First Kiss

During this month of me working, my sister in law Alecia was so nice to come babysit my kiddies for me. Along with her came her little boy Parker and her 6 month old Kennidi to play with Laetner while Delainee and mommy were away. They had such a good time. That Parker is a 'ladies man' and spent most of the days trying to plant one of these on my Wavee....



...and the rest of the day was spent fighting over who got to sit in Kennidi's bumbo (in the background). Apparently, if Parker ever pushed Wavee around too much, then Laetner would step in and set him straight!

Happy Belated Fathers' Day

Obviously June is a busy month, so I especially feel bad that both Father's Day AND Court's b-day happen during this month. Court's birthday was pretty pathetic---he went and purchased his own gifts and begged me to at least wrap them with the kids. Then on Father's Day we were up north due to our Fuller Family Reunion, and I was SICK, and we pretty much did not even celebrate. I was feeling pretty darn guilty, cuz if anyone deserves props as a Father it is Court. He is such a good daddy. Thank goodness that he works so hard to ensure that our kiddies have fond childhood memories! He is constantly doing activities with them, and always pushing us to go on vacations! It is no surprise that Waverly's one and only word is 'daddy' becuz he really is the BEST!




We probably should celebrate him on Mother's Day as well, cuz the man keeps a way cleaner house than I----and he COOKS too! During this month of working at MCC, Court actually managed to be in town for a good portion of it, and it was sooo nice to come home to fed kids, a clean house, and finished laundry!!!! He is a little OCD and a bit of a germ-a-phobe to boot, but man alive I will take it.

Well, we decided we would surprise Court and we declared Sunday June 28th as Father's Day this year. I told the kids on Thursday what we would be doing and they were so excited! We did all the standard cards, and breakfasts, and gifts (that he did not purchase himself) and of course we CLEANED the house! But since Court was not expecting it, it was soo much fun!

We love you Court! You really are the best and we appreciate all you do.

(We really might want to look into legally changing your birthday and Father's Day out of the month of June, though Ü)

Delainee's MCC Workshop Performance

Delainee had her performance for Magic Music Kidz on Thursday night. She was in the orange 7:oo show! She did so amazing and sang so loud on her opening solo in "I Wanna Be a Movie Star". She had so much fun. This year we met some new friends that we were able to carpool with, and it worked out so well. Thank goodness their mom got a picture of our girls, cuz Court showed up at MCC with no camera!!!! I was at the theater ALL day long in rehearsal, so a big thanks to Shelby for getting Delainee ready for me. Don't think I would have trusted Court to the hair and make-up! Ü

Look out Broadway---here she comes!

Fuller Family Reunion

As if June wasn't busy enough, we had our Fuller Family Reunion smack dab in the middle of it! My baby brother Chris was in charge and we all headed up to Fool Hollow's Lake in ShowLow to spend a day on the lake and just playing with cousins. Here is the ENTIRE crew!


Here we have all my siblings with their spouses and my parents.


The kids had alot of fun playing relay races, taking canoe rides, hanging out on the dock, and just playing on the playground.

Friday night we had a talent show, which I am sad to admit, but we had no representation from the Fischbeck's. We could not get Delainee up there to sing anything for us. Oh well. Just our little family stayed at Fischbeck's cabin and we ended up staying all the way thru Sunday which was Fathers Day, but this whole week I was really feeling sick, and we honestly did NOTHING for Court. I feel so bad. Maybe we will surprise him next week when he isn't expecting anything.

June----- Aaack!

I hate excuses, I really do, but legitimately I am busy. Sooo busy that I should not be even typing this right now, but alas it is literally driving me crazy to see MAY 25TH as the last time I posted. I still have sooo many, many end of the school year type things to post about the kiddies, but they will have to wait until the end of my last crazy, crazy week in June!

The LPM open house took up the first week of June, and I actually did not work the first week of MCC's Musical Theater Workshops so I could focus on Let's Play Music. But of course Book Club still had to happen, and every spare moment was spent listening to musical theater songs for MCC where I would listen for solo instrument lines and 'transcribe' them into my actual music for the pit rehearsals that began bright and early Monday and Tuesday morning of the 2nd week of June. That rest of that weeks afternoons were spent in the theater at MCC, culminating with performances on Friday night as well as a Saturday matinee and evening performance.

