Damage Control Monday!

What happens to your home when you're only in it long enough to make messes, and then you spend the rest of the time away from home?  Yep, that would be a disaster.  Today's to-do list included:

• dusting all surfaces

• scrubbing the kitchen

• making beds

• putting laundry away from last week

• vacuuming bedrooms and rugs

• sorting toy bins that have been neglected for months

• picking up clutter and putting items away from last week's shopping trips

Tomorrow's list will include bathrooms and mopping along with more laundry.  I am seriously craving some fun, creative time which includes organizing.  I don't have a lot to organize, but my photos need to be printed and there are other items that are waiting for me to have spare time to do.  And then there's always enjoying the summer with my girls without all the mess hanging over my head.  I think we'll be able to do that soon.  

Anyway, I did squeeze in a little decorating tonight.  It made me so happy!  Here is my 4th of July mantle decor.  It's probably a little crowded, but very festive.    

Recital Weekend

This was recital weekend for the Peterson family.  The first recital was Jenna's Ballet/Jazz summer workshop group.  The recital was at her teacher Rachel's house, and Jenna danced two ballet numbers, and a Jazz number with her partner and best bud, Sarah.

The next was the piano recital for both Heather and Jenna.  It was their first official piano recital.  We did their hair in some special twists and pony tails, and the girls chose dressy outfits and shoes.  They each did very well.

Jenna playing one of her two pieces.

Heather playing one of her two pieces, and looking entirely too grown up for her parents' taste.

Here are the girls with their teacher, Mrs. Holbrook.  She is a fabulous teacher, and her emphasis on the fun and enjoyment of playing the piano keeps the girls interested in continuing to study.

Our Professional Recording Session

We're done!  Two days of recording at Segerstrom Concert Hall, and it was such a great experience!  Segerstrom Concert Hall is a part of the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, California.  The sound in this hall is amazing!  I never take any pictures at our concerts because there just isn't any time.  We stopped to smell the roses tonight and enjoyed this great experience with some photos.  We are so ecstatic about this cd that will be out commercially in December.  Three of the tracks have never been heard by the world at large, and I am so super thrilled to be a part of the choir and orchestra that is recording these pieces for the first time ever!  Laaaaa!  Okay, I'll shut up now.  

Myself, Paula and the other Melissa from our perch in the choir loft.  We have sold out our last three concerts.  This hall is amazing!

Myself, Paula, Melissa and Lesa with the orchestra in the background.

Father's Day

We celebrated Father's Day with our own Daddy, and with my Dad.  I managed to make an elaborate breakfast, get ready for church, sing in the choir, teach my sharing time lesson, and make dinner all with a happy countenance.  We opened presents during breakfast because the girls were just too excited, and it just seemed like a good time.  Grandpa arrived later in the morning and attended church with us.

Here are the girls, always ready to help read cards and open presents.

Kelly opens his new power washer.  Honh, honh, honh (Tim-the-tool-man noises)

Kelly, Heather, Grandpa Ron and Jenna

Happy Father's Day to some pretty fabulous Dads!

Beware Of The Time Bandit!

No, I'm not anti-computer, but I can see where an hour can turn into six really easily!  My girls were so excited to get up today and...play video games.  Gah!  I used to be excited to get up and go ride my bike or play with my Barbies at their age.  

So last week, when I couldn't do anything about it, I could see that video game time was going to become a problem.  What better babysitter can you find?  They are occupied, and the best part is there's no mess!  I know I can so easily get sucked right into this plan, but I also know I will have tons of remorse later for not attempting to teach some moderation.  Now that the concert is over, I have tons to do, but I am starting out fresh this week with the video time.  I told my girls this morning that they needed to get dressed, brush hair and teeth, do their piano practice and read for 20 mins before we talked video games.  When that was done, I gave them two hours with the lap tops.  They love this Nanosaur game that we've had for awhile.  I tried my best to do shloads of stuff while they were busy, but that two hours went by fast!  I finally shut them down and told them they had to go outside for a couple of hours.  They moaned, but complied.

So how did it go?  I helped them get started with a "snack picnic" where they packed up what they wanted for snacks and went out to the fort to eat.  We cut apples and bagged peanuts.  It was cute to watch Jenna get the backpack ready and make servings for her and Heather.  When I looked out the window a bit later, they had all the umbrellas up in the fort for shade and were munching away and chatting.  After the picnic was done, they wanted to switch to bathing suits and the hose.  That went on for hours.  Then friends showed up and they switched to water balloons and squirt guns.  It was nearly 6:30 p.m. by the time we called it quits and they came in for showers and dinner.  

We did it!  Six and a half full hours of outdoor time using their imaginations.   I am completely thrilled.  We'll see if we can keep it up tomorrow.  I'm working on my own discipline right now staying away from the computer and making myself get laundry washed and put away.  I sorted all the office piles and did the filing and bills today.  It was a good day for me too.

I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow! 

It's Summer - Officially!

