Ben's First Haircut

Last week was a bittersweet week for me. It began on Saturday and Sunday as Ben became more adventurous in taking steps (no more than two at a time, thank you.) Then on Monday we decided it was time for Ben's First Haircut. Oh, the emotions involved in trimming those golden locks...I am not ready for my baby to grow up!

Ben did not enjoy the experience until we shoved a red sucker in his mouth. Then all was well. Hooray for candy.

What a handsome BOY! I love his new look, but I miss the babyness of the longer, wispy hair.

The rest of the week followed, and I'll add pictures soon: Tuesday we got to see Jessie and Wyatt (fun!) and Stephanie Sharp (so exciting!), Wednesday Ben turned one (oh my), and Saturday Kate turned five. How does time fly so quickly?

Things That Have Happened Since Last I Posted...

1. The fish died. I waited 4 days after I was sure he was dead, just to really be sure. Yup. He was dead.

2. My computer finally crashed. It had been threatening to crash for a while (HEY, that's just like the fish!), but I kept hoping it wouldn't. So I went out and bought a Mac. Yes, you heard me. I'm a Mac convert. No more blue screen of death for me...

3. The weather got lovely, then it got ugly again, then it got semi-lovely, but I hear it's going to get ugly again. Come ON. Utah Spring is a piece of work. I will say that running when it's in the 50's is wonderful, but for any other reason, 50 is just a lame temperature.

4. I decided that I would fight my going-to-bed-too-late battle by making myself wake up at 6:30 am EVERY SINGLE MORNING. The thought behind this (not an original thought. I found it on a blog. That makes it absolutely true.) is that I will eventually be so tired that I will start going to bed on time. Day 1: super productive. Day 2: kind of productive. Day 3: not so productive. Day 4: mostly zombie. Day 5: I start screaming at everything moving and decide that the experiment must end to save all of us. Notice the time stamp on this entry? Yup. I still haven't figured out going to bed at a decent hour.

5. Eric and Christina put an offer in on a house LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE AWAY! I know because I keep driving by. And running by. Oh my goodness, it's absolutely amazing. I can't wait. Will and Kate will be in kindergarten together! And eventually, so will Ben and Ez! Super remarkable.

So anyway, I'm back, and I'm sure that if I keep staying up late, I'm likely to post more often.

By the way, I think that tagging just means you answer the questions on your own blog and then tag someone else. I'm new to all this, myself.

I've Been Tagged!

Thanks to Christina for tagging me...

Where I was 10 years ago: Living in our little house in South Salt Lake. Josh was 1 1/2, I was teaching piano in Heber, Provo, and Salt Lake, and deciding whether or not I'd keep traveling to teach.

Things on my to-do list: Organize my house, run more, and start practicing more regularly.

If I became a billionaire: Oh, my. Tithing first, then I'd start a few foundations (one for providing music lessons for underprivileged children, one for housing assistance, and one for people to apply to when they're really in need but have nowhere to turn), build a bunch of Habitat for Humanity houses, buy E & N their dream house down the street from me :), donate a ton to the Perpetual Education Fund, do a bunch of microloans, pick out my dream grand piano (but only if Christina hadn't bought one for me first), pay for a fantastic vacation with all of my dearest family and friends. Oh, and hire a cleaning lady.

Three bad habits: Not going to bed on time, procrastinating, and eating too much

Five places I've lived: Long Beach, Yorba Linda, Friday Harbor (but only for a month), Provo, Salt Lake City

Five jobs I've had: Office work at State Farm Insurance, Cinnamon Works bakery, YMCA youth counselor, accompanist, piano teacher

Something most people don't know about me: I went to college on a percussion scholarship, not a piano scholarship.

I tag all my loop buddies and Stephanie.

Things I'll Miss About This Winter

Spring is really almost here, and I'm excited! For once, I got my taxes done before April, so I can really enjoy the season :)

That being said, there's always something I miss about each passing season. So here's my list:

I'll miss...

An actual snowy winter. This winter was so wonderful! The snow came often, which kept the air cleaner, and it stayed cold so the snow stayed on the ground. I didn't have to suffer through one of those brown winters with terrible air that I hate so much.

Boots. (Not shaving my legs...need I say more?)

No bugs.

Kids getting bundled up and playing outside for hours, making forts and snowmen and having snowball fights.

Snowshoeing.

The quiet of a snowstorm, the way it blankets the world and makes me feel like holing up indoors, making cookies and reading a good book.

There's no stopping the seasons, though, and there is DEFINITELY a downside to winter, like running with a hat and gloves, cleaning up all those sopping snow clothes, feeling more isolated from the neighbors, and watching it get dark at 5:00. So bring it on. I can't wait for flowers, trees in bloom, hanging out on the front lawns with the neighbors while the kids ride bikes, park days, picnics, and flip flops.

What Kind of Cello Am I Anyway?

So we've been cello shopping (witness the last post) for a little while. Josh has decided that he'll tolerate piano, but that he truly loves the cello. I love watching him start to identify with something that will enrich his life so much. He now has two great passions: soccer and cello...a good combination in my book.

Josh has played eleven or twelve 1/2 size cellos in our quest for the "right" instrument. I love that he's so opinionated about them, but it did make for a lot of running around. As he played each one, we talked about the qualities it possessed, whether the tone was open, closed, large, small, nasal, clear, rich, shallow. It was a complicated process for an eleven year old and a pianist, but the choice finally became clear, and we are now the proud possessors of a beautiful handmade cello for which Josh feels a great affinity. It responds well to him, and he is encouraged further to reach for bigger things.

So today I kept thinking about my life (because sometimes I do that...OK, I do it too much) and was thinking about being an instrument in God's hands. I've always responded to that idea, of course, as a musician. The differences in instruments I've played and what I can really accomplish on each is made abundantly clear, like the concert I played at a nursing home on a spinet without a working pedal (not good) or playing at the Assembly Hall on Temple Square with that amazing 9' Steinway (it responds almost to my thoughts, I swear.) Sometimes I'm afraid I am so caught up in my troubles and trials that I respond to Heavenly Father more like that nursing home spinet or the rental cello Josh tried than I do like the Steinway or the cello Josh chose. He can still use me for what He needs, but I may not be as effective. It's when I allow myself to be open to loving those around me and not focusing on myself, my little corner of the universe, that I really can affect change in the world. I'm far from being a Steinway...but maybe if I keep my heart open, I can continue to grow in my ability to help the world.

This Is Why You Buy Instrument Insurance

The Fish of the Living Dead

The Fish is NOT DEAD. Not. I went to go dump him Tuesday night (because it was one of those kinds of days, where you leave a dead fish in a bowl for a while. Okay, for the entire day) and Josh said, "Mom, he's still alive." I said, "No, Josh, he's finally dead." Josh said, "No, Mom, he's moving." And whaddya know? Sure enough, he was still moving his gills. That darned fish. Now I have to clean his bowl again.