Merry Christmas

The kiddodiddos were cooperative participants in a family nativity show this year.  They were acting their parts well: Amelia was Mary, Simon was Joseph, Jonny was the innkeeper AND the wiseman, James was the shepherd and Rachel was the angel.  Then as all gathered reverently kneeling around "baby Jesus" Rachel decided it looked like the perfect set up for a game of duck, duck, goose.  So she went around the circle ducking and goosing everyone.  The kids were real troopers and did not break character until the end.  Me not so much.  It was funny:)

The Latest Buzz

James has been selected to participate in the school spelling bee.  Wish him luck as he studies over the Christmas break!
Amelia  won the school wide PTA Reflections contest (this years theme: diversity means...) with the following poem:
Peace
Peace has many meanings
Peace will put you to sleep
Peace will give you good feelings
Peace will make you weep
Happy tears of joy is what peace means to me
Peace has many meanings
Look and you will see
Peace is diversity settling together
Peace is calmness no matter the weather
Peace is the soft, crisp snow falling
Peace is the sound of soft whispers calling
Peace is a home silent and still
on top of a dark, pitch black hill
Peace is wonderful.

I am so proud of my Amelia Rose.  Great job!

I Can Follow God's Plan for Me

I think that's the way the Primary song goes.  Simon was singing it to himself as he drove matchbox cars around.  The chorus went like this:
I will work and I will play.  I will walk in ev'ry one's way. And I will be happy on earth and in my home above.

I laughed and asked him to repeat, just to be sure I heard right.  The first time around, he thought those were the words.  The second time around, he wasn't so sure.

Say what?!

Simon and I were playing soccer in the front yard when he yelled out and pointed at the sky:
Hey MOM! I see Jesus coming!
I froze.  What can I do but turn around and look? 
The sun was behind the branches of the tall tree across the street shining brightly through the branches.  There were streams of light pouring through.  It was not Jesus (did I need to say that?)  But it sure was pretty. 

A Problem at School

Jonny came to me today to talk about school.  Here's how the conversation went
Jonny: Mom I have a problem at school. 
me:(very concerned) Oh, what's going on.
Jonny: Well, they are always playing music (aside: the teachers play a lot of background music in the classroom, mostly popular music, not sure why but they all do.)
and well... when I hear the music I can't sit still.  I just want to get up and dance.
Me:Oh man.  Jonny, I would have that problem too.  When I hear good music it's hard to hold still. 
Jonny: Yeah- I just want to get up and disco dance in the front of the class!

Not sure how to fix his problem, but I wish all school problems were that fun.

Totally Awesome Time

Amelia's school class just earned a reward for good behavior (over an exteneded period of time) and you'll never guess what the reward is.  A pajama party, but not just a wear your jammies to school party: it's way better then that.   It's a  bring your pj's, blankets and flashlights party.  The kids are going to make  blanket forts in the class room and then they get to have an hour of quiet reading (with flashlights) inside the forts.    Mia is our resident expert in blanket forts.  This should be something to behold.  I can't wait to hear how it goes.     

Happy Halloween!

Here's to a spooktacular Halloween!

Rachel's favortite thing is Minnie Mouse, so it was easy to pick out her costume.

Jonny thought it would be fun to be a bottle of ketchup.   If he were to choose his favorite condiment, he would have been a bottle of soy sauce. 

James is death, the one with his hands extended.  He was not able to bring his reaping tool to school, but it completed the look.

Amelia wanted to match Rachel, so she is Minnie Mouse too.  She is holding a book because the kids are required to choose a book character costume (and bring the book) on Halloween.  (Jonny used a science experiment book, in case you wondered.)

Here's Simon and I love him so much for being patient while I post this.   He was Harry Potter because Simon wanted to wear regular clothes on Halloween, but still participate.  He is wearing a medal he got for showing up for a fun run. 

The kids trick or treated at the mall until the treat bucket handles fell off from the weight of the candy.  Then they came home for homework and dinner before hitting the streets for more "loot."  The big question is:  Will the dentist be sending us a thank you after the next check ups?  (I think I saw a cha-ching! in her eyes after finding 6 cavities among them last time.  Sigh.)