I know, it's Father's Day, but those pics won't be uploaded until tomorrow.  I'm just posting a pic of my mantle decor.  When my sister was here a bit ago, we went to shopping.  I've been waiting for a couple of months to put all this out.  I really need to get a mirror over my mantle. The hunting scene goes with nothing that I display there.  Anyway, it was fun to have this out this weekend as we officially begin summer.

Mmmmmmm.........

My blogging will be interrupted temporarily by some sleeping in.  Followed by more sleeping in.  Regular programming will resume in a couple of days.  

Glee!

Shhhhhh.  Last day of school tomorrow.  Summer Blast carnival, then home for the summer.  I can hardly contain my gleeeeeee!

Savor It Sunday

After a day of fasting and prayer, I think I have been re-directed back to a slightly more spiritual path.  It will be up to me to make staying on the path happen.  For sometime now, I've neglected to check in with the GPS to adjust my course, and I have found myself lost.  It has got to stop.

So not only were all of the messages I've read and heard today just for me, I am recalling information I've read in the past.  Here is some inspiration from, No Doubt About It, by Sheri Dew:

The adversary will do anything to separate us from the Spirit.  Lucifer wants us to feel alone and isolated.  He wants us to try to live drawing solely upon our own genius and without the influence of the heavens, because he knows that we will never do as well or feel as well on our own as we do when we have the Spirit to guide us, strengthen us, protect us, and soothe us. And if he can keep us off balance, never really realizing our potential or capacity, he can undermine our progression and the welfare of our families as well as the entire Church.

Summer Fever

I've got it bad!  Utah, Arizona and New Mexico have been out for over a week and because of the blog and facebook, I've been well aware of it.  Here we sit in CA going all the way until June 17. I'm dying here!  I don't want to get up with my alarm anymore.  Can't wait for summer break!  No more lunches, no more books, no more kids with sleepy looks!

Mike Wazowski

Why am I posting these?  Just because I have to laugh at how excited I get to be in the studio and view the tapings of this show combined with the fact that I never expect to be on t.v., but then can't help but look for myself and my friends once the show airs.  Kelly says it's my "Mike Wazowski" moment as I get all excited about seeing nothing on the screen even though I know it's me.  

Here we are in the So You Think You Can Dance Studio.  This picture has my friend Emihlie, left edge of the screen, and my friend Angie, blonde in the pink blouse, in it.  I am behind the tall girl--you can see a section of my hair, but only if you look closely.  

I am at the very bottom left of this shot.  Blonde hair, face/profile looking up.

I am also in this shot at the left.  Dark pink blouse/blonde hair.

So You Think You Can Dance?

Laaaaaaaah!  My favorite show ever!  Friends Trish, Emihlie and Angie went with me to the first taping of the season, the Top 20.  You have to leave all purses, cameras, phones, etc. outside the studio and only take in what you can put in your pockets.  We had a great view from the pit, and the show was so full of energy.  I was thinking this would be a totally boring post with no photos, but then...

As we left the show we went to Johnny Rocket's for dinner.  Just as we were finishing up, in walks a group of the dancers!  Squeeee!  We asked them if they would pose for a photo with us, and they graciously obliged.  They were soooo nice!  So here is my exciting photo.....ta-da!

Trish, Emihlie, Angie (friends), Tony, Phillip, Ade, Brandon (dancers) and moi!  Yes, Brandon threw his arm around me.  He was a cutie.  Can't wait to see the show tomorrow night!  It is going to be awesome!

Oh yeah.  It was good.  I know we're probably the last ones to get out to see it, but better late than never.  They did such a great job.  I really love JJ Abrams too.  The guy knows how to do action. 

Thunder Storm

Wednesday 6/3

2:00 a.m. 

Mom and Dad awaken to rumbling noise accompanied by flashing.  Daughter is moaning in other room.  Daughter ends up in bed with mom and dad because that's just easier, and quite frankly, the rumbling is unsettling even to an adult.  What is it about the loud noise that is not in our control?  It just sounds like the Boogie Man come to swallow you up, doesn't it?

2:30 a.m.  

Rumbling and flashing cease and the house goes back to sleep.

7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. 

Many questions regarding lightning and if it's dangerous and why thunder makes noise.  This is accompanied by freak outs as thunder rumbles once at school and lightning flashes once at activity days.  More freak outs as Dad teases daughter and causes escalated freak outs.  Mom wants to hit dad.  Mom reminds daughter to use the same tactics to ignore Dad that she uses to ignore the 4th grade boys at school.

10:00 p.m.

Children in bed.  Freaked out daughter asleep (thank heaven!) when the news comes on in all it's glory reporting 26 fires and one woman dead from lighting strikes.  This is why we never let our children sit and watch the news.

Open House

Jenna and Daddy by her "head".  The kids stuff a paper head and create it to look like themselves.  Then they bring a shirt from home to personalize it further.

Jenna's robot man.  Can you tell what she 

named him?  Yep, Edward.  Her friend's robot is named Bella.  

Heather and Daddy checkin' out 4th grade.  I'm at the school so much I forget that this is a rare treat for the kids to have their dad there.

Talent Show

Both girls participated in their respective grade level's talent shows.  Next Monday is the school-wide talent show, and both have been invited to move on to perform in that one.