The Most App-ealing

As I've dabbled in modern technology (I had a Blackberry until 2016), I've become quite fond of my apps. Part of the reason I hung on to my Blackberry for so long was because I knew once I transitioned to a smart phone, it would rule my life, and I'd never go back.

I use my phone for some leisure - social media scrolling, reading, and watching shows. But I also use it for some very practical routines - banking, calendaring (which I'm just now converting to), budgeting, and grocery shopping.

Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite apps and how I use them!

Marco Polo

Marco Polo is a video chat app. It's been my main source of communication with Shannon since she moved to Idaho. We use it so much that sometimes we forget that we haven't actually seen each other in person in months! The great thing about MP is that instead of chatting live, we can send clips to each other and listen when we have time. The only problem is, it's very easy to ramble on for 40 minutes about what I'm going to order for lunch at Chick-Fil-A. Luckily for Shannon, she can speed up my message to get it over with quicker. 

Chatbooks + Instagram

This combo of apps is how I record our family memories. Chatbooks is a photo book service that automatically prints books and mails them to you depending on how you set it up. 

I have a subscription called "Family Memories" that comes straight from my Instagram account. Every time I have 60 photos, a book gets printed. The books are numbered by volume and have the dates. For example: Brittish Family Memories, Volume 22, April 2019-September 2019. Each book costs me $10 to print and ship. Whenever a book is ready to be printed I get an email from Chatbooks letting me know, and I can go into the app and select which photo I want as the cover and eliminate any photos I don't want included in the book. 

I like using Instagram as my resource for my Chatbooks (they are linked so I don't have to really do any work. If I post a photo on Instagram, it automatically goes in my Chatbooks unless I go into the app and tell it not to). In an effort to reduce my social media use, I tried closing my Instagram account and adding my photos to Chatbooks straight from my phone, but it was more work. Instead I decided to "white wash" my Instagram feed (delete all of my followers and every account I followed) and then only follow a few family members and very close friends. The main purpose of my Instagram account is just to get my photos into Chatbooks, so I post a lot because it's basically our family journal.

For Christmas every year, I make each of my kids a Chatbook with their photos from the year. These are priced a little differently and can be more than 60 pages (the $10, 60-page books are for subscriptions). The non-subscription books are 20% off for Black Friday, so that's when I place my order.

As a sidenote, I use the free version of PicsArt to make collages for Instagram posts. This helps get more photos into the books with less expense.

Venmo

Venmo has become really handy in the past year. It's a money transferring app. I was very resistant to using it at first, but now that it's in my life, I love it.

You know that friend you're always trying to give cash to, but they won't take it? Do you have this friend? If not, you should get one and then send her money on Venmo.

Venmo makes it quick and easy to pay people back. I use it to pay my hairdresser, I've contributed to fundraisers, and I've even send friends money for lunch when I wanted to "treat" them but couldn't meet with them in person.

One thing to know about Venmo, if you're going into it fresh, is that it has a social feature to it, so it will show you thinks like, "Stacy paid Louis." It doesn't show the amount of money, but it does show a transaction took place. Personally, I am fascinated to see who is paying whom for what (there are a lot of emojis involved), but I have changed my settings to private so my transactions can't be viewed by others. I think this feature is really weird, but I also love to snoop. Heehee.

Google Docs

There are a few documents I have on Google Docs that I access regularly. One is my singing time plan (I am the music leader for the children at church). I used to type up my plan and print it, but now I just access it on my phone if I need to look at it (I print a copy for the pianist still - she's not a cell phone gal). Another is my personal journal. I prefer to type from my computer, but it's nice to have the option of typing from my phone occasionally. 

I love that Google Docs allows me to have access to certain documents from my computer or my phone. 

Chick-Fil-A

Let's be honest, if you're going to eat at a place anyway you might as well earn some free stuff. AMIRIGHT? The Chick-Fil-A app gives you points for your purchases which you can later use to redeem free food. Don't do the math, though. There's no need to determine how much money you've actually spent at Chick-Fil-A. Just enjoy the free stuff you eventually earn. 

From the Chick-Fil-A app, you can order your food (though I prefer to just order the good old fashioned way at Chick-Fil-A), you can add funds to the app so it pays when you scan the QR code (I just started doing that this week), and sometimes, you get a free reward just because! (Though not nearly often enough!)

Cafe Rio

The Cafe Rio app gives rewards, too, and the thing I really like about Cafe Rio is that the rewards can potentially add up fast. Cafe Rio has days where they give bonus points, sometimes up to triple points! So if you go on a triple point day, you can really bank on the points and get your $10 reward even sooner. 

