Flying (With Children)

If you really knew me, then you would know how much I hate flying. This irrational fear has only gotten worse as I have gotten older.

The last time we flew was over a year ago-- to Todd's sister's wedding in San Diego. Rocco was a little over a year old. I then realized what was worse than flying with an irrational fear of flying: putting my child on an death trap airplane with the irrational fear of it crashing into smithereens. I silently cried during take off-- big, fat tears rolled down my cheeks. The woman sitting next to me looked at me like I was a crazy person. Rocco said, "It's okay, Mama." He wasn't phased one bit. I guess I was the bigger baby that day than my one-year-old.

To make my anxiety levels even worse is having to endure the judgmental stares from non-parents who are also flying alongside us. "Make that kid shut up!" they silently scream at the backs of our heads. "Can't that kid sit still?" their eyes question as I pull out every toy, book, snack, sippy cup, you name it to try to sidetrack my child and keep him preoccupied.

Sigh.

Believe me, we want our child to sit quietly and peacefully just as much as you do-- if not more. There's a lot of pressure on us-- and our kid. It makes flying incredibly more horrible than it already is. Believe me when I say that it is extremely difficult for someone like me-- who is already terrified while sitting on a plane-- to try to deal with an unhappy child.

In one week from now, we will be loading a plane to San Diego again. This time with two children. Double the carry-ons. Double the luggage. Double the anxiety. Double the judgmental stares...

...and make it a double shot in my pre-flight cocktail.

Shaffer Update!

Hello, Loyal Readers!

Here's a little update on my family:
The last major milestone I blogged about was our trip to Condon in June. This summer has gone all too quickly for us, so we have now put the pedal to the metal on some goals we wanted to achieve before school started back up again.

Around The House
Todd and I have been doing some random DIY projects around the house (painting and constructing Ruby's bed and redecorating her room, constructing Rocco's bunk beds, new bathroom storage cabinet, etc.)-- the most notable being the refurbished China hutch. I didn't take a "before" photo-- as I am always too anxious to get started. But I did take some "during" photos and an "after photo". Before the paint job, the hutch was a medium Oak wood with brushed gold hardware (can you say ICK?) I painted the whole thing black and distressed it. I looked at Home Depot for new hardware, but, to my dismay, the original hardware had odd measurements, so I was forced to make do with what I had. I debated spraying it silver or matte black. I decided with the matte black so it would blend into the furniture more-- I really hated the hardware as it was. Now, I love it. It looks completely different in black! Originally, there were glass panels with gold panes in the upper doors. To give it a rustic look, I decided not to put in the glass, but to add screen instead. I am thrilled with the result:

Solar Energy

Todd and I were accepted into a solar pilot program and it pays us 28.5 cents per every watt of solar energy we produce. There are a handful of guys installing the approximate 30 foot solar panel (28 panels total) right now. I don't know much about it-- I am super skeptical! So, if you have more questions, call Todd! :) All I know is that is supposedly going to save us money. And is a big deal. I guess?

Fourth of July

It was fairly laid back this year-- as we have little Miss Ruby-- and the heat was out of control (over 100 degrees ever day!) So, we stayed inside or in the shade as much as possible. We did go to the park one day to check out the vendors after Lion's breakfast. Rocco slid down the giant inflatable slide and went on the swings. We also made sure to watch the parade. We met up with our friend and Rocco's babysitter and her two boys. It was a blast!

Barton/Adams Wedding
Recently, a family friend got married. She looked stunning and the groom was glowing. They were such a happy, cute couple. I wish them the best!

Boise Zoo
We took Rocco and Ruby to the zoo about a week ago. They were excellent! Rocco was thrilled to see all of the animals-- the monkeys are his favorite! But he hated the new animatronic dinosaurs. They scared him. He always looks forward to the giraffe slide (as tall as a real giraffe) and hand feeding the goats. Ruby did not make a sound the entire time we were at the zoo-- just took it all in. And ended up falling asleep right before we left. It was definitely the highlight of summer vacation so far!

Grandma Mary's 82nd Birthday
We all got together to celebrate Mother Mary's birthday recently. She is a young 82 and looks great! I love that I get to live close to my family and spend time with them-- especially birthdays. Birthdays are my favorite!

Rocco & Ruby

Rocco is growing like a weed and is not slowing down at all. He has had a great summer playing outside, going to the park, doing a week of swim lessons, and going on miscellaneous adventures. He is still infatuated with anything and everything dealing with fire trucks and fire fighting. He is also into Wreck it Ralph and Transformers. And he is super interested in construction stuff, too. We sure do have fun with him!

Ruby is also growing like a weed. She rolls around with ease, but has no desire to crawl yet. She loves sticking her toes in her mouth, eating baby food, making "smack/kiss" noises with her mouth, banging toys with her hands, splashing around during bath time, and smiling at people. She is a quiet little girl and loves to take it all in. It will be fun to watch her grow up.

