It used to be that Adam was the one to try to reason his way around things. Alex has generally preferred to just scream or hit or bat his eyelashes to get his way. (Charming, right?)
Not so anymore.
After being told he couldn't have anymore garlic bread until he finished the manicotti on his plate, I saw him over at the pan of bread.
Alex: "I just can't stop myself from getting one of these. I just can't."
Me: "Well, you'd better stop yourself until you've finished that food on your plate."
Alex: "Well, my 'bwain' is just making me do it."
Me: "Then your brain is going to end up in the corner."
Alex: "Well, then you'd have to take my 'bwain' out of my head, and you can't do that."
Me: "No, I'm pretty sure your whole self would just end up in the corner."
Round 1 - point to Mommy
But I'm pretty sure there are MANY more rounds to come.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Why I Love My Family
I could say I love singing with my family, and that would be completely true. With both my sisters and their husbands in town this weekend, we're getting together to sing in my ward. With the 6 original Casdorphs plus two brothers-in-law, we have a perfect double quartet. Since getting everyone together is so rare, we decided to do a quick recording. I'm not going to vouch for the recording quality or balance since it was just done with a small recording box with an internal mic. But sitting in the middle of the group playing and singing soprano, I got to hear the voices all around me, and it was the best seat in the house.
But that's not why I love my family.
Midway through our hour long rehearsal session, my dad stopped us and said, "I'm sorry. It's just... this verse would sound so great with a Cockney accent. I just can't stop myself from doing it." Curious, I took the bait and asked him to demonstrate. My mom rolled her eyes at me as if to say, "Really, Andrea... you are encouraging this?" And so I took it one step further and asked if we could try it just for fun. Michelle really enjoyed it, too, so after we recorded the serious version, I just had to share the middle of the song, My Fair Lady style.
That's why I love my family.
But that's not why I love my family.
Midway through our hour long rehearsal session, my dad stopped us and said, "I'm sorry. It's just... this verse would sound so great with a Cockney accent. I just can't stop myself from doing it." Curious, I took the bait and asked him to demonstrate. My mom rolled her eyes at me as if to say, "Really, Andrea... you are encouraging this?" And so I took it one step further and asked if we could try it just for fun. Michelle really enjoyed it, too, so after we recorded the serious version, I just had to share the middle of the song, My Fair Lady style.
That's why I love my family.
Friday, June 10, 2011
A Few Good Reasons to Come See "Joseph"
Okay, I get that it's probably the most overdone show in the valley, and you've probably already seen it a million times. But this production of "Joseph" packs a bit more punch than your average show.
Susan DeMill, the director and choreographer, is seriously one of the most talented ladies I have ever met, and it shows in the high-energy dancing throughout. I have never danced the way I've been required to dance for this show!
The costumes, reportedly created for Cougarettes by a woman who didn't understand the word "budget," are truly amazing. I get to wear 7! And we're not talking just dresses, here. Arm bands, gloves, collars, hats, a wig... we're talking the works.
Musically, I've gotten to work with some incredibly talented people including a the 11 teenagers we cast to make up our "Go Go Girls" who handle some of the more complex female harmonies throughout the show. And they are amazing!
The cast overall has a fun personality aided by the fact that there are 3 married couples, 1 bro/sis, 2 brothers, and TONS of lifelong friends. For me this includes Chris Kennedy (who I've known since he was shorter than me) and my best friend from elementary, Rosie {Simmons} Skinner.
And - tickets are only $7 which is a great price for such a quality show. Check out the fun pictures I've included below, and then buy your tickets at draperartscouncil.org.
Susan DeMill, the director and choreographer, is seriously one of the most talented ladies I have ever met, and it shows in the high-energy dancing throughout. I have never danced the way I've been required to dance for this show!
The costumes, reportedly created for Cougarettes by a woman who didn't understand the word "budget," are truly amazing. I get to wear 7! And we're not talking just dresses, here. Arm bands, gloves, collars, hats, a wig... we're talking the works.
Musically, I've gotten to work with some incredibly talented people including a the 11 teenagers we cast to make up our "Go Go Girls" who handle some of the more complex female harmonies throughout the show. And they are amazing!
The cast overall has a fun personality aided by the fact that there are 3 married couples, 1 bro/sis, 2 brothers, and TONS of lifelong friends. For me this includes Chris Kennedy (who I've known since he was shorter than me) and my best friend from elementary, Rosie {Simmons} Skinner.
And - tickets are only $7 which is a great price for such a quality show. Check out the fun pictures I've included below, and then buy your tickets at draperartscouncil.org.
 |
| Not sure why I look so confused, but here is my regular "wife" costume. |
 |
| We call this one "Gangster" |
 |
| Go Go Go Joseph! |
 |
| My stress out moment of the night - "Pharaoh Story" |
 |
| "Cowboy" (with my cute "husband" and AWESOME 1st tenor, Mike) |
And missing from my pictures thus far are "Calypso" and "Megamix" - yes there are more! I would love to see you and your families in the audience!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
For Posterity
I thought recently about this video I made once for a class at the University of Phoenix. It isn't funny. Or interesting. But it was awesome for that class, and I dug it out the other day. After watching it, I decided I'd put it up on the blog just in case I lose the DVD. After all, it is possibly the only record of me pregnant with Adam since I didn't really take any pictures.
