7 MONKEYS

Best Dinner Ever!

2012-01-29T22:37:00.001-07:00

Ok, maybe not the best dinner ever, but best in a long time. The food was good, but the best part was that I was happy. I have been pretty uninspired about dinner lately. Today my Visiting Teachers had made an appointment to visit at 7. I remembered that I had a meeting at that time. Instead of just saying "Oh that's ok.We will call you next month." She said "Well we could come over right after church and help you get dinner ready or set the table." It has been so long since I had visiting teachers who really wanted to come, I had forgotten that it is a good thing. They came over and we ad a nice chat while they cut up fruit and diced potatoes for me. I felt happy making dinner and the food tasted extra good to me!
Tender Mercies.

Eating Purple!

2012-01-29T21:44:00.001-07:00

We had 2 purple things for dinner this week.

This is the broccoli and cauliflower that I cut in my garden. The Cauliflower is the purple sprig. The broccoli is growing well and the cauliflower is a bit slow this year. The seed package said that it would be fuchsia, maybe it has to do with our crazy rebel soil.

These are the mashed purple sweet potatoes that I bought at the chinese market. They were pretty but dry. I needed some sour cream to add to them.

What kind of vitamins do you get from eating purple.

I was only gone for a minute.

2012-01-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

I don't remember which very important errand I went on, maybe it was the trip to get pizza at Little Caesars. Anyway, when I got home Hazel had a few pale pink lines around her mouth where she had tried to wash off some marker. I reminded her not to color on herself. Of course she said "Oh, I didn't. Abby did it." We had a good discussion about fleeing evil's presence. Today I found this picture on my camera. I would agree that Hazel did not draw on herself, that is Abby's signature panda on the forehead. I think I might need to hire a babysitter next time to keep an eye on Abby :)

The Big Four-Oh

2012-01-22T11:16:00.002-07:00

We hade a double celebration. Kenneth's Birthday and Chinese New Year! Kenneth went on a campout with the Boy Scouts on his actual birthday. So we planned a fancy Chinese dinner for his return. I think he was surprised. We had steamed buns with roast pork filling, mongolian fire pot (think chinese fondue), lemon chicken, stir fried vegies, and white rabbit candies.

Nate and Rebekah baked an awesome orange cake.

Hazel decorated it.

Christian and Truman put 2 packs of candles (48 in all) on the little cake.

The fire was a big one.

There was a lot of smoke!

We also bought some chinese ice cream. We almost bought the avocado flavor but we thought that Kenneth might appreciate lychee fruit more.

Calcium Update

2012-01-19T14:01:00.002-07:00

It appears to be working. No one has broken any bones (knock on wood) for almost 2 weeks.

Nate's Knightly Read

2012-01-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Nate is practicing reading in an effort to increase his fluency. Hopefully, his reading files will be appearing on the blog more often, and improving in quality. My fingers are crossed.

He is really hoping that maybe some of his younger cousins who can't read yet might enjoy the stories!

You can listen at NateReads.

The Casted Twins

2012-01-15T19:18:00.001-07:00

We have made it a whole week without any broken bones, and the children are enjoying their calcium supplements!

Passing of an Era

2012-01-15T19:15:00.003-07:00

This is "The Nursery", or it used to be. I painted the walls when I was pregnant with Rebekah. I would put the other kids down for a nap and then paint as fast as I could then lock the door so no one touched the wet paint. My friend came and we painted the walls to match some curtains I had made. It was a happy peaceful place. We even painted the hungry caterpillar on the edge of the window.

I know this may come as a shock, but we don't need a nursery anymore. The room has been inhabited by musical instruments and junk. When Christian got a drum set last year, most of the junk moved on and the music moved in. It has been used as the music room.

Over the holidays we moved out the instruments to make room for guests and discovered the room to be empty. There is no better time to clean off the popcorn ceiling and repaint.

Now our nursery is "The Music Room". (Complete with British invasion) We have a few more details to work on.

Maybe we aren't getting enough.... Calcium

2012-01-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I tried to write this but I was a little overwhelmed. I promised myself that I would write it this week. Luckily, I am feeling surreal instead of overwhelmed.
Here is the timeline:
New years eve 2011
Fridge not cold
Kenneth puts all food in coolers & totally disassembles fridge
Megan starts load of laundry #1 and takes Christian to the mall to pick up shoes
Kenneth gets part for fridge
Megan tries to put wash into dryer only to find that the washer is still full of water and has error code F-28 (communication error)
Kenneth starts putting fridge back together
Nate is bored so he washes all the light switches in the house
Christian is making chex mix
Truman makes berry pie
Nate goes out to "swing for 10 minutes"
Megan begins emptying water from washer to clean out trap
Abby makes fudge
Kenneth puts fridge back in place and is mopping up
Megan can't get the trap closed due to an otter pop wrapper and a ziplock baggie and water begins flodding the laundry room
Kenneth comes to help and gets the trap closed
Nate flies out of the swing, bloodies his face, has his wind knocked out, and can't move his arms
Megan picks the grass out of his teeth and helps him to bed to rest for a minute.
Nate sleeps for 2 hours
Megan mops up the water in the laundry room
Kenneth mops up the rest of the water that seeped into the garage
Megan puts the washer back together and mops the laundry room again
Nate wakes up and Megan takes him to urgent care.
Nate gets x rays and a splint
Hazel makes mac and cheese with hot dogs
We have a potluck dinner, play games and light the fireworks we bought for the 4th of July
Bed at last!

Fast forward to Friday night
Megan leaves Kenneth and the kids playing "Tickle Monster"
Megan pulls into the Target parking lot 2.2 miles away
Kenneth ends game and asks Rebekah to practice her french horn
Rebekah says she doesn't want to
Kenneth "swipes" Rebekah's feet, she looses her balance and falls down
Megan receives phone call "I'm not kidding. I think I just broke Rebekah's arm"
Kenneth takes Rebekah to urgent care where he doesn't admit to knowing Nate or I
Megan shops for the shower gift at target
Rebekah gets Xrays and a splint
Megan arrives home to all the other kids faces pressed to the living room window
The neighborhood surely hears the chorus of "Dad broke Rebekah's arm"
Kenneth and Rebekah arrive home and everyone is sent to bed

Saturday Morning
Am official moratorium is in effect on running, jumping, playing, swinging, falling, tickling, and moving

Tomorrow, I am going to buy calcium supplements and straight jackets!

Ringing in the New Year

2012-01-01T20:29:00.003-07:00

On New Years Eve we traditionally have a potluck dinner. You bring whatever you most wish to eat. This year's menu included: Root beer & Cherry 7up, strawberries, Chex mix, Triple berry pie, Chinese steamed dumplings, fudge, cheese and crackers, tapioca pudding, and Kraft Mac&Cheese with hot dogs in it. It was delicious and Hazel made these awesome hats too.

Nate was the hungriest.

(He is also a bit more docile than normal because he broke his arm earlier that day.)

Here is everyone except the mom (who is taking the pic) and the Dadd (who is checking the dumplings).

Here is Dadd.

This is the house that Alex built.

