Monday, September 22, 2008

Time Out

Every once in awhile it's important for a Mom to take a time out. This past weekend I was able to do just that. Accompanied by my sister, cousins, and aunt we visited Las Vegas home of "Time Out For Women". We had a great time being silly, eating, and being uplifted through song and word. Did I mention eating??? Thank goodness we did a TON of walking or I would have gained a few extra rolls around the middle.
Since we had no time for a show we thought we'd "drum" it up with the Blue Man Group.
This is my Sister and I, isn't she CUTE?!?The darn machine stole all my money! All in all it was an awesome trip, I came home refreshed and renewed. If you've never attended a "Time Out For Women" before I challenge you to do it! They are offered all over the United States.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Studies?

Would you be interested in making $150.00 in 1 hour? How about your kiddo making $120.00 in 1 hour and 15 min.? If you answered yes you need to go to www.fieldwork.com Click on "Join our database" and sign up. My family has been doing studies since Kim was a baby. They have studies for a variety of things from diaper studies to studies on auto insurance. My kiddos have done patch studies, medicine taste test studies, shot studies, and gaming studies. The company has to insure that the client has the designated amount of attendees so they always overbook to insure they have a complete group. If you are lucky enough to be dismissed after driving there, you gate paid the full amount anyway. Yesterday this happened to me. Yeah for getting paid just to drive to Scottsdale!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Primary Teachers

Zachary has been blessed to have the best primary teachers ever! Zach came to me 2 weeks ago and told me that his teachers were moving. He was so sad, and kept inquiring about why they would consider such a thing. Little does his little mind realize that they had to move to get out of some scary apartments. Anyway I asked him if he wanted to do something special to show them how much he loved them. He said yes of course. We decided on a little memory book that his teachers could keep forever. We would include all 8 children in the book. Zach came home from school last week while I was working on the book. He asked why I hadn't done his page yet? I said I was doing it in alphabetical order by first name. He was so disappointed and said, "No, that means I'm last! I'm always last. He went on to explain all the things he is last at which were many. Poor kid, if I had only known a few days sooner. I just told him I saved the BEST for last! I don't know how my mind can think projects so simple and then to actually do them, is HUGELY INTENSE. That is always the case with me. Anyway it turned out great and his teachers loved it. So farewell to Brother & Sister Elledge. Zach came home from school today and said, "Mom who are my new teachers going to be?" He's already wondering??????

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Finally!

I didn't think this day would ever come this year. It has though, the temperatures are no longer in the triple digits. Living in good ol AZ you never really know when it's fall, because the leaves don't change color. But we figure it must be fall when it starts cooling off at night. Yeah for fall!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Blackbeard: A Spectacular Musical!

Eric and I have had the privilege of attending many of Rob Gardner's performances. He is a music director and he has written this new musical, Blackbeard.Many local talents are starring in the play. Some you may have heard of are Tyler Maxson as Blackbeard himself.Linsey Maxson, Tyler's beautiful and talented wife, starred as Mary. Jordan Bluth, Jere Van Patten, and Royal Baysinger are more of my favorite local actors. These actors and actress are phenominal, their voices are AMAZING! We have seen them perform at many of the Hale Center Theater performances. Their voices are breath taking. If you have the chance to see it you will be in for a treat. It is showing at the Herberger Theater in Phoenix from now until September 27th. After the play the cast changes their costumes and comes out to greet all the fans! I think I was Lynsey & Tyler's #1 fan! Lucky me to get a quick picture.