Like I said. It's pretty boring. But I didn't want to lose it. So here it is.
Like I said. It's pretty boring. But I didn't want to lose it. So here it is.
Monday, June 6, 2011
A Few of My Favorite Things
I recently fell asleep a short way into The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, but before my eyelids betrayed me, I appreciated Reepicheep's comment on his abundance of words. I can't find the exact quote, so I'll just have to slaughter it through paraphrase. "I'll stop talking when I run out of things to say." (Really, it was so much more eloquent than that.)
Kirk would argue that I, however, often continue talking long past that point. So today, I'll let several cute pictures of certain adorable redhead in my house speak mostly for themselves.
Kirk would argue that I, however, often continue talking long past that point. So today, I'll let several cute pictures of certain adorable redhead in my house speak mostly for themselves.
 |
| I love the "is this okay, mom?" eyes. |
 |
| Mean old Uncle Jack flipped Dylan in the face with a rubber band. Yeah. |
 |
| "Big Bunny" has become Dylan's best friend |
 |
| Acceptable Laundry |
 |
| Eating treats provided by Bradley, Dylan's best friend at Joseph rehearsals. |
 |
| No questioning or apologetic eyes, here. This one is more of a "Hey, Mom!" look. |
 |
| Patiently waiting for the rolls to cook. |
Sunday, June 5, 2011
This Summer
This summer might be a little different than our last several. Usually our free time is dedicated to "living in the dirt," but for a combination of reasons including gas prices and busy schedules, the camping bug has not really bitten me this year.
Instead, we are taking full advantage of our Salt Lake County Pass of all Passes, and despite the weather, have already been to Raging Waters twice. The first day we tried out a few slides, but thanks to 60 degree weather mostly stayed in the heated wave pool. Yesterday we explored a bit more of the park, spending time in the kids area and trying out a few more of the adventurous slides. We packed our lunch (peanut butter and honey) and took a break to eat when the kids started to get whiny.
Each of the boys showed a preference for a certain activity yesterday. Adam was determined to cross the rope. Alex spent the day talking the ears off the lifeguards, a perfect audience since they aren't allowed to leave their posts. Dylan avoided getting more than his toes wet.
I was perfectly content to hang with the kids or lay by the pool and read. Dylan was perfectly content to provide me with a bit of shade. Kirk didn't get to the slides too much yesterday but did at least test out the pink ones for us.
Kirk did talk me into trying a few of the more exciting slides before the season really gets into full swing and the lines get long. The "Roller Coaster" was probably the best waterslide I've ever been on.
The only problem is that I don't quite weigh enough to make the slide work as designed. They were actually gathering data yesterday trying to figure out the weight at which people were guaranteed to make it over the hump. Apparently it is a weight higher than mine, because on each of my 3 times on the slide, I made it approximately 2 feet from the summit and had to claw my way to the top.
Luckily there's a pretty awesome slide next to it which allows you to pretty much free-fall, so I can spend my summer getting my thrills on the green slide. I won't be doing the yellow slide anymore.
The only thing missing from our fun-in-the-sun was some friends. So if any of you are Pass of All Passes holders, let's go together... soon!
Instead, we are taking full advantage of our Salt Lake County Pass of all Passes, and despite the weather, have already been to Raging Waters twice. The first day we tried out a few slides, but thanks to 60 degree weather mostly stayed in the heated wave pool. Yesterday we explored a bit more of the park, spending time in the kids area and trying out a few more of the adventurous slides. We packed our lunch (peanut butter and honey) and took a break to eat when the kids started to get whiny.
Each of the boys showed a preference for a certain activity yesterday. Adam was determined to cross the rope. Alex spent the day talking the ears off the lifeguards, a perfect audience since they aren't allowed to leave their posts. Dylan avoided getting more than his toes wet.
The only problem is that I don't quite weigh enough to make the slide work as designed. They were actually gathering data yesterday trying to figure out the weight at which people were guaranteed to make it over the hump. Apparently it is a weight higher than mine, because on each of my 3 times on the slide, I made it approximately 2 feet from the summit and had to claw my way to the top.
The only thing missing from our fun-in-the-sun was some friends. So if any of you are Pass of All Passes holders, let's go together... soon!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wolfpack Theory of Male Relationships
The first time I noticed a wolfpack was when I was 16. I met Chris Vassel in acapella choir, and later when his friends Jason Staples and Nick Miller joined the choir (because they heard there were cute girls), I became lunch-table friends with them, too. The fourth member, Topher Affleck, was known by all of the choir girls, considering he made Madrigals as a Sophomore.
The thing about a wolfpack, though, is that it can be hard to spot within the walls of high school. Sure, they probably have some classes together and sit at the same lunch table. But with girlfriends and other friends milling around, the boundaries may be hard to spot. But on a typical school day, when that final bell rings, the wolfpacks will head straight to their dens.
