Day 7- Where's my Cow?

Despite all this crazy weather and excitement, I did finish a hairdo :) It's called the "milk maid" or the "Princess Leia on the forest moon of Endor kinda" style. It's a pretty good style in that it takes about 5 minutes and I can totally do it with my hair being WET. Excellent!

A Luke Quickie

While Luke and I are hunkered down here at my house riding out some of the most intense thunderstorms I have ever been in since living in Florida (yes, they are that crazy today- my dad even just texted me a picture of his fence that blew down as well as telling me his power is off) I thought I would go ahead and post this so we can all smile together :)


I don't know if you have ever seen these at the supermarket- they are frozen chocolate covered bananas. I have seen them from time to time, but never once bought or tried them. They seem like they would be pretty good, though. Anyway, yesterday while at Publix and pushing Luke down the frozen food aisle in the cart, he spotted a box of these in the freezer case, and then became very, very excited about them. He started begging me "Chocolate corn dogs, chocolate corn dogs! PLEASE mom can we get some chocolate corn dogs???!!!" I didn't have the heart to tell him they were actually fruit :)

But speaking of chocolate corn dogs, the freaky fair food people need to get going on that idea! Oh my goodness, Luke is an absolute genius!! Who could resist a chocolate covered corn dog??? Not. Me.

Day 6- GREAT NEWS!

Not about my hair, although, I think it turned out pretty good...but the real good news is my mom is home from her surgery and everything went perfect! She handled the drugs just fine, the doctor had overwhelming confidence that he got all of the tumor, and they did not find anything in her lymph nodes. This is definitely a direct answer to prayer. Thanks for always thinking of her :)


On to the hairdo! This is called the "Curly Poof"- basically just the hairdo from Day 1, only curly. My sister-in-law Linnley suggested it so I gave it a whirl. I have to admit, doing this style curly never crossed my mind. But here it is and it's not too bad :)

And also, today Cindy turned 7 years old!

Here she is straight from her glorious day at school with her birthday superstar crown. Which I hope she didn't wear like that. Okay, actually I do. It's so wacky!


This year we did a family get together on Monday night for family night. She opened presents and ate her special mini cake and ice cream (while the rest of us had a healthier option of strawberry shortcake). I am such a dough-head for not taking pictures of everyone that was there, but both sets of grandparents were there and also Cindy's great grandparents, Rufus and Nadine, were there too. It is times like these that Jacob and I really realize how good we have it living down here with family :) A few pics....



Cindy's "Tangled" cake...

After she blew out the candle, my dad asked her if she made a wish. She said yes. Grandpa then said, "I'm not sure if it worked- Luke is still here." The jocularity never ceases around this place, I tell ya!


Presents. Way too many, as usual...



I guess I did forget to mention that two Stormtroopers came to the party. They wanted some of that cake and ice cream soooo bad. And with good reason- the brownie moose tracks Publix ice cream was incredible. But isn't all their ice cream? YES :)

King Fry

Again, you will have to humor me as this post qualifies as another silly Bingham Family Tradition that needs to be preserved in the annals of history.

Ever since I was little my family has played a little game called King Fry. It occurs whenever we are eating fast food and are having french fries. Each of us digs through our allotment of fries to find the longest, tallest fry we can. We then declare it to be our King Fry and then have to hold up to everyone else's to measure and see if ours can be declared the true King Fry. We are nothing if not accurate. So what does having the actual winning King Fry get you? Nothing. Just the satisfaction of knowing that your fry bag had the best one. We're easily entertained :) Has no one told you this?


Which brings me to this Luke Quickie. The other day I went through the drive-thru and got Luke a Happy Meal. The smell of the fries was too much to take, so I finally caved and asked him if I could have one. He said yes, so while driving the car, I reached one arm behind the seat and waited for him to give me a fry. I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, I said, "Luke, my arm is going to fall off! What's taking so long?" and he said "Hang on, I am trying to give you King Fry!" Awhh! Greater love hath no 4-year-old than this; he sacrifices King Fry for his mom :)

Variation on a theme- Day 5

Remember when I said that the real challenge would probably be me actually doing my hair at all for 30 days in a row? Well, case in point. I have been doing chores all day, then I went to the pool to swim laps and now I have nowhere to really be the rest of the day, so doing my hair and using up all that product seems a little wasteful at this point. BUT, today's task still was accomplished because right before I left the house for the one quick errand I did run, I put some side braids in my hair. My head is turned nicely so you can see the braid and also not see my completely undone face. I left that lovely experience to the crowd at Walgreens. So even when I am just running out the door for a second, I guess I still have time to do something different. Darnit. I mean, Yay!

