The Squeaky Wheel & Dang it, Ben was right!

Over the past few days I have been trying to decide if I should take English 1010 next semester (you know, the stupid class they are making me take, even though I shouldn't have to take it) or if I should put it off a while.  Ben and I were talking about it this morning and he told me (as he has many times before) to just talk to the English Department Chair and see if he could do anything for me.  I kept coming back with comments like, "That's not the way I do things," and "Shouldn't I just get it over with?"  I swear he was about to strangle me.  He told me one last time to email the Dept. Chair and at least see what happens.  

I followed his advice this morning, very stubbornly, I might add.  Being the day before Thanksgiving Break I didn't think I would hear back from the Dept. Chair before next week. But lo and behold, when I checked my email this afternoon, there was a reply from him.  He thanked me for the email and wrote that he had checked my ACT scores and my grade transcript and agreed that my request to waive English 1010 was reasonable, and he would speak with my Academic Advisor to make sure all was in order for that to happen.  I was so excited.

My excitement didn't last very long, mostly because I was thinking about swallowing the piece of I-told-you-so pie from Ben today.  I wish I could capture his face when I tell him this afternoon, and then you will all know why I want to smack him around sometimes.  I really and truly hate it when he's right.  And usually the reason I hate it so much is because he is never smug about it.  It'd be a whole lot easier to be annoyed with him if he acted like that.  But, no, I'm not that fortunate.

I guess the squeaky wheel does get greased, even if the wheel is only doing something so her husband will put a cork in it.

'Tis the Season

I figured it was probably time to change my blog background, seeing as how Christmas is right around the corner! I always stress about changing my background because I do it so infrequently I usually mess up something. But, today worked out well. Even though I'll need to change it to a different season next week!

It has been such a lazy weekend here, which is good for a change. Carter had a low-grade fever Friday, which spiked to 103.8 Friday night. So our family spent Saturday just chilling - playing video games and watching Wall-E. I really enjoyed that movie. Ben made No-Bake Cookies (he's so naughty), and Melanie spent some time playing with her cousins. Carter is feeling MUCH better, but he and I stayed home from church today. I think we all know what it feels like the day after the fever.

Tomorrow is a busy day for me. I have two tests, but then I won't have any class on Tuesday, which gives me a lovely six-day weekend. I know we'll be putting up the tree next Saturday. There's no way around it with Ben and the kids. I think sometimes I am a humbug about the Holidays. I wonder if that's because my birthday is around Christmas I always felt cheated out of something, or if it's because I'm just a humbug. I really need to work on that because it's great seeing the kids get so excited for Christmas and Santa.

Wow, An Award!

Julie from Mes Bijoux has nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. I feel so honored. Like I wrote to her, it's good for me to blog, but it's great when other people enjoy what I write. So thank you, Julie, for sharing the love, so to speak.

Along with the award is a meme, kind of like a tag. I always love reading these types of things about other people, and I hope you all are not bored to tears upon reading mine.


7 things I've done before
1. Lived in Vancouver, WA. Loved it.
2. Given birth to three children - one girl and two boys.
3. Was the Drum Major in marching band in high school. I would rather have marched with my piccolo but, oh well.
4. Donated blood - several times, and it always leaves me woozy.
5. Written really cheesy poems that only Ben has ever read. Thank goodness.
6. Earned a 4.0 my first semester in college.
7. Took gymnastics when I was about 12. I could even do a cartwheel on the balance beam.

7 things I do now
1. Go back to college. Finals are only two weeks away!
2. Babysit my parents. Long story.
3. Watch HEROES and wait for LOST to come back on TV.
4. Direct my ward choir. Favorite calling so far.
5. Change diapers. My plan is to potty train Riley during my Christmas break. Pray for me, would you?
6. Make cookies. I'm addicted.
7. Tell myself to be patient and grow out my hair...again.

7 things I want to do
1. Have food storage.
2. Spend more quality time with my kids.
3. Keep my house clean on a regular basis.
4. Read more good books.
5. Become debt free.
6. Get my Bachelor's Degree
7. Write a book.

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex (or to Ben, since I caught him)
1. He is my best friend.
2. He's really nice to me - even when I don't deserve it.
3. He is patient with my insane family.
4. He looks like Dean Cain. I think it's just a perk.
5. He's athletically inclined.
6. He has great brown eyes, and I always knew I'd marry someone with blue eyes.
7. He's not afraid to be himself.

