Andersons

While I was in Utah I noticed something...there was a lot of jokes about the downside of being an Anderson. And then I noticed it again when Amy and I had a conversation about Erik's Anderson blood. Becuase he's stubborn and defiant, and difficult to motivate.

So I wanted to share the upside.

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Being an Anderson means I'm smart. It means I can grasp concepts easily and learn quickly.

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Being an Anderson means I'm creative. I have visual intuition and can create beautiful things.

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Being an Anderson means I'm thoughtful. I process and disect information until I understand it.

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Being an Anderson means I'm not a sucker. I'm skeptical and require more information to accept something.

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Being an Anderson means I care deeply about family. It means I love being with my parents and siblings and am concerned about their lives.

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Being an Anderson means I'm funny. I have a quick wit and can surprise people with my comments.

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Being an Anderson means I'm loved. I always know that people have my back and will support me in my life's path.

More funny stories

First I want to say if anyone hasn't seen Wipeout on ABC, you should check it out. We've started watching it as a whole family since Erik fell in love with it. It's on Tuesdays.

We were riding in the car the other day talking about Wipeout. The kids were telling me how they told Grandma about the show. Erik says, we told her about the fat girl we saw on there. Then Taryn says something else about the fat girl. So I say, I wish you guys wouldn't use that term, sometimes people who are fat are embarrassed about it and don't want you to call them that. So Taryn says, can I use the word puffy?

The other day Erik and I had a big knock down fight. After we were in his room saying apologies and talking about what had happened. He says, Mom, I love you. If I didn't have you, I wouldn't even be here. So I tell him that I would be sad without him. He says, what would you even do if you had a piece of paper and needed a hole right through it? I said, I don't know, what would I do? He says, because I can do that you know. I'm also good at scratching (which I had the sores on my arm to prove from a different knock down fight we had in the middle of the street).

Colby Stead

This is my cousin Amy Robinson's band. My sister Kelli told me that they were coming to Seattle, so Vic and I dropped the kids off at Grandma's and went to see them. Kelli said they were good, but what else is she going to say? It seems everyone has a band these days, so I didn't know what to expect. I always prepare myself to say nice things, even thought they might suck, cause...what do you do? I was also nervous that she would not recognize me, because it's been quite a few years and I would be out of context and all.

We got there, and couldn't find the place. I was starting to panic, when we saw this little tiny sign that said we had to go back through the alley to get there. We found the place, but no music. We were about to give up again, when we saw another little tiny sign that said go back into the alley, a little to the left, and up the stairs. They sure didn't make it easy.

Anyway...there were about 4 people there watching. I thought oh no, this is going to be so awkward...but it was perfectly quaint. And they were soooo good! I could have stayed there and listened for hours. It seemed so quick that they were finished. Colby's voice was so soothing, and I thought the writing was beautiful. Amy's accordian was also great, and she has a beautiful voice. I just loved the whole thing! We bought their cd's and listened to them the whole way home.

Amy did recognize me and it was so nice to sit and talk with her after the show. We used to be good friends in our childhood, but it has been more than ten years since we've had a serious conversation. I loved catching up with her and getting a glimpse of what her life is like now.

If anyone wants to check them out, you can find them at www.colbystead.com

Peer Pressure

All the girls in the neighborhood have cut their hair really short like this. At first I told Taryn she couldn't have hers cut because she didn't need to be like everyone else. Then I realized that it would be easier for her to wash it and would be less greasy all the time. So I gave in and this morning we cut it. She says it's just a little too short, but likes it. I love the change a haircut can make.

Spotty

Erik drew this picture of his stuffed cheetah Spotty. I thought it was so awesome I just wanted to brag a little.

Bravery

My favorite part of blogging is seeing everyone's pictures, so that's why I add random pictures when I don't have a relevant one.

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I consider my life to be very comfortable. There's really nothing I HAVE to do. My kids know how to make their own food, and I don't really have to leave the house if I don't want to.

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So I've been trying to branch out a little, try some new things, and say yes to opportunities that come my way.

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The first thing I did, was to try and find a new homeschool group. Since leaving religion, it's been hard for me to find a community. I also have been trying to find a non-christian oriented group. No offense to anyone, but I'd like my kids to meet other kids who believe like we do, so they don't feel so foreign. So I searched the internet for a secular group, and found four or five. I was really encouraged by my findings and decide to start visiting groups. The first few groups were really weird, I just didn't feel comfortable and couldn't relate to their lifestyles. Or they were really odd and unwelcoming. I was ready to give up, but then decided to finish out my list. My last group turned out to be a good one. All the women were so kind, and tried hard to include us. I'm so grateful to have found such a group and I look forward to getting to know these people over the next year.

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The next thing that happened, was that I had a conversation with Vic about how I've always wanted to take swimming lessons, but felt like a dork. Seriously, the next day, my neighbor was holding a schedule to the local pool and said, I was thinking about taking a swimming lesson, but it's cheaper if you find someone to do it with you. So I went out on a limb and said I'd try. We put it off for weeks, until finally she made the appointment. I was so anxious, I kept thinking of how I could back out of it. But I went... and I had so much fun. It was really hard, but I learned a lot and was proud of myself for even trying.

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The last thing I have scheduled, is I signed up to take a class from H&R Block to learn more about taxes. I have looked at this class for the last two years, and have put it off because it requires me to leave the house and meet new people. So I just signed up and will start in two weeks.

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Wish me luck and go try something new!

Vic's Garden

Vic's garden finally started growing. This is the first year he has gotten corn to grow, it will be exciting if we can actually eat it. The whole neighborhood has been coming over and eating Erik's peas, they love it. This is one of the kids pumpkins they are growing for halloween. It's name is Fatty.