Scary Story

Memory Monday~

Year 2000. Junior in highschool.

Background: Story takes place in the Malad Elementary which is an old two-story building. Malad Elementary rumors include: strange noises, lights seen flickering on and off at night, and a little girl dressed in white supposedly seen by teachers and janitors.

Jason, Alex, Bryan, Dusty(I can't remember who else) for easiness sake we will refer to them as the boys, approached the girls at school and asked if we could help them with a video project for one of their classes. We would do a "Dixie Chicks" music video and the boys would direct and film. My mom works at the Elementary and therefore could lend us the keys. The Elementary Auditorium was a must because we were super professional lip-synchers.

We met up at the school that evening. Lex tagged along in order to get some homework done in the quiet, aloneness of my mom's office. As I recall the girls consisted of Nicona, Sylvia, Tammy, Heather and myself. We wore our matching "Girls Kick *$#" shirts of course. Bryan and Dusty left to pick-up Kenny, who also was joining our free concert.

Tammy and Sylvia (who were doing their hair in the bathroom) came running and screaming onto the stage that they saw a little girl in white at the other end of the hall. The rest of us went out into the hall and saw nothing.

A little while later the little girl was seen again at the end of the hall. Because some of us hadn't see her yet, and were nervously certain they were joking, we linked arms and went to check it out. Sure enough, at the opposite end of the hall, was a glowing little girl in white. She just stood there looking at us. She then turned and seemed to disappear into the wall.

Chaos insued. We ran to the office where Lex was doing homework. Girls were screaming, crying, and threatening Jason and Alex that if this was a joke, they were dead. They promised it wasn't, and seemed reasonably scared themselves. Lex didn't believe us. Lex began to mock our story. He even whipped out his pocketknife and yelled, "Bring it on Little Girl!" Bravely or stupidly, we decided that we all would walk down the L-shaped hall and peer around the corner one last time to see if she was still there. We had to prove to Lex we weren't crazy.

With thumping hearts, wet armpits, and some wimpering protests, we linked arms and started down the hall. We peeked around the corner and there she stood. The ghostly being started walking towards us and we were done for.

Screaming and running as fast as we could, we bolted out the front doors and straight to our vehicles. Lex out ahead of the pack.

Before we left a mile of rubber on the pavement, we hear Jason laughing as he tries to explain that it was all a joke. The little girl was Bryan's niece. They had dressed her up in a white dress and put baby powder on her to give her a "glowing" appearance. When she seemed to disappear into the wall, she was really walking under the stairwell and hiding.

Brilliant. The boys had concocted the perfect practical joke. Totally unsuspecting, they lured us and our vanity in like a fly to a manure pile. The icing on the cake was unbeknownst to us, Jason had recorded the whole affair. Nicona in tears, Lynsey giving the same threat over and over again, Sylvia's blood-drained face, and Lex speedily dodging in and out of the crowd to be the first out the door. It also recorded Tammy punching Jason in the face or at least the sound effects.

The cherry on top occured the morning after, when this video was played for the entire highschool to see during 1st hour announcements.

(I can't remember every detail, so some names may be wrong. I should pull out the video and rewatch it, but I still get the willy-nillys just thinking about it.)

Our 10 year reunion is coming up this next summer. Wouldn't a brilliant revenge idea be fitting?

Just Pull My Teeth Out Already

I've decided that if you are potty-trained that means your mom is a saint. My mom is a saint 5 times over. If Zannah goes to Kindergarten in panties I'm going to tattoo saint across my forehead.

In three days, I have asked sweetly, patiently bit my tongue, ignored, demanded obedience, thrown toys across the room, locked myself in my room and cried. And prayed alot.

Bless her little heart, Z has some serious will-power. She holds her pee and poo from 7 in the morning until naptime when the pull-up comes on and then again after naptime til bedtime.

Candy doesn't tempt her. Balloons, park-time, popcorn, Curious George: all things she loves on a daily basis lose their bartering power once she figures out what I'm asking for in exchange. Who is this girl? She seriously says "no thank you" to candy when I ask if she will sit on the toilet and try.

It may sound like she isn't ready to be potty-trained yet (I don't buy it), and maybe after a few more days I'll throw in the towel, but I have a few teeth left to yank.


Quote of the day: I was telling Zannah that it was bedtime and she needed to get her blanket and bunny. And she responded with, "Yes sir!" That has Marcus written all over it.

Halloweeny Time

Z and her buddy Tyson were Salt and Pepper. This is the best picture I got. They look so happy to be alive. I didn't get a picture of Max's first costume, which was a navy marine. He spit up all over it. I'm happy we put him in the banana outfit, maybe this will be a when it's your "first halloween" costume tradition. I participated and lost in a pie eating contest and shamed our family name. Cool whip pies are disgusting.

Goings On

Marcus is in the holy lands for work. The lucky, lucky boy swam in the dead sea just this morning.

We have survived a week without him only because this lovely lady came to play.


My no-nap idea flew out the window after only one day and my guilt went with it :)

I was informed the other day that some ladies I know describe me as "granola". It makes me wonder if my air-dried hair, make-up free face, bra-less (not all the time mom), subaru-driving ways are labeling me. As long as "tree-hugger" wasn't associated with it, I took it as a compliment.

I have never met a more chill baby than Max. He is pure delight.

And he has just found his toes.


And I'll end with funny Zannah statements. That girl tries my patience to no end only because her headstrong ways rub my headstrong ways the wrong way. How I love her!

"See ya next time" when she lays down for a nap.
"It's dangerous out there" when she doesn't want me to leave the room.
"But, I love you!" when she gets put in time-out.
"Oooohhh Max, you so cute."

I Love Naps

Although, I am determined not to take one today. Even though both kids are sleeping at the same time. Well, Max is sleeping and Zannah is locked in her room. What she does during her naptimes are her business I've decided.

I wish I wasn't so addicted to napping. I wake up in the morning and think "you can do it, only 6 hours until naptime." I've convinced my body that it needs a nap. That if I don't get a nap, something scary will happen about 5 o'clock. But, this week I'm going to prove it wrong.

And eventually, no napping will turn into going to bed at a decent hour because I'm super tired, which will then turn into rising early happily, right?

Stinking Cute

Changes

Most of the time change is good. But this time it was not good, it was bad, like cry-your-eyes out bad. These two moved away. And H-town is not close to A-town....Texas is way too big!

Zannah moved to a big-girl bed. (Just last night!) And Max into the crib instead of the playpen.

Although these two can never be left unattended in the same vincinity, Z is acquiring a much gentler touch. A much appreciated change.

Can summer really be over? Although it is still blasted hot most days, there is a nip in the air some evenings and I can feel fall coming. Zannah has become quite the little swimmer this summer. We moved into a different house only 2 miles from the old one, so the move wasn't too bad, but we couldn't have done it without these two. There is no doubt where Marcus gets his work ethic from!

I didn't think I would be so sad to say goodbye to this particular house. Like my mom says, it's not the house, but the memories. So true, wise one, so true. Truth be told, we liked the house, but strongly disliked being sandwiched in there like sardines and being boxed in on all sides by yappy dogs. I talked Marcus out of throwing anti-freeze soaked steaks over the fence many times the past 3 years.

Altough there have been changes, some things don't change. Like Z's love for her friend Ty-Ty. Shortly after this pic was taken, she took a spill on the sidewalk. A goose-egg on the noggin isn't enough to change her thrill-seeking ways.