Wordless Wednesday

A Day in the Life of ME

Randomly chosen day: Tuesday, March 30, 2010

We had our normal morning routine until 7:30 when I sent Baden off to school on his bike. This is a first for him. He rode around the corner picked up a friend, and they biked to school together. He loved it! Me, not so much. I'm a bundle of nerves. It'd be great if the school would send up a smoke signal when he gets there. Is that asking too much??

7:50 - May caught the bus. Mr. Chinn dropped Kitty off at school and headed to work.

9:00 - At Jens to Visit Teach. Unfortunately, I brought the April Ensign. Ugh. I stayed for an hour, which is perfectly acceptable because she's a bestie and it was just the two of us anyway. Then the RS Presidency showed up for their monthly meeting, and I stayed a few minutes to chat with them.

[Forgot to take picture with Jen & Co. Grrr.]

10:30 - Went grocery shopping and happened to run into a couple friends. I snapped this picture of Jennifer who looks good with no make up, work out clothes, and a pony tail. (She was Miss Utah; she can't help it)

12:00 - Lunch Time. Thai chicken with noodles and bell peppers.
12:30 - Unpacked my shipment from mini Boden. Super cute clothes, it was a thrill!! Tried to track down Baden's pinewood derby car, and finally got the badges onto his blasted scout shirt.
2:00 - Picked up Kat from school.

3:00 - Walked down our street, around the corner, and down that street till I ran into Baden on his bike. Ahhhh, big sigh of relief. Saw my friend, Kristy, who was doing the same thing because she knew I was terrified. We chatted and our boys decided to play over at our house.
4:00 - May May brought a friend home as well.
So poor Kitty was the only one to actually do chores. She had to put all the TP away in the bathrooms.5:00 - Off to scouts. Baden is here showing off his fine badges.
5:30 - Kitty asked if she could have a snack. I found her aproned and making her own sandwich (double fiber bread, mustard, ranch dressing, turkey, cheese).

6:00 - Back at scouts...

6:30 - Dinner. No pictures cuz it's leftovers (!).

7:30 - Finally some homework...
8:00 - Nite Nite, Kitty.

9:00 - Baden's Bedtime story. Chapter 18.

9:45 - May's reading. I'm blogging. Mr. Chinn is still working...

There's a Method to my Madness

The Chinn's had a sloooow start this morning. Which led to Baden missing the bus. Which led to me helping him get comfy on the couch and go back to sleep for a few minutes. And then a few more minutes.

Until he was late for school.

He was exceptionally tired this morning, and I just couldn't help letting him rest. And he's awfully cute when he's sleeping.

You should have seen Mr. Chinn though. His face read, "my wife is nuts." In his world, one is not late to school. School is sacred.

Mr. Chinn has an interesting motto: "If your head hurts at school, it's gonna hurt at home too, so you might as well be at school."

In my world, a morning power nap for my child [with untreated sleep apnea] makes perfect sense. Growing up, my mom-the-hippie (we had beads hanging in the doorway, no lie) would have let me sleep for hours and skip school. One time when I was in 4th grade my brother was staying home from school, for a very good reason I'm sure, so my mom let me stay home as well. This might, however, explain why grown-up Amy can't help May May with her 5th grade math. But I digress.

I'm pretty hung up on a lot of things, so I'm grateful for the part of me that is a free spirit. I don't care that Kat still sucks her thumb. If she wanted a pacifier I'd give it to her! I'm not concerned with my kids giving up their sippy cup or their special blanket. It doesn't bother me if your 3 year old wears a diaper and drinks from a bottle. I just can't get worked up over those kind of things.

I need and appreciate the balance Mr. Chinn brings to my life. I hope I help him fly. And I thank him for his tether.

xoxo

Gaining Insight

A few weeks ago I was out to lunch with a couple friends, Rebecca and Jen. Rebecca told us that she had asked her children an important question. I couldn't wait to ask my littles the same and hear what they would say. I want to keep their answers to myself, but I'll share the question:

"What is one thing I do, that tells you or makes you feel like I love you?"

