Handel's Messiah

Last night, my sister and I were able to attend a performance of Handel's Messiah. (For those of you unfamiliar, this is where the "Alleluia" chorus comes from). I had fun, although it was a bit long for me, especially coming off a night of little sleep after a FABULOUS Christmas party. After our experience, I thought I would post a little guide with some tips for those of you wanting to go and see this for yourselves.

Tip 1: Take a shower. You may want to do your hair, and maybe put on some make-up. Perhaps, dress up a little bit.

Tip 2: If you are in the chorus, it is even more important for you to shower and put on some make-up.

Tip 3: Do NOT listen to the ushers. They have no idea what they are talking about.

Tip 4: Having the words printed in the program is NOT an invitation for audience members to sing. (There were at least 2 audience members singing, and one of them could not carry a tune).

Tip 5: If you are going to dedicate the performance to someone, make sure you know their name beforehand. Maybe practice it a few times.

Tip 6: Tune your instruments BEFORE the performance. Violins especially!

Tip 7: If you are a soloist, and are sitting up front where the whole audience can see, you may want to think about controlling your facial expressions. Now matter how much the music moves you, it is distracting if you are bopping away with random changing faces.

Tip 8: At the end of the performance, please do not think that the aisle is the best place to chat. Some of us are ready to go home.

It was a good performance, just a little long for me. I think I was still too tired. Lori and I really couldn't stop laughing at the Tenor and his facial expressions. I wish I had a video camera to record some of them.

10 Days Left

This has been a crazy couple of weeks. Rocky has been gone for 11 days, and we have 10 more to go. The first five days he was in Las Vegas, and for the past 6 days he has been in Pennsylvania working with his new job. It seems to be going well, however we really miss him at home!

The Christmas season is officially here, which means parties, parties and more parties. Which I get to go to all alone. Great. It hasn't been to bad, thanks to all my friends and family who have been keeping me entertained. Then, in the middle of this holiday season, Rocky's grandpa died. This wasn't very unexpected. He has been suffering from Alzheimer's for the past 5 years or so, and has very recently declined very quickly. It is just hard because Rocky is gone, and is not able to come home for the funeral. I get to be our family representative. I feel kind of bad because I have had to find babysitters for the kids for so many other things, and now I get to pawn them off again.

I also think that all the changes have started to get to Ciara. She has been acting like the devil for the past week. She threw a big fit before school on Friday, which made her miss the bus and be a little late for school. We have had a pretty good couple of days, so hopefully this means she is starting to adjust a little bit.

I had my annual Christmas party with my friends last night. It was so fun, although I am so tired today. My throat still hurts from all the laughing. I have looked at some of the pictures already, and they crack me up! I can't post a lot of them, so let's just say a wonderful time was had by all. Some of the highlights of the evening were:

"I am going to be a Rockette."

"That snowman has been talking smack about you all night. You need to tackle him."

The Silver Lining

Instead of dwelling on all the things in Utah that I will miss, I have been making a list in my head of everything I am looking forward to in our move east. I am very grateful for friends and family so close, but I have to look forward to our new adventure. Here are some things I am excited about experiencing next year:

1. Clean Air. After these past couple of gross, hazy days, I am very excited to be somewhere where the air quality is not a concern. Small town, less pollution = healthier Caden (I hope).

2. NYC. I have always wanted to visit NYC during Christmastime. I want to see the tree in Rockefeller Center, maybe see the parade, or the Radio City Music Christmas show. We will now have the chance to see this.

3. Washington, DC. We will be able to show the kids so many great things. Rocky has never been there either, and I am glad he will be able to explore as well.

4. Schools. The school system in our town is one of the best in the whole country. I will be excited to get the kids out of the over-crowded Utah schools, and into one where they actually spend money on the students and have the staff to teach.

5. Traditions. I am excited to create our own family traditions. I have spent every single Christmas and Thanksgiving with family. And I have loved it. But now I am excited to start my own traditions with my own family. It will be hard, and I will miss my family a lot, but it is about time I started my own traditions.

6. Family. Not my parents, but my own little family. When we lived in Denver, we acted much more like our own family, instead of someone else's kids. When we are constantly surrounded by our family, I feel that Rocky and I act more like our parent's kids that like and individual family like we should. I look forward to growing closer to my husband and to our children.

Lewisburg

For those of you not on Facebook, here is the big news:

We are moving to Lewisburg, PA.  Even as I write this, I still can't believe it.  I really didn't think this would happen, but it has.  We have house plans for a lot in Mountain Green, UT which we will never get to build.  I was picking out appliances, counter tops, and furniture.  I was so excited.  And then this.  