2011-12-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

The amazing uncle Alex came to visit. We had a great time with him one of the highlights was the gingerbread house. It was our most organized and tidy house ever. I think that the roof is tiled with 6 rolls of necco candies.

Sydney Mozzarella Maker

2011-12-23T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sydney is doing a science project that involves making cheese. Three trials involving 3 gallons of milk each time. It is a lot of cheese, and a lot of dirty dishes. Luckily it is good cheese. She is getting really good at it.

Dobson Band Concert

2011-12-22T14:26:00.002-07:00

Here is a link to the most recent band concert that Christian and Truman are in.
http://www.edtv99.org/video/10232/?ref=email-link

Abby Turns 12!

2011-12-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

For Abby's 12th birthday she really wanted to do some service at an animal shelter. We couldn't find one that would let kids under the age of 14 help. She settled for a tour. The shelter was pretty nice. The girls had a fun time. Abby is passionate about panda bears. Her friends know her well and she received a multitude of panda paraphernalia. She liked this pink shirt that says "If you are happy and you know it... SLAP YOUR FRIEND" Unfortunately, this is an accurate reflection of her personality. She also loves the panda hat and the kids have spent many hours trying to steal her hat eliciting a violent response.

Is anybody listening?

2011-12-05T11:57:00.001-07:00

Whenever we leave the house we send someone around to make sure all the lights are off. My kids tease me because I am a "compulsive light turner off-er". I dream about putting a motion sensing light fixture in the girl's closet. I personally think I am a bit of a nag about light turning-off.

This morning at breakfast, there was some conversation between the kids about leaving the lights on all the time. I think it had to do with the Christmas lights. I said something about being being more worried about the inside lights being left on all the time. The kids went silent and looked at me in amazement. Truman said "Is a big deal? Would you like us to turn off our bedroom light when we leave?" I wasn't sure if he was teasing, but everyone was waiting for my answer. I said it would be great. They all nodded sincerely, and agreed "Sure, we can do that."

When they left for school all the lights were off.

Maybe I haven't been speaking english for the last 16 years.

Turkey Feast

2011-11-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

Our turkey weighed 21 lbs before stuffing and cooking. We still have lots left, but we ate more than 21 lbs of dinner.
Here is how much dinner we each ate:
Kenneth 3.6lbs
Megan 1.6lbs
Christian 3.4lbs
Truman 7.4lbs (adjusted to 3lbs after he removed the weights from his pockets!)
Sydney 1.2lbs
Abby 2.4lbs
Rebekah 1.6lbs
Nate 2.0lbs
Hazel 1.2lbs

Grand Total 20 lbs!

Thank you Hazel for making the Turkey napkin holders!

"Can you help me make the marimba seem natural in my living room?"

2011-11-22T18:36:00.001-07:00

I had a very nice friend come over to help me figure out what to do with my living room. I had two BIG problems: 1. too many books 2. the marimba.

My friend was really helpful and I think that the results are favorable. There is still a bit of work to do, like make different curtains, recover the wingback chair, and hang the artwork back up.

I refinished the entertainment center. Kenneth built me some new bookcases. I painted the walls a color called "Shagreen". I really like the darker wood with the green walls. Rebekah tells me that it is very "soothing". I also got rid of a couple pieces of superfluous furniture.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Abby Strikes Again

2011-11-20T21:42:00.001-07:00

More funny writing by Abby:

This is a piece of paper I found on a clip board. Abby and Rebekah had been out and about interrogating their siblings about the pile of leaves that had bee spread across the yard. (Yes our leaves are starting to fall) It appears that the inquisition was conclusive. Truman and Hazel are guilty of leaf spreading.

There is a little space in our rearranged living room where I often find little clusters of rubber animals. I was informed that this area is protected and I must not vacuum up the inhabitants. This is who is living in our Nature Corner today.

Then I found this notice posted in the hall. I am not positive but I thought I heard a moth bumping at the front window...

Rebekah Turns 10

2011-11-19T20:00:00.000-07:00

Kenneth braided Rebekah's hair the night before her birthday and he did it so tight that they went Pipi Longstocking on him.

Hazel gave her some little pink bunnies...

Abby mader her an apron.

Nate and Syd gave her some beads.

Hugs from big brother.

The crew!

The Bigger Brother.

I always wear my shinguards to a party!

Birthday Spankings.

Chocolate cake and peppermint ice cream.

You Know you need a hair cut when...

2011-11-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

All our boys need hair cuts a lot. I think that boy hair is actually more trouble than girl hair! Truman was the photographer and so we don't have a pic of him, and Kenneth had his hair cut after Truman went to bed, so no pic of Kenneth. Truman and Nate combined their pile of hair and challenged Christian to try to have more hair than them. Somehow Nate and Truman's pile took on the shape of a small dog! Christian's hair cut produced a pile only a little smaller than The other two boys combined.

It's a bird! It's a Plane!

2011-11-17T14:18:00.001-07:00

No! It's TUBAMAN!

Our friend called and said that Truman would probably want to come see what she had at her house, it involved Tubas. This is a "costume" called Tubaman. It is made from Sousaphone bells and bungee cords. Weird but cool in a tuba player sort of way. Truman did indeed want to see it and try it on. Syd went to take pictures of the occasion (and outfit). Truman said it wasn't very comfortable.

Real Life Returns

2011-11-14T11:11:00.001-07:00

Saturday found us watching the State Marching Band Finals. Dobson looked great. We really enjoyed watching all the shows one last time. I love seeing a show at the beginning of the season and then again at the end. These kids work so hard and it is great to see the improvement over the season. Nate and Hazel are seasoned judges by now, however they are a bit tired of the performances so Kenneth brought Uno cards and they played between performances. The rule was that as soon as the announcer said "you may take the field" they had to put the cards down.

Veteran's Day Parade

2011-11-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

We went to the parade for two reasons. 1.I love parades. 2.My boys were in it.

The new uniforms look sharp!

Here is Truman in his Sousaphone. (He is the one on the right.) "What would Sousa do?"

Christian, feeling the pain of being in pit, walked along behind. He is the one right in the middle with a little of the blue streamer in front of him.

I like the bagpipe players. I asked Abby if she would still love me if I played the bagpipes. She said yes. I think that maybe if she weren't my oboe learning daughter, she might not think bagpipes seem sane.

This little dog was the other highlight of the parade. The dog looked away but it is wearing pink goggles. Too funny!

Pink is Best!

2011-11-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

We made applesauce this weekend from Jonathan apples. It makes the applesauce pink and yummy!

Just a Little Music for the Sabbath

2011-11-06T18:36:00.004-07:00

In case you don't recognize the song, it is I Love to See the Temple

The Costumes

2011-11-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

The little Witch

Abby the absentminded mad scientist

Nate the Monk

I have gotten lazy and the kids are more independent these days. Nobody wants me to make costumes, and I don't feel too bad about it. Here are the kids who dressed up and would allow me to photograph them. Sydney did trick-or-treat but she has decided that she is too old and is planning to pass out candy next year.

Old Fashion Fun

2011-11-03T09:03:00.001-07:00

We had a Taffy-Pull at our house. I wasn't sure how many kids would think it would be fun and actually come. 13 Priests and Laurels came. We pulled taffy and then they played board games.

