Even I am Sick of Bathrooms!

For those of you who know me well, and even some of you that do not, you know that I love cleaning bathrooms! Not just bathrooms, but toilets specifically. This is not a joke...this is real! Don't ask me why, I don't know, there is just something really satisfying about seeing it rid of all it's nasty bacteria and filth, looking pristine, like the throne of the john it really is. It's sick, I know. Anyway, yesterday Tara and I went over and cleaned our friends bathrooms because she is having a rough time keeping her baby in and she has two more months. I was excited to do it. It was fun to have a friend to clean with and that way I didn't have to do the bathtubs, which are my least favorite part of bathrooms. We finished and were cleaning the kitchen, and I ended up taking Sarah home for naps. Then I look at my cleaning schedule and realize it's Tuesday and I need to clean my girl's bathroom and the powder room. More bathrooms. I finished and had cleaned 5 bathrooms that day. Not to mention that I cleaned Tara's powder room the day before and I get to clean our bathroom today. Friends, I, Berta Thomason, am totally and completely bathroomed OUT!!!!! No more, I beg of you! However, we went swimming yesterday for the second time and it was beautiful. Sarah took a header into the pool and managed to avoid breaking her neck on the steps, narrowly. Then she jumped in while I was holding Cat and I had to let her floaties bring her to the top before I could grab her. We set a strict rule about jumping thereafter and it seemed to work. Cat however is afraid to jump and I have to force her to do it once per swimming session. Children are so different. We start swimming lessons in two weeks and I think Sarah might be swimming before Cat. Sad...

DISNEYLAND OR BUST!

The Matterhorn

My friend Tigger

Princess Aurora

The Best Dog Ever, Pluto!

Princess Jasmine

We went to Ariel's Grotto and the girl's got to see all the princesses. The characters at Disneyland were definitely the favorite! They enjoyed the rides too, but really wanted to see all the people in their costumes. Sarah thinks they are real and Cat was a bit uncertain, we all know how much she loves people in costumes...not so much! Overall, we went, we conquered, and we are pooped! It was such a fun experience for our family. Brady and the girls had never been and I had gone once when I was a lot younger, so it was pretty exciting for all of us. The drive took forever for the kids, but once we got to our hotel and they could see Disneyland across the street they brightened up. We got up and were at the park when it opened and that saved us so much time. We managed to get on several rides right away, that later on had huge lines! I recommend being there early. We watched the Disneyland parade and the California Adventure Park Electrical Parade and then the fireworks. That kept us up until 10pm and our kids were so done. We didn't get up quite so early the next day. Saturday at Disneyland is a nightmare! Next time, we will go on a Monday or Tuesday. Catherine went on the Matterhorn roller coaster twice and wasn't quite big enough for the others yet, but we'll get them next time. Sarah loved Critter Country were Pooh and his friends were, she loved on all of them and didn't want to leave. Her favorites were definitely Tigger and Pluto. She is constantly looking at those two in her autograph book. Cat's favorite part she says, was the roller coaster, but I think that she really liked the Peter Pan ride, she kept asking to go on it. When it was time to leave that was the ride she chose to be her last ride. Sarah chose the Teacups, which made Brady sick every time we went on them. Poor Daddy! We had a great time and we are already looking forward to going again soon!

Hooray!

I am so excited! I have been cleaning all week getting ready to go to Disneyland! Hooray!!! I am packing today and getting everything ready to leave tonight when Brady gets home from work! Hopefully, we can get the girls into bed by midnight. We want to be up bright and early to hit the park! Tara gave us a bunch of places to go, so that we can do all of the fun stuff first! We have a reservation at Ariel's Grotto so the girl's can see all of the princesses and get pictures. I can hardly wait! More to come when we get back!

