Missing In Action? NO, I've Just Been Living My REAL Life!

I didn't realize how much I could enjoy REAL life as compared to my online life. (Okay, so I STILL love my online life, but I needed this break!)

This last weekend was fun. I dropped my hubby off at the matinee performance of Oliver! and then I was off for an hour long drive to pick up his parents. Here's a BIT of background information about my in-laws:

When I first met my future mother-in-law I was put in a VERY awkward situation. She sat me in the middle of the living room with the television directly behind me...STILL on. I thought she'd ask me questions about who I was, what I loved about her son, maybe trying to get to know me a bit. Not what happened. She talked about her growing up and how horrible her life had been. I left that house feeling very unaccepted.

For many years I felt like she didn't like me. I don't know what I had done to offend her, but she just DID NOT like me. I felt awkward around her for a VERY long time.

Recently things have changed in a GOOD direction. I don't remember exactly when it happened, but she finally accepted me and I feel that she now loves me like her own. It's been a VERY rough road, but we're in a good place.

My father-in-law is a sweetie who loves to tell stories and sometimes misses the point of many conversations. He's really a nice guy and I have loved that man from the INSTANT that I met him (in the Temple on my wedding day!)

So I went to their house on Saturday to pick them up. We had a pleasant drive, telling what we had been doing and just having a good time. We got into town and decided to go shopping for food. (I hadn't had time to shop...I was too busy cleaning my house!) As soon as we were done, we hurried to my house where I turned on a movie for them, and cleaned up my kitchen. (I'm such a bad hostess!)

Anyway, we had a fun time talking and catching up, then it was time for us to hurry to the theater for the evening show. We got there early enough to get FRONT ROW PARKING! We were SO excited! I heard many cool family history-type stories and learned a lot about these people who had raised my sweet husband. Soon, maybe TOO soon, the doors opened and we were allowed inside. Our seats were in different areas of the theater, so we separated.

The show was nice. It didn't seem like it was as COOL as some of the other performances had been, but I think the little kids they had in the show detracted from the whole mood. My husband did an AMAZING job on his parts...he was the knife grinder (for those of you who know the show...) and he was the citizen who took matters into his own hands by killing Bill Sykes. The show was fun, and I enjoyed it.

That night as we went to the car to leave we found that the van was covered by 2 INCHES of snow! It wasn't snowing when we went inside! It was crazy! I tried to clean off the windows, but I couldn't find the window scraper. I had to reach under both of my in-laws, and had an awkward time of it, but finally I just used my coat to clear the windows. The storm was CRAZY. I could barely see the road! Luckily nothing serious happened!

We went to Stake Conference the next morning and I totally LOVED it! The talks were amazing, and the things they said seemed more personal to me than when they speak to us at general conference, although I know that they REALLY do speak to us! Anyway, I loved it and feel like I have been lifted to a higher spiritual plain. So GOOD!

We ate dinner afterward, and we drove his parents home. We quickly said good-bye and then we left...trying to make it home before it got dark. Minutes after getting home we got a call from his mom. We had missed seeing one of his uncles who lives in Boise by mere minutes! She told us what was going on with them (long story about their house, and the cruddy city they live in...) and that this uncle was going to help them out! We're STILL waiting to hear what exactly is going to happen, but we're hopeful they'll get what they deserve! :)

Then for the last few days I've been relaxing, and enjoying my family. I've been amazed at the transformation my son has been going through. It happens SO fast it's scary!

Today I took Cam with me to the store to buy some food, and when we got to the check-out he begged to get some candy. I'll admit it, Cam is spoiled ROTTEN! Being an only lonely on BOTH sides of the family tends to do that to a kid. And whenever he shops with Grandma she'll buy him ANYTHING he asks for. So he thinks it's normal to get candy EVERYTIME we go to the store. Anyway, he was eyeing the candy and asked me for one. I looked at him, and he had behaved VERY well (actually, his behavior has been MUCH better since I stopped babysitting L and E!) so I told him if he could choose quickly he could have ONE piece of candy. There were 2 people in front of me at the line, so I thought he'd be fast. Not the case! I got all of my purchases rung up and paid for before he chose. As soon as I had the bags in the cart ready to go, he pops out with a candy bar. I told him it was too late, he was too slow, and now it was time for us to go. The kid threw a HUGE temper tantrum in the middle of the store. People were STARING! I was horrified! I tried not to show my horror, and I grabbed him by the hand and pretty much dragged him out of the store. He screamed the whole way out that he wanted candy...I heard people behind me making fun of the tantrum. I put him in the van and we left. I was so upset with him, and I told him that what he had done was unacceptable.

