Lizzie: Being Mom/LIFE

Wouldn't recommend it.

I love children. I really do. And I can't wait to have some of my own someday. But my mom's gone to Australia visiting my grandparents who are serving a mission down there and my dad just started a new job so the full-time babysitting job falls on... me.

Being mom is much harder than it looks. Cooking breakfast, lunch, and most often dinner (dad handled a few meals), shipping kids off to their things, cleaning up everything, handling jobs and other stuff is much harder than it looks. I appreciate my mother much more than she left, if at all possible.

First day on the job was one of the worst days of my life. I've been trying to get all of my friends to go to the swimming pool and stuff with me all summer long, and I swear on the one day I can't go anywhere, everybody all of a sudden wants to go to the pool. No, seriously. I got at least 30 texts that day from people that all of a sudden could go to the pool. Or the movies. Or even call night games. It just about killed me to say no. Then Esther and Matthew were "you're-not-my-mom-you-can't-tell-me-what-to-do"ing me all day long...

Nightmare.

The next day was much better. We went to Timp Cove Park with Tyson and Logan and their siblings. Man, I haven't seen those guys in forever... it was way fun. :)

Then when we came home we went to the pine wood derby, where Matthew did awesome! Afterwords, we went and got the Percy Jackson movie.

All of you avid book readers (I'm one too) that get mad at people who love that movie, I'm sorry for saying this but I really like that movie.

Yes, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the book besides the Gods and the name Percy Jackson, but it's still pretty good.

I've gotten yelled at so many times for saying that I like that movie. Geez.

Friday was good too.

Saturday... July 3rd... here's where the fun comes. Saturday was easily one of the best days of my entire life. Top 15 or something... wait...

1. First time I held Esther

2. First time I held Matthew

3. When I found out we were getting Matthew

4. Sealing to Esther

5. Sealing to Matthew

6. Ward campout

7. Ward campout in Duvall

8. 5th birthday (surprise party at Disneyland)

9. Won Sonatina festival

10. Back to school shopping with Mom

11. Field trip to China town in 3rd grade

12...

Okay, ya, somewhere in the top 15.

Got up super early to go to the Provo Parade.

Picked up Tyson and Kylie because they were coming with us to keep us company.

Drove to Provo. Found the perfect parking spot.

Walked to the parade.

Streets were empty. It was awesome.

Chairs were set up everywhere. Also empty.

At this point, we were a little worried. What was going on? Was their a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles and everybody's too busy freaking out and killing people to go to a parade?

I think this 24 thing is really starting to go to my head...

Eventually we asked somebody where all the people had gone. Guess what he said.

"Come back Monday and people might be here!"

He was even smiling when he said it.

Are you flippin kidding me?!? I WOKE UP SO STINKING EARLY ON A SATURDAY TO COME TO THIS!!! PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO BE HERE! JUST MAKE THE PARADE COME!!!

Emphasis on how tired I was all day long.

Although I think I wasn't the tiredest... Matthew was a grouch and Tyson was yawning all day long.

To make it up to us, we got giant doughnuts from Macey's.

Like, giant doughnuts. I got 2 of my favorite kind. You know, the chocolate glazed with Fourth of July sprinkles? Those are the best. And they had the long ones. The super long ones. The six-by-three inch ones. Oooooooh man.

Yum.

Macey's was totally empty, too. Awesome.

We then went home, tried and failed at napping, showered and fixed ourselves up so we didn't look like we had just gotten up at an unearthly hour to go to a non-existent parade, did chores, etc., etc.

Three hours later we were picking up Tyson and Kylie again (this time with Taylor the amazing) to go to the pool. I had a cute red, white, and blue swimsuit on so it totally fit in and it was, like, woah. I have to swim. Let's swim. In my Fourth of July swimsuit.

It was basically amazing. :)

We swam for three hours or so at the PG pool. I think our lives were deeply affected by something out of this world that day because, as with everything else that had happened that day, the pool was empty. It was kind of freaky...

We alternated between the line-less water slide, the line-less diving boards, the empty hot tub, and the deep end of the pool, which is so small that our group made it a lot more cozy than not.

Oh, it was amazing.

Did you know that Esther can go off the diving boards now? She was totally doing some pretty sweet tricks up there! Pencils and... pencils and... pencils but it was still awesome to see her doing that.

We all had contests to see who could make the biggest splashes and who could dive the deepest and who could swim the farthest and who could bump these diving ring things by splashing water onto the pavement with our bodies. That, like many other thing about this day, was amazing... hahahaha...

