A day in the life

Saturday at my house :

I went here

To get these

Then I put about 6 loads of these

and these

into these There was some of this

A lot of this

This, in the wind and rain and FREEZING COLD

But I was warmer than Brandi, who came and got one of the pairs of gloves I was wearing.

Then Brandi went with the soccer team to a Halloween party and I raced across town to this

They took 1st place as well as Best Visual Caption award.

And it was still Freezing but the rain had stopped.

I tried to post a great visual video at the very bottom of this post from another competition but blogger won't upload it. I'll keep trying and post it later

Then I picked up Brandi, went home and did 4 more loads of laundry and went to bed about 2 a.m. this morning.

There was none of this

Which is what I REALLY, REALLY wanted to do

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Indeed.

Random stuff

Brandi and I had appointments at Evans Hairstyling College this morning. Brandi for braids, me for a cut and style. I have gone to Evans off and on for almost 25 years now. I used to make my appointment for 30 minutes to close so that Mr. Evans would cut my hair while the student watched. And I always ask for an advanced student. I forgot to do that for today's appointments. We got beginner students that have just barely finished class work and this is their first couple of weeks on the floor with real people.

I showed my stylist a couple of pictures of what I wanted done. I could tell by the look on her face that she had no clue. She got close, though. But I am glad that they have an instructor come check before we leave. The instructor showed her how to razor my hair to take some of the bulk out. I have A LOT of hair and if you don't thin it, it won't do the cute style but just lay in a heavy, droopy mess- as it was doing until the instructor fixed it. But even she didn't get the bangs right. Oh well, in about 6-8 weeks it will need shaped up and I will remember to ask for an advanced student.

Brandi's braids are not what I asked for either. I wanted a bunch of tiny braids all over her head. What she got was some thicker braids all over her head. Most of the braids should actually be 3-4 braids. And they used no elastics- at the top or at the ends. And the ends were all frizzy. I had to ask them to put the cream on that stops that. They should have been using it on each and every braid. And then when they were done, they should have gone back and trimmed all the pieces of hair that were sticking out of the braid. But they didn't. I put elastics in the ends when we got home and I will trim the braids tomorrow after we wash them. I really can't fault them, though. They are beginning students, and around here when braiding is taught, it is taught on white women and about white women's hair. But black hair is just different. I should suggest that they have a guest black woman come and teach about braids and black hair. (and next time, ask for an advanced student)

Soccer. Remember the e-mail I sent the coach asking about practice times? I got this reply:

We also want the girls to learn how to play soccer and to have fun. I will pass your comments on to Bryan and Chris about additional practices. I haven't seen a schedule of practices, so I'll see if I can email one out to everyone.

Please remember that the coaches are volunteers. Bryan and Chris are the coaches because the PG Rec called and asked them to do it. They are doing their best. If you would like to help them coach, I'm sure they would appreciate the extra help.

At the first practice, they decided to have a 30 minute practice prior to each game due to the often twice a week game schedule. It will also keep the skills fresh in their minds for the game. If that is not enought for Brandy, encourage her to practice kicking, running, and dribbling the soccer ball at home.

Well, I require at least 20 minutes a day of kicking, running and dribbling as well as juggling, but I don't see how that is going to help her learn to play as a team. I sent back an e-mail saying that even though I don't know anything about soccer, I would be willing to rotate with other parents in supervising at least one 1 hour practice/week.

When I talked to the rec center, I was told that they would talk to the coach and see what they could do, but that he really didn't want to coach, but the other coach had to drop out so they begged this one to help out. Maybe I should go get that Coaching Soccer for Dummies book after all.
There is a game today at noon, so we will see how that goes. (I got the e-mail reminder at midnight)

I am doing a Power Point presentation on Wed. night about paranoid schizophrenia. My team is using clips from A Beautiful Mind to help us. We have 30 minutes. In putting together my part, I had 35 minutes of clips I wanted to use. I finally got it cut down to 6:32 minutes about 12:30 this morning. Now I just need to write a diagnosis and treatment plan on someone else and get it turned in. I guess I should find someone to interview, huh?