When we got home it was like someone else had taken over my son's body. He was polite, witty, and even funny! I had a GOOD time with my kid! He was such a good kid tonight I had to tell him so, and I rewarded him with those good behavior stickers. It was like I had a two year old in the store, and my six year old was at home with me. It was nice!

All in all, everything is good. So far no AF, but I'm still worried to check myself out! I'm not worried so much about the pain I had last week. I think it was just a fluke. I KNOW it wasn't a gall bladder attack (I've had many attacks over the years, I KNOW what those are like...) and I don't think I'm pregnant (unfortunately...) so I think it was just something odd, but life is good now!

Musical Frustrations

Things are going better. I'm a bit worried that my friend L is STILL mad at me, but I can't stew over it too long! (Although I do anyway...)

Today was my husband's mostly day-off. (He doesn't work until 10:00 tonight...) so we slept in and then did some of his "musical" stuff. This year's musical is "Oliver!"

I normally don't say too much about my husband's musical, but I'm SO frustrated with it! It seems like whenever he does one of these plays I never see the man, and I really miss him! If I DO see him, all he talks about is the play, practice, or what he's doing in it. I really don't care! Does this make me a bad wife? I only ask that he do one play a year, because it's so hard on me, and he, for the most part, sticks with that agreement. But when I'm in the midst of the practices I get frustrated!

Today the kids from the play were singing in the mall. Now here's where TWO things I dislike clashed in a bad way! I don't like the mall...avoid it if I can...but I especially hate going there on a Saturday! UGH! I can't think of anything I hate more than that! But add the fact that the whole reason for going to the mall in the first place is to hear more of the musical....Don't even get me started! I went with Steve...humoring him...planning to watch just the FIRST performance (they had 2 planned) and then leave and do our other things. What really happened was we stood around while they were organizing everything...and just looking really dumb. So I figured that while they were doing that I'd go to the jewelry store and get our rings inspected, so I didn't just stand there doing nothing. Once Cam and I got back to where they were, the singing had started. Steve wasn't really doing ANY of the performing...mainly because they wanted the kids from the play to do most of the singing. They went through almost ALL of the songs that the kids sing in the play! It was cute, but it got boring really fast! But my husband was in the back of the crowd snapping pictures all over the place.

Once it was all over I looked at Steve and said, "Okay, we can go now, right?" Then he said that he was going to Barnes and Noble where the second performance was. I was NOT a happy person after that!

See, here's where I draw the line! I dislike the mall, on a Saturday, and with singing kids, but I refuse to go into Barnes and Noble...I DON'T like that store...at ALL! I told Steve that I thought we had just planned to watch the first performance...NOT the second. Then he looked at me with those big eyes of his and nearly begged to do this one thing. I sighed, and said, "Fine, but Cam and I are waiting in the van." Then I grabbed Cam's hand and left Steve to do whatever he wanted.

Now I don't want to sound like I'm a party pooper, but I can't handle Cam running all over the place in the mall. It's too crowded for my tastes anyway, and to be in Barnes and Noble? I hate the prices of books there...and I hate, hate, HATE the smell! They have a Starbucks in there, so the whole store smells like coffee. And that is one smell that just turns my stomach! ICK! So I didn't want to be the mom who chases her kid around the expensive store the whole while trying not to puke.

Cam and I entertained ourselves in the van doing magic tricks, and singing Primary songs at the top of our lungs. It was a fun time. Then Steve came out, and we left.

I'm just excited that the last week of Oliver! is this week. The performances are next weekend, and I can't wait until they're ALL over and I get my husband back! I know he'll be bummed, but he'll be ALL mine again...and for that reason, I can't wait!