This Was Jon-Approved

So much dirty laundry, so little time... I love my husband, as all of you well know. He is generous, caring, smart, among other great qualities, and very handy. Which can actually come in...not so handy. Case in point...the other morning, I'm awakened not by gentle nuzzling, but by gruffy grunts and gripes (signal that he needs something but doesn't want to disturb me [directly, at least]).
Wiping the sleep from my eyes - the same bloodshot, twitchy ones from the doctor's office - I ask how I can help him.
Jon, with no preamble: I think I messed my hair up cuz I don't have a mirror or anything.
I'm thinking: what? nothing some gel and hairspray can't fix? Apparently not IF YOU'RE CUTTING YOUR OWN HAIR WITH A SET OF CLIPPERS WITHOUT A MIRROR AND YOU'RE RUNNING LATE FOR AN IMPORTANT MEETING. No, I couldn't MAKE this stuff up. So, I set about trying to tidy up the 'bowl cut' he's given himself.
Jon, more than a little aggravated: just fade it in.
Me, a little offended: um, like you did? Beggars can't be chosers at 6:55 am. I'm struggling with getting it 'faded' just right.
He's getting increasingly agitated. Jon: Rachael, you do know that the clippers only cut where you put them, right? This isn't hard, you just go like this...(proceeds to demonstrate).
More remarks from me about going to beauty school, not being a boy, and not being the one to cut his own hair without a mirror, and above is the final product.
It's okay, it'll grow back in a couple of days. At least it ended with a smile.

Family Prayers...at OUR house

At our house, mom or dad usually says family prayer in the evening, and then we go in individually while the children say their personal prayers at bed. We figure that we can spare Heavenly Father from 1 more request for all the Star Wars action figures ever made with accompanying ships, no more peas ever, and ice cream for dinner.

My children, Mackey in particular, has asked on numerous occasions why our family prayers 'take so long'. Well, today's activites must have put him over the edge because right before bed, Mackey says to me: "Can you not say all the stuff in your heart tonight? We gotta go to bed!" Oh! He's a funny kid! (Pic: I'm not sure if that's a flamenco move or what.) Any funny family prayer stories? Bedtime stories to share?

If You're Not in VA, This Might Be a Bit Sappy

Leaving VA for this? To the left, please see Calvin's TX 'room'. Um, yeah, it's a closet. Lucy was sure to tell her rock-climbing instructor that her baby brother sleeps in a closet because we don't have any other room. Yeah, I can't WAIT to see him tomorrow.

Well, we just signed a contract to sell our house. I guess that's what happens when you hire really great agents...

Bear with me while I wax philosophic or you can opt for the Money Magazine link at the bottom. It's bitter-sweet (kindof like Starbuck's hot chocolate). I just got off the phone with Remi, and I am reminded of what great people I have had the pleasure and honor of associating with in VA. Oh my gosh! I've learned so much from being around good, solid, generous people. As I write this, I'm trying to keep my tears from dripping onto my keyboard... I love you all and hope that you gossip about me at Wegman's... Speaking of which, I close at the end of August; maybe I can make a Wegman's?

At the end of the day, we all have to make lemons into lemonade, find the silver lining, or bloom where we're planted...or fill in another colloquialism. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of 'box-checkers' here in TX, but I'm not so sure that the same awesomeness of people exist outside VA...unless, of course, they've lived there for a while and then (have to) leave. Ok, and then, church is a bit light-weight; I kindof miss the hell-fire and damnation of the Ashburn Stake =) vs. the 'all is well in Zion'.

But it's not the end...see if you/your husbands can get jobs down here. According to an article in Money magazine August 2007, more and more people are leaving the glamourous areas of NYC, LA, Boston, and SF [DC, too] to live in more affordably priced markets such as Phoenix, Charlotte, Atlanta, and DALLAS (see picture to right, $400-450,000 in NICE suburb) http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2007/08/01/100137868/index.htm.
I had to do the plug. As always, here's my plea to comment. I love the connection.

Offers

Ok...a real estate update: a couple of offers on the house (brakes screeching!). This is absolutely one of those situations that we planned for but didn't really expect to happen as planned. Jon and I have long lived by the adage: If you want to make God laugh, make a plan. Can I use the word plan anymore? We'll see what happens. To view house, click: http://matrix.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Email.aspx?ID=20442692127 and ignore the dayglow sky... Somebody comment, please - I'm getting bored useless.