You can order from the app, but I usually order in person because there are some customization I like to make that aren't in the app (however, the app does have a pretty good selection of customizations available). The Cafe Rio app also let's you transfer your gift card balances to the app so you don't have to keep track of your gift cards, should you have an overabundance of Cafe Rio gift cards floating around. I haven't used this feature, but I might try it! In the past, Cafe Rio has had an amazing Black Friday deal where you get an additional $10 gift card for every $25 gift card you purchase. I hope they don't figure out what a steal that is, lest they stop doing it. 

My favorite part of the Cafe Rio app is the sound it makes when you earn points. You can either scan it at the register or scan your receipt yourself. I like to scan the receipt myself so I can pause for a moment and enjoy the "Woohoo!" it makes. It's the simple things in life. 

Sam's Club

I have memberships to both Sam's Club and Costco (my mom and I split the memberships so she takes care of Costco, and I take care of Sam's Club) (I also have plans to do a Costco vs Sam's post soon). 

One thing that gives Sam's Club a bit of an edge is their app. They have a "scan and go" feature that is life-changing. You can scan all your items and check out on your phone, and you never have to go through a line. You just show your phone at the exit. You don't even have to have your Sam's Club card with you if you the app. There have been times my card has been in Scotty's wallet, and I've still been able to go to Sam's Club, whereas, five years ago, if I didn't have my card, I'd arrive at Sam's Club, realize I forgot my card, and have to go home or beg customer service for a temporary print out. Sam's Club doesn't even require you to show a membership card at the door anymore! 

The Reading Apps 

I debated doing a separate post about reading apps, but I'm just gonna tackle everything here in one post. 

First off is my country library's app. This is a must-have for putting books on hold and renewing them. In combination with that, I have the Overdrive app which is how I check out audiobooks and eBooks from my library. The waitlists on Overdrive can be a bit slow-moving sometimes, but if I keep it nice and full, there's always something coming available. 

If you're not familiar with Goodreads, it's a place to review books. You can give books a rating and review and see what your friends have to say about the books they read. I've been using Goodreads for at least ten years (previously just online). I get a lot of great recommendations from seeing what other people are reading, and I know which friends I share similar book tastes to, so I know whose reviews are the most relevant to my own book selection. 

Last year I signed up for an Audible subscription (Audible is an audiobook service through Amazon). It was $16 per month (after taxes) which got me one book credit per month. I admit, $16 for an audiobook seemed a bit steep until I looked at the pricing without the subscription. I decided to do the subscription because I wanted to own all of the Harry Potter books on audio (partially because the Overdrive waitlist took months for me to get the first book). I've listened to the Harry Potter books multiple times, and I'd like to force my kids to enjoy them as well, so they are a good investment for me. 

I used my subscription to get all of the Harry Potter books and then I canceled. I still have access to all of my audiobooks in the app, I just don't have an active subscription right now. Audible occasionally offers book credits to active subscribers 3 for $35, which ends up being less per book than the $16 per month, so I was able to get my Harry Potters faster and cancel sooner by doing that. I even picked up a few freebies along the way. 

The Kindle app coincides with Overdrive, Most eBooks I check out from the library are compatible with the Kindle app, so that's how I access them. I have an Amazon Prime membership, and Amazon Prime does "first reads" which allows members to pick a free early "copy" of an eBook from a selection of books each month. I've read a couple of good books through this service. 

Finally, I have Deseret Book's app, Bookshelf Plus. This is a subscription service that allows you unlimited audiobook access from hundreds of Deseret Book publications. For those who aren't familiar with Deseret Book, it's a company owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, so it's primarily churchy stuff. The subscription has two pricing options. One is $9.99 a month, which isn't too bad for unlimited audiobook access, if you like the content Deseret Book offers. The other option is to purchase a Platinum Rewards Membership for $25 and then get the subscription for $6.99 a month. This doesn't really save much money (only about $10 across the span of a year), but I did it this way because the Platinum Membership comes with a few small perks, such as a subscription to LDS Living (which I've yet to actually read) and a free birthday gift. 

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And there you have it! A list of some of my favorite and most-used apps. Is there an app you love that I might be missing in my life? 

Currently {August 2019}

Reading: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Listening to: Living the Parables by Hank Smith, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and the Hamilton soundtrack.

Watching: Nothing. I finished a series last week, and I am not going to start a new one right now.

Eating: Free breakfast from Chick-Fil-A (chicken biscuit today), Sesame Chicken Chopped Salad for lunch, and Creamy Ranch Chicken and Potatoes for dinner.