For that first wolfpack, the den was Nick Miller's game room. While Topher played "Legend of Zelda" on the left-most TV screen, Jason watched Simpsons reruns on the center screen, and Nick and Chris would have some old-school game going on the Super Nintendo. I found their tight-knit friendship interesting and felt, as I ended up dating Nick, that I was in reality dating them all.
I didn't realize until later that this 4 to 5 guy wolfpack is really a pretty common occurrence. When I met Kirk, his childhood stories were full of tales of his own pack. (Kirk, his brother Mark, Spencer, Joe, and James.) During Oklahoma, I met some guys currently in high school and was quickly able to identify the members of their packs, and - being the mom of 3 potential wolfpack members - I started to really think about my theory.
Here's what I discovered. Guys tend to make friendships of conveniece. I think it goes basically like this: "Whose houses can I walk to from my house?" And those four to five guys become best friends. And then, because guys don't fight and hold grudges like girls do, there's never any reason for them to STOP being friends. So unless they move, they are friends with the same guys from elementary through high school.
Not so for girls.
Girls tend more towards a "best friend," and for many, that "best friend" changes every few years. Girls choose their friends based on compatibility an interests, and - because of fights or just growing apart - choose new friends when necessary.
The only sad thing I've noticed is that, because the wolfpack is a friendship of convenience, it doesn't often last past high school. Sure, the friends keep in touch, but the bond doesn't seem to be as emotionally strong as that of a girl with her "best friend." Kirk's pack disbanded long ago, and the Nick/Topher/Chris/Jason pack - although still loosely bound - is definitely not the 4-for-the-price-of-1 group they once were.
The funniest thing for me is that I can already see Adam forming a bit of a wolfpack. He may be too young for this to be the one that sticks, but I can easily see the kids he's friends with now being the groomsmen at his wedding. It makes me grateful as a mom to live in a neighborhood full of active LDS families so the chances of Adam's wolfpack being a good influence are higher.
Kirk thinks Alex will be accepted as a member of Adam's pack. I think he is kind of hoping for that since he and his brother were in the same pack. I'm just hoping for our house to be the den, so I can keep a close eye on my little wolves. Trust me, I'm taking notes from Nick's mom since she so successfully created an enviroment where the pack felt welcome.
Video games - Check
Space where the boys can hang out - Check
Trampoline and basketball hoop (ideally right next to each other) - Someday...
Snacks - Yeah, I'm saving up
The thing about a wolfpack, though, is that it can be hard to spot within the walls of high school. Sure, they probably have some classes together and sit at the same lunch table. But with girlfriends and other friends milling around, the boundaries may be hard to spot. But on a typical school day, when that final bell rings, the wolfpacks will head straight to their dens.
For that first wolfpack, the den was Nick Miller's game room. While Topher played "Legend of Zelda" on the left-most TV screen, Jason watched Simpsons reruns on the center screen, and Nick and Chris would have some old-school game going on the Super Nintendo. I found their tight-knit friendship interesting and felt, as I ended up dating Nick, that I was in reality dating them all.
I didn't realize until later that this 4 to 5 guy wolfpack is really a pretty common occurrence. When I met Kirk, his childhood stories were full of tales of his own pack. (Kirk, his brother Mark, Spencer, Joe, and James.) During Oklahoma, I met some guys currently in high school and was quickly able to identify the members of their packs, and - being the mom of 3 potential wolfpack members - I started to really think about my theory.
Here's what I discovered. Guys tend to make friendships of conveniece. I think it goes basically like this: "Whose houses can I walk to from my house?" And those four to five guys become best friends. And then, because guys don't fight and hold grudges like girls do, there's never any reason for them to STOP being friends. So unless they move, they are friends with the same guys from elementary through high school.
Not so for girls.
Girls tend more towards a "best friend," and for many, that "best friend" changes every few years. Girls choose their friends based on compatibility an interests, and - because of fights or just growing apart - choose new friends when necessary.
The only sad thing I've noticed is that, because the wolfpack is a friendship of convenience, it doesn't often last past high school. Sure, the friends keep in touch, but the bond doesn't seem to be as emotionally strong as that of a girl with her "best friend." Kirk's pack disbanded long ago, and the Nick/Topher/Chris/Jason pack - although still loosely bound - is definitely not the 4-for-the-price-of-1 group they once were.
The funniest thing for me is that I can already see Adam forming a bit of a wolfpack. He may be too young for this to be the one that sticks, but I can easily see the kids he's friends with now being the groomsmen at his wedding. It makes me grateful as a mom to live in a neighborhood full of active LDS families so the chances of Adam's wolfpack being a good influence are higher.
Kirk thinks Alex will be accepted as a member of Adam's pack. I think he is kind of hoping for that since he and his brother were in the same pack. I'm just hoping for our house to be the den, so I can keep a close eye on my little wolves. Trust me, I'm taking notes from Nick's mom since she so successfully created an enviroment where the pack felt welcome.
Video games - Check
Space where the boys can hang out - Check
Trampoline and basketball hoop (ideally right next to each other) - Someday...
Snacks - Yeah, I'm saving up
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
