Nothing much to say. I'm just packing to go on a week flyfishing trip with my Dad through Montana and Wyoming so my focus is elsewhere. But Hannah and Jantzen were together this weekend and we took these cute pics. They are almost grown up. Sigh...where did the time go?
Gentry ready for her violin performance Mom and Hannah before our racquetball game Jantzen looking spiffy for Prom I just have to spent a minute talking about how grateful I am to have my son home. He is a joy. THIS is what it must be like to enjoy teenagers in the home. Since he has been home, we've enjoyed each other more than any other time I can remember. He is not only funny and pleasant to be around, I am just so proud to watch him blossom as a young adult. He is at Snow College part time and Manti High school part time. In addition, he holds down a part time job. His teachers love him. It's like I got my old boy back. The glint is back in his eyes. We have great conversations together, and he's so good to help out shoveling the walks when it snows or helping around the house when asked.
I still worry about him falling back, but our communication is good and he doesn't take offense when I want to talk about the patterns I worry about. He's actually become the emotionally healthiest one of all of us, and has a great ability to see things from an objective perspective--He is teaching me every day.
Lest you think he's perfect, he still eats like CRAP. If you are what you eat, he's a Mountain Dew and McDonalds french fries, but I can deal with him being human. Yes, he still tests boundaries but we work through it much better than we used to.
He's a good...no GREAT...kid and having the opportunity to have him home before he takes off for college is the best gift I could ask for. Thanks everyone for your support and love over the past year. I really think we did the right thing and I can look back and see what a difference it's made. I love this kid.
We had the traditional Trinnaman Oscar party last night in beautiful Ephraim, Utah. I was so happy the clan decided to tailgate to our neck of the woods so they could see the place (and double the population in town).
Dad came ready to defend his ongoing championship title, but I ended up taking the grand prize with my Sean Penn pick for Best Actor. I got to present myself with the grand prize check of $500.00 signed by Brad Pitt. Such a pity dad didn't win the only year there was such a good prize.
Among the sisters we picked apart dresses, jewelry, lip injections and Botox. And of course, we had a moment of silence when Liam Neeson came onstage. Perhaps the highlight of the night was the Indian dance and vocal rendition Luke and I performed of the winning song, Jai-Ho.
We had homemades soups and chili's, cookies, chex mix, and some killer potstickers. I got to go to bed fat and happy, while the others had the long drive ahead. It was a nice switch. It was so great to see everyone that I'm left feeling homesick for them all today.
Pretending I'm surfing and it's warm outside We really think she can do better in her choice of men... Joshua James Concert--Where's cool mom? Oh, yeah, taking pictures.
It's been almost a month since I wrote last and there really aren't that many notable things to write about even after a month. Still doing well in school. I'm sculpting now...making an incredible "thing" that will be a perfect White Elephant gift for a lucky someone next Christmas. Kind of looks like Mr. Potato Head with the top of his head chopped off.
And can someone please get me some ethnic food here in Ephraim?! I'm turning into a senior citizen here. White bread, meat and potatoes. Ick. I went to Walmart the other day to get some Tahini Paste and they send me to the pharmacy. So I changed it up and asked if they had lemongrass and they said I could get it at the local co-op but they only had the basic varieties of grass in the Home and Garden department. Help!
Jantzen, Hannah and I went to the Joshua James concert in Manti last week. What a great artist. He sounds a lot like John Mayer. The dean of the music department is letting me book concerts at the Little New York facility. I will put together a whole season of artists from all kinds of genres of music. Fun.
Kevin got called to be in the student ward bishopric. Should be a lot of fun for the family. He'll be perfect. Basketball season is Kevin's latest focus. Four games each weekend. He's in testosterone heaven.
Kayla is working hard on her play. She got the lead role! Gentry just started up baseball in addition to her swim team. Jantzen is having the time of his life as an official "babe magnet" in Ephraim. We're having a great time taking pottery together. Hannah moved to Salt Lake and is now living with her dad.
