Little Angel

If you’re looking for a good cause, I have one. Follow the link below to read a Deseret Morning News story about a family dealing with some difficult health issues.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4188/is_20081214/ai_n31135573

Their daughter, Caitlynn passed away on Saturday, December 20 following complications related to a fever.

They have a fund set up at Cyprus Credit Union under the name “Williams Family.”

Did You Need a Hint?

I posted the word list for the mixed up words on our 2008 Christmas Greeting. How did you do?

P.S. UFMC stands for Utah Federation of Music Clubs

For the Birds

Have I told you how amazing Jade's teacher is? They have this great line of windows on the north wall of the classroom. Just out those windows sits a set of perches and bird feeders, each filled with a different variety of seed. The kids write observations of the birds in a bird journal. When a child has a birthday, the teacher sends home several recipes for treats for the birds they can make and bring in. The kids love it! Jade loved the birds a little too much in fact, and had to be moved so she was sitting facing away from the windows. For Christmas, Jade brought home one of those pine cones covered in peanut butter then rolled in bird seeds. We hung it up just before it snowed. As you can see in the photo, the birds love it. We were all so excited when our feathered friends noticed it and munched away.

Socializing With Kids

I love the social events of the Christmas season. We mark up our calendar with party plans all month long. Well you’ve heard the scripture (Eccl. 3:1) “To every thing there is a season, and a time...” I’ve decided this just may not be the time and season for me to enjoy all these get-togethers. If you notice my absence at an event, here’s the explanation.

Last night was our 3rd annual “Open Garage Party.” Some neighbors and I coordinated our efforts to start a tradition where instead of taking around neighbor gifts we bring a food bank donation, a treat to share and visit in someone’s garage. My kids have been talking about it for weeks. Of course, our first real snow storm of the winter decided to happen yesterday. Since the party was only 6 houses away, we walked. Aeris wasn’t at all happy being bundled up, but once the stroller started moving she was fine. Once we arrived, Jade and Logan immediately headed for the treat table (of course!). Aeris started to fuss. I took her out of her snow clothes, but she continued to fuss. I shooed Jade & Logan out the door to play in the snow rather than eat themselves sick. I tried to converse with the neighbors, but Aeris cried harder and harder. She’d had dinner, a good nap, and a diaper change before we left. Was she too cold, too hot? I had no idea. In the mean time, Jade and Logan kept coming back in saying they were cold. Logan didn’t have on snow pants since the pair he wore last year is too small and I haven’t dug out the bigger size from the basement yet. They both opted for knit gloves instead of waterproof mittens because they could put them on without help from me. Their hands were frozen. So after spending 30 minutes getting dressed and ready, and another 5 walking over, we left after 20 minutes. Logan screamed the whole way home because he was wet and freezing. They stripped in the garage and headed to the tub. I spent the next 20 minutes sorting/hanging their wet clothes and putting some into the washer. Once I had Aeris back at home she didn’t cry once. Unfortunately this isn’t an isolated event. She had acted the same way at our church Christmas party.

I have these visions of attending holiday parties where the kids play and enjoy treats in moderation and I chat with my friends. The reality is my kids are attracted like magnets to any food at a party, especially anything with sugar in it. I distract them with other activities, but they just can’t stay away, so minutes later they’re back. Because of this, I spend parties hovering at the food table so I can turn them around every time they head over. Since Aeris isn’t walking, I can’t put her down because she’ll be trampled by the crowds. Instead I hold her in my arms, squirming and fussing because she gets overwhelmed easily in large groups. I can’t manage much of a conversation because I’m constantly focused on how far Jade and Logan are from the food and because Aeris is crying in my ear.

Someday. Someday.

Opportunities to socialize with my friends will come again, but my children are growing older by the second. For now I cherish that they still feel the magic of Christmas, even if most of that magic comes in the form of cookies. I’m glad Aeris still prefers to be at home. Those times will be gone very soon and I’ll wish I had them back when they are.

Tricky

It's so exciting when your baby hits a milestone. I'm thrilled to share Aeris's latest tricks!

Hands and knees crawling!



Wow! Two handed walking. This one happened all of a sudden. The physical therapist has had me praticing the two hand hold. Aeris hasn't liked it at all. She definitely wouldn't take steps. Then on Sunday night, during family prayer of all things, Nate had a hold of her hands and she started taking steps. I was the one praying, so my eyes were closed. Thank goodness she was loving it and kept going so I didn't miss it! She is now totally comfortable stepping.

This is romantic?

Nate, being the wonderful husband that he is, put Made of Honor into our Netflix queue with the idea that it would nice little romantic comedy that I would enjoy. We watched it last night. I couldn't figure out who they were writing this movie for. Generally, romantic comedies appeal to women, so I figure this must have been their intended audience. I was turned off from the opening scene, where the main male character in the show, the one you're supposed to be rooting for in the end, roams around a college Halloween party, obviously drunk, looking for someone to sleep with. You find out in this same scene that he's known for sleeping with a lot of women. Fast forward ten years and nothing has changed. He loves to sleep with lots of women.