Day by Day

I don't know about any other Mom's out there, but I am so done with the whining! Everyday, sometimes all day, everything is spoken in whine! Is it really so hard to just speak or ask? Right now for example, I leave for one minute and I hear Sarah screaming, as best she can with no voice, and Cat whining. I tell Cat to bring me the toy they are fighting over, I don't even have to see them fighting anymore to know that is the issue, and she says okay. I still hear screaming and fighting, I say a little louder,"are you bringing it?", no answer. More fighting....no answer. I go down and they are fighting over the yo-yo one of the boy scouts left and it is a death match. I take it away and put them in time out and the crying starts. I let them out and return upstairs to hear the whining start again. What is the deal? I try to teach them coping skills to deal with eachother, I try to teach them right from wrong. I try to teach them to love eachother and be nice and what am I getting in return? That's right, the whine...hmmm! However, right now we are all living day by day in order to cope. Sarah just walked in and told me she was ready to be nice, how kind of her. I love my children so much, it really bothers me when they aren't nice to eachother and me. Welcome to being a parent, I hear some of you scoff. I have a reply which I will keep to myself. I am feeling feisty today.

Sunburned and other complaints

I know, I know! I haven't blogged for like 3-4 days...how could I do that to some of you! It was actually very easy! I have been engaged in activity after activity and to top it all off, I GOT SUNBURNED on Friday! I did the second installment of Pre-School Musical Theatre Friday morning and then packed up the girls and went to our first swimming pool birthday party of the year. In my head I thought, it is still pretty cold out, it shouldn't be a problem. After sitting in the pool for over an hour with my back to the sun and watching the girls, so they didn't become floating babies, I left and went home. I taught an acting lesson that day and then Brady and I ran some errands. That night when we were on our date, I reached back to scratch my back and about peed my pants. It stung so bad! My eyes welled up and my nose itched and I thought I would disgrace myself by saying some choice words, which I didn't by the way. Brady looked and sure enough I was lobster red. I then noticed the heat coming off of my skin, which you would think would have been a dead giveaway to me earlier...not so much. I fretted and moaned about it pretty much all through dinner and ever since. I even got the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric to carry my choir bags to the closet for me this morning. There are benefits. Saturday, Cat had dance like normal. After naps, we went and got the van's oil change and did the car wash in preparation for our big escapade this weekend coming up. We ate at the new Sweet Tomatoes that is 1/2 a mile from our house, which if I may say so, is way too convenient for words! I took on choir practice in the chapel for the first time this morning and it made me nervous. I had been having it at my house in the afternoon, but am trying mornings in the chapel, we'll see how that goes. We sing on May 22nd, so I am starting to sweat already! I cannot master, conducting, using my left hand too, and singing all at the same time. I look retarded! Anyway, that is my story and I am sticking to it for this week.

The Largest Muscle in My Body

OUCH! Brady always tells me that my bootie is the largest muscle in my body and I believe him! I have been so sore the past couple of days! I up-ed my weights in my class and then did a really active class on Wednesday and I am feeling it! I haven't blogged since Monday (gasp!), I have been a little busy. I have been making some freezer food for a friend of mine which I am hoping to take to her tomorrow. Also, tomorrow is this month's second installment of Pre-School Musical Theatre. I do the same song, so I really don't have that much to prepare, but I also have an acting lesson tomorrow and a birthday party for the girls to go to. I tried to go to a baby shower this evening and found out it is next week. Uggh! That pretty much sums up my week. My sister-in-law Anna had her birthday party tonight and I was excited that I ended up getting to go for a tiny bit! We are having a girl's night tomorrow, so I am also excited about that. Brady bought me the movie, "The Holiday" and I am really sad that I haven't had the chance to watch it yet. Maybe, this weekend! I am not going on the Ward Camp Out which is now a friends campout since they couldn't get the permit, so I will be sitting in my nice comfy, warm bed while all the rest of you saps are braving the desert elements and dirt. Good luck with that!

Monday, Monday...

