Birthday Wishes Realized 100%

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What a freakin' awesome birthday! I will never again force my poor husband into an anxiety attack making him try and figure out what I want.

This morning when I awoke, the house was absolutely QUIET! Steven had taken the boys to the Cracker Barrel and given me the entire morning to stretch out luxuriously in the recliner and read my novel.

Around 5 o’clock, some friends from our ward came over to watch the chillins, and Steve took me to Saltgrass (which I really love but never go to). It was so exciting to be sitting across from my adorable husband while holding hands and acting all romantical without having to play ref for our kids’ boxing matches. It was SOOOO great…so great in fact that Steven (not me, mind you) insisted that we find a way to have a date every week. I was floored and thrilled.

After dinner, we went back to grab the boys and head out to the Bluegrass Association concert being held in the city park. It was hot, but the music and company was awesome. The little boys got so keyed up that they put on some very hilarious dancers for the crowd. You'll notice I only look slightly drugged.
When we got home, Steven and the boys bring in this wonderful cake with like, a trillion lit candles on top. I was sure it was going to burst into flames at any moment. They sang happy birthday (even David, with a solemn little look on his face) and helped me blow out the candles.
Afterwards, Steven comes in with a great big WRAPPED present with a bow on top.
And this was the rather salty card that was attached:
My present was a fabulous new external hard drive with 750 GB. Now I can put all my oodles of scrapbooking stuff on it and our computer might run faster than a turtle in molasses. (strange simile, I know…it was all I could come up with).

After the present, we had some cake and ice cream. David, actually tried eating the candles.
After realizing they were in fact inedible, he was a bit non-plussed.
I, however, truly enjoyed my store-bought white cake with buttercream icing.
This picture would surely have CPS knocking at our door for violating child safety laws, but it was so hilarious. He just really liked the cellophane.

Birthday Wishes

Tomorrow’s my birthday. Last year (my 30th birthday, and my golden birthday I might add) I was driving behind my dad’s U-haul and moving him to Galveston. My husband didn’t give me my present until a week after my birthday, and while it was nice and I loved it, I had to ask him for it and it STILL wasn’t wrapped (He said he was waiting for the right moment….um…that would have been on my actual birthday).

Well, darn it, this year I wanted an all-and-out nice birthday. Instead of letting my husband surprise me and therefore being somewhat disappointed, I decided to write a list. I mean, he can’t read minds, right? How is he supposed to know what I expect if I don’t tell him?

This year, the man has no excuse. The list I gave him was:
1) Any kind of family festivity wherein our kids acknowledge my birthday by singing to me over some sort of celebratory dessert.
2) WRAPPED present or homemade card from the kids to me. (I don’t care at all what the present is. I just want general recognition that yes, it is Mommy’s birthday).
3) A card from my husband (in his own handwriting) with a nice little note inside. I don’t care if it’s cheesy or trite; I just want something on paper (proof, if you will) in his handwriting saying he loves me…something I can read in future years and sigh over.
4) A DATE WITH MY HUSBAND (sans children!) Which may but not necessarily include dinner and a show of some sort (movie or other).
5) Number five is personal.

Anyway, as you can see, I’ve been fairly specific. Is it a lot to ask? Maybe. Maybe this was an extremely high-maintenance witchy and bossy thing to do. But at least there will be no miscommunication and therefore no ill feelings on a day that should be enjoyable and ire-free. These five things would all make me feel absolutely satisfied with my birthday. I have high expectations! We’ll see how well it works tomorrow.

We Made It!

Well, Steven and I made it into the Bay Area Chorus. It was quite odd, actually. They already had us on the roster and the seating chart before auditioning us (does this bode well or ill?) Anyway, I'm really excited. Rehearsal last night was great, and the choir sounded really good. We're singing famous opera choruses at our fall concert, like "The March of the Toreadors," "The Anvil Chorus," and "Habanera" from Carmen. So awesome. Our director really knows what he's doing. It's just so nice to be out there doing something you love and surrounded by other people who love it too; all of you creating something together.

