Here is a video of Michael playing the piano and singing after church on Sunday. Sorry, I recorded it with my camera upright, and we can't find video software that will rotate it and allow me to save it that way. Hope you don't get a kink in your neck!
And here he is saying the Pledge of Allegiance. My friend posted a video on her blog of her daughter saying the Pledge of Allegiance, and I thought it would be fun to post one of Michael, too. Please ignore the couch with no cushions (he was making a "tent").
And finally, we have a video of Faith climbing the stairs. It is her new favorite thing.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Latest Cakes
I made some birthday cakes over the weekend. One was for Walker, and the other was for Walker's cousin Ty (on the other side of the family).
First we have Ty's cake. He wanted a Pokemon cake. I had no idea what Pokemon was until Melissa asked me to make this cake. I'm still not sure I really get it....
Next we have Walker's train cake. Melissa said that she was looking online for some cake ideas for Walker, and Hunter kept saying, "Walker wants a dump truck," and, "Walker wants a fire truck." Funny kid.
First we have Ty's cake. He wanted a Pokemon cake. I had no idea what Pokemon was until Melissa asked me to make this cake. I'm still not sure I really get it....
Next we have Walker's train cake. Melissa said that she was looking online for some cake ideas for Walker, and Hunter kept saying, "Walker wants a dump truck," and, "Walker wants a fire truck." Funny kid.
Friday, March 20, 2009
The new dilemma
Most of you know that Jeff and I have decided to buy a new house. When? Sometime this year, hopefully. Where? Somewhere still in the Ogden/Layton area. I'd LOVE to stay in our ward, but since all of the houses in this ward have pretty much the same issues that our current house has, I don't think it will happen. Anyway, we have been fixing up our current home with the hopes of selling it soon.
And then, I talked to Whitnie Stark.
She and her husband own two homes and rent one of them out. And they love it. She says the tax advantages are amazing, and the extra income is nice, too.
So Jeff and I are now considering renting our house out instead of selling it. My main concern is finding good renters. You know, the non-smoking, no-pet-peeing-on-the-rug kind of renter. One who will pay the rent on time and stay here for a long, long time. My other big concern is having the house sit empty while we pay two mortgages.
Hmm. Anyone have any thoughts?
*****
Our latest home-improvement project has been painting the living room. We weren't planning to do anything in there, because we didn't really think it needed anything. But then I decided to fill in the various nail and screw holes in the walls. I did that, and we realized that yes, indeed, we would need to paint. The Tervorts (from whom we bought the house) had repainted the living room just before we bought the house, and when I looked at it in certain light, I could see that they had painted it white, over a previously white room. No big deal, right? Except that the two whites were NOT the same color, and they hadn't really covered the bottom layer very well. In fact, there were at least three shades of white on the ceiling. ANNOYING!!
So after I patched and sanded, Jeff painted yesterday. The ceiling is now all one shade of white, and the walls are a very, very light tan/beige color, just a couple shades darker than the ceiling. It looks so much nicer. I also replaced all of the switches and outlets and the covers, because the Tervorts - instead of removing the covers to paint - had painted over them. EVEN MORE ANNOYING!!!
So anyway, the room is now painted, and I am going to vacuum it thoroughly today and move the furniture back in.
Dad and Gary (and Burke? I can't remember if you were here), you will be impressed - Jeff moved that piano away from the wall all by himself. It wore him out so bad, though, that he has yet to move it back.
And then, I talked to Whitnie Stark.
She and her husband own two homes and rent one of them out. And they love it. She says the tax advantages are amazing, and the extra income is nice, too.
So Jeff and I are now considering renting our house out instead of selling it. My main concern is finding good renters. You know, the non-smoking, no-pet-peeing-on-the-rug kind of renter. One who will pay the rent on time and stay here for a long, long time. My other big concern is having the house sit empty while we pay two mortgages.
Hmm. Anyone have any thoughts?
*****
Our latest home-improvement project has been painting the living room. We weren't planning to do anything in there, because we didn't really think it needed anything. But then I decided to fill in the various nail and screw holes in the walls. I did that, and we realized that yes, indeed, we would need to paint. The Tervorts (from whom we bought the house) had repainted the living room just before we bought the house, and when I looked at it in certain light, I could see that they had painted it white, over a previously white room. No big deal, right? Except that the two whites were NOT the same color, and they hadn't really covered the bottom layer very well. In fact, there were at least three shades of white on the ceiling. ANNOYING!!
