Oh My Heaven! Nearly Seven!

Despite the fact that she already acts like she's 17 (she just went to bed crying after we spent the last 2.5 hours arguing about not arguing. Yes, I'm 32 years old), she's just about 7. Monday in fact, is the big day. Her dirtday (no type-o, that is how she's always said it).

She asked for a new mom this week. She just told me that she wanted me to act like I wanted to be her daughter (you know what she means). The fact that she's adopted may make me slightly more sensitive, but at least Sarah's son (biologically), packed his bags and headed last year too.

She's a great "little mama", she is very loving (generally speaking), and she's a magnificent artist. She has a flair for drama and an eye for decorating. She is everybody's friend.

She's the best 6.95 year old fancy dancer I've ever known. She is a self-taught biker and a movie buff.

Well little mama,

Happy Dirtday!

I love you and want to be your daughter, and will in fact, be for eternity :)

Finger Lickin' Good!

North Carolina has a famous strawberry season. We visited a farm an picked somewhere near 10 gallons of strawberries in a 10 x 3 ft. area.

My kids were overwhelmed and in the first 30 minutes Liv had 5 berries, Isaac had his bucket at one end of the row and was walking back towards us at the other end with one strawberry in his hand, and Georgia was just eating. With moi taking pictures, Naali (grandma) was the only one with a bucket of strawberries. We eventually buckled down, however.

Better Late...

I vowed to take Mae's 1st Birthday pictures in a tutu and I finally did today. Grandma would kill me if she knew I had possession of these and did not share them.

Notice the perfect curlyQ of her bellybutton :) Is there no end to the perfection of my children?

A Man Named Pearl

Just 1.2 hours south/southwest of my m-i-l's house is Bishopville, South Carolina. There, at #165 so-and-so street lives Mr. Pearl Fryer, his wife, and his garden. We stopped at the Chamber of Commerce and asked where we could find said garden. When he moved into town some folks didn't want him to buy a home in their neighborhood (shame on you), because they didn't think he'd keep up his yard.

Well, in an effort to win the Yard of the Month award he's created this...(mostly with cast-0ffs from a local nursery)

My kids thought they were in Wonderland.

You may have heard of Pearl.

It was a little strange to walk right by this gentleman's home to stroll his gardens, but it's neat to see how one person can affect the world by staying put.

My Thoughts Exactly!

This is what I was telling myself when I missed another appointment with the teacher who is over Isaac's k-12 program.

Never underestimate the ability of a child to learn anywhere doing anything! (even watching his mom get embarassed and cleaning the house around the cable guy).

The Great Flood

You were all invited over for virgin daquiris and a frolic. But...

You all missed it.

Today I did something very unusual. I prepped. Properly.

I swept and thoroughly cleared a slab and layed a pad.

For a blue pool. 10'x30".

Fixed the hole that Chloe gnawed this morning with a tire repair kit.

Filled it (for 2 hours) with 3 babies nagging, "Can we put our swimsuits on?"

Just as I was about to affirm their desire.

Woosh! The seam split.

Downtown Springville upon the splitting of the seam.

Transformations

Before

After

Before After

Before

After That...

And Finally,

And very last of all...

Ode to the Waffle House

Waffle House. Yellow sign, food divine.

The pecan filled goodness you supply

carries the hoards through their day

which could start at 8, or 1:30, you don't

judge

Seat yourself. No pretensions

forget your cloth napkins or paper menus

plastic menus

plastic cheese

oily goodness

I like the bar. I sit afront the steamy dishwasher

"scattered, chunked" only slower, sweeter

by a happy girl

Made to order over the counter.

Joe told me about his 9 year old (of 5)

looked smaller than Isaac

could have adhd

as he filled my Coke and

told Isaac he had to take care of

our bill

I once saw a cockroach at a Raleigh location

I forgive you it's been a few years.

Chuck had a fly in his sweet tea

gave it to him free.

Waffle House. My kids read your sign

and cheer

Waffle House a feast under

$30 for a family of 6

The Bad, The Ugly, And The Good

Friends! It's been a while! Feel like I dropped off the face of the earth! It felt like I was toward the edge there. No internet where we were, back in the boonies with some goats and attack shetlands.

The Bad

I'm going to have to bite my tongue. Altough it would feel great for me to lay it all out there in one post, I'll give it to you easy.

The Ugly

So, we drive to N.C. No problems unless you count the time we paused in Kansas because Mae started to cry. Jason had the biggest fit I've seen in our history. Why didn't I fly. He told me this was going to be terrible. She's miserable. It was all my fault.

The Good

Hmph. I don't know Jason. It's 6 a.m. and we've been driving 12 hours without a break. Do you think we could pull over once evey 12 and see how it goes from there? 3 minutes later the princess was asleep.

We dropped into the BoBo Drive-in in Topeka, KS. I LOVE Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on Food Network, so Grandma had to look up a location in every state we passed through. This ended up being the only one on our route (at a reasonable time). Holy dive! The food was awesome. I have pics on my point and shoot which I left in N.C. you'll have to wait.

