Pet Peeve #8 - Service Station?

Last night I had an enjoyable time in Lava Hot Springs. Justin and I went there to watch a friend, Ryan Blau, perform at the Riverside Inn. It was a great time, especially to hang out with my brother-in-law, Jason and his wife, Leslee.

Pet Peeve #8 - Service Station? NOT

On our way back from Lava, I really had to use the bathroom. It was only 11 pm, so I didn't even think it would be an issue. Well it was an issue, not one gas station we passed along the way was open. Come on folks... I wasn't the only person that had to go either, each station had a few cars doing the drive-by... Lucky for me, home wasn't very far away!

1st Tooth for Dax

I got a call from Dax's preschool yesterday at work. Like always, I was a bit nervous when I saw the caller ID come through... Kristy, his aunt and also one of his teachers told me that Dax had something to tell me. He got on the phone and told me that he had lost his tooth. I was excited. His sister had tried to pull it the day before with no luck.

When I picked him up, the first thing he wanted to do was call his grandparents and then his cousins, Zoe and Logan. He even waited until tonight to put the tooth under his pillow because he wanted everyone to see it first. What a kid...

Photo Friday #7 - Pauline

This is my step mom, Pauline, with her dashing grand-boys, Dax and Logan. We had a little birthday celebration for her on the 5th. Pauline is an awesome grandma and the kids love to hang out with her.

Pauline is one of the most generous people that I know. She freely gives away her time, support and love to countless others.

Pauline is an Occupational Therapist and her patients get nothing but her very best. She knows her stuff and willingly shares her knowledge with others, on and off the clock.

Pauline is also an active member of the Lutheran Church and I know that she devotes a large amount of her time to fellowship others.

I am blessed to have Pauline as part of my family.

Movie Review - Moulin Rouge!

My brother's "Movie Guilty Pleasure" blog listed Moulin Rouge as one of his favorites. I had never seen it, but Jill had and suggested we rent it.

Within the first 10 minutes, I was beginning to wonder what the heck Jill and Matt were thinking. I was trippin. As I continued to watch it, the story grew on me and so did Ewan and Nicole.

I think I will add this to my movie collection. The music was great and the visual imagery was stunning. I appreciate art that can make me raise my eyebrow.

Job Satisfaction

I work with an awesome group of professionals. I can't tell you how nice it is to wake up in the morning and be happy and excited about going to work.

I work at South Campus High School. This is a small alternative high school that takes in students that are behind in credit, students that cannot learn in a traditional high school setting, or students that have behavioral issues or families that do not support their education.

We have approximately 120 students enrolled and 5 teachers that go above and beyond to help these kids. While education in math, science, language arts and social studies is important, I think our main goal is to give these kids some social skills and a place to feel safe, loved and valued.

Happy Birthday Liz!

My sister-in-law, Liz, was 4 years old when I met her and today she celebrated her 15th birthday. WOW, where has the time gone? Liz is sweet (I have never seen her grumpy), she is a great aunt to my kids, and just look at how beautiful her hair is. I don't get to spend too much time with Liz, but the time I have spent has been fun and enjoyable.

Jill & Liz in Powell, 2003








Liz & Jace in Powell, 2009

Happy Birthday Ray!

This is my father-in law, Ray and my sister-in-law, Liz. Last night we celebrated their birthdays with some cake and ice cream. Ray turns 49 (again) today and Liz will turn 15 tomorrow. I have known Ray for more than 10 years and have been part of his family for 7. I wonder if he remembers the very first time we met... I will leave it at that!

Ray has been very supportive of Justin and I and our family. Sometimes I even think that he likes me more than he does his son! Ha! Ray is very pro-family and likes to plan activities that involve us all, which I am very grateful for. He also adores his grandkids, Dax and Jace, and I know that he would do anything he could for Jill if I asked him.

Ray earned his master's degree in bio-veterinary science and started a business called Frontier Biomedical. We are very fortunate that Ray is a successful businessman because this has given my family the opportunity to do many things we would not have been able to.

For instance, Ray has a beautiful cabin in Bear Lake. He has made it clear that it is available for us to use when we would like to. Personally, I rather like it when the whole family is there because everyone is so relaxed and fun to be around. Ray also owns a houseboat in Lake Powell. Last year, the whole family went and it was a blast. These are memories of time spent with not only Ray and Shelley, but grandma and grandpa Olsen as well. I think that it is important for my kids to have special memories of time with their grandparents.