Here's Jonny with his birthday cake.  He was very specific about how he wanted it to be: a layer of chocolate cake and a layer of mint chocolate chip ice cream with an edible nerf gun on top. NO FROSTING.  He consented to chocolate mousse for holding the layers together.

Knock Knock Jokes

The most recent round of knock knock jokes started like this:
Knock knock!
Who's there?
Chicken butt!!! Ha ha ha ha.
Now I don't like the word "butt."  I ask the kids not to use that word, hence the "hilarity" of this punch line.  After the first time, I had a little talk with the kids about appropriate references for one's gluteous maximus.   I won't equate the word "butt" with swearing, but I will say that I have always believed that prolific swearing is due to one of two things: small vocabulary or lack of creativity.  So I decided to build the children's vocabulary, discussing with them the plethora of more appropriate names for that part of the body: bottom, rump, posterior, "nether quarters," behind, gluteous maximus, patootie, the list went on and on.
Now the knock knock jokes go like this:
Knock Knock
Who's there?
Chicken bu-TOX! (Jonny's pronunciation of buttocks)
Not really sure that's an improvement, but it makes me laugh anyway. 

Disneyland!

Here are the kiddodiddos all ready for fun.  We departed Stansbury Park for Anaheim early Sunday morning, stopping for church in Arizona.  (Not one of our finer moments, but at least we tried.)  The kids packed "the essentials" and I was surprised that the jester hat was essential.  It made this 15 hour ride much more festive. 

Crowded into Roger Rabbit's car.  What a ride!

Meeting the Mouse: this is one of the nicest pictures we have of our family with Mickey. And this was one of the best trips to Disneyland.  

This is in Mickey's house, when you are waiting to meet him.  Fun times!

Here's Jonny in Dumbo.  He rode with Gary. 

Simon, Rachel and I rode Dumbo together.  Rachel cried when it was time to get off.  She cried when she had to get off every ride.

The workers had to pair our kids up just right to meet their age requirements. Kids under 8 can't ride without an adult.  Consequently, James and Amelia were frequently paired up.  You couldn't tell that here.  He's hiding because he does not want to be seen with Amelia (front Dumbo.)

We stopped by the Big Thunder Ranch to check out the animals.  This is the best smelling petting zoo, hands down.  Rachel liked the goat, but she thought it was a dog.

James, Simon, Mia, Jonny and Rachel line up in front of the Small World ride.  I was so looking forward to taking Rachel on this ride.  Babies love the colors, movement and music.  She cried in line and promptly fell asleep, missing the whole thing.  She also snoozed on Buzz Light Year's Space Ranger Spin.   

Mia on Small World. pretty girl!  One addition I enjoyed on the ride was cartoon Disney characters.  They are done in the style of Small World's other characters and are pretty subtle, but if you are looking you can find Jasmine and Aladdin, Ariel, Woody and Jesse, Pinocchio, and other friends. 

Jonny driving on Autopia.  Because of fast passes and baby swapping, I think Jonny ended up riding this a lot. (5 times)

  
Disneyland was great time.  We used a touring plan from a Disneyland guide book and made full use of our time there.  I love having a plan when we go.  It means that no time is wasted on figuring out what to do next and everyone is happy because they know that the rides they want are on the list. 
Fast passes and baby swapping let the kids ride the ride multiple times in a row.  For example here are a few ride totals from our more popular choices:
Splash Mountain:
Jonny and Amelia 4 or 5 (depending on who you ask)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh:
James and Rachel 6+ times (James did Splash Mountain, but did not want to get more than once.  Consequently, he hung out on Winnie the Pooh with Rachel)
Indiana Jones:
Amelia and James 4
Autopia:
Jonny and Simon: at least 4 times 
Space Mountain:
Jonny and Amelia 2, Simon and James 1
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
Everyone but Rachel rode this once. 
Pirates of the Caribbean:
Everyone but Mom and Simon rode this.  It was "too scary."
Buzz Light Year
Everyone rode this twice.  Rachel was awake for one of those times
Star Tours:
Totally redone, Jonny and Amelia rode this twice.  Simon and Rachel were asleep in the stroller so they missed this one. 
Good time had by all.  Wish you could have joined in the fun!