Three Kids and a Doctor's Office

First off...this post is NOT coming from a hospital. On that note, fans of the tv show 24 can imagine a minute by minute of this appointment.
2:05 pm: I'm going into a doctor's office with 3 kids who have not had (my) pleasure of napping (we're late because I got lost...even with navigation...).
2:26 pm: We go into the triage room where Calvin quickly realizes that he is the main course and proceeds to SCREAM REALLY LOUD.
2: 38 pm: Next, because Calvin's oxygen levels were sub-par, we proceed to the exam room where the nurse sets Calvin up with some treatments while we wait for the doc. This is what scares ME...the nurse turns on the tv for the kids because "this could take a while" and shuts the door behind her with full dungeon door sound effects.
3:17 pm: By the time Calvin is finishing up treatment number 1, Lucy and Mackey are doing their best not to literally bounce off the walls with the doctor's wheely cool stool. Lucy is setting a world record for longest running monologue in human history.
3:30 pm: Because the doctor is the most cool, laid back doctor I have ever seen or because he is taking pity on me (my left eye is bloodshot and starting to twitch), he starts playing with/giving noogies to Mackey allowing me use of both hands to manage the squirmy Calvin-child who hates the nebulizer. YADA YADA YADA...
4:04 pm: My deodrant has stopped working; and six medications later, we get into the PHSHTNK where my kids receive a thorough 'talking-to' about never going out in public ever again.
(See that mask on Calvin? Yeah, we get to hold that on his face 4 times a day for 20 minutes or so. It's like an Olympic event.)

Lungs

Because of Calvin's hospital episode in March, I need to be hyper-vigilent about access to medical care. Ugh. I resent that the first thing I need to do in a new place is find out where the closest hospital is and where there is a pediatric pulmonologist. Because, as we know, hyper-vigilent is not a term I, or my daughter, Lucy, would use to describe myself (more on the Lucy part later - Angela got to see the 'no confidence' vote live and in stereo). So, Calvin has been coughing up a lung over the past few days. So, yada yada yada, I'm taking him to a ped pulm here in Frisco. Please wish us the best. I don't think that my non-hearty stock could deal with another stay in the hospital...in a foreign state. Again, wish us well.

Close Call

I thought that I lost my entire blog today. Which would have been a bummer since it's like my personal family history...and forum for smart alec remarks and commentaries. As it is, I had to change the blog address, and I'm sorry to bug you with a new broadcast email announcing my narcissism.
So, Angela, it's back!

VanDerBlog: Austin and My New Best Friends

Why in the world would I post a picture of the VanDerWerken family...hmmmm? Wait? Who's that extra kid in the picture? Isn't that Mackey? What's he doing crashing their family picture? (We're not really sure...) But...WE WENT TO AUSTIN TO VISIT THE VANDERWERKENS!!!! Yeah!!! Or Yahoo! Yeehaw! My whole family and I had such a blast - so much so that Mackey apparently thinks he's part of the VDW family. He has a boy-crush on Angela, I think. I'm not sure if it was her beauty and gentle way, total 'sure' to every food item he wanted, boy bath time (swim suits definitely included) or her understanding of who General Grevious is... In addition to Star Wars skills, Angela and Jay were so wonderful and accommodating - I don't even know where to begin.After totally unloading all my pent-up girlfriend words (poor Jon and Jay - nothing could have prepared them for the speech speed, decibel, or cadence), we went to the coolest kid-friendly place ever! There's this great restaurant, Waterloo's http://waterlooicehouse.com/, with a patio section OVERLOOKING A PLAYGROUND! Needless to say, it was the most pleasant meal I've ever shared with 6 children! It was hot, but not unbearably so...unless you're a crayon.

The kids played so well together. Two most note-worthy observations...for Mackey in particular, who can be charmingly challenging: 1) he went the entire weekend at the VDWs with nary a correction or incident and 2) he was the most absolutely polite and reverent he has ever been in his entire life sitting next to Jackson during Sacrament meeting. It was like seeing cousins when your kids just disappear for hours on end...but in a good way. But before I proceed, allow me to introduce you to my two new best friends...

John VanDerWerken, Jay's nephew. He is staying with Jay and Angela while he relocates to (very cool) Austin, TX. Do you know what makes this guy incredi-cool? Sight unseen, he agrees to BABYSIT ALL SIX OF THE FISHER/VANDERWERKEN CREW so we could go out Saturday night to downtown Austin. DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN SINCE WE'VE HAD A SITTER??! I feel 10 years younger...Thanks again, John!...Which leads us to my next introduction...