And another thought ocurred to me, which is, if this blog is just a bunch of pictures of me every day, it's going to get really boring, really fast. Well, faster than usual, anyway. So I will shorten my hair write-ups for each day, but continue to sprinkle you with my regular amazing, essential-to-life blog posts. You're welcome :)

Day 4- Who Knew?

Well, I was not aware of our weather forecast here in Central Florida for this week. (I wouldn't have believed it anyway, actually.) But today and the rest of the week it is supposed to rain. All. Day. Which it has already has done today. Non-stop! This is so unlike Florida. But since up until today we have not had rain in 17 days, I guess we need it. However, this complicates my hairdo plans! I cannot straighten my hair when it is humid. Even a little bit, so this week you are sure to see me pulling some rabbits out of some hats. Rosa will love it! Anyway, tonight we are celebrating Cindy's birthday with the grandparents, and even with some great grandparents so I have been running around all day cleaning, making a cake, etc. and haven't had a chance to take the picture yet. But here it is:
Not the best lighting to see it, but it's all I got right now....







This is called the "I feel really overdressed for Publix" hairstyle. I messy bunned my hair back and then it's a black grossgrain ribbon I found in my sewing box and I wrapped it around my head and secured it in the back together with a safety pin. I doubt that is acceptable hairdo protocol, but again, it is all I have and it has worked pretty well. I have already been out in the pouring rain in this and it holds up good. I thought the ribbon would get all loosey goosey on me and drive me crazy, but it really hasn't moved. So it's not too bad, I can honestly say I would wear it this way again! Shocking! :)

Look at this bow, people!

I was debating in my mind if this counts as an additional hairdo besides my regular style or not. My hair is styled in the regular curly way I always do it, but for crying out loud, I put a BOW in my hair! I NEVER put things in my hair. So I consider this a huge step forward for me. And even better was the fact that I actually wore it to church today. I almost took it out, but I couldn't wuss out on day 3. Wussing out would seem much more appropriate on say, Day 11. The only downside of my new 'do was having one of the girls in my CTR 7 class ask "Aren't you a little old for that?" Painful.


I will say that the ribbon I used came with the skirt as some sort of belt maybe? but I have never once done anything with it. So to acutally use it was pretty cool- I was proud of myself :) Next thing you know I'll be wearing headbands or something crazy! WHAT?!?!?

Nothing says "gator hunt" like pigtails, right?

Hairdo #2-


Let it be known I am wearing pigtails today! I did my hair curly because of the more humid weather we have today, and since I am leaving to go to Circle B Reserve on a gator hike with my kids and their cousins, I needed something cool and sporty. Normally I would just go for the one big poof ball on the back. But not today! I even did two additional mini ponytails to gather the front part of my hair first. You can't really see those, though. Anyway, it's different for me and I kind of like it! And Jacob complimented my hair twice yesterday! Pretty cool :)

Hairdo #1

I am thinking most of my hair posts will come at noon or later due to my workout schedule. I never seem to make it into the shower earlier than that. Day 1 has arrived and my anxiety level is rising dramatically about this. It is not the hairstyles that scare me, it is the taking a picture of myself! Definitely not one of my favorite things in the world, but for the three of you that read this blog, I will overcome :)


I am using the webcam on my laptop to make things a little easier on myself with all the pics I am going to be taking. Sorry for the prison-esque lighting. I promise I am in my living room, not in an abandoned warehouse somewhere in the Balkans.

This hairdo is one I lovingly call the Allie Bailey. She is one of the young women in our ward and she has this amazing straight hair that I love. She is definitely one of those girls that could pull of a 30 day hair dare, no problem. She always looks cute no matter what she does with it, but in particular I like when she just pulls up the middle front section and pins it with two bobbi pins. Usually hair near my face drives me batty (even just kind of hanging there at the sides), but so far it is actually not so bad. My cowlick is getting a little crazy over trying to be forced backward. But it needs some serious discipline anyway. I have also decided that bobbi pins need to come with a manual. It took no less than 15 tries to get the hair properly secured. Now you see why this is such a challenge for me :)

One more...to ease my broken heart....

