Cute and Funny

Jessie's CLASS
So, today is the day Jessie finished preparing and presented his class. He did a good job in the presentation of it. I have to say, though, that this whole thing seemed really important to him! I must explain this point. If you know Jess, then it will NOT surprise you to learn that not much of anything fazes him most of the time. Usually he's as cool as a refrigerated cucumber even when the situation might call for some quick movements. When he was in his externship for his Culinary degree, one of the main complaints his supervising chef had about his behavior was that he did not seem to have a 'sense of urgency'. If you know Jess, you're sitting there nodding your head in complete understanding of this "problem". If you don't know Jess, let me illustrate further.

Totally off track info about Jessie
Jess doesn't react to most things. It's amazing to hear him laugh out loud (and music to this chica's ears, I must add!). It's actually frightening to see concern or fear in his countenance. There was once that I was much more extremely alarmed than I would have been in the situation alone because of Jessie's concern. We were driving home from the temple and we were eating pistachios (in the shell). Ria was actually doing quite well at unshelling them, but I guess she decided to try to "suck" a nut out of a shell the way she saw/heard her Daddy do. The hoover move wasn't nut specific, so she inhaled the nut AND shell and alarmed me AND Jess by sounding like she was choking to death. Jess was actually driving (SUPER unusual on temple trips) and I looked at him just as he was reacting. His face was this horrible death mask and he was breaking and swerving into a right hand turn off of the main road onto a side road. We actually left rubber on the road (driving the VAN!). When I saw his face my heart jumped in my throat BECAUSE he looked really concerned (for Jess, of course) and then his physical reaction (the way he drove the van) was just more than I could handle. I didn't actually start crying, but I felt all the same physical reactions I feel along with tears of relief. So, perhaps this isn't such a wonderful example if you don't know Jess, but it's close to the best I've got.

I'll go for another one... when Jess is mad he doesn't usually look mad. His face doesn't get all screwed up in a scowl (most of the time). Instead he throws or breaks things and every once in a while he yells. While this may also not be the best example, I "throw" it out there to further illustrate the difficulty in "reading" this husband of mine. He's a subtle read, for sure! I'm like reading a youth novel: it's all out there. Jessie is like reading an adult mystery novel: the hints are so misleading that you're TOTALLY surprised by the wrap up at the end! (Ok, so this might be a bit more extreme than Jess normally is, but I think hyperbole is appropriate given the kind of "read" I am!!! heeheehee)

Back on track now
My whole point in sharing ALL that tangent information (isn't it amazing how geometry figures into literary work!!) is to share that Jess was snippy with me and the girls as he was trying to finish preparing for his class this afternoon. He was short with me when he was trying to locate alternate recipes for the packet of recipes he wanted to have available. And he was short with and annoyed by the girls when they were hanging around him as he worked on the computer. If you know Jess AND me, then you might think I was talking about myself because when I'm under stress this is the behavior I generally exhibit. However, I was the cool cucumber today; believe it or not!

While this is not terribly extreme behavior for most people, it's VERY telling when paired with the man called Jessie. He was concerned, excited, and generally all tied up about the upcoming class! (My opinion, of course, from my point of view.) WOW... he cares! ^_^ Of course he does... I mean, he considers it "OUR" Ward. Most everyone knows him and of course he would care how he performed in front of them. It's just really REALLY rare for him to show any sign that these things/thoughts effect him at all!

I just finished reading the above information to Jessie and he asked me to make note of some information I have, however inadvertently, left unmentioned to this point in my blog. I will quote my DH, "I am Super Human. No explanation needed." I'm sure you may want an explanation, and I will happily explain further if anyone leaves a comment letting me know they actually WOULD like further info on the Super Human I married. :)

A Cute and Sweet Kitty Kat Moment
I have been rather anal with the girls about picking up their toys for Jessie's imminent arrivals home since he "laid into" me about the house last week. I must add here that while Jess didn't actually yell or say much of anything most people (women specifically) would consider mean or nasty, there are degrees and that confrontation was a level 3 relative to our relationship. As I was letting Ria know she needed to clean up in preparation for Daddy's arrival home, I went to the bathroom.

The next thing I know Kitty Kat is hollerin, "Daee, Daee..." this is, of course, how she says "Daddy." I thought she was confused, thinking Daddy was already home. She came into the bathroom and repeated, "Daee," but this time I could see her body language. This little lady communicates at least half of what she's trying to say with the way she looks at things or with the things she does with her hands. So, the body language bit with Kat is SUPER important!