Ligretto

Apples to Apples

Here is the taffy. Blue Raspberry and Cinnamon.

The game in the distance is called Things in a Box. The taffy in the foreground is honey taffy.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Revis Ranch

2011-10-30T21:07:00.001-07:00

Kenneth and the 4 oldest kids (and most of the youth and leaders in our ward) went on a backpacking trip Friday night. Revis Ranch. It is a tough hike, I think it almost 7 miles in and then they camp. Some years there are apples (not this year, sadly). The kids all reported on each other and they all did good and had fun. The girls are super tired still today. While they were gone I painted my livingroom, and that is a post for another day.

Kenneth is mighty proud of this stool that he made. He made the seat out of canvas and he lashes some sticks together to make the tripod for it.

A rose by any other name...

2011-10-26T20:43:00.001-07:00

So I have really tried to like brussels sprouts. I can say with confidence "I do not like brussels sprouts!" They are icky. I have tried them frozen, fresh, dipped in butter and covered in cheese. Tonight I tried the Cook's Illustrated "Really Good Roasted Brussels Sprouts." They did look better than usual, especially tossed with the extra butter and toasted walnuts and a splash of lemon juice. I am swearing off Brussels Sprouts forever. Hazel nearly threw up trying to swallow hers. It was worth a try.

Liven up your lunch

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

We have become notorious for our "Colored Bread". Somehow it makes holidays more festive when the bread is lively...

Here's how. I make 1 batch of bread for each color of dough I want to use. Add the food coloring to the water at the beginning. It is a nightmare to try to kneed in the food coloring. Let the dough rise and then divide it up.

Roll the dough out and stack up the colors.

Roll the whole thing up together. Put it in a pan.

Let the dough rise.

Cook as usual.

The results can be rather dramatic.

The sandwiches are dramatic!

ASU Band Day

2011-10-24T08:23:00.002-07:00

Christian is down on what would be the track. Truman is the Sousa on the far left when the show starts.

Magical Mystery Tour

2011-10-23T22:10:00.002-07:00

Abby has become very interested in The Beatles. I have loved them since 9th grade (when I first learned that Julian Lennon's dad was in a band. Sad huh?)

I have been emptying the entertainment center so that repairs can be made. The back has come off because we moved it fully loaded a couple of times. I found all my Beatles albums that I bought on vinyl. My children were fascinated by the plastic disks that go around and play music. Truman informed me that vinyl is more accurate than a CD, because is is not digital. This led to a conversation about pitch correction. He was really bothered, we agree that it is cheating.

I was teased when I originally bought the albums. It was all worth it to stand around with my kids and watch them enjoy it so thoroughly. (I did also show them how fun it is to play records back at the wrong speed. Like we did as kids. If only I had captain and Tennille so that we could play Muskrat love really fast. Those were good times)

Friday Night Football

2011-10-23T21:29:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I worry about Hazel and her potential to need a therapist in the future. Her life at 6 is so different from Christian's life at 6, even Christian's life at 11. Her bed time is usually as early as we can get it, sometimes that means 10pm. Poor Girl, she fell asleep like this (thanks Sam for taking the pictures for me) during the second quarter at the football game. She slept like this for the rest of the quarter, through the halftime show, and into the third quarter. (She stumbled along dazed until the powerade guy gave her a free sample. She made it to the car thanks to the power boost.)

It was band appreciation night, which meant that the junior high kids learned Stars and Stripes Forever and they got to march into the stadium with the high school kids. Between 1st and 2nd quarter they played the piece together on the track. They sounded great. Abby took over Sydney's job of pouring water for the band when they are in the stands. Abby was not as committed and spent most of the game goofing off with her friends. That is what football games are about, right?

Abby Goes Public

2011-10-19T06:14:00.000-07:00

Abby seems to have a lot of free time lately. She has decided to start her own blog. (It is private) If you want to be invited send me an email...

Kool-aid Mom

2011-10-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

So besides serving Kool-aid, what does the Kool-aid mom do? Just wondering..
When people call me a kool-aid mom should I be insulted or flattered? I don't serve kool-aid...

Prankster

2011-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you pour water on Natalie's head. She might "borrow" your tuba mouthpiece. Don't worry, she will return it. It might be frozen solid in a bowl of ice...

Mesquite Invitational

2011-10-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Christian and Truman (and the rest of the Dobson Marching Band) performed in their first competition of the season. Here we are in the stands waiting for the show to start. Sometimes the little kids get bored watching other bands. This time we picked up a program and rated each performance and tried to predict who would win in our division. Rebekah stayed with Kenneth to watch the awards ceremony and check our predictions. I guessed them all right on. I was telling Truman about my talent, he was offended. "Mom, I can't believe that you thought so low of us (third place). Where is your confidence?"

Here is the band coming on the field. Truman is one of those Sousa players.

Christian at his Marimba while pit sets up.

Hazel after she tripped coming out of the bathroom.

We don't need to go to London. London came to us...

2011-10-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

We spent a week puppy sitting (or laying as the photo shows). He is distracted by children and so the Guide Dog club called to ask us if we were willing to help with a bit of "immersion therapy". It was fun to have a puppy in the house, but nice to not have him here while we bottled pears.

The Listmaker's Daughter

2011-10-12T19:45:00.002-07:00

I am a compulsive list maker. It has been a particularly listy time in my life since school started. My kids know if it doesn't get on the list it ain't gonna happen. Sometimes when they need me to do something for them they will look at the list for the day and suggest a swap. "Mom, If I sweep the kitchen will you come proofread my paper?" It is a pretty smart plan. Sometimes out of boredom they will randomly do jobs so that they can cross stuff off.

Hazel has started making lists. I think we are in trouble. Notice that the list of jobs for wednesday involves a pinata and invitations.

500 Post = Free Giveaway

2011-10-11T22:30:00.002-07:00

So I got myself all worked up about making sure that this 500th post was a momentous one. I don't think I have anything that huge to share but I have decided that I will, in celebration, give away one parenting secret. You will want to use this idea in a hurry because good ideas only work so many times and we already did it once, and we are going to do it again tomorrow. It is possible that this idea is only good for 2 uses.

THE BIG IDEA: ROUND ROBIN CLEANING

1. Think of 1 task for each number of kids you have. Include 1 fun task and the rest can be general chores. Number the list. (our list went like this: 1.dishes 2.practice instrument/piano 3.make a Halloween card 4.play with the dog 5.wash cupboard doors 6.bathroom 7.livingroom)

2. Make a master list for yourself. Post the tasks near the place where they are to be done.

3. Choose an amount of time that you would like the tasks to be done for. (we chose 8 minutes)

4. Assign each kid a starting station.

5. Set a timer and say "ready, set, go". (Hazel is only 6, so I worked with her as many of the jobs were more difficult for her) Everybody works at their task until the timer goes off. Then, rotate to the next station.

I had all my work done in less than an hour! More time to celebrate 500 posts!

P.S. tomorrow's list is: 1.fold laundry 2.play with the dog 3.bedroom 4.bookcase organizing 5.clean the van 6.sketch your jack-o-lantern plan 7.kitchen

(Update: Photos of the workers)

Weed Whacker strikes again and again and again and again and again and again

2011-10-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

Christian dropped the weed-whacker and caught it by the trigger. His leg got in the way.