Buying: toenail clippers, an eyelash curler, shampoo, dry shampoo, makeup (foundation powder), and uniform shirts for Nicky (all via Amazon yesterday).

Singing: "The Story of Tonight"

Stressing about: not much. But give me a minute.

Wearing: a dress that I cut off into a shirt (it's not great), shorts, and some sandals I own three pairs of because they were on clearance for $6 at Sam's Club, so why not?

Craving: massaman curry and fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce

Excited for: cool weather. The 50's-60's are my favorite temps!

Trying: to make lifestyle changes to get off my blood pressure medication. My original goal was to be off the meds within three months, but I got lazy. Now I'm sick of the side effects, so I'm determined to get off them. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to make a plan.

Feeling: tired. It's cliche, I know, but so true. I hit my wall in the afternoons (it's just past 2:30).

Suffering from: a chronic cough, courtesy of the aforementioned blood pressure medication. I'm so glad I finally realized what is causing it.

Annoyed by: recipes online that have the word "crack" in them. "Crack Chicken," "Crack Dip, " "Christmas Crack."

Let's just not. Ok?

Cocaine isn't cute.

Missing: my best self. I feel like I was at my best spiritually and physically in 2014. I keep trying to get back there rather than enjoying where I am now and progressing from here.

Loving: that I am alone right now. Eva started preschool today.

Frustrated by: a repetitive tapping sound that our parakeet makes all day long. I can feel myself going crazy.

Thankful for: Scotty's job. A million times over. I thank Heavenly Father every day.

September Writing Challenge

I love fall! September through November is my favorite time of year (minus Halloween because I'm a holiday scrooge!) It's the time of year that I have the most energy.

Last September I did a writing challenge (adapted from a scrapbooking challenge) called 30 Days Hath September. 

I wanted to do something similar this year, so I started searching the internet for some inspiration. I didn't find a 30 day challenge that really spoke to me, so I came up with my own list of prompts. Rather than having a prompt assigned to a particular day, I'm just going to try and cross off as many prompts as I can from the list by the end of September. I'll use the prompts for either writing or a photo. I came up with 35 (feel free to borrow from the list, if you desire to do so):

1. Morning
2. My Street
3. Movies
4. Blessed
5. Struggle
6. Bullet-Points
7. Text
8. Routine
9. Mealtime
10. Self-Worth
11. Decor
12. Outside
13. Project
14. Accomplishment
15. Letter
16. Knowledge
17. Alone
18. Clean
19. Gifts
20. Happy Place
21. What the?!?
22. Book
23. Quirk
24. Strength
25. Furniture
26. Ta-Da!
27. Play
28. Moment
29. Community
30. Brain Dump
31. Collection
32. Everyday
33. Bittersweet
34. Something New
35. Journey

San Francisco: Part IV

What?!? We're still talking about San Francisco?

Why, yes, dear reader. We are!

Because there is a bridge to discuss!

(The Golden Gate Bridge, Mark. GOLDEN GATE) (I just have to throw that in there because Mark gets confused).

I'm sort of in love with the Golden Gate Bridge. Seeing the bridge was kind of like seeing Hugh Jackman. It's a celebrity. An engineering marvel! An honor to experience in person!

How I feel about the Golden Gate Bridge

Even though the SanFran wind-blown look 

isn't really my thing

After we left Muir Woods, we had a few hours left before we needed to be to the airport, so we spent that time getting to know the bridge. We found some FREE street parking with the bridge in sight.

We ended up following the road to Fort Point. I can't speak for Mark and Michelle, but Scotty and I didn't have any idea what this little brick building under the bridge was. It was a really fun place to stumble upon. 

Fort Point is a fortification that was used to protect the Pacific coast. 

It would make a fantastic haunted house. 

And I don't even like haunted houses!

I can't condone such a thing, as it is a historical landmark. But still... the haunted house potential is superb!

Anyway, it was a fun site to explore. I was really surprised at how many places we were allowed to wander. We could go on every floor of the fort and on the roof. We could even climb the spiral staircases and stand on the cement mounds where canons were once affixed. Most places of such historical significance aren't so accessible! Ya know, with preservation and safety and all that. 

I mean, we totally could have fallen to our deaths on these rail-less stairs! They nearly destroyed my bad knee, but they were so fun... and disorienting!

After we explored Fort Point for a while, we drove to the upper road so we could walk to the bridge and journey out on it. 