Here are a couple of memory burns:

-when Daxton was born and I was still in the hospital, Ray would come and visit VERY EARLY in the morning before he headed off to work. He would sneak into our room, wake me up and ask if he could hold the baby. Then the 3 of us would just sit there in the dark and ponder the miracle of life. Sweet or what?

-before I married Justin, we made a trip to "the ranch".

"The ranch" is the property and house that Justin's grandma grew up in. It is a teeny bit run down but the boys (Justin, Jason and Tim) have many fond memories of running wild and having great man time there.

I think we went for Thanksgiving and because Justin and I weren't married yet, he slept downstairs and I slept upstairs. I slept in the same room as Ray and Shelley or rather, I stayed awake for most of night in the same room as Ray and Shelley. Ray snores like a bear... This should have been fair warning for what I could expect in my own bedroom later on!

-we had an interesting and scary experience on the houseboat this last summer. On our way to find a spot to park the boat, we encountered quite the storm. The waves were big and the houseboat was rocking from side to side. Ray was at the wheel and I remember him yelling for everyone to get on a life jacket. Even though I was scared, I knew he would be able to get us to safety, after all his entire family was on board and I knew how special we all were to him.

I look forward to creating many more memories with my father-in-law. Thanks Ray for your acceptance and for your love and support.

Jenn

Pet Peeve #7 - The Sound *Beep, beep, beep...shutdown*

Since tomorrow will have a birthday post, today will be the pet peeve. I have one that actually has to do with tomorrow's post, so it is appropriate.

Pet Peeve #7 - Beep, beep, beep... shutdown.

How many times have I taken my camera someplace only to find, when taking the first picture, that the batteries are dead? Too many times and tonight was one of them. I wanted to take a nice picture of my father-in-law today so that I could include it in his birthday post tomorrow. Kind of takes the fun out of it when you have to use their camera and have them send their picture to you.

Bountiful Update...

Well, we ordered from Bountiful Baskets again this week. This time we ordered the regular basket and their 20# fruit basket as well. Again I am pleasantly surprised. No more shopping produce aisles at Walmart! Yah!

If you have never had an Asian pear, holy moly, they are delicious. Crisp like an apple, sweet like a pear. Needless to say, my tummy has been a little upset this afternoon. It will take time for my body to get used to eating so much fruit.

Anyway, here is what we got this time. The regular basket was even better than last week, it included broccoli and baby carrots as well as celery and cherry tomatoes. We picked up in Hyrum and it was really busy. There were probably 50+ people in front of us and I can't but wonder if that is why our basket had a better selection in it. More people = better basket?

The first basket was $15 and had the following: 4 plummelos, 10 bananas, 8 cameo apples, 5 Asian pears, 5 navel oranges, romaine lettuce, pint of cherry tomatoes, bunch of broccoli, 2 pkgs baby carrots

The 20# fruit basket was an additional $14 and had the following: 2 plummelos, 2 grapefruits, 6 limes, 6 lemons, 25 mandarins, 12 minneloas, 2 pink grapefruits

Again, I cannot tell you how nice it is when my kids want a snack, I have many different kinds of fruit to offer. It is also nice for Justin and I to be able to make better choices for ourselves.

Photo Friday # 6 - Where's Waldo? I mean Jace

Don't you just love sleeping babies? This is a shot that I took of Jace a couple of weeks ago. As you can see, he loves to sleep with his stuffed animals and it may take you a minute to locate his head. At first glance, it looks like he has a mop of hair, but that is just his lion! He also loves to wrap his blanket around his head. Too cute...

Can You Say...

flake

noun. An unreliable person; someone who agrees to do something, but never follows through.

1. John called in sick to work again today. He's such a flake.

2. Jenn said she would not want to disappoint and when she started this 365 day journey that she would not flake out, not even for one day. She's such a flake.

Tax Time - Awkward

Alright readers, I have just finished doing my taxes and I have a HUGE headache and I just want to go to bed... However, I do not want to disappoint and I told myself when I started this 365 day journey that I would not flake out, not even for one day.

