Saturday, September 1, 2012

Cazier

I just watched this documentary (because that is what I do at work) about love and finding "the one" and everything that goes into that. It was really interesting.

One thing that the documentary mentioned, that all documentaries about love mention, is that you marry someone like your opposite gender parent. So I would marry someone like my dad.

I never knew my dad growing up, so I've always thought that that isn't true for me. How could I marry someone I didn't know?

I'm a firm believer in nature & nurture. Meaning, neither nature nor nurture can be the entire reason we are the way we are. I may be attracted to people like my dad because of genetics, but a lot of the reason I picked Nathan has to do with nurture.

I know, I just said I didn't know my dad. And that's still true. (I did not jump into the TARDIS and relive my childhood differently in between paragraphs here.) I did know, however, another dad.

I spent a lot of my childhood days at the Cazier's house down the road. First thing in the morning (or afternoon, I am not a morning person), I would go to play with Rachel. I stayed there all day and well into the night. They were like family to me. Sometimes, I would wonder what it would be like if I was a Cazier. I wanted so badly to have parents like Rachel did.

Brother and Sister Cazier's relationship ultimately affected how I view relationships now. It's an implicit memory tucked away. To me, their relationship was a happily ever after that I wanted. I still want it.

I picture my family being a lot like theirs. I picture my kids getting along for the most part. I picture them all watching TV together, or playing games. I picture them knowing they're loved.

I remember the first time I ever really saw/heard them verbally communicate that they loved each other, I was in shock. In my eyes, their love was all totally unspoken but fully understood. Hearing them say it to each other made me realize how very much they all love each other.

To me, that is happily ever after.

So Thank you Caziers. For rocking my world from the beginning.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Field Trip in the Rain

A week or so ago, B asked me if I could take work off and go on his first grade field trip with him. The field trip was walking up Provo Canyon and playing games at the park.I gave my hours away at work. I did my homework. I got snacks, water bottles, and hats ready. We were so set.

Yesterday rolled around, and I got sick. I left my Avid class early. I facebooked into work sick (it's the new thing, no one "calls into work" anymore...), I stayed home and watched TV until my legs practically fell off. I was really miserable. Part of me wanted to just sleep until Sunday, but the whole reason I relaxed all day was so I could get better for today.

This morning, I woke feeling somewhat sick, but I was not about to let B down. I checked the weather, 70 degrees for the high. Peeked out my window. Went upstairs for food. B came out of his room and with every step he took, he threw up. Leaving a trail of vomit down the hallway, he collapsed down on the bathroom floor and cried.

B tends to get really excited about things. For the past few days he has been chattering on about the field trip and our group, and the lunches, and the games. He was beyond excited. That's what I figured caused his sudden onset of sickness. But C has been home sick for a few days, I was sick, D has been sick, Grandma just got over being sick (not like any of this is news, we all get sick easily). I decided we would chance it, and if he didn't feel better, I'd just have someone come pick him up or I would carry him. (Thankfully he is still smaller than me, for now.)

B and I got to school, we got our school lunches, talked to the lunch ladies who remembered me... which amazed me because I barely remember going to school there. We got into our groups and we set out. My group consisted of B, Slade, and Mercer. (For some reason, naming your children "John", "David", or "Ben" is now ridiculous and no one does it...) We had a pretty good little group. Three boys, who were nothing alike, at all.

We had B who gets along with everyone, and loves to learn. We had Mercer who loves to go to concerts, wear skinny jeans and pretend to smoke with his lollipop stick (yes, he called them lollipops). We had Slade who is your classic little nerd, he told me about his parent's honda, and how he wished he had brought his favorite stuffed animal with us. All little first graders are essentially the same. If you just listen to whatever they have to say, they'll always do what you ask. It works on K, on C, on B and especially on D. Just let them talk it out and they'll stay out of trouble. That's the approach I took.

For the mile or so it is from their school to the canyon, I listened to all three of them talk at the same time about bombs, and power ups, and race cars, and dump trucks, and teddy bears, and legos. It was a long mile... =)

We got to the canyon and it started getting windy. I mean, it's always windy in the canyon, but I think if I had been wearing a flowy shirt, I would have taken flight. It was bad. B and Slade had jackets, and I had mine in my arms. Mercer didn't have one. We were walking into a storm (because that's the best place to walk...), so I didn't want to put my jacket on and leave Mercer cold. The boys didn't wear their jackets in the canyon.