7 Favorite Foods
1. Chocolate
2. My mom's homemade bread, hot out of the oven with lots of butter. Mouth watering now.
3. Raspberries
4. Perfectly ripe peaches - I'm picky that way.
5. My mother-in-law's strawberry and strawberry-rhubarb jam. Oh my. Imagine that on my mom's homemade bread. Heavenly!
6. Fettuccine Alfredo. Olive Garden's is good, but mine is better.
7. A good American cheeseburger. Preferably from Brad's with an order of fries. Or Carl's Jr.'s. Or Wendy's. Or Dairy Queen. Or Burger King.

7 things I Say Most Often:
1. Riley, stop hitting.
2. Riley, stop pulling the cat's tail.
3. Riley, what did I say about pulling the cat's tail?
4. Riley, do you need a time out?
5. Riley, don't throw rocks in Grandma Jeanne's pond.
6. Riley, what did I tell you about throwing rocks in Grandma Jeanne's pond?
7. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Now, I'm supposed to tag seven people for this award and meme. But, since Julie stole a couple of mine I would have nominated, including herself, I don't have seven. So just be happy with who I have, OK? I don't know that many people who blog.
1. Abe his random thoughts on his way to work are sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful.
2. Laurel she's a mom with four girls, who keep her life very interesting.
3. My Other Lori, but her blog is private, so sorry. Her pictures are great, and so is her take on life. She has six kids and I've never known anyone who enjoys her kids more.
(Here is where I run out of people because Julie already did this and I would have nominated her, Melissa - check out her tutus for girls, Tearese - oh to be able to capture things the way she does, and Cardine. Bacon, anyone?)

The Bittersweet Calling

A few months ago I was called to be the Ward Choir Director. I have never directed anything besides Primary children, and they don't care if you're conducting in time or not. Anyway, I was really nervous and apprehensive about his calling. I play flute so I can read the treble clef, but as far as the bass clef goes, I have no idea!

I am loving this calling! Especially during this season where we are beginning to sing Christmas music. And I tell you, my choir is amazing. They can pull together a number beautifully and it just give me cold chills. For Christmas this year we are singing three numbers: Still, Still, Still arranged by Norman Luboff, an arrangement of What Child Is This? by Sally DeFord, and O Come O Come Immanuel arranged by Lin Allen (I think, the music is upstairs and I'm not 100% sure of his first name). Oh, the songs are great.

The bittersweet part is that I don't get to sing along. I miss that. I do love watching the members of the choir come together and work hard. They can bring the spirit to what we are doing.

I just wanted to blog about this because today has not been one of the best days, but going to choir was a high. It made me forget everything else and feel the spirit. I am so grateful for my calling and those who come to choir and share their talent with us!

Air Quotes

The other day Melanie was explaining the idea of air quotes to her cousin, *John. She explained as best she could how to use air quotes in a conversation and gave John an example such as, "People might think they're "cool" if they use them."

Well, John kind of got the idea, but not quite because he walked into the room where his cousin *Suzie was and said to Melanie, "Suzie has pretty "hair"." Oh, children and air quotes, what a funny combination.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Yes, Suzie is the same puking Suzie from the sleepover-vomiting escapade.

Follow-Up On Randomness

I just thought I'd do an update on what happened with the rest of my random week. Here goes:

1. Hallelujah! FASSST Week is over! We were required to go to three conferences. One of the three was great - the one on self defense. It changed the way I carry my purse. And I now have some defense when Ben pulls one of his wrestling moves on me. But the other two - good grief! One was a conference on eating healthy and doing so cheap. The instructor, (who happens to also be the UNIV 1000 instructor that drove me crazy all semester, and railed on cell phones and their usage in class and how she would take them away if she saw one during her class) actually answered her cell phone while she was teaching the conference and a student was answering a question! I thought I was going to die. The woman has serious issues. Like I was telling a friend today, I respect her because that's what I should do with everyone, but she makes it really hard for me to like her. I guess the only thing I learned during the conference was a good thing. Lin's Supermarket gives a 10% discount to SUU students. Cool, huh?

2. I have been experiencing headaches consistently since I started school. I got my eyes checked (I have astigmatism, which I already knew I had, and I am far-sighted) and bought glasses (since then I've um...misplaced them). The glasses didn't seem to help at all. In fact, they just made things seem like they were in 3-D when I walked around with them on. I racked my brain trying to figure out what was causing the headaches. Can you believe it? I had been chewing too much gum?! I haven't had a piece of gum in about three weeks, and funny coincidence, no headaches either. Too bad, I LOVE gum.