Forgive me for not getting his name...but what makes this Austin club bouncer cool (aside from the fact that he's been shot, stabbed, bitten, and run over among other bodily assaults) is that he carded me for entrance. (I told Jon, Angela, and Jay that I would hug the first person that carded me. It wound up being the second [the first guy was a bit...umm...sketchy, but you know, the picture guy with all the ink and piercings is TOTALLY suburban]). Carded me. I'm 34. It made my day. I know it's the law, but who cares? I got a pic to commemorate.

So! 6th Street in Austin, TX is legendary for its late nights and fun venues http://austin.about.com/cs/tours/p/vt_6_sixth.htm. Totally safe (Jay has a great police horse story - apparently if people do get rowdy, the police surround them with their horses in a matter of seconds, and then "beat them with sticks"). Tons of talented live music. We went to this piano bar (think Billy Joel's "Piano Man" http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1079) where a guy played the piano so fast that his hands were an absolute blur! We sung along and drank diet caffeintated beverages...what? It was 2 a.m. It was like a super fabulous girls night out but with my husband, too! Unfortunately, due to the lateness of the aforementioned late night festivities, Jay said that he looked like a 'crackhead' in the morning (perfect for an 8 am PEC meeting at church) as displayed here:
We give Chateau VanDerWerken a total 5 star rating - hostess with the mostest. We had a blast, and we had a funny laugh about this being only our second date (as families) and 'sleeping together'. Fed us, slept us, bathed (some) of us... Thank you for everything! You guys rock!

The Last Leg of the Journey

After the Jolt jitters subsided http://www.joltgum.com/, we pulled into a Marriott in Memphis where we effectively lost the dog for a while and managed to get about 3 hours of sleep. It was really cool, though, cuz while I wasn't "Walking in Memphis" http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=67, I was able to get a run in that morning. I also ran in Ohio. In a bizarr-o world way, it was fun to run in several different states in unchartered territory. But Rachael, you didn't get lost? How could you track your milage? Never fear...Garmin is here https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=142&pID=349. It's my show and tell watch. Or, what Dawn's friend, Mario, likes to refer to as 'My Precious' http://www.lordoftherings.net/. RANDOM, I know. But it gets RANDOM-er...to showcase my affinity for running and underscore my compulsion, I was going to post a picture of what inspired a phone call to Rebecca Vorimo the other day: a perfectly manicured, whole entire dead toenail detached from my toe. Yeah, it's good that we saw the VanDerWerkens this weekend so that pictures of my dead toe nail don't make it to the blog.
Just like our trip to Dallas, that mind stream got a little off-track! From Memphis we were thinking we'd do a big ole 12 hour drive day and pull into Dallas late that night. Alas, it was not to be. Jon got a migraine...which upon reflection, seems odd to me since we were driving in separate cars, and I HAD THE KIDS AND THE DOG AND THE NON-STOP DISNEY DIN THE WHOLE ENTIRE COMPLETE TIME...(PS: the billboard reads "HELL IS REAL"...which I thought was appropos for my trip) and we stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas. Which is kind of weird since you pronounce Kansas phonetically and Arkansas (which is obviously just adding an 'ar' in front of Kansas) like it's from a totally foreign language. I will avoid making any remarks about the pronunciation and educational standards in that part of the south. But I will say this, I probably would never move to a state that ended in the following sound: -saw. Especially after almost being eaten alive by bugs within 8 seconds of opening my car door!
The next day's trip would have almost qualified as uneventful had it not been for one thing... We made a stop for gas and lunch, etc. Standard-issue road trip activity...except for the part where my 4 year old son steps on a red ant nest and is bitten, like, 25 times!!!! And this isn't the first time he's done this!!! The poor kid. He got so swollen. But we got him his very own tube of anti-itch cream, and he was happy as could be to have something Lucy didn't have...even if they were red ant bites.
Yada yada yada, then we arrived in Dallas. The End.

From Ohio with Jolt...

So, the uber-trip took us 2 days longer than anticipated. Curious to know how we drove late into the night??? These 2 elements combined forces to get us into Memphis, TN for our hotel reservations.

