We are in Florida right now. The month leading up to this trip people would ask me where in Florida I was going. My answer was always the same, "Um, northeast of Orlando." I only knew the town name. I didn't know what it was near.
So, when we arrived a couple days ago, I realized we are right next to Daytona Beach. Yesterday, while running a few errands with my Mom before she left to go back to Wyoming, we were driving along and this was the exchange:
Me: Wow! That's an enormous stadium! I don't think I've ever seen outdoor seating like that. What do they play there?
Mom: [looking at me with a bemused expression]
Me: And they have huge posters of cars all over the outside. Oh. Is that for NasCar?
Mom: [now smirking at me]
Me: Oh. Right. Daytona. Daytona 500.
Mom: Boy, you put that right together, didn't you?
Sarcasm is strong in my family.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
The Other Day...
It's dance recital season again. Which means you all get to enjoy a video from Benjamin's dress rehearsal. The actual recital was tonight and he was FABULOUS, but I wasn't allowed to record tonight. Anyway, fast forward a few seconds in to the video because it's just me shaking the camera around for a bit in the beginning and I would be sad if you got seasick while watching.
Benjamin is the tall and skinny bear.
Benjamin is the tall and skinny bear.
Friday, June 6, 2008
The Gym Chronicles, episode 2
I am something of a gym rat. And I'm okay with that. 3-6 days per week I'm there. I love going and trying to work up a sweat. I say "try" because I'm not a sweater. (No wool comments, please.)
Today it will be in the low 90s outside with disgusting amounts of humidity. I will feel sticky all over, but there will be no sweat pouring off of me the way it does many people. I remember when I was a little girl, my Mom and I took some Sister missionaries out to lunch at the Bridgewater Diner. One of the sisters, when discussing what it was like to walk miles and miles every day knocking on doors said, "Horses sweat. Men perspire. And women glow." My mom laughed. My mom sweats, though.
Anyway, the way I gauge how great a workout I get at the gym is how wet my shirt is afterwards, because usually it's not very. I was really excited by spinning when they first started the classes last year at our rec center. The first few weeks, I felt positively marinated in my own juices. And then I got better, so I stopped sweating so much. I even wear my heart rate monitor so I know how hard I'm pushing myself, and still not so much with the sweat. My shirt is vaguely damp at the end of a class.
The ultimate test of sweat is when one of two things happen:
1. The hollow of my throat is wet with perspiration. (wet, not sticky)
2. I can feel at least one bead of sweat rolling down my back.
Until this week, it had been a long time since I last felt either of these two things. My dear friend, Mark, gave me the interval training regime that his brother (who's a trainer for the NY Giants) gave him.
This workout kicks my bottom up one hill and down another. After 20 minutes, I am a mess and can barely limp home. (I seem to recover about half and hour later and feel good for the rest of the day.)
The workout, if you're interested, is this:
treadmill:
-no incline, walk for 2 minutes at 3 mph
-jack the incline up to an 8 and run as fast as you can for 30 seconds (for me this is between 6 and 7 mph)
Do 8 sets of this back and forth.
-wipe off your treadmill and try to walk away instead of collapsing on the floor like the big puddle of goo you feel like.
Good times.
Today it will be in the low 90s outside with disgusting amounts of humidity. I will feel sticky all over, but there will be no sweat pouring off of me the way it does many people. I remember when I was a little girl, my Mom and I took some Sister missionaries out to lunch at the Bridgewater Diner. One of the sisters, when discussing what it was like to walk miles and miles every day knocking on doors said, "Horses sweat. Men perspire. And women glow." My mom laughed. My mom sweats, though.
Anyway, the way I gauge how great a workout I get at the gym is how wet my shirt is afterwards, because usually it's not very. I was really excited by spinning when they first started the classes last year at our rec center. The first few weeks, I felt positively marinated in my own juices. And then I got better, so I stopped sweating so much. I even wear my heart rate monitor so I know how hard I'm pushing myself, and still not so much with the sweat. My shirt is vaguely damp at the end of a class.