Sewing room is 1/2 way mucked out so all my sewing/craft stuff should be able to go back in there by Tuesday evening and then I can start on the food storage room. I better hurry if I want it done by the end of summer, because I got my letter from the school today saying first day of work is the 18th and band camp for the boys is all next week, so no help from them)

Next week is LDSBA, my favorite event of the year. I get to go check out all the new releases from publishers. Any publisher/author you want me to check in particular?

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Indeed.

Strawberry Days 2009

Strawberry Days 2009 has come and gone. I didn't do as much with the celebration this year as I have in years past. I didn't have a booth, I didn't go to the Craft Fair or the carnival. No, I went to class or stayed home and wrote a paper or ate birthday cake and homemade ice cream.

But, I did pin the hemline on the uniforms for the marching band and hem them for the drum line. I did help get the trailer to the end of the parade and then watch the parade and cheer for our band. I even took pictures and film.

Ethan is the sousaphone on the right

Jacob is on bells right behind the other sousaphone. He reminds me of Donovan his first year in marching band.

Jacob on bells and cowbell

Ethan on sousaphone

But Hunter was more fun to watch than the parade

Hunter and Kristina

He was trying to put a flyer in his pocket

Keeping time with a band

Watch to the end, it just cracks me up

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Indeed.

Autumn Time

It is the first full week of fall. How do I know? Firstly, the calendar says so. Secondly, we are having the craziest weather, one day it is 80+* and the next day it is 50* and the day after that it is raining almost 90* again! Autum in the Rockies, almost like springtime in the Rockies.

Thirdly, marching band is in full swing, or should I say step. We are beginning the round of fall marching band competitions this week. I love a good marching band. I am really hoping that the band my boys participate in is a good band this year. Competition brackets were redrawn and we are 1 member too many to compete in the bracket we usually compete in, but ah well, I will still be there at each and every competition, cheering and hoping that the sheer will of my wanting them to do well, will help them acheive success.

Fourthly, the morning weather is suggesting boots, and cordoroy, and jackets with a hint of hot chocolate and chili. Soon the temperature will linger on into the rest of the days to hint of the fun of fall to come.

Now, where is my blanket, my stadium seat, my jacket, hot chocolate and my favorite marching band?

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Indeed.

I love a parade

I love parades. My favorite part is the marching band. Well, my favorite part is when the flag goes by but then I love the marching bands. Even the most horrible song sounds amazing played by a good marching band.

I have been a band mom since the day Donovan started Marching band the summer between his eigth and ninth grade years. This is my 8th year as a band mom, and I love it. Every summer I look at the sousaphones and remember how small Donovan was and how neither he nor I could lift it into the back of the suburban. By the end of Oct. that year we had both added some muscles and he had added some heigth.

The next year we started pulling the band trailer to parades and competitions. We have pulled the trailer to almost every parade and competition since then.

Trevor joined the band and he also played sousaphone. Then Matthew joined, but he played trumpet. He chose not to be in the band this year, his senior year. He wants his senior year to be a take a break year. Last year Ethan joined the band and he also chose to play sousaphone. The band director and I figured it out once, if Jacob and Brandi also do marching band, by the time Brandi graduates I will have been a band mom for 17 straight years! He said he would retire when my kids are through. I have been band parent president twice and probably will be a couple more times. Somehow last year I became the official photographer and filmer? videographer? of the band. Photos are ok because I can get Jess to fix them in photoshop, but the video software that came with my camera doesn't allow me to put the videos on DVDs so that you can watch them on a DVD player. Any suggestions?

Here are some photos from today's parade. They got uploaded out of order, but I have too much left to do today- laundry, baths, Brandi's hair, chaperone the stake dance- to take the time to rearrange them.

Eric Rushton on Trumpet. What a showoff. Silly boy.

The band getting ready to warm up

The end of the parade route which is a whole whopping 4 blocks!

Color Guard.

I am so glad that they got rid of those stupid velvet dresses they used to wear for parades. Can you say heat stroke?

We were all so excited when the band had enough money to purchase a mace for each of our drum majors

Brandi was playing around with my camera. I hadn't posted a picture of my new haircut, so here you go. It needs a trim, though

Plumes waiting for a hat
Ethan before the parade
Ethan's sousaphone. These sousaphones were old when Donovan played on them. We finally got enough money to purchase new ones. Not a moment too soon, I would say, as the sousaphone that is not put together yet? It is held together in spots by duct tape!!

Drum line

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Indeed.