What I Want My Children to Know

These are some non-religious things that I want my children to learn.

1. How to Take Life Slow.
     These days our lives our really fast paced. People own multiple cars, computers, cell phones, credit cards, video games, etc. People want instant gratification because it's possible and they've had it their whole lives. People are more lazy because of it I believe. Back in the 1940's my great granddaddy walked two miles, both ways to American Fork High School every day. In order to talk to someone, you talked face to face, or called them up on the telephone. You heard their voice. Life was more personable.
     I want my children to know how to work for the things that they want. I want them to know how to just sit back on the porch, watch the wind blow and talk about nothin. I want them to enjoy life. I don't want them to miss it because they're moving so fast all the time. You gotta know how to take walks and go fishing and visit grandma after school because you ain't got nothin better to do. I think that's so important. I think people forget to enjoy where they are at the moment, because they're too busy worrying about what's going to happen next. Wherever you are, be there. One of my pet peeves is when someone pulls out their phone and starts texting someone while they're with you. I think whoever you're with, no matter who they are, deserves your full attention. It stinks when you're trying to talk to someone, and you realize they're only half listening to you because they're too busy texting someone else. That shows lack of social skill and grace.

2. Be Kind, Care About Others
     In english our teacher told us this story about a little boy who went on a walk with his mom. A man they knew started walking toward them and the mom stopped and began talking to him. The boy who thought the man wasn't worth his attention walked on and started playing with a stick down the street. After the man left the mother walked up to her son, crouched down, looked him square in the eye and said - "Boy, let that be the last time you ever walk past someone without saying hello."
     It's like those times when you're walking down the hallway, and there's only one other person walking toward you, and it gets all awkward because you don't know what you're going to do when you get close to them. Then right as you walk past each other someone pulls out their cell phone and the other person looks the other way. That's so lame! I mean just say hello! Or smile! I mean what's the worst that could happen? It's not like they're going to beat you up for smiling.
     The most important person is always the other person. I want to teach my children to really learn how to listen to people. They need to know that the person who matters most is whoever they are with. Know how to ask questions, know how to be genuinely interested in what the other person has to say. Make the other person feel like a million bucks!
     Be kind, don't criticize others, don't gossip. Say hello to who you sit by in class. Include others. Pay attention to those who need someone to talk to. Respect others. Respect their elders.

3. Work Hard
     I want my kids to know how to work. Work for the things that they want. Work before they play. But not too much though. I'm not going to just hand them everything. They need to know how to do stuff for themselves. Make their own decisions. I'm not going to be one of those over-protective moms either. It's alright to screw up and make mistakes, that's how you learn.
     I want to teach them life skills too, like how to fix cars, and use a hammer. How to sew and cook and clean. How to garden, how to take care of an animal.

4. Hobbies/Have Fun
     I want them to find something that they love and to go out and do those things. The most interesting people are people who are interested in doing things. People who can do things. It's never fun when you ask someone what they like to do and all they say is "I don't know." I don't want them sitting on the couch all day watching TV. I want them to play sports, do crafts, bake cookies, paint, hunt, play an instrument - whatever! I just want them to get out and do stuff.
    But it's also important to know how to just chill and have fun. Sometimes it's alright to just do nothing. Sometimes that is the best thing to do! You have to know how to relax.

Maybe I'm kind of old fashioned, but those are some things that I think are really important.

October Sky, made me cry. That's not a lie. I'd like to eat an apple pie.

We watched the movie "October Sky" today in physics. I'm kind of a cheeseball, and so I'm not ashamed to admit that I started to get a little choked up at the end when Homer's dad showed up to his last rocket launch, and his teacher who believed in him the whole time was lying in some hospital bed dying... and then looked out her window and saw the rocket go up into the sky.

Holy cow. That was a dang good movie. It made me want to go out and pursue my dreams or something! I don't really even have any big dreams... I don't even care though! I'm going to find some and go realize them! I feel so inspired.

Normally I only cry while watching chick flicks at the sticky shoe. But this movie was just so good.



The D-Land

I'm going to Disneyland.

With my best friend.

I'm way excited.