It's a good thing I don't drink, because last night would have been reason to do so. Oh, my Cougars! Instead, I drowned my sorrows in a Dr. Pepper and then turned to eBay in search of "Florida Gator Voodoo Doll." I am having it overnighted.

And now, here is one last Jimmerick. Did I really just type those words together in a sentence? Sad, sad day. Now, if I can just see the keyboard through my tears...

On behalf of a proud Cougar nation,
I say without any hesitation,
That Jimmer and Crew
Represented BYU
In a way worthy of the world's admiration.

*Disclaimer: Jimmericks may be re-instated at any time, without advanced written consent of Sweeneyville readers. Especially in moments where Jimmer is thrust into the national media spotlight. These instances can include and are not limited to: when he wins National Player of the Year, when he becomes the official GOP Candidate for President in 2012 or when he is ordained to the Quorom of the 12 Apostles. Sweeneyville exclusively retains all copyright royalties to all Jimmericks contained herein. Don't not attempt this at home. Results may vary. Limit one per family, do not store at over 120 degrees. Batteries not included, see store for details.

Stop. Jimmer Time!

"I LOVE SWEENEYVILLE!"

-actual quote from the Jimmer




TOP TEN NAMES AL FREDETTE ALMOST GAVE HIS SON:

10. Timmer
9. Stever
8. Robber
7. LaVeller
6. Philler
5. Marker
4. Chipper
3. Brighammer
2. Johnner
1. Regis



TOP FOURTEEN LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT JIMMER

14. Sometimes spells his name with three M's just for fun
13. He got his first church calling when he was 4 (Ward Ninja)
12. He's majoring in Floral Design
11. Gets to call President Samuelson by his nickname: Stinky
10. Can’t curl his tongue but can curl his cerebral cortex
9. His patriarchal blessing is 18 pages long and has nothing to do with basketball
8. He hates Cosmo's guts
7. His middle name is Crackscorn
6. Went to Ireland and the Blarney Stone kissed HIM
5. He's the emergency contact for the 3 Nephites
4. His favorite show is the one with that giant wuss Bear Grylls
3. Once tugged on Superman's cape, spit into the wind, tore the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger AND messed around with Jim
2. The new pulpit in the Conference Center will be made of wood from his cradle
1. He's been tapped to be the next Dread Pirate Roberts



IT'S JIMMERICK TIME!!!

From Dad:

The Cougars now play the Gators
And they are all Jimmer-haters
But we'll play them again
And when we beat them then
We'll be the Elite Eight-ers!

The LDS bacchanalia
Is wearing more Jimmer regalia.
Moderation? Oh no.
Hey, I’ve got to go
Buy me more Jimmer paraphernalia!


The Gators will try to attack it
To see if this time they can crack it.
But our defense will hold
And shut them out cold.
Dang! That will blow up my bracket!


If we're asked in a text or a tweet
Who the Cougars are next going to beat
We'll say it's the Gators,
But not 'cuz we're haters,
It's cuz Jimmer Fredette is soooo sweet!

While watching young Jimmer Fredette
Billy Donovan started to sweat.
“He’s a shooter superb,
In fact, he’s a verb
And Jimmered is what we might get!”

From Brian: (Finally!!)

Jimmer: King of the orange-stripey ball,
Has a three-fold mission to preach unto all:
Proclaim his dominance,
Perfect his shot at the Dance,
and Redeem BYU basketball.

(I would expect nothing less from Brian. Nice work ;)



From Mom!

It's BYU vs the Gators today,
and Jimmer is ready to play.
If we win, he'll be king.
If we lose it will be a sad thing.
Either way, in our hearts he will stay!



From Me:

Because of our dearest sweet Jimmer
Our hopes are now more than a glimmer!
He sets up to shoot,
The crowd all goes mute-
It goes in without hitting the rimmer!!!!!!


Cougar fans always have trials.
It seems like we've waited a whiles
For a reason to cheer,
but King Jimmer is here!
And now we are nothing but smiles :)


Madonna, Bono and Cher
have but one name as we're all aware.
But here is one more
you cannot ignore-
'Jimmer', now that name is rare!

Let's GO COUGARS!

(Because I really love my Alma Mater, but mostly because I want to keep writing Jimmericks...)

