Band

Many of you will be surprised to find out that I played a few instruments when I was in Jr. High. I played the oboe, bassoon, clarinet and bass clarinet.

The bass clarinet was the instrument I loved to play, was the instrument that I played the best and was the best looking of them all.

Rich, deep, earthy tone.

Bigger than a normal clarinet.

In 9th grade (this was 3 years into playing) I was given a short, solo part in one of the pieces that we were playing in a concert. Since I typically sat in the back row, next to the tuba player (my best buddy) the teacher decided to put a microphone in front of me so that the audience could hear me.

I remember being so nervous, which was odd because I had played the lead in a few school drama productions. My hands were clammy and I had cotton mouth. This was very bad for a bass clarinet player because the reed on the clarinet had to be kept moist. We were going along just fine and I felt my nerves were calming. When my part in the number came up, I blew... it! I had nothing, I couldn't play, I just froze up. All eyes on me (so I thought) and this horrible, awkward silence.
Boy did I feel like a dumb !

I really felt like I had let the whole band down. My teacher didn't say anything to me and my parents and friends didn't say anything to me. I didn't take another year of band...

It still bugs me to this day when I think about it, even though I laugh when I tell the story.

Jace Cristian Olsen

My baby turned 2 today!

Jace was a welcome surprise to our family. When Dax was about 2 years old, I told Justin that I would not have any more children after I turned 40, this didn't leave much time and I honestly didn't think it would happen anyway.

I won't go into too much detail about the pregnancy because it wasn't fun (like my others were) and I won't go into too much detail about his birth because it was no picnic either. All I will say is this, don't think because your other kids were born relatively easy does not mean all your kids will come that way (and vice versa I suppose)! I have but one regret and that is that I didn't wait for true labor to start before I went in to have him. I went in because I was miserable and ended up having my baby spend his first couple of days in ICU...

Jace was born at Logan Regional Hospital at 12:48 pm on Sunday, January 6th, 2008... just 8 months shy of my 40th birthday. Apparently God knew I wasn't joking! He weighed 6lbs, 12 oz and was 18.5" long. He had dark, curly hair and was just beautiful.

Jace was a great baby. Ate, slept and pooped in his easy-going kind of way.

This is about as upset as he got.

Learned "blue steel" at an early age.

Nothing but cute at a year.

He is still an easy-going, relaxed boy. Nothing bugs him too much and he is pretty pleasant and quiet most of the time. He is cuddly and sweet. He loves his mom. He loves to look at books and his vocabulary these past couple of months has grown enormously. He babbles in his own language like he knows exactly what he is saying. These are a couple of things he says that are cute:

• bob, bob, pants (spongebob square pants)
• matman (batman)
• gude (good)
• meek boo (peek a boo)
• no means yes (usually)
• you do it? I do it!
  

Jace loves to play with cars and he loves to follow Dax around and tries to do whatever Dax does. They have a great relationship. Jace loves his blankets, he has 2 that he will NOT sleep without. He also loves his stuffed dogs and a Grover puppet that he got for Christmas. He likes to play Matman and Star Wars with his brother and I will even catch him at the dinner table flying his imaginary spaceships around and making flying noises.

Jace is an adorable little boy with lots of dark brown, curly hair. He also has my big, dark brown eyes. He is so smart and funny to listen to and is such a joy in my life. Like a friend of my mom-in-laws said, "I could just eat him up!"

I love this little boy of mine...

Favorite Albums (in no particular order)

Here are the albums that I could not live without.
From one end of the musical spectrum to another...

U2-The Joshua Tree

SEAL-Human Being



DEPECHE MODE-Violator



BEATLES-Red Album/Blue Album



OMD-Liberation



THE PRODIGY-Fat of the Land



ALPHAVILLE-Forever Young



ABBA-Gold



APOPTYGMA BERSERK-Welcome to Earth



WHITE ZOMBIE-Astro Creep



ELTON JOHN-Goodbye Yellow Brick Road



PRINCE-Purple Rain



I like all types of music. You already know that Beethoven is my favorite musician and I would definitely have to add him to my "can't do without" collection. I would also have to add my favorite Christmas album, Christmas with Bony M. Maybe a little country like Garth Brooks, Dierks Bentley or some Aaron Tippin.

Do Blonds Have More Fun?

So I hung out with my mom for a couple of hours tonight. She commented more than once (ok, maybe just once) about me being a blond and I thought I would use that for today's blog topic. Thanks mom!

Just before I hit the big 3-0, I decided to make a change... of hair color. All my life I had been a brunette with dark, olive colored skin. Why not? Maybe blonds did have more fun...

The process was uncomfortable. I went bleach blond which meant at least an hour with peroxide in my hair. It was so unbelievably itchy. Not only did I go platinum, but my hairdresser cut it ultra short.

My daughter hated it. My parents hated it. People at work did not recognize me. My roots started to show in like, 3 days. I did not get asked out. I did not have more fun.

It was not for me!

But at least I tried it...

Bath Time

My 2 boys are pretty fun at bath time. Dax loves that he is old enough to watch his little brother, Jace, while they play in the tub together and he takes this responsibility pretty serious. It is fun to hear them talking to each other and splashing and laughing even though I know my entire bathroom will be covered in water... Too cute!

College Bound

OK, a letter came in the mail for Jillian and sat on my counter for the past week (see previous post on mail). It was a letter from Utah State and I just thought it was general information. NOT! My daughter was accepted to Utah State.

WOW. I have the most beautiful, smart, sweet daughter any mother could ask for. Sorry mom, but your curse didn't work and I ended up with a daughter more like you than like me... Wait, was that your curse?

Congratulations Jill! I am very proud of you and I know you will excel at anything you do if you put your mind to it. I love you.

You Might Be a Redneck... but you are MY redneck.

red⋅neck  /ˈrɛdˌnɛk/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [red-nek]
-noun

1.	a glorious absence of sophistication.

Shur'nuff, my man come home from slaving this here morning and take care of der kids for a couple hours so I could slep in. He ain't so bad. He was also gud enough to snow blow and shovel der walk too.

I know I don't tell you of'en enough, but I love you and I consider meself perty lucky to have a man like you.