Then there are the two "geeks." The writers of this movie obviously introduced these characters thinking it would be funny for the main characters to hide from, ignore, and be rude to them.

Oh yes, and they always have to include their one allowed F word.

I actually felt sad for the girl at the end. She was a pretty likable girl. Too bad she had to end up with such a shmuck!

Two Wheels

Early in the summer I talked Logan into letting me remove the training wheels from his bike. We didn't have much luck with it though, and within a week we put the training wheels back on so his bike wouldn't sit untouched in the garage all summer long.

Yesterday I had just started reorganizing the garage when he announced that he was ready to ride his bike on two wheels. Remembering the episode in June, I told him no. I didn't have time to practice with him and I didn't want to take them off just to have to put them back on again.

He insisted he was ready and went to find his dad, who came out and took them off.

Nate ran along behind him for 10 steps or so and Logan was totally balanced and riding on his own. I was shocked to say the least. What an amazing kid!

What having kids has done to me

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a friend and after four words had absolutely no idea what I'd intended to say. There wasn't even an interruption. I just uttered the four words and then... blank. Nothing. I definitely think having kids has sucked out a ton of my brain cells.

Check-Up

I plan doctor appointments on Nate's day off with the idea that I can take the one child and leave the other noise/chaos makers at home with him. Since it's fall though and none of them had been given their flu shots, I decided to keep Jade home from school that morning so she could come to get hers. If I was bringing Jade, of course Logan needed to come for his shot also and if I was going to have three kids at the doctor's office, then Nate had better come too, for extra help and support. It was an interesting appointment to say the least. We arrived right on time, but waited for several minutes while the secretary entered our new insurance information. The whole while I'm not allowing the kids to sit down or touch anything for fear of what germs my "well" children will pick up from the waiting room. Jade had been whining and crying all morning about having to get a shot, so she's standing right up there next to me with her chin quivering over the desk at all the secretaries and occasional passerby nurse. The doctor had finished with her last appointment and was available, so all six of us piled into the little exam room and the doctor gave Aeris her check-up amid the sniffling from Jade, Logan turning on and off the lights, and Nate grumbling about how he wished they'd just give the kids their shots so we could leave. The doctor was thrilled with Aeris's progress. She hadn't been weighed yet, so we had no idea what weight progress she'd made, but she's finally comfortable pulling herself to stand! We're working on learning to cruise now. In hindsite, I wish I'd left Nate out with the other two kids playing with all the germ-infested toys, but oh well. So then the nurse came in and Jade started into the glass breaking scream. I'd warned the nurse that Jade freaks out and that if she'd just poke her as quickly as possible that would be best. Nate proved his need to be there by holding Jade down on his lap. Just to illustrate the personality difference, when it was Logan's turn, he just sat there wide-eyed and wimpered for a couple of seconds after the poke. Aeris definitely cried, but she had three shots, so I'd say she's allowed. We visited the scale last. Aeris weighs 16 lbs 15 oz. She's 29 inches tall.

Tons of treats and not so many tricks

We had a great day... a great month! I love fall and I love Halloween. The remarkable warm weather has had us spending a lot of time outside cleaning up the summer plants and playing in the leaves. Every year our trees get a little bigger, but we still don't have enough leaves for a really great pile to jump in, so Jade and Logan (along with their neighbor friends) proceeded to gather armfuls of leaves from the neighboring yards. They had a blast raking, jumping and re-raking. Someday leaf raking may be a chore.


This month involved the usual fun Halloween activities, a party at Nate's mom's, school party & parade, and trick-or treating. Tonight I took Logan and his friend Matthew out for trick-or-treating, while Jade went out with her friend Ella and her dad.

Here's a little conversation the boys had about their candy as we roamed the neighborhood:

Logan: I have the biggest bag so I can get lots of candy. (Mind you anytime someone tried to give him more than one piece of candy he handed back the extras and said "just one please.") It's one of my Mommy's pillowcases.

Matthew: How much candy can fit in there?

Logan: Umm I don't know.

Matthew: ten?

Logan: Probally (Logan's pronounciation, not my misspelling) more than that.

Matthew: A hundred?

Logan: Umm I don't think a hundred. Maybe... like ten hundred or something.

They did make quite a haul. It's a good thing Mom and Dad are around to help them eat it.

What my kids know about me

Last May Logan's preschool teacher asked the kids a bunch of questions about their moms. Then at a Mom and Me party she read them out loud. It was hilarious. Then I read a post on a friend's blog that listed some questions she'd asked her kids about her. Since Jade hadn't answered the questions last time I thought I'd do it again.