We were five minutes from the park, and the wind picked up fiercely. Sticks the size of small trees were blowing at us, dirt was everywhere, and the river spray was soaking us through the trees. The boys enjoyed this. They pretended they were warriors and masters of elements and they caught sticks tumbling across the road and made lots of sound effect noises. I just tried not to let them blow away or get dirt in any of our eyes.

We made it to the park and the clouds opened up and just dumped is all out on us. I gave Mercer my white jacket, zipped B's up, and helped Slade turn his the right direction. Then we ran to a pavilion to keep warm.

It was REALLY cold. We had about 75 children and about 20-25 adults. Something like that. Most kids had brought jackets, but some were in shorts, t-shirts and sandals. I had already given my jacket to Mercer. Every adult brought a jacket. We know when to bring jackets. Kids don't. Some of the moms called their husbands for jackets for themselves. One lady called her husband for towels, blankets and jackets. She kept giving me jackets, so I kept giving them to cold kids. Right before lunch, Grandma and Ashley brought me three more jackets. I was so excited. I put one on (I only had a cami and a light shirt over it). I took the other two and gave them to kids who passed them around to get warm. Some of the little girls started crying because they were hungry and cold. So the lady with blankets huddle them together and I pulled out my grapes and gave them to her and a few other kids who were cold and hungry.

I eventually ended up without any jackets, but the kids were warm during the downpour.

Lunch time came and we passed the lunches out to the kids. Someone forgot some lunches. Slade was without a lunch. So I gave him mine. He gave me back the graham crackers...thoughtful...

 He was fed. That was good.

I was cold and hungry, but I got some hot chocolate. It was soooo warm. Some mother brought up a bunch of it. I was about to drink mine when out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy spill his. He slipped and lost his cup. So I gave him mine. He would have had to wait in the back of the line for another one. He was excited to not have to wait for a new cup.

I standing in the cold, shivering my butt off, when one of the mothers, wearing two jackets came up. She said "Aren't you cold? I'm freezing and I have two jackets. I'm thinking about asking my husband to bring me a third." In that moment, I wanted to smack her and say "Hello! Earth to mother! There are three little kids huddle together under a towel who would kill for a jacket!" But I didn't.

We decided to have a bus come and get us rather than try to walk back down. The bus came and we were all excited. (except I got car sick on the bus...I don't like school buses.)

We got back to the class, and I gathered all my jackets back up. I now have to bleach them and scrub the mud out of the sleeves. haha.

In the class, B took off his socks and shoes to let his feet warm up. His shoes had holes in them and his socks got all wet (He didn't bother to mention it during the downpour...of course). I sat down, and swapped him socks. Well really I just gave him mine, there was no way in heck I was going to wear a boys dirty wet socks. Ew.

I walked around without socks in my shoes, which isn't a big deal to most people, but that was the most gross thing ever. My feet don't go into shoes sans socks. But this was important, I didn't want B to get sick.

As I was gathering everything, the other mothers were so astounded that I was willing to give up my jackets and go cold for some kids I didn't know, or trade my socks to my nephew. I was more amazed that they didn't feel at all bad for wearing two jackets while kids went cold, or share their lunches when the kids got hungry. I knew I was headed home to a warm bed and dry clothes. I was fine. I've survived the death hike (another story for another time).

Anyway, It was an awesome day, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat...except with rainboots, an umbrella, and gloves to share. It was really cold.

When I got home, soaked, my hair in messy curls everywhere, my make up smeared, D says "Mugie, you're all wet! Didn't you bring an u-bell-a? Next time bring one." (D can't say umbrella to save his life. Ask him sometime. It's funny,)

That's my day so far. Now I'm gonna cuddle in bed, pretend to not exist and watch Switched at Birth.

Enjoy this picture:(or not)

I think this is what Grandma pictured me wearing (or not wearing) when I told her I gave all my jackets away. I promise, I was not this naked. I had a shirt, skinny jeans and my converse. I was fully clothed, cold, but warmer than them I bet!