Biker Boy

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Nate has recently upgraded from Truman's really old (purchased 6 years ago) bike to Truman's recently outgrown bike (only 3 years old). Nate is so excited to have such a cool bike. He practiced riding it around and around the yard and then we took it for it's maiden voyage (to a swimming party at our friend's house). The next day it had a flat tire. He asked me to fix it, I said I would. I kept forgetting and he started writing it on my to do list every day. Finally he got tired of waiting and took the wheel off. In pieces the bike moved up the list to the top and between the big boys and I he got enough help to fix the flat and put the new handgrips on. He took it for a spin around the block. Hazel was supervising and came in with out him. "Umm Mom? Nat wants you to come get him and he says you will need paper towels." "Is he bleeding?" "no. His chain did something." Truman kindly volunteered to go get him. He was only a few houses down. Truman explained that it is best to shift gently and smoothly so that your derailer doesn't just throw the chain off, and that it is not necessary to wipe the oil off the chain with paper towels. I guess Nate and Hazel had reasoned that the chain came off because it was greasy.

Haunted House

2011-10-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

It is really an early start to the holiday season in disguise. What will they think of next? A 4th of July Gingerbread Flag?

A Brief Respit

2011-10-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

Nate and Hazel unexpectedly took a 2 week hiatus from the incessant bickering that plagues my waking hours. (Don't worry they again took up the cause on Sunday) One of the activities they enjoyed together during the holiday was building towers and then photographing themselves and the structures. Here are some of their masterpieces.

I am interested in why the tower is built on a stool with the rubbermaid drawer upside down on it.

A word about Rebekah

2011-10-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Confident

This is a new word in relation to Rebekah. When she missed the school birthday deadline, we put her in an "early learner" kindergarden class (basically pre-K). At the end of the year the teacher said academically we should put her in 1st grade the next year. I looked at her, she was small and quiet and reserved even timid. We let her do real Kindergarden the next year and it was the right choice, she flourished. She is often quiet and often doesn't try new things because she isn't sure she will be good at it.

So here she is on the soccer field, she is fierce. I watch her and wonder at the new creature she has become.

Making Excuses

2011-10-02T22:07:00.001-07:00

Our new bookcases are not done and neither is the laundry, but our Lego Batman game is 28.8% complete.

Head to Toe

2011-10-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

I really love these pictures of Hazel's feet. Some day I will have to go back through my archives to find all the pictures of her feet. She takes these shots regularly...

Here she is watching a soccer game. Her life at 6 is so different from Christian's life at 6. I wonder which one will need therapy...

Joke of the day

2011-09-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

Hazel has started wearing her sweatshirt to school in the mornings!
The current temp (7AM) is 84.

I am Me!

2011-09-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

Today at church we had a presentation about the "I am a mormon"publicity campaign. We watched a few of the video clips about people who are members of the church. They are well done. We were encouraged to submit our own profile. It is an interesting opportunity to reflect on who I am and how that relates to what I believe and who I hope to become. I feel a little plain next to the cool video clips, well decorated homes, and well chosen music. I once submitted an essay to This I Believe. When I was writing it I felt empowered. When they sent me a letter saying that it was not chosen to "spotlight" I felt plain. I do sometimes wonder if I am leaving the world any better than I found it. I hope so. I did submit a profile, it takes a few weeks for it to go through the screening process. I wonder if it will just seem plain to people who read it. I once had a friend tell me that Mormons are too extreme. I have a hard time thinking that my plain life is extreme. I suppose that not drinking and smoking are not the norm. I freely admit that 7 kids is going a bit far for some people. I don't feel "cultish" or "weird". I feel confident and secure. On second thought, I do feel a bit extreme... Extremely blessed. Extremely Happy!

Da Bomb!

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

So I think the party was Da Bomb and so was the cake! It was a Pirate themed Murder Mystery Party with a cake that looked like a bomb complete with a lit fuse. The party was surprisingly easy to put on and the kids had a fun time. Sydney did the host job and really enjoyed it. Abby and Rebekah dressed up crazy and greeted the partiers out front. We served Rum in 3 flavors: Vanilla, Cherry, and Root. We just used IBC and Abby relabeled them. All these nice Mormon kids thought it was pretty funny to ask for more rum. The costumes were great. All in all there was much laughing and eating. My idea of success. I hope we do it again soon!

Forever Soccer

2011-09-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

This is the report on Abby's game 1 this season. This is not Abby it is Christian, but it was taken during Abby's game. I think he is a pretty handsome kid!

Kenneth was gone on a campout with the scouts. Abby and Nate's game were at the same time on adjacent fields. I watched 1/2 of Nate's game and then I watched 1/2 of Abby's game. It was nice to see that she is still playing with her usual fury. She did play keeper one quarter. She did score the one point her team made.

Game #1

2011-09-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Rebekah hasn't played soccer since Kindergarden. Saturday was her first game! She was A-Mazing. She happens to be the biggest on her team this year and so has many advantages. Her coach had her playing defense and she was doing really well. Fourth quarter the score was 8 to 2. The Ref came by and told our coach to do something about it. "What do you want me to do?" "I don't know, move your defense to offense." So Rebekah was moved forward. She scored the last point of the game by running through the pack of girls, bringing the ball out with her and kicking it right past the keeper. Way to go Rebekah!

Nate's 1st Soccer Game

2011-09-18T15:43:00.000-07:00

NATE's 1'st soccer game.

We had to split up. It was hard to keep the ball away from the other team.

I almost kept kicking the ball out of my teams grasp.

I almost kicked a goal.

It was the hardest game of my life.

The End.

The Great Unveiling

2011-09-18T14:10:00.001-07:00

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case I think that the immensity of my thoughts must be great (or perhaps the photos extraordinarily bad) because they are far greater than what an image can capture. Let me begin at the beginning. We have new marching band uniforms. I help on the uniform committee, and there has been different stress this year getting the band outfitted. I love getting to know the kids better and seeing them work so hard on their show. They change so dramatically over the season. Friday night was the "public debut" of the new uniforms. The band was just marching to the stadium as we were arriving, so we stood and watched. Truman came by with his sousa on his shoulder and I was surprised at how impressive they were in appearance as well as demeanor. Here is what the band director said, and I couldn't agree more. "while the audience was captivated by the new look, it was the commanding presence that each of you assumed in uniform that profoundly impressed me." The other component is the really grainy photo below. Christian is the one in the center of the picture. I was remembering his performances as a freshman, there was a hint of uncertainty. He was a little uncomfortable looking; in his uniform, in the stands, at his instrument and with the dancing and moving with the music. Two years later he is at home. He looks sharp in his uniform, he is the instigator of dancing, he is at one with his marimba.

So as I stood in the stands watching my little boys become men, I wanted to shout out: Those are my boys! Aren't they Amazing!

The Lioness

2011-09-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Abby had an awesome mane of hair today! It was "much more...muchier" after a day loose at school, but we forgot to photograph it then.

