Oops!

Yikes, Leah accidentally dialed 911 today. I didn't even know she had done it. She must have dialed and hung up all within one swift motion. About 3 second after she hung up the phone I received a call from Sandy City Police wondering if everything was okay. They verified that who I was and that I was talking of my own free will. And of course I was; if you count having to talk to a 911 dispatch while being completely embarrassed free will.

At least I know that if I'm ever involved with an intruder and he/she sees me making the call and makes me hang up I'll get a timely call back.

My Hands Are Free

I recently started a job that requires me to talk on the phone and type at the same time. Thus it became time to get a headset to plug into our home phone.

One day I received a call right after I finished working so I was talking to this person with the headset on. I know, personal calls + headset = one truly dorky mom. During this call I remembered that I hadn't started dinner or unloaded the dishwasher. So I clipped the phone to my pocket and went on my merry way completing the tasks that needed completing.

I got so much done! Not only did I start dinner and unload the dishwasher, but I also switched out the laundry and changed Leah's diaper. ALL WITHOUT CRANING MY NECK TO AN UNNATURAL DEGREE. It was truly wonderful.

For Good

I've been slightly obsessed with the music from the Broadway production of Wicked as of late. I know this musical has swept the nation, and all of my friends and most of my family have been talking it up for years, but I just caught onto it.

The song that inspires this post is definitely my favorite from the soundtrack. I was reading into the background of it and came across the composer's own words:

"The song 'For Good' was, of course, written for the show to try to express the leading characters' feelings as they are seeing each other for the last time. The title came out of a brainstorming conversation I had with Winnie Holzman (the book writer) -- basically at one point she said it should be about how the two of them had changed each other 'for good', at which point, hearing the amazing possibilities in that phrase, I knew I had found the title for the song.

"To get some of the content, I had a long conversation with my daughter, in which I asked her what she would say to her best friend (someone she has known pretty much all her life), if she knew she was never going to see her again. A lot of what Jessie said got transformed into the first verse of the song. Other than that, it was simply trying to put myself into the hearts and minds of the characters and see what they said."

I love this song. The lyrics are wonderful and complicated, there's just so much depth to them. What really gets me is when Glinda and Elpheba sing their separate verses simultaneously.

ELPHABA

You're the only friend I've ever had.

GLINDA
And I've had so many friends. But only one-- that mattered.
(sings)

I'VE HEARD IT SAID
THAT PEOPLE COME INTO OUR LIVES FOR A REASON
BRINGING SOMETHING WE MUST LEARN
AND WE ARE LED
TO THOSE WHO HELP US MOST TO GROW
IF WE LET THEM
AND WE HELP THEM IN RETURN
WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF I BELIEVE THAT'S TRUE
BUT I KNOW I'M WHO I AM TODAY
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

LIKE A COMET PULLED FROM ORBIT
AS IT PASSES A SUN

LIKE A STREAM THAT MEETS A BOULDER
HALFWAY THROUGH THE WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD …

ELPHABA
IT WELL MAY BE
THAT WE WILL NEVER MEET AGAIN
IN THIS LIFETIME
SO LET ME SAY BEFORE WE PART
SO MUCH OF ME
IS MADE OF WHAT I LEARNED FROM YOU
YOU'LL BE WITH ME
LIKE A HANDPRINT ON MY HEART
AND NOW WHATEVER WAY OUR STORIES END
I KNOW YOU HAVE RE-WRITTEN MINE
BY BEING MY FRIEND...

LIKE A SHIP BLOWN FROM ITS MOORING
BY A WIND OFF THE SEA
LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A SKYBIRD
IN A DISTANT WOOD
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
BUT BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

GLINDA
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

BOTH
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD...

ELPHABA
AND JUST TO CLEAR THE AIR
I ASK FORGIVENESS
FOR THE THINGS I'VE DONE YOU BLAME ME FOR

GLINDA
BUT THEN, I GUESS WE KNOW
THERE'S BLAME TO SHARE

BOTH
AND NONE OF IT SEEMS TO MATTER ANYMORE

___

[They sing simultaneously]

GLINDA

LIKE A COMET PULLED FROM
ORBIT/AS IT PASSES A SUN/
LIKE A STREAM THAT MEETS A
BOULDER/ HALF-WAY
THROUGH THE WOOD

ELPHABA

LIKE A SHIP BLOWN OFF ITS
MOORING/BY A WIND OFF THE
SEA/ LIKE A SEED DROPPED BY A
BIRD IN
THE WOOD

___

BOTH
WHO CAN SAY IF I'VE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER?
I DO BELIEVE I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR THE BETTER

GLINDA
AND BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

ELPHABA
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...

BOTH
BECAUSE I KNEW YOU...
I HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOR GOOD.

*Tracy and Lisa* I'm going to try and get the sheet music in the next couple of days, anyone up for a new song?

