I guess I don't have to exercise anymore...

Did you know that banging your head against the wall burns 150 calories an hour? I know. I can't believe it either. And to think I wasted all that money on a treadmill.

My latest project

I know....it's destined to end up on my pile of unfinished crafty and sewy things, but I just can't help it!! I HAVE to make this for Abby! Or start to make it anyway.


I found it here, just in case you were wondering. ;)

Garden as art

I just picked these today! Aren't they beautiful?

bleh...

Yet another month flies by. Two camping trips passed without disastrous incident. I'm behind on everything else in my life, like usual, and feeling a little inadequate at the moment. Ok, A LOT inadequate. Don't you hate those moments when you feel like you are ok at most things, but just not good enough at anything? I feel like blowing a great big raspberry at life and if I was good at typing sound effects, I would do just that.

So anyway, I will postpone the pity party I was just having with myself and I will catch you all up on my life as of late.

Like I mentioned above, we had two camping trips with two very different groups of family members in the space of two weeks. We came home from the first, had two days to prepare for the next, then left to spend four more luxurious days in the high Uintahs. (did you catch the sarcasm there?) I will spare you the details, but will just say that both trips were very fun in different ways. I didn't catch a single fish, though. I am a little irritated to say the least. Abby, however, caught at least ten, but they were all plastic and colored hot pink. Dang...she is so cute!


The two middle children start school next Monday and not a moment too soon! I love their guts, but I am craving routine, a cupboard that still has food in it and most of all, a quiet moment here and there. I know, I know...in a couple of months I will be wishing I didn't have to worry about homework, getting up early and wanting more time to spend with them. But we always want what we don't have, right?

Abby is finally potty training. Well, let's say that Shawn and I have finally decided to make her because we are sick of diapers. The funny part is that Abby is totally capable of doing it, but she simply doesn't want to take the time out of her full-time playing and movie watching schedule for such things. So we have a few little accidents (the latest was in my bed this morning...UGH), but she is doing pretty well. We have figured out that bribing her with pink, sparkly Hello Kitty stickers is a nice incentive.

Well, life is calling me and I am experiencing a rare moment of motivation right now, so I better get off this computer and go do something and only get half way through it. :)

Oh this is so pathetic

I cannot believe how fast the time goes! Seriously. It's disgusting. It's been almost two months since I have posted anything and it is not, dear reader, because I have nothing to post. It is because I am a lazy, good-for-nothing blogger.

So, let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up...

Seth got baptized a week ago. We decided to do a double baptism with his cousin, Kade, since they were scheduled to be dunked the same day and we really didn't think it was very nice to make our families decide which baptism to go to. It was extremely cool and Seth was so excited. He is just the funniest kid and sometimes I'm not really sure where he gets some of his ideas. When our neighbor asked him on Sunday how it felt to be baptized he responded, "I feel fresh and clean, kinda like I was brainwashed." It's a good thing our neighbor has a sense of humor. Otherwise she would be wondering what kinds of things those Shipley's are teaching their kids.

p.s. If you talk to Seth in the near future, could you please not mention that I told you this? He got a little irritated with me last time because I broad casted his future career plans to the blogging world. Thanks! ;)

Funny for the day

Today's funny comes from Seth:

"Mom, someday when I have a job I am going to have a big building. It's gonna be half scientist potion lab, half hospital and half Chinese restaurant!"

Gosh, I love that kid.

My life: part 1

Hello to everyone who reads my blog! All four of you.

Life is oh so busy. Here's an update on one little part of my life:

I started a new position at work a couple of weeks ago as a compounding pharmacy technician (in training). For those of you who are thinking "Huh?" right now, I will explain. In a compounding pharmacy, of which there are very few, we make specialized prescriptions for creams, capsules, suspensions etc. It is a lot like cooking, except I use chemicals, drugs and scales that measure milligrams. Here is a picture of what I look like at work:

Except this isn't me. I haven't actually taken any pictures of myself at work. This is just a picture of some girl in a pharmacy in a land far, far away. :) And I actually don't wear a lab coat, I wear scrubs with a long sleeve shirt underneath.

The good thing about this new position is that in about 3 or 4 months I will have my pharmacy tech license and hopefully a nice raise! Plus I will have compounding experience, which is apparently a very valuable thing in pharmacy world.

