Constitution Day - School House Rock Style

Addison's school had "Constitution Day" last Wednesday. I have never heard of this. We certainly did not have "Constitution Day" when I was in elementary school. His teacher told me they were required to do something for it, too. And so something they did... They learned the preamble as sung by School House Rock (another thing I was deprived of as a child - no Constitution Day, no School House Rock... How did I survive???). Anyway, all the parents came and stood on the lawn (because Addison goes to school in California where they have no public school funding and so he has no auditorium, or lunch room for that matter) and listened as the kids sang this song. Good thing the kids are so great because it made the 6.3 minutes spent celebrating "Constitution Day" all worth it.

The Lundell Family Visits Monterey

This was a while ago, but I stole the pictures from Amy and need to post them so they will be in my blog book! They are a little random, but I'm a fan of Amy's picture taking.

On the pier in San Francisco.
Trying to see Alcatraz.
Checking out the view.
View from behind.
Outside the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
At the aquarium... Looking at our favorite fish, the sun fish.
In the wave tunnel.
At Asilomar.
Pebble Beach in the fog.

Tagged... by Liz

What I was doing....

20 years ago...
1. Starting junior high.
2. Wearing banana clips and pegging my pants.
3. Trying to learn the choreography to Paula Abdul's straight up by watching the dancing cat video over and over.

10 years ago...
1. Finishing school at BYU, first wedding anniversary.
2. Being the assistant girl's camp director/primary chorister/relief society pianist in the craziest ward ever (We had the Utah State Hospital in our ward... the one that does the haunted house at Halloween... That should be an entirely separate blog post... good times).
3. Listening to as much Everything But the Girl as possible, and most anything with a female singer songwriter.

5 years ago...
1. Crazy life... I don't remember much.
2. Addison was the cutest 3 year old ever.
3. Gave up on trying to be cool in my musical taste and started listening to Justin Timberlake, my lover.

1 year ago...
1. Moved to California.
2. Addison started a new school and was so awesome and brave. I can't get enough of that kid.
3. Listening to an array of freaky music from Tom's collection.

This year so far...
1. Spent the summer in Utah.
2. Addison started 3rd grade.
3. Went back to teaching, very part time, at the preschool

Yesterday...
1. Played the piano at Molly's baptism (Congratulations Molly!)
2. Went to Addison's play practice for The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe for 4-1/2 hours.
3. Cleaned my room, 1 bathroom, and the kitchen.

Today...
1. Went to church.
2. Drove out to see a futon and mattress that were for sale on craigslist. (They are both perfect and Tom will pick them up for me tomorrow!)
3. Watched a movie with Tom and Addison.

Tomorrow...
1. Walk to the bus stop with Addison (He takes the bus... I can't believe it).
2. Work at home. Try to finish cleaning.
3. Pick Addison up from school (He's not so much into riding it home).
4. Have family home evening... planting lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets in the plot that Tom prepared.

I am supposed to tag some people... I can't remember how many, but I'm tagging, Sherry, Amy, Megan.

First Day of Third Grade

See these eyes...


And these...?
This is the first year that we've had no tears out of either set of peepers on the first day of school. I dropped Addison off at school, and while I was still the last parent to leave the classroom (much to Addison's eye-rolling and hand-shooing), I did not cry... and neither did he. He has a better track record than I do on this, but still...

He came home from school that first day saying that third grade was his favorite grade ever! I hope this year lives up to it.

Third grade was my favorite grade in elementary school, too. Mr. Judd was my teacher. This was back in the day when teachers could have parties at their house without everybody assuming they were murderers or child molesters (which I would actually assume about any teacher who did that now, I'm sorry to say). We had some serious good times at Mr. Judd's house parties. He taught us about money, times tables, and most importantly, how to be nice to each other. I think often about the Valentine's Day in third grade when I wrote a mean message to one of the not-so-cool kids in my class. Mr. Judd took me out into the hall, and didn't yell or berate, but told me how he had been like this kid when he was younger (what? Mr. Judd wasn't always cool?), and how much this kid was hurt by the note. Even now I cringe with shame when I think about it. I wrote the kid a note telling him how sorry I was and asking him if he wanted to play with me and my friends at recess. He inspired us think about more than ourselves, which was pretty hard to do when we were 8. Thanks Mr. Judd.