We parked in the lot (not free, but also not $40 like some of the other lots we had to park in while we were in San Francisco) (in fact, the parking was so reasonably priced that Mark splurged and got us 15 extra minutes just for fun!) We followed a trail that led to the bridge, and then we walked about 1/4 of the length of the bridge. I would have loved to walk the entire bridge, but it was just too crowded, and it doesn't have good traffic flow with bikes and people walking. If I'm ever in San Francisco again, I'm going to go to the bridge at 5:00 in the morning so I can have my moment. I'd love to run it out and back. 

Despite the masses of people, I was still happy to be there. I assume we were in moderate crowds. I bet they get far worse! San Francisco is a busy place. Very people-y. Not really my kind of place at all. 

But that bridge! 

Did I mention how much I love the

Golden Gate Bridge?

We wandered around the visitors center to learn all the bridge facts, and then we walked back to our vehicle. We then ventured to the airport to return home. 

Our trip was short and sweet, but I feel like we did a lot! We got to check out everything we wanted while we were there, and we didn't feel like we had to cut anything short. 

We all played our parts well. Mark was our driver and panoramic photo taker. Scotty was our navigator. Michelle is the Queen Packer. She always has all the important stuff like snacks and first aid kits. She also did lots of research so we could know how to spend our time, and she reserved our parking spot at Muir Woods. And me? Well, I guess I'm just the eye candy. High fives all around for our trip to San Francisco! 

Good job, team!

The School Rundown

NICKY

The school situation: Nicky is in 7th grade, which in our school district is the first year of junior high. Just recently, they moved all the 9th graders to high school, so junior high is just 7th and 8th for now. In my opinion, the shorter the better! But 9th grade does seem kind of young and immature for high school. Nevertheless, I think it's good for children of that age to go back to the bottom of the totem pole. There is talk of moving 6th grade to junior high. Please, no. Sixth grade was my favorite year in school, and it ended up being Nicky's as well. Let them be little! Let them be in elementary one more year!

Nicky is taking the bus. I've always been adamant that my children won't take a school bus (I took the bus to junior high, and it wasn't pleasant), but we decided to give it a try because A) we know a few great kids who are taking the bus, B) the bus isn't very full, and C) it saves me from having to fight the carpool traffic (which is rumored to be pretty bad). So far it has gone well, but we have to head out pretty early in the mornings. I have to drive him to the bus stop because it's not very close to our house. We're technically not in the bussing zone.

I think he's doing okay at school, but my biggest concern is that he doesn't really have any friends. I put him in a school that only three other kids from his elementary are going to, so he is basically starting over with friendship. He doesn't make friends quickly or easily. He says he doesn't care. He seems to be like Scotty, who never had interest in socializing. Scotty never had friends in school. His yearbooks are completely blank except for one signature. As long as Nicky's okay with it, I can deal. But I'm worried that he says he's okay with it just so I won't worry about him. He sits alone every day at lunch, and it breaks my mama heart. What if he's actually really lonely?

What he's like in the morning: Nicky, as long as he knows what's expected of him, is pretty independent and responsible. The only time he has issues in the morning is when he's in a certain "mood" - it's kind of like PMS. He gets really emotional and explosive occasionally, and when this happens in the mornings before school, he can be really difficult. But most of the time his mood swings are after school, and our mornings are okay. It helps that he leaves the house almost two hours before his sisters, so he doesn't have much interaction with them.

Nicky is able to get up early and get ready pretty quickly most of the time. He really likes hot breakfast, so I try to provide him with something warm that will stick for a few hours. If I send him to school on a bowl of cereal, he'll by ravenous and moody by first period.

What he's like after school: When Nicky comes home from school, he's a bit moody. There's an author/speaker named Merrilee Boyack who wrote about how her son would come home and kick the couch for half an hour every day, and she just needed to learn that that's what he needed to do after school, and if she just let him do it, he'd get his fix and move on. This is a note I've taken for Nicky because he, too, has these weird little tantrums where he just needs to kick a couch or roll around on the ground moaning or list off everything that's wrong with his life, and if I just let him do it, he will eventually be fine. If I try to intervene, he drags on and on all night.

DAISY

The school situation: Daisy is in 4th grade. During the summer, I prayed so hard that she would get the right teacher for her needs. I don't have anything against male educators, but I don't think they would be the right fit for Daisy. Fourth grade has two male teachers. I was really excited when I found out that not only does Daisy have a female teacher, but her teacher is my former Young Women president who is teaching at my kids' school for the first time this year. I would have been very happy with the other female teacher as well (Nicky had her, and she was great).

Daisy also has a hard time making friends, but for different reasons than Nicky. Daisy's best friend went to a different school this year, so she has been worried about making friends this year. She's doing ok so far, though, and has made at least one new friend.