1. What is something your mom always says to you?

Logan: no (sad, but true)
Jade: I love you (also true :)

2. What makes mom happy?

Logan: being nice (absolutely!)
Jade: when we give her hugs and kisses and make her feel special (and they do it a lot!)

3. What makes mom sad?

Logan: not being nice
Jade: when something bad happens

4. How does your mom make you laugh?

Logan: tickling
Jade: umm... telling funny things

5. How old is your mom?

Logan: hmmm I just don't know
Jade: 32

6. How tall is your mom?

Logan: Let me count how tall you are... (he proceeds to tap me from my toes to the top of my head, counting). You are 17 tall!
Jade: 5 ft (she shorted me two whole inches!)

7. What is her favorite thing to do?

Logan: read books
Jade: Read. Mom LOVES to read!
(Since they both came up with this one it MUST be true!)

8. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Logan: well, hmmm ... (a couple of minutes later) ... I can't even figure that one out. You tell me what it is, 'cause I don't know.
Jade: go shopping (without the kids? You bet!)


9. What is your mom really good at?

Logan: exercising (Nice... I wish!)
Jade: being a mom and a piano teacher


10. What is your mom not very good at?

Logan: ummm I'm thinking... hmmm... riding scooters (I guess I need to show off my scootering skills some more)
Jade: doing gymnastics (pretty much, yup!)


11. What does your mom like to watch on TV?


Logan: hmm... conference. Was that right?
Jade: uh oh. That's a hard one. All kinds of shows.


12. What is your mom's favorite food?


Logan: oatmeal
Jade: cooked vegetables
(funny answers here... they both picked something they WON'T eat)

13. How do you know your mom loves you?

Logan: by snuggling with me
Jade: because she has a big heart and she forgives us

Ahh, they're adorable.

Half Time Entertainment

How in the world...???
HalfTime Basketball Creighton University Omaha Nebraska - Watch more free videos

What kids are seeing on department store TVs

I doubt this is new, but I just noticed it recently. As Nate and I browsed the electronics department at our local Wal Mart I glanced at the numerous TVs all playing the newly released DVD Iron Man. If you've seen this movie you probably enjoyed it, as I did, but I wouldn't find it appropriate for my young children who were with us at the time. Note that this movie is rated PG-13 for "some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content." View an online parents' guide here. Three weeks later, they were showing the latest Indiana Jones movie, rated PG-13 for "adventure violence and scary images." View an online parents' guide here.

I don't think this is okay and I'd like to do something about it.

I sent the following comment at this address.

"Why are you showing PG-13 movies in public viewing areas of your store? Twice in the last month I have shopped this store with my three young children and twice I have seen movies (Iron Man & Indiana Jones) being played on every TV in and around (several directly in the aisle) your electronics department which have been rated PG-13 for violence and scary images. There are scientific studies proving the negative effects of violent images on young children. These movies are NOT appropriate for young viewers, so I choose not to allow my children to see them. Let's protect our children from these things, not put them in plain sight. What are you going to do about this problem?"

If this concerns you, you may want to take a minute and send a comment as well. They will likely not see a need for change unless they hear from more than one customer.

Rejects

Taking family photos with little kids is always a priceless moment. We tackled this task last weekend so we'd have an updated picture to hang up before Jade's baptism (more about that in an upcoming post). For us it's extra fun since we're both the subjects and the photographer (Nate). He sets up a tripod, then uses a wireless remote to take as many pictures as the memory card will hold, knowing the majority of them will have to be thrown out, but amongst the rejects will be the jewel that makes it to everyone's mailbox as our holiday greeting. Just for fun, I thought I'd give you a sneak peak of some of the trashed photos from this year's shoot. Logan's expressions are always my favorites!

The conversation behind the scenes goes something like this...

Nate: "Okay, smile!"

Aeris: WAAAAHHHH

Logan & Jade: "CHEEEEESE"

Flash & Click

Aeris: WAAAAHHH

Nate: "No. Don't say cheese. Just SMILE. Ready? Everyone SMMMIIILE!"

Flash & click

Nate (directed at me): "Can't you bounce her or something so she stops crying? Ready? SMILE!"

Logan: "Lightnening McQueen!"

Flash & click

Jade: "I'm not saying THAT, Logan! I want to say something girly!"

Aeris: WAAAAAAHHHH

Nate: "No. Just SMILE! (directed at me again) I can't believe you can't get her to stop crying."