Their responses were unique to each child and hearing what they had to say was special. I absolutely recommend asking your littles the same question. You'll loooove hearing their answers and feel empowered knowing how (at any given moment) to inject a little love into each of their hearts.

On the flip side of love here's a different question: May May and I were driving in the Nav when she said, "I'm so grateful that you're my mom. Ya wanna know why? Cuz [so-and-so's] mom FREAKED OUT when she got an 80 on her math test! I mean you would never get mad at me over an 80."

"Huh. So what kind of things do I get mad at??"

(Bracing myself for the answer...)

"Talking to you when you're 'done,' and not cleaning up right." ["Done" means that I've signed off for the night and it's way after the kids bedtime. I want to defend myself here, but I'll let it go.]

Later I asked Baden the same question. His answer: "When we talk back to you and when we're not looking at you and you think we're not listening, but we are."

And here's Kitty's answer: "When I tell a lie. And when I kiss Powers."

Time for reflection: Sounds like I'm staying on message with Baden and Kitty (The Kissing Bandit), but ouch, no likey May May's answers. I've got some work to do....

Thursday Three

#1) A few weeks ago Mr. Chinn and May May were invited by wonderful friends to accompany them front and center at the Mavs game. Mrs. Wonderful Friend and I were soo very envious!

#2) Baden had his school open house this week. He was suppose to show us how he could work out this math tile problem. But Mr. Chinn and I totally took over and worked it out ourselves absolutely ignoring the man cub. As soon as we finished I realized what we had done and I stood there in the middle of his second grade classroom laughing out loud at Baden's parents!
#3) Here's what BFF Melanie is up to when Heidi the Trainer isn't looking....

Wordless Wednesday

I Thought Way Too Highly of Myself

Recognize this Shirt?

The Chinn's have a cub scout! Hooray! We've had Scout Committee Meeting at our house for three years now and Young Baden has been chompin' at the bit to be involved. Every month he helps Mr. Chinn set up chairs and put out refreshments. Now that he's turned 8 the big night has arrived. We've been thrilled for Baden to start scouts! And since buying the Wolf Book, he's hardly put it down!

So I got up this morning with domestic ambitions of sewing the starter badges on Baden's new shirt. I was feeling great! After all, I have my own sewing machine - bought it 6 years ago and even made a quilt with it. A few of you have seen said quilt, so you know it's true.

I had everything ready: shirt, badges, new matching thread, machine in pretty spot by the window, 4 year old daughter waiting to see Mommy Magic -

Wah. Wah. It took me 45 minutes to dust off my old new machine, thread the machine, remember the difference between a lower foot and pressure foot, change out my needle, figure out how to lower the pressure foot, practice on paper towels, fix my thread, fix my thread again, only to wind up with thread jammed so tight it won't budge! I believe I've got to take it apart like a copy machine to search out all the strays.

Kat had long since figured out there would be no magic performed by mommy and ran off to the play room. I wish I had followed. But alas, I texted a couple girls and within 5 minutes my trusty friend and Visiting Teacher, Amy Hick, was in my house checking over the damage. Her conclusion...iron on the badges and call it a day.

After my headache subsides I'll start my new endeavor.

It can't be that hard!

xoxo

Wordless Wednesday

Thursday Three

1. In Sharing Time (think Sunday School) on Sunday I taught the kids about resurrection. At home the rest of the afternoon Kat kept throwing herself down and then springing back up saying, "I'm dead - I'm ALIIIIVVE!! I'm dead - I'm ALIIIVVE!! I'm dead - I'm ALIIIVVE!!!"

2. In February Kat went on a date with Daddy to the Father/Daughter dance.
3. I found these towels on my bathroom floor all folded and stacked up. I asked Kat why they were there. She said because she couldn't reach to put them back (in the cabinet). So I followed up with, "why were they OUT of the cabinet?? (young lady!)"

"Cuz I wuz playin' hopscotch."

Heart Melting...

On This Day...

in 1931, the United States officially adopted The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem.