So much to do...

We are still alive! This past week we were house hunting in Arizona. The trip was pretty productive and I think we'll do well with the apartment we picked. It had everything we really needed except for the washer/dryer hookups. Sacrifices must be made apparently and I can live anywhere for a year. The worst part was that I locked our keys in the car and had to pay a locksmith $150 to free them. Perhaps, I could have called the police, but I panicked and called the first people in the phonebook. Our moving date is set for July 24th which will be here before we know it.

Ash did fantastic with all of the driving. He had such a good time following his cousins around their house. I can't believe his birthday is this week! Our big, little boy.

Guess Who?

Tonight we were helping my brother, Elijah, with his final project for English.  It was an autobiography and we were importing pictures and I was shocked to see how much Ash resembles his uncle. Normally that wouldn't be weird, but Ash and Lij share no DNA.  They even have the same cute ears!  

Big Ben

This, is my fourteen year-old brother, Ben. I've been meaning to write this post for awhile but just haven't been able to find a picture that I really wanted to use. Ben is almost 6' 4" so the camera angle is almost like a live shot of him towering over me. Hanging out with Ben is a joy lately. He's just such a funny guy. Last week I sat in a sweltering music store while he talked shop about saxophones for thirty minutes! This is one of my favorites from him lately. If I could figure out how to change my format to a three column I'd dedicate a section to him.

My brother is a pretty wise kid. We were talking a few weeks ago about his audition for Beauty and the Beast. I thought he would be gunning for a lead and when I asked what part he wanted Ben replied, " I just want to be in the ensemble. There need to be good people there too." Obviously, I'm not used to hearing things like that. I mean, who doesn't want to be the star?! Then I just thought how awesome it was that my brother was willing, and eager, to be in a supporting role. Although he will probably only be noticed by family and friends, he wants to do what he can to make the show a success. Good for him, I should try to model that behavior.

Update

So, our garbage pail has been returned. Apparently the lawn guys decided they needed to use it for a bit. How weird is that? I assume is was used to hold dirt since there is quite a bit covering the pail. If I knew how to embed music in my post I'd put Ghetto Gospel by Elton John and Eminem.

High Crime Area

As if I needed more proof that I lived in a seedy area. The garbage pail we keep dirty diapers in was stolen from our porch! Who would want that? I know it had diapers in it which makes even more disgusting to me.

Just Keepin' It Real

If I drank, this week would be the week I would be plastered. But since I don't drink, I have been drinking diet coke (my drug of choice) and probably will get another one today. It has been a pretty stressful week.

Trine & I are getting more stressed by the day about how to make the transition to Arizona. We are stressed/confused/frustrated about how we are going to do the job thing. Should Trine be applying for full time work or part time? Should we sacrifice a nicer apartment that has a washer & dryer hookup in a nicer area for a cheaper apartment w/coin up laundry & cheaper utilities? Should we continue to work opposite shifts? When should we even move? And what to do with Asher if we have to work? Where are we going to find the time & money to even relocate? Oh, the stress...

On top of the above mentioned stress, Asher is teething on his stubborn top teeth (they are so swollen & have been that way for a few weeks) which causes him to just whine a lot. It's understandable, and he is just too cute to stay upset at him very long because of it...if he was an ugly baby maybe not the case ;)  

The kids at my work have been such a pain this past week. Every single one of my kids have been placed in "process time" (like detention for the bad kids) by me because of the lack of caring, the crying, the whining, the fighting, the not taking responsibility for their own problems, and constant bickering. The kids have been driving me batty. I am counting down the days I have left before I switch to the weekend grave shift just so I don't have to deal with the little brats (I really don't hate them, I'm just burnt out).

So, hook me up to an I-V with diet coke flowing into my veins and let the stress pass through my system. I am off until the weekend from work, hopefully the kids decide to pull their heads out and are pleasant...

What the What?!

Why is it snowing?! I know it's Utah and that, inevitably, it will freakishly snow until June. That knowledge doesn't make it any less frustrating.

What is wrong with my son that he CAN NOT shake this ear infection? Does it make me a bad mom to hope that he'll just get two more before we move so he can get tubes put in while we have great insurance? The poor kid just cries all night which isn't a happy experience for anyone involved. Monday night I just brought him into my bed (which is such a no no!). Aaron doesn't do well with the baby at night but he tries to deal with it in his sleep. So at three a.m. Ash is crying and Aaron sits up, tells him to be quiet, and then tries to cover him with a blanket repeatedly to make him disappear! All in his sleep. He calls it turrets. Ash just looked at him like, what are you doing to me you crazy person.