My Grandpa

I have always loved coming to my grandparents' home in the tiny town of Monticello Utah. A large part of that are my wonderful grandparents. Well, them and the 'candy cupboard'. Today I am in Monticello again, sitting in my grandpa's office surrounded by two or three desks cluttered with envelopes, invoices, computers, checkbooks, and piles of papers. I can see him sitting in this very office working on all the paperwork for his cattle operation. In fact, everywhere I go in this house there are memories of my grandpa. In the kitchen I can remember him from when I was a child, getting out his recycled milk jug of frozen water as he headed off for a day of hard labor on the ranch. When I smell the wood burning stove I remember him chopping wood in the garage and countless trips from the garage to the house with arms full of wood. I can picture him at the kitchen table playing barnyard rummy with a handful of grandchildren, games that he regularly won because he never played favorites or let anyone win at cards. I can imagine him in his recliner in the family room, flipping channels on the TV until he found the weather channel or a news channel to fall asleep to. Outside there are handfuls of memories of riding horses, learning about different plants and flowers, and piling into the back of his pick-up to go for a ride. I can still hear him on a Sunday morning as he walked down the hall dressed in his suit and tie as I asked, "Where are you going Grandpa?" and without fail his answer was "Crazy. Wanna come?" Not that long ago he sat in the red chair in the living room and told the unbelievably romantic story of how he carved his and grandma's initials on the mountain side by knocking down hundreds of trees. But my favorite memory usually took place in the dining room, just moments after I entered through the side door. He would always get up to come hug and kiss me and welcome me into his home. That was my favorite moment of being here. And it was the lack of that moment this weekend, when I arrived and he wasn't there with his ready kiss and warm hug, that broke my heart. My grandpa passed away a week ago and I miss him so much, and I always will. So I will hold on tightly to all the memories I have of him and to the knowledge that I was his "Favorite Granddaughter" (just like all the others!)

I love you Grandpa!!

My Family

I really do love my family...I know I'm not always great at showing it (to the grown ups that is). There are times that these people are my favorite people in the entire world....and then there are times they make me want to move to Australia...but mostly they are great.

This is a quick "snapshot" of our family during our recent family vacation

(yeah we just hang out in semi-wooded areas near ponds with expensive cameras and tripods)

But I personally like this version better....

I feel like it's a more accurate portrayal of our family dysfunctionality

(if you want to really see how awesome this pic is....click on it)

But even when we were "randomly" snapping this photo we knew it would soon be outdated..(just check out the baby bumps on Cami and Lindsay!)

Just a few days ago Lindsay delivered Adam Washburn Taylor.

And only 3 weeks before that, Cami delivered Eddie Samuel TimothyI am grateful for my family...my sisters for having babies so I can be an auntie....my sister-in-law for taking great "snapshots"....my brothers for reminding me of all my short comings (but secretly thinking I am pretty amazing?)....my niece and nephews for being SO adorable!!

And mostly for my mom being the most amazing mom I know!

Back To School 2010

School has officially started again at Discovery Corner Preschool! Here are the top ten ways I can tell school has started:

10. My thighs are sore from the work of sitting down on and getting up from chairs made for 3 year-olds.

9. I get free lunch at mom's house everyday!

8. I get to see my good friends at Maverick almost every morning....as my need for caffeine has sky rocketed.

7. I keep checking things off my preschool "to-do" list.

6. My preschoool "to-do" list doesn't seem to be getting any shorter...regardless of number 5.

5. There is constantly some combination of paint/sharpie/yogurt on my hands.

4. I am staying up way too late and not sleeping nearly enough.

3. I ask "Did you flush?...Did you wash your hands?....With soap?" at least 20 times a day.

2. My pile of To-Be-Read-Books has (sadly) sat un-touched for several weeks.

1. I am almost always smiling or laughing...how can I not when I'm surrounded by 10 little smiling faces.

I love being a preschool teacher...it is the best job I have ever had!! Now if I can just back into a regular sleeping routine I'll be set. :)

For Real

I swear these quotes are real! Kids are so funny...please to enjoy.

Cami and Emma were planning Emma's recent baptism:

Cami: "You need to choose someone to give a talk at your baptism. How about Auntie Dawn?"

Emma: "Dawn doesn't want to give a talk."

Cami: "It is a short talk, only 2 minutes."

Emma: "Dawn really doesn't want to give a talk!"

I love that Emma knows me SO well...but I probably would have said no anyway.

At the daycare there is this little girl who cracks me up...every single day:

Me: "Go put your purse in your cubby!" (this was the 5th time in a row I told her to do that.)

She ran off but then came back with her purse still in her hand

Little Girl: "I can't reach my cubby."

Me: "Then go hang it on the hook."

She ran off again...but still came back with her purse

Little Girl: "What is a hook?"