What she's like in the morning: On a typical school morning, Daisy is very distracted and hard to keep on task. I have to nag her all morning to get ready for school. I'll often find her staring at a wall instead of getting dressed or making her bed. She wastes a lot of time. But with this being the first week of school, she's been waking up really early and has had plenty of time to get ready. That will probably change as the year goes on.

What she's like after school: Daisy has done okay after school so far, but she has been fighting me over her afternoon chores. Nothing unusual for her. She has given mostly positive reports about her school days. She does have a hard time focusing for piano lessons, so her piano teacher informed me that she is only going to work with Daisy for 15 minutes. She said nothing is productive with Daisy after 15 minutes.

ZOE

The school situation: Zoe is in 1st grade. It's her first year doing all-day school. I thought she would have a hard time with it, but she has actually done very well. I met her teacher on the first day of school, and I was very impressed with her. I am hoping to get Zoe back on an IEP with speech therapy. She was doing very well after her last year of preschool, so I chose to take her out of special ed. I regret that and wish I'd waited one more year to make sure she retained her speech. She has regressed over the past year (there are sounds she was making at the end of preschool that she no longer makes).

Every day so far, Zoe has said that school is "Great!" She loves eating lunch at school. She has tried both school lunch and home lunch. I'm glad she knows the routine. She loves her lunch box, and she likes to use each container that came with is (I've explained to her that she doesn't have to use every container every day, but there's no convincing her!) She learned how to open the milk cartons at school, and she's very proud of herself! She is sad that her good friend Kaitlyn isn't in her class but happy that her friend Kayson is! She even gets to sit by Kayson because he talked too much on the first day and got moved to her table.

What she's like in the morning: Zoe has done alright in the mornings so far. She has been waking up really early. I anticipate that this will eventually change, and I'll be dragging her our of bed to get her ready for school (based on past experience). She gets a little nervous at drop off, but so far, she has gotten out of the car and walked to the play ground. Please bless she continues! Last year she did okay for the first week or so and then she started having meltdowns and wouldn't get out of the car.

Zoe is really finicky about breakfast and refuses to eat anything I offer her in the morning. She hates having her hair done, and if I put any type of ponytail or braid in it, she rips it out as soon as she gets away from me.

What she's like after school: Zoe has handled all-day school pretty well, but she struggles when she gets home. She is jealous of Eva, so if she sees toys out that Eva has played with or if there is evidence that Eva got to have a treat or play with a friend, she throws an absolute fit. She's been kind of whiney and a little naughty for me. She has been punching me in the stomach a lot and fighting with her siblings. None of that really has anything to do with school, though. That's just how Zoe is, school or not.

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As for Eva... she'll be starting preschool next week. I could tell you my predictions, but I will spare you. I don't think it's going to go very well.

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Someone asked about the meditation recordings I mentioned the other day. I use Cosmic Kids meditations which can be found on YouTube. There are others I would like to try but haven't yet. Nicky loves them. Daisy is so/so. Zoe asks for them at night but doesn't really follow along. I use the shortest ones with her. Eva's not interested yet.   

San Francisco: Part III

By the end of the day Thursday, it was hard to believe we'd only flown to San Francisco that morning!

On Friday, we woke up bright and early and headed to Jack in the Box for breakfast. Then we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and went to Muir Woods National Monument, a coastal redwood forest. It felt so nice to get out of the city. We had parking reservations for 8:00 a.m. so we were among the first people to enter for the day (kudos to Michelle for doing the research and booking our spot).

Muir Woods is beautiful, and it smells amazing. Since we were there in the early morning, the light shone through the trees from the side and created all sorts of spectacular views. 

My sloppy cell phone photography will never do it justice. 

I'm not sure what this is, but I had a little moment of excitement:

Chock it up to to big trees, brilliant light, and beloved jacket weather. 

In the forest, there is clover a-plenty, and I love it!

And, of course, trees galore!

Surprisingly there wasn't much wildlife in the forest (not even any bugs!), but we did get to see a baby coyote from afar. Other than that and a few baby fish in the river, there were no animals.

A lot of the trails had closures because they are being renovated, so we were limited in where we could go, but we were still there for a few hours.

When we left Muir Woods, we made a quick stop at Muir Beach.

Rocky beaches are beautiful, but the water was sure cold! I think that's the farthest north I've been beach-wise. 

After the beach, we stopped for Chinese food. I got a little car sick on the winding road, so I wasn't feeling great at lunch. It cleared up by the end of the meal, though, and I was able to enjoy some food 

From lunch we went back across the bridge and into the city. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

San Francisco: Part II

WARNING: This post will overuse the adjectives "awesome," "fantastic," "incredible." and "amazing." It can't be helped.

