Geeking Out!

I'm totally geeking out! Here is Vladimir Horowitz (maybe not spelled right) playing Rachmaninoff piano concerto 3. The whole thing is about a half an hour long, so I'm only putting a couple of highlights. I love Rachmaninoff! Once a few years ago, I was flicking through the channels and just happened along as they were announcing that Andre Watts was about to play Rach 2. I hurried up and threw in a tape, then I literally ran around the room whooping and hollering like a maniac. One of my nerdier moments. I call it the greatness tape, and every now and then, I pull it out and bore the pants off of whoever happens to be around. I love it though, and I'll have to get it transferred to dvd before I can watch it again. Sadly, I think it's dieing. Anyway, here are a couple of clips of Horowitz playing #3. If it totally bores you, at least watch the 30 second one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNJg-gicPTQ&feature=related 4 min. the last 15 seconds is really cool!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IydArFYvvak&feature=related 31 seconds

Here is Andre Watts on Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers is geeking out too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq_ea5RgvOI&feature=related

I lost my link list when I changed formats. I'll have to start a whole new one.

Recovering

Well, the bronchitis is seeing its last I think; my ribs are much better, and I think that we are seeing the end of the stomach flu at our house (keeping my fingers crossed, Lydia & Bruce haven't gotten it yet, but somehow the dog did). I've even done my stairs workout a couple of times and my ribs only complained a little. I think I'm going to try running again next week. Yay! There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I can't believe how big I am getting with this pregnancy already. I just barely hit three months along yesterday (Hooray for second trimester! Although pregnancy wise the first trimester was a breeze. I'm getting good at this pregnancy thing I guess.) Anyway, as I was saying, I just barely hit three months along and I'm already in maternity clothes, and not much else. Almost none of my regular clothes fit me anymore. I seriously hope that it's because this is #5, and not because I'm just getting fat. Well, enough about that. Sufficed to say that I'm feeling much better. I only hope that I didn't annoy anyone too much with my pitiful complaints. Sorry!

Okay, So I Guess I Am In A Bad Way

It is so hard to know the difference, or where to draw the line between laziness and needing to rest because you are injured. I abhor sitting around doing nothing! When I'm sitting very still and not breathing deeply, I don't feel too bad. So, I feel lazy, I feel like I should get up and work. But as soon as I try, boom back down I go. I guess I really do need to be an invalid for a while. It hurts to do everything, pretty much. I walk up the stairs and I'm out of breath. Me! What the heck! What is that about? Anyway, I have wonderful people who don't believe me when I say I'm okay, and help me anyhow. I actually asked my mom to take my laundry and do some of it. I've had 4 babies and two miscarriages, and I've never let her take my laundry before. What does that tell you? Anyway, I guess I'd better be good, so I can get back to normal soon. I hate sitting around. I feel so lazy.

I must say that it is amazing how the Lord takes care of us though. I guess I shouldn't be too embarrassed to admit how poor we are (especially since most of my friends already know that). Yes, I have to count pennies like crazy. I went to the grocery store on Friday and I only got the essentials. I spent $35, because I knew our checking account couldn't take anymore than that. I'm used to being poor. It's not fun, but there are worse things. Anyway, apparently we are poor enough that the bishopric noticed and brought us several large boxes of groceries. More food than I would buy in two normal grocery trips (I usually spend way more than $35, as you can imagine). They even brought us diapers and laundry detergent. Well, this turned out to be timely and much appreciated because not only does it help out monetarily, but I won't have to grocery shop for a couple of weeks. That's something that I'm pretty sure I'm not up to physically at the moment. I also have a wonderful neighbor friend that made dinner for my family last night. I really do have a lot to be thankful for!

It's Funny How Often I Mistake These Two

Last night one of my middle two boys got in bed with me and stayed there. I thought it was Ross this whole time, until I just saw Ross coming out of his own bedroom. Then I realized that the snuggler was wearing different PJs. It was Mark all along. Funny. I mistake them like this all the time in the dark, when I'm half asleep.

Someone Pitty Me Please!! Just Kidding!!!

So I'm pregnant, I've got bronchitis, and I coughed so hard I cracked a rib. It hurts to talk too loud, it hurts if I move just wrong, it hurts to laugh or breath deeply, and coughing is murder. These are all perfectly true statements. (Boy, could I get some free meals out of my relief society sisters or what, if I chose to milk it)!

However, I promise you that it sounds about 100 times more pathetic than it actually is!! My bronchitis (yes a doctor finally named what I've had for the past month and a half) seems to be clearing up a bit. The pregnancy it totally good. Other than feeling chubby, I don't feel pregnant at all. I haven't even been all that tired this time, and I'll hit my second trimester officially sometime next week.