Hair Dare

***Side-note: Mom got her surgery date: Next Wednesday, March 30. YAY! Thanks for the thoughts and prayers :)***

I have been absolutely torn as to whether or not to go through with my latest blog challenge. I picked out the project, I did some research, made some plans, and then figured out the exact days when I was going to do it. And since this Friday is my projected start date I guess I am going to go for it and hope that I can muster the endurance to finish. So what is it you ask? Training for a marathon? Climbing Mt. Kilamanjaro? Not letting Luke watch Netflix for 7 hours a day? No, something even more strenuous, difficult and physically taxing for someone like me. It's doing my hair differently every day for 30 days. I know what you are thinking, wouldn't just doing your hair every day for 30 days be a challenge enough? Touché. Yes, it would. But if you know me, you know that I have one hairstyle. And the word "hairstyle" is used very loosely here. I need to mix things up and bring out my inner Queen Amidala. Okay, maybe not quite like her, but you get the idea. Anyway, I am not going to cut or color my hair, just going to put actual thought into a different style each day- be it simple or more involved, straight or curly, braids, no braids; you get the idea. So you might see me in a headband, or pigtails or even a hat that is not a ballcap. What's next? Cats and dogs living together!?!?!?? It's so radical, I know. If you want to submit ideas to me on hairstyles you would like to see me try, I am all in favor. Just don't suggest the Princess Leia, Justin Beiber, or anything done by Sanjaya from American Idol. I'm already doing those. The 30 days starts Friday! Now where is my camera?

Setbacks

Ugh, I spoke to soon about my mom. The results of the MRI she had came back and she is not able to be a participant in the test group for the new procedure. Not the right candidate. Which now means she is now back to the beginning and waiting for a surgery date. If I haven't wearied you enough with my requests for prayers on her behalf, I would ask you just once more to pray that she can get a quick surgery date and start to beat this thing :) I know it will work!


AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:

Know Your Line-mates

Being at Disney last week with Jacob and standing in lines pretty much all day reminded about all the different people you get the pleasure of being forced to hang out with while waiting. I have decided that these people generally fall into 1 of 7 categories. Recognize these people?

1. The Lovebirds. I guess I kinda see how you can confuse the sign for Space Mountain for Squaw Peak. Oy! Get a room!

2. Obnoxious teenagers. Sorry, teens, but you officially drive me crazy in settings such as this. Why? Is it because you are insanely loud? Maybe. Because you hit me with your giant backpack 22 times in 30 minutes and never acknowledge that you are sorry? Could be. Because you want to play leapfrog and chicken in a tiny space that is sweaty and packed with people? Perhaps. Yup, “Doing things in the most obnoxious way possible while technically not doing anything wrong"; that is the teenager motto.

3. Clueless technofiles. Glued to the phone, iPod, etc. a bomb could detonate and they would not notice. The line finally moves 30 feet and we all have to wait an additional ten minutes for you to figure out you are on planet earth and move to where you are supposed to be.

4. The sitters. Apparently these people have the stamina of Jabba the Hut or they ran in the Boston Marathon before getting to the park that morning because if there is a way to sit down in line, they will find it. Whether on the retaining walls, on the guide chains or stanchions, even laying on the floor or using backpacks for pillows, standing for any length of time is just not gonna work for them. And thus, walking in an orderly, timely fashion is just not gonna work out for you.

5. The policemen. Their whole job is to make sure that you stay in your place. Because in a giant line of people packed together with absolutely nowhere to go, you never know who might be sneaky enough to suddenly run off to the front of the line and skip every single person in a single bound.

6. Foreigners with crazy shoes. Obviously they are speaking a different language (so “Guess the nationality” is a fun game to play), but the dead giveaway is really the shoes. Foreigners have the most interesting shoes. Most of them are Pumas, I have noticed. But the colors and designs they come in are just amazing, aren’t they? I wouldn’t think to put neon yellow with rust, but someone else did and then another someone else LIKED IT! Amazing.

7. Finally, we have the “Family with a small child who needs convincing a ride is not scary” group. I always seem to run into this group. I could see about 5 of these groups while in line at Tower of Terror alone. It takes everything I have not to butt in and say to the kid, “They’re lying to you, you’re a goner!” Truth is that no one else is willing to stay behind and miss out on the ride, so they are going whether they like it or not.