I have a confession to make. In the ninth grade, I bought a Disneyland castle music box/snow globe. Each night I would turn the lever, and as "when you wish upon a star" played I would climb into my bed and whisper "Goodnight Mickey, goodnight Walt" into the air. I am a dork. I don't wish Mickey and Walt goodnight anymore, but I still do love the D-land.

While we're on confessions I watched the Justin Beiber movie. I got to give the little guy props. He's got some serious talent.

Also while we're confessing - I want to buy a matching two piece sweat suit. You know, the sweat shirt, and sweat pants. One solid color baby. One time I tried to get Shelby to buy matching sweat suits with me, then we could walk around in them and we would be awesome. And we would match. But no.

So ya, Disneyland is great. Nothing is better than eagerly running through the gate, and then walking down Main Street. Taking in the smell of pickles and street cars, and then you see the castle in the distance, and you just know it's going to be a wonderful day.

My favorite ride is the Haunted Mansion, don't ask why because I have no idea. As I child I loathed it. When I was four I was crying because I REALLY didn't want to go on it. So my dad told me he'd go take me to buy an ice cream and I stopped crying. They tricked me!!! I didn't get no ice cream cone! I got forced right onto the ride! What injustice, what cruelty!! It's ok now though because it's my favorite ride. Closely followed by Splash Mountain.

I periodically have dreams that I'm at Disneyland and that I'm trying to get to Indiana Jones but for some reason no matter how hard I try I never get to ride the ride! It's so frustrating. I hate those dreams. Some people have dreams where they go to school in their underwear, I just have dreams that I can never get to Indiana Jones. UGH!!!!

Oh dear sweet Disneyland.

17 more days!

The first day there I am going straight to Carnation Cafe and eating Mickey Mouse pancakes!!
AHAHAHAHAHHAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAPPPP!!!!! I'm SOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! YEAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Mamma Mia Let Me Go

Everyone's favorite childhood band was Queen. Maybe I'm over generalizing a bit.

But admit it. You know all the words to Bohemian Rhapsody.

Don't you?

Well at least those of us whose dads listened to classic rock anyway.

I realized this today in English class as Mrs. Alder played that song and instructed us all to "quietly listen" to it. I can tell ya a whole heck of a lot more than just listening was going on. The kids in the back row were all playing air guitar, some other guy was banging his head like a wild man. At least fifty percent of the class was mouthing the words. Some of us were even doing all three!

Mamma mia mamma mia. MAMMA MIA LET ME GO!!

Let me

           go
                oooooooooooooooooooo
                        ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
                                             oooooooooooooooooo

I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me.

Here are some of the classic rock greats:

Led Zeppelin (Legend has it that Daniel Bradford's dad once snuck into a Led Zeppelin concert through the girl's bathroom window. He got right up next to the stage and got hit in the head with Jimmy Paige's guitar. What I wouldn't give for that to be me. What I wouldn't give.) Rolling Stones, The Who, Beatles, Pink Floyd, CCR, Elvis, Jimi, Buddy Holly...


Get this. My grandma saw Elvis AND the Beatles, IN CONCERT. The same year. Holy crap. I mean for real?!? She saw probably the most influential musicians in popular music history... live. In person. wow. Granted, I did see Sir Paul McCartney in concert last summer, but that's only one Beatle. Not that I'm complaining because I'm definitely not. But it's just a whole 'nother thing to see the whole band. Not to mention Elvis Presley, who died before I was even thought of. I'm drooling.

Babe.

I saw Sir Paul from the nosebleeds, baby! That's probably closer than you'll ever be so ha!

Here, here to classic rock!

Today

Thoughts that have run through my head today.

My biggest dream is to be picked up on a motorcycle. Not some lame poser bullet bike either, I'm talkin a real HOG. Harley Davidson baby. In fact my absolute dream honeymoon would be to ride on the back of my husband's harley across Route 66, stopping at aluminum-double-wide-trailers turned delicious diners. OH MY HECK!!! On saturday I saw a MOTORCYLE WITH A SIDECAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even know those things still existed. I cannot even tell you the excitement that ensued after I drove past that wonderful, glorious, motorcycle-sidecar attachment. I felt so envious of the passengers. If only. If only. Also one of my best friends recently obtained a nice guy friend who happens to have a motorcycle. Ya, she gets to ride on the back of it to gas stations at lunch time. Jealousy. I have yet to ride on the back of a motorcycle. The closest I've come is riding on the back of Christian Sager's bright yellow scooter. That hardly counts. No offense Christian but your bright yellow scooter isn't exactly what I'd call tough. In fact when you wear your yellow shirt AND yellow shoes while you drive it, it makes it even less tough and more nerdy. But that's why I love you, because you wear all yellow outfits while driving a yellow scooter.