So after I patched and sanded, Jeff painted yesterday. The ceiling is now all one shade of white, and the walls are a very, very light tan/beige color, just a couple shades darker than the ceiling. It looks so much nicer. I also replaced all of the switches and outlets and the covers, because the Tervorts - instead of removing the covers to paint - had painted over them. EVEN MORE ANNOYING!!!
So anyway, the room is now painted, and I am going to vacuum it thoroughly today and move the furniture back in.
Dad and Gary (and Burke? I can't remember if you were here), you will be impressed - Jeff moved that piano away from the wall all by himself. It wore him out so bad, though, that he has yet to move it back.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Look! She has hair!!
Yesterday I managed to get some of Faith's hair into a barrette. She finally has enough! YAY!!! Except it was the tiniest barrette ever, and it only stayed in about five minutes before it fell out. Oh well, it was cute while it lasted.
May I just say, why are little girls so squirmy? It seriously took me almost 10 minutes to get the barrette in to begin with.
May I just say, why are little girls so squirmy? It seriously took me almost 10 minutes to get the barrette in to begin with.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
A Good Day at Work
Yesterday, I was reminded of why I enjoy my job so much. Sure, I have to deal with angry people and petty complaints, but I also get to meet and talk to some very interesting people. Fortunately, last night was very pleasant. All of the guests I spoke with were very pleasant, and very appreciative for the service I gave them. It's funny how many people don't realize that if you want something done, the best route is to be nice and pleasant and friendly to the person who could do it for you.
Case in point: a man and his wife checked in. They had requested a room with two beds on the back of the hotel, and I put them in the only one that was left (which happened to be handicap-accessible). Then he called down and said that they needed a bathtub, instead of a walk-in shower. So I told him the options (move upstairs or to the front side, or stay on the back in a room with a king). He chose to move to a room with a king, and I told him I would bring the keys back to him. When I did, he and his wife were so nice. I helped them move their bags to their new room, and left feeling good.
Second scenario (this did NOT happen last night - as I said, last night was a good night): A guest walks in without a reservation and asks for a room with two beds. I check him in, and give him his keys, and direct him to his room, which is on the second floor. He throws the keys at me (no kidding - they hit me on the chin) and almost yells, "Put me on the ground floor. I'm not hauling my stuff upstairs." Now, we had some ground floor rooms available, but he didn't know that, and he didn't say anything about a ground floor room when he checked in. So I told him we didn't have any ground floor rooms left with two beds. So he did, indeed, end up hauling his stuff upstairs, and I was quite happy to see him do it.
Maybe I'm a terrible customer service person. But honestly, if he had been just a tad nicer (read: NOT thrown his keys at me), I would have happily moved him downstairs. I do like to make people happy. That's what I enjoy most about my job - helping people have a good experience in our hotel. But every once in a while, that little passive-aggressive tendency that I have, that I try so hard to silence, gets its fix.
Case in point: a man and his wife checked in. They had requested a room with two beds on the back of the hotel, and I put them in the only one that was left (which happened to be handicap-accessible). Then he called down and said that they needed a bathtub, instead of a walk-in shower. So I told him the options (move upstairs or to the front side, or stay on the back in a room with a king). He chose to move to a room with a king, and I told him I would bring the keys back to him. When I did, he and his wife were so nice. I helped them move their bags to their new room, and left feeling good.
Second scenario (this did NOT happen last night - as I said, last night was a good night): A guest walks in without a reservation and asks for a room with two beds. I check him in, and give him his keys, and direct him to his room, which is on the second floor. He throws the keys at me (no kidding - they hit me on the chin) and almost yells, "Put me on the ground floor. I'm not hauling my stuff upstairs." Now, we had some ground floor rooms available, but he didn't know that, and he didn't say anything about a ground floor room when he checked in. So I told him we didn't have any ground floor rooms left with two beds. So he did, indeed, end up hauling his stuff upstairs, and I was quite happy to see him do it.
Maybe I'm a terrible customer service person. But honestly, if he had been just a tad nicer (read: NOT thrown his keys at me), I would have happily moved him downstairs. I do like to make people happy. That's what I enjoy most about my job - helping people have a good experience in our hotel. But every once in a while, that little passive-aggressive tendency that I have, that I try so hard to silence, gets its fix.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Progress Report
I just wanted to post an update on Michael's feeding progress. It's slow, but there IS progress, and we're really proud of him.