Sydney Soccer Stud

2011-09-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

Sydney is playing soccer this year again. It will most likely be her last year because soccer and Marching Band conflict. I love to watch my beautiful long legged girl run with her long braid swinging. She is so different from I was at this age. She is so confident and outgoing. She joins clubs and plays sports, she wears clothes without worrying about what everyone will think. I didn't actually see the game in the photos, I was at Nate's practice. Kenneth reported that she played the whole game and ran, and ran, and ran, and ran! I am so proud.

THE Ninja Arrives

2011-09-12T11:33:00.002-07:00

My new blender arrived. This morning there was some serious banana milkshake making going on. The Ninja blender didn't bat an eye at 8 bananas, fistfuls of ice and several large scoops of vanilla (with a fudge ribbon) ice cream. The entertainment level makes me rethink my netflix account!

This is Truman (below). He was not on the same side of the island as the other kids so I took his picture separately.

Is it still "sweet" 16 if you are a boy?

2011-09-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

We celebrated his birthday by going to the zoo without him. ( He had other plans) We went swimming and had his birthday dinner (Spicy chicken sandwiches, homemade fries, and corn on the cob). We had cake and opened presents, then he and Truman were off to a church dance. He reported that he had a fun time. The girls (who were at the dance with them) say that he danced with more girls than last time!

Christian requested mint chocolate chip icing on his chocolate cake. Kenneth said it couldn't be done. What better motivation. It was so perfect that Hazel was convinced that it was actually ice cream.

I finally finished the quilt that I started at Christmas. Charlotte and Kenneth helped me tie it on Friday. He liked it. Hooray!

Phoenix Zoo

2011-09-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo with Kenneth's sister and Brother-in-law and their family. It was Christian's birthday and I thought that would be much fun. However, his busy schedule wouldn't allow it. Christian and Truman had a leadership conference at the high school.

Abby in front of the African Savanna.

Rebekah and the komodo dragon.

Hazel at the elephant enclosure.

And Nate, also elephant.

Addison looking out a faux tree, with a real cracker.

Sydney and the spider monkeys.

Madam Secretary

2011-09-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Abby and her friends decided to run for student council, but they didn't want to run against each other so they all chose different offices. Abby decided to run for secretary. She had a great speech and an awesome poster. The day after the election she called me from school and reported that she didn't win. Sadly disappointed. When she got home I remembered to ask about the friends, no one of them got elected. Resilient as ever "It's ok mom. We started a club called 'people who didn't win'." Now they all have to run against each other for class representative...

Blender Burn Up

2011-09-04T22:45:00.003-07:00

Situation #1. I have a personal problem with bananas. Sunday mornings when there are bananas in the house, Kenneth and the kids make banana milkshakes. I can see why people would like them, but I can't eat them. YUCK!

Situation #2. I have a personal problem with blenders. I burn them up faster than normal people.

Situation #3. I am frustrated enough by situation 2 that last July (2010) when I burned up another, I researched a good blender. Cooks Illustrated called it their best buy blender. I bought one and smelled ozone 2 months later. I called them and they said it was covered by a 1 year warrantee. All I had to do was ship it to them and they would repair it or send me another one. The shipping was almost half the price of the blender. I got a new one in the mail from them 2 months later.

Situation #4. Banana milkshakes Aug 21st got the better of the blender just 2 months after the warrantee was up.

Situation #5. I am at costco and see a manly looking Cuisinart blender (we [I say "we" now because it wasn't me this time] haven't burned up this brand yet). It has bigger jar and 700 Watts of power and a smoothie setting. I make an observation to Kenneth that it is sad to have no blender and the one at Costco looks promising.

Situation #6. It was my birthday and I was lucky to receive a cool Cuisinart blender, but the one in my lap is only 600 Watts.

Solution #1. The next day I sneak out to exchange the blender. The very manly blender I desire is not there! I knew better. Every time I see something at Costco that I really want and don't buy, it isn't there when I go back. The nice guy checks in the computer and it doesn't exist. I tell him my story and he looks again and discovers that it is only available online. "maybe someone bought it online and then didn't like it and returned it to the store so we only had the one to sell. sorry..."

Solution #2. I come home and find the 7oo Watt at Costco.com , darn it was more expensive than the one at the store. I looked it up on Amazon.com and it was the same price but with no tax. I checked for other deals while I was at it and found the "Ninja" blender. There it was refurbished, in my price range and with 1000 Watts power.

Now: I checked the tracking number and it left New Jersey Friday. I am anxious to see a demonstration of its 6 blade ninja technology. Perhaps I will buy some bananas...

The Name Game

2011-08-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

Legos are "IN", again.

For a long time the legos were in use daily. Then the boys got busy and the legos were forgotten in their room somewhere. A few months ago we moved the bin to Nate's room. He was having a hard time keeping them in a useable mess, so we got 2 sets of Rubbermaid drawers and the legos were sorted. The idea was that if they were sorted the drawers wouldn't have to be dumped on the floor. Mostly what happened was that the legos were dumped, the drawers were left out, Nate's room was a really big mess, and no one was really playing with the legos. I removed the legos to the living room. I believe that the best description of the new lego status can only be described as MANIA. All day. Everyday. Everybody.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-08-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

I think I might be grown up.

I baked my own cake this year. (Not because no one loves me, because the kids made me dinner in restaurant style the night before. Then I slept in on my birthday and woke to find hot waffles ready. Then Kenneth made me dinner after church. It was curry, yum!)

I called my parents, instead of them calling me. (Not because I thought that they had forgotten me but because it was a good time for me to talk, and I was so grateful that they had me and raised me. I thought maybe I should tell them so.)

I am old enough that I don't get all the candles. (Kenneth made the candles binary to reflect my age.)

Yummy, chocolate and peanut butter in an ice cream. I think that my all time favorite ice cream (meaning the one that I can remember eating) was at Baskin and Robbins it was dark chocolate with peanut butter swirl. My second favorite was a dove icecream bar that had pomegranate ice cream in a dark chocolate coating. And 3rd favorite was a good quality orange sherbet with good quality chocolate bits in it.

Hugs from the "little kids" and a popcorn popper.

Hugs from the "big kids" and a new blender (they owed me see the post about blender burn up).

The Tooth Fairy Strikes Hard

2011-08-24T21:10:00.002-07:00

Hazel has been wiggling teeth since she was 3. She has been insisting that the teeth are so loose that Kenneth should pull them since she was 4. She has spent nearly all of her 5th year unfulfilled. Until today!

Hazel, Nate and Lili (our friend from across the street) were out back "swimming" in the wading pool. I hear screaming and I see blood as Hazel slides in to the kitchen with water pouring off her. She is babbling and crying as she gets a wad of tissues and stuffs her mouth full. Fully hysterical, she crys and dances. I wrap her in a towel and sit her on a stool. "What happened, are you hurt?" She nods. "Did you fall in the pool?" negative. "Did you loose a tooth?" She pulls all the bloody tissues from her mouth and wails "Ohh, Gross! That is disgusting!"
"Hazel, you lost a tooth"
"I know! Gross!"
"How did it happen?"
"Alls I did was bite a tennis ball"
"Were you playing Puppy?" (A common occurrence)
"No"
"What were you doing?"
"Biting a tennis ball"
"Why?"
"I lost my tooth!"
"Hmm. Hey where is the tooth? Did you swallow it?"
"Gross, NO! It's in here, you find it" and she hands me the slobbery bloody wad of tissue to look through.
Now it is my turn to say gross! At least she has stopped crying, and her mind has cleared. She puts the tiny tooth in a baggie under her pillow and checks every 10 minutes to see if the tooth fairy has come yet!