Aeris: Slurp, slurp. (now holding and sucking on my bracelet)

Me: Remember we'll have cookies when we get home if you be nice"

Jade & Logan: "We'll be nice. We'll be NICE"

Flash & click

To those in my neighborhood

In the fall a new elementary school will open in the new city center (along with the rec center, library, etc.). A committee has been working hard to determine where the boundary changes should take place to fill this beautiful new school (two story... houses 1000 students!) As of now, my house will not be affected by any of the possible boundaries in that my kids will not be moving to the new school. However, my family IS still affected by this change. If you live anywhere near this new school, your family will be affected as well. Why? Our neighborhood schools are overcrowded. That's the whole reason they're building new schools. So, they take a few students from each of the surrounding schools and put them into the new schools to lessen the overcrowding. We want to attend this meeting and "vote" for the boundary change that is best for us. We want to lessen the crowding problem at our own schools. The kids hardly have any asphalt left the way they've been building portables out here! Please, if you can, attend this open house. It will only take a few minutes of your time to look over the maps and other information available. Rate the maps in order from the best to worst, and offer any comments about the boundaries. Though this vote will not decide the boundaries, the commitee will use the information to assess the feelings of the neighborhood. It will greatly effect their final decision.

The meeting is tomorrow, Thursday, October 9, from 6-7:30 pm at Fort Herriman Middle. If you have any further questions, check the district web page http://www.jordandistrict.org/general/boundaries/herriman/ or call or e-mail me. Thanks!

Jury Duty, with lots of little details

I spent time online the night before my big jury assignment, planning the best way to get downtown at rush hour and determined that TRAX was my best option, even though it meant walking a couple of blocks from the nearest station. I looked forward to reading my book on the train and a leisurely walk in the quiet morning. I planned to leave home at 7:15, hopefully arriving at 10000 S. in time to catch the 7:15 train, but would still be on time if I made the 7:53 train.
The alarm clock blared early. I drug myself out of bed anyway and was ready and pulling out of the driveway at 7:18, three little minutes behind schedule. I could catch up if I hit the lights just right. Heading down 13400 S., I considered the possible routes to the station. I-15 would be crowded, it might be best to take Bangerter all the way to 11800… just then I glanced down at the dash. My van was full of gas. I’d filled it myself late last week. But I didn’t take my van. I left it for Nate in case he had to take the kids somewhere. His car was empty. At least that’s where the needle pointed. How empty was it really? I had no idea, and wasn’t about to take any chances. So I stopped for gas. Then one wrong decision after another left me stopping at a ton of red lights.
The train station parking lot was packed. I could see the train waiting there. I jumped out of the car and started walking toward the train. Then I ran. I looked ridiculous but whatever. I no longer had the time cushion I’d been planning on. I had no idea what they did to late jurors. Then the train left. It actually left! I debated chasing after it like you see in the movies. I stood there on the curb dumbfounded. Did I get back in my car and try to make it on the crowded freeway? There was absolutely no way I would be there on time. It didn’t matter what I did now. I might as well wait for the next train and prayed I wasn’t held in contempt of court or something. Worse… I didn’t want to have to go again the next day.
Have you ridden TRAX lately? I started to read my book, but it felt like the train was bouncing all over. I’d remembered such a smooth ride the other times I’ve ridden. Without my book as a distraction, I kept checking the time. The minutes rushed on by, like the scenery out the window. I don’t know what time it was when the train stopped at Gallivan, all I know is I practically flew out of my seat and onto the sidewalk. I speedwalked those two blocks and took the steps in the building two at a time. There were a bunch of people in the waiting area, but none of them looked official. I asked one of them if they had any idea where I needed to be for jury duty. A lady directed me to a room. I peaked in the window. They were watching a video in there. I was sure to make a grand entrance. The lady at the front gave me a nasty look as I stepped in the door and found a seat. After the video all about the glories about jury duty they called roll. Only my name wasn’t called. I panicked, thinking maybe was in the wrong place. Then I’d really be late to wherever it was I needed to go. She asked for my name. I was on her list afterall. I filled out a questionnaire, ate some taxpayer provided snacks, and received my $18.50 cash for my service. Then we moved in to the courtroom next door where the judge asked us all a bunch of questions. “These are the attorneys. These are the witnesses. Do any of you know any of these people? Do any of you have any close ties with law enforcement?” This was my opportunity. My hand goes up. “My husband spent the ten years working in law enforcement… No, it wouldn’t effect my ability to make a decision in this case… blah blah blah.” Following a quick potty break, the judge announced the 4-member jury. I wasn’t called. So that was it. The end of jury service. I walked out of the building at 10:30 am. I enjoyed my leisurely walk to the train station in the quiet morning. I read my book until the train began to bounce again. I stopped at the mall, the bank, and made it home in time for lunch.

Crap

Just in case you've been dying to know, my luck finally ran out. After putting off jury duty five times, I finally have to serve! When I didn't have to appear today I hoped that meant I'd be safe for the whole week. When I called tonight I had to listen to the message twice thinking I'd heard it wrong. So, I'll be driving in rush hour traffic to arrive at the Salt Lake City Court at 8:30 am tomorrow morning.

Breakfast at Jade's

We celebrated Jade's 8th B-day with a fun "come as you are" party. We served a stack of pancakes (thanks Nate!) decorated with whipped cream as a birthday cake, fresh fruit, egg & bacon casserole, and juice. We had a pajama fashion show, decorated book marks, and made shrinky dink charm bracelets. It was tons of fun!

