Her Ever Changing Moods

Will the real Rachel please stand up?

Thanks Mom, for making such an incredible dress.

Mom Job, pt. 2

Okay, the next day. Emma had a gymnastics meet that we had to get to at 7:45. Fortunately, the meet was only 10 minutes away from our house. Unfortunately, there had been a raging snowstorm the night before and the roads were slick and there were cars sliding off all over the place.


We got there and Emma warmed up and proceeded to compete. I love watching all the girls compete; it's quite impressive. I just wish it wouldn't take 5 hours. I always feel like I need to see a chiropractor after the meet. Emma's been in gymnastics since she was three years old. Gymnastics is old hat for our family, we know it well. Emma did pretty well for her first meet of the season, it always takes her a while to peak. After the meet we went to JCW's for lunch and rushed back to the school. Now for the literary portion of our day.

Caleb had a "Cocoa-House Poetry Party" in his class at 1:00. Since there was only one more hour left of school, Emma came with me instead of going back to her class. The cute second graders were sharing poetry that they had written. Caleb is quite the poet. I'm actually really surprised and pleased at what remarkably good writers all my kids are becoming.

This is what Caleb said about himself:

Caleb Miller has a lot of money. He is very smart and he is 8 years old. He does not have any pets. He is great at piano and karate. His best friend is Alex MacGilvray.

I wish I knew where Caleb has stashed all his money, I could use a loan.

A Job A Mom Could Love, part 1

Whew, it's been a busy week for Spectator Mom. Thursday Caleb had his first Jr. Jazz basketball game. Our family has never participated in team sports before (I know, that's kind of weird) so this was all new to me. Caleb has never really played basketball before but he did pretty good. Most of the kids on his team are from our neighborhood and the coach is the mom of one of his good friends. I have to say I had a great time watching them. The other team was good; they were passing to the open man; setting up plays; basically running circles around our boys.

He even insisted on wearing his jersey to school the next day. He's got pretty good ball control for a novice, in my opinion.

Rachel and Emma enjoyed the game too. Luckily they had something to do before the game started. Poor, Rachel, she's getting to the point in her math that I'm having a hard time helping her. Good thing Grampa is a civil engineer. I am not good at math, fortunately, she is. She even kind of likes it. Whose daughter is she?!?

Caleb can't wait for the next game. Neither can we.

Yes, Everyone is Getting Older

So, in addition to Emma having a birthday a few days ago, my mom also had a birthday. Did I say in the title everyone is getting older? I take that back. Everyone except my mom is getting older. This is her when she was seventeen. Isn't she stunning? I don't think I could have looked that cool at seventeen if I tried. Of course she had the benefit of sleek fashions from the 60s and I had to work with what was provided in the 80s, but I digress.

It's always fun to be able to celebrate Emma and my mom's birthdays together. We had dinner at their house. My mom made Emma a pair of satin pajamas (which she loves) look at her prancing around.

I love my mom, I'm glad that she is such a great mother, Poa Poa (grandmother) and friend.

When I grow up, I want to be like her.

Is It Me Or Is Everyone Getting Older?

My Emma Leah turned twelve Sunday. Yikes and double yikes! It wasn't that long ago when she was my chubby cheeked baby that snuggled in my arms. Now she's almost as tall as me and we can wear the same shoes. Where has the time gone? She has graduated out of Primary and now is in the Young Women's program.

Emma Em, what do I say about her? She probably has one of the most complicated minds I know. To quote Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants, "The inner machinations of my (her) mind are an enigma." She doesn't like to be the center of attention but because of who she is, people notice her. I've always considered my girls to be jewels; Rachel is my diamond. She has a sparkly quality that just shouts, "Look at me!" Emma on the other hand, is my pearl. She doesn't grab your attention right off but upon closer examination, there is a glow and a depth to her that is undeniable. She wrote this on Rachel's bulletin board the other day:

Ignorance is the Key to Attention

No soul can live a lifetime without experiencing the fatigue of disguising your inner feelings. To strive is to give hope to nothing out of your reach. The potential of an average human being is unmeasurable but compared to the potential of a giraffe is a mere fly in the world of chance. Never give up hope, you may become a giraffe.

What?!? She's too deep for me.

Emma can be serious but when she gets silly, look out and batten down the hatches! She has a great sense of humor. I don't always get it, but she has a great sense of humor.

She's really fun to talk to. I've always loved to go shopping with her, even when she was a toddler and most mothers would find that difficult. She is very thoughtful and I'm very lucky to have her for a daughter. I love my Emmaleica.

'Tis the Season

. . .to get behind on just about everything that isn't holiday related.

We had a great Christmas. I spent a lot of time feeling like was two or three steps behind of where I wanted to be but it was all good.

At the beginning of December, I went to Festival of Trees with Rachel and Caleb. Emma opted out because she had a huge project she needed to work on for school. We loved looking at the gingerbread houses and the trees. I realized it was time to go home when I noticed Caleb squat walking (think of how a chimpanzee walks) because he said his legs were tired. I wish we would have taken a picture of that. Hilarious!




Doesn't Caleb look like he's having a great time? His teacher Miss Dewey always decorates a tree for the Festival. It's something that the second graders always look forward to doing. See how excited he is about looking for "his" tree amid the acres and acres of Christmas trees?

It was an electronic Christmas for our family. Rachel and Emma both got an ipod nano each. They've been using them almost constantly since Christmas.

Caleb got a Nintendo DS which I think will become permanently fused to his hands.

I got an ipod touch that I'm afraid to say I've been touching almost excessively. There are no pictures of me on Christmas morning due, the perks of being in control of the camera.

Brad got a DVD player which came in handy because we've watched many episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000, which Brad got for the entire family.

Before you think, "Boy, those Millers are plugged in." We got other things that don't require an external energy source. Emma got a simplified hymn book for the piano. She is teaching herself to play the piano. She doesn't like people telling her what to do so we don't have her in lessons. She's on the piano at least an hour a day and she's getting really good. There are books and puzzles that the family is enjoying as well.

Brad got a snow shovel from the family which came in really handy because it snowed about a foot and a half on Christmas morning.

We went to Brad's parents in Provo and had a huge Christmas feast with most of the relatives. Those who couldn't make it this year were sorely missed.

This year Sara, Rachel and Hunter got to sit at the adult's table. I'm not sure they enjoyed the conversation about the real estate market but I'm sure they enjoyed the company.

After spending the afternoon at the Millers, we headed over to my parents house and had another huge Christmas Feast of prime rib. It was hard to eat another huge meal, but somehow we managed.

Emma and I both got coats, we didn't know they would be so similar. After looking at the pictures, I didn't realize that Emma and I are so similar. She looks like a younger and prettier version of me.

Here we are trying to look cool, I think Emma is doing a much better job of it than I am.

We had the Triplett's stay with us for a few days, which is always a treat. The girls went shopping the day after Christmas to look for dresses for Caroline's wedding. We were there for six hours and I came up with nothing. So depressing. Everyone else found some great dresses though. How hard can it be to find the perfect little black dress? Apparently for me, very.

Valerie and I went skiing with our girls. It was beautiful and very cold. I didn't tear any crucial ligaments, which is always a bonus.

We rang in the new year watching a couple of episodes of MST 3K and had sushi, pot stickers and miso for dinner. I was forcefully reminded of the fact that Emma and Caleb get really grumpy when they go to bed too late.

The best part of the season was to spend time with the people that we love. Words can't adequately describe how much I love my family, both immediate and extended. Everyone is relatively healthy and happy, what more could I ask for?

Life is good.