His diet is mostly fruit these days. Bananas, apricots, pineapple, applesauce, and peaches. The only vegetables he eats are squash and sweet potatoes. We've started adding brown rice protein to some of his foods, and hopefully that is helping him to get a little more balance in his diet. I also sneak rice cereal into his applesauce in an effort to get him some more grains.
He really likes hot dogs and chicken, although we have to chop it up into pieces so small that they are unrecognizable as hot dogs or chicken. It's hard for him to eat it, but he does like the flavor.
He will eat those freeze-dried apples, strawberries, and bananas. And he has also started eating some of the Gerber veggie puffs again. He used to eat those things, but then for a long time he has refused. So we're glad he started again.
And today when he got home from pre-school, there was a note from his teacher in his bag that said, "Michael bit and chewed and swallowed pieces of graham cracker today."
YAY!!!! We're hoping to reinforce his progress. We tell him we are so proud of him, and to be honest, I think that's the best motivator we've found so far.
His diet is mostly fruit these days. Bananas, apricots, pineapple, applesauce, and peaches. The only vegetables he eats are squash and sweet potatoes. We've started adding brown rice protein to some of his foods, and hopefully that is helping him to get a little more balance in his diet. I also sneak rice cereal into his applesauce in an effort to get him some more grains.
He really likes hot dogs and chicken, although we have to chop it up into pieces so small that they are unrecognizable as hot dogs or chicken. It's hard for him to eat it, but he does like the flavor.
He will eat those freeze-dried apples, strawberries, and bananas. And he has also started eating some of the Gerber veggie puffs again. He used to eat those things, but then for a long time he has refused. So we're glad he started again.
And today when he got home from pre-school, there was a note from his teacher in his bag that said, "Michael bit and chewed and swallowed pieces of graham cracker today."
YAY!!!! We're hoping to reinforce his progress. We tell him we are so proud of him, and to be honest, I think that's the best motivator we've found so far.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Profile of a Government Employee
Jeff is going to kill me for this. Well, actually, he agrees with me. Just remember, folks, that not ALL government employees are idiots. (I was once a government employee, and Jeff currently is. He's a good example of a non-idiotic government employee.)
First, a little background. Yesterday I took a pre-employment test to be a 2010 census worker. The test was 28 questions long, and we had 30 minutes to complete it. Guess how many questions you had to get right to pass the test. 10. Yes, 10 questions out of 28. That's about 35 percent. If that was passing in any of my college classes, I wouldn't have worked so hard (not really - I'm still a perfectionist).
There were probably 15 of us taking the test. Before we began, the proctor gave us detailed instructions about how to fill out the required forms. Here are a few examples of conversations.
*****
Proctor: For all of you who brought driver's licenses, this is for you. On the first line in column B, write "driver's license." *pause* On the second line in column B, write the state that issued the license, most of you will have a Utah license.
Man: What do I write on the first line?
Proctor: Write "driver's license." And on the second line, write what state the license is from.
Man: I'm sorry, what do I write on the first line?
*****
Proctor: On the first line of column C, write "SS card." *pause* On the second line, write "U.S. Government." *pause* On the third line, write your Social Security number. *pause* The fourth line is for an expiration date, but since Social Security cards expire when you die, we don't know when that will be yet.
Same Man: Mine doesn't have an expiration date on it.
*****
Proctor: I am now handing out your test booklets and pencils. Do not open the booklet until instructed to do so. Do not write anything on the front of the booklet until instructed to do so.
Lady: Should I start filling out this stuff on the front?
*****
Same Lady: Do I have to use this pencil, or can I use the one I brought? (it was a mechanical pencil)
Proctor: You should use the one I've provided. If your test has to be corrected by scanner, you want to make sure that you have used the correct type of lead. These pencils are number 2 1/2.
Same Lady: I think my pencil is a 2 1/2.
Proctor: Are you sure you want to take that chance? If your test has to be scanned, and the lead is incorrect, you will fail the test.
Same Lady: I just really like my pencil better. If I break the lead, I just have to click it instead of getting a new pencil.
Proctor: I think you'd better just use mine.
*****
Proctor: You will have 30 minutes for the test. I will tell you when you have 15 minutes left, and then 5 minutes, and then I will say Stop, and you must put your pencils down, and I will collect the test materials.
