Bad Things Come in LARGE Numbers, Now with an UPDATE (10/27)

OK, so this is just a little blog post so that I could count all the awful things that we have been experiencing in the last few months.  I suppose it is my way of making a visual list so I can actually see how many bad things have happened to count.  So anyway, if you'd rather not read my pessimistic post, then feel free to skip this one.  

It seemed like everything was going alright until about when school started.  Then everything came crashing down.  Let's see....

1-Junior High messes with Micah (don't ask, long story)

2-Labor Day Plans get ruined

3-Air Conditioner is broken? wiring?

4-Sprinklers are broken

5-the Van has a leak in the oil gasket

6-Depressing Birthday (probably my own fault, I was already depressed)

7-Colonoscopy and Endoscopy

8-Root Canal

9-Lab messes up on Colonoscopy and Endoscopy test results so all for nothing

10-Eye place messed up my glasses with wrong center of focus (#1)

11-Asked for work off, but didn't get it, had to rearrange a whole mess of activities

12-Caleb begins to get picked on in school

13-Eye glass place messed up again on fixing the glasses (#2) this time put lens in backwards

14-Accidentally shoplifted from Target (don't worry, I've paid them back)

15-Doctor says Caleb's left eye has had a dramatic loss of vision

16-Eye glass place messes up even on the 3rd attempt (#3!!!) to fix them

17-Flat tire on the freeway

18-Troy's car gets 2 new tires $$$

19-Van needs new water pump

20-Van needs new oil thingamabob

21-Van needs new bar thingy that handles the struts/shocks?

22-Paid a million $$$ for the above, but van still needs new brakes and tires

23-Dentist visit again to say gums have not improved after laser beam treatment of death

24------

OK, so what will #24 be???

Gee, will it be another million dollar car repair or dentist visit or major medical procedure that won't even matter because the lab totally messes up but we'll still have to pay for it?!  Or will the van tires explode before we can afford to buy new ones?  Or will the brakes give out before then?  Or maybe the glasses place will finally call me to say they've fixed my glasses and yet they still won't be right for the attempt #4?  Oooh, the anticipation to know what will happen next!!!  

OK, sorry, yes we are a little frustrated right now, but as you can see, things have kind of sucked lately!

I will try to be optimistic now.  Even though all these awful things have happened, there has been some good things.  Micah has done well in school, we've gone to some nice recitals and school performances for the kids, Troy managed to fix the sprinklers and air conditioning (at least for now), and the kids had a nice primary program.  Nobody has been deathly ill (knock on wood!).  Really I am trying to be grateful for what I have and really I guess we could have a lot more problems, but I try to think, when is the good going to happen?  Come on now!!!  I remember I did a post similar to this way back when I was pregnant with Macey to prove that bad things didn't happen in 3's like my mom said, but in 10's, but now I think the numbers have just gone too far.  Something has got to be looking up soon, doesn't it?  

Here's to hoping things turn around!

OH, WAIT, THIS JUST IN, AN UPDATE!!

#24---what could it be??

Why, yes, just a day after I post this list of terribleness, today I drive the kids to school and what happens in the school parking lot?  Yep, ANOTHER flat tire!!!  Oh, what joy and luck I have!!!

So there is #24 of suckiness, 

and of course

#25 would have to be that now we have to buy not 2 new tires, but 4 new tires!!!

So yeah.  Bad things come in 25's!!!  Or do they?  I'm sure there will be a 26, 27, 28.....why not?  

What do I say to you bad things?  Huh?  

BRING IT!!!!!

Ok, sorry once again for my wild crazy sort of venting, but seriously, why does my life have to suck so much right now?

Recitals and Concerts and A Few New Blogs

We have had a busy month with many of the kids performing in concerts and recitals!  While we'll touch a little on these events with some pictures, if you'd like to see more, you can click on the links to go to their music blogs.

Caleb had his fall piano recital.  He played March Militaire by Schubert.  While he did well, it was the longest recital we have ever been to lasting over 2 hours long.  True, the performers were all spectacular, but it was just very very very long, especially when you are a little boy who is 2nd to the youngest student and so plays 2nd in a concert of like 16 performers, and with the oldest ones performing songs over 20 minutes long.

I suppose someday it will be Caleb who is playing the forever long songs at the end, but anyway, if you'd like to see more of Caleb's performance, you can see it on his piano blog if you click here.

This year, Micah has started Junior High and auditioned and made it into their Jazz Band.  We have been so proud of him as he is one of only two 7th graders in the whole band and not knowing much about jazz guitar, he has come a long way and been learning a lot.  

The day after Caleb's piano recital, Micah had his debut Jazz Band performance at the Junior High School.  He looked so cute in his little white bow tie with all black.  

He did really well, although we couldn't hear the guitars over all the other instruments.  At times Micah really got into the music and he looked awesome among the other students.  

If you'd like to see more of Micah and his awesome performance as well as updates of his current guitar songs, you can see it all on his musical blog or by clicking here.

Another performance we got to go to this month was Micah's first choir concert for the Junior High School.  He is in an all boy choir of 7th graders this year.  

Now please don't judge me, but really, I don't think many of these boys can sing.  I think a few are pretty tone deaf, and maybe I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it's because many of their voices are changing as to the reason that they all sounded very monitone, but it was actually kind of neat.  Among all these boys who seemed to be droning the same note when the piano was actually playing a melody for them to sing, we could hear our little Micah's voice and we could hear he was singing the actual tune that you should have been hearing.  

Sing louder boy!!!

 I suppose many of these boys had to sign up for this arts credit and they couldn't get into anything else, and maybe it was their first experience with singing, but hopefully they will sound better as the year goes on.