Snowy 5K

Yesterday it snowed.  It never snows here before Halloween.  It happened to be the race day for James' Spooktacular 5K.  He joined a running club at the beginning of the year and has been running twice a week to prepare for his first race.  So, with snow on the ground he and about 300 other runners took off.  29 minutes later, with blue lips and a red nose he crossed the finish line!  He was tired but very happy to have made it the whole way.  I am so proud of James for finishing such a big race.   He can't wait to do it again.

What moms like

Last week, I attended a brief puppet show put on by Amelia's brownie troop.   The girls sang "The 13 days of Girls Scouts" (like the 12 days of Christmas, but they sang about all the things their troop has done.)  Amelia was day 2: painting on the wall.  Other girls sang about the girl scout promise, going to camp, etc.  When it was over I told Amelia how cute it was and how proud I was of her for singing so nicely and she went into this harangue about how moms like EVERYTHING because they are SUPPOSED to like everything, and didn't I realize no one was singing on key and wasn't I stupid not to know how dumb it was on my own.  So I was trying to hustle her out before she hurt someone's feelings when one of her troop mates (who was listening intently to our exchange) said "Mia, moms DON'T like everything.  They don't like clothes on your bedroom floor.  They don't like toys all over the house.  They don't like fighting..." and a few other things that I forgot.  I gave her a major Woot! Woot! and congratulated her for her words of wisdom. 

Mowgli

Last night I was reading to Rachel before bed.  It was a Jungle Book themed story.  When we got to a page with Mowgli, she pointed to his legs and asked "pants?"  I said "No, Mowgli doesn't wear pants."   We turned the page.  There was another Mowgli picture and Rachel repeated "no pants" then she suggested "skirt? shirt? YEAH"  I think she was trying to tell me he's got to wear something.

What would you choose?

Tonight when I was leaving for a rehearsal (by the way, I'm in a show), 17-month-old cute-as-a-button Rachel approached me and said, "Hold me! Hold me!" I was happy she wanted to spend a moment with me. But just as I started to lean over to pick her up, she became very excited and detoured to her left to go around me, saying "Brush! Brush!" and then picked up a toy hairbrush on the floor behind me.

What would you choose? Your dad, or a hairbrush?

That's Entertainment!

This morning I got a nice quiet hour to fold the laundry.  As I was putting it away I found out why: Rachel had amused herself by dumping a bowl of oatmeal on Simon's floor to drive race cars through.   Now a different child might not find anything amusing about oatmeal and cars.  They might say it was "boring:"   But not Rachel.  She spent that hour having a great time.  Was it a mess?  Well, yes, but I was glad to have a kid who was willing to entertain herself.  Now I'll just have to work on providing appropriate substances:)

The Relatives Came (it was us)

