This year, as I had previously posted, I had the weekend set up to attend and celebrate with the Timpanogos 21st Annual Storytelling Festival.  Last year, the girls and I had so much fun with the variety of storytellers, puppeteers, magician, and musicians while enjoying the gorgeous surroundings of the Provo Canyon!

What I didn’t plan for this year was an early onset of my bi-annual bronchitis, fever, cough, and lack of voice!  Sadly, the only event I was able to attend was one of the evening storyteller events, showcasing 2 of my favorite tellers: Ed Stivender and Bil Lepp.

Raspy and holding back urges to cough, I was laughing with my tell-tale “air-sucking” motion, and slapping of the knee.  And was able to enjoy it with family who seemed to enjoy it just as much.

And check out the view!!

There’s always next year!

How are YOU celebrating your 3-day weekend??  (Ready to get back to work and the regular routine come Tuesday?)

Counting down started at the beginning of the year, yet no official countdown (requiring paper chains, calendars, or cupcakes) ever took place.  Up to even days before the first day of Kindergarten, I was still in limbo of where Ad would be attending.  Keeping Ad and C8 with their same daycare provider (my twin sister) was the ideal situation, but just was not an option if Ad would be attending “our” elementary school.  Attempts to register her in my sister’s elementary school proved futile with an overabundance of 5-year-olds in the area, and no room for an “out-of-area” foreigner, yet they left it with hope for a possibility of cancellations.

Long story short, Ad is attending “our” school and daycare situations have been rearranged.  Both girls have new schedules, new daycare location and provider, and new “friends”.  Along with that, I have a new level of stress, and guilt factor.  It comes with the territory.  And I still can’t believe my baby is old enough to attend school!

But let’s not overshadow the excitement that was the first day of Kindergarten!  Ad woke up bright and early, and did everything “big girls” do – showered, got dressed in an outfit she picked out, based on Aunt Jill’s style, and even did her hair (with a headpiece from “Jill’s store“). 

With Kindergarten at 8:00 am, Ad needed a good breakfast which consisted of her favorite waffles, and milk from a “big girls’ glass”.  (Starting to see the pattern here?)

Excitement ensued throughout the morning, including making up her own lyrics to “Silver and Gold” and singing them during different activities: “fork and knife. fork and knife.  Mom is cutting my waffles with fork and knife.” 

But the closer we got to school, the more the excitement started to fade, and the apprehension started to grow.  Behold:

You can imagine my relief, at the end of the day, when she greeted me with “MOM! I want to go to Kindergarten EVERY SINGLE DAY!”

I think she liked it.

Emily is one of those types of women you meet and immediately are impressed with because they just have it all together: gorgeous, has a beautiful happy family, physically active, involved in community, and even wears sequins every once in a while! Emily is very modest about her answers, but you’ll soon learn how she’s able to really balance everything on her plate, er, platter!

Your name and hometown:
Emily Hill; Fremont (Bay Area), California
 
Blog(s) / Website (s):

How many kids?
Madison, 13; Lauren 10 ½; George, 5; Livi 3

 Besides being a mother, what else consumes your time?
I’m a little out of balance so the question should probably read “Besides being online, what else consumes your time?” and that would be motherhood. (I’m working on making it the other way around, promise!) Along with being a mom to two pre-teens and two energetic preschoolers, I help run georgietees.com, which I own with a girlfriend; help run SassyScoops.com with Vanessa and Quinn; write product reviews for BoutiqueCafe.com; and do freelance copywriting and editing on the side. I also just started helping with the launch of the Utah chapter of Childhelp.org, a national organization for at-risk and abused children. In my spare time I like to work out (triathlons are my newest challenge), hop on the back of my husband’s motorcycle for rides up the canyon, read a good book (never happens), eat lots of chocolate (always happens) and drink Route 44 diet vanilla Cokes from Sonic.  
 
What is the biggest challenge you’re faced with right now?
Hmmm…maybe a husband that decided to get his executive MBA. EMBA = single parenthood most evenings and every other weekend. Oh, and this might be a totally new concept, but finding the right balance between work and family is a pretty good challenge too. On Mondays that balance is non-existent, but as the week goes on I seem to get better at it. By Saturday it’s out of balance again but in the family’s favor—and that’s a good thing! 