First day of school 2011

2011-08-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

I am walking the Elementary school kids out the door and I see the boys on the couch. This was a big contrast to Nate and Hazel who were up and dressed at 6AM.

Notice the neon green socks...

Rebekah's rubberband art hair.

Hazel a bit embarrassed at the requirement that she wear the tag around her neck stating which bus she rides.

4 kids off.

Sydney on her way out the door full of confidence and spunk.

And wearing great socks!

Christian is looking really tall these days don't you think?

And Truman. A bit apprehensive about his first day at high school. Luckily he has 3 band classes in his schedule.

Ready for another school year

2011-08-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hazel and her friend folded all her new underwear today. She told me that there is no way that she could go back to school with "messy unders".

Nate and Rebekah have each made 4 batches of strawberry freezer jam. (see photo below)

We have an appointment Monday to make our traditional multi-colored bread for first day of school sandwiches.

And most importantly: The deep freezer is nearly full of baggies of cookies. For the last 2 weeks, someone has made at least 1 batch of cookies each day. Everyone gets to try one or two and then all the cookies go into the freezer for school lunches.

We are ready for school!

Ode to Motherhood

2011-08-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

Truman made this pan of shortbread.

Abby Mowed the Lawn

"heart"

Christian

2011-08-03T21:29:00.002-07:00

Which is my best side?

Olympia, Washington

2011-07-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

After the reunion we went to my parent's house. Kenneth and my mom took the kids and did fun stuff while my dad and I worked furiously on the stained glass for the doors to their great room. We almost finished one. (maybe if we hadn't had to sleep and eat we could have finished it).

These are photos at the Pt. Defiance zoo.

Sydney celebrated her birthday.

More tall socks.

Ice-cream cake!

A word about Sheep

2011-07-31T22:23:00.000-07:00

I used to think that sheep were beautiful, gentle, innocent creatures. Something for aiding in blissful dreaming. Umm, not so much anymore.

There were two herds near our campground in Idaho. They were smelly and dirty and NOISEY. I thought that sheep said "Baa Baa". It is more like "Blahhtt", and the tongue is extended. It is NOT a lovely noise!

Here are the pictures we took while waiting for the sheep to cross the road.

The little white car just started plowing through. I was impressed with their boldness.

The sheep did get moving.

The white car was being driven by Kami (my sis-in-law)!

Cascade Lake State Park - Cornwall Reunion

2011-07-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

We had a Awesome time reunioning with my family in Idaho. I was really bad this trip at taking pictures. My Dad's camera was always out so I know that there are lots of good pictures out there. Here are the pictures I have.

Nice flower!

Silly Rebekah

I love to watch my big boys with little children. They are so patient and genuinely interested in them. It makes me a proud mama.

Mackenzie and Hazel had such a great time together. I wish we were a little closer.

Nice Shades boys.

Kenneth decorated by his girls.

Here are Kenneth and Truman on the bridge that they dared each other to jump off of and then didn't!

How do you ride your horse?

2011-07-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

So, I know very little about horses. I do believe that Abby's horseback riding lessons are not cowboy style. When we were at Charlotte and Jeremy's their horses did not respond well to the method Abby has been taught (and there were no helmets). The kids rode horses in Utah the next week and these horses were also not interested in being "proper". I have concluded that the riding lesson horses are British and the other horses are American cowboy variety.

Page AZ, Take 2

2011-07-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

We went back to Page a couple weeks later, as the first stop on our summer road trip. Charlotte and Jeremy were great hosts. They cooked us some really great food, we played Settlers of Catan, and we visited the horses. It was a fun visit.

Our kids had a good time getting to know Addison better.

Everyone wanted to hold Zach.

Hazel wanted to hold Addison.

The boys unloaded some hay.

The girls sat on it.

Christian didn't want to ride the horse but he did want to have his photo taken on the horse. Once he was on we sent him on his way. He did enjoy it (a little).

The kids had fun brushing Dandy.

I found the pictures from Paul and Julie's Visit. (lots of 'em)

2011-07-31T21:39:00.001-07:00

Riparian Preserve

Pirate day.

Page Arizona... The new Sodom and Gomorrah?

2011-07-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

We went to Page for Zach's baby blessing in June. As we approached town, I was trying to find Charlotte and Jeremy's church building on our GPS. I couldn't find it. I tried every thing I could think of. Finally, I searched for all "places of worship". There is not a single church, mosque, synagogue, or temple listed in Page. We had to rely on Kenneth's memory (which is good when it comes to finding places) and we arrived on time for the meeting. I was relieved to see (when we drove past 10 "places of worship) Page is not without righteous people.

Hello Laurel

2011-07-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!
Sometimes I wonder who my audience is (or if there is one).
Last week I got a phone call. "Hi Megan, How are you? Um, you haven't posted on your blog for a while." Thanks, for the reminder. :) I am glad to know you care!

Entrada

2011-07-31T18:06:00.000-07:00

Christian and Truman spent a week at a scout camp in Moab, called Entrada. The rode the river, mountain biked, rappelled, hiked the Fiery Furnace (with Grandpa Welling as their "guide"), and did all manner of manly activities.

Paul and Julie and Kids visit and I take no photos?

2011-07-31T17:12:00.001-07:00

"Last week Paul and his family came to visit - they made really good time, faster than they expected, and got here a day early. That made me feel justified in Sydney’s decision to stay home from her church youth activity, and I was anything but unhappy to have an excuse to stay home from work for another day. We went swimming with them at least once a day, and on Saturday we went to a city pool that had waterslides. We generally flocked to the waterslides, probably because the Dobson pools we frequent don’t have waterslides. At one point I realized that I was the ninth person in line for the slide, and that all of the people in front of me were very closely related. One of the slides was a short drop, shaped like a tilde (~) at a 45 degree angle. It made the suggestion of starting a spin, so I worked at doing a back flip as I exited. I got the boys into the act as well, and I don’t think we ever got better than going into the water upside down, but it made some glorious splashes.

We played games, exposed them to Rock Band and Dance Dance Revolution, went to the Riparian habitat, drove all over south Scottsdale looking for the Arizona History museum, and had a couple of huge lego-fests. I think that legos were the only activity that could successfully take on video games. We had a great time with the cousins, and it was nice to see them playing together. Friday we had Pirate day. I was happy to be able to be a part of it. We made captain’s hats from newspaper, balloon swords, had a pirate dinner with (root) beer in bottles and drumsticks. Paul and I made up a fabulous treasure hunt that took the kids all over the yard, and included 4 activities as well. We had the kids dance a jig to the fife (Abby’s flute), eat a piece of hard tack (a giant cracker, aka Nutrition biscuit from LeeLee’s) and whistle, and play a few rounds of hot potato with an electronic cannonball that made an exploding noise. I liked the cannonball because although the total time from Power On to Termination varied, I quickly figured out a pattern so that I could predict the detonation with sufficiently high accuracy. "

Snug Leaves Us

2011-06-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we said goodbye to our puppy. She left for San Rafael in the famous puppy truck. Here are the kids beside the truck.

