Whew better catch up!

Time gets away from me so dang fast!!

So a lot has happened since my last post so quick recap:

August:  Everybody went to school!  Ethan is in 5th grade at the brand new Technology Magnet School! (Go Techno Dogs!) His teacher is our friend Allen Leonard and we love that!  I remember being at NAU with Al and thinking "I cannot picture Al as a teacher!" But holy moly he is truly amazing at his job!  Ethan has also started playing the trumpet this year and he is actually pretty great at it and even better than that he LOVES it!  Emma is a big ol second grader this year.  She is at Jefferson School with Mrs. Mitchell.  Emma loves her and her class and her favorite thing is going to GATE. The Twinners started Kindergarten this year.  They love everything about school and especially their teacher Mrs. Sutphen.  They are also following in the tradition of being just way too smart for themselves like their brother and sister before them.  I started school again too.  I took a Chemistry class and a Psychology class this semester.  I am working on all of my prerequisites for the Nursing program at NPC.

September: I RAN THE DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON!!!  Yeah, I actually made it and I loved it and am planning on another!  My parents were so amazing and they took the kiddos for the weekend and Greg, Michelle and I went to Anaheim for the race weekend.  Longer post about this to come...

October:  We moved offices!  The time finally came to shut down Patton and Green and open The Law Office Of Gregory D. Green, PLLC.  We moved into an actual office complex and we love it!  It is exciting and we think it will be a great thing for our family.

November:  Thanksgiving was great.  I love time spent with family, we missed those who couldn't come but enjoyed those we were able to spend it with.  The Twinners also turned 6!  They are so big and so sweet and I love them every single day!  The best present of the day: Boots!!

December:  So far has been a fun packed month!  Emma Jo was baptized! Beautiful day and wonderful time with family and friends; longer post to come... Got to go visit Greg's family before Christmas and had an awesome few days with them.  Came home to a beautiful Christmas Day.  Wonderful musical numbers and my parents were the speakers (I always enjoy when they speak).  Hated spending it wthout my brothers and their families but somethings can't be helped.  Attended the beautiful blessing of my brand new baby nephew Dylan Adair DeWitt and I couldn't be more in love with him!!  Spent an entire day with 2 of our very favorite people: THE NEENI CAME HOME!!! Well for the day anyway... We love them and miss them all the time and were so happy to have a normal day playing games and laughing and talking with them.  Today we will head to Safford to meet our two brand new nephews!  Kelly and Kevin are adopting two amazing boys tomorrow and then we will all head to the Gila Valley Temple to witness their sealing.  What a blessed December!

So there ya go, all caught up again and hoping to do a much better job from here on out!  Happy New Year to you all!

Changing Perspectives

I saw this: Why I'm Raising My Son To Be A Nerd, on Facebook this morning and it got me thinking about a conversation Greg and I had the other day.  You see I have been doing this for a while.  I wish I could say that I recognized the importance of playing up my son's intelligence over his athleticism on my own but I was kinda forced into it.  You see boys with asperger's are often a bit, well, uncoordinated.  I had my baby boy and bought him cute little baseball outfits and tiny toy gloves and soccer balls and thought about how fun it will be to sit at his high school football and basketball games, to watch him at little league as he learns to be the little all star my brothers and husband were.

Then we put him into soccer.

My poor son hated it!  He cried on the field, sat and played with dirt, ate the dandelions, threw screaming tantrums, HATED it.  I thought "ok well, soccer isn't his game, besides he is barely 5 lots of kids his age aren't into the sports yet."

So we put him in t-ball.

Slightly better but he couldn't get the basics down.  He couldn't swing the bat hard, (sometimes his swing was barely one handed), couldn't run, the sun in his eyes made him simply walk off the field because he didn't like being out there.  Doesn't look like we need to worry about all-stars.

Ethan tends to not like anything he isn't instantly good at so sports have kind of fallen on the wayside.  And to tell you the truth as I have gotten to know my son, I don't even mind.

Ethan is amazing.  He is so incredibly brilliant.  I laugh every time we tell another therapist, psychologist, teacher, principal, etc., that he is REALLY smart and they look at me with that "yeah-every-parent-thinks-their-kid-is-super-smart" look and then, after meeting with Ethan they try to convince me that I don't get how truly intelligent he really is.

He gets things so completely so quickly and so easily.  I love that his teachers have been able to use him as kind of a teacher science project: "How much can I throw at this kid before it is finally over his head?"  At one point in kindergarten he decided to memorize all of the bones of the body... because the anatomy book was interesting to him.  (Not so fun when he explained the anatomical reasons why his 3 year old sister was not capable of becoming a mother yet... :S )

He can tell you the entire history of the Apple corporation.  When each product was introduced, how long it was sold for, how much it was sold for.  Was it a success or a failure?  What did the new version change from the old one?  How was it developed?  Who worked on it?  If you have ever wondered any of these things, Ethan has your answer.