THEN, the third week of June brought the start of the baby workshop in the the mornings at MCC--at least Delainee gets to come to this with me everyday. Luckily it only runs Monday thru Thursday morning, but as soon as we got home Thursday afternoon, we all loaded up into the van to head up north for a Fuller Family Reunion. The kids had a blast, and I better be posting about that later! Oh and since Wednesday I have been SICK! Man alive I do not feel good. Please tell me it isn't normal to wake up every morning with a splitting headache. Those should go away with a good night's rest, right??? Plus, I just ache and have a sore throat to boot----I do talk kinda sexy, though. But I just don't think it is right to start every morning with a cocktail of Excedrin, Prednisone, Plaquenil, and an occasional Tylenol arthritis thrown in there.

This week will be the week of ALL weeks. I will be lucky to come out the other end in one piece. I do have a feeling it will happen in a bit of a drugged haze. Luckily Monday and Tuesday will be spent in the standard morning workshop only. But starting Wednesday I will be at MCC ALL day long, plus on Wednesday I need to run to my nieces Wedding. Thursday---all day long again with TWO performances that night---Delainee will perform at the 7:00 performance! Friday and Saturday will have the standard evening and then matinee and evening performances, but then immediately after I need to book it over to aforementioned niece's wedding RECEPTION.

Then the next day on Sunday I am supposed to teach the lesson in Relief Society----Aaack!

So for any of you that have tried to call or e-mail this month and I have either NEVER gotten back to you or have been really short with you, or just replied it is JUNE---well hopefully you understand.

Laetner Funnies

Well at least I think he is funny---I did laugh, and I figured I better write this down before I forget.

Incident #1: Laetner is sitting at the kitchen counter coloring and I am in my office which allows be to hear while not being seen. Delainee is in the bathroom with the door open, and Courtney has just walked in the house thru the laundry room. As Court is walking past the bathroom on his way toward the kitchen he says, "Hello beautiful"(he WAS talking to Delainee) to which Laetner asks, "Me?" He knew that beautiful wasn't what he should normally be getting called, but he didn't see anybody else that daddy could be referring to. "NO daddy, I am handsome," he exclaimed.

Incident #2: This morning at breakfast we noticed Laetner playing with the tire gage from Court's truck. Court asks Laetner if he brought it in, and Laetner denies it. Court then asks Delainee and she denies it as well. I am standing there and comment that 'if it wasn't one of us, then who was it' to which Laetner immediately responsed "It must have been Wavee"--- uh-huh, RIGHT! I have a feeling she is going to get blamed for a lot of things. Ü

Poor Wavee

We were gone last week to New York and got back Friday. Over the weekend Waverly did seem a little clingy, but we had been gone all week. Sunday she started to get a little whiny--but we had been gone all week. Sunday night she was playing outside and seemed really over heated---but we had been gone all week---Wait that doesn't make sense. Ü

Monday morning she woke up running a fever and her whole body was HOT! We gave her multiple baths and lots of children's tylenol, which did bring the fever down enough to get her to sleep or nap, but everytime we went to get her up she was BURNING up. Tuesday was the same thing and I was starting to get nervous, but my BIL the doctor reassured us that as long as she still had wet diapers and was just a fever then we were probably okay. On Wednesday I was at my wits end, and beginning to personally feel the effects that stress tends to do to me. She was miserable and now she would just lay on my bed with a glazed over look in her eyes and just whimper and hold her head. I didn't want to be THAT mom that the Dr rolls his eyes and says 'its just a fever' but now she was beginning to cough as well and she just did not look good. Sooo, I took her in.

Diagnosis: double ear infection in both ears! Oh, my poor baby, I am so sorry I did not take you in sooner. I think the doctor could see how sick I felt, and tried to make me feel better by saying if I had brought her in on Monday, that they might not have seen the build up in her ears and might have just sent me home. But to think we could have stopped this sooner just makes my cry. But we have now started her on the 10 days worth of antibiotics---which is a chore in itself to get her to take, but already this morning she is playing with Laetner and actually giggling---GIGGLING! Never thought I could be so greatful, happy, relieved, and even overwhelmed that the child is simply smiling. Obviously I don't deal well with sick kiddies--I mean, ear infections happen all the time right? Well, for me they haven't. Luckily for this household this is the FIRST ear infection we have ever dealt with. Pretty amazing, I know. Hopefully it will be the ONLY one.