Sisterhood and Some Really Great Pants

When I still lived at home I spent many nights up late talking with my sisters about friends, clothes, and boys. After we all grew up, my sisters moved away, life got busier and busier, and the telephone conversations never quite compensated for those missing late-night talks.

To catch up on lost time, we planned a weekend just for the girls at a condo in Park City.



We enjoyed singing along LOUDLY at Mamma Mia and dancing WILDLY in the aisle.



We shopped the outlets without complaining husbands and whining kids.



We celebrated our Mom's upcoming birthday.



And we tried on each other's clothes... Actually it was ONE pair of Lynnette's really great pants!

Preschool & Pigtails

So it's been a while. As it usually the case when I don't have time to write, we've been busy having fun. So here's a quick update.





We took a fun little weekend trip to Midway for our annual Swiss Days reunion with Nate's family. The kids loved "camping out." Actually they slept in a trailer the first night and at the Homestead the second night. It hardly qualifies as camping. They loved swimming in the pool, feeding the horses, and making boats to float down the creek.

Logan started his second year of preschool last week. He's attending at A Step Ahead with Carrie Palmer just up the hill from our home. She's a real gem. I happened upon her preschool when I needed one for Jade's Pre-K year. She had just moved to the area. I was immediately impressed with her organization and academically focused curriculum. So far Logan loves it! His favorite part is playing outside on the tramp and swing set, and eating snacks. Typical! He already took a sick day on Thursday thanks to a random 24 hr. fever. Whatever it was went away without any other symptoms and without spreading to anyone else in the house. Thank goodness for that!

After attending a Jade's friend Ali's baptism on Saturday morning (thanks for inviting us Ali and congratulations again!), I left all three kids with a new babysitter (one of my piano students) for nearly five hours while I attended a Utah Federation of Music Clubs luncheon at Thanksgiving Point. It always makes me nervous to leave the kids with anyone, but this girl is so cute. She came toting a bag of "goodies!" I resisted asking her what she had in the bag until I came home so she could reveal the surprise whenever she wanted to. Can you believe she brought Polly Pocket toys for Jade and dinosaurs for Logan. It was the best idea! She has younger siblings at home, so I think she probably raided their toy boxes so she'd have something new and exciting for my kids. The kids thought she was the best! I'll definitely call her again.

Aeris weighed in at 16 lbs. last week at her weight check. Since she's continuing on an up pattern, there are no major concerns. Her hair is really growing out. I was thrilled to put it in pigtails for the first time yesterday! She now has two bottom teeth and pulled herself up to standing on the side of her crib today when I put her down for a nap. The nap got put off for another hour while I (FINALLY) moved her mattress down from it's newborn position. The therapist came last week and loved all her progress!

Hold the Nuts Please

I'm officially an EpiPen carrying mom. I took Logan to the University of Utah Health Center this morning for allergy testing. First of all, for anyone who hasn't experienced allergy testing, it's totally miserable. After the nurse spent probably 30 minutes getting a very detailed history of Logan's health, the doctor came in and again discussed every detail of Logan's health. We then talked about which items to test him for. I was all for testing for plants as well as foods. Why not get as much information out of this appointment as possible? The doctor, though, limited the list to a couple of controls (items we knew he wouldn't react to), a histamine (to show what a reaction from him would look like) and 11 nuts. Then two nurses came in. As he sat facing me on my lap, they drew 14 dots on his back with a purple sharpie, and then brought out the pokers. One at a time, they gouged his skin next to each dot inserting a liquid just under the skin's surface. He flinched at the first one, then when they didn't stop there, he started to get mad. "Hey, that hurts!" Finally, he turned his head around and told her quite seriously, "DON'T do that again!" Luckily they were about done by then, because his patience had definitely run out (thank goodness I hadn't told the doctor to test for plants too!). Unfortunately the fun was just starting. They told me we had to wait for fifteen minutes while his body reacted. In the mean time, even though the spots itched like crazy, he wasn't allowed to touch them. Poor kid. So I took him outside for a walk. We counted all the Jeeps in the parking lot and admired the motorcycles, etc. When we went back in, he had three huge welts on his back and three smaller ones. The biggest welt was from a cashew, the other two big welts were pistachio and pecan. The smaller welts were the histamine, and two different kinds of walnut. The nurses measured the welts and surrounding redness, then the doctor came out and measured and inspected them too. Then they finally applied some hydrocortizone cream to his sore little back. The doctor recommended a blood test as well, so we'd have a better idea of whether he'll ever grow out of the allergies. As if he hadn't been through enough, then I had to put him through a blood draw, from both arms! It was all so sad! He'd earned a big treat when we got home. We meet with the doctor again in a month to discuss the results of the blood test.