The other day I came in and Ethan was on the Mac and hurried and slammed it shut when I walked up.  As a mother of a little boy in this day and age I was immediately concerned what youtube was introducing my baby to.  I opened the Mac and found that my then 9 year old was comparing and contrasting the computer engineering and programming programs at U of A and BYU.  Yep, planning college...  He not only loves the Apple corporation but is constantly planning the ways that he will some day take them over and buy them out with his even better programs and hardware.  Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, watch your backs because Ethan is coming for ya!

I have learned to cheer him on in this arena.  He shines here.  He is an all-star all the way.  He is going to be so successful and amazing that if he decides one day that he is interested in baseball, or soccer, or basketball, or football or whatever the sport may be, he can just buy the team he likes.


Am I still gonna sit on the sidelines and watch him as he swims, or runs, or jumps, or throws, or kicks, his little heart out and cheer until I am hoarse?  You'd better believe it!  Am I going to be disappointed if he decides that world isn't for him?  Heck no, because my kid is amazing in all of the best ways already!  So I agree with the article I linked to above, we need more nerds.  We need people to run this world and make it easier and better for us,  and the nerds of the world are the ones with the true power to do it.

I have something to say!

I think we have too much access to public forums.  We are way too able to express our thoughts and opinions for everyone to read, comment on and either hate or defend.  The irony that I am using my own personal public forum to express this opinion is not lost on me.

But here is something I have to get off my chest:

Last night some U.S. Navy Seals flew into Pakistan on a helicopter to take out the mass murderer and terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden.  The helicopter they flew in on malfunctioned outside of the compound and they were forced to land.  They tried to figure out the problem with the helicopter unsuccessfully.  They chose to continue with the mission knowing that there was a chance they would be unable to leave due to the faulty helicopter.  They stormed the compound and killed this evil man and took custody of his body.  After confirmation was made that it was, in fact, the man responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands and all of the necessary documentation was created, he was buried at sea as soon as possible according to his muslim tradition that burial be done as swiftly as possible.

Yep that happened, and while I don't wish for someone else to suffer or die I am unbelievably grateful that an evil destructive cancer has been removed from this world, making life a little bit safer for all of the other inhabitants of the earth.

What disturbs me is all of the blog posts, Twitter feeds, Facebook status updates, Facebook comments, Twitter responses, blog comments, etc., that have villianized our U.S. military and the methods used to eradicate this very real and dangerous threat.  Think that Obama took too much credit? Not enough credit?  Think he thanked the troops enough?  Not enough thanks?  Believe that this has become a political posturing platform?  Believe that it has nothing to do with upcoming elections?  I really don't care!!  But I have seen literally dozens of posts and comments calling our military men and women "barbaric," "heartless," and even flat out "evil!"  These men and women and their families sacrifice so much to defend our liberties and offer those liberties to those who might want them, let's not take away their dignity as well.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.

The Plan

I have had quite a few people ask me if I have a training plan for the Disneyland Half Marathon that I am running in September. So I thought I'd post it here. I use the one that Disney put out but I am tweaking it just a little... I can't do the run 10 seconds walk 50 seconds thing. I basically run until I have to walk, walk for about a minute and then start running again.


So far I have gotten to where I can run for three miles without stopping to take walk. I have loved all of the little changes running has brought to me. The extra energy, the sense of accomplishment, more patience, the looser jeans... I really am blessed to have a body that is healthy and strong enough to let me try this and enjoy it too.

Still going!

Another run tonight!  I am so getting into this running thing.


The 19th of April is my official start date for the 20 week training program for the Disneyland Half Marathon.  I am considering quitting pop or at least seriously cutting back while I am training.


I usually prefer to read Kindle books on the iPad while I run but sometimes that isn't possible so I am also working on a new playlist for running to.  Anyone have any suggestions?  What kind of music helps pace you?  What gets you fired up?  What helps you keep going?


Thanks for your suggestions! :)

OUCH!!!

VS.

My poor Emma had a terrible battle the other night and she lost.  It was Emma vs. The Pinewood Derby Car.  She was playing with Ethan's car running through the house and she tripped smacking the thin edge of the wedge right into her throat and chin.  It swelled up huge and hurt like crazy... I didn't get a pic of the worst swelling but you can imagine something a little like this:

Ok that may be a slight exaggeration, but only slight!

Well today the swelling has started going down but the bruising has started coming out and she looks like a prize fighter.  My Emma is one tough girl and I might mention that she is pretty dang gorgeous to look that pretty even with a bruised and swollen jaw...

