A Little of This, A Little of That

I was just reading through my Thanksgiving posts and said to myself, "Boy, that was really self-indulgent." And then I remembered, "Oh yeah! This is my personal blog, I can be self-indulgent whenever I want." And then I made an appointment with a shrink to discuss the fact that I'm talking to myself.

But on that self-indulgent note--since this is for all intents and purposes my only personal history--I thought I'd take a minute today to write about the little happenings of my immediate family. For my personal record--not because I have any grandiose ideas that someday historians are going to piece together the rise and fall of modern civilization as it relates to my life.

Cory has been much busier with work since we got back from our vacation in October. He carpools to work most days with his best friend from high school who recently moved back to Utah and took a job at Cory's firm. This is convenient for them both because whenever they are running late, they can blame it on each other so their wives do not get mad at them. Or so they think. He has also recently been called to be the Assistant 11-year-old scout leader and Valiant 11 Primary teacher. Zachary LOVES having Dad as his teacher and leader. Cory insists to our kids that he is the "meanest Dad in the world," but they don't buy it. Mom is much meaner.

Zachary has become such a dependable boy the last few months. He takes on his chores and schoolwork with responsibility and focus in a way I was afraid would never happen. He is extremely upset with the BCS at the moment because how dare they put Texas in the rankings below two of the teams they beat this year. (Don't ask me...I try to lay low every Saturday from here to the end of December.) He just won his school's Reflections contest in literature for an essay he wrote titled, "Why I Loathe the Kansas Jayhawks."

Noah has officially started the Junior Jazz basketball season. I haven't been to a single one of his games/practices yet because I am just too darn busy, but I hear he is a dynamite rebounder. I had parent-teacher conferences last week, and his teacher basically told me that she can no longer evaluate him on reading because he has passed off every level available in his school. They do individualized spelling in his class as well, and she is set to run out of lists for him in February. She says that she is taking it as a personal challenge to make sure that Noah is challenged...I really like her.

Isaac has hit that magical stage where reading suddenly and dramatically clicks! He taught our FHE lesson last week and had everyone write lists of things they are grateful for; he was so proud to write his own list instead of drawing pictures as he has every year before now. He is still so sweet and compliant, but he definitely is used to being one of the "little kids." He has a hard time believing that I really expect him to do all of his chores every day.

Anna is all set to perform her role as a mouse in this year's Utah Artists School of Ballet Presents: The Nutcracker. I went to the dress rehearsal yesterday and had the time of my life. This is the greatest stage performance I have ever witnessed...I could watch it every day for the rest of my life! I laughed until I cried. Fox 13 News came to the dress rehearsal too, and there was a sweet close-up of Anna (yawning) in her mouse costume on the 5:00 news.

And then there is me..I am busy with Relief Society, classroom work, driving kids to and fro, maintaining my home, preparing for the holidays, and a million other seemingly little things that somehow fill up my days to bursting.