We saw this play last year at the MCC Theater Outback. It was the first showing of Rob's new play. Eric and I both loved it so much but seeing it at the Herberger Theater was doubly awesome, the costumes, the sound, everything really was so much better.
I had a cool experience relating to one of these actresses I want to share. I needed some time out with girlfriends. I had called a few friends and none of them could go out. My plan was to get pedicures and go out to eat. I couldn't find anyone free and I really needed a pedi so I braved it and hit the salon "solo". When I got there I chose my color and sat in a chair right next to a young pregnant woman. She was so friendly and we hit it off right away. We talked about so many things it was crazy how much we were able to talk about in that 1 hour. I believe that I was meant to meet her and that is why I had the courage to actually go get a pedicure all by myself. We introduced ourselves by our first names only at first, her name was Linsey. She told me all about a horrible accident that took the life of her father a few years back. She told me he died doing what he loved which was motorcycling. I asked what his name was and she told me Troy Brinkerhoff. I said no way, Troy Brinkerhoff was the Dr. that performed my first surgery. He took my appendix out back in 1992. She said yes that was my Dad. What a small world it is. Then we started talking about life in general and what we like to do. She asked about my kiddos and I shared about Kimberlee and what she enjoys doing. I told her that we were really trying to find a "wholesome" place to enroll Kim in for theater and music lessons. She said I do that, and I was shocked. I said you act? She said yes, I just finished the Scarlett Pimpernell at Hale. I went to that play so I asked which character she was Margarette St. Just. She and her husband Tyler were lead roles in that play. I told her I loved that play so much I saw it twice and that I thought she was amazing. She said I'm going to be in another one soon and that I should see it. So Eric and I went to that play, which was none other than "Blackbeard" at the MCC Outback. Now because of one hour I have an amazing new friend and an in to enroll Kimberlee in her theater group. It starts in October and I feel confident that she will be taught wholesome theater. We are all so excited for Kimberlee to be trained by one of the best. Isn't life just grand? I think it is pretty grand.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

We Labored, & Played!

This past weekend was Labor Day, and so we labored at our house. With our monsoon season upon us our poor chickens have been getting poured on nightly. They are down to laying just 2 eggs a day and that's not cutting it so Eric spent most of the day Saturday and Monday morning adding the last of the roof and shingling it. I am deathly afraid of heights so he was limited to the help of Derick and Zach. With his ankle still in the healing process he was limited too. Hence the two days it took to roof a little roof. The chickens are ready for the rain now and of course it didn't rain last night.
Kimberlee and I were able to go on a "Girls night" out with her best friend Sophie and her Mom. We went to the Music Man play, and out to dinner. It was a great time, we all loved it. Eric took the boys and Livie to see Kung Fu Panda. They all loved it except Liv, she's not much of a movie lover yet. Poor Eric, hehe.
Monday I got to sleep in, yeah! While Eric and the kiddos cleaned and "labored". I lucked out! Then Kimberlee and I went to meet one of my cousins new babies. He was precious and we both got to hold him. We decided to make the rest of the day a family fun day. We started out at the bowling alley. We bowled one game in the same time a couple next to us bowled 3 games. It was quite the process with 6 of us bowling on one lane. I am so thrilled to report that I actually bowled a game over 100 and I won! Yeah! I have never been able to win when Eric plays. Thanks to his bum ankle I won! Derick on the other hand is quite competitive and when he doesn't perform to his expectations he becomes an "oscar". So because the ball was too heavy, or there's something wrong with the lane, or it was too noisy, or the best one yet, they guy next to him bowled and shook his lane, haha, Derick lost. So he began the complaining process. He even went as far as punching the closest person to him at the time which happened to be Liv. Ugh. Eric and I tried to explain to him that it was ok. Bowling is hard, and is meant to just have a good time. He didn't like that and has a very pessimistic outlook on life in general. So instead of being able to enjoy the rest of the day with the family, he got to come home and "labor". I gave him a list of about 5 chores to do and we told him we expected him to have the list complete by the time we came home. A surprise for the other kids was in store. We took them to As you wish. It is a fun ceramic painting shop. The kids each picked out a ceramic figurine and then they painted them. You leave the unfinished piece at the store and in 3 days you get to go pick it up all fired and glazed. Kimberlee painted a flip flop jewelry box, Zach painted a dog and bone, and Livie painted a princess. Olivia has asked about 10 times since when we get to go get her princess. After painting the kids were hungry so we ventured over to Dave & Busters. We had never been there before but gave it a shot. We got a meal for 23.99 which Eric and I shared and they give you a $20 game card. So really the meal cost us 3.99, can't beat that. After we filled our tummy's we wandered around and let the kiddos each pick a couple games to play. It is a fun place for sure. Eric and I can't wait to go back with NO kiddos and finish off our game card. Upon returning home we found a humble son that had finished all the chores assigned. Let's just hope he learned a lesson that will last a lifetime.