I've got a bit of the winter blues. I need spring to come quickly. I'm ready to hike, to fish and to travel. I've read far too much and it's time to get outdoors again! Must...get...air...cough...sputter.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
After a grueling week of drawing cats, cubes, and fake fruit, I have withdrawn into a more cerebral side. All I needed was the slightest provocation to get excited again about writing. My professor was waiting for me outside of class and motioned for me to join him in a quiet conversation. "Oh No. He's sending me to remedial writing class. It's the run-on sentences. They've done me in. (NOTE: there are no run-on sentences in this BLOG entry). But to my delight, he was simply asking permission to use my paper as an example to read aloud in class. Although he did not use the words "Brilliant" in any of his comments, I think it's safe to say that his demeanor of mild enthusiasm certainly counts for something. Honestly...this guy comes to class in sweatpants, a Beatles T-shirt and slip-ons with no socks each day. If I'm reading him right, this was definitely a good thing.
As for art, I finally turned in my cat drawing. The face and legs looked like there was Easter Bunny in-breeding but I think that's OK--it's still in the animal family.
Ceramics is a mixed bag. I made a truly spectacular "tall thing" yesterday, but the teacher says it isn't spectacular enough to keep yet. My goal is to create a Tenmoku Glazed Teapot but apparently that's about 10 steps up from making "tall things".
Jantzen and Whitney are now attending Snow College as well and loving their experience. We have signed agreements barring me from any communication with them if we pass on campus. Fortunately, Kevin thinks it's cool I'm a student and regularly meets me for lunch in the cafeteria where he flirts mercilessly with me.
It's only been...let's see...22 years since I was a college student. But here I am, a bit over-aged, saggy boobed, and wrinkled up but I'm keeping up with the best of them. I think the official term is "non-traditional student".
I'm currently pretending to be a talented art major. I try to pull the "hippest" clothes that don't match from my closet (because art students always wear clothes that don't match), sling my backpack over my shoulder and head out right after the girls leave for school. While the girls are studying history and math, I have my charcoals and sketchbook out, followed by throwing some pottery on (or flying off) the wheel. Then it's on to jewelry-making and creative writing (Who KNEW that I was doing it ALL wrong all these years. For example, this blog is very poor writing form especially this part in parentheses and this run on sentence and I DON'T CARE). My self-portrait today in class looked suspiciously like a cartoon sketch of a Teletubbie. Makes for a good improvement grade at the end of the semester.
I occasionally meet one of my neighbors at the cafeteria for lunch ...you know, so we can check everyone out...and then head home to put my 41 year old mom hat on for the duration of the day.
All I know is this: I cannot draw worth a dang. That cat we drew today really threw me for a loop. But I'm going to keep drawing cats til I can make one that actually looks like a cat.
As for the creative writing, our assignment today was to finish this sentence. The world would be better if..... and I think my answer would have to be...if only there were no cats. I think there are a lot of you out there who would agree.
We started off Christmas at home with our ugly Christmas tree in Ephraim. On Christmas morning, the kids unwrapped their gift: Wicked Tickets in New York! We flew out on the red-eye that night for 4 days and 3 nights of pure New York City.
But before we left, we had a fun afternoon with our new friends in Ephraim. We had Christmas brunch at the house, complete with 3 kinds of quiche, gazpacho, breakfast casserole, grapefruit, and fruit sangria. Then with full stomachs we embarked on a four-wheeling and sledding extravaganza. It was bitter cold, but we had a great time.
We came home just in time to leave to New York in the SCARIEST storm of the season. I was crying, saying the rosary, you name it. Just get us to the airport in one piece! There were 8 of us crammed in the 4 runner with our luggage on our laps to the ceiling. I'm convinced the weight in the car was the only thing that kept us on the road.
In New York, we took in fifty degree weather while we shopped, saw musicals, ate until our insides screamed, and stayed up til wee hours of the morning. We ate New York pizza at Angelo's, Sushi at Ruby Foo's, Brazilian and Italian food, and even street vendor kabobs and hot dogs. We went to 2 musicals: Wicked and In the Heights and we roamed the streets of Soho, Little Italy, Chinatown, Broadway, Central Park, 7th Avenue, and Times Square. It was an eye opening experience for the kids. There were more people living in one building than live in the entire city of Ephraim.
Now we are back and need the vacation after the vacation to recover. But no complaints. It was great.