What would you do?

I have a little dilemma. Driving Jade to and from Riverton Elementary twice a day five times a week just wouldn't be prudent, so I arranged a carpool. All of last year I drove every morning and the other mom picked up in the afternoons. This worked out perfectly considering my piano lesson schedule. A couple weeks ago we added another mom to the arrangment. She drives two mornings and one afternoon each week. After picking up/dropping off Jade a few times I noticed that her vehicle drips a little oil in our driveway. Nate's extremely particular about this. I have a piano parent who drives several different vehicles to piano lessons... ALL of which drip oil. It makes Nate absolutely crazy. He's told me over and over that I need to do something about it. The problem is, I can't stand the thought of making them feel bad. After all, these are people I care about... and need to maintain a relationship with. Offending them is simply not an option. The first carpool mom told me yesterday that she's going to arrange some after school classes for her kids and won't be carpooling anymore. That means if I don't do something about it, I'll have new oil drips in my driveway every day of the school week! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Here Comes Trouble

It's been just over a month since the occupational therapist came to work with Aeris on her gross motor skills. Normally she'll come twice a month, but she's been on a European vacation. In the mean time, we've been really working with her so we'd have lots to show her when she came back. The progress has been amazing! She's started pulling herself up onto her knees and even climbed up a stair last week! A couple days ago I heard some noise in the kitchen and came in to find this:

It was total deja vu since I have memories of Jade playing in the very same cupboard. In fact, I have a picture of her doing just that! I'd say they look a little bit alike, wouldn't you?

I Love To Laugh...

at myself! This spring we pulled out some struggling bushes from a flower bed in front of our house. The ones we put in their place haven't been thriving either. I decided I needed to be better about watering them. I turned the hose to barely dripping and placed it at the base of one of the bushes. Then I forgot about it. The next morning I was outside when Jade's carpool arrived to pick her up. Waving at her as the van drove down the street, I glanced at the flower bed. This is what I saw:

My hose was still dripping away of course. After confirming that it was really a sinkhole with the bush safely inside, and not a "bush napping" I had a good laugh at my own idiocy.

Then I jumped into action. Frantically, I shut off the hose, grabbed a shovel to dig out my little plant before trying to fill in the hole, all the while crossing my fingers that I haven't created a bigger problem by putting huge amounts of pressure on some sprinkler pipes under the bed. So far so good on that one. The sprinklers have come on twice without any pipes exploding beneath the surface. I'm glad Home Depot offers a guarantee on the survival of their plants within a year. I'm not sure these can be saved, expecially now that I'm afraid to water them.

Firsts

For anyone short on time, here's a bullet list of our recent "firsts." Read on if you're interested in the details!

• Jade's first two weeks of 2nd grade
• Aeris's first tooth
• Our first garage sale
• Logan's first allergic reaction

Jade started 2nd grade July 28. We love her teacher! On Monday Jade brought home a weekly homework page (I can't believe she's planning to send home one of these every week of the school year!) The topic for the week was worms. They measured gummy worms in math, for art they made a worm out of a nylon stocking filled with a stuffing of their choice, wrote in a "Worm Diary" at home as a creative writing assignment, and shared it all on Friday with the rest of the class. In class they made a worm home out of a 2-liter bottle and dirt with a water bottle inside the middle to keep the worms closer to the outer wall. Jade could hardly wait to go back to school Tuesday so she could check on their live little friends and the tunnels they'd made.

Aeris acted more clingy and grumpy than usual this week. I'm glad she actually had a reason this time! I was so excited when I felt a tiny tooth in her bottom gum. It's about time, right! I guess I'd better take some last picture's of that gummy grin before her mouth's all full of teeth!

I've been on a de-cluttering kick lately. We keep aquiring more and more stuff, and I'm terribly sentimental, so a lot of it piles up. Using potential monetary gain as a motivator, I've been working on clearing it out. On Saturday we held a garage sale. Our more valuable items sold, so I'd call it a success! It was fun spending the morning hanging out with our neighbors and my parents (they sold some stuff too!) and giving my stuff new life in new homes! I had the hardest time parting with my Nintendo. I know that probably seems silly, but it was such a part of childhood for me. Super Mario Bros 3 is my all-time favorite video game. I'm not really much of a gamer, but that one stole my heart! I made it to the end, but always ran out of lives before I could reach the finale. It was so frustrating that the console didn't have the capability to save your progress along the way, so you had to spend hours in one sitting to make it to the end. When I dug it out to make sure it still worked so I could price it for the sale, I tried out the game one last time. It was great for nostalgia's sake, but there's no way I have enough time in my day for that anymore! It sure felt good to sell it. The man who bought it also bought Nate's old Sega and our original Playstation with all the games. Apparently he stocks up on garage sale bargains all year then makes an annual trip down to Mexico to give them to the kids there. What a wonderful project!