The ultimate test of sweat is when one of two things happen:
1. The hollow of my throat is wet with perspiration. (wet, not sticky)
2. I can feel at least one bead of sweat rolling down my back.
Until this week, it had been a long time since I last felt either of these two things. My dear friend, Mark, gave me the interval training regime that his brother (who's a trainer for the NY Giants) gave him.
This workout kicks my bottom up one hill and down another. After 20 minutes, I am a mess and can barely limp home. (I seem to recover about half and hour later and feel good for the rest of the day.)
The workout, if you're interested, is this:
treadmill:
-no incline, walk for 2 minutes at 3 mph
-jack the incline up to an 8 and run as fast as you can for 30 seconds (for me this is between 6 and 7 mph)
Do 8 sets of this back and forth.
-wipe off your treadmill and try to walk away instead of collapsing on the floor like the big puddle of goo you feel like.
Good times.
Monday, June 2, 2008
PBJ Love
I could be doing all the laundry and cleaning the house to get ready for our trip next week. Or I could be reconciling my accounts and paying all of my bills before we go out of town. Or I could be making dinner, or baking the cake that Benjamin needs for Scouts on Wednesday. Instead, I have watched this youtube video WAY too many times today. But it makes me smile. =)
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Why We Like To Hike
Our Sunday School teacher today at church said, "The beauty of the earth is one of the many love notes left to us by our Heavenly Father."
Them Smith Boys and Their Cuss Words
Bad words have been a topic of much discussion in our house lately. Second grade has apparently been VERY educational for Benjamin in ways that I should have but didn't anticipate. Amusingly, though, it's Nathaniel who is mystified at all the hullabaloo over certain words having so much power.
Here was a conversation with him the other day:
Nathaniel: Mom, is there a "d" word and a "c" word?
Me: Yes.
Nathaniel: You should tell them to me.
Me: Um, no.
Nathaniel: But Mom, if you don't tell them to me how will I know what they are? And if I don't know what they are, I might use them by accident.
Me: [pause] Nathaniel, that is an excellent point. But I'm still not going to tell you.
This was the conversation the next day:
Nathaniel: Mom, is there an "F" word?"
Me: yes.
Nathaniel: Well, what does it mean?
Me: Um.....
Nathaniel: Well, Hell means a place, and b*tch means a female dog, and ass means a donkey. So they're okay words if you use them in the right way. So what about the "f" word?
Me: It's never okay.
Nathaniel: But what does it mean?
Me: Um.... Nathaniel, I'm going to help Benjamin with his homework now. Hopefully, I'll come up with a good answer for you someday.
And then there was the discussion at the dinner table last week:
Benjamin: I know the "f" word.
Me: WHAT?!
Nathaniel: What is it?!
Benjamin: It's REALLY bad. I read it in Calvin and Hobbes.
Me: Wait. What?
Benjamin: Calvin and Hobbes. I read the 'f" word in there.
Todd: No you didn't.
Benjamin: Yes, I did.
Me: No, you didn't. I'm sure there was a word beginning with the letter "f", but it wasn't THE "f" word. So what word did you read?
Benjamin: I'll spell it. (looking at us like we were BAD parents for making him spell this word.)
Benjamin: F-R-A-U-D
Me: fraud?
Benjamin: Yes.
Todd: It's not a nice word to call someone, but it's not bad.
Nathaniel: What does fraud mean?
Todd: Fake.
Nathaniel: (pointing up at some winter berries decorating our chandelier) so, those are fraud berries?
Todd: (trying to hide his laughter) Yes.
Here was a conversation with him the other day:
Nathaniel: Mom, is there a "d" word and a "c" word?
Me: Yes.
Nathaniel: You should tell them to me.
Me: Um, no.
Nathaniel: But Mom, if you don't tell them to me how will I know what they are? And if I don't know what they are, I might use them by accident.
Me: [pause] Nathaniel, that is an excellent point. But I'm still not going to tell you.