3. One of the only things I'm not looking forward to with school is driving, parking, and walking in the wetness. I don't have any kind of snow/rain boots at the moment, and here in Cedar I better move fast or they'll all be gone!

4. I paid the stupid $10 ticket. Too bad I didn't know a parking permit was only $12.

5. I have since not mentioned wearing the ring Tina gave me instead of my wedding ring. Sorry, Ben. I love you!

6. I voted, but Obama won. Sure, I'd like change. I just don't know if I'd like it involving Obama and his pink unicorn. Visit jibjab.com if you don't know what I mean. No offense meant to Obama supporters.

7. Hallelujah II! I passed my LM 1010 test-out exam with an A. It's so great to have that out of the way.

Well, thanks for listening. I'm off to do Math homework. Radical exponents. Radical? Sure. ;)

Domestic CEO Randomness

I find today was a very random day. Most days for me are "the usual." But today just had a bunch of little oddities in it I would like to share with you.

1. FASSST Week: Hoops. Collegiate hoops. Jump, Mellissa, Jump. Good freshman! Here's your treat. Give me a break!

2. I had a headache today, which really isn't random for me. I took some Tylenol in the morning and it wasn't touching my pain. So I bought a Coke. Mmmmm. I'm trying to be good and not drink caffeinated beverages and I usually succeed, but I was not going to function very well with the headache I had. Thank goodness the Coke worked.

3. I got caught in the downpour today. I had to walk from the Science Building to the parking lot next to the P.E. Building. There's nothing quite like wet jeans. I looked like a wet dog. Hopefully, I didn't smell like one.

4. When I got to my car there was a lovely $10 ticket waiting for me for parking in a parking lot that requires a permit. I won't even get started on that one.

5. When I checked my mailbox today there was a package and a letter from my sister (who is actually my niece, but it's wrong calling her my niece, so I call her my sister. Got it?). She sent me a beautiful glass pendant she made. She is so artistically gifted it's annoying! I'll be sporting it as soon as I can make a chain that goes with it. She also sent me a great glass ring. It needs to be a bit bigger so it will fit on my middle finger of my right hand. (I told Ben it would fit perfectly on the middle finger of my left hand, but I would have to not wear my wedding ring because they would click around and drive me crazy. After seeing the look of "Are you absolutely insane?! Taking of OUR wedding ring?!" I sheepishly changed my mind) But the best part of that whole bit was the letter that was in with the package. It warms me when somebody I love tells me they love me. But it humbles and gratifies and elates when they say how much I've meant to them. I love you, Tina. You are the sister I always had.

6. I voted! My goal for the next election is to be better informed. I know it needs to be all proper and everything, but goodness, could they make some of the lingo more confusing?

7. I took the Test-Out Exam for my Library Media class. Please pray for me to get an A. I'm absolutely obsessed with getting A's. I didn't used to be and Ben totally mocks me (he has every right, as do Julie and Lori because I mocked them and their "boring report cards" all the time). I know it's a stretch for this goal, but I would love, love, LOVE to graduate summa cum laude. Thus the obsession with getting an A.

Well, that's it for my random day. It was long for me, was it long for you?

Explain This One To Me

You know, for the most part, I'm OK jumping through the hoops necessary to graduate. I have no problem with G.E. requirements, I get the Library Media class, even though UNIV 1000 was a ridiculous class, I'll swallow it. But this new one is really, um.... ludicrous.

Back in 2000 I enrolled for one semester at SUU. I took English 2010, French, Intro to Music and a Math class. All my credits are still good, except for math because it was not a gen ed class. Fine. Since then SUU has raised the bar considerably for English gen ed. Previously, students with an ACT sub-score of 17 or below were required to enroll in English 1010 prior to taking English 2010. Now the requirements are students with an ACT sub-score of 29 or higher may take English 2010, those with sub-scores above 17 are required to take English 1010 prior to English 2010. Sure, I get that they've raised the bar.

The funny thing is that my English 2010 credit is still good, but since they've raised the bar I still have to take English 1010. Are they kidding me? The only class requiring 1010 is 2010, and I've already taken it! I could literally get through my entire college degree, upper-division English credits and all, and the only reason I would be required to take English 1010 is because the gen ed's say so.

My plan is to wait until then, when I've been able to get to know the department better, and hopefully persuade the department chair to let it slide. Otherwise, I'll have a really easy class my senior year.