When I last left you, we'd just checked into our hotel in San Francisco wherein we discovered the fragile nature of the tiny beds and the presence of complementary yoga supplies.

We rested up and made ourselves pretty because that night was the event we'd come to San Francisco for... Hamilton at the Orpheum Theatre!

A little back story of how this trip came to be:

Our friend Mark is to credit for introducing us to Hamilton in April of 2016. 

Last year when Hamilton came to Salt Lake City, Mark had two tickets, and he wasn't able to go, so we bought his tickets. We went with our friends Rob and Brenda, which was great, but we were sad that Mark, who brought Hamilton into our lives, wasn't able to see it. 

Earlier this year, my BCIL (best cousin in-law), Cyndi, told me that she was going to see Hamilton (her second time) in San Francisco. That got the wheels in my brain turning, so I suggested to Scotty that we ask Mark and Michelle if they wanted to go to San Francisco to see Hamilton. 

It's rare for my big ideas to get a resounding YES, so I'm going to enjoy the high from this one for a while. No one needed convincing.

Our hotel was right by the theater. In fact, we could see the Hamilton signs from our window. 

The Orpheum is a pretty cool theater. 

Mark was the "pano man" on the trip. He was 

always taking panoramic shots of everything

and making awesome sound effects while doing so.

It's old, so the seats are close together, but that seems to be the San Francisco way. Despite their closeness, our seats were pretty amazing. When we saw Hamilton in Salt Lake, we saw it from the balcony. I have no complaints about that. But in the Orpheum, we had floor seats, and it was stinkin' awesome!

One interesting feature at the Orpheum is that the bathrooms have a downstairs. Am I the only one that finds this totally fascinating? You go in the restroom and then you have to decide if you want to do your business upstairs or downstairs!

Stairs!

In the bathroom!

But the play...

The play was incredible. I loved it in Salt Lake, and I loved it in San Francisco. Both casts were fantastic. It is so powerful to hear the music performed live. 

And the dancing?

Awesome! Wow!

Plus it was really fun to get to see it with Mark - I've always felt guilty about seeing it before him. 

After viewing Hamilton for the second time, my thoughts are very much the same as the first, so read here, if you're interested. I will reiterate that I love Aaron Burr. His flawed character reaches me somehow. It helps that both times I've seen the play, Aaron Burr has been played by outstanding actors with beautiful voices. 

All the performers had great, powerful voices, and there was palpable energy coming from the orchestra pit as well. The recorded soundtrack, while fabulous, just doesn't compare to the live experience.

That night I went to sleep in my itty bitty San Francisco bed with many a Hamilton lyric on my mind. In fact, several days later, as I write this, I'm singing "Thomas Jefferson's coming ho-o-ooome." 

TO BE CONTINUED...

How I Spent the First Day of School

School started today. I've looked forward to this day with equal parts excitement and dread. On the excitement side of things, there is structure and bed time and time away from each other and built-in socializing. On the dread side of things are early morning wake-ups, the need for constant nagging over schoolwork, carpool woes, late night anxiety-induced tummy aches, and after-school meltdowns.

Emphasis on the after-school meltdowns.

Because OHMYGOSH! I can't even!

Today ended up being incredibly hard. By 10:00 a.m. I was completely exhausted, and then I remembered something: having kids in school doesn't make my life easier. It just makes it different. I always forget this, and I go into the school year believing I get to have a "break" from my kids. I have unrealistic expectations about what I'm going to accomplish while they're gone. I have delusions of productivity and self-care.

Then reality hits like a brick wall. At the end of the day, I feel like I've worked really hard but accomplished nothing.

Here is how I spent my day - proving that I did, in fact, accomplish a lot, but all I can see is how messy my house is and how overwhelmed I feel.