Just a little something to get me through

As some of you know, I've recently started a new job. It's really flexible and allows me to stay home with Leah. We're not going to get rich off of it, but it will be nice to have a little disposable income in our back pockets again.

I started the job on the 5th of January and have been in pretty much full swing since then. Unfortunately, I'm noticing a lot of other things are falling off the "Stay on top of" list. The house isn't clean enough, the basement storage has recently gotten out of control, and I can't find time to think about what to blog. I don't blame this just on the job. I blame not being able to take down the Christmas decorations until January 18 just on the job.

Does anyone notice that there are tons of postings between Halloween and New Years Day, but everyone seems to drop off the face of the earth from January until Easter? Nothing exciting happens, unless you count President's Day (which will be totally lame this year because Matt doesn't even get the day off - what's the point of Banker Holidays if your own personal banker doesn't get the day off?).

This is my rallying call to all my fellow bloggers. PLEASE POST! I know, that includes me. I need to know what everyone else is doing to keep their families entertained during this mundane time of year. I need new recipes and I definitely need a new wardrobe, but I only expect one of those things to be helped by you guys (please send donations for Melanie's Wardrobe to PO Box ...).

To get things going, Leah and I took a walk today. Yes, it was cold, and yes it was slightly windy, and YES we both came back with frostbitten toes and noses, but was it worth it? Well, sort of. It was great to get out and breath some air that hadn't been circulating in the house for two months already, but maybe not the best idea for 27 degree weather. Although, two cups of hot chocolate (warm for Leah) with lots of marshmallows later, we were fine again.

Leah has really been into anything fancy lately. We play dress-up most days now. She definitely has her favorite pieces to wear, such as the above pink sequined shirt and her feathery heels. Mostly I appreciate the nostalgia it brings.

She Does Listen

Today, Leah came and showed me her dog (the stuffed one that she's named Clifford. No, he's not big or red) and proceeded to say, "He's pretty shy, but that's okay." All the while patting his back and comforting him.

This is word for word what we tell people when they want to talk to Leah and she's busy burying her head in my legs or shoulder.

Previously on 24

How awesome were the first 5 minutes of 24 last night? Father/daughter arguments about cells phones, cars being rammed into multiple times, and to top it all off that husky tone of Tony Almeida's making it's first entrance into the 24 story line in 4 seasons. Sure, wear the mask Tony, but I knew it was you.

Here are some of the highlights of last night's episode for me.

I believe Jack is saying something like, "Well it's a good thing I'm not here for a job interview, because I don't care what you think." He hasn't even met the guy before and doesn't even know why he's in FBI custody. And yet, the sarcasm leaks from his mouth as if we didn't miss an entire year of 24 due to a ridiculous writer's strike.

Yeah buddy. Jack with a gun. This can only mean one thing: start the kill count. Unfortunately Jack's kill count is rather low after the first two hours of the show. ZERO! In 24 Redemption he had a kill count somewhere around 14 just in 15 minutes or so.

These two characters crack me up. I still don't know their names but with lines such as: THE GIRL: "I'm a cheerful positive person." and THE GUY: "You're cheerful?" what's not to like? Truly, I feel like we have another Jamie (ala Season 1) on our hands with one of these two.


As far as a candidate for female president goes, this one is pretty good. But tell me, what inspires a casting director to say, "Ah yes the role of the President of the United States of America should be played by Cherry Jones." Cherry? That's just a stupid name if you ask me. Something tells me her parents didn't have political aspirations for her. And her hair didn't look that good in the show, it was sort of gross.

Ah, what to say about Larry Moss. He's with the FBI and I don't know if that means he HAS to have a stick up his bum, but he certainly does. Matt and I are having a hard time deciding if he currently is in a relationship with Agent Walker or if she snubbed him a while back. But he definitely has a thing for her. And as we know she and Jack will end up together somehow, so Larry Moss is definitely hating on Jack.

And last but not least, TONY AND JACK back together again! I'm really having a hard time with Tony the Bad Guy. I think Tony the Bad Guy is a facade and is really Tony the Good Guy but we won't find that out until about mid season. Sure Tony may have been a little depressed that he lost his wife (Michelle) to a bomb and his previous love interest (Nina Meyers) ended up being a soulless wench, but mark my words Tony the Bad Guy is not for real.

And yet beneath it all, this is the guy that I really wish would return. But alas, poor "Egar," died a horrible death right before our telivised eyes. I am sure he's gone. Farewell my stout speech impaired friend, farewell.

New Year's Day

This is our 3rd year of a newer tradition for the McGee Family. We/I like to call it the McGee IHOP Hop-Around. As you can imagine from the name it means that we 'hop' to a new IHOP every New Year's Day. When I say new, I mean new to the family unit as far as New Year's goes. New Year's 2007 we went to the Midvale IHOP, New Year's 2008 it was the Riverton location, and this last New Year's we ate at the Jordan Landings location.

This has become one of FAVORITE traditions of the holiday season.

Christmas Day

Christmas Eve