As I have said before, I love the site awkwardfamilyphotos.com. If I ever need a quick pick-me-up, this is where I go. In some ways, I think that I am jealous of the fact that these families have captured their bizarreness on film. It's interesting to think of the way these pictures came together in the first place. Are the families making fun of themselves and their oddities or are they just odd families that seriously thought these pictures were awesome? Whatever the case may be, it's entertaining. I particularly like the headliners and comments.

Here's a favorite of mine, probably because I can totally see my family taking a picture like this. I think it would make an awesome Christmas card.

Sour Patch Kid

Thanks to Matt for this memory...

It is always a mother's worst nightmare to get a call during the day from their child's school. Jill must have been 6 or 7 years old and that very thing happened to me. Thank goodness that she wasn't hurt, she was just sick. The secretary, Mrs. Hill, called to let me know that Jillian had thrown up in her class and they wanted me to come and get her. After I picked her up, we had the following conversation (as best as I can remember) in the car...

Me: So you aren't feeling very good today, huh?

Jill: No

Me: Does your tummy still hurt?

Jill: A little.

Me: Did you eat something that made you puke?

Jill: No, but I saw one of the kids in my class eat his booger.

Me: (trying not to laugh) Is that why you threw up?

Jill: Uh huh.

Pet Peeve #6 - Ignoring My Inner Voice

Since I was very young, I have had an "inner voice" that guides, directs and prods me to do things I wouldn't ordinarily do. Since I was very young, I have not consistently listened to my inner voice,which brings me to...

Pet Peeve #6 - Ignoring My Inner Voice

I can't explain it. It's kind of creepy. I see dead people... just kidding! I have an audible voice inside my head that tells me to do things. It usually involves people; although I have been told to "buckle up", right before hitting a patch of ice, or "take your keys", right before I lock myself out of my office. It's pretty random and doesn't seem to talk when I really need it to... Like, where did I put my tax information? As far as people, it tells me to "check the baby", and I walk in to Jace's room at night where he is in much need of an immediate change. Or maybe it will tell me to "check the bathroom", where I will find a couple of students throwing punches. Now you are probably thinking that I can't be ignoring "the voice" too badly if I can recall times that I have listened. Well, let me tell you, I have ignored my fair share of "messages" and only later find out that I shouldn't have and want to kick my own butt.

So today I was talking to a friend of mine. We hadn't talked in nearly a week, which is unusual, but it happens. Last week, I had her on my mind B-A-D. Yah, do you think I called her? Nope, and for no good reason. The inner voice told me to call her... and not just once. Today, after she called me, I find out that she was having a very bad week and probably could have used a break. What could I say? Sorry, but I chose to ignore my inner voice?

Now I could promise that from this day forward, I will never again ignore "the voice". But guess what? The voice told me earlier as I was preparing to write, NOT to make any promises that I could not keep!

How Do I Love Thee?

Nothing like spending a Valentine evening with Dr. Pepper, a bag of salt 'n vinegar chips and creamy dill dip!

Even though Justin is at work tonight, this weekend has been pretty nice. I think it is the first weekend in 6 months that Justin has not been working. We didn't do a whole heck of a lot but it was great to have him home.

I've been thinking all day about what to blog about and I still haven't come up with anything. Blogging has not been a real chore for me; I always seem to have something to say and once I start writing, the words just flow.

A while back, and I mean a real while back, I gave Justin a "Top 100 Reasons That I love You" list. I am certain I could come up with another 100 reasons. I am also certain that there are many that I would scratch off the original list because some things that I used to love about him, now just drive me crazy! :) Seriously though, I am pretty lucky to have such a great husband. I love, love, love him and am so proud of him. Since it is Valentine's Day, I give you...

10 Reasons I Love Justin

1. He makes me laugh.
2. He loves Jill, Dax and Jace to death and is a great father.
3. He is easy-going.
4. He thinks I am funny.
5. He is so good-looking!
6. He doesn't complain about work and is a great cop.
   
7. He lets me hang out with my friends on occasion.
8. He would rather have fun than clean the house.
9. He loves my family.
10. He enjoys just spending time at home with me and the kids.
    

Something New Saturday - Bountiful Baskets

Through one of Justin's friends, we discovered a little Cache Valley secret called Bountiful Baskets. Actually, it is a 4 State co-op that purchases fresh fruit and vegetables at a discount and then distributes them to those that participate. This was the first week that our family participated and it was wonderful!