Here is Snug feeling humiliated by the graduation cape.

One last goodbye with Nate.

Abby and Snug and no cape, but you can see our trademark ribbons. When we send our puppies back to Guide Dogs for the Blind, the kids tie a piece of ribbon on her collar. A little token of our love!

Dolls in the Kitchen

2011-06-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Not having had sisters, sometimes I just have to laugh at the goings on. American Girl doll cooking class. The dolls made doll size sugar cookies. The only problem was that none of the dolls heard the timer and all the cookies were a little overdone. Frosting covers a multitude of sins.

\\\\\\\\

Horseback Babe

2011-06-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, Abby started saving money for a horse camp at the zoo. I told her I would pay half if she saved up for her half. She started saving but it was discouragingly slow. Then, I found a deal and she had more than enough for her half. She started her five 1/2 hour horseback riding lessons last week. She did great!

Labs are good swimmers

2011-06-07T06:09:00.000-07:00

Our Wendy House

2011-06-05T18:23:00.001-07:00

My Mom came for Nate's Baptism and we had a fun project to work on. We sewed the girls' Easter dresses. I think that doing projects together is the best way to visit. You talk and cooperate and solve problems. It was so much fun to have a project that we planned a project fro my dad's visit. We built a playhouse (I read a book that was based in Ireland and they called it a wendy house. We liked the imagery and so it is called our wendy house.) Nate wins the prize for enthusiasm! He just wouldn't get tired. All the kids helped as much as they were able, and even learned some new skills. Next time I need my roof redone I can just send Christian and Truman up to do it! The girls did all the painting. It is done except for a few finishing touches.

My contribution to the Great Purge

2011-06-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

We have/had a eucalyptus tree and it has never looked very far from death. Kenneth and I agree that it needed cutting down. So I solicited some help from some "guys" from church and they came over and cut it down (mostly). It took us 6 barrels to bet it all cleaned up!

This branch collided with one of the swing set posts. The pole cut a cute little bark cookie out of it. (above with the cookie out and below with the cookie replaced)

We were nervous that the garbage truck would not be happy about how much wood was in these barrels. She did write something down...

The Great Purge

2011-06-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the last day of school. Friday was The Great Purge.

We talked about how Deseret Industries (the DI) is a great charity, and the value of helping others. So with that said, each room had a garbage bag, a basket for things that did not belong in that room and a big box for the DI. The Great Purge lasted all day, we did take a break late in the afternoon to go buy ourselves a candybar (for energy), and to drop off our stuff at the DI. We loaded the back of the van, and when we ran out of room we put two big boxes in the side. We also donated (inadvertently) a HUGE Black Widow spider, which the guy unloading the stuff promptly squashed (ingrate). We also wheeled our Blue (recycle) barrel into the hall, and managed to fill it to the top. I believe we all slept better, knowing our closets were clean!

This is the super cool fiberoptic fairy wand that the girls donated.

Here is the screen shot: Truman caught in the act of not purging...

Hazel in the midst of the mess.

Christian and Truman and the closet of doom.

Sydney sorting music.

Truman refueling on M&Ms.

Christian caught not working!

Cousin It came for a brief visit.

The purge even included emptying the backpacks. It is good to be sure that no lunches are left over the summer.

Is Abby recyclable?

Trouble with Trophies

2011-05-29T22:15:00.000-07:00

I have a personal problem with our sports programs' (like AYSO) policy on trophies. I understand what they are trying to do. I think it is a great idea to build self esteem and help the kids gain confidence. I think that there are many ways to do that. I like to think that the hard work and seeing personal improvement would have the desired effect. I worry that rewarding the kids too greatly for just showing up, in the long run short changes the rewards that they really had to work for.

This last month of school had brought many trophies and certificates and even a scholarship into our house. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that kids can discern for themselves whether or not they did something worth rewarding.

Some of the things that I was proud to watch in my children's lives this year have been:

Christian took a math class from a "killer" of a teacher. He learned a lot of math, but even more importantly he learned much more about himself, and life.

Truman learned to juggle, as in finding balance in life. He joined clubs and extra activities, played sports, became social and managed to pull it all off!

Sydney discovered the drama of junior high girls and secured herself a nice group of drama-free (mostly) friends. She won't go wrong when the friends get together over spring break to go to the temple together. She has also blossomed as a patient and generous older sister.

Abigail overcame her alter-ego (Anti-Practice girl). She started practicing her flute with determination and discovered a passion and a talent. Abby has also stepped up to be my jogging buddy (everyone else is too fast for me, actually Abby is probably faster than me but is kind enough to humor me) and we are really enjoying the time together.

Rebekah let passion overcome caution, which is huge for her. She is head over heels for her french horn. Ever a good practicer, she has started taking lessons and is exceeding all expectations. Her french horn lessons are at the high school and I am amazed with her new level of confidence. She walks through the band room full of high school students and knows that she is their equal.

Nate is not finding literature to be one of his strengths. He has worked really really hard and has kept a positive attitude. He is convinced that he loves to read, even if he isn't fast and it is hard work.

Hazel has learned to ride a bike and is quite proud of this symbol of her independence. She breezed through kindergarten and is worried that first grade might be hard. She also restrained herself from cutting her own hair this year (a milestone).

Here are a couple of photos from the awards ceremony at the junior high. I think Snug is my favorite part of the pictures. The assemblies happened on a Thursday, which is Truman's day to have the dog at school with him. He knew I was in the audience and so I figured he would bring her to me if he didn't want her. I saw on the program that the jazz band was going to be playing. I was enjoying the festivities and then it was time for the Jazz Band to play. The curtain opened and there on the stage in front of the band sitting calmly was Snug. There are risers in front of her. You can see her in the middle picture if you look carefully.

Abby Band Concert

2011-05-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

Abby was invited to join the 6th grade band after Christmas. Here are some pictures from the concert. I had a good laugh at all the girls dressed to the nines in their tiny dresses and sitting like cowboys. Hazel took the bottom picture and I am not sure how the stands keep themselves from sliding off the floor.

Girl's Camping

2011-05-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Kenneth and the boys went on the Father and Sons campout. You know what they say "When the Cat's away, the mice play. The night before we all went our separate ways Kenneth confessed that our plans sounded like more fun and he would rather come with us. We politely told him that men were not invited. He was a little hurt. We did have a great time, and I think they had a good enough time. We also took out friend Natalie with us. She was a great addition (especially the princess cards we palyed with in the evening!)

On the way to the place we were going to camp we stopped at Roosevelt Dam to go to the bathroom and walk around a little bit.

When we first got there Abby took some pictures on the sunset.

She also took pictures of Hazel in the sunset.

In the morning before we ate breakfast and took down the tent they waded a little bit.

For breakfast we had Costco muffins, Ro-gurt, eggs and juice.