Laetner's Preschool Graduation

It is official! We have been in the same preschool class since the boy turned 3! But Laetner has loved his time at Meridian in the Amanecer preschool with Miss Gwynne and Miss Judy! They were always sending home reports on how studious and on the ball he was in class---in fact they call him the little professor. I think that when he puts his glasses on that it transforms him into another creature altogether. All the preschoolers had a cute little program in the library to show off all they know. And man alive can that boy play a mean triangle ......

He really puts his whole heart and soul into it! Ü He also got to show off some acting skills as the princesses father in their reenactment of the princess and the frog. He delivered his one line perfectly---"Why is a FROG here???"

(from left to right)Miss Kerri (student teacher), Miss Judy(classroom aide) and Miss Gwynne (teacher)


After the little show we went back to their classroom and Laetner showed me around the room. He is such a little ham!

Congratulations Laetner ---go ahead and enjoy your Summer!

Delainee's Gymnastics Recital

We made it back from our New York trip in time for Delainee's gymnastics recital on Saturday May 16th. She has been working all sorts of tumbling skills and has really enjoyed her little class at Angela's Flip Zone. The dress rehearsal was INSANE, but come 3:00 and 20 numbers later Delainee was all set to show off her 'skizzles'. I snuck down to the front of the auditorium to record the event. Scott and Shelby were on the front row and in the dark they whispered that my seat was taken. I shouldn't have, but I whispered back to them where they could go----I DID NOT realize that our elders quorum president was sitting between us and heard the whole thing---WHOOPS! Ü

Check out her mad skizzles.....



We might need to look into getting the child a fake tan----she positively 'glows' on stage, she is so white! Ü

Here she is after the show, executing her most famous of moves---it looks like an x-jump to me!

She had many adoring fans, including both sets of grandparents!

It was so fun to be able to perform with some of our cousins, as well!

WAY TO GO GIRLS!

New York, and My Luck Has Changed!

It was our anniversary. I was all done with teaching Let's Play Music for the year. I had a free babysitter. And Court had to go to New York for business.....HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME! This trip was spent a little differently becuz Court did in fact have to work, and had some pretty big presentations---which meant he wasn't very much fun for a couple of the days. Our flight left Monday morning, and we actually dropped the kids off at Scott and Shelby's on Sunday night. Our trip in October was all about tourist attractions, so this trip it was way laid back and more about the FOOD! I hate the plane trip back East becuz you literally lose a day, but we landed in NYC at 5:00 p.m. local time. We took a car from JFK to our hotel---the Sheraton Times Square, and had barely unpacked when we headed to Lombardi's in SOHO for PIZZA! Afterwards we WALKED until we found a little cupcake place called Sweet Revenge that I had seen on Martha Stewart----these are the cupcakes made with a ton of real Mexican Vanilla and cooked in parchment paper. I got the 'pure' and Court got the 'dirty'. We hated to waste the evening so then we actually headed to the AMC theater on 42nd Street for a late showing of X-Men Origins---luv u HUGH! This theater was crazy. The lobby was a tiny little entrance with just two escalators heading up. FIVE escalators later we made it up to our theater. These weren't just short little escalator rides either. One even ran along the window that faced 42nd Street and it was actually scary to see how high up you were. And we were rudely awakened to the ticket price of $12.50 a seat---YIKES!

Court was busy most of Wednesday and Thursday, so Tuesday was our big day to do stuff together---and we did GOOD! We set our alarms for 5:00 a.m. (2:00 a.m. Arizona time) and headed over to the Regis and Kelly Show. We did not have tickets so we were hoping and praying that we would get tickets in the stand-by line. It was FREEZING, and Court had neglected to put on his coat that morning. I was giving him a hard time and trying to warm him up with my VERY warm coat, when a gentleman standing next to us in the TICKET line asked if we didn't have tickets , cuz he had two extra! You should have seen the ugly looks that the people in front and in back of us in line gave us, but bow howdy we jumped lines and ended up being the only people from the standby line to actually make it into the show. It was sooo much fun. They totally interact with the audience. Court felt a little girly sittin in on the regis and kelly show, but they had the winners from Amazing Race---which he LOVES, and as much as I hate to say it, Tom Hanks was a great guest.