On Tuesday, I registered on their website and ordered a conventional basket. I paid $15 + a one time $3 fee for joining the co-op. There were several other baskets that I could have ordered in addition for another $10/basket like: 20# fruit basket, Italian basket (spices), Valentine basket (cookies made with natural ingredients, no corn syrup, etc), bread basket (5 loaves of honey wheat or 5 loaves of ciabatta), but I decided I wanted to see what it was like first. Even though I had no idea what would be in my basket, I was pleasantly surprised on a couple of levels. I couldn't believe how many people there were picking up their produce this morning and I couldn't believe what I got for only $15. If I priced this stuff at the grocery store, I would have paid twice as much or more. Here is what I got:

1 mini pineapple
9 bananas
8 fuji apples
1 honeydew melon
16 oz pack of strawberries
3 lg grapefruit

1 10 oz bag of spinach leaves
3 lg tomatoes
2 cucumbers
7 sm yams
1 butternut squash
7 ears of corn

I have been trying to keep healthy foods in my house for my family to snack on and this will help and cost half of what I have been paying at Walmart. I can't wait for next week to see what other baskets are being offered and to see what goodies are in the conventional one. I have heard they have a salsa basket filled with tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and spices... It's like Christmas every weekend!

Check out this website for more details:
http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/

Photo Friday #6 - Jeeju

This was me at a year. Jeeju is what I called myself and at 41, my mom and dad still call me this. Wasn't I cute? Out of all my kids, I think that Jace most resembles me at this age. It must be the dark, brown eyes and large cranium...

Employment Part 2 - Logan

Baldwin Optical, Optician (4 mths)
When I moved to the States in '92 I didn't immediately get a job. I just stayed home and cared for Jill and tried to get acclimated to my surroundings. When I did decide to get a part time job, it was with Baldwin Optical in the mall.

Dr. Bergeson Family Practice, Medical Assistant (6 yrs)
This was an incredible experience for me. Since Jill was just 7 months old when I moved to Logan, I need a family physician to continue her well baby checks. I was referred to Dr. Bergeson by my step-mom, Pauline, who was a patient of his. I had been in to his office a few times, when out of the blue he called to see if I would be interested in working for him part-time. Why not, right? What an adventure this was. I ended up being his medical assistant and being able to assist him with anything from allergy shots to vasectomies! I have many crazy stories that I will share over the next year.

Convergys, Executive Administrative Assistant (7 yrs)
This position was really the turning point for me. I loved being the "behind the scenes" person. When I first started with Convergys, it was called Matrix Marketing. I was on the phone, taking inbound calls from Sprint PCS customers. I HATED IT, but the money was pretty good. I had been on the phones for nearly a year, when I finally told my team leader that I had better get a different position or I'd be finding myself another job. A month later, I was hired on as Assistant to the Operations Manager and then 2 years later, Assistant to the Director. This is where I was able to become fully skilled in the Microsoft Office programs. I was also able to take on additional responsibilities that let me travel and manage others. I made some of my best friends at Convergys.

Logan City Police Department, Secretary (1 yr)
I liked working at the police department and made some great friends there as well. I mean, when has it ever hurt to know most of the police officers in town and who would know that it would come in handy for my next position? This job allowed me to work solo for the most part. It was also a place where I was able to be creative and have fun. I put together the year end report and I also sent Chief Hendricks on his way with a slide show of his career at his retirement party.

Logan City School District, Office Administrative Assistant (4yrs)
This will get it's own special post. Look for Employment Part 3 - South Campus High School.

Beans & Wieners

OVER BEANS & WIENERS




Justin brought Dax and Jace to visit me at work yesterday. There is nothing that makes my day better than seeing my 2 sweet boys walk through my office door. Anyway, we have a faculty picture in our hallway and here is what Dax had to say about it... If you don't believe it, I had 2 witnesses!

Dax: Mom, that sure is a great picture out there...

Me: Yep, we are a good looking bunch of people, aren't we?

Dax: Yah, if you can get past the secretary.

Me: Uh, I am the secretary!

Valentine Fun

Dax's school is having a Valentine Tea tomorrow. I asked Jill if she remembered having the "VT" when she was in grade school. She did... I didn't...

Dax is supposed to dress nicely and I had to laugh at the note that was sent home with him today. It said, "Woodruff PTA is excited to host the Valentine's Tea for our students! This isn't a romantic activity, it is a manners lesson." WHAT? This was probably geared toward the parents that needed these instructions before being sent home from the hospital:

Seriously?