-Woke up at 5:00 and again at 5:45 with Eva
-Did the prayer and scripture thing
-Got dressed
-Got Nicky out of bed at 6:20 (Zoe followed soon after, and I had to tell her that she had TWO MORE HOURS until school. She spent those two hours asking every five minutes if it was time to go)
-Made Nicky's breakfast (oatmeal and a banana)
-Took Nicky and two neighbor girls to the bus stop (6:50)
-Came home and fed the girls (they hate everything, so I just put out boxes of cereal and declared "Eat or starve. Your choice!")
-Loaded the dishwasher
-Started a load of laundry
-Did my hair
-Finished all details of getting kids ready for school, including traditional photos on the front porch
-Went to school with the girls and spent ten minutes in each of their classes
-Took the birthday poster down from May
-Came home and had a friend over for Eva
-Chatted with my neighbor
-Made a meal plan and grocery list
-Ordered groceries online
-Changed laundry
-Sent Eva's friend home
-Met Christie for lunch at Cafe Rio
-Went to Sam's Club
-Came home, and Eva's friend came back over
-Chatted with my neighbor again
-Packaged chicken breasts and thighs for freezing
-Changed laundry
-Cut up a watermelon for dinner
-Took out garbage
-Sent Eva's friend home again
-Went to the bank
-Picked up Daisy and Zoe from school
-Dropped Daisy off at piano lessons
-Went to the grocery store for one item that wasn't in stock for my grocery order
-Went to a different store to pick up my grocery order
-Picked Nicky and Daisy up from piano lessons
-Unloaded and put away all the groceries
-Cleaned up a big paint mess from Eva
-Fixed dinner and fed the multitudes (tacos and watermelon)
-Cleaned up dinner
-Read and signed all the school papers
-Took Nicky to the store to buy divider tabs and an alarm clock
-Bought everyone a hot fudge sundae and called it "Family Home Evening"
-Enforced chores and homework
-Changed laundry
-Got the kids showered and ready for bed
-Did the pre-bed time routine - brushed teeth, scriptures, songs, and prayers
-Put Zoe and Eva in bed and turned on a kids meditation recording for them
-Fought and fought with Eva to get her to stay in bed
-Made the big kids read
-Fought and fought with Zoe to get her to stay in bed
-Turned on kids meditation for the big kids
-Picked up a bunch of random art supplies from around the house
-At this point Zoe was screaming her head off about a stuffed penguin, and I sat in a dark bedroom and wrote this blog post
-The screaming continues...
-Now Eva has joined in...

I actually thought I was going to get four kids put to bed, and then I was going to workout.

Note that there is no mention of Scotty. That's because he's traveling for work. Over the summer, he was gone for about four weeks total. I handled it really well, so I thought I was getting good at having a traveling husband. I now have a theory that it's just not as hard when he's gone during the summer because I don't have to maintain a strict schedule, and I don't have 5,001 places to drive my kids every day.

I'm going to be fine, right? Please tell me I'm going to be fine!

San Francisco: Part I

Last week, Scotty and I jetted off to San Francisco with our friends, Mark and Michelle. It was a quick trip. We left Thursday morning and got home Friday night.

Confession: I've been spelling San Francisco wrong my whole life

(San Fransisco) and only figured it out as I was preparing

for this trip. 

When we first booked the trip, I didn't think one night would be enough. But there's this phenomenon when you travel sans kids! You can do ten times the stuff in half the time. We were able to do a lot. So much, in fact, that documenting this trip is going to take a few posts.

Our first destination after leaving the airport was the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Mark and Michelle are fellow Disneyland enthusiasts, so this was an appropriate destination for our trip. I don't know that I would recommend it to others, though. It was very "museum-y" and overpriced, but we had fun there. 

(Our kids would've hated it and cost us a small fortune).

Scotty & Mark brushing up on their

Disney knowledge

Model of Disneyland in the 50's-60's

Walt Disney had a miniature train that 

ran around his property #lifegoals

After the museum, we headed to Fisherman's Wharf. We didn't have any specific plans, so we just wandered. 

We went to Boudin for lunch where I ate the three smallest fish tacos known to man, and then the four of us shared the two smallest beignets known to man. 

There are beignets in there somewhere

Sourdough? Yes, please!

After lunch we started walking toward Pier 45 when all of a sudden this guy on a bike started yelling at everyone to stop a guy who had just stolen a purse out of a car. He threw his bike down and started chasing the guy, yelling all sorts of profanities. The guy ran through the crowds and various people tried stopping him. 

It was all very adrenaline-rush-inducing, and we found ourselves running toward the excitement. We weren't able to see a resolution to the event. For all we know, the guy got away with the purse. 

We walked along Pier 45 for a while, but it wasn't so great. We watched a guy do a one-man-band performance, and there was a lady there that I worried was going to flash us, as every now and then she would start lifting up her shirt. 

From the vintage arcade at Pier 45

(My guess is she wears sweatpants and watches Gilmore Girls)

We then wandered over to Pier 39 - which is right in the same area, but somehow a lot different. It felt cleaner and safer. 

We looked in some shops and stopped for crepes. We also saw the sea lions, which I love watching because they are so weird looking. I feel bad for them for not having legs. It's almost like they were supposed to have legs, but they never formed correctly. Poor creatures. 

From there we headed to our hotel and checked in. 

Let me interject with a few observations about San Francisco. 