Last summer I attempted to build a sidecar for my bicycle. I went to Home Depot and bought plywood. I also jacked the wheels off of a little red wagon. I spent approximently 30 minutes on it before giving up and going to a dance party. They're more complicated than you would think. Obviously you need more than a few boards and little plastic wagon wheels to build a fully functional sidecar. At least I tried.

Bob Dylan is pretty cool. Also Ray Charles. Also I like listening to country music and sometimes I lose sleep because I lay awake too long listening to my iPod. Alison Krauss has a sweet voice. I kind of wish I could sing like her.

How does one go about obtaining beach waves such as these?

If I had three hours every morning to do my hair I would figure out how to do this.

I think peeing is a waste of time. In fact I am holding it in right now because I don't want to get up and go. Perhaps that is simply laziness? Maybe I just have better things to do? Think of how much time you would save if you didn't have to go to the bathroom 3+ times a day! Oh the things I could accomplish! TMI, maybe?

Can't wait to graduate. I wake up each morning and think to myself, "Which classes could I get away with not going to today?". This is not ideal thinking for one who actually wishes to graduate. Good thing I made a goal to never go to absence school. I will inevitably use up all 3 allotted absences per class however. I can work the system.

I wish every day I would have a moment where I was laughing so hard that I was crying. That is my favorite moment - when you can hardly breathe and the actual sound of your laughter is silenced and your abs are simply moving up and down. Eyes scrunched up, tears freely flowing. You think you might die from how hard you are laughing. Love that feeling. I love laughing. The funniest moment of my entire life happened when I was in the seventh grade. I was at a party, for a white elephant gift my friend Ben recieved a really tight, nasty, spandex "thing" costume. He put it on. We dared him to go ring the doorbell of a random house and dance in it. So he did. When the lady answered the door he raised his arms above his head and snapped. Then he danced this really hilarous, somewhat seductive dance. It was awesome. Everyone was hiding in a bush across the street laughing. That was the hardest I've ever laughed in my life. The lady asked him who paid him to dress up like that. He didn't speak a word - he only blew her a kiss and ran away. Hahaha. Yes.

Over and out.

Gas Station Frequenter

So I have this love of gas stations - the cheap, crappy taquitos, fountain drinks, the oldies station that is always playing in the background, and just the general smell of gas.. (the kind you put in your car). Basically gas stations are like my hang out. Not really. But I am definitely a frequenter.

There's this one gas station that I hit up all the time, "Walker's" at the west end of Main Street. There's this old guy with white hair that is always working when I come in - Virgil. (Should I be ashamed that I know his name?) Anyway everytime I come in our conversation goes as follows:

"Hey! How are ya?" - Virgil

"I'm great! How are you?!" - Me

"Oh it's just another wonderful day!" - Virgil

Then I proceed to go fill up my 32 oz whatever and walk to the register.

"Do you have a Walker's rewards card?" - Virgil

I honestly don't know why he asks me this everytime I come in. He and I both know I don't have one, so it must just be some generic spiel he has to say to every customer or something.

Then I purchase my refreshing beverage and drive away.

This happens a few times a week. I look forward to these trips.

Gas Stations are great, but never. Ever. Have I been to a greater gas station than the "Quik Trip". Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I'm drooling. Jk. But it's super great. All other gas stations pale in comparison. The only downside is there isn't any in Utah. Sad I know. There's some in like Arizona, and in the midwest, but sadly, none here.

Glory.

Just LOOK at that selection.

Quality.

Ya, all that is just for their hot dogs. We're not talkin whimpy little ketchup packets here, people. This is the real deal.

Oh man. The QT. Beautiful. Timeless. Wonderful.

I can't believe I just spent half an hour writing about a gas station... 

Happy

The secret ingredient of happiness is to NEVER

criticize
condemn
or complain.

Why I wish I was still a kid.

Because all I really ever had to do was sit on the porch and eat popcicles.