I usually dread Mondays! I hate the feeling that I have a whole week to get through before I get to see my husband and spend time as a family. (Manda, I can see your face right now and I don't pity your plight, I wouldn't survive my husband being in the military! You are amazing!) However, this morning, I awoke to the most pleasant voice telling me that he was taking the day off to be with us. It was so nice to feel like the weekend was going to last one day longer. I feel so blessed to have a husband who works so hard, but it is hard work for the girls and I too and sometimes, I don't feel very grateful. I do enjoy the blessings that Heavenly Father has given us. All that we do truly can never be enough to repay him, but my favorite part is that we do all that we can and the Savior makes up the difference. I am really working on believing that I don't have to be perfect and do it all myself, it's not as easy as it sounds. I had an appointment today and it was nice that the girls got some "Daddy time". They usually don't get Brady one on one without me, so it was good for them. I got a call from them and then as I turned the corner to our house, I saw them all playing at the playground. It was like a view into the eternities, seeing my family waiting happily for me. Catherine is crying downstairs because she is starving, literally wasting away right now, she can't wait a half and hour for dinner, and her heart is breaking in two. Mommy to the rescue...

Where's Nemo?

Saturday, after Ballet, Cat and I went on a Mommy and Sissy date to buy some new shoes. After two and a half very long hours and after walking back and forth from one end of Chandler Fashion Center to the other over and over, we finally found the perfect pair of sandals for Mommy and Catherine. It was just in time to rush home and pick up Daddy and Sarah to go to "Finding Nemo on Ice". We had a really great time and the girls loved it! The only thing was that Sarah kept asking, "Where's Nemo"?, everytime he wasn't on the ice. After the first fifty times, it ceased to be as cute. Today, I got to sleep in and Brady brought me breakfast in bed. It was so nice to not have to get up and immediately make breakfast and wipe bottoms and all the other "Mom stuff' that we do. I love it when he makes me breakfast too, because he makes bacon. I love bacon! I have a secret love affair with bacon! Bacon goes straight to my tooshie, much to my dismay. So, when Brady makes breakfast, I break lose and eat all that is on my plate! Gosh, I love bacon! I can't say it enough...anyway. Church went well and choir practice this afternoon, went very very well. Although, soon my right arm is going to be so skinny and toned and my poor left arm will still be flabby. I just haven't mastered conducting with both arms and singing at the same time. I will get there. I love my new calling and am excited to sing in church next month.

Berta the Dancing Clown

I had a really fun time today! A friend of mine asked me if I would teach a song and dance to a group of little girls for her daughter's birthday party. I have been so excited and we performed to "She's in Love" from Disney's "The Little Mermaid" the musical. All of the little girls dressed up as princesses and sang and danced their little hearts out. It was fun to see some faces that have not been to my class come and have a good time. At the end of the party we performed for the parents. They all had their cameras and video cameras and it donned on me what I must look like.....Berta the dancing clown. A full grown adult with a huge smile pasted on her face doing some quirky pose. These poor kids are going to look back on these pictures and wonder, who is that lady and why is she hanging out with a bunch of children, what a loser! No, I absolutely love what I do and I am so glad that I am having opportunities to do it so much. I really missed doing children's theatre after leaving Chewelah and Janet. It was such a great opportunity for me and I hope that I can continue on following slowly in her footsteps. I will post some pictures from today as soon as I get them.

Tranquility

Today, I took a new class at the gym called Body Jam. It is an aerobic dance class. I thought I was pretty coordinated and danced reasonably well...not so much. I can't krump to save my life. "krump?" I hear some of you ask, yes, a new version of dance made to make people like me feel old! I finally got the routine down in time to do the cool down. It only took me an hour...hmmm! As Laura would say and Tara and I would laugh to, "kudos to me!" I rushed home and got ready to go to the temple. I had not been in a couple months and it felt so nice to go back. There weren't a lot of people during the session I attended and it was so peaceful and tranquil that I almost fell asleep, no seriously, I had a really hard time. Grandma was nice enough to watch the girlywiggs for me and when I got back I enjoyed sitting down and reading a magazine for a little while. I don't get to do that very often. Aunt Anna woke up and so Cat got to help Grams make vegetable/fruit juice for Anna, of which we reaped the benefits. It is so nice to drink fresh juice, but it takes so stinkin long to prepare everything, juice it and then clean the juicer it is not worth it most of the time for me. I need to make it more of a priority. I am poopin tired, so I am going to bed, Goodnight!