I guess the only one I left out was the normal, incredibly attractive childless couple who are practically perfect in every way. I didn’t see them in line with me, but I am sure some other people did on Thursday…

The Muzzy Report

Just a quick update on my mom...Last week she found a surgeon at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. He seems like a great guy and happens to be a member of the Church. Cool! He has selected my mom to be a participant in a test group for a new breast cancer procedure where the tumor is first frozen before being removed. I don't understand all the technical and medical reasoning, but they believe that going this route increases the chances of completely removing the tumor and reducing possible problems down the road. She is now at the point of being confirmed as a participant in the study (she has had an MRI already) and then scheduling her first procedure for, hopefully, this week. There can be a lot of waiting in this game :) It can be frustrating sometimes, so any prayers for speed on the part of labs, doctors, nurses, appointments, etc. is much appreciated. Other than that, life is normal, my mom is good :) She appreciates everyone who has been so kind, given her a hug, said words of encouragement- all of it! She always gets emotional when she talks to everyone (something she says she wishes didn't happen), but it is definitely the "good" kind of emotional. She is very touched by how genuinely caring everyone is. So on behalf of my mom, Thanks! You guys are WONDERFUL! :)

Can't Stop Until Jimmer Does

And maybe not even then....


From Dad:

When Jimmer dropped 34 on Gonzaga
The fans in the stands all went ga-ga.
When he does it again
'Gainst the Gators, then
He's sure to continue the saga.

From Me:

Jimmer will falter sooner or later,
Or so say all the critics and haters.
But his skills are so keen
That he gets triple-teamed!!
And he just loves the taste of fresh Gator.

Two More

The motherboard went out on my home PC (AGAIN), so while it is in the shop getting repaired, blogging might be a little sketchy. We, of course, have the laptop to use, but I don't really have access to all my pictures and regular bag of blogging tricks. So you'll have bare with me just a tad.

In the meantime, here are two more SUH-WEET Jimmericks!


From Dave:

In the first round Jimmer played Wofford,
he took on the challenged they offered.
The win was a cinch,
he can score from the bench,
And now the get to play Gonzaga.


From Dad:

This Fredette boy is one for the ages.
He will fill up the record book pages.
So excited we get
With young Jimmer Fredette,
That the mania becomes quite contagious!


Keep 'em coming :)

It's Jimmerick Time!

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I have decided to post some Jimmericks. You know, 5 line rhyming poems about Jimmer Fredette and his awesomeness? (Limerick + Jimmer, Get it?!) Hope you enjoy them- if you have any you would like to contribute, email me or post in the comments. I would love to grow the collection. Oversold it? Nah....

And by the way, today while you are reading this, I am at Disney with Jacob :) Which is again why I am madly in love with technology. And Jacob too, of course.

From Me:

There once was a boy named Fredette
Baddest white boy baller youv’e met.
They are off to The Dance
Where they might have a chance
Oh wait, first round is all they will get :(


When he plays he sets off all the cameras
Taking pics of his shooting bonanzas.
Jimmer’s his name
He’s got mad skills and fame
And now Batman wears Jimmer pajamas.


There was once a boy named Jimmer
Who wanted to be a good swimmer
He got in the pool
But he looked like a fool,
But on the court, we all beg to differ!


Jimmer is not from this Earth
I’m having to question his birth.
He’s part man, part machine
And part Wolverine!
Now that's what's called 'Infinite Worth'!


Jimmer plays for my Alma Mater
He helped us with the U of U’s slaughter.
He’s brave and he’s bold,
And does what he’s told.
So Jimmer, please marry my daughter.


From my awesome dad...

If Jimmer continues red hot,
And the defense he’s facing is not,
Who knows what he’ll do?
It could turn out to be true
He invents the world’s first
Ten-point shot!


While praying at my Jimmer shrine
A light ‘round by bed did shine.
With a face like LaVell
An angel did tell
Me the tourney would work out just fine.



From Dave:

Jimmer used to play ball at a prison,
now that is a funny ole vision.
He silenced the crowd
(and inmates can be loud),
overcoming all their derision.

There once was a kid from Glen Falls;
a New York town without any malls.
Sso he played ball all day,
became quite good dare I say,
And now he can beat all y'alls.

Break it down!