Kid who looks like he's just out of high school: So we can't just mark the answers with little X's and then when the test is over, go back and fill in the circles?
Proctor: If you have time to do that, you can. But when the 30 minutes is up, you need to put your pencil down.
Kid: So you won't give us time at the end to do that?
*****
And here's the best/worst part. Some of the people in that room did not pass the test. They will be allowed to retake the test as many times as they want. Sad, isn't it, the low level of achievement that the federal government will accept from its employees.
On a happier note, I passed. And no, it wasn't with 40 percent.
First, a little background. Yesterday I took a pre-employment test to be a 2010 census worker. The test was 28 questions long, and we had 30 minutes to complete it. Guess how many questions you had to get right to pass the test. 10. Yes, 10 questions out of 28. That's about 35 percent. If that was passing in any of my college classes, I wouldn't have worked so hard (not really - I'm still a perfectionist).
There were probably 15 of us taking the test. Before we began, the proctor gave us detailed instructions about how to fill out the required forms. Here are a few examples of conversations.
*****
Proctor: For all of you who brought driver's licenses, this is for you. On the first line in column B, write "driver's license." *pause* On the second line in column B, write the state that issued the license, most of you will have a Utah license.
Man: What do I write on the first line?
Proctor: Write "driver's license." And on the second line, write what state the license is from.
Man: I'm sorry, what do I write on the first line?
*****
Proctor: On the first line of column C, write "SS card." *pause* On the second line, write "U.S. Government." *pause* On the third line, write your Social Security number. *pause* The fourth line is for an expiration date, but since Social Security cards expire when you die, we don't know when that will be yet.
Same Man: Mine doesn't have an expiration date on it.
*****
Proctor: I am now handing out your test booklets and pencils. Do not open the booklet until instructed to do so. Do not write anything on the front of the booklet until instructed to do so.
Lady: Should I start filling out this stuff on the front?
*****
Same Lady: Do I have to use this pencil, or can I use the one I brought? (it was a mechanical pencil)
Proctor: You should use the one I've provided. If your test has to be corrected by scanner, you want to make sure that you have used the correct type of lead. These pencils are number 2 1/2.
Same Lady: I think my pencil is a 2 1/2.
Proctor: Are you sure you want to take that chance? If your test has to be scanned, and the lead is incorrect, you will fail the test.
Same Lady: I just really like my pencil better. If I break the lead, I just have to click it instead of getting a new pencil.
Proctor: I think you'd better just use mine.
*****
Proctor: You will have 30 minutes for the test. I will tell you when you have 15 minutes left, and then 5 minutes, and then I will say Stop, and you must put your pencils down, and I will collect the test materials.
Kid who looks like he's just out of high school: So we can't just mark the answers with little X's and then when the test is over, go back and fill in the circles?
Proctor: If you have time to do that, you can. But when the 30 minutes is up, you need to put your pencil down.
Kid: So you won't give us time at the end to do that?
*****
And here's the best/worst part. Some of the people in that room did not pass the test. They will be allowed to retake the test as many times as they want. Sad, isn't it, the low level of achievement that the federal government will accept from its employees.
On a happier note, I passed. And no, it wasn't with 40 percent.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thankful Thursday
1. Our gym membership. We went again this evening and put both kids in the daycare while we rode the stationary bikes. I did better than I thought I would.
2. Faith's mellow attitude. She hadn't had her second nap, and I was worried that she would be ornery in the daycare. But she did great!
3. Michael's happy attitude. Likewise, he did great. In fact, he liked the daycare so much that he refused to leave.
4. Free movie codes from Redbox. Okay, so I know it only costs $1 to rent a Redbox movie, but this month, they have free codes every Wednesday. Jeff and I rented Swing Vote with Kevin Costner yesterday, and it was pretty good.
5. The cannery. I learned (thanks, April and Mom) that we can buy bulk products from the cannery, and it's a TON cheaper than anywhere else. As soon as we get our debt paid off (in May), we will be putting some money towards more food storage items.
2. Faith's mellow attitude. She hadn't had her second nap, and I was worried that she would be ornery in the daycare. But she did great!
3. Michael's happy attitude. Likewise, he did great. In fact, he liked the daycare so much that he refused to leave.
4. Free movie codes from Redbox. Okay, so I know it only costs $1 to rent a Redbox movie, but this month, they have free codes every Wednesday. Jeff and I rented Swing Vote with Kevin Costner yesterday, and it was pretty good.