On the way home we saw the 1st American built helicopter (a replica and what was left after the 1st attempt at flying it), and a giant replica VanGogh....I know. Ask someone in Goodland, KS.

Got my nails did. Just like the chicks in Robeson County. You know, "When in Rome!" I looked hot! (except for the bags under my eyes. After wedding prep I could have been listed in "The Ugly")

In Concert, One Night onLY!

This is dedicated to the one I love...

count baby count!

(one, two, fwee, fo)



This is what makes it all worthwhile.

When I called to sweet talk Jason after telling him we needed x amount for the first week in order to buy books, pay teachers, etc. he says, "Bran. I figured this out. That's about $1500/year on piano lessons." I thought, "What in the world is he talking about and how did he arrive at that figure?" Turns out he thought they were $30 a week. He was still completely willing to pay for them (both of us would love to know how to play an instrument (other than a powwow drum or a kazoo).

More from Cali

I've been trying to think of some more stories about Ft. Ord that I want to include in a personal history, but what I remember are bits and pieces so I'll toss them around here...

I went to a friend's house for a sleepover. I didn't know her very well, but her family was great. Tons of kids. We sat down to eat dinner around a picnic style table and a bowl of soup was placed before me. I have never been a picky eater, so I started right in. I was thoroughly enjoying the meal when I asked what kind of soup we were eating. Her dad informed me it was rabbit stew. One of the children informed me that dear-old-dad had shot it yesterday. I swear I pulled a pellet out of my mouth during dinner, but the mind can play tricks on you (especially one aging like mine). After dinner we spun on the tire swing again and again. The following morning I puked again and again. Cause undetermined.

There was a park down the hill from our house that was situated in a "bowl". I LOVED rollerskating and chipped two teeth in at the bottom of this bowl. Good times :)

My best friend lived in the same duplex we lived in. She was black, her name Jewell Dunlap. Every other Saturday she'd have to spend half the day inside while I paced, to have her hair washed and braided. Those Saturdays were the longest of my life. She and I would put on talent shows incessantly. We'd deliver invitations to the neighbors who'd show up during dinner and we'd jam to Wham!, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston.

My mom threw a baby shower for our tiny,enormously pregnant, Filipino neighbor, whose water broke during the shower. My mom finally discovered what she thought was a bladder control issue and proceeded with her to the hospital to coach her through delivery since her husband was overseas.

I'll NEVER forget the day I discovered my third grade teacher, Ms. Cornell was a smoker. I was so disappointed in her. :(

I had an enormous ?cloth? poster of Michael Jackson in a white and yellow suit hanging above my bed and a Burger King poster of the Jackson 5 on another wall.

I played "Lucy" in a Charlie Brown play in 3rd grade. I had to dig deep to get into a an annoying, loud-mouthed, boy-crushing girl like "Lucy".

Tooth Fairy

Having just watched last week's Office episode (classic, by the way), I just walked upstairs to put the temperamental toddler to bed. I found our sickly 6 year-old on the couch, most likely fleeing the annoyance of Georgia, and right next to her I found Georgia.

No biggie. We have an open relationship with the surfaces in our house that accomodate a body for rest. However, said six-year-old is hiding her tooth (which the Tooth Fairy didn't replace last night), under her throw pillow, in a tin. I was going to delegate this one to The Chief, but I'll step up (with a cloth to dull the "tink, tink, tink" of the tooth), and handle this.

Visit

The first-born baby Dial. She and Naali (Navajo for paternal grandmother), are here for a visit. We enjoy them sooooo much.



Naali-

Encourages frequent Temple trips

Bakes like a champ

Folds the clothes everyday in my neverending laundry basket

Is diabetic (so we eat healthily when she's here)

Doesn't say anything when I wake up and my kids are already sitting at the table eating a hot breakfast

Put together the rest (140/150) of my sister-in-law's wedding announcements

Is wise in every way and leaves me better than she found me



Non-

Knows everything an eight year old should know and tells Liv so she'll be ready

Carries Mae around while I clean the house

Will not sleep without Grandma beside her

Was the only excited person in Utah when it snowed today

Easter Babes

The Easter Bunny made it to our humble home (Georgia's shades have not left her freckled face since), we had our City Easter Egg Hunt (still have some eggs from the one I forgot to have at home :), made Easter Cookies (see previous post), and cooked until the wee hours on Saturday. I think next Easter we'll have spagetti. We had our spiritual egg hunt just before bed.

Sunday we arose (still cooking), and checked the oven for our Easter Cookies. Sure enough, they were as hollow as the tomb (and mmm,mmm, good). Then, we got on our new digs. I have nothing to do with outer beauty in these babes, but I'll do all I can to exploit it on Easter. They were so adorable! I have purely selfish reasons for getting gussied up on Easter. Next year I'll explain this because it's a much better reason for it all. I'm a schmuck.