Stupid Smart Bryn!!

Well I haven't wanted to admit it but our super awesome friends the Neeni are moving... all the way across the country...  You see my friend Bryn is a smartie.  She applied to grad school at Georgetown University and was accepted, so off they flit, tra la la la la, all the way to Washington DC.

While it sucks for me and I will miss her and Jason like crazy (not to mention the fact that my twins who are in Bryn's primary class might never recover) I am really happy for and proud of her.  It is an amazing opportunity and quite an honor as well for her.  So in the spirit of being happy for Bryn I did a Google search for The Top Ten Things about Georgetown University.  Here is what I got:

Best Things

1. International students and teachers
2. Washington, DC
3. Awesome speakers and presenters on campus
4. Cherry Tree season
5. The Exorcist stairs
6. Free movies on the weekend
7. Balance of academic and social life
8. Hanging out on the lawns
9. School spirit
10. Hoya basketball

Happy Students

96% of students return after their first year.

Commitment to Teaching

There are 10 students for every member of faculty on campus.

Proven Success

93% of students will complete their education and graduate with a degree.

Big Dorms

91% of students surveyed felt that dorms were more spacious than average.

Campus Pride

50% of students surveyed love everything about the school and have a
lot of campus pride.

Highly Satisfied Students

100% of students surveyed would make the same school choice if they
could do it all over again.

Help Finding a Job or Internship

80% of students surveyed said that the career center is very helpful and provide
services to students beyond help landing a job.

Strong Alumni Network

50% of students surveyed say the alumni network is very strong and involved
in activities on campus.

Vibrant Social Scene

60% of students surveyed agreed that there lots of popular activities around
camps every day.

Genders equally represented

A male to female ratio of 749/822 means there's a pretty even balance of
students on campus.

Learn from the best

89% of faculty have earned the highest degree in their field.

Help to succeed

The school has academic and career counseling available to help
you when you need it.

Get AP Credit

If you took AP classes in high school you might be able to get
college credit for them.

Work part-time during school

Employment services are available for students.

Help getting hired

Placement services are available to graduates.

Extremely diverse

One of the most racially diverse campuses, 45% of students are minorities

So there it is.  All of the best things about Georgetown.  And to quote a wise man, "huh, well, I guess that's fun." ;)

Congrats, Stupid Smart Bryn! :)

Pine Wood Derby Time!

We had the pinewood derby again and Ethan did awesome!  He went with the wedge style again and it was a super fast car that took him through four rounds of competition!

Special thanks to our crack team of engineers who stayed up late helping him finish the car for FHE: Lacy, Jake, Tom, Tayna, Bryn, Jason, Michelle, Mom, Dad, Emma, Rory, and Bailey.  It was truly a team effort and we can all be proud!

But what made me the most proud was the amazing grace and sportsmanship Ethan showed, win or lose.  I am so proud of my son!

I think this face says it all! :) 

My super amazing new laundry robot!

Well maybe it is just a washing machine, but it seems like an amazing robot! We have always been plagued by laundry around here. I am talking like a giant pile in the laundry room that tries to eat me when I open the door.

Around a year+ ago my "expensive, top of the line, never need another one" GE frontloader just flat quit working. Lame. But to my rescue came my wonderful friend Teresa. Teresa had had a similar problem that week in her house, her dryer had given up the ghost. She sent me a message that they had decided to buy a new set and that if I would come and get it, I could have her fully functioning washer! She is amazing!

Well, we used that poor thing into the ground! (Teresa and I both tried to clean those years of stuck on laundry soap but no luck, anyone have a tip for that?) For the last few months we have only been able to fill the washer 1/3 of the way with clothes or the poor tired agitator wouldn't/ couldn't spin. So I started the search on craigslist, ebay, freecycle, etc., etc., and couldn't find anything that looked functional in my very very low price range. On a whim we decided to go see what they had at the Furniture Bowl here in town. Long story (slightly) short(er) he made us an offer we couldn't refuse! I am now the proud owner of this beautiful thing:

It is enormous! I can literally fit two completely full laundry baskets (the big full size ones) into one load! I have at least one friend (no names Chelle) who wouldn't be able to reach the clothes at the bottom of the tub it is so deep! We have finally conquered the mountain of laundry! I <3 my new washer!

They are always watching!!

So, the other day Ethan was telling us about a friend of his who "has some friends who are game testing the new Halo game." We played along and said, "wow that is cool, how did Brodee meet them?" to which Ethan responded:

"I don't know, I don't know his life..." :D

I need this!!

It is Silhouette giveaway season again and I so want to win! Go here REMODELAHOLIC and check it out!