First, I think San Francisco was made for tiny people. The parking spots in San Francisco are very narrow, so every time we parked somewhere, I had to suck in and use my best contortionist moves to worm out of the back seat of the car.

(Note to self: if ever in SF again, rent a car with a sunroof).

Everything in the city seems so compact. So of course, our hotel beds were 18" off the floor and super small. Someone in our party may or may not have broken their bed.

Fixing the bed

Second, San Francisco doesn't seem to be a "sit down and stay awhile" type of city. Everywhere we went felt like a place we needed to vacate immediately, either because there was nowhere to sit, the smells were too bad, or our parking was going to expire. 

Even our hotel room had no seating and no dresser or table. We weren't meant to sit around or unpack our belongings while we were there. 

But don't worry! Our room had yoga supplies. 

Because used yoga mats and stability balls are a must whilst hoteling!

TO BE CONTINUED...

The Children are Finally Sleeping (and eleven other random facts)

Fact #1: This isn't the blog post I set out to write. I was originally going to pursue a post titled, "Thoughts of Woe and Hardship." Then I got whiney real fast, and I was like, "Whoa there, girl. Don't go there!"

Fact #2: I'm not in a great place right now (see fact #1). I'm struggling, but I hesitate to say that because I don't want to sound like I'm severely depressed. I'm actually doing okay depression-wise right now... I think...

So what, then, is my struggle? 

I don't know! 

I guess I just continue to not have my crap together, and it's really bothering me right now.

Fact #3: I've been sorting through my Flickr account lately (Flickr used to be a thing), and I've come across a lot of photos of myself that reveal how much I've changed for the worse in the past two years. My face has aged, I've gained a lot of weight, and my hair isn't good anymore. Why is my hair not good anymore?

Fact #4: Today I found myself making comparisons. I know better. Don't we all know better? And yet, I fall into that trap. I start comparing myself to other women. Other moms. Then I start seeking validation in all the wrong places.

Screenshot snagged from Elder Stevenson's 

BYU Women's Conference address in 2017

Fact #5: Today I talked to a friend who seems to have her crap together. She explained to me what things are really like "behind the scenes." She is only able to do what she does because she heavily relies on her social circle. She has a massive network of friends and family who come to her aid every day. But she also reciprocates, so she's in a good cycle of giving and receiving.

Fact #6: I think I need to take a note from my aforementioned friend and learn how to trust my social circle. I have a bit of a pride issue, and I don't ask for help when I need it. I call it "self-reliance" but part of self-reliance is knowing how to appropriately utilize my resources, including help from other people. Surely we can scratch each other's backs. I just don't like having to depend on other people. I also don't know what other people can do to help me.

I have a lot to learn.

Fact #7: This week I got my kids' dance class, piano lesson, and school schedules. I'm suddenly aware that my life is about to get very complicated (hence, facts 4-6).

Fact #8: Every year around this time, I start to consider whether I need to switch to a digital calendar. And every year I start entering items into a digital calendar, and then I decide I hate it, and I go back to my paper calendar. 

I think this time, I'm for real. I think I'm going digital.

This is huge.

Fact #9: I have to give props to working moms. I honestly don't know how they do it. 

Respect, ladies!

RESPECT.

Fact #10: Shopping with Nicky is an interesting task. I've tried all summer to find him some shorts for school that fit the strict dress code. Gym shorts (his bottoms of choice) are not allowed. The other day I had him try on some khaki shorts. I sent him into the dressing room with 3 pairs of shorts and I told him that if they felt like they fit, he needed to come show me. 

He never came and showed me, and when I asked him why, he said that he couldn't find me (three feet outside his door). Then I noticed the shorts were on the hangers exactly as I'd found them on the rack, and I know that no 12-year-old son of mine put them back on the hanger like that! So I sent him back into the dressing room and said, "This time, you come out of the dressing room and show me!"

Two minutes later he came out of the dressing room with the shorts on... over his gym shorts. At that point, I was done fighting him, so I said, "Take those off. We are going home. We'll have to come back another day when you can do this properly."

Fact #11: Today I got to spend three hours alone with Nicky not buying clothes (I tried to buy him school shoes, but he refused. The kids hates getting new shoes). We had to go to his new school for Registration. Then we went to Chick-Fil-A for breakfast and to a few stores (for non-shoe and non-clothing items).

Nicky is a typical 12-year-old boy (read: super annoying), but he is also pretty incredible. I had several moments today when I thought, "Holy cow! My son is amazing!" He thanks me for things I do, he carries stuff for me without being asked, and he's just an overall sweetheart... a sweetheart that makes obnoxious, repetitive sounds and has a devil's streak in him that makes him torture his sisters to tears at least hourly.