Woo-hoo! The Sweeney family officially made it to Spring Break for 2010. It came about two weeks earlier this year but no one around this house is gonna complain :) So far today, I raked out my garden and started raking the backyard (6 bags of leaves just for an hour of work- Oy!), I ran early (bless you Jacob for being home all week) and then Jacob and I did two rounds of P90x together (which is working like a dream, in case you cared, but I don't imagine anyone really does :) And having Spring Break start they day after you start Daylight Savings time is the best idea since cancelling Two and Half Men. This way we all get to be in a wobbly circadian stupor and it doesn't really matter because there is nowhere any of us really have to be. Except for tonight when Jacob and I have to be at Gators Dockside for All You Can Eat grilled chicken wings, or Wednesday when Jacob and I have to be in Orlando for our anniversary, or Thursday morning when we have to be at Disney for the day, but other than that, no one is expecting us :) Cindy and Luke have spent their first day of break blowing bubbles, eating cupcakes and watermelon, watching Barbie Thumbelina (a DVD that has been lost for over a year until I found it this morning behind our living room bookshelves) and generally just hanging out and driving each other absolutely crazy every half hour. I love it when they bond. And best of all, while running this morning I had two great epiphanies:

1. If the rule for our children is that you get to have a big party on a birthday where you turn an even number, this means that Cindy and Luke will never turn even numbers in the same year. Only one big party a year! We are geniuses!!!

2. I finally figured out what my next blog project is going to be! I can't spill the beans yet, but I really think there are some of you out there that will find great amusement in this. Especially because I am going to be making a spectacle of myself. Well, kinda. I will feel like a spectacle anyway. More details coming within the week...

Talk Nerdy to Me

Just because I need this to be included in Sweeneyville Vol. 3 when it goes to print...

Yesterday when my little brother Brian called me, this has to be my favorite part of that conversation:

Brian: "Remember when I was in Middle School and I did that science fair project about landfills and I won a bunch of awards and money with it and I used the money to pay for Scout Camp that summer?"

Me: "That has to be the nerdiest thing you have ever said to me."

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love it when Brian calls me :)

Well, we did name him Luke for a reason

Luke's Star Wars obssession is reaching epic proportions. He plays LEGO Star Wars on Xbox every single day, he is logging thousands of light years of playing time on Starwars.com (his matching skills are second to none), he watches either episode 4, 5 or 6 at least once a day, and last night after a getting a drink before bedtime, he returned from the kitchen and told me, "I'm just like a Jedi, because I went and got a drink and Dad didn't even see me!!!" He takes his light saber with him everywhere and we role play the epic Luke/Darth Vader duel every single day. Luke is very dramatic when he tells me "You'll never get away with this, Dark Vader!!" So his Iron Man birthday is officially OUT! Star Wars birthday is officially IN! We have already spent many an afternoon finding internet photos of Stormtrooper birthday cakes and I will defnitely have my work cut out for me this year. Plus, I might just have to bite the bullet and fork out the dough for the Stormtrooper Weekend over at Disney. If his experience there is anything like Cindy's when she first met a real princess at Magic Kingdom, it will be well worth the price of admission.

Plus, last night I found him asleep like this:



I think that pretty much says it all :)

The Big One-Oh

Well, if you happened to be wondering where you were exactly ten years ago today, and you know you were at my wedding, well, then there is your answer :) I can't believe ten years have passed since Jacob and I were married. It seems like only a blink of an eye has occurred since then. We were talking the other night about the past ten years and everything that has happened since we met. Jacob made the observation that our past ten years have really been the first years of seeing the fruits of choices that were completely our own. Up until that point, we are largely making choices in conjunction with others and expectations. High School, college, missions, summer jobs- all are decisions you make largely with your parents and because you kinda have to. But once you are married, it is pretty much all you. So it has been interesting to take stock and see what our two brains have been able to put together in the past 120 months of living. I think we have done pretty good! It also helps when your spouse is not only your best friend but a low-level superhero genius too. And super good looking. And a great blogger. Wait, are we talking about me or Jacob? Ha! Just kidding, I am most definitely talking about Jacob. Anyway, I am re-posting the video "tribute" I did on Facebook from last year- with a few tweaks and new pictures (bo-ring, I know!).

JACOB, I LOVE YOU!

And which one is better, 3 or 4?

Yesterday's post was a little heavy, so in true Bingham fashion of avoiding things that are too touchy-feely, I will completely change the subject...

