Keep It Classy Scottsbluff

Thank you random citizen for allowing me the opportunity to explain to my 5 year old why someone would put a picture of a giant naked woman on their truck.  Truly, thank you.

Failing at Waiting, or Ethan's 5th grade program

The school programs here are always crazy. For some reason they turn into big family reunions the likes of which I can only fathom for graduations or weddings.  Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, second cousins, everyone shows up to every program.  Ethan's 5th grade music program was combined with all the 5th grades in the district so they decided to hold it in the concert hall in the high school.

I knew going into school program and dance season that I wanted a better camera for taking pics and videos under the lower lights.  I have a good DSLR but it is so old it doesn't do video.  Using my birthday money early, after hours of research, I picked a camera and found it actually available in town.  Knowing I would have to be early to get a seat, and armed with my new camera, I arrived an hour early to the program. 

We got great seats, third row, on the side that Ethan said he would be standing on.  Unfortunately Ethan didn't share the fact that due to the amount of kids in the program they were set up at 90 degree angles and my "perfect" seat was basically the one place in the auditorium I wouldn't be able to see him.

 

 I did get to glimpse the back of his head a few times.

 

Rewind, or Livi's "Graduation"

I didn't have time to write about this before we left and I kind of, sort of, forgot to after I got home.

There are somethings about Scottsbluff I doubt I will ever get use to.  One of those things is the mass hysteria surrounding any type of school function, but more specifically school "graduations."  I put that in quotes because I was kind of under the impression a graduation was a big move, a change, to another school or opportunity.  Here it seems to mean you finished a year.  But that doesn't mean that you celebrate less because you do it so often, in fact it means you celebrate MORE!!!

Ethan's kindergarten graduation was my first dose of this phenomenon.  I know a lot of places do kindergarten graduations, so no biggie, but I wasn't prepared for entire extended families bringing balloons and giant gifts to the "graduates."

School music programs are crazy too.  Literally ever member of the extended family comes to the programs.  It is one grade at a time, but if you don't get there at least 45 minutes early then don't expect to get a seat.  It has gotten so bad that the poor principal has started locking the doors and not letting everyone in until 20 minutes before the program so people can't save a block of three rows.  It does lead to more running and shoving, which is equally repugnant to me.

Livi's "graduation" (ridiculous because she still has another year of preschool) was like both squared.  Great Uncle Abner and every third cousin twice removed was there.    There was standing room only by the time it started, and gifts could be seen for the little "graduates."

It was a very cute program, they sang songs and were adorable, but then after the intermission there was the whole Pomp and Circumstance with our little graduates coming out and getting scrolls.  If I had rolled my eyes harder they probably would have gotten stuck in the back of my head, but Livi had fun, and I guess that is what should count. 

Livi with her best girl friends, Sophia, and Bristol

My favorite song, but of course my phone ran out of memory half way through. I'm still not sure what rhymes with "turtle" or "elephant" but it was cute to watch.

All the little "graduates" lining back up.

Looking tired, but happy it is over!

Here is the video of the last time the kids would sing their good-bye song together. Kind of a sad moment for me. She is growing up too quickly.

The Squeaky Wheel, My Town Is Probably Haunted and Day 4

I thought I wrote about my "squeakiness" during December but I went back and couldn't find it to link to so I will recap:
In December they switched my depression medicine to an anti-anxiety/depression medicine.  I'd been having panic attacks and things weren't good.  When you are transitioning there is a time where the old meds are gone from your body, but the new ones haven't been in there long enough to be effective.  One problem I have that gets worse when I am not on the meds is I complain.  Not "oh, poor me," (although I do that too), but go up to managers, call comment phone numbers on the back of trucks, and pick fights about greeting card prices.

One of many times I complained was at McDonald's.  Our McDonald's has been remodeled every two years since we have lived here.  This time they put in a line that splits into two to order.  Someone CUT THE LINE, so I stuck my head out the window and yelled at the top of my lungs "THERE IS ONE LINE!  ONE LINE!"  Spooked Livi, wrote to McDonald's to complain, talked to the manager,and...

they fixed it :

Too bad they can't fix the drivers in town.

 On a totally different note (and day) I was driving my kids to the bakery (yay, good parenting), and Ella points out the window and yells "The Tower of Terror!"  If it was about 5 stories taller, half destroyed by lightening and had a cool sign on the front, I could see it.

Day 4: List 5 things you would tell your 16 year-old self if you could.

Wow.  My 16 year old self was pretty annoying so there is a lot I would say, but probably not a lot she would listen to. Plus our family recently got in a whole big discussion about time travel and paradoxes so I would have to write it all down and give it to someone else to give to me, so I wouldn't cease to exist or blow up the universe, so she would probably believe it even less.

#1 Just because your boyfriend tells you no other guys would like you doesn't make it true.
#2 If you just studied 1/3 as much as you will in college you could get straight A's and an awesome scholarship.
#3 Don't go into education in college.  You will like it, but never want to do it.
#4 You are prettier than you think.  Enjoy this body because in 6 years you will have a C-section, sorry.
#5 You know #2 on the Volleyball team that is totally hot and is the whole reason you go to volleyball games? Yeah, you are totally going to marry him.

Hmmmm...Maybe It's Just Me

Does anyone else see "crecking"???