Not Just Barely Identifiable Specks Anymore!

I got a telephoto lens, and suddenly photographing the kids' soccer games got really fun!

Happy birthday to me!

(Only 4 months early!!!)

At Least the Carpet is Nice and Variegated

Today at church I got a new calling.  I am now the 2nd counselor in the Primary Presidency for our ward.  (For those unfamiliar, there is a president and two counselors over the Primary.  We oversee the needs of the Sunday School program for all of the children in our congregation.  In this case, there are 100+ children.)

For the last 9 months or so, I have had the calling of a Primary class teacher.  I have been teaching one class of about 6-8 children.  They are 7 and 8 year olds.  I've been super lucky because since the new year, this is the class Claire is in. But I will no longer be teaching this class.  Claire is sad.  I'm excited for my new assignment, but it is a little bittersweet to not teach these kids anymore.

Today, one of the boys in my class saw fit to make my farewell easier.

After our individual class hour, we wait in the hallway outside the common Primary room while the previous group of younger children finish up.  Today I went around the corner to return some chalk I had borrowed from the library.  When I got back, there was a spot of throw-up on the floor.

I came to find out that in the few minutes I was gone, one of the boys tried stuffing his ENTIRE necktie inside his mouth.  This caused him to gag, and the rest, as they say, is history.  It wasn't that bad, but it was still pretty funny in a what-else-can-you-do-but-laugh kind of way.  I'm so glad to know my children aren't the only ones who do things like this.

Amazing how much can go wrong in the time it takes to walk around a corner.

But maybe I'm reading this all wrong.  Maybe this isn't a farewell from my old calling, but a warning about just how crazy things are about to get???

Green and Pink Luncheon

Immediately following Claire's baptism, everyone came over to our house for lunch.  (Convenient that we live about 3 minutes away from the church building!)

We served food Claire wanted and the only real theme was the colors:  hot pink and apple green

 Hot pink strawberry, regular, and green mint chocolate chip cookies.

(Figuring out how to make these so vividly colored was non-trivial.  Would the masses like a tutorial?)

 Sub sandwiches.  (Thank you Costco meat and cheese platters.) 

 Pink lemonade, water, fruit (in mostly reds/pinks and greens), chips, pink and green napkin sculpture.

And of course a marker to write your name on your cup.

M's sister helped me string up these streamers:

Nothing bonds you to your sister-in-law like climbing on top of a table at 1am, right?

I ruffled the streamers on my sewing machine using this tutorial.

Technology Bi-Polar Disorder

Yesterday, I sent a text message for the first time.  Ever.

Yes, I am that lame.  I didn't even get a cell phone until 2006.  And then it was a pre-paid by-the-minute Tracfone.  (You know, a drug dealer phone.)  We bought it so I could always get ahold of M when I was pregnant with Scott and after I had him, I just kept using it.  But as little as possible.  I just didn't want to spend the money.  I have been eeking by on that phone used mostly for emergencies for the last six years.  (Do I have to relinquish my geek license???)

I waited until 2012 to send a text message at first because I wasn't willing to type it out on the number pad.  And then it kind of became a claim to fame.  So even when people texted me, I wouldn't text them back because how could I possibly waste my first text ever on something so boring?

But I gave in.  It was time.  I finally feel like I'm missing out on things because I didn't really have a cell phone.  I won't bore you with all the little incidents, but I just knew it was time.  (Not to mention the fact that my six year old phone wouldn't hold a charge very long anymore and I needed a new phone anyway.)

So I bought a new phone!  With a keyboard!  And I signed up for a cheap monthly plan.  So still no contract, but it's still way closer to "normal person."  And I sent my first text message ever to my best friend.  (I knew if I totally screwed up she wouldn't laugh at me too much.) (Turns out: hard to screw up.)

For how "tech savvy" I am in some ways, it does seem strange how backwards I can be too.  I'd never texted until yesterday.  We still don't have a DVR or even cable TV.  We just get by with what our TV antennae receives.  But I blog, use Facebook and Pinterest...

And for my 2nd text ever, I tweeted.

I don't make any sense, do I?

The Fanciest Easter Dress Ever

Today my Claire is getting baptized.  We're all so excited!  I'm really happy she's making this choice.

(In our faith, children get baptized when they are 8 years old.)

We're also excited to see all of the family that is here for the event.

 

We went to my parents' house last weekend and took some photos so that I wouldn't have the stress of capturing her dress along with everything else going on this weekend.

It was windy, so she had fun twirling her dress.

Oh, and I sewed her dress:

It only kind of consumed my life since Christmas.  

And yet I claim to enjoy sewing. (Note to self: verify sanity)

And thank you Target for free shipping on new white shoes:

As fun as this weekend will be, I'm sure, I'll be kind of be glad when it's over.  Between sewing the dress and getting ready for house guests and prepping for a post-baptism luncheon and everything else, I'm... tired.  Oh yah, and it's ALSO Easter.  I really want to sit and rest a spell...

 

Well, at least a nice Easter dress for Claire this year was a no-brainer!