Costco Rumors

My trips to Costco cause me great anxiety.

Not for the reasons you may think. I can usually get in and out of Costco in less than 30 minutes. I know exactly what I am going to buy. And I can take all three kids without a problem, because it is generally the only store they will behave in. Plus they usually get to taste all kinds of free samples.

Costco causes me anxiety because I almost always leave with only 10 or 12 items, but end up spending close to $200 that I don't have.

I like the idea of Costco and I like everything at Costco, but I don't know if I can justify it. I just want to know which things really are worth buying there, or if I should just not bother renewing my membership in January.

I started looking online to see if anyone had some answers. This lady had some very specific ideas, but I don't buy any of that stuff anyway.

Do any of you have advice for me?

3 1/2 years old

This is Ashby. He is 3 and half years old.

Most of the time I forget he is 3 years old. He is so articulate and he often speaks in a very low voice that is not like that of a preschooler. He learns things so quickly and just follows Paige's lead. He is also very capable - always doing things for himself.

Yes, most of the time I forget Ashby is only 3 years old - that is, until he starts to cry. Then I remember all too well.

Family Pictures

Hair

I'm trying to grow out my hair. I don't know why - I always feel so much happier with short hair. Nonetheless, I thought I'd give it another try. I've actually made it a lot further than I have in the past. Its this dumb in-between stage that gets me. Too short to pull back or really do anything with it, but too long to look cute. Ugh!

My hair is really thick. Six hours after I shower, it is still wet. I hate blow-drying it though, because it takes 20 minutes and by then I am sweating. I've also given up on having it styled whenever I go to the salon because the hairdressers all complain about how long it takes to dry. I feel like there is a big football helmet on my head right now.

I was growing it out because I wanted long hair for the fancy UVU Scholarship ball that Brian has gotten to take me to for the past 6 years. But for some reason we didn't get invited this year. :( So now I have somewhat long hair and I want to cut it, but I don't feel like I can because I just made our Christmas cards with new family pics and I can't have different hair before they are even sent out, right?

Maybe if I can just get it thinned out, I will be able to survive the remainder of this awkward stage. But then if I see all the scissors waiting on the counter I may just have to chop it off.

Rumor is I play the organ

I played the organ in church yesterday. It was my first time.

It was just a prelude number, "Teach me to Walk". I'm glad it was an easy one, because I was pretty nervous.

Over the last couple of months I was involved in an organ workshop in our ward. The real ward organist taught a handful of people the basics of playing the organ. It was a good course, and really low-key.

I've been taking Ashby and Levi with me to practice at the church while Paige is in school. It worked out okay, until Levi discovered all the amazing buttons he could push.

So everyone in the class is supposed to play a prelude number some time. I decided to lead the way, hopefully the others will follow.

I'm also proud to say I didn't even mess up (well, one note, for a split second).

I Dreamed a Dream

I've found that whenever I'm stressed or worn out or if I'm the one in need of a time-out, I can find rejuvenation at the piano. I wish I would remember this stress-reliever sooner, but eventually I find my way there. It's usually around dinner time. All the kids are awake - so I can sing and play loudly without worrying about waking someone up - dinner is in the oven, and I have had enough of the constant whining and tugging on my arm.

I sit down and pull out what little music I have. I usually end up singing the one song I feel like I play well and can sing at the same time - I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. I think I need to learn a new song... It doesn't feel right (in those circumstances) to be singing "I had a dream my life would be, so different from this life (well you know that isn't really the word, but my mom would always make us change it) I'm living".

Right about then Brian walks in the door and everything is instantly better.

A Dragon, a Knight and a Princess

We had a couple chances to dress up for Halloween this year.

Paige got to wear her princess costume to school for the Halloween parade but then she threw up all over it, for some reason. Yuck! She marched in the parade in her leggings and Ashby's shirt (luckily he was wearing two that day).

Trick-or-treating was cold and rainy so we pretty much just wore jackets over everything which meant we didn't bother with all the accessories.

The ward party was really the only time we did it right. Here are some pictures:



Dragon Levi and Princess Paige



Sir Ashby to the rescue



Ashby, Paige and Levi together.



Paige's Hero.



Eating donuts at the Ward Halloween party.

Rumor is Paige is cute

Ashby was whining about something.

Paige put her arm around him and said, "Don't worry Ashby, I know how you feel."

I started laughing and said, "Paige, you're cute."

Paige replied, "I know. That's just the way how I was born."

Rumor is its Election Day

I laugh when I think I wanted to be a political science major.

In eighth grade we watched "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington", and I knew I wanted that to be me.

Its funny because I know absolutely nothing about politics.

I voted today, but that doesn't really mean anything. I had no idea what or who to vote for. I felt like I was taking a test and I didn't know the right answers. I wished someone would just tell me the right answers.

One of these days my goal is to be an informed voter. For now I just hope I didn't do more harm than good with my little vote.