On a cruddier note, I was told by the good people at the YMCA that the play pool is already closed for the summer because school started on Monday! Not cool, Mr. Membership Salesperson, who told us it would be open until the water temp got below 70 degrees. What the heck, it's a kiddie pool! Why can't it be open for the kiddie's not in school yet? Do they have ANY idea how scorching and unbearable it is outside if you're not in a pool? Oh well, I'm still a totally devoted member. They've already roped me in.

DAVID BLOWS OUT HIS CANDLES

I'm a little late on this post, but I thought I'd put up the pictures nonetheless. Jeff and Michelle came down for a visit this week, and so we decided to have a little family birthday party for David's 2nd. As you can see, he was much more enthused about opening presents...

then he was about our singing "Happy Birthday" over his cake.

He did enjoy eating it, however.

I, personally, didn't much care for the cake (weird aftertaste).

On another note, here is a picture of my brand new nephew Jack flirting with me.(I can't explain the look on my brother's face)

You can see Jack better in this picture. (And I know it looks like he's stepping in the cake, but it's just the angle, I promise).

Warning: Extreme Personal and Self-Pitying Rant to Follow

HECK! DANG! FETCH! SHIBLON! AND EVERY OTHER MORMON CURSE WORD!

Why is it that every time I’ve tried to plan a date with my husband for the past FOUR MONTHS, it’s blown up miserably in my face? We’d tentatively planned a switch-off with my visiting brother and sister-in-law, but they completely misunderstood us and it’s not going to work. I am so DESPERATE to do something just by ourselves, but somehow it seems it will never be.

Now that Steven’s a 9-to-5er instead of a high school teacher, I see him considerably less. For the first time in our marriage, he’s gone for 12 hours of the day, and involved in all kinds of stuff that I don’t know anything about.

And I know it’s not a popular sentiment, but I feel like I'm significantly less interesting since I’ve become a stay-at-home mom, mostly because I suck at all those talents that so many of my excellent sisters excel at (spec. cleaning, cooking, making your house look fashionable, sewing, being nice to your children, etc).

I KNOW my job is important and I KNOW that it will matter most and reap the most rewards temporally and spiritually in the end. But that doesn’t change the fact that all the things that once made me feel talented, unique and independent while I was working are now reduced to the occasional and somewhat self-serving musical number at church.

Anyway, so I have less and less to talk to anyone about except for my kids. And you want to know the truth? The ugly, nasty, shame-on-you-Sister-Grundberg truth? I’m sick of my kids right now. I’m sick of being mediator and punisher and consoler and entertainer, and I’d really rather just sit down and have a nice laugh with someone who’s making hilarious or even intelligible comments.

One light at the end of the tunnel: Steven and I are going to be auditioning for the Bay Area Chorus on Monday. And I don’t care if we have to pay somebody $80 every week to watch the kids during rehearsal (um, okay, maybe $15). We’re doing it, because I’m so sick of looking at the inside walls of this house.

Four Tag

Four random things I love about my husband :
1. He never, EVER admits that another girl is pretty, even when seriously egged on, and he insists that I’m the prettiest girl in the world.
2. He’s so nice about it when I wake him up to ask him to turn over when his snoring wakes me up.
3. He can talk to absolutely anyone
4. He’s a mean salsa-dancer, and an amazing father, and an amazing musician, and he knows everything and so many, many more.

Four jobs I’ve had:
1. Shipley’s Donuts
2. Phone operator for a House-Arrest Company
3. HR Generalist Assistant for NuSkin in Provo
4. High School Choir Director

Four movies I have watched more than once:
1. Meet Me In St. Louis
2. You Can’t Take It With You
3. The Royal Tenenbaums
4. Zoolander (I saw it 4 times IN THE THEATER!)

Four TV shows I watch:
1. Mystery Diagnosis
2. Forensic Files
3. Man vs. Wild
4. X-Weighted (what would I do without the Discovery Networks?)

Four random places I have been:
1. Gallup, New Mexico
2. Domincan Republic
3. An all-black, all-male barber shop (remind me to tell that story sometime)
4. The Llama Festival in Spanish Fork, UT

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Seafood!!!
2. Prime Rib
3. Bluebell Homemade Vanilla
4. Salad and Vegetables (um, I swear).