Sweeet Baby Mae. She learned to say "hi" on Saturday and said it the entire 3 hour block. Jason and I looked HOT too! We had a beautiful Easter Sunday, focused on the Savior and his resurrection, surrounded by our family and friends. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have that He lives and loves us all. I am grateful that my children can learn of the hope and peace they will have in their lives if they place their trust in the Savior.

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good:

New Easter Traditions. You can't pry me from my Easter best dresses and ties, this is what I got the kids this year...

(Not pictured is Isaac's black and white checked tie from Children's place that matches Mae's dress [on the right]... which I hope is still avail. because I haven't gotten it yet and I am still in search of a little black sweater to go over Liv's dress.)

At Ms. Valerie's house this Wednesday we got lots of fun ideas for celebrating Easter. My favorite, which we will start Saturday is this:

Easter Cookies

1 c whole pecans

1 tsp vinegar

2 egg whites

pinch of salt

1 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

wooden spoon

masking tape

bible

ziploc baggie

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (this is important- don't wait until you're halfway done with the recipe).

Read John 19:1-3

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with a spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. [set aside the nuts to add later].

Read John 19:28-30

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross this is what was given to him to drink. *[Add the egg whites to the vinegar.] Eggs represent life. The resurrection will give us new life.

Read John 20:11

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read John 3:16-17 & John 15:12-13

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 cup sugar. Explain the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us and died for our sins. He wants us to know and belong to him.

Read John 19:40

Add the vanilla. Explain that they place fragrant spices in the linens in the tomb.

Read Isiah 1:18

Beat with a mixer on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. [5-10 minutes] Explain the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Matthew 27:57-60

Fold in the broken nuts. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking paper covered cookie sheet. Explain each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matthew 27:66

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn off the oven. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Then Go To Bed! Explain they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 &22

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow. On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matthew 20:1-18

[The account of Mary finding the tomb empty].

The Bad (or not so bad):

Read my last post. We need a break and we're not afraid to take one!

The Ugly:

I need (yet again) to reorganize my school things and find a better place for them. We've migrated upstairs since the sun came out and we don't enjoy fetching our supplies from the dungeon anymore. But, since I know this reorganization is coming I haven't done much cleaning of the basement and my m-i-law and niece are coming manana. bleh (not the visit, the cleaning). Do any of you have a magic wand?

Refresher Course

Things are getting much too serious around here. I've freaked out on my 6 year olds enough this week for not remembering to start adding in the ones column and forgetting to "run" the sounds together rather than sound and repeat the Dick and Jane book words.

What in heaven's name am I doing homeschooling?
1. Teaching my children how to learn - freaking out teacher not one of the ways I imagined.
2. Evoking a love of learning - once again, freaking out afrohead mother not going to do it.
3. Spending ever so much time knowing my children - the ones who say, "Mama, I love you," even after I freak out.

Next week we'll be having a Spring Break of sorts. I'm going back to our roots. When we enjoyed eachother's company and I wasn't running to 18,000,000 stores to find this supply or that. Forget creating baby geniuses, impressionist art, or blenvying 'til I want to slit my wrists. Let's eat paste and chill with a couple hundred good books on the back lawn.

I am regressing back to my Grant Elementary days as a first year teacher, changing and changing 'til midnight, and changing again after each seminar or mentor session, or walking by some other teacher's room. Makes me want to throw up.

Elder Robert D. Hales spoke in our last Stake Conference and in the midst of his talk - mostly on temples (I remember thinking it sounded like a random thought), he said something to the affect of 'Why can't we be happy just being ourselves'? He was looking right at me I swear. I was watching on the enormous screen put up in the overflow. I always want to be me, only better, but I always think that girl (or homeschool mom, or photographer, or wife, or diva:) ) over there is my version of better.

I'm all for improving myself. If I could only improve by myself I'd be so much better off. Anyone seen a good blog on that?

City Mouse/Country Mouse

What's a girl to do?

I adore the big city. All bustle and busy, never a dull moment. People of all sorts and varieties to shuffle through and watch. Culture (although what some call culture these days???). Food from every continent.

I'd love to live smack dab in the center of it all. Not the burbs, not on the edge of town or even "minutes from downtown". In a highrise loft (I'll even take a bedroom or two if that's all you got). Even in Salt Lake City, not necessarily the big city, an apartment downtown costs upward of $300/sq. foot, with no yard for the wild indians.

Then there's the country girl in me. When my hair is especiallly big Jason says, "There's the cowgirl in you." I love the idea of a clothesline in the backyard. Sending the kids out to do chores. Puttin' up fences. Riding and training horses and giving my kids lessons. Going to horse shows. Growing a HUGE garden and "putting up" all the spoils in the fall. I've never done it, but how 'bout raising a cow? You can never be too self-reliant. We've been listening to Little House in the Big Woods on cd in the car and I love that Laura's mother boils the pig's head to make head cheese (ew), and they use a corn cob for a babydoll. There's something about doing it with your own two hands that keeps you humble and innovative. However, Jason's idea of owning land/a farm measures in miles, not acres. You know how he is, "Do it big."

I'm All Out of Love

I've recently fallen out of love with my blog. But now I'm back in.

Simon Says

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