On the set of Regis and Kelly

Outside the taping of the show!

After the show we took the subway to the Brooklyn Bridge Exit, and hiked out if Manhattan over into Brooklyn. At precisely 11:00 a.m. we needed to call the Dave Letterman show to put our names on the standby list. Courts cell phone is company paid so we had him do the dialing. He just kept telling me it was busy, so I figured I should try my hand at it as well. Wouldn't you know it, it was ringing for me. The lady picks up and asks me a trivia question (which was what instrument does Paul Schaffer play, btw) and then tells me we are #2 and #3 on the standby list----NICE!


This is as we were walking toward Brooklyn....

and this is the Manhattan skyline in the background.

Of course Court didn't do anything on this trip unless there was pizza at the end of it. Located underneath the Brooklyn Bridge is a little pizza place called Grimaldi's. It was a hole in the wall with a pool of two seater tables in a 3x4 grid. We were unlucky enough to get stuck smack dab in the middle of the pool and were literally pinned in on all sides, but it was delish. While waiting outside to get into Grimaldi's I ended up chatting with these two cute girls standing behind me in line. Turns out they were lds---and even knew people here in Arizona. They actually first asked if I was LDS becuz they said I looked so wholesome---mwa ha ha! I asked them where I should be eating and they gave me a LIST that I attempted to hit for the rest of my trip. THANK YOU!

We had a little bit of time before we needed to go check on our stand by tickets for Letterman, so we took the subway all the way in from Brooklyn and headed uptown to 110th St. to find the infamous diner from Seinfeld. Court HAD to get a picture in front of it.

We then headed back downtown to the Letterman show at 53rd St. and waited outside the cbs store until standby tickets were called----ONLY #1-#4 from standby made it into the show, and our seats were both right on the aisle a row behind each other. Alec Baldwin was the main guest, but the Letterman show stank compared to Regis and Kelly. You could hardly even see Dave or his guests over the cameras. and during the commercial breaks they COMPLETELY ignored the audience.

Tuesday night we had planned to see a show together, but Court felt like he needed to prepare for his presentation a little more. So I headed over to see Shrek by myself. Becuz I was a single I got 5th row center. Such a cute show. I love the cartoon and this was just as good except now it had way fun costumes and cute new songs. After the show I had the munchies, so I found a little deli with every flavor of cheesecake. I was actually on my cell phone talking to my friend Stephen that lives in Manhattan and the guy behind the counter just kept smiling at me. When I finally got off the phone I asked him which cheesecake was his favorite and he responded with, "you are." Uhhhh... I just smiled and asked for a slice of Snickers cheesecake. Then as he rang me up he told me I was the most bootiful girl and where was I from---he was Indian. I just smiled and said Arizona and just walked away. Man am I classy! Ü

Unfortunately pictures get a little sad from here on out. I pretty much did the rest of my week on my own, so I had no one with me to take pictures of anything---STINKERS!

Wednesday Court was busy with work, so I headed uptown to one of the little places my LDS/NY girls told me about--Alice's Teacup. Such a cute little shop with scones that are to die for. I got a pumpkin scone--which they recommended, and then walked over to Central Park and just sat on a park bench and enjoyed my scone. I then headed over to Radio City Music Hall to take a tour---my friend Stephen recommended it. It was pretty neat--especially since I love the Tony Awards and this is where they are filmed. I was by far the youngest person on the tour---as most of the group had to take the elevators. Throughout the tour there were mannequins dressed in the various costumes that the Rockettes have worn over the years. At each mannequin, this older Asian gentleman made me take his picture with each and every one of them----PERV! At the end of the tour one of the current Rockettes came out to take questions and pose for pictures. I used to have self esteem until I saw the results of this picture.....man alive I look tubby!

I then headed over to meet my friend Stephen for lunch. He took me to a little diner called Vinyl--Rock'n'Roll themed everything. Then we headed uptown so he could show me a pizza place that he had taken myself and a friend to when we visited back in 2001. That way I would know where I was going and be able to take Court there for dinner. This is Stephen's hand, and that is one single slice of pizza!