The Rest of the Family

My mom is still enjoying retirement. So much that I am worried she is going to quit her babysitting job in the fall (not really!) She has been busy quilting and volunteering for lots of charities around the valley. The most notable is her work with the Boys and Girl's Club of the Treasure Valley. She has always been such an advocate for kids. My dad is busy, busy, busy-- farming away. Looking out my back door, I can see that they are swathing hay as I type. His crops look good this year. Todd's folks are doing well. Todd's dad was appointed county judge in January so he has been busy taking classes, going to trainings, attending meetings, and learning the ropes of his new job. Todd's mom stays busy at the bank and is always working on something around their house. They recently remodeled their kitchen and added a shop to their house. We were there when they were pouring cement-- something Rocco loved watching-- and we were able to get the kids' names in the wet cement. Jason and Lora are busy with Jaxon-- he is also growing like a weed and is so cute. Lora will be going to Jason Aldean at the end of the month-- her birthday gift from the family. Todd's sister, Stephanie, and her husband, Jim, are expecting a little girl ANY TIME! Her name is Jillian Marianne. We are eagerly awaiting news of her arrival! Everyone else not mentioned is good-- happy and healthy.

Looking Foward...

I am getting a much-needed and much-deserved 90 minute massage on Wednesday. Enough said!

I am also taking a CPR/First Aide class next week. It's the only "real" class I am taking this summer. I took some online classes and am proud to say that I am officially all the way across the payscale! Yahoo for me!

Todd and I will be celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary on the 25th. We are going to a restaurant in Boise called Barbacoa. There have been several people who have recommended it to us and it looks neat, so we thought we would try it!

We will be taking the kids to San Diego to visit Stephanie, Jim, and Jillian at the end of this month. We're hoping for a play day at the beach, a trip to Lush, and a possible visit to Sea World. With the HOT weather here, we are looking forward to the mild temperatures in San Diego. Mostly, it will be good to see family and meet my niece. Hopefully, we will be there for at least part of the time Todd's parents will be down there-- I think they are going to be there for a couple of weeks.

Todd has had the summer off of football commitments as he stepped down from assistant coaching high school football to head coaching middle school football. He is looking forward to switching gears this fall and being able to spend more time with his family.

Work starts August 19 for us with two inservice days before kids come. So that means that we have just about a month of summer break left. Yikes!

September is a big month for us-- my dad, Todd, and Rocco all have birthdays. Rocco will have his birthday on September 7th-- bounce house again for him and his friends! Todd is turning 30 on September 18th. Homecoming will be the end of September and that is a super busy but fun time for me. A fellow teacher and I are in charge of all of the festivities and it is a BIG deal where we are from. Then, in October, Rocco and Ruby will host their annual Pumpkin Patch Party. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I am looking forward to it.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer-- we are going to enjoy it while it lasts!

10 Year Reunion Recap

I came. I saw. I was home by 8:30 p.m. that night.

To say the reunion was bad is too harsh... but to say it was good is an overstatement. Here's the scoop, from my perspective:

The positives:

-A great turn-out! There were more people there than I anticipated and a lot of people came from afar, which was awesome. We had two classmates come all the way from Hawaii, among other places. Out of a class of 65, I believe we had 25 classmates, which seems pretty legit for a 10 year reunion. Plus, most brought a "plus 1" so we had quite the group.

-Good location: we had more than enough room to mingle, which was great. And there was alcohol, which, in my situation, was a necessity in this situation.

-The people: with the exception of a couple people, everyone appeared to be genuinely happy to be there, were nice to everyone, and friendly. I didn't see a lot of cattiness, awkwardness, or weirdness, which was a pleasant surprise.

(Pre-Party shots. Mandatory for the 10 year reunion. You never know what to expect!)

The negatives:

-Lack of time: there was not enough time to really have a conversation with anyone. I know that I tried to catch every person and at least spend a couple minutes with each person. But there's not a lot of details you can get into in two short minutes. I wish we would have either had more time that night together or had another activity the day after.

-Lack of activities: we had a three hour block for drinks, dinner, and mingling-- adults only. That's it. It seems like a lot of time, but it wasn't near enough. I am definitely hosting a family BBQ at my house with the next reunion to try to give people more opportunity to catch up and meet each other's kids.
-No teachers invited. A lot of classmates actually mentioned wanting to see specific teachers.
-No school tour. Classmates who have not been here since high school wanted to walk the hallways again.
-No awards, no year books passed around to look and laugh at, no speeches or guest speakers, etc. It was a "fend for yourself" and make your own fun during the three-hour block period. I brought 10 year goals we each wrote as seniors in high school that a wonderful teacher saved for us and passed them around, which were a hit. I think we would have had more fun with more things like that at the dinner.

-Not enough food! I talked to quite a few people that were starving and wanted more food. My husband was one of them :)

-Group photo: we had several people missing from the photo, which sucks, because people are still being "left out" 10 years later.

(Top: Keely Koda Davison, Darci Camp, Lacie Norton Jenkins, Kacie Recla Shaffer, Neaomy Lovelady, Nicki Sappe, Rachel McPheeters Dees, Clayton Dauwalder, Ashley Robertson, Jacob Torrey, Cody Bates, Matt Johnson. Bottom: Logan Keller, Eric Saunders, Mike Larcade, Ryan Hicks, Mike Dentinger, Kyle Barton, Chance Skerjanec.)

