Questions and Answers

Readers (all 3 of you): I get asked several questions very regularly, so I thought I’d answer the top 10 once and for all:

1) How do you have time to write your blogs? It’s easy, just find a random blog on the net, change the names to your family, and whalah! You don’t have to actually have real family experiences to draw from. If you do have actual family experiences, it is best to change the names anyway, to avoid personal embarrassment.

2) How is your pregnancy going? Well, it’s not going away anytime soon, if that’s what you mean. If you are asking how my health is going, well, that definitely IS going. Actually, I’m feeling quite well, if having what feels like a gremlin fighting it’s way out of your belly is normal.

3) How do you manage six kids??? Here’s the thing: teach them to fend for themselves at an early age. They become self-reliant and will do very well if they are ever stranded on a deserted island.

4) The holidays are approaching fast, so what is your secret to staying sane? Light some candles and BREATHE, holding your fingers out in séance mode. As you do this, your family will instantly notice, and think you are going insane. This begins the “let’s keep mom ok so we can have a Christmas” mission. The kids will actually hold secret meetings to divide up chores and assign individuals tasks such as giving mom compliments, making dinner, and smiling for pictures. This also improves their chances with any elves that are watching (be sure to remind them of this often in a casual, non-chalant way.)

5) You don’t seem old enough to have six kids—how do you do that? First of all, don’t get all matronly. We all think we are still 22 in our mind, why not act well thy part?

1) Don’t act mature. (listen to the radio really loudly, learn phrases such as “that jank be bonk”- translation: that thing is weird or “chillaxin”- hanging out and relaxin’)

2) Try new hairstyles. It’s just hair, if you don’t like it, it will grow out! Plus there is no reason to keep that old 80’s hairstyle just because it got you far back then.

3) Dress up fun. Sweats and pj’s work at home and if dressed up with some crazy tiger slippers, they are acceptable for embarrassing your kids when you drop them off for school. Otherwise, you probably have at least one fashion consultant amongst those 6 kids—use them to your advantage so you don’t accidentally wear stirrup pants with jelly shoes when you go out on the town.

6) What are you having? Do you have a name picked out? We were told that the chances of having a boy were 50/50, but having the ultrasound confirmed that actually 100 percent it will be a boy. As far as a name goes, no, he is not named. At least not appropriately for the schoolyard. Some names really don’t go well with Rice: Wyatt Rice- no, Bryce Rice- no, Plato Rice- no…. so we are open to suggestions! My rules right now include:

1) no more last names for first names, especially if it ends in “son”. We already have a Benson and a Jackson. They both come when I call either name. Handy? Yes. Annoying to them? Definitely.

2) no more “J” names: We have Joshua, Jessica, and Jackson. You should see me when I get tongue tied calling for the kids. It isn’t pretty.

3) nothing that rhymes with Jack. Since Jackson is the closest in age, I assume I’ll be using their names together. So, that crosses off Zach, Black, Barack, Mack, Lack, Tack, Wack, and Knack. That’s half of the names out there… sheesh!

7) Who is coming to perform with the Choir for this year’s Christmas Concert? How can I get tickets? Yes, they just announced yesterday that Brian Stokes Mitchell will be singing with us. If you don’t know, he is a legend on broadway and just oozes personality and class. Please don’t confuse him with the Brian David Mitchell who sings in the Utah courtrooms regularly at his hearings for having kidnapped Elizabeth Smart. He is oozing with personality and weirdness, however. As far as tickets go, I will receive a few tickets but I strongly recommend you register for the random ticket selection process (tickets are free!!) since I doubt I’ll have extras. You may do this anytime between Saturday, October 25^th through Tuesday, Nov. 4^th at mormontabernaclechoir.org. For those of you far away and unable to attend, REGISTER ANYWAY so you can hook up your friends, pass them on to me to give out (bonus points), or sell them on ebay (yes, the demand is so high, there are actually people who do that—totally unreal!).

8) What are you fixing for dinner? My favorite meal is YO-YO (you’re on your own). But I occasionally think ahead of time and come up with a weekly menu that I don’t really follow very well. (I’m sorta going on a whim most of the time—I hate doing what I’m told, even if it’s me telling myself).

9) I can’t imagine having a teenager. Isn’t that scary? Um, no, the trick is to have them think YOU are the scary one. But since that doesn’t work around here, it is also a good idea to remember they are really still kids in big bodies doing all the same things—trying to get your attention, pushing limits, and figuring out what they like/don’t like. Don’t forget, the world revolves around them. This is handy information!

10) I’d like to bring you dinner sometime. What does your family like? Fine, that’s not actually a common question but go ahead and ask it all you want! I can at least look forward to this when the baby is born, right? Just don’t bring it WHILE I am in the hospital because then I miss out on the benefits. (Remember YO-YO? Yeah, they’ll be fine.) We like lasagna, pizza, soup, rolls, and ice cream for dessert.

I want to state for the record, I am taking no more interviews by the media. However, close friends and family are always welcome to call and chat, soapbox, and solve the world’s problems with me—it is a favorite pastime.

Tag I'm It?

Thank you Rachel, for tagging me... I haven't been tagged since tag was a game you played on the blacktop at school, so I feel hip, young, and frankly half my age for doing this!

Here goes! Why not?

5 THINGS

5 Things I was doing 10 Years Ago...

1. Putting Michael through MBA school

2. teaching violin

3. living in married student housing at BYU

4. had a 6 month old, 2 year old and 4 year old

5. bought our first “big car”, a dodge caravan minivan

5 Things I Need To Do Today...

1. Take Aubrey to gymnastics

2. Go to the grocery store

3. Send Benson off with the scouts to go caving for 3 days

4. Go to rehearsal tonight with the choir/orchestra

5. Finish painting Jackson’s letters of his name (actually he paints, I preserve the clothes/kitchen counters etc.) then we will hang them in his room.