5. The cannery. I learned (thanks, April and Mom) that we can buy bulk products from the cannery, and it's a TON cheaper than anywhere else. As soon as we get our debt paid off (in May), we will be putting some money towards more food storage items.
Adventures at the gym
We took advantage of our new gym membership yesterday. We planned to go swimming, but I was a little concerned about how Michael would do in the big pool. He's not a very daring kid, and when we went to Bear Lake last year, it took some time for him to even wade in up to his ankles. Anyway, we went in, dropped Faith off in the daycare, and headed to the locker rooms. After convincing Michael that he would not be able to swim until he got all wet in the shower, he finally let me hold him while we ducked under the water very briefly. He hated the shower. Then he went and sat down on the top step of the pool, and would not go any further. I let Jeff sit with him while I went and swam for a minute, then I went back and asked Michael if I could hold him and walk around. He surprised me by reaching out and letting me pick him up.
Many of you have heard his insane laughing. Imagine hearing it for the next 20-30 minutes straight. It's cute, but after a while, I'm like, "enough, already." I think he was actually really scared, and the laughing made it better for him. Anyway, once we walked around a little bit, he did awesome. He even put his legs out behind and kicked, and by the time we got out, I could hold him just by his arms instead of having him wrap his arms and legs around me so tightly that I could barely move. He had a really good time, and wants to go swimming again very soon. Unfortunately, though, swimming with Michael is not really working out, so we'll have to convince him to stay in the daycare with Faith sometimes, so that we can actually get some benefit from this membership, other than watching Michael learn to enjoy the water.
Maybe I really will get him into swimming lessons this summer.
Funny note - apparently, I haven't been very good with teaching him modesty, or something. As soon as we got out of the pool and took our very brief shower again, he started to strip down. I didn't realize it until his swim trunks were down around his knees right next to the pool (the showers are located right there, not in the locker rooms). I had to quickly help him pull wet shorts up and over a wet bum. Whatever. We'll work on that.
Many of you have heard his insane laughing. Imagine hearing it for the next 20-30 minutes straight. It's cute, but after a while, I'm like, "enough, already." I think he was actually really scared, and the laughing made it better for him. Anyway, once we walked around a little bit, he did awesome. He even put his legs out behind and kicked, and by the time we got out, I could hold him just by his arms instead of having him wrap his arms and legs around me so tightly that I could barely move. He had a really good time, and wants to go swimming again very soon. Unfortunately, though, swimming with Michael is not really working out, so we'll have to convince him to stay in the daycare with Faith sometimes, so that we can actually get some benefit from this membership, other than watching Michael learn to enjoy the water.
Maybe I really will get him into swimming lessons this summer.
Funny note - apparently, I haven't been very good with teaching him modesty, or something. As soon as we got out of the pool and took our very brief shower again, he started to strip down. I didn't realize it until his swim trunks were down around his knees right next to the pool (the showers are located right there, not in the locker rooms). I had to quickly help him pull wet shorts up and over a wet bum. Whatever. We'll work on that.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
So the dishwasher is not as quiet as I had hoped. I used the delay start function the other night, and it woke me up when it started. And I lay there and listened to it for a couple of hours. Grrr. There isn't much insulation on the dishwasher, though, so I think we're going to take it out and put better insulation around it. Hopefully that will help.
Michael is just about ready to give up diapers forever (YAY!!!). He has woken up dry for the past several mornings, and the last two nights, he has even woken up in the middle of the night, gone to the bathroom, and gone back to bed - without coming into our room (very important). I am hoping that we have purchased our last box of Pull-Ups. He's been wearing underwear during the day for about a year now, but nighttime is harder. I told him today that if he can keep waking up dry, he can start sleeping in his underwear. He is very excited about that. And so am I.
Michael is just about ready to give up diapers forever (YAY!!!). He has woken up dry for the past several mornings, and the last two nights, he has even woken up in the middle of the night, gone to the bathroom, and gone back to bed - without coming into our room (very important). I am hoping that we have purchased our last box of Pull-Ups. He's been wearing underwear during the day for about a year now, but nighttime is harder. I told him today that if he can keep waking up dry, he can start sleeping in his underwear. He is very excited about that. And so am I.
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