Tonight we attended a birthday dinner for Nate's dad. *Happy birthday Eddie!* Logan scared us when he threw up then broke out in a rash and swelled. Nate had given him a cashew nut about 5 minutes before. We figure that was the cause, but will have to have some allergy testing to be sure. So far this is the first major allergic reaction for any of our kids. Neither Nate nor I have any food allergies (I have scary allergies to certain medications), so this is new to us. I'm nervous about what this might involve since his reaction was so extreme for having had only one little nut.

Sibling Rivalry

Any parent will attest to the challenges associated with raising kids. Prior to having my own children I'd heard many stories about wild uncontrollable kids. I'd even seen a few of them myself. I, however, was not going to experience any of these struggles because I was going to be the perfect parent. I'd taken psychology courses. I knew how their little minds worked and I'd be prepared to deal with them. I'm sure you already know where I'm going with this. It took me about 6 hours after Jade was born to realize that I did not, in fact, have parenting all figured out.

One of my hugest frustrations is the constant competing that goes on between them. It's not so much that they're competing that surprises me. It's what they're competing for.

First to grab the placemats when they're setting the table.

First down the sidewalk when we're out riding bikes/scooters.

First to tell Dad it's time for prayers at bedtime.

First to grab the baby wipes for Mom.

Etc, etc, etc.

I can always see it coming, but I can't always stop it from happening. I ask Jade to go downstairs to grab a box of cereal from the storage room. Next thing I know, Logan's yelling and thundering after her, Jade's screaming that Logan's hurting her, and I end up with a smashed up box of crushed Cheerios.

Jade loves to sing… loudly. She’s always singing or humming something. A lot of the time it’s a tune she’s made up herself and usually with words that pertain to the moment. Once she’s come up with it she’ll sing it over and over and over again. Logan gets annoyed pretty quickly and yells at her to stop humming/singing. Well instead of stopping, she takes this as a challenge and turns up the volume. He yells louder and louder to be heard and will finally physically attack her. She’ll sometimes stop singing/humming only to start screaming that he’s hurting her.

It's all just so baffling to me. What's the big deal? Why can't we all just get along?

Jade started school last week. This means she's not around to fight with Logan for the majority of the day, which is nice. The problem is, in spite of the fighting, they are the best of friends. Without her he doesn't know what to do with himself half the time. He follows me around wherever I go. Irritated I say, "Logan, why don't you go play with your toys?"

"I just want to be with you Mom. I love you Mom." He says, wrapping his little arms around my legs, giving me a big kiss right on the upper thigh.

Maybe parenting isn't so bad.

Still Not On the Chart

We visited the pediatrician today for Aeris's 12-mo. check-up. Though she eats anything I offer, she still hasn't made it onto the weight percentile chart.

Her stats are as follows:
weight: 15 lbs. 4 oz.
height: 28 1/2 in., 27th percentile

She has highly developed problem solving and fine mtor skills. An occupational therapist is coming out twice a month to help develop her gross motor skills since she doesn't get up on her legs at all yet.

One Year, Twelve Months, 366 Days

Whenever one of our kids has a birthday it's as much a celebration for me as it is for them. I love to reminisce about their birth. Today is Aeris's first birthday, so bear with me as I remember the day she was born...

This was my third pregnancy. My due date was July 27, three days after the last special occasion in July and just over a month before the school deadline, putting her three years behind Logan in school. I spent the month riding a 4-wheeler, working in my garden, and bouncing on the Dinosaur Bop ride at Lagoon. If none of those activities caused early labor, nothing would, right?

When I woke up at 5:30 the morning of July 25 feeling a little funny I denied the possibility that it was labor and tried to go back to sleep. After a half hour of tossing and turning I took a shower. It would be nice to have a good start to the day since it was Jade's first day of first grade at a new school. I looked forward to walking her into class and settling her in.

Once I'd gotten dressed I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on. Nate rolled over, half asleep, and asked me why I wasn't sleeping. When I told him we'd be going to the hospital his first question was, "Are you sure?" Yeah... I'd just spent the last 45 minutes trying to decide that very thing. He asked how far apart my contractions were. Nice... I hadn't even thought to time the contractions. I looked at digital clock in our room as the next one came on. It said 6:14. The next one started at 6:16. That was all the information he needed.

While he showered, my water broke. So in between trying to pack the last minute items (make-up, toiletries) I kept making trips into the bathroom. By the time we walked out the door Nate was about crazy. The drive to the hospital was pretty comical. Nate was freaking out at any car in our way. We hadn't really hit the morning commute traffic, so I thought it was quite pleasant driving, but Nate was on edge the whole time.

