a sales associate asked me if I would be interested in hosting one.  (Peyton said, "Mom, you know you shop at a store to much if they offer you a shopping party.")   Any one can have one.  The hostess gets 30% discount and all guests get 15%.  They will provide invites and swag bags for your guests.  You can provide snacks to munch on while your guests shop.  They will close the store and let your guests shop for 2 hours.  I had about 9 guests for mine.  It was so much fun!

I really planned on having more pics from the party, but I got caught up in the shopping!  The best thing is the store gets a new inventory every 2 weeks, so one of your friends can have a party in a few weeks with all new stuff!  Maurice also does a punch card for every $10 you spend you get a punch and get $10 for each card you fill.  When you have a party, you get double punches.

The haul : 

I got a cute bat wing shirt, a color block shirt, military jacket and tank and a really cute print dress.  They were also having a buy one get one 1/2 off on jewelry, so I got a couple of necklaces.

I have gotten the opportunity to have some really cool experiences this year!   There still 3 months left in the year and I can only wonder ---What opportunity might come knocking on my door?  I will keep my eyes open for blessings to come.  We have a girl road trip coming next weekend to go to Lubbock and see Beth Moore!   

Survey Says....

Today I went to a lunch for "Exceeds Expectations" that the company I work for does for every one in my region who's branch rates high on client surveys.  They call our clients and ask several questions and they can score exceeds expectations, meets expectations, N/A, does not meet expectations.  So, in recognition, we get a lunch.  I posted a comment on Facebook and said that I also "Exceed Expectations" in my marriage, right Kevin?  This got me to thinking .....(this is always dangerous I know)....What if we did have a marriage survey?  I looked on line and there are several marriage surveys out there actually. 

I have not looked at any questions on the surveys and, to be quite honest, I don't know that I would want to take one.  If you took one with your significant other, would it open up a dialogue on things to work on or would it open up a can of worms?   Maybe it is dealing with a word I sometimes have trouble with.....ACCOUNTABILITY.  This word to me represents the ultimate in commitment, being held to your word and called not only to action but also to the follow up.  
 Maybe I will be the first to say that I do not handle criticism well and it might put me on the defensive of things I do not see as a problem (yet). 

I guess my thinking on this is, if it ain't broke don't fix it.  That being said, if I felt that I was struggling in my marriage I would be willing to take that survey and do what ever I could to improve my relationship.  What about Parent Surveys?  Would you be willing to let your kids rate you?  So scary right?  You want to believe you would get an "Exceeds Expectations" from them.  Failure is not an option when it comes to raising your kids.  

So perhaps, tonight as you lay in bed, maybe an internal survey to yourself.  Am I treating the ones I love as well as I could be?  Am I kind to them?  Do I offer them the help I know they need?  Am I being the best person I could be to others?  I hope we all score "Exceeds Expectations."  

Back in the Saddle

Well I'm back in the saddle, so to speak, but let me just say I am having trouble holding on!   We are half way through the first week of school and the earlier time is killing me.  The kids had to be at school by 7:55 last year, this year the tardy bell rings at 7:45.  I know, I know, it doesn't seem like much time, but for some reason I am waking up every morning at 5 AM with paranoia that I am going to make the kids late or wake them up late!  I am waking up before the alarm ever goes off with the thought, "I have to get them there on time."   "I have to be awake to wake them up on time."  We haven't been late, we have actually been early, but I am having this major anxiety about it!  Craziness!

So far, both kids love their teachers.  I am keeping my fingers crossed  that this love/love relationship lasts the whole year.  I have found my patience are put to the test when it comes to keeping my kiddos on task with their homework!  My daughter can get off track with sharing the latest 6th grade girl drama pretty quickly.  (Can't we all just get along?!?)  My son is more concerned with the time it takes to be done than the quality.

Now time for a total 360 degree turn.  Last blog I opened up for suggestion topics and my sister-in-law had a few.  They were:
What would your dream job be?
 If you could who is the ONE person you would like to have dinner with and why....this person can be dead or alive, rich or poor, fiction or real.
 What is something you wish you could do?
 Would you ever want to jump out of an airplane?
My dream job would be to have a little shop or boutique.  I would love to go to market and buy stuff!  I am trying to convince my friend Kim that I could be her stylist and personal shopper. 
The who would you want to have dinner with is one of those questions you always see in people's bios.  It is also one of those questions that always throws me for a loop.  There are just too many ways to go with this one.  I think I am more of a dinner party kinda girl.  On the one hand I feel obligated to list Jesus (otherwise I might get my Christian card revoked).   I would probably add my deceased grandpa to my dinner table, he passed when I was 5 but I remember being extremely close to him.  One of my most vivid memories of him was flying kites in the middle of a dirt road in front of my grandma's house.  Probably add some one like Oprah, just for a perspective kind of view of what it is like to be her!  Can you imagine having that kind of power?  Throw a Warren Buffett in to get a perspective on economy and making money.  Maybe the new perspective of technology from someone like Mark Zuckerberg (although after watching the movie I am not sure I would like him).  Can you imagine the Conversation at this dinner?  Jesus would probably bring us all to task!
Something I wish I could do?  You have got to go with travel on this one.  There is a whole world out there waiting for us to see it.  I hope I am going to get to do more of that in the future.

Last but not least, Would I jump out of a plane?  This is actually on my bucket list.  I want to say without  a doubt I would do this....but my fear of heights might make this a problem!  I think if you strapped me to someone and let me piggy back them and they through me out of the plane I can do this!  Kevin is thinking this is not a good idea with my track record of injuries.  We will see!

Party!

This month my little ole' blog turns 1 years old!  It's a toddler now.  It's learning it's boundaries, growing and becoming it's own little entity.  It is crawling on it's own.  I know, I know, you have put a gift in the mail right? 

 It is time for a celebration in the life it has lived in it's short little year!   It has gone on trips, gave you details of my families quirks, shared it's heart with you.  The growth has been sooo encouraging in being connected to others that have the same life experiences and being asked, "Are you going to write a blog this week?"  Yes, OH Yes!  (This one question alone can fuel my need to be a people pleaser & hope to bring you something that will make you laugh or let you know I have gone through that too!)   Empathy is always best observed by someone who is going through the same things you are and can relate in your life lessons!

I have tried to be very diligent in making sure I write at least one blog a week.  (Just don't hold me to the day of the week it will come out.  Life gets to busy for that.)  In celebration of it's birthday, it has a new look.  What do you think?  Be Honest!

My sister-in-law recently opened her self up to topic suggestions for her blog.  It looks fun, so, it's time for the interactive part of our show people.  Is there any topic you would like to suggest for a blog?  I love getting your feedback on facebook or on the bottom of the blogs!  It's like finding a little piece of chocolate, I just eat it up!

Let me finish by saying THANK YOU! THANK YOU! for reading it.  Thank you for letting me vent, laugh, smile, praise, share, wear goofy outfits, shop, be a proud parent and travel on life's journey with you! 

As long as you are willing to still read them, I will write them.