 With so much demanded of you, how do you “Make it Work”?
I’m not sure I do. Nick Jr. and Playhouse Disney help, along with PBS and a few favorite DVDs. Chick-fil-a play dates with friends, girls’ nights out and date night with Nathan all help keep my sanity in check, A good workout in the morning gives me enough endorphins to get through the day on 5 or 6 hours of sleep. Chocolate and caffeine help too, or did I already mention that? The rest is a mystery. No, wait. Having someone clean my home every other week totally makes it work. It’s my guilty indulgence but SO totally worth it. 
 
If you had a full day to yourself, free of daily responsibilities, what would you do? Where?
Say that again. I’m not sure I understand the question. You’re saying a day to myself without wiping someone’s bum, doing someone’s laundry or making someone dinner? Let me try to grasp that concept a moment…okay, I think I’ve got the idea. First, I would make sure it was the day after my house had been cleaned so I could enjoy a clean home for longer than five minutes. I would sleep in until at least 9am, go to the gym—or maybe skip it because I wouldn’t need those endorphins, read a good book, go to lunch with a friend, do a little shopping, take a nap, read some more, eat cereal for dinner (only one dish and a spoon to wash), doing some tweeting, then watch Food Network for a few hours. Of course, if I were in Kauai I’d scrap all that and just do the book thing on a white sandy beach. 

What would be your advice to other mothers trying to “Make It Work”?
I like to remember two things. One, you’ve gotta do what works for you. Period. If that means late nights and a little caffeine, so be it. If that means early to bed and early to rise, more power to you. You’re my hero! Whatever it is, do it and do it well. Of course if it’s not working, shake things up and try something new. Two, it’s not eternal. Okay, some things are eternal but this is one of my favorite phrases for daily life. When it comes right down to it, so many things don’t really matter. Let them go. Try saying “it’s not eternal” just once and you’ll be hooked. Kind of puts everything into perspective.

photo taken by the photog wizards atFotofly

This week, Ad begins Kindergarten. (I’m still trying to identify my emotions about this milestone.)  Throughout our visits to the elementary school for Back to School night and Kindergarten assessments, I’ve had flashbacks to my days at Country View and Midland Elementary Schools, both in northern Utah. What stands out the most were the daily school lunches, and the independence I felt carrying that thick plastic tray from the food lines to my place on the fold out tables and attached circular seats, ready to discover the wonderment in the form of food that awaited me (and what would be discarded into my empty milk carton afterwards, in order to be excused to the playground.)

Of course my favorite part of the meal were the desserts, but most especially the no-bake cookies (which adopted other “creative” names from other students)!

So, in honor of the new school year, the excitement felt by the students and trepidation of mothers sending them off (or the other way around?) I share with you a favorite of mine:

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (an adaptation of Food Network’s recipe)

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chip
optional 1 cup your choice of nuts

Melt butter, milk, cocoa, and sugar together in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring consistently, so as not to burn.

Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix together until melted.   (All I had on hand was chunky, but you can definitely use creamy, which would be the recommended choice of all orthodontists.)

Now the fun part: Remove from heat and mix in chocolte chips, marshmallows, and oatmeal.

Using an ice cream scoop or any other rounded spoon, scoop up mixture and place on sheets of wax paper or parchment paper.

Allow for some time for cookies to set, then wait for your favorite student to come home from school, grab two tall glasses of milk and sit down and enjoy while sharing stories about your favorite school memories and hearing about their day of learning!

Are there people that you know who could sit and entertain a group of people with their stories? You know, the vivacious ones, with a voice that exudes expression, or changes vocal tones to represent different characters in the plot?  I know a few, and I could sit at their feet for hours at a time.

This time of the year, in Utah County, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival takes place, and for 2 days (September 2 – 4), the world’s greatest storytellers gather to put on an entertaining show that will have you intrigued, laughing, tearing up, or dancing.  Some of the greatest of the greats will be performing.

Cherish Bound is a proud sponsor of the Storytelling Festival and are offering discount tickets through their website.  Go reserve your ticket for the entire festival or individual tickets for either of the following:

* the Thursday night “Look Who’s Talking” olio
*daily workshops and performance throughout Friday and Saturday
*the fun and entertaining “Bedtime Stories” told Friday night
* The “Last Laugh” performance Saturday night

Check out my post from last year when we attended the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. 

