First Day of School

Yesterday was the first day of school. Seminary doesn't start until next week so it was a busy morning with everyone trying to get ready at the same time. Kelsie seems to like her classes and teachers. Trevor had a schedule change due to basketball and wasn't able to take his computer class. Instead he was giving a woodshop class. I am very excited about all of the projects I want him to make for me. He is a little wary of woodshop since he is one of two people in the whole class that doesn't have a moustache.

Branden did not want me to accompany him to school since he is in 6th grade now. I told him it was the last time I could ever walk one of my children to school on the first day, and so he let me come. I only took a few pictures before I left, so I don't think he was too embarrassed.

Last Day of Summer

Today was the last day of summer vacation. School starts tomorrow. I hate school. I hate all of the driving and schedules and homework and projects and tired and stressed children. School really gets in the way of my life.

Since it was the last day of summer we went to the beach. We have been having SO much fun this summer going to the beach every week with friends. It has been so relaxing this year with the kids being older. When we go to the beach Trevor and Branden (Kelsie's usually at work) take off to the water with boogie boards, skim boards, or just themselves, and I only see them when they are hungry or thirsty. Thank goodness there are lifeguards, because I just sit there and talk to my friends while eating and basking in the sun. What a great life! But it's over. I have to get back to real life and set my alarm to get kids to school tomorrow. I can't wait until next summer.

My Wicked Experience

Chris and I were planning on going to the temple this week with some friends. I found out on Sunday that the temple is closed for a couple of weeks and so all of the sudden we found ourselves with a completely free evening--something that rarely happens. One of the things I wanted to do this summer was to take Trevor and Branden to see Wicked. Chris and I had taken Kelsie before, but I wanted to take the boys before Wicked left LA. Since we had this free evening, we decided to go to the Pantages and see if we could win some lottery tickets. Before each performance a lottery is held and if you are picked, you can get two front row tickets for $25 each and receive my "I won the Wicked lottery" keepsake pin.

I have never tried to get lottery tickets to the Pantages before. It's almost like The Price is Right! You go there and at 5:30 you can put your name on a piece of paper for the drawing. So, Chris, Trevor, Branden and I each put our names down. At 6:00 they start drawing names. There were about 125 people there who had entered the drawing. They draw 13 names. I was feeling pretty optimistic about the lottery because Trevor was with us. Trevor is one of those lucky kids who wins everything. Everytime there is a raffle or drawing at school, he comes home a winner. They started drawing names and on the ninth name drawn I heard it, "Lori Oberender." It was as if I heard "Lori Oberender, come on down!" and just like the Price is Right I jumped up down and ran to the front to purchase my two front row tickets.

The performance was not sold out that night so they let anyone who had not won the lottery purchase tickets for $20 less than face value, which was pretty good since you didn't have to pay Ticketmaster fees or handling charges. We bought two more tickets so that we could all go. Branden and I started out in the front row and it was amazing! It was pretty close--like sitting in the front row of a movie theater, but they would actually look you in the eye and sing right to you. You could even see them spit and sweat. At intermission (Chris calls it half-time) we all switched seats so that Chris and Trevor could experience a better view.

It was another great performance of Wicked. Branden really liked it, and Trevor, who I actually had to take kicking and screaming, even said it was "OK." The lottery was pretty fun. It didn't take very long, and I would do it again even if I hadn't won. But I did. I was a Wicked Winner! And they were the best $25 Pantages seats I've ever had.

Diagnosis

You are all so smart! Trevor does have a ganglion cyst and one of the ways to get rid of it is to hit it hard with a heavy book. I would like to thank those of you who volunteed to help Trevor with that arduous task, but for the time being, since it is not bothering him, he is just going to keep it and see if it goes away on it's own. If it starts to bother him, he will be willing to entertain the idea of hitting it with a book, since the option of outpatient surgery requires him to wear a removeable splint for six weeks.

Kelsie's diagnosis was a strained flexor tendon. It may take up to 9 months to heal! Meanwhile, she just has to do some stretching exercises so that she can eventually straighten it out all the way and she has to tape it up when doing sports.

Once again, thanks for all your concern and helpful comments.

Medical Mystery

Trevor noticed this gross thing on his wrist a few weeks ago, and being the concerned mother that I am, I just ignored it and hoped it would go away. It obviously hasn't gone away yet, and Chris thinks it is actually bigger. It doesn't hurt or cause him any pain. It's hard if you touch it. It's gross.

I'm going to take him to the orthopedist on Wednesday with me when I bring Kelsie there for a finger she dislocated over three weeks ago playing basketball. She popped it back in during the game, but she still can't straighten it out. It's her pinky finger on her left hand and I don't think it's healed properly. I just hope it wont be deformed forever. I keep having visions of beautiful wedding photos and pictures of her wedding ring on her ring finger with a deformed pinky finger right next to her wedding ring. Any insight on what Trevor's deformity really is?

Summer Fun

OK, I know I haven't updated my blog lately, but this summer has been quite crazy. If you read Kelsie's tag she did for me, you will have read that one of my current obsessions is organizing closets. Who knew this could be so much fun? I have actually been forced to do this as I am still emptying the office and turning it into a bedroom for Trevor. I have had to maximize every square inch of storage we have in this house to put the things that have been stored so happily for so long in our office. It's been quite cleansing, though, to get rid of so much junk. Our trash and recycling bins have been completely overflowing each week as I have been in a "save" and "trash" binge. I do have to admit that I really am having fun buying all sorts and sizes of plastic storage containers to organize all of our treasures and filling them up and seeing such beautifully organized closets. I can only hope it stays organized!

I have taken several breaks from my organizing obsession to make frequent beach trips this summer. Last week Chris and I even went to the Ventura County Fair and went to the Beach Boys concert. My favorite thing about the fair was my dinner which consisted of one funnel cake. Mmmm. We brought a friend with us who had never been to the fair, and she had chili cheese fries for dinner. Chris had roasted corn. Yes, roasted corn for dinner at the fair. We had such a fun time watching the Beach Boys concert. I couldn't help but contemplate as I watched these "older" men rocking out on the stage if they had ever imagined as teenage cousins that there entire life would be molded by their decision to start a band. It's interesting how life sometimes takes us places that we were never really expecting to go.

Tagged

So, I have decided that since my mother has not updated our blog for two weeks that I would do it. This is Kelsie, and my mom has been tagged by her friend Kaye to post 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions, and 3 surprising facts. I am going to show how much I know about my mother by doing this for her:) Here it goes:

3 joys:
Dessert
Kids and husband of course:)
More dessert

3 fears:
Snakes
Flying on an airplane alone
Trevor doing something stupid (not rare)

3 current obsessions:
Chocolate
Snowmen
Organizing closets

3 surprising facts:
Can only wink with one eye
Infatuated with the color yellow
Can't feel her stomach growl

-I tag:
Jenny
Shauna
Kim Hansen
Gayle
Emily

These are the rules:list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 surprising facts and then tag 5 other people. Leave a comment for the people you tag so they know they have been tagged.