The best part of the night was being able to see faces I hadn't seen in a long time. Getting a hug and spending a few moments with everyone was awesome. I will forever be happy that I went to the reunion if for nothing else but for those moments. I learned that one of my classmates served overseas and is now flying helicopters-- it's a good thing I save his life back in high school (No joke. I really did save his life.) Another classmate is having some adventures in the medicinal marijuana growing, harvesting, and selling business. We have teachers, truck drivers, an onion sales rep, a BLM fire fighter, and more. Some classmates already have established careers and some are plugging away at school. One classmate was passionate about her studies in physical therapy while a couple others talked hair color because they are both in cosmetology school-- it's actually pretty scientific stuff! I learned how couples met-- one couple at a party (I thought I heard the husband say, "I threw up on her at a party" when he actually said, "I met her through a party" so that was funny.) Another couple met online. We have a set of classmates that went to school together since middle school and are now married with four beautiful kiddos. There were classmates who recently had babies and some who recently became engaged. Classmates who overcame addiction. Classmates who stayed here... and some who are bonafied gypsies. And one classmate who is an MMA fighter! We are an eclectic group!!!

(Top: Matt Johnson. Middle: Logan Keller, Keely Koda Davison, Rachel McPheeters Dees, Nicki Sappe, Kacie Recla Shaffer, Darci Camp, Clayton Dauwalder, Ashley Robertson, Jacob Torrey, Cody Bates. Bottom: Mike Jenkins, Eric Saunders, Ryan Hicks, Kyle Wilson, Mike Dentinger, Kyle Barton, Chance Skerjanec. Missing: Lacie Norton Jenkins, Neaomy Lovelady, Francis Dyas, Jess Tolman, Luke Braniff, Amanda Johnson, Kelli Dixon Miller, Josh Hathaway, Evan Haley, Chelsie Bishop Bates, Mike Larcade, Fitzpatrick Kennedy)

Despite the negatives, I am really happy I went. I was on the fence for a long time. Even that day I contemplated faking sick. But I went, and I'm glad I did. I am glad that even for a few moments, I got to see everyone-- that far outweighs the negatives. The classmates are talking about having a 15 year reunion, and I hope it happens. Since we have one under our belts, we now know that we need more time together and more fun stuff to do as a group. Here's to the class of 2003! I hope all of my classmates stay happy, healthy, and safe until I see them again. PS: We're old farts.

("Shit, I'm old! Give me a drink!")

Mr. Yuk

When I was 4 my mom and I stopped into one of those middle of the mall hallway safety fairs. The people taught me all about poison control, but the only aspect I remember well is getting those neon green Mr. Yuk stickers. I was told to put the sticker on anything that was "yucky"...

Later, we went to a restaurant called Noodles. I ordered the children's lasagna. I loved my mom's lasagna. But this lasagna, when delivered, was... different. It had spinach in the middle. YUCK! Without saying anything, I reached into my mom's purse, grabbed out the sheet of stickers, placed one carefully on the top of the lasagna, and called the waitress over.

"This is YUCKY!" I said and sent it with her to the kitchen.

It was one of my earliest memories of being a ball-buster.

I can't help it. It's as much a part of me as the freckles on my face.

It seems as if this characteristic is either regarded highly (usually by my friends) or loathed (usually by my foes.) People usually either love me or despise me. I can see both sides of the coin. You always know where you stand with me, and I always tell you what I genuinely think when you ask for my opinion. This can be very refreshing and show those around me that I am open, honest, genuine, and trust-worthy. If I give you a compliment, you know I mean it. You always know that whatever comes out of my mouth is the honest to God truth. Or, it can be seen as rude, bitchy, judgmental, and overly blunt. Sometimes I say things people don't want to hear. I always warn them...

I was once told that being nice to someone I have an issue with is not fake, it's being polite. I beg to differ. Being nice to someone I have an issue with goes against every fiber of my being. Being neutral to someone I have an issue with seems to be the nicest I can get. And by neutral I mean ignoring them and trying not to be around them as much as possible.

However... I am working on it. Really.

Since becoming a mother, I have found that I am much better at governing myself and my words before speaking or reacting. I haven't mastered this skill quite yet, but I'm actively working on it.

Here's a recent example:

Someone asked me what I thought about a certain someone. In my mind I thought, "I hate him. He gives me bad vibes. He's stupid, ignorant, unmotivated, lazy, arrogant yet super insecure, and white-trashy. He thinks he's charming, but I see right through the act. He is BAD NEWS."

I may have thought that in my head, but this is what I said: "He's a douche."

So, see... I'm working on it.

I do think that the world would function better, however, if we all carried around a set of Mr. Yuk stickers in our belongings to place upon people and situations as a warning for all who follow our paths in life. They would be spared the lecture from us, we would be spared of the title of "ball-buster", and all the yucky stuff could just be avoided with one little neon green sticker.