We will hope at least.  I would put a video clip on here, but I don't want you to be so horrified.  

Anyway, we'll have many recitals and concerts to come, but we might not always put them on our family blog.  Remember you can always check out our other blogs, especially the kids.  Caleb and his piano blog, Micah and his musical blog, and don't forget Jewelia has her violin and singing blog.  Plus, there is the kids' dancing blog.

Oh, yeah, and if you're ever bored, or feeling like you'd like to become more educated on Asperger's Syndrome or Tourette's Syndrome, you can check out our other blogs at 

Our Life With Asperger's,

Our Life With Tourette's

and 

Parenting the Gifted Child.

What can we say, we like us some blogs!

Caleb's 9 Year Old Photo Shoot

 

We took Caleb to get his 9 year old pictures yesterday.  I really enjoy how they let you bring your own props, and since Jewelia's pictures turned out so cute with her violin, we decided to bring somethings to show Caleb's personality.

No, we couldn't bring a piano, but we brought some of Caleb's hats, and then a whole bunch of his sheet music.  It was kind of random.  

First we did some normal shots to make sure we got some good pictures of Caleb's nicely styled hair before we smooshed it with hats.

How handsome is he?!

Then we let Caleb wear some of his hats.  

Here he is in his "newsies" hat:

I always think he is cute in his hat, although I don't know if I liked that shot the best.  I wanted to do a few shots with his cute little glasses, but he happened to leave them at school.

Here are some shots with his other hat:

Oh, so cute!  

Then, we had some fun throwing sheet music all over the floor.

I loved this next one:

And here is another:

 Now I think about it, I should have brought a globe or some atlases for a picture since he loves maps so much.  Maybe next time.

Happy Birthday Caleb! 9?!!!!!!

What?!  Caleb turned 9! years old!???

Oh, my little Caleb boy!  How did that happen?  You can't be really 9 years old!  Say it's not so!!!

Well, it's true, this last week Caleb turned 9 years old!  (That also meant Caleb became a bear cub scout!)

We celebrated at home with a small little party.  

This year he asked for a "state of Utah cake".  I figured that would be much easier than the grand piano cake I made last year!  Of course he wanted the interstates, a few cities, and some lakes.  I think I managed OK.

We were pretty sneaky this year and got Caleb some trick birthday candles that would re-light when you blew them out.  Although, when you first light them they kind of have a sparkler effect.  This kind of freaked Caleb out a little bit.

He blew and blew and blew and they kept relighting.  His cousin Katelyn was so happy when she thought he had finally blew them out.  But of course 2 came back again!  Troy finally threw them in a cup of water.

Caleb got a lot of fun gifts and cards.  He was visited by his cousins and aunts and uncle and 2 sets of grandparents.  

His big surprise was a new fun scooter that he could ride!

Happy Birthday Caleb!  

Please don't grow any more or get any older, OK?  At least not for a little while.

The Birthdays (Becca and Troy)

So, it's been awhile since we've last posted.  September was really an ugly month.  Although I usually look forward all year to September as one of my favorite months.  This year it has pretty much sucked.  

Lots of disasters, lots of doctors, medical procedures, and ugliness with new schools and such with the kids,   and when it came time for my and Troy's birthdays, there wasn't much happiness there.  

My birthday was OK.  (Well, my dad did come over and took me out to lunch and that was really nice, thanks, Dad.)  I wasn't planning much, I was having a very long day and just wanted to come home and eat and go to bed and yet Troy decided to throw me some type of a surprise party of a small group of people hovering in the dark in my doorway when I got home.  Hence to say I really wasn't prepared and plus being the fact that I have never ever ever wanted to have a surprise party because I think they are awkward and just not for me, I suppose my reaction wasn't very great and I probably didn't look appreciative.  Although I do appreciate the effort Troy made and it was nice of the people to come.  

Troy only got to spend a half hour with me before he had to go back to work for the rest of the night.  Kind of depressing.  It got better later though.  I try to think of my birthday being the day after my birthday so I could start all over.  

I had seen this large bench on a neighbors house and thought it was the greatest thing in the world.  There was a lady in my neighborhood who years ago bought like 60 old church benches from a church they were remodeling or something, and anyway, she had one left and I hoped for it for my birthday.  It would be perfect to fit all of our family on the front porch.  

I dropped some hints to Troy.  I dropped obvious hints.  OK, no, I said, Troy, I want this bench for my birthday.  Yes.  This one here.  And yet, Troy still forgot until the day after my birthday.  (Gotta love him still!)  But anyway, in the end I got my oh so wonderful giant bench.  

I decided to paint it white to match the accents of our house, so right away I got some paint and started painting away!

I painted and painted, even into the dark night hours.  I was so excited!

I got it all white and soon hoped to add some vinyl lettering on it.   

I got some other fun presents.  I got some fun hats.

I got some nice cards and cookies, and a really cool balloon. 

I guess it was just a day in the middle of a really lousy week.  Or maybe it's just because I was hitting the big 35 and that depressed me some.  Who knows.  I'll try to be better next year.

Troy's birthday was OK for him I hope.  The poor guy has just been working way too long and many hours lately and it's been crazy.  Even on his birthday he worked until very late.  We did get a chance to take him to lunch and he had his traditional birthday brownies.

Troy got to fix up the computer for his birthday so now maybe it won't crash so much.

Oh, and if you're wondering about the top picture---that was Troy's birthday breakfast for dinner.  Blah, ketchup on scrambled eggs.  That is just not right.  

Anyway, we are all old now.  Yep.  OLD.  It all goes downhill from here.