Four places I would like to visit:
1. Chicago, IL
2. China
3. Europe
4. Anyplace if someone else is paying

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
1. BUYING A HOUSE OF MY VERY OWN!!!
2. Hopefully adding a new baby Grundberg to the family
3. A Minivan (If we plan very, very well)
4. Having all of you come down to visit me, of course!

Four people I tag:
1. Darcy
2. Stacie
3. Kristy
4. Sherry

Sick, Sicker and Sickest

What is up with the plague of ill-health that's afflicted the Grundbergs lately? We usually pride ourselves on our strong constitutions but GEE WHIZ! We sure have been getting sick! David started the ball rolling with some lovely vomitting (nothing ickier than a toddler who just randomly throws up at various locations all over the house). Then Stevie got it, and was seriously a champ about using his trash can. Now all of the sudden I am nauseous beyond belief (sans puking, as of yet). I have to say that I've been a less than gracious mother today, and I'm not sure if the boys are buying my "Mommy's sick" bit as an excuse.

Anyway, I hope that Steven Sr. can avoid all this mess.

Sweet Baby David

How can it be that this little thing is already 2 years old? Why does he seem so much younger than Stevie did at his age? He wears me out with his constant dare-devilry, and I have to admit his new trick of randomly screaming at a pitch high enough to disturb the neighborhood dogs is less than endearing. But this little boy just kills me. I am in so in love with every little insanely adorable part of him.

A few David tidbits…
1. He’s recently become intelligible when he talks (not to outsiders, of course, but to us, anyway). His matter-of-fact declarations and the obvious pride he gets from making them crack me up every time. I love the way he mimics the intonations we use when making the same statements (example…THANK you, Mama, THANK you SO MUCH!
2. He has a relatively new laugh which brings to mind a villain mwuha-ha-ing over his latest dastardly deed. (This particular laugh is usually brought on by rough-house tickling, jumping of high precipices, or gleefully bugging his brother).
3. He sings! The A-B-C’s (though not necessarily in that order) is his reigning favorite, but he’s also regaled us with renditions of Twinkle, Twinkle, The Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Brown Skinned-Girl with the movements.
4. He wants to do everything (and I do mean everything) that his brother does. And it has to be exactly the same (this has caused many a brouhaha in the Grundberg house). For example, after hearing Stevie do so, he will yell out “I have to go pee-pee,” and will dutifully sit on the potty-chair (diaper-on) until we have praised him sufficiently. Not that he intends to actually pee…he just likes the glory.
5. His face is just gorgeous. And honestly, his sad/crying face is one of my favorites. It’s all I can do not to stop and admire his scrunched up little face when he’s screaming his head off. Oooo, how I love this little guy.
6. I still give him bottles (DON’T JUDGE ME….GEEEZZ!) I’m just not ready to relinquish his babyhood. And besides, he’ll still snuggle with me in the recliner if he’s got a good episode of “Thomas the Tank Engine” and a bottle in his mouth. And I absolutely cherish these few-and-far-between moments.

When I first became a mom, I remember being seriously bewildered at the high expectation of sacrifice and love I was expected to have for this tiny shriveled creature who never seemed to sleep. But I think I’m starting to understand now. It’s not the halo-wearing, angel-singing selflessness that I previously envisioned motherhood to be, but throwing myself in front of a bus to save them makes complete sense now.

At any rate, what better way to celebrate a 2-year-old’s birthday and confuse him completely than by taking him to Chucky Cheese? Honestly, it was pretty fun. I forgot how much I loved skee-ball. My boys, on the other hand, are video-gamers at the alarmingly early ages of 2 and 4.

OLYMPICS!!!!!!!

I am moved beyond measure by the Olympics. No matter how much the cynics pan it as another commercial venue masquerading behind world unity; I'm still a sucker for the Olympic dream! One of the reasons I haven’t been very faithful about blogging is because I’m GLUED to the TV for the next two weeks. I’ve been watching every single event, and feel like I have an intimately personal relationship with every single athlete. (Obsessed? You decide).