I have fond memories of Valentine's Day when I was in grade school. Sadly, these are the BEST memories of Valentine's Day in my 41 years!

I remember having to bring a small box from home which was typically a pain in the butt because you never had one when you needed one. Shoe boxes were the best. You took it to school, decorated it and then cut a hole in the top. This box would sit on your desk for the whole week before Valentine's Day and collect Valentine cards from your friends and teacher. It must have been my love of mail that made this a special day for me.

Every Valentine's Day while I was in grade school, my mom would bake sugar cookies. They were in the shape of a heart, had pink frosting and little cinnamon hearts around the edges. The best part of the cookie though was the red, gel frosting with each classmates name written across it. It was so cool. I would love to be able to do this for Dax's class, but every treat you take into his class has to be store bought and individually wrapped. I am surprised I haven't seen a note come home that says, "Woodruff PTA is excited when families send treats for our students! Due to ethnicity, skin color, sexual orientation, religion, social status, allergies and the mental health of our parents, we can no longer allow children to eat homemade food. Please bring Twinkies only."

Pet Peeve # 5 - Oh, didn't I tell you?

If this has never happened to you, consider yourself lucky.

Pet Peeve #5 - Oh, didn't I tell you?

• Oh sorry you were waiting for like, 2 hours, did I forget to mention the meeting time changed?

• Oh, we were going to call you sooner but, we're getting together tomorrow afternoon... would like you to bring rolls.

• It must have been a miscommunication of sorts, I thought for sure you'd have been in the loop...

• Hahaha, that's funny... I thought I told you.

• Sign says, "This restaurant has gone out of business. We apologize for any inconvenience."

• "The number you have reached is not in service."

• "My family has been in Mexico for the past 3 weeks."

• I thought you were picking him up! or There were no cars in the parking lot when I dropped Dax off at the school this morning.

Book Review - The World According to Garp

The World According to Garp is the 2nd novel by John Irving that I have read and enjoyed. Like the first book, A Prayer for Owen Meany, it took me a while to get through it, and not because it was dull or poorly written or confusing, but because it was "meaty".

The story has 3 main themes: gender roles, sexuality, and death.

Garp was born out of wedlock, his conception was not from love, but from his mother's want of a child. His mom, Jenny Fields, finds any type of sex act lustful and has no desire at all to be intimate with a man. She takes a nursing position at an all boys school and stays until Garp has finished his studies there. She later writes a book, an autobiography of sorts that brings about her role in leading feminists throughout the world, although she does not herself believe she is one.

Garp turns out to be a caring (and adulterous) husband, a wonderful (and paranoid) parent, and a famous (loved and hated) writer. Throughout Garp's life, many dark and life-changing events, later foreseen by the "Under Toad", shape his character as well as those of his family and loved-ones.

If you like riding the emotional roller-coaster and don't mind removing your rose-colored glasses, you ought to like this book. It is imaginative, tragic and funny...

Employment Part 1 - Edmonton

I like to work. I have had a job since I was 15, so I really don't know what my life would be like without one. Even though it is hard to balance work and family, I manage to do what it takes so that I can be the best possible mom and wife and still have time to put in 40 hours or so in a week. Right now, I have the perfect job to do just that. I have a wonderful amount of flexibility to attend school day functions with my kids and I have all the holidays (and then some) and my summers off to spend with my family. I truly do have the best of both worlds...

Nanny
I moved out of my parent's house when I was 15 and went to live with a lady named Estelle. She had a couple of kids, Shelly (7) and Tyler (3), that I watched for her while she worked at night. She usually left for work around 6 pm and returned home well after 2 am. I was responsible to watch her kids in the evening (feed, help with homework, bathe) and then get up before I went to school/work and get them ready for and off to daycare and school themselves. Estelle was under the impression that I had my driver's license, so I was given the car (when she wasn't at work), a room downstairs, food and a monthly "salary" in trade for raising her kids. I thought it was a pretty sweet deal. I did this for year or so. During this time, I also worked at The Bay, Dapper Dan and George E. Failing. I was pretty busy but I don't remember being very stressed out. I guess you just handle things better when you are a teenager...

