It's a baby day

Today has been a day of babies ... wanted and not wanted. My beautiful niece was born this morning. She is the wanted one. She is a healthy 8lb 2 oz baby named Eleanor Stephanie Ann Johnson. She has the middle name I never did. I am touched that Pat and Kate would use my name and both of their Mom's (Ann is both of their Mom's middle name.) If I could have chosen a middle name for myself (and who knows maybe one day I will get it) it would be Anne. I cannot wait to meet her. I cried when I heard her name. I am very happy and touched. A nice touch to try and make her my favorite!!

Then about 15 minutes after I got the text about El, I was sitting in my office (this is the part about unwanted babies) and a coworker walked in to give me something. He paused, looked at the floor and asked "What is that on your floor?" I looked down to see the second biggest spider I have ever seen in my lifetime (the biggest was a tarantula that my cousin used to have as a pet ... a pet spider? hm) He was closer to the spider monster, and I am wearing opened toe shoes, so I asked him to step on it. He paused to look at it ... I cowered like a little girl. Now before you call PETSCT (People for the Ethical Treatment of Stupid Crawly Things) on me, I have a strict rule about crawling things: If it is in my living space I can kill it, if I am in its living space I leave it alone. It was all up in my living space right then. So he stepped on it ... and ... shudder ... little spiders scrambled. Like 30 of them. I am still sick about it. It was so gross and my skin is crawling. I am torn between having guilt at killing little babies, and elation at not having to kill them myself!! Enter in a whole scenario where I screamed, my coworker stepped on the little spiders, another coworker got Raid, and everyone came running to see why I had screamed. I am not afraid of spiders, I will kill them, but this scenario might have been bigger than me. A few shots of Raid, a vacuum, and my inhaler later ... all is well! Gross, but well. Have you seen Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets? You know when Aragog's descendants scamper after Harry and Ron in the forest? Picture that only on my carpet, and with baby spiders. My skin is still crawling. Still crawling. Still. Crawling. Still. I think you get the picture.

So today has been a baby day. Welcome Ellie! I need to come up with a blog name for her. I am think Elsa.

A blog tease

I was invited to be insisted on being a guest blogger on my sister’s blog. The blog post is coming. I will keep you in the loop when it is done. So here is the deal with Sister. Not only does she work full time as a mother, she works part time as a technical writer, she owns her own online business AND she could not be more talented when it comes to crafting, sewing, quilting, raising her kids, decorating her beautiful house, sewing, being a good person, helping whenever someone needs help, sewing and sewing. Want to know what I am not talented at? Crafting, sewing, quilting, raising my kids, decorating my house (yet), sewing, sewing, or sewing. (I am good at being a relatively good person and helping when someone is in need, so I can own that.) Sewing and crafting in any form cause me anxiety. Mom and Sister do it without problem. Colleen, in fact, can make stuff up when sewing. The purse I am carrying around that kind of looks like this but with a buckle not a bow? She just made it up! What? Yup. My last purse, she made it up. My wallet? She made that up too, and named it after me. I do not get it. I can sew on a button without any help. What? Yup. So I am in awe of her. Did I mention she can crochet too? I did not. We were at a family reunion last Sunday and I had to tease her because she was sitting having a conversation with our cousin (they are both in their early 30’s) and they were crocheting like a bunch of old women. Bless her.

So when I told her about this blog idea for her successful {The Busy Bean} blog I was super excited when she said yes! A few weeks ago I went down to her place in Egypt and we sewed for the evening on a repurposing sewing project so easy even I could do it. I learned a lot, like A LOT!! For example, did you know that if you tack down the seam it will not bunch? I did not. Also did you know that if you serge an edge it will not fray? So if you are looking for a frayed look this is not the right sewing option. I did not know that. I did, however, know that good music and great company make any project better (can you say Fresh Prince?!) It was a fun night. I love the project we made and have worn it more than once and it is has not fallen apart like the other similar project I made. Spoiler alert, it is a skirt.

What I'll Miss

After high school I moved to Chicago to be a nanny and, though I lived with the family I nannied for, I was in a separate "wing" of the house. I lived with a missionary companion every day in Michigan (sometimes 2-3 comps at a time.) When I moved home I lived in a home with 3 of my siblings until they moved out one by one because they got married. Then my folks were moving home from Seattle and moved into the house with the one remaining un-married brother and I. We have lived this way for a while now. So I have been in a home with people my whole life. Next week I start moving out into my own brand-spanking old house. Alone. I was getting ready for work this morning and had many many different thoughts running through my head.

"Seriously, you are 35 and still live with your folks?"

"Get off my back, I they moved in with me."

"Stop fighting, random head voices!!"

"I do not have anything of my own any more to care for a house!!"
"I need new ... EVERYTHING!"

"Crate & Barrel needs to open stat!"

"I am going to miss so many things that go along with living with my Mom ... like shopping in her food storage."

"I need a vacuum."

"I do not have a microwave oven."

"I'll need to buy q-tips."

"You are single, what the crap are you going to do with 5 bedrooms?!"

"The wallpaper needs to go stat!!"

"Can I live with the ceiling for a while?
"Of course you can, you need a new microwave!"