I love watching the Opening Ceremonies. No one's lost yet; everyone's just thrilled about a free trip to China and filled with optimistic expectations of medals. I love seeing the absolute joy on those young, excited faces as they pile into the stadium. I get teary-eyed when I see all the athletes march in from all those little tiny countries like Micronesia or East Timor. And I love to see other countries, despite whatever global politics rule the day, cheer for the USA.

A few Olympic thoughts:

1) I get so emotional every time they do a vignette on an individual athlete. (I was just now in tears over the gymnast Shawn Johnson, and yesterday over Yang Wei). The realization of their aspirations is such the embodiment of the American Dream. Small town boy/girl (just like you or me), works hard day and night and eventually becomes world icon and national hero. There’s something so genuine and heartening about it.

2) What would it actually take to have bodies like these athletes? Not just a good-looking body (because goodness knows, sometimes the girls’ look a bit over-butch), but a body whose every muscle, every sinew is at maximum performance, and cultivated to function in the most efficient way possible. What would your diet REALLY be like? What kind of physical activity is really required to maintain such amazingly perfect form? This occupies my thoughts more than you’d think.

3)I want my boys to be athletic. Not because I expect them to get anywhere NEAR Olympic level, because honestly I think that kind of lifestyle would be nerve-wracking and extremely hard to maintain. But just so that they’ll have joy in using their bodies in an active way. And also because I’m so miserably unathletic that it’s embarrassing, and yes, maybe I’d like to live through them a little bit. But hey, if they end up uninterested or uncoordinated and instead become amazing chess-players of say, botanists, I’ll still be thrilled. I just feel as if I’ve missed out on that part of life…the part where exercise isn’t work, but recreation and enjoyment.

4)Tiny crush on Michael Phelps. Am I a tad old to have innocent crushes on 23 year old Olympians? Most definitely. But I can’t help it. He’s so goofy and awkward and yet so amazingly talented! 8 gold medals? Get out of town! So yes, tiny crush…but don’t tell Steven.

It's Never Too Early?

My children will never be able to say they didn't have access to musical instruments! Steven's made sure of that, what with his plethora of orchestral instruments that we store in our teeny tiny house.
But I'm grateful. It's sweet to see them so interested. And even sweeter to see them heft the enormous instruments in an effort to make some sort of sound on it (musical or non). A particular favorite has been the trombone. Stevie really took a liking to it.
David was a tad perplexed by the trombone. He was insistent that the best way to play it was by eating the mouthpiece.

COMIN' TO ARLINGTON...for real this time.

OKAY, FOLKS, we're coming to Arlington this weekend and I am very excited. Steven can't go, but I decided to drive up for one of Stevie's friends' b-day party. A little extreme, true, but both Stevie and I really want to go and that's that. We're driving up on Friday and will be tentatively driving back on Monday (but it really doesn't matter because I have no pressing engagements). Joey is letting us stay with him at the house. So if anyone is up for a little hangin' out this weekend, or even if I could just stop by, I'd love to see ya! SO STOKED!

HURRICANE!

Okay, folks...Hurricane Eduoard is comin' at us! I've been keeping abreast of the situation here. They let everyone go home early at Steven's work, and he doesn't have to go in tomorrow. There hasn't been an evacuation order or anything, just a warning. We filled our tanks up with gas and went to the grocery store (just in case) and it was packed. I guess everyone had the same idea. We bought enough water for our 72-hour kit and plenty of food. We put the candles right next to the matches (where we can find them but out of the kiddos' reach). I wonder if we're forgetting anything...hmmm.

Well, anywho, this is all very exciting. Kind of like a holiday or something.

Sick

I'm sick. I've got a cold and it stinks. I haven't done anything for two days. And the thing is, even though I'm truly and sincerely sick, I still feel guilty, like I'm being a slacker. Unfortunately, I don't feel guilty enough to get out bed and get anything done.

Don't you miss being a kid sometimes? How when you got sick everyone took care of you, and it was almost like a holiday because you got to stay home from school, and sometimes you were allowed to make a pallet on the couch and watch TV all day while Mom brought you soup or Sprite to settle your stomach? And when 3:30 rolled around and all your siblings came home, you felt a little letdown, like after a birthday party or Christmas? I miss that sometimes. Steven is good to me, but I still miss it.