Good luck in third grade, buddy. I hope you learn as much as I did.

Someone Thinks I'm Cool

Actually, I don't know how cool they think I am, but for now at least, I'm going to let it go to my head. My friend Sherry (mother of some of my most adorable former preschoolers) awarded me with this:

Now, I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that in order for all of my friends to know about this sweet little award, I have to post it on my own blog. I wondered, does it seem vain to tell everyone that she thinks I'm "Kreativ"? I don't care. I think the real question is, will anyone believe that she actually "awarded" me... Her blog is private, and I might just be making the whole thing up because I'm starved for attention... Amy can you back me up?

See, the way it works is (the train moves not the station)...

Upon accepting my prestigous award, I am to list 6 things that make me HAPPY and then send on the award to 3 more "Kreativ friends" (copied directly from Sherry's blog)...

I seriously sat here for 10 minutes trying to come up with inspiring and exciting things that make me happy, but the list in my head started to sound like "sunsets, walks in the rain, laughter" ... you get the picture.

So, I'm going to list 6 things that made me happy today:

1. Talking to my sister on the phone.

Quote from Jen: "What does it mean when people say, 'I blog'? Does that it mean they get paid for it?"

2. Shopping at Target with Tom while Addison is at Amanda's eating Pigs in a Blanket.

Tom makes joke that makes me roll my eyes. Lady in aisle laughs at joke. I laugh at lady laughing.

3. Amanda's cute girl, Emma.

I walk in the door and Emma (3) takes my hand and walks to where Addison is sitting and says, "There's your kid." Go here to read more funny Emma.

4. Having Tom understand me.

When I say, "I'm going to strip the paint off Addison's dresser and stain it," I actually mean, "could you spend all day Saturday stripping the paint off Addison's dresser and staining it?"

5. Impulse buys which are later returned.

I went to Target twice today. The first time I bought 2 pairs of earrings (cute) and 2 wall hangings (not so cute). I bought the overpriced wall hangings because I was at Target and wanted to just buy things. I love to just buy things. I returned them (during the trip with Tom) and feel happy that I was impulsive and responsible.

6. Feeling crafty enough to make bean bags for the playroom.

I don't know that it will ever happen, but tonight I found the pattern, and I am thinking Addison will love them in camoflauge.

And now my awards go to:

Liz: For finally blogging

Amy: For being my only blogging family member

Ellen: Because she needs to update

Thank you... and good night.

It Doesn't Take Much

I was watching my friend Amanda's kids the other day, and when she dropped them off at my new house, I was telling her about wanting to put some herbs in the box window in my kitchen. I was so excited about it. She looked at me and said,

"It doesn't take much to make us girls happy, does it?"

I've been thinking so much about that since then. I really think it's true. Our guys might disagree, but I think it's because the opposite it true, too. It doesn't take much to make at least this girl sad.

On most days, if I can have a happy son, clean house, healthy dinner cooked that everyone enjoys, time to read/knit/watch a show, I can go to sleep feeling like all is right with the world.

But give me a hurt child, cluttery house, dinner out of a box that no one even liked, and arriving at midnight with a list a mile long of things I didn't accomplish, and I can't imagine how I could ever survive another day.

For today, my simple things have me happy. New friends at church (for me and Addison), house still pretty clean from Saturday's efforts, grilled quesedillas and corn/avocado relish for dinner, finished a book, and will watch the closing ceremonies of the Olympics with my family.

It doesn't take much...

Cuterate...

I know Addison is a little too old for me to have a running list of cute things he says, but the other day he came up with a doozy that I had to record...

We were getting ready to watch High School Musical: Get in the Picture, and Addison asked me if we could have Rice Krispie Treats (our favorite). I said no because we had just gone to In-N-Out Burger for dinner and I felt like we had been eating garbage all day. He responded by saying,

"That's okay. I just thought it would be fun to eat our favorite treat and watch our favorite show together."

Well, by then I had been thinking about the Rice Krispie Treats myself, and he responded so sweetly, that I said,

"All right, but I don't think it's fair to use your cuteness on me to get your way."

To which he replied,

"Maybe I should start teaching lessons in Cute-rate (Cute + karate) to kids with moms that say no."

...He might be too old for it, and he hates it when I tell him, but I still think he's pretty dang cute.