The bad thing about this job is that most of my coworkers are ticked at me because they wanted it too. I had no idea it was so coveted. I think it's because you get to basically wear pajamas to work. I'm pretty sure the two main reasons I was given the job are because 1) I know how to cook and 2) I am done having children. Some of the chemicals we use can be hard on the baby making process, so they don't want to give this job to a 22 year old youngin' only so she can quite 6 months later when she decides to start having babies.

Anyway....putting all of THAT aside, I really love it!! It is extremely interesting and I think I am pretty good at it. There is a lot to learn. I still only work a few nights a week, so it will probably take me forever to learn everything. It's very technical and a little bit nerdy, which suits me just fine. :)

Just cross your fingers that I don't drop and break something important.

Kids say the darndest things

These are all from this morning and it's only 8:30 a.m.:

Me: "Abby? What would you like for breakfast?"
Abby: "Umm...how 'bout...a cookie?"
Me: "You need to eat breakfast first. How 'bout eggs and toast?"
Abby: "Ok, ya...that's cool."

**************************

Abby walks up to me this morning after she has removed all of her clothing, including her diaper. Picture her with a very triumphant look on her face.
Me: "So...Abby...where is your diaper?"
Abby: (silence, still looking rather proud of herself)
Me: "Do you want to wear some big girl panties today?"
Abby: (thinking for a moment) "No. How 'bout some slippers?"

**************************

Seth: "Mom, do you know what I decided I'm going to be when I grow up?"
Me: "What?"
Seth: "A scientist."
Me: "Really? That is awesome, Seth! Why do you want to do that?"
Seth: "Because I wanna make those potions that will turn people into different characters, you know, like they do on Zelda."
Me: "Seth, you need to lay off the video games."



So now I'm wondering...do you think I'll still get the "Mother of the Year" award?

Thoughts for the day

Does anybody else have a tendency to stay up too late and think too much? Everyone else in my house is asleep and here I sit, over-analyzing my life. I guess it comes with the job of being a Mom.

Speaking of jobs, I started a new job (sort of) at the pharmacy. I get to ring up prescriptions instead of OTC stuff. Exciting, eh? I know.......you wish you were me. Eventually I hope to train as a pharmacy tech, but that won't be for a few months. I have really been liking this new thing. I am back in the pharmacy with co-workers instead of in no man's land at the other side of the store, all by my lonesome. It can get pretty crazy back there in the pharmacy with 7 phone lines ringing and 10 customers in the lobby waiting to pick up. But I kind of like it! I like the fast paced work. It's sort of fun, for a job anyway. Probably the novelty will wear off soon, but I am determined to enjoy it while it lasts.

As a result of me being gone for three nights a week, Shawn has decided to learn how to cook. That idea was a little scary to me at first since Shawn's normal idea of cooking is macaroni and cheese. The boxed kind. He says that after a year of me working nights, he is sick and tired of eating macaroni and cheese and other such dinners. So he decided to do something about it. I have to say that I am very pleasantly surprised at how well he is doing. His specialty is chicken fajitas and they are GOOD! Like so good that I look forward to having the leftovers for lunch the next day. He chops, marinates, bakes, broils and whisks like a pro. He even finds his own recipes to try! On the nights that I am home we cook together and I have discovered that I really enjoy that. Yay for us! Who says that after 15 years of marriage, you can't find new things in common? Plus the kids say that they like his pancakes better than mine. I have to admit, that hurts a little. I make mine from scratch and his are just the Krusteaz add water kind. But Shawn is very proud of that compliment from the kids, so he can have it without me whining.

Ok, I'm starting to fall asleep sitting up at the computer, so that means it's time I go read my book in bed for 20 minutes until I literally can't keep my eyes open any more.

nigh nigh everyone...

Pretend there is a witty title here

Because all I really wanna say is that I finally got my ears fixed, meaning the lucky medical assistant got to clean out the disgusting wall of wax that was in my ears. So gross. And we will just leave it at that. But I feel like a new woman now that I can hear again! I think I take for granted a lot things, until I don't have them anymore.

But such is life. Be grateful.

p.s. Doctor's advice: Never use a q-tip in your ear.