Okay, so Kat comes in and says, "Daee," while patting her head. I asked her if her head hurt (which didn't really make sense since she was saying Daddy, but she does pat her head to tell us it hurts). She shook her head and repeated the previous with an added look up onto the counter in the bathroom where we keep the brush. AH HA! It came together. "Do you want Mama to do your hair for Daddy to come home?" I asked her. She smiled really big and nodded her head in the way that makes her go a little off balance when she's standing up. (Very cute, in case you were wondering!) So, I told her I would be happy to do her hair and she turned around and backed up into the place she and Ria stand when I do their hair. I put it up in a little half up pony-tail. When she turned around she was standing in the way she does when she's looked for feedback on how pretty she looks. And, of course, to this adoring Mama she looked like a beauty queen. So, I told her that I thought she looked beautiful and I was just sure her Daddy would love her hair! She was super duper pleased about that and went prancing off!

When I told the girls that I saw their Daddy Kat went, as she usually does, running around the house yelling, "Daee!" until he actually came inside. I honestly don't remember any comment from Daddy about her hair, but I think she was just pleased as punch to feel pretty for her Daddy's homecoming.

The most interesting part of this tale is that I haven't ever made a big deal of personally doing my hair or anything for when Jess comes home. Nor have I made a humongous issue of making sure the girls are combed or brushed for when Daddy comes home. So, it seems to me, that this is just a little girl being sort of prissy in a really sweet adorable way - that I actually LOVE... I've always wished to be a girly-girl and I'm just happy as a bee in a field of flowers that my girls are (or are becoming what I have wished to be).

My Big Activity for the Day
As lame as it is, my big activity for today was the accomplishment of clearing off our dining room table. It was not piled high, or anything, but there were a number of things pushed up against the wall. While it was totally not a big undertaking, I was so super tired after lunch! I actually laid down (more to get Kat to take a nap), but didn't get up for an hour because I was so exhausted. I didn't get any sleep, of course... my issues with sleeping during the day strike again. It's not a conscious chosen problem, because I actually gave myself permission to fall asleep, but it didn't work. It's just a difficulty I've had for as long as I can remember. Me and naps just don't jive, man! I keep hoping that this time I'll be able to nap, at least for little stretches , once the new baby is born. I'm sure that fatigue was a contributing factor to the PPD I endured for way too long after Ria was born... I couldn't sleep at night because she didn't (often) and I couldn't sleep during the day because I just couldn't, most of the time... and then I had to work on top of it. What a mess that was! Anyway... obviously I'm not too impressed with my accomplishment of the day since I've totally changed the subject. ahwell....

Ria and "Her" Movies
Have I mentioned before how MUCH Ria loves to watch movies? Well, she DOES! Since we stopped watching TV, movies have been, for the most part, a reward for doing other things, with Ria. Usually, in the last 9 months or so, she gets to watch a movie after reading class. Currently, though not this week, she gets to watch a movie after reading, math, and testing classes (which happen one right after the other). She doesn't mind and actually seems to really enjoy "math class," which, as it happens, is really more of a penmanship class. But I call it "Math Class" since it's the first time we have actively worked with numbers in a focused manner since we've lived here.

I try to have a "Girl's Night" at least once a week with the girls. This is basically a night that we have a "picnic" in my bedroom or in the laundry room and watch a movie. Both girls LOVE these times and Ria asks to have one of these nights on a regular basis. I know part of her desire is for the time we spend together, we three, but perhaps the bigger part is the movie. :)

On a rare day, I will actually let the girls watch a short movie (or two) for no reason what-so-ever. Usually this happens on Sunday, which Ria hasn't quite put together yet. And the short movies are our Living Scriptures (they are about 1/2 an hour long). Ria LOVES to watch movies for "free" as it were! She just thinks it's THE coolest thing. It's not a good habit for Mama because Ria asks regularly for this sort of thing after each time she gets it (so by Wednesday she's usually stopped asking for a "free" movie).

If you ever wonder what you should get for Ria; I'd say movies would be a hit every time. She loves anything PRINCESS and Barbie. And, believe it or not, the Barbie animated movies are QUITE cool and GOOD!! They (those I've seen) always have a moral to tell and tell it in a very accessible manner. They are sweet and pretty easy to watch, too! But she also loves TEA set stuff, cooking stuff, and dress up stuff. This is totally unnecessary info at this time because there is no reason that anyone reading this should purchase anything for Ria... but still. I guess I'm just rambling in fatigue at this point. Perhaps I should end my blatherings. Till tomorrow....