5 Snacks I Enjoy...

1. anything chocolate—thank you Halloween candy!

2. Cinnamon popcorn

3. cold milk

4. pb and honey sandwiches

5. moose tracks ice cream

5 Things I Would Do If I Were A Millionaire...

1. go on a cruise

2. save for the kids college/missions/weddings

3. buy a mini cooper

4. re-landscape the front and back yards, complete with waterfall

5. buy a grand piano

5 Places I Have Lived...

1. Gladstone, Oregon

2. San Ramon, California

3. Provo, Utah

4. Phoenix, Arizona

5. West Jordan, Utah

5 Jobs I Have Had...

1. violin teacher
2. dry cleaners front desk

3. receptionist

4. administrative assistant

5. recording gigs

5 People I Tag...

1. Becky

2. Heather

3. Cynthia

4. Kimberley

5. Jen

Rules: Each player (the ones I just tagged-- now you are it!) answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let them know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

NEWS FLASH

Yes, we really did have snow this past weekend, and here is the PROOF!

Feelin' Fairly Fallish

The colder weather is bringing about various levels of elation/panic in our household:

1. Our wardrobes suggest we don't know if the weather is warm or cold, with quite the mix and match... Jackson has been seen around town in his snowboots and shorts, the girls wear flip flops and sweaters to school, and it goes on and on....
2. We are reviewing all of the projects that need attention before the snow comes, and lo and behold the weatherman goes ahead and forecasts an early snow for this weekend. Times UP!!
3. The "outside" cat that came with the house when we bought it had babies this past spring (a pre-existing condition) and will hopefully teach her nearly full grown offspring how to survive outside through the winter-- we are all allergic-- or they will need to find new homes. This is a big worry to all of us. Josh is bound and determined to finish the treehouse before winter so they will have an "indoor" place to be.
4. We finally broke down and bought a snow blower from the neighbor who owns a pawn shop. This new driveway of ours is VERY steep and longish and we will all be grateful for the relief it will bring. Especially the boys!
5. I can't WAIT to start having the fireplace going, actually. I love a good snuggle in a blanket with a good book by the fire. Pure elation. Now the only panic is to narrow down which books I'll be reading this winter! I'm taking suggestions, by the way.
6. Our last home wasn't conducive for much sledding, so the kids built up the snow around the 6 front stairs up to the house and made a permanent ramp/liability suit packed with snow, making it nearly impossible for guests to approach the house properly. Since our new house is built on a hill, there are MANY more sledding possibilities in the back and front yards, so I am determined not to repeat the stair-packing practice. Word is out that Benson and his friends are building a snowboard grinding box-- another addition to our backyard (see earlier post about all of the amenities we currently have back there!).
7. We haven't finished pulling out all of the overgrown landscaping in preparation for our spring garden. As it stands, we have so many deer in our yard that I fear it may be tricky to grow much anyway. Does anybody know any tricks with deer? No, we do not have hunting permits.
8. I haven't gotten in my fall drive up the canyon yet, and the color may have passed already. This is truly my favorite season, and I was hoping to take the family and a camera and create.
9. I'm ready to bake more --complete with yummy soups, chilies, and stews. Who needs special candles when you can cook up real aromas?
10. As much as I look forward to all of the holidays, it is always a challenge to eat right. This year will be even more of a challenge since I'll be ROUND anyway, and eating for two! I'm definitely sensing elation and panic combined when I consider my favorite party foods...

Isn't this the most fantastic season? It just goes by too fast for me, and I can't believe we are supposed to get SNOW while I am still watering my flowers. We are all ready for the change and know that it brings us one step closer to adding our new little son to our family at the end of January. I'm feelin' fairly fallish!!

Sweet Virginia

Michael & I just got back from a weekend getaway... and I'm LOVIN' Virginia!! Getting the kids all set up took a bit of coordination, but other than that this might have been our easiest "drop everything and go"! We stayed with Michael's sister, Cindy and her husband Aaron who couldn't have been better hosts/tour guides-- we had a fancy dinner in downtown Leesburg, took a boat up the Potomac to DC, spent a day exploring the monuments/memorials there, visited their ward, walked around the DC temple, and visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum-- all in 4 days! What did the kids do at home?? Who cares!! Actually, technology is amazing because Grandma Wilson took the kids to Lagoon and shot some video of them saying hi to us, which I was able to receive instantly across the country. We missed the kids a little and they missed us-- not at all!! This is my big shout-out to Grandma Wilson and Nanna for helping keep the kids in line-- thank you so much, and take it from me, I know it ain't easy! :)
One of my favorite things about this trip was the opportunity to really get to know the Cases, in their environment. Their kids have virtually grown up apart from the rest of the family and we miss them! This way we got to spend one on one time with each one and I think by the end of the trip they knew that we are their goofy aunt and uncle and that we love them. I am finding that each family has it's own unique culture and there are always new ideas to adopt and implement to us. The Cases are generous and speak quietly to each other (not that this is a foreign idea, but just uncommon in our loud household). I was trying to figure out what is dominant about our family culture, and I guess I'll have to study that more. If I were to guess, it might be (first I have to get past the initial negative thoughts) that we like to laugh and show each other new things/ideas. I'll have to survey my sister and her family who are coming this weekend for general conference. So take note, any of you who have had us in your home... I am extracting family traits and tricks because you all are amazing!