As for the cracked rib, it was little more than an annoyance until I went to choir practice over the weekend and tried to sing for a couple of hours. Apparently singing with a cracked rib is a very bad idea! All that expanding of the rib cage with the diaphragm and all of that... I REALLY made if worse. However, I think it is slowly going back to the "little more than an annoyance" stage. It hurts, but I'm managing. The only bad thing is that I have to lay off of the running for a while. URGH! I actually woke up at 4:30 this morning with no alarm clock. (Today is one of my usual days to meet the group to run when I get up at 4:30). Stupidly, I came down here and started farting around on the computer. -okay add sneezing to the list of things that hurt- It's now almost time for me to be getting the kids up for school. So, I'll be tired for no good reason today.

Anyway, I promise, I really am not as bad off as it sounds. Maybe I should just delete this whole stupid post. This is NOT NOT NOT a cry for pitty! I'm really alright. Mostly.

Justice Strikes Yet Again

My refrigerator got an impromptu cleaning on Thursday, after Justice emptied the contents into a toy box that he had emptied and dragged upstairs. Luckily he only spilled one jar of salsa. It could have been a lot worse, considering that he was throwing the jars into the toy box. It was really not such a bad deal after all, because my fridge was rather overdue for a cleaning.
Here he is this morning having some pancakes with syrup. (Note the empty syrup bottle and the syrup all over him, the table, chair & floor).

The Generous Giver

So, I've been sickly for about a month or maybe even longer, I don't know. Nothing pregnancy wise, it's just my stupid sinuses. They won't clear and my body's been trying to reject my lungs with all the coughing I've been doing. Anyway, I was on the couch all weekend, and missed the Shell (the company my father-in-law retired from) family Christmas Party. This is a BIG deal with Bruce's family. Everyone goes every year and we have a great time. After the party, Ross came up to me, on the couch, and very sweetly gives me an ornament that he got at the party. "Here Mom, this is for you because I love you." Every so sweetly and lovingly. About 10 minutes later he says "Mom, there's another reason that I gave you that ornament. I didn't want it."

John Has Been At It Again

I just got a L.L. Bean (I think that was the name) catalog addressed to "Hardy Dumper."
For a background on this refer to the following:
http://johnandrenae.blogspot.com/2007/03/johns-mail-to-fake-people.html

That's My Man

Bruce has been feeling rather slighted because the children make my blog so much, and he doesn't. So, here's one all about "The Moose:"

This about sums him up! ;)

Here he is boiling the head of a deer that he killed. You'd be hard pressed to find a manlier man anywhere. Not a girly bone in his body. He's never known a stranger. He will talk for hours on any subject, to any person. He's friendly and big hearted. I've never known him to back down from any challenge. A true jack of all trades. There is not anything under the sun that he at least thinks he couldn't do reasonably well to amazingly astonishing, given the chance. Most of the time, he's right. He's a good father & husband, so I'll keep him. He puts up with me, and can usually overlook it when I get cranky, weepy or unreasonable, as I do tend to get (especially in my current condition) from time to time.Here he is with my brother, John the summer we were married. (He's the one on the right)Doesn't he look so little!? He looks about 12 years old. So cute. You know, if it weren't for him, I'd probably never talk to anyone. I used to be quite shy, and still tend that way. But, I've come a long way since being around him. It used to really freak me out how he would talk to perfect strangers in the grocery store. I'm actually prone to doing that myself now. Who'd a thunk it?
And here he is with his cool friend Devon. The two black belts with their matching uniforms and cars. This picture cracks me up! They are so cool! He has recently started back with his Tae Kwon Do. He takes the three older kids to classes and stays to teach. He also enjoys going on the grown up fight night, or whatever that is. He thoroughly enjoys beating each others' heads in with his buddies.

Lament For Hot Cocoa!

Alas, my tub of hot cocoa mix is empty,

and the last mug from the set that we got when we were married is broken!

I had 14 at first. The bowls all died long ago, and I only have a few plates left.

Worry not though, I can make more cocoa mix, and there are other mugs in the world.

Possibly Bad Parenting

I'm a little hesitant about posting this. The kids were having so much fun! Laughter and shreaks of delight and thump, thump, thumps coming from the other room. I used to do this when I was a kid too. So, I filmed it and then I told them that I'm not so sure it was the greatest idea. Not sure if I will allow it again. Such a shame though, they were having such a good time!