Justin Timberlake, Anakin Skywalker, and a yucky rainbow

Super quick...You have got to know what my conversations with my kids have been like over the past few days. A little background...Mackey is IN LOVE with STARWARS. Obsessed is understating his affinity. I, on the other hand, really like Justin Timberlake. ReB gave me an edited version of his newest CD http://www.justintimberlake.com/. So, we have been listening to some of my favorites off the CD, particularly Summer Love and What Comes Around Goes Around.
So, we're walking up to the gym (which is only important to underscore the fact that there are witnesses). Although, it is a rockin' gym. And I DESPISE gyms http://www.lifetimefitness.com/ - but I digress...more on that in another blog about fake boobs and biceps the size of my legs.
Mackey and Lucy are having a very spirited conversation about how the Justin Timberlake song What Comes Around Goes Around is a parallel to the Star Wars II movie conflict when Anakin Skywalker finds his mom captured by the sand people and measures out his revenge on them. Etc. Etc. But wait! There's more! So, Summer Love...Starwars connection? Ah, yes. It is apparently like in the beginning of Starwars II when Queen Amidala and Anakin Skywalker fall in their forbidden love. If you need more information, look up this link http://www.starwars.com/ or just ask Mackey when you see him.
Yucky rainbow? As I write this blog, Calvin is apparently creating his very own 'yucky rainbow, mom!' with his Campbell's Chicken and Dumplings soup all over the high chair and, lucky me, rented apartment kitchen table.

Ohio-ooooooooh?

NINE HOURS LATER...we pull into Hillbilly Hell. As an aside: I'm exhausted and suffering from what I can only define as 'shell shock'. I pull up to a trailer park attendant (yes, there are trailer park attendants) and explain that my parents are staying here, and I'm here to visit. At this point, my dog, who usually only works banker's hours, pipes up and starts barking. The attendant, full fledged in stereo-typical dirty trucking cap, dirty half-on overalls on top of a plaid flannel with the arms cut, oh, ripped off, holding his beer and spitting chaw, tells me that them there dawg ain't allowed at this here park. My jaw just drops. I rolled up the window with nary another word, and I call my dad (hysterical at this point) to see what is going on. His kindly response is that I'm at the trashy park. Their luxury park is up the street a couple of miles. See? I bet you guys didn't know that trailer parks or what I ike to call mobile estates come in gradations. So, we finally settle in for the night...the three kids, the dog, and me in a 8 x 8 square foot space...and that was the highlight of my day! Don't let me fool you...it was fun.
The next day, we checked out the John Johnson farm. It was a moving experience. My parents conduct some of the tours of the home. I've got to say, my mom does a really good tour - she's a fabulous story-teller. It was better than any tour I'd ever been on, including Mt. Vernon. The tour discusses John Johnson's generosity toward Joseph Smith and the early pioneers and their bravery against angry mobs among other things. Here's some pix and be sure to check out the link above if you want to learn more about this amazing historical site.
After we left the farm, we went to grab a bite followed by an exploration of Ohio Amish country. The most unusual thing I saw was the wagon-hitching post lot for the HORSE-DRAWN WAGONS at the local Super Walmart. Very interesting dichotomy.

Sent Off and the Pennsylvania Turnpike

After enjoying Audrey's and Allie's supercool blogs, I feel a compelling need to chronicle the familiglia's (to be said using a 'Godfather-esque' like voice) journey to Texas. As many of you know, we are test-driving Texas for the summer. To celebrate my departure =), some friends and I went out to dinner. It was a perfect late night out to prepare me for an unholy road trip with just me, my kids, the dog, and a sketchy dvd player. So! I left ahead of Jon so that I could visit my parents on their mini-mission outside Kirtland, Ohio http://www.lds.org/placestovisit/location/0,10634,1834-1-1-1,00.html. Mapquest says it will take 5 1/2 hours. So, me, the three kids, and the dog...I'm figuring 6 hours (I'm pretty hard-core [in my head] about potty-breaks). Yeah, no. Slow, tearful start followed by cool-mom stop at McDonald's (total bribery food as far as I'm concerned). Then, and this is my favorite part, a 2 1/2 hour STOP on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Total parking lot. People got out of their cars to walk their children, dogs, and ferrets. So, I did, too. Can you say 'clown car'? People kept looking to see who/what was going to come out of my car next. Imagine my phshtnk stopped on the freeway, me holding Calvin with one arm (no small feat), walking the Berkeley dog, and helping Lucy and Mackey out of the car. (I apologize to anyone who called me during this leg of the ride - I'm sure my words were choice.)
But the absolute crown jewel of the Pennsylvania Turnpike experience would have been my new freeway neighbors. They were very nice, but a pretty rough looking crew. The thing that made me a bit nervous (as they were parked next to us) was when I heard the mom (?) screaming out of the window to one of the kids (no kidding): "Would you put that *&^%$ thing away? You could shoot a person with that thang."
If it weren't for my friends from PA, I would write off the entire state.