We checked into the hospital and were settled into a room by 7:15 am. By 7:30 I started feeling the contractions. Immediately I began having flashbacks of Logan's delivery and decided that I didn't want to deliver a baby after all. I had promised Nate that if he agreed to stay in the room I'd order an epidural if I thought the contractions would be miserable enough to scream. The anesthesiologist was available right then, so he had it all put in by about 7:50. In the mean time, my doctor hadn't arrived yet, so he'd told the nurses to grab another doctor, because the baby might not be willing to wait. I was already a 10 and 100%. Once the epidural took effect, I wasn't feeling the need to push anymore, so they waited for my doctor to arrive. Aeris entered the world howling at 8:26am.

That moment, that tiny voice... amazing. There were so many people in the room and yet I heard only her. The bond between mother and child solidified for me right then. I felt such an overwhelming love for that baby. I wanted nothing but to snuggle her close so I could kiss her cheeks, count her perfect little fingers, whisper in her ear and soothe her. Because of the meconium in the amniotic fluid the respiratory specialists spent time checking her lungs and letting her cry to clear them. It was an eternity before they handed her to me. Looking at her was like seeing a familiar face.

I absolutely love to take her picture. I probably have a dozen "favorites" of this same pose, all with different facial expressions. I love this one because it's her crinkle-nose smile.

We celebrated with a little gathering on Sunday evening. I alternated between still and video shots all evening. Unfortunately, I kept the video camera rolling while she smashed up her cupcake, but missed taking even one still shot. She dug right into it with her fingers, but had to be forced to taste it. She's great at playing with her food, but needs some more practice feeding herself. We invited some neighbors who have babies/toddlers close to her age. I missed getting them all in the group picture, but Emersyn and Julia are in the pictures below, helping Aeris open her presents.

It's Great To Be Young... At Heart

The Beatles wrote many songs that became classics. One of my favorites is the one titled, "When I'm 64." I've always envisioned a cuddly old couple who has grown old together and are now enjoying their golden years comfortably sitting in rocking chairs.


Where do you picture yourself at 64?


Are you riding four-wheelers and dirt bikes in the mountains? Maybe you'll be braving the rapids on a raft in Cataract Canyon or up in the Pacific Ocean on an Alaskan Cruise? It would be nice to relax on some white Hawaiian beaches.





Since retiring a couple of years ago my parents have been doing all of the above... and more... minus the growing old part! Last weekend they went on a ten-mile bike ride... not the motorized kind this time! I love that they're in good enough health to truly enjoy their retirement years. In between their adventures on bikes, rivers, cruise ships, and beaches, they travel to visit their kids and grandkids all over the country and occasionally tend our kids so we can have a night out. Good for you Mom and Dad! We love you!

Paying for Baby

I took the kids to Classic to ride the waterslides today. I want to be sure to get my money's worth out of our summer fun passes. (For those of you who aren't aware... you pay $10 per person for the pass and then only $1 for each activity for the rest of the summer. Since the waterslides are $7, you already have a better deal with the pass if you only go twice.) It was our first time at the waterslides. Last time we skated. I didn't have to pay for myself since I wouldn't be participating in the activity. I had Aeris with me, but didn't even ask about her. Duh... she's a baby. She wouldn't be skating, right? Well today I let a couple of people go in front of me in line while I dug the passes out of the bag of gear and then had plenty of time to read the many signs concerning the rates, rules, etc. With their passes, Jade and Logan did indeed get to slide for only $1. If I wanted to accompany Logan down the 4 bigger slides (he's definitely NOT big enough to slide alone... though I did not see any age requirements for sliding alone) I had to pay $7 for myself. Since I plan to bring them again I purchased a pass for myself too. Then I asked the cashier about the "spectator" policy. The sign clearly stated that "all non-swimsuit wearing spectators, regardless of age pay $2." So that means my baby, who isn't walking, crawling, wasn't wearing a swimsuit and so would not be swimming AT ALL, could only come through the doors if I paid $2 for her. If she had been a week old I would have had to pay $2 for her. If I'd wanted to dip her feet into the pool water I'd have to pay $7 for her. Is it just me or does this seem ridiculous? The kids had a ball today, so we'll be back regardless, but I really don't want to pay $2 for Aeris to sit in a stroller on the side and I'm certainly not going to pay $7 for her to splash in the kiddie pool. I plan to write a letter addressed to the GM or maybe even the owner. Babies who are less than 1 year should be free if they're not using the water. They should have a reduced rate for them to swim since they will only be using the kiddie area. If they get several letters, maybe they'll change the policy.

Slip Slidin'

Last September for her birthday, Jade wanted to have a waterslide party. I told her the weather was too unpredictable in the fall, but perhaps at the end of the school year we could invite her class over for a summer kick-off party with the wterslide. Her class this year was small (18 kids) so I didn't have many reservations about inviting the whole lot, especially if they were going to be in the backyard the whole time. The highlight of the party was when Nate came out with the GIANT water gun! The lowlight was the sunburn afterwards. We were having so much fun I forgot to re-apply the sunscreen... oops!