Little brother Brian called me yesterday to chat. I have to say that Brian is awesome about calling me. He calls me every single week! He is so diligent! Dave, Chris- quit slacking, Brian is putting you to SHAME. Anyway, one of our very frequent topics of conversation is his newest hobby of questioning his education and plans for his entire life. He is so incredibly brilliant he could literally do anything, he just doesn't know quite what that is yet. He got so desperate for direction that a few weeks ago he paid for a career aptitude test at BYU to finally tell him what occupation he should pursue. I was SO hoping that "Park Ranger" would top the list, but alas, it was beaten out by Optometrist. (It seriously was on the list, though...) He is actually now seriously considering becoming an optometrist! And I, of course, have decided that all of us should benefit from his test results. Take it away, list!



TOP TEN THINGS YOU NEVER WANT TO HEAR YOUR OPTOMETRIST SAY


10. Can you believe I'm actually legally blind?
9. Great news! The voices in my head say it's not glaucoma.
8. Well, let me know if those drops work. They could also make you go blind. Personally, I'm hoping for the former.
7. Just sit down, relax and enjoy the next six hours while we go over a revolutionary new way to make money selling household products to your friends.
6. You're my first patient since that weird mix-up with the hydrochloric acid.
5. My old eye chart caught fire, so if you'll just read the letters off that Mimi's Cafe menu I stole, we can get started...
4. Do you mind if I also dilate your tongue?
3. We only sell two styles of frames: the Elton John's or the Dame Edna's.
2. Wait here, I need my syringe.
1. Hi, I'm Doctor Bock.

And actually I think optometrist works out PERFECT because guess who could get some deeply discounted contact lenses? Oh, yeah! My life would be set. I guess it's now really up to me to become the family mechanic, though. Sigh.....

P.S. Brian, if you change your major, I'll buy you this shirt. Think it over.

An open letter to my readers...(both of you)

Dear Sweeneyville Readers,

I knew sooner or later I would have to blog about this, so here goes. Friday afternoon my mom found out she has breast cancer. To say it was a shock is really and truly the understatement of the year, (despite my top 13 other understatements that are still pretty close). We don't have a family history of this disease and for the most part all of my family members have never really had significant health problems. Besides, who wants to hear that their parents might not actually live forever, right? So I spent most of Friday night feeling really sad and distraught, to be honest. But finally by this morning I think I had moved past the emotional freaking out stage and advanced to the logical and rationaly thinking with my brain stage; a much better place to be in. Her prognosis is good. Survival rate is very high. My brother is a doctor in Tampa and has already been able to help her with recommendations for treatment, surgeons, etc, so in a world of bad news, you gotta admit it that this is about as good as it gets. So many of you have already offered so many kind words and emails and prayers and I appreciate all of you more than you will know. Onward and upward! I love you, Mom :)

Love,
Captain Sweeneyville
(Jessica)

Out of the mouth of Babes

Last night Cindy and Luke were sitting at the table waiting for us to start dinner. To deal with their boredom, Cindy started to take a fork and clink the side of her glass. She said, "I'd like to make a toast..." And then started laughing hysterically. Luke kinda only smiled and then clinked his glass just like her and said, "I'd like to make some bacon..." I am still laughing about that one.

I was leaving for my mom's house and was telling the kids to hurry up. Cindy told me, "Wait! Luke has to use the restroom!" Luke immediately chimed in angrily, "NO, the BATHroom!"






Cindy was asking me exactly when her birthday was this year. The past two years it has been during Spring Break, but this year it finally isn't. I thought she would be happy, but she was pretty upset. She asked me, "Why isn't it during Spring Break???!!" I told her, "I don't know, Spring Break is early this year." And then she got this look of total understanding and said, "Oh, beacause of the Groundhog."






About 3 weeks ago I went to my mom's house to borrow something and I took the kids. For some reason this visit turned into a chance to scare the living tar out of my mom over and over and over again. She and the kids starting chasing each other around the house and my mom probably got scared about 18 times in 20 minutes. There was screaming, running, laughing and ever since that night, my kids believe that was the highlight of their entire lives. So tonight when I told the kids I was going to my mom's real quick, they tagged along and were very optimistic that we would play the scaring game again. In fact, I could hear Luke in the back seat saying, "I really hope we can scare lots and lots and lots and lots lots of crap out of Grandma tonight!!!"

Oh, I love these kids! :)

The Circle of Life

I forgot just how much Cindy would watch her princess movies when she was Luke's age. Now the fact that Luke is watching Star Wars (complete with light sabre and sound effects) pretty much every second of every day doesn't really bother me as much any more :) The force is strong with this one...