Hazel dipping her hair in the water.

Finally they got to go swimming in the lake.

There was some weird mud that Abby covered her hands with.

They brought back some mud for Natalie and I to feel.

Hazel got tired pretty quickly.

Rebekah and Sydney made a sand castle. Aren't Rebekah's toes cute?

The girls covered our feet in mud.

There was some tall grass that the girls had fun going through like it was a maze with no path to follow.

They are starting to come out with Abby in the lead making a easier path for them to follow.

Hazel takes some weird pictures sometimes. I like the Mango residue!

Little Boys in Big Bodies

2011-05-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

The other day, Christian and Truman stayed up after the other kids went to bed. They were busy playing blocks and couldn't tear themselves away. They kept calling me in to look at their progress and then when they ran out of blocks they wanted to borrow the camera to take a picture of it before they knocked it down, because it was so incredibly awesome... This is an interesting contrast to all the talk about Marching Band, driver's permits and starting high school next year. I sometimes forget that even though they are taller than me they are still my little boys.

Faux Hostess

2011-05-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Christian and Truman spent the afternoon making Faux Hostess cupcakes. I thought they were delicious, and knowing that each cupcake was 400 calories helped me to limit myself to one.

In-n-Out & Up-n-Down

2011-05-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

After the Pinewood Derby (umm, a couple weeks ago) we picked up some burgers and fries at In-N-Out burger and headed to a park that has really tall swings. We had a lovely afternoon playing in the sun. (Kenneth even pulled some weeds at the park to satisfy his need to do something productive.)

Rebekah's Diorama

2011-05-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Rebekah had to do a book report on The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Here is a little tour of her diorama she made.

Here is the outside of the box, showing the room with the closed wardrobe (and a chair and desk)

Here is a picture with the wardrobe doors open, and a view of the little coats hanging inside.

Once you push the coats aside, you can see Lucy and Mr. Tumnus at the Lamp Post.

At the back of the diorama, the White Witch and Edmund ride on furs in a sled driven by a dwarf (wearing a hawaiian shirt).

Off to the Races

2011-05-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the Pinewood Derby. Nate's car is the red and silver one in the photo below. He worked really hard on it and enjoyed every minute of it. He didn't win but he felt happy about the experience.

Truman's is the blue car with the orange wheels. Why did Truman get to race? Well he was the builder of the "cub car". His goal was to build a hot looking car that looses. That way one of the actual contestants get to win at least one race. Truman was a little disappointed that he won one race (the boy's car didn't even make it down the track. I guess he painted his car with the wheels on, and they didn't spin.)

This awesome purple car is mine. There was some open track time when the boys could race their cars against their leaders. I worked moderately hard on the car. But My kids had to race it for me because the open track time was the filler event for the person making awards, which was me this time...

Flying Dogs

2011-05-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Abigail's class took a field trip to the Lowell Flight Center, Snug and I got to go too! The kids had studied and prepared ahead of time. They learned the basics about planes and flight. At the flight center they did several stations stations. The runway station was experiments that had to do with different forces and how they apply to flight. There was an area where they got to use night vision goggles. They got to use a computer flight simulator. They also got to operate the airplane simulator and a helicopter simulator. Snug tried out the airplane. They also practiced with a partner in the basic simulators on the floor. It was really fun.

Sisters

2011-04-26T21:19:00.001-07:00

It is a fascinating thing, sisters. I only had brothers and was quite content. I will admit that there are times that I watch my daughters and feel a tiny spark of envy at the fun they have together.

Hunting High and Low

2011-04-25T01:15:00.012-07:00

Truman looking with his studly new shades on!

Christian got distracted from the eggs by the paint on my pinewood derby car.

Nate's hoard.

Kenneth found the golden egg. It was in the pocket of Christian's swim trunks, drying on the clothes line. He decided to leave it there for one of the kids to find. Christian ultimately found it and was kind enough to share some of the extra prize with Kenneth.

Kenneth got distracted and pulled weeds for a few minutes and then couldn't figure out why Nate had more eggs than Kenneth.

Snug was really good about not giving away the location of the eggs.

Easter Saturday 2011

2011-04-25T01:06:00.000-07:00

We have over the years shifted our Bunny type activities to Saturday in order to free Sunday from the sugar rush, and to hopefully allow more time for Spiritual thought and renewal.

Here a few of our pictures.

We had cracked wheat cereal to hopefully ingest something with nutritional value before the gluttony began. Hazel expressed her feelings on the subject with some unmistakable body language.

Rebekah expressed hers by consuming her cereal microscopically slow. So slow in fact that we finally let the kids go get their baskets and bring them to the table while Rebekah continued to eat.

Here are the power poses as the egg hunters enter the arena!

Nate's Baptism

2011-04-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

April 9th Nate was baptized. As with most things in his life, he had some definite opinions about how things should be done. My first inkling that this would be different was: One Sunday after sacrament meeting Nate went up to talk to the bishop. He often does this kind of thing (he calls it "doing my rounds"), visiting with people. He came back after talking for a few minutes and said "So I was talking to the bishop about getting myself interviewed for baptism. He says he might be available right after church, can you wait for me a few minutes? As we were planning the program he said "I have pretty much heard all the Grandparent talks at the other kids' baptisms. Do I have to choose Grandparents?" I told him that it was his baptism and he could choose anyone he liked. He chose Natalie (our family is the unofficial Natalie fan club). I can see why, Natalie is 16, cute, musical, intelligent, laughs easily, and always has kind things to say about everyone she knows. The most important quality in Nate's opinion is that she has time to talk to an 8 year old boy.

Nate was also funny about the refreshments. He was truly hoping for CTR (choose the right) cookies. I could not find a shield shaped cookie cutter anywhere so I finally bent a heart into the right shape. We made green petit four icing that we poured over them. Then the girls helped me pipe CTR on them all. They turned out cute and tasty. I forgot my camera and so the only pictures we have are the ones Kenneth's parents (thank you!) took. You can see one corner of the CTR cookie Nate is eating in the picture below.

The other thing that was really Nate style was that the church clothes he brought to change into, were the ones he grew out of 3 months ago, and he forgot his tie.

He was also hysterical the Sunday that they recognized him in sacrament meeting. We teased Truman about looking sour the last time the bishop brought him up on the stand to recognize him for something. So Nate tried not to look sour, and that caused him to grin wickedly and then raise his eyebrows when he made eye contact with someone in the congregation. They gave him his baptism certificate to hold and let him sit on the stand by the bishop. Nate got bored and spent the rest of the meeting licking his fingers and "writing" on the back of the baptism certificate with his wet fingers. Luckily none of the sogginess actually tore the paper, but it is warped. Ahh well, such is life with Nate!

Nate with our friends (and next door neighbors) Bill and Adelaide

Kenneth and Nate after the Baptism

Nate and Bishop Clement

Nate, Natalie, and Hazel

A heap of Wellings

Marimba update

2011-04-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

The Marimba is still coming along. Kenneth's new work schedule (He doesn't have every other Friday off.) has really really slowed production. Here are the keys on the finished trapezoid. Next, the ends of the frame and drilling holes for the key supports.