We’ll be attending once again this year.  Will you?

Of course I watch Mary on the morning news every morning while getting ready for work, but it wasn’t until I shot a live segment with her, back in May, that I saw how genuine and “real” she is! We chatted for a couple of minutes beforehand and she shared some insight on how important it is for working moms to spend quality time with their children. I knew she’d be a fun source of wisdom for this feature. Mary, thanks for sharing some details about your life “behind the scenes”!

Your name and hometown:
Mary Nickles:  Born and raised in Renton, WA…lived in Utah since 1991!
 
Blog(s) none yet! / Website (s):
Mary Nickles(Public figure page on Facebook)
or www.Connect2Utah.com
 
How many kids?
I have boy and girl twins who are 13. 

Besides being a mother, what else consumes your time?:
I work full time as the morning and noon show anchor for KUTV 2-News.  I also get to do health reports and cover family issues for the station.  Since I’ve been with channel 2 so long, I now have what I think is the perfect schedule for the working mom.  I’m up and out of the house before my kids even think about waking up, and I’m home for a nap before I pick them up from school.  My husband has always been a great partner and co-parent with our kids, and even though my daughter only wore her hair in a ponytail for about five years, he is pretty amazing to get them up and off to school every day.  He also helps around the house with some chores, which frees me up to be actively involved in my kids’ lives.
I have coached both kids in soccer, basketball, and t-ball, and still coach my daughter in volleyball and basketball.  (A volleyball scholarship paid for my college degree, and I got to play on a professional team for a while here in Utah!)  I don’t think I’m a very good coach, but I love working with girls on how to be team players, have fun, respect each other, and gain confidence to try new things.  In other words, we don’t win many games, but we learn a lot about being a good sport and having fun!  I never cheer for the other team to make mistakes, I cheer for our girls to make good plays…whether they score points or not!
My work position gives me great opportunities to be active in many charities.  I emcee some events, speak to groups about communicating better, and I donate my home-cooked meals at auctions to raise money for a few Utah groups, like the Ronald McDonald House.  My kids and husband sometimes help, and I think the kids get a better feel for the need to help other segments of society.

What is the biggest challenge you’re faced with right now? 
The biggest challenge for me right now is probably what every other mom faces: fitting everything in so I can make everyone happy!  My husband opened a business a while back and he spends a lot of time there in the afternoons, so I do most of the kid-running to my son’s basketball and baseball events, and my daughter’s volleyball, basketball and soccer events.  An added challenge is trying to help my husband’s business, so if you know any kids who want to do better in baseball or softball…look up Sandlotsaltlake.com!  (The Sandlot Baseball Academy is my husband’s business, and our instructors can help your kids learn how to pitch, hit, catch, and play with the proper form so they get better and prevent injuries.  Plus, most kids don’t listen to their moms and dads about sports!)  We moved here for my job years ago, and it’s now my chance to support a dream of his, so there’s my “pitch” to help!  I can check that one off the list for today, right?
One challenge I’ve had since I started the morning shift 14 years ago, is getting enough sleep.  I get up at 2:30 am to be at work by 4:00, and live on the air at 4:55.  Three hours straight, then some live updates, cut-ins, shoot stuff, write stuff, and another hour of live news from noon to one.  I’m usually done by 1:30.  Meetings, appointments, and extra stuff take away my nap time some days, then it’s my quality family time (which is driving, practices, games, dinner, homework, and sometimes Farmville and Glee.) If I can get to bed by 9, which happens maybe once a week, that gives me 5 ½ hours of sleep, which is considered sleep deprivation.  If I weren’t having so much fun, I might let it get to me…but if I ever snap, you now know why!
 
With so much demanded of you, how do you “Make it Work”?
I try to make it work by not thinking of things as demands, because we do have choices.  I’m lucky that I love my job, and even though it’s something I have to do, I kinda have fun.  I look at my work time as my “me” time, so the other time is all for family!  At work, I get to write, talk to smart adults, and joke with fun people, so work is “me” time.  I LOVE driving my kids to their practices and games, and watching every minute!  I LOVE helping them with homework and teaching them how to cook healthy meals.  I LOVE getting to know their teachers and friends by being active in their school and sports.
 I think the hardest thing is learning to say “no.”  I want to coach and volunteer and help my friends, but when I say “yes,” it adds a ton of stress to my life!  I am on a few boards for charities, and I hate saying yes if I know I can’t do a good job and fit all of the meetings in.  People are pretty understanding when they know your priorities, and know their request would stretch you too far.  I also say “yes” to speaking engagements, and I get nervous and stressed for several days before!  If I’d just say “I’m sorry, I can’t” I’d be much less stressed!  But the other day I realized that at my age, my mom was the director of a big youth service center, President of the state school board, and raising nine kids!  And she still found time to be at our games, help with homework, cook amazing meals, and give heart-melting hugs!