Sears Optical, Optician (3 yrs)

I don't have any idea what got me in the optical field. I don't remember interviewing or anything or why they would hire someone that didn't have any training or experience in this field. Either they were desperate or I interviewed well. This job would be the start of a 6 year career in the eye-wear industry. I remember being very nervous when I fit my first pair of glasses and how kind and patient my first customer was. Isn't it funny that I can remember what the frames looked like and that the customer was wearing a suit and tie and had a briefcase? I had many great experiences and met many great people at Sears Optical. Thanks to Facebook, I still keep in touch with many of them. Where are you now, Bob Kowalchuck & Sam Woyawoda?

AOCO (American Optical), Office Manager/Optician (1 yr)

American Optical was actually the company that owned Sears Optical. They closed the Sears store at the mall I worked at and transferred me to the place where they stocked frames and actually made the lenses. While I did most of the secretarial things, like inventory and shipping and receiving orders, I was also trained on how to fill the orders. This was so interesting. Did you know that your lenses actually look like clear, plastic, hockey pucks before they are grinded down and shaped to fit your frame? This was back in the day when coloring your lenses was popular. Do you remember gradient shading in pinks and blues? I loved that part of the process!

Viscon Contact Lens Company, Secretary/Optician (2 yrs)
I don't recall why I left AOCO but I ended up at a place that manufactured contact lenses. This was also an interesting process that I had the opportunity to learn how to do. They only used me when we had a large number of orders or if one of the lab techs was unable to come to work. This place was owned by Rikke or Cora Dootjes. They HATED each other and working with them was always entertaining! All but one of the lab techs were Vietnamese who spoke little or no English. The other lab tech, David, and I spent a lot of time together trying to "survive" our hostile working conditions! He still works there to this day...

Photo Friday #5 - Flower Power

First, I want to wish a happy birthday to Pauline & Mindy. I will blog about them at a later date because I HAVE to include some pictures and I cannot do that until my computer gets better. I can however pull a picture off the internet and blog about that...

This is my favorite flower and in my opinion, the most beautiful flower ever! I love all kinds of lilies, but the tiger is my favorite. One year for Mother's Day, Jill bought me a package of bulbs. I planted them that fall and have not seen them since. That was about 8 years ago...

I would love to have a a tiny piece of heaven in my yard, with an old fashioned swing and a pebble path and lots and lots of flowers...

Dip or Squeeze?

If I have never said it before, I love ketchup. Finally, after 30 + years and many, many letters from consumers like me... ketchup just got better! Leave it to Heinz to come up with this great idea - they just unveiled a new packet design that has a cup-like base for dipping and a tear-off end that still allows for squeezing. And better yet, it hold three times the ketchup of the traditional packet!

Sour Patch Kid

I did not have the pleasure of watching The Fellowship of the Ring in the theater, but in the comfort of my own home. It was Jill, Justin and I and we were at the part where Boromir is mortally wounded by the orc archers. I was getting all choked up, because I kind of liked the guy, when Jill (she was 9 at the time) pipes up and says, "Three darts is too much."

Ever since Jill was a little girl she has had this incredible ability to remember movie lines. Can you guess what movie that line was from?

Ace Ventura

Leave it to my daughter to make me laugh during a sad part of a movie.

Pet Peeve #4 - Mad Cow

Yesterday's post was supposed to be a pet peeve, but unfortunately mad cow took over and I completely forgot. This brings me to...

Pet Peeve #4 - Forgetfulness

Things I have forgotten in the last week:

• my kid at school (again)
• Jace's 2 year well baby check (2x's)
  
• that my hair appointment was on Thursday, not Friday
• Justin's work schedule
• to turn the heat down
• to give Justin's work schedule to the sitter (2x's)
• to buy bread, milk and a shower curtain
• I just thought of something else... and forgot
  
• to turn on the dryer
• to give my daughter a $25 check for school (2 days in a row)

There have been many other things that I have forgotten to do or say and I am sure places that I was supposed to be, but guess what? I forgot...

A Tender Moment

Saturday afternoon my daughter, Jill, comes running up the stairs and into the kitchen to give me a hug. We were embracing when I suddenly let out a big sneeze. Well wouldn't you know the pressure made me fart too. She jumps away from me and says, "Mom, I was about to tell you that I love you and I think you're an awesome mom". I replied, "Well, sorry for ruining that for you Jill."
What else could I say?



You've got to have a big sense of humor to live with me...