This was the conversation the next day:
Nathaniel: Mom, is there an "F" word?"
Me: yes.
Nathaniel: Well, what does it mean?
Me: Um.....
Nathaniel: Well, Hell means a place, and b*tch means a female dog, and ass means a donkey. So they're okay words if you use them in the right way. So what about the "f" word?
Me: It's never okay.
Nathaniel: But what does it mean?
Me: Um.... Nathaniel, I'm going to help Benjamin with his homework now. Hopefully, I'll come up with a good answer for you someday.
And then there was the discussion at the dinner table last week:
Benjamin: I know the "f" word.
Me: WHAT?!
Nathaniel: What is it?!
Benjamin: It's REALLY bad. I read it in Calvin and Hobbes.
Me: Wait. What?
Benjamin: Calvin and Hobbes. I read the 'f" word in there.
Todd: No you didn't.
Benjamin: Yes, I did.
Me: No, you didn't. I'm sure there was a word beginning with the letter "f", but it wasn't THE "f" word. So what word did you read?
Benjamin: I'll spell it. (looking at us like we were BAD parents for making him spell this word.)
Benjamin: F-R-A-U-D
Me: fraud?
Benjamin: Yes.
Todd: It's not a nice word to call someone, but it's not bad.
Nathaniel: What does fraud mean?
Todd: Fake.
Nathaniel: (pointing up at some winter berries decorating our chandelier) so, those are fraud berries?
Todd: (trying to hide his laughter) Yes.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Goldfish!! The Musical
I was a voice major once upon a time. People were often surprised to learn that voice was my concentration and not an instrument. When they would ask why I thought that was, I replied, "It's because I don't walk around thinking life is a musical." I said it scornfully. Like everything else in life, it has come back to haunt me.
I have a mild obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was particularly thrilled by the fact that there was a musical episode. I walked around singing it all the time so for Christmas Todd and the boys gave me the soundtrack.
My sons can sing and act out every single scene now. And do. A lot. In fact while I was mowing the lawn today, Nathaniel and Caleb insisted that I sing all the girl parts and they sing the boy parts. Caleb always plays the part of the demon. (Typecasting, anyone?!)
Benjamin plays the part of the moody vampire who's in love with Buffy. (See above comment.)
And Nathaniel plays all other male rolls.
Two nights ago at dinner, Caleb reenacted this entire scene singing every part with his Goldfish crackers. He made them dance appropriately. Which is amazing when one considers the inflexibility of goldfish crackers. At the end, he took a bow, crushed them all into a pile of crumbs and then slurped them off the table. (I've directed shows before. I completely understand the impulse to do that to the cast.)
If you watch the whole thing, you will note that the moody vampire, Spike, sings the infamous "B" word. After the "B" word incident, we discussed with all boys that "witch" is an acceptable substitution. But more about our boys and their language later. For now, enjoy campy TV musicals!
I have a mild obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I was particularly thrilled by the fact that there was a musical episode. I walked around singing it all the time so for Christmas Todd and the boys gave me the soundtrack.
My sons can sing and act out every single scene now. And do. A lot. In fact while I was mowing the lawn today, Nathaniel and Caleb insisted that I sing all the girl parts and they sing the boy parts. Caleb always plays the part of the demon. (Typecasting, anyone?!)
Benjamin plays the part of the moody vampire who's in love with Buffy. (See above comment.)
And Nathaniel plays all other male rolls.
Two nights ago at dinner, Caleb reenacted this entire scene singing every part with his Goldfish crackers. He made them dance appropriately. Which is amazing when one considers the inflexibility of goldfish crackers. At the end, he took a bow, crushed them all into a pile of crumbs and then slurped them off the table. (I've directed shows before. I completely understand the impulse to do that to the cast.)
If you watch the whole thing, you will note that the moody vampire, Spike, sings the infamous "B" word. After the "B" word incident, we discussed with all boys that "witch" is an acceptable substitution. But more about our boys and their language later. For now, enjoy campy TV musicals!
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