If you had a full day to yourself, free of daily responsibilities, what would you spend it doing? Where?
My first choice would be to do something fun and relaxing with my husband and kids!  Really!  I am most happy when all four of us are together with nothing to do!  Movies, meals, and snuggling would be my top choices.  Our favorite place to be is on the beach… Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, you name it.  The sound of the waves, and sand under your feet is the best!
 
What would be your advice to other mothers trying to “Make It Work”? 
  Oooh, I love giving advice!  (Whether people want it or not!)  I believe that being honest, and communicating well will decrease stress in your life.  Learn to do that without hurting people’s feelings and it’s even better.
   PLEASE take care of yourself!  Get your health screenings when you’re supposed to!  Most of us take better care of our cars than we do our bodies.  My mom died at age 67 of colon cancer, because she put off her colonoscopy for two years.  They would have caught it and cured it if she had gone when she was supposed to.  She was too busy.  Not getting checked out also adds stress to your life…always poking at you to get it done.  They have screenings for skin cancer, heart, cholesterol, blood pressure, thyroid, diabetes, and a whole slew of cancers that they can treat if they’re caught early!  So take the time to make an appointment for you.  It’s more valuable than a spa treatment, right?
  And, a last bit of advice that I need to do more… Learn to say “no.”  You don’t have to be mean, but know your limitations.  Kids and family come first, and you’ll still find you’re doing a lot of great stuff!

Every milestone in my children’s lives are a turning point for me as a mother: first solid food, first step, first time eating a cupcake… (not necessarily in that order every time).  It serves as yet another reminder that they’re getting older, and I’m getting “wiser”. 

The biggest struggle I have with holding a full-time job is the fact that I miss out on some of those milestones.  The most recent is the up-coming school year for Ad, who will be starting Kindergarten!  With her daily school schedule of only 3 hrs, it’s really hard to arrange a working schedule around that and some of the Kindergarten time slots will actually take place right smack dab in the middle of my work day.  Therefore, in my mind, I feel that I will be exempt from her exciting new school year!

The only thing pulling me through are the other ways in which a working mom can be involved with their child’s school experience:

* Maximize the times you have to prepare for school: picking out school supplies, backpacks, clothing, and shoes.  

* Do things you wouldn’t normally do on a shopping trip: try on some crazy shoes just for fun, take your pictures in a $3 instant photo booth, break up your day with lunch at a fun restaurant/food court shop, and definitely make time for a treat when you’re finished!

* Attend Back to School night with your child and make a special night of it.  (if that means another cupcake, so be it)

* Whether you’re able to drop off your child to school on that first day or not, take pictures before you leave for work.  It’s still “officially” the first day of school and you’ll have them dressed and ready to go.

Above all, the idea is the quality of time spent with your child/children.  Even if you can’t provide transportation to/from school, as long as they know their mother supports them in other ways, they can get through this.  YOU can get through this.

Actually, what I should be chanting is: “I can get through this!”

And I just love this video clip as a reminder of our role in our little ones’ lives.

**What do you do with your children to celebrate going back to school?**

The most recent step in my orthodontic treatment is a “fun” (said in the most sarcastic of tones) little device that is cemented to the roof of my mouth, which is supposed to expand my palette, and in turn allowing my teeth to all fit together.  The only thing I’m concerned with it is the way it makes me talk!

Seriously – hold your tongue with your fingers and the way you sound is pretty much how I sound (withOUT having to personally hang onto my tongue).

My job requires consistent talking  – on the phone, orientations, interviews and ordering my lunch over the phone.  All requiring speech.  After today, and responses including perplexity, laughing, or hanging up on the phone, I’ve decided to just have it out.

So, I introduce to you my first vlog.  The purpose?  Get your laughing out of your system now! I’d rather you do it when I can’t hear you.