We spent the rest of the afternoon hiking from 110th back to midtown (51st). But that night Court decided he wanted to go back to Lombardi's instead of the Uptown gigantic slice diner. I agreed if he promised to let me try a chocolate restaurant in Union Square known as Max Brenner's. Holy cow, this place has milk chocolate pumping thru the pipes and syringes of white, milk,or dark chocolate. Court was freakin out about his presentation the next day, so he wasn't the best company, but we tried the Mexican Hot Chocolate (the egg shaped mug was an experience in itself)and a plate of yummy chocolate cake with caramel oozing EVERYWHERE!

Thursday morning we set out to find Magnolia Bakery, but it ended up being a cupcake and sweets type bakery, and we were looking for breakfast. Alice's Tea Cups was around the corner, so I talked Court into trying a scone(he got berry and I went for the pumpkin again). It was actually drizzling that morning, and as we walked past a Starbuck's I tugged Court's arm and exclaimed that Kelly Ripa's husband (Mark Consuelos)was sitting there. We both took a closer look and realized that sitting next to him was none other than Jerry Seinfeld! Unfortunately we wimped out and didn't take their picture---not like we would ever see them again! Just like my prior morning we headed into Central Park to eat our 'scones with cream and jam' (say it with your best British accent)! Ü

When we were in NY in October, the one thing we never did find was an authentic NYC bagel. Court headed back to the hotel to start packing up all his stuff for a presentation down in SOHO and I headed to Murray's Bagels in Greenwich Village. I got a little mixed up on which Subway line to take, and I ended up walking way out of the way. I barely made it back in time for Court to have a bagel for lunch, but they indeed were the real deal!

Once Court left I headed back uptown to the Museum of Natural History--as in the movie 'A Night at the Museum'. Glad I did that one by myself. It was interesting, but I am glad that we didn't waste our money on two tickets! Right across the street is a place called the Shake Shack where I stopped for ice cream. It reminded me very much of Nielsen's frozen custard, except the lines were like an in'n'out! I was actually given a buzzer to let me know when my concrete was done! While I was waiting , a guy dressed as a security guard came and sat down right next to me. He says something like he is glad to be able to sit down after standing on the marble floors of the museum all day. "I just came from there," I said. He then asks how I enjoyed it, and if I knew that on Friday nights they actually turn it into a night club. I asked if that was always or if since THe NIght of the Museum? He said since before the movie was filmed there. He then asks me if I have seen Star Trek, and I said no actually, but I was thinking about finding a matinee, did he know of a movie theater near by. His eyes got huge and he asked if I wasn't from around here. I explained that my husband was working and I was just finding things to do in New York City. He then asked how big my husband was---as in was he taller then 6 feet 8 inches. I said no, and then he said it takes a very confident man to let someone as beautiful as me wander around by myslef. He invited me to join him and his friends for lunch---which I of course declined. Our buzzers went off at the same time and as I picked up my ice cream he comments that there is no way that is all fitting inside [that] skinny body, and then called out goodbye beautiful as I left with my concrete. WHAT is with the men in New York????? In his defense I must say that I was wearing my NEW cute Buckle jeans, and the poor man did not know what he was getting into. BUT, If it wasn't for my picture with the Rockette, I might start thinking I am hot stuff or something!!!!!

I actually headed back to the hotel to take a nap, cuz I was exhausted! Court called about 5:30 to tell me that his presentation went great and that he and his colleagues were heading to none other than Lombardis---AGAIN! I actually headed out to dinner with Stephen to a place in Hell's Kitchen called Chelsea Grill---it literally was in an old garage, and had a yummy, yummy green apple salad that I highly recommend. After dinner we went to another brand new Broadway musical called Next to Normal---it was amazing. The subject matter was pretty heavy, but it was a small enemble cast (only 6 people) and they were magnificent. Out of the 6 cast members, 3 are up for tony awards, and the show itself is up for best new musical. After the show we stopped by Junior's for cheesecake and a complete review of the show. So much fun to just sit and talk musical theater with someone who actually lives in it and makes their living in the industry. Thank goodness Stephen was willing to hang out with me while Court had to work.

We woke up early Friday morning and took a cab back to JFK in time for our 9:50 a.m. flight. By 1:00 p.m. we were picking up Waverly from Shelby's house. No matter how much fun I have, I am always glad to be back in my own bed. I missed it! Thank you so much to Scott and Shelby for watching my kiddies and keeping them well fed all week! Can't wait for the pay back!