Once we were done there, we dropped the Maags off (sniffle) and went to...

The one.

The only.

Ladies and gentlemen... TUCANOS!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Man, I love that place.

Meat. Meat galore.

Turkey wrapped in bacon.

Garlic sirloin.

Steak. Medium rare.

And the best... grilled pineapple.

HEAVEN!

If you haven't been, I'm totally taking you. Just save up all of your money for this year and next and maybe we'll be able to go in five years! Yay!

No, seriously. Make Tucanos a priority. At the top of your to-do list for life.

Like, before get a driver's license. Ya. It's that important.

Bam.

So we ate at Tucanos. It's my dad's birthday month so he gets a free meal. They sang to him in Portuguese and everything. It was legit. When they came by to ask who has the birthday, Esther and Matthew and I all stared and my dad stood up. It was awesome to have the 39 year old get sung to and receive a little ice cream sundae with all of us tiny little kids just watching.

That's another one of those "must accomplish in this life" experiences. Do it.

Just do it. Nike.

Hahahahaha... long story. It's kind of an inside joke...

Nevermind.

So.

Then we went to the PG Jr. High to reserve spots for us, the Jensens, Becks, and the Maags.

It was funny because once we set up our blankets and spread them out so we had a ton of space, Esther and Matthew went and played on the playsets so it looked like my dad and I were hogging up the entire field. :)
I got bored and walked to the Jensen/Beck's house. They weren't home. I walked back. I sat on a blanket and took a nap.

It was a pretty eventful time of my life.

I napped until Matthew sat on me. I looked up and everybody was there and I had a million texts. :)

Man, I love those smiley things. Don't you?

Let us now take a moment to appreciate the smiley.

And the winkey.

;)

And the frown.

And the kissey.

And the clown.

:0)

And the angel.

0:)

And the sad...ey? Whiney? Cryey?

:',(

And the boy smile.

Everybody knows the boy smile. I love the boy smile. It means happiness.

Anyways... fireworks.

Way fun.

Cold, but fun. We were all squeezing into blankets (I was covered) and just watching the fireworks.

The best part was when a line of fireworks tipped over and fireworks went everywhere except... up. Know what I mean?

They went flying over to the school. (YAY! Down with the Vikings!)

Hahahahahahahaha... it was pretty sweet.

I mean... *cough* *cough* it was NOT funny. My friend Chase actually got hit in the leg with a firework. People got hurt! NOT funny. >: (

Hahaha... that's an angry face... hahaha... okay I'm done.

So the fireworks were amazing too.

See why it was a good day?

Ya. It was awesome.

K. Sunday was awesome.

Monday was super boring. My dad just switched jobs (yay! He's really excited for this one! He's programming for stock brokers, apparently. Something like that. Sounds boring to me, but he likes it) and so Monday was his day off. He took the kids to the pool.

All the scouts are on their canoeing high adventure thing this week so I couldn't text them and I got extremely bored. Sat around watching movies and playing games and texting one or two people that didn't ditch me for something fun. (thanks guys)

Tuesday was day one of SUMMER CAMP!

And the day I fell in love.

I thought I knew what love was... until that day. This is for real, people. I am in love. Oooooooooooh man.

You know those clowns that walk around with twisty balloons and twist them into millions of shapes? Hats and poodles and monkeys and swords? It's an art. And it has bewitched me, mind and soul.

Never again will I love so deeply as I love creating balloon sculptures.

No, seriously. I'm a pro.

Anybody want a hat or something?

Hahaha... okay so the summer camp theme this year is Disneyland. Every day is a new ride from Disneyland. Tuesday was Goofy's Playhouse. Basically I did a clown school. (I was in charge) For clown school I learned how to make a bunch of balloon sculptures. So cool. I had, like 100 or so the other day. Used them all. Loved it.

Dad promised to bring home another package today. PSYCHED!

I know, you know that I'm not telling the truth... hahaha if you watch that show I LOVE YOU!!!

Anyways... summer camp.

Yesterday was Jungle Cruise. Today is It's a Small World and I'm in charge again. I had to learn how to use chopsticks to be able to do summer camp today! :)

Man, this summer camp thing is really getting to my head. :) I love it.

You know what is also getting to my head? 24! Ahhhhhh!!!

I love that show! I'm totally addicted!

I'M GOING TO MARRY JACK BAUER SOMEDAY!!! I LOVE HIM!!! AHHHHHH!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Okay, I have to go now. I've got another date with Jack Bauer before summer camp starts today. ;) Hasta luego!

Quote of Today: There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it.