Me: "It is the little silver thing under your cubby."

She ran off again...this time she came back without her purse

Little Girl: "Teacher!! I found the hookers!!"

(I did manage to keep the prostitute joke in my head...but it wasn't easy.)

Another day with the same little girl:

Little Girl: "Teacher. Me underwears is stick in me bum." She was simultaneously picking said underwears out of said bum

Me: "Oh no. Sorry to hear about that."

Little Boy: "Sometimes me underwears stick in me swimming suit and get me poop out."

Me: I really don't think I responded....I didn't know how to.


A different little girl:

Little Girl: Throws a toy zebra and toy horse as hard as she can against the floor.

Me: "Why did you do that to the toys?"

Little Girl: "The horses are in time out!" (said very angrily)

Me: "Why are they in time out?"

Little Girl: "They were hitting! They are so naughty!"

Me: "Sounds good!"

Just now:

Brent: "James, what did you learn at church?"

James: "Me a child of God."

Me: "Is mama a child of God?"

James: "Yeah."

Me: "Is dada a child of God?"

James: "Yeah."

Me: "Is grandma a child of God?"

James: "Yeah."

Me: "Am I a child of God?"

Brent: (interrupting as usual) "No. Dawn is the spawn of the other side."

Me: "Way to go Brent...he is going to remember that."

Me: "Lindsay, guess what your husband taught your child...watch."

Me: "James, is Dawn a child of God?"

James: "Nope."

My Reunion

After the annual Washburn Family Reunion it is always interesting for me to read other people's blogs about the reunion...there are always things like "We played softball" or "We went for a hike." It is at this point I always think "Really?! Where was I?"

So this year I paid attention and at my Washburn Family Reunion I...

-Rocked out to 80's karaoke with Emma on the way to Monticello
-Went through a box and a half of tissues due to my cold (thanks a lot immune system)
-Took a nap on the deck (short nap)
-Tried to find out what dead animals were mixed into my food without anyone seeing me trying to find out. (answer: too many)
-Attempted nap (lack of being able to breath made it mostly impossible)
-Played (but never won) several games of Barnyard
-Read 2.25 books
-Reminisced with Aunt Connie (whose attendance was a complete and happy surprise for me)
-Took a nap in my bedroom (yay! for a 3 hour long nap)
-Held my tongue during all political conversations
-Counted dead animals hanging on the wall of the cabin(I already forgot)
-Worked my way (with help) through two containers of "Monticello Salsa"
-Played with other people's cute babies (although due to "Favorite Auntie" status I am required to say that Emma, Pratt and James are the cutest kids in the whole world!)
-Hung out with Alyssa and McKale (who always laugh at my jokes....so I really like to hang out with them)
-Went swimming at the hotel (in the freezing cold pool for 5 minutes....and the ridiculously hot hot tub for an hour)
-Got Mat in trouble with Brittany (can you smell that?)
-Ate at least 30 otter pops (YUM!)
-Sat with my Grandpa (best part of the whole time!)

I didn't go for any hikes (or do any sort of physical activity), shoot guns, see (living) wildlife, play sports, golf, get dirty, or get up early. So all in all I would say this reunion was a huge success!

Thank You to all those Washburn Women for their hard work in making a great weekend for all of us!!

This Week's Favorites

My favorite things I heard this week:

"I've become too practical for romance. I'll probably end up an old maid." -Anne Shirley

"I miss my dad...I wish he wasn't in jail." -5 year old

"It wasn't me." -Pratt (in reference to everything)

"My dad was WAY off the hook...he pinched my ear WAY harder than it really hurt!" -Emma (on how painful her birthday ear piercing was) *PS...I don't think she really knows what "off the hook" means.

"Show me that you don't have a baby in your tummy." -2 year old (sorry...not cutting my belly open to prove it to you.)

"The thing about being single is that you only have to explain your behavior to yourself." -Me quoting a TV show...because it's SO awesomely true!!

Summer is fun right?

What's Your Name Again?

During the summer I always miss the funny things that kids say....but this year I'm covered because I am spending my summer working at a child care center. This is a conversation I had with a little girl on my first day.

Little Girl: "Um.....what's your name again?"
Me: "My name is Dawn. The friends here call me 'Dawn' or 'Teacher Dawn' so you can choose what you would like to call me."
Little Girl: "OK."
(Long Pause)
Little Girl: "So how about I call you 'Teacher Sparkle'?"
Me: "Well....sure. Why not."

I thought it was cute and funny but I never thought she would remember it the next day. I was wrong. We are now 3 weeks in and I regularly hear things like;
"Teacher Sparkle, can I have more juice?"
"Teacher Sparkle, will you put piggy tails in my hair?"
"Teacher Sparkle I want to color."

The name is really starting to grow on me....maybe I should make a T-shirt....I'll use glittery iron-on letters.