Foto Friday

Well I found out Wednesday that the pain in my shoulder was from a torn rotator cuff muscle, the result of a fall on icy steps several weeks ago. Although it had been bothering me for weeks, it was aggravated by taking off my coat of all things. After a painful weekend last week, and some progress on the pain, it was re-aggravated by high-fiving our 6 ft chipmunk mascot Zippy while filming a skit for the latest episode of our work cable channel show about our department. Don't ask me for a link to the show, which isn't up yet, because if you have any desire to see it, you'll have to do the detective work on your own. Lets just say I now have a new answer to, what's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done.

Luckily my tear is minor and the chiropractor thinks it should heal on its own. So its ice packs, ibuprofen, no high-fives, and waiting. Waiting is not something I'm good at. I also have this awesome blue V on my shoulder for the next 5 days. When the dr told me it was BYU blue, I told him I hoped it wouldn't burn my skin.

I really have no idea the purpose of it, although I assume its supposed to be giving some sort of support to the muscle. I wish it gave my arm some sort of super power, when in reality what it does is give me the random sensation that something is stuck to my arm, and then I remember, oh yeah something is stuck to my arm.

In other photo related news, my dad convinced me to use part of my tax refund and break down and finally buy an SLR camera which I have wanted for a long time. He found me a beginner used model on Ebay that will be here shortly. So maybe in the future I'll re-find the motivation to take the kind of foto friday photos I'd originally planned on, instead of just randomness. First he'll have to help teach me to use it though!

Matter of opinion

Friday night we were watching America's Funniest Home Videos, because that is how exciting my life is. Sidenote: not sure there is anything lamer than the comments they come up with for those shows. So there is a segment about dolls. Hoped to find the clip online, but couldn't. There is a boy about 7 or 8 very excitedly opening a present. It ends up being an unclothed barbie, guessing a sisters toy. He stops, looks at the camera like, this can't really be my gift. Throws the barbie across the room and then starts to cry. Maiken and I look at each other and I say, that is soooo Will! We both turn to look at Will. He has a very serious look on his face and says, that's not funny.

Which of course just made us laugh. Last night as we were going to bed he brought it up again and asked why we thought that boy crying was funny. I tried to explain that it wasn't that he was crying, it was the whole situation. He told me again, he did not think it was funny. I don't think I'm going to have to worry about him being a prank puller thats for sure.

Foto Friday

Today I needed Will to tag along with me to get some work stuff done. I told him if he was good we could stop by the army surplus store. You'd have thought I took the kid to Disneyland.

I always thought that a form a parental torture would be me having a very girly little girl that loved pink and princesses. This might be worse.

Foto Friday

Last weekend we took the kids to Incredible Pizza, an arcade plus buffet. The food was incredibly bad. We went specifically because we saw they had mini bowling and thought the kids would have fun with that. We thought wrong. At least with Will. He kept asking me when it was going to be over. And Maiken and I decided that mini bowling is much harder.

Looking at the scores, player 1 was Will, player 2 Lucia, player 3 combo of Maiken and I. Lucia obviously got the hang of it a bit better. When Will and I went a few months ago he beat me but we were not on even playing fields. He had the bumpers, I didn't. In this case Maiken and I have no excuse.

ETA: The thing that irritates me the few times I have taken Will to such a place is that you spend $20 playing games to get tickets which in the end allow you to purchase something you could have gotten 10 of at the dollar store. Now if Will just saw the value in having fun playing the games, worth it. But no, when you tell him he does not have enough tickets to get another one of the plastic army men (that he has 100 of at home) suddenly it was the biggest waste of the day and the last hour of fun disappears from memory. Ahhh, childhood.

Tonight we went to my cousin Lisa's wedding reception. Wow my little cousin got married! She seems so young and yet I think she is the exact same age I was when I got married. And small world moment, when I walked in I saw an old employee of mine that I haven't seen in about 4 years. I went and asked her who she knew and it turns out the groom is her 1st cousin. The bride is my 1st cousin. Very small world. I wish you many happy memories Lisa and Court.

12 Days of Christmas Ornaments

This post is mainly for my dad Monte. Years ago my sister Britta and I made my mom a set of felt ornaments representing the 12 days of Christmas. Sadly a few have been lost, these are what she has left. Luckily she does still have my favorites.

Partridge in a Pear Tree - This one is actually one my mom made when I was young. Ours was the same, but it doesn't seem to be around.

Three French Hens - We weren't sure what a french hen looked like, but berets make everything french.

Five Gold Rings

Six Geese a Laying

Seven Swans a Swimming

Nine Ladies Dancing - This was one of my favorites that Britta thought up

Ten Lords a Leaping - Another favorite. It took us a lot of time to figure out something to do for the lords a leaping. It was right before the 2002 Olympics in Utah and we came up with the pole vaulter for the leaper.

Twelve Drummers Drumming - In high school Britta and I were in the bagpipe band. I played the pipes and she played the drums, sadly we were never in the same year. So she made a Scottish drummer and I made a piper for the eleven day. Sadly I couldn't find the piper.

We have both commented that it would be a lot of fun to make these sets again, but they took a LOT of time. Maybe we will at least get full sets made for ourselves sometime.

Foto Friday

Playing a little photo catch-up. My dad spent a lot of time getting me a computer to use after mine died. But it is having a bit of a slow problem regarding the internet. Enough so that I would never even dare to try posting on it. So I'm catching up while I have my son's computer here. Yes I do realize how sad that sentence is.

Now that Christmas is past, I can post the projects I finished. The one I was most excited about was a Zombie Dorthy doll for my niece Ella. For those that don't read my sister Britta's blog, you will have to first check out this picture that my niece drew of Zombie Dorthy. My mom had the great idea that someone should make her a doll based off of her drawing and I decided to take the challenge. I was very happy with the results, and from what I heard Ella was too.

About 6 months ago I had the very ambitious goal to make sock creatures for all of my nieces and nephews. That did not even come close to happening. I got one done. And since Ella was getting a doll, her sister Sophie got the one sock creature I did finish.

I still wanted to make something for the rest of the kids. But by the time I got the other stuff done it was almost Christmas, so I needed something fast. A girl at my work made us these cute little mice ornaments. You squeeze their cheeks and get a kiss. A hershey kiss that is. Kind of cheesy for my tastes (no pun intended) but I figured the kids would think they were cute. Will has decided that he can only eat pieces of candy that the mouse can pick up with its mouth, so I think he at least liked them.

Then it was Christmas

Then New Year's Eve at the mall

Couldn't resist posting this

Then visiting with lots of family. And getting some amazing chocolates straight from France. Benefit of having family living abroad!

And amid all that, Will lost his first tooth! It took us 3 days to remember to put it under his pillow, but he is now the proud owner of a dollar bill to add to his new piggy bank.

And so ends another year...