On your marks, get set, HELP!!!

So I did it. I am excited and terrified at the same time. I REGISTERED TO RUN THE DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON!!

I know some of what I was thinking and I want to write it down so that I can remember this process. I love Before and Afters so this is going to be my own personal "Before."

Before: I have never been an athlete. I played little league softball and my coach told me not to swing because they would most likely walk me and that was best. I always wanted to be good at sports but I was afraid to really try because I would look even more stupid when I failed if I was giving it my all. I love to play volleyball but opted to be the manager instead of try out for the team because I wasn't one of the sports girls and I would just look like an idiot. I lettered all 4 years in track by throwing the discus. I wasn't big enough to really be good at it but not many other girls did it so I could always qualify on our team and go on the away meets.

Do you see a pattern here?

Every day at track practice we would begin with a warm up lap around the track and everyday it would almost kill me! One lap. A quarter mile. And I would finish with a stitch in my side and totally out of breath. Everyday. So yeah running was NOT my thing.

Fast forward to now: last October Greg and I signed up for the gym, and then didn't go... Typical right? Our friends the Neeni talked to us about the gym and we had set them up with guest passes when we had signed up so we decided to go try it out together.

I started on the treadmill and was just going to walk. But the speed was faster than was comfortable to walk and something in my body told me it would be easier to run than to walk that fast so I tried it. And it was easier. And it felt good. So I decided to keep trying it. And it kept feeling good.

The first time that I ran a mile without stopping I was ecstatic! That is 4 times the track warm up lap that almost killed me! And I was comfortable running it; I wasn't out of breath, I could still talk while I ran, no stitch in my side... It was actually kind of easy. We had developed a plan with the Neeni to go every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday so I kept running. And I kept improving: 1.25, then 1.5, then 1.85 and I so wanted to break through the two mile mark without stopping but no luck.

I talked to my older brother who is a great runner and told him of my frustration trying to break the two mile mark. He gave me some great encouragement and advice and I felt like I could keep trying. The next time I ran I had committed to passing 2 miles mo stopping. I just kept thinking about how I wanted to be able to tell Brian I had done it. I made it to 1.75 miles and felt like my legs wouldn't go any farther. My breathing was great but my legs were wobbly. And then a car pulled up in front of the gym. It was a silver HHR, the same kind of car my brother Brian had been driving every time he came to visit while he was stationed in Tucson. I took it as a sign and kept going. That day I made it 2.1 miles without stopping and I felt awesome! I wasn't sore, out of breath, or even very weak in the legs. I did it and it was kind of easy... Over 8 times the dreaded warm up lap!! This is the beginning of a new thing for me and I don't want to stop.

A few years ago some friends of mine did their very first half marathon and we got to go down and cheer them on. It was amazing! I was so impressed by and jealous of them! I wanted to be able to do that but I knew that I never would be able to, I mean, REMEMBER the warm up laps? But now I realize that a lot (if not all) of my athletic ineptitude has come from my own mind. So I have decided to do it. I AM going to run a half marathon. You know how I know? Because I ran 2.1 miles no stopping and, for all that I believed I could, it might as well have been 20.1 miles. I SO can do this!

Watch this...

Wow is it already 2011?!

So this year I want to do better about something, well several things, ok, a LOT of things but I want to narrow it down to just a few to make this self improvement thing manageable...  How many of you have already made "New Year's Resolutions"?  I'm sure most of you have, and I have meant to but there have just been so many things to get done... which brings me to number 1:

Stop Procrastinating: I have always been a procrastinator.  I like to claim that I do my best work under pressure (which I do) but a lot of the time it is really just that I haven't gotten to it yet.  So how do I go about this?  It is one thing to say I am going to stop procrastinating and an entirely different thing to make a plan and then put that plan in place.

I have heard a lot of ideas as to how to start.  "Make a to do list" (tried it, I even have TWO apps for that...  :S ), "keep a calendar" (I have one on my phone, computer, AND iPad), etc.  I think my biggest stumbling block is feeling overwhelmed and so I don't WANT to start.

So I plan to start by breaking my to do list into teeny tiny parts so that I get to cross things off more often and feel like I am making actual progress.  For example instead of entering "clean the kitchen" I will enter "empty dishwasher," "load dishwasher," "wipe down counters," well you get the drift, you know how to clean a kitchen... :)  So I will see how it goes and I will report back here.  I will start with my resolutions: I am going to do a series of posts here talking about each resolution one at a time and hopefully I get some good advice from all of you out there.  Maybe doing them one at a time won't be as hard as looking at a giant list. :)

But what do you guys think?  Have you ever had a problem with procrastination?  Did you overcome it?  How did you do it?  Or if you don't have the problem, what is your system?