"You need to find a roommate for the basement."
"Where would you find a roommate that you know you could stand to live with? You have issues, sis!!"

"How odd do you think you are going to look mowing your lawn riding the mower wearing a surgical mask because you are allergic to grass?"

"Cable or satellite?"

"That house is going to be seriously empty ... you have no furniture."
"Why are you suddenly talking to yourself in the second person?"

"At least it is not third person, she says."

Mostly I will miss the comforts of a well established home. A stock pile of toothpaste and soap, a vacuum and broom, dish towels, food, a home cooked meal when I get home from work, a microwave oven and q-tips. I have to go shopping. I hate shopping! That sounded negative. You know the cure for this? Ikea.

#60 - See Mount Rushmore

Yes I know my 101 is technically done, but I am so going to continue to do all of them even if I did not do them in the timeline.

#60 was to see Mount Rushmore. I went last weekend with my folks and a friend. I will blog more about it once I have caught up, but I wanted to share just one pic.

I found out when I got home that my favorite family from Chicago (no offense to everyone else from Chi, but they did feed me for 4 years) will be there this week. Seriously? My timing sucks! I would have loved to see my boys for any reason! D - if you read this before you go - enjoy my friend!! Can't wait to compare notes!

Let the good ducks roll

I have a pal who works for Make-A-Wish foundation here in Utah. Every year they have their Rubber Ducky Derby. This fundraiser helps to raise money to help fund the wishes of sick children. I have to be honest, when I was a kid I always hoped someone would submit my name to Make-A-Wish so I could go to Disneyland. Then I found out you had to be really sick to have a Wish granted, and stopped hoping someone would submit my name.

Anyway, back to the point. Craig is looking to raise some money this year. If you are interested in sponsoring some ducks the link is here. There are many ranges of support from $6 on up. No amount is too small I say, because it all adds up. There is a very small chance that your duck could win the race and you could win ... something. Not the point of it all, but still prizes are cool. The deadline to donate to this duck derby is 8/19 at noon.

Highly recommend.

The Green Head of Jealousy

I am not one who gets jealous a lot. I have bouts of envy from time to time. But usually I just am happy for the fortunes of others. Usually. From time to time, I get the green (pun intended) head of jealousy.

I now have been jealous of my mom twice in a week. Jealousy 1: We had tickets to see Idina Menzel with the Utah Symphony in Deer Valley. When we walked in there were camp chair set up. I asked what they were for because we were told that chairs were not allowed. I was told they were ADA seating. I asked how people get them because my mom has cancer and sitting on the ground was not ideal (what a good daughter!) They gave us 2 tickets to sit there. Well since Kate is 8 months pregnant, she got the other seat. I was so jealous I was seeing green (again, with the pun for Idina.) They were so close they got these great pics during the bows.

Side note, the concert was so great even from the cheap seats!!

So jealousy #2? Mom will be in Chicago today for a week. My Chicago. My town. Mine. I want to go to there too. My boys are there. I am jealous. Jealous of my folks' 2 week vacation, jealous Mom will be in Chicago for a week while Dad is at a conference in Iowa (to be honest I am not really sure if that is where he is), and still a little jealous that she was so close to Idina! I know, grow up Steph. Two of my favorite things in a week and my Mom gets them.

There is a side of me that some of you have never seen (or read) but there you have it. Of course on the flip side, I could not be happier that Mom and Kate did not have to sit on the ground and that she gets to see Chicago, and that I get to meet up with her in South Dakota in a week. I also got to be at the concert, who cares if I could see her well. And I did get to live in Chicago for 4 years. I think we all know what needs to happen now. I just need to go get a pizza from Sweet Home Chicago Pizzaria here in Utah. I think I shall. Who is in? Monday night?

Presidential Challenge

A few things to note: I am a HUGE political junkie and fat!! So when I heard this morning that the President of the United States wanted to push his fitness challenge I was ALL IN!! Are you kidding me? The chance to get a certificate that the President will personally sign and send me (it may looks like a stamp on it and one may think a staffer might send it out, but I know the truth!) So I signed up today.

The concept is to move 30 minutes a day, for 5 days a week, for 8 weeks. (For kids it should be 60 minutes a day.) This is a challenge for anyone, regardless of current fitness level.

Since I also know that I do better when I have the encouragement of friends in a group, I started a group: Drama Queens. I kept it a private group, so people I knew could join and it would be a little more manageable. So if you too are interested in getting a major award from the President himself, and would like to join me in this group, I would love to have you.

Check out the challenge site here: The President's Challenge

If you want an invite to the private group (it will not be found doing a public search on the site) leave me a message here with your email address. I will not publish it on my blog, but will invite you to the group. Comments with no email address will be published on the blog.

Let's Move!!

The Mean Girls

I had a memory hit me today from when I was younger and lived in Washington. We were picking berries so my Mom could make jam. My siblings and I all went to the patch where we could pick as many as we could. After we had been there for a while my bag was pretty full. We were getting ready to leave and some older girls asked me if they could see how many I had picked. I showed them my bag, pretty excited that I had so many. I think you can guess what happened next. Those mean girls took my bag of berries. I remember feeling like a failure for not being able to give Mom berries. I remember crying. Mean girls suck.

Mean girls still suck.