The Lewisburg firm called Rocky back in July.  He wasn't that interested, since he had a good paying job here.  But we figured that we could get a free trip and see Philly.  Which we did.  Rocky liked the firm, and PA is beautiful.  But we were comfortable here, and the money was better here as well.  The firm kept in contact with Rocky over the next couple months, and even flew him out there again in October.  Again, the firm was great, Rocky really liked the partners, but the money just wasn't good enough to get us to move across the country.  We started to put in offers on lots here, Rocky drew up house plans, and then on a Monday a few weeks ago it all changed.  His current firm had a meeting where they told everyone that they had to go to a mandatory 32 hour work week (with a corresponding cut in pay as well).  It wasn't the cut in pay that made us reconsider, but how unstable the cut made us feel.  What comes next, being laid off (again)?  Rocky was not confident that this firm would have enough work in the coming months to support everyone, so we decided to go where the work is doing well.  And it happens to be in Pennsylvania.  

When we were first toying with the idea of moving (back after the first trip there) I thought and prayed about the decision for a long time.  I wanted to do what was right for my family.  I waited and waited for an answer, and never got one.  I assumed that meant we were meant to stay.  So we made plans here.  On a Thursday, Rocky called the PA firm and told them that he really wasn't interested.  The following Monday was when the Utah firm cut his pay.  That was the only sign I needed.  I know many of you may scoff at my decision making, but I do believe that things happen for a reason.  

So off to Lewisburg we go.  Rocky leaves on Dec. 8th, but then will come back for Christmas.  Then in January we will all go and become PA residents.  I get butterflies in my stomach every time I think of it.  But I know that we will be OK, and that it will all work out.  

The F Word

I think about this word sometimes. No, I am not talking about the real F Word (you know, the mother of all swear words). I am talking about the word "fat." My kids are discovering this word, and they like to use it. I understand that this is not a bad word, but when you are out in public with your kids, and they see an extremely large person, it isn't fun when they say (very loudly), "Mommy, that man is fat!" I understand that they are just saying that as a statement of fact, and not as an insult. But I think that the word "fat" has become an insult. When did it stop being a fact? I am sorry, but some people are just fat. I am torn between agreeing with my kids and telling them that it is not nice to call people that. When they see smokers and say, "Mom, that man is going to get sick" I whole-heartedly agree with them. Yes, smoking will kill you. But with everything we now know about obesity, is it wrong to also say that the morbidly obese will also get sick? This is such a touchy issue, that I hate to address it. How do I explain to my kids that they need to be healthy without ruining their self image? I believe there is a big difference between being overweight and being fat. But it is hard to define that line. For the mean time, I will just try to ignore the fact that my son likes to say that people's butts will pop.

Devious Child

I will post the obligatory Halloween pictures soon, I just don't have my camera handy and I thought I would share this lovely story.

Yesterday morning before school Ciara commented on how it would be a good day to wear her flip-flops to school since they were not having recess.  I explained that it is way too cold to wear them, and also I don't allow her to wear them to school.  She said OK and put on her regular shoes and socks.  I sent her off to school and that was that.  She comes home from school and is wearing her flip-flops.  I asked her where she got them, to which she replied, "In my backpack."  I asked her when she put them on, and she told me that she changed her shoes while she was in line waiting to go into her class.  I couldn't believe it.  I didn't think I would have to worry about her changing her clothes at school until she was about 14.  What other 5 year old would take different shoes to school to change into?  What kind of devil child am I raising??

(On a totally different note, my Frye boots are so comfy!  I could wear them all day and not complain!)

Grey's Addiction

I meant to be better at blogging, but I got Grey's Anatomy season 4 and 5 for my birthday.  I have been watching them around the clock.  Even Rocky was getting into it.  We would stay up way to late watching.  We would finish an episode, and decide we could do one more.  It was always just one more, one more until it was 1 am.  I think they need a Grey's Anatomy addiction recovery program.  I can't believe how obsessed I was.  

Sick season has definitely started.  Both kids were sick this weekend.  I took them to the Doc on Monday to find out they both have ear infections, and Ciara has conjunctivitis.  Armed with medicine, the kids are now better, but they have passed to cold onto me.  Yuck.  We have been watching way too much TV, but I just don't know what else to do when we are all sick.  I have been going overboard with the hand washing (I really don't want conjunctivitis).  And now it has been snowing all day.  If I didn't have to watch the kids, I would actually enjoy laying around, bundled up with the fire, watching the snow outside.  I am glad that the forecast for Halloween looks good.  I hate taking the kids out in the snow.