Have you ever been tired?  I mean so tired that you can't function?  Let me give you an example that a few of you commenting readers can relate to (I hope.)  Giving birth is a tiring experience.  But even more exhausting is about day 3, when you are still physically exhausted from the process AND also being up 48 hours straight with a newborn who doesn't really sleep.  Then add to that the hormonal shift from being pregnant to NOT being pregnant.  For me, that's about as tired as I ever get.  And I usually respond by crying for several hours straight because I don't have anything left to hold it in.  Well, on the way home from our vacation, that's pretty much sums up how tired I was.  The second leg of the flight home, I was a wreck.   
So it's a really good thing that Gary was functional.  Actually, he was my real hero, taking care of drinks and bathroom and stories and everything else the kids needed so that I could rest and recover. 
And so I think that's why I am having such a hard time blogging about the trip.  It's hard to remember exactly what was going on through the fog of fatigue. 
So here it goes
Day One:  After wrangling for a rental car that fit our family, we met up with extended family at the Jelly Belly factory.  Now I have been on this tour a few times, both in Wisconsin and CA.  All things considered, this was perhaps the most comprehensive tour I have ever been on, due to the fact that I was trying to keep a tantruming child away from the tour group (if you were at the zoo with us, multiple that intensity and duration by 10.)  So I didn't see any of the videos or hear the guide telling his cute stories.  I was just able to look out over the factory and just watch the machines.  The robots were fascinating.  Watching the candy evolve though the different processes was beautiful.  And seeing Rachel try to interact with the robots and to get their attention was pretty precious: Hi! HI! 
That being said, I don't really think it's a great place for meeting up with anybody.  There's no place for all the hugging and kissing and squealing that should go on when family meets up.   It's a mad house of lines, people and echoing noise.  So trying to keep tabs on all of the kiddodiddos who wanted to explore and trying to keep their tantrums to a minimum (that would be epic FAIL) was really all I could do there. 
Day Two:
This day began with a tour of Pittsburg, my home town.  It was kind of a drive by deal.  I was impressed with the buildings new and old which seemed so brightly painted and vibrant.  The new high school was impressive.  The old one was a lot of separate buildings in widely varying states of repair.  The new one seems to be contained in one building, which  threw me, as every school I attended in Pittsburg had many buildings connected with outdoor walk ways (even elementary school.)  I think it was a wonderful improvement which will bless the community.
Then we had lunch at the New Mecca Cafe.  YUM  It's been around for decades, and the owner is a man who has given everything to the community.  In return the community adores him.   He is a town treasure.  The food is good and brought back memories of all the occasions we ate there as a family and when we would go to events with free burritioes (fun runs, honor roll lunches, and even my brother's eagle project!)  I don't think I am the only one who thinks the food is good- they actually cater for major league baseball teams in the bay area, as well as the Boston Red Sox (when they are in town.)
After that it was a mad dash to Alameda where we went to Crown Beach.  This was really wistful for me.  I dressed the kids in swim suits and jackets. But I have been to enough cold beaches in San Francisco (put your feet in until you can't take the cold anymore- run out to warm up, repeat) that I did not bring my suit.  I also did not know if this beach was safe for more than feet, so I was mildly panicked to be there.  I'll just say it: I am a beach wimp, especially when it involves my kids.  The ocean is so big and deep and wide that the idea of one of the kids getting lost at sea just sets me on edge.  This actually turned out to be a beach with warmish water, gentle waves and no under tow.  The children enjoyed swimming- especially James who freaked me out beacause he was fearless in the water.  He swam out with Uncle Ben (smartie who brought his suit, yes I was jealous) until we could barely see them.  I played in the sand with Simon and Rachel and made castles for the dead crabs we found.  I was thrilled by the quality of the specimens, but I think I annoyed my sister there by showing her dead things. 
Amelia went to attend one of Aunt Vivian's girl scout troop meetings.  She was proud to bring her uniform.  They did a Try It about water- Amelia's troop will be doing it later this year locally.  Then we went to the yacht club for a dinner/fundraiser for my neices and nephew's sailing club.   Ruth and Charles got certificates for completing summer racing lessons.   It was chilly, but a nice time to be with others. Thanks, Vivian!
Day Three, a Friday, Uncle John hosted his own birthday party.  It was a cook out at a lovely park called Coyote Hills.  Thanks, John! There was this butterfly garden there and also an incredible walk though the reeds.  That was on a boardwalk built over the wetlands.  I could have spent a while out there. I think all the kids enjoyed wandering among the reeds too.    My sister in law's parents drove out from Utah to see her and Ben and Liz.   The contentment was real and it just gave me warm fuzzies to see them so happy.  Gary took some of the kids on a hike to the top of a hill and I wish I had done that (I forget what I was doing instead): Amelia told me that was her favorite part of this section of the trip.  All of the kids spent time running races with Cami's dad.  All the teenagers and grownups spent some time relaxing in the grass.  and I ran around trying to take pictures- they are really fuzzy though.  Maybe I should have sat more too.  Although when I did, Charles kept asking me if he could have my cheese amulet and all about it's mystical properites.  (sorry the answer is still NO)
Day Four was baptism day.  Joshua and Esther turned 8 in the spring and wanted to be baptized when we were all together.  I was so grateful to be there for that.  It was a special time.  Especially when Joshua got baptized and his brother Daniel cried out "that looked fun!" and Joshua said "It was!"  I really wanted to hold Leslie's baby, Caden (he was so cute!) so that she could more easily conduct the meeting, but Rachel was too jealous to let that last long.  Indeed, behavior was an issue and so I saw the baptism and Gary participated in the confirmation and we told eachother about what we missed later. 
We took a huge group shot of everyone in front of the Oakland Temple (sorry we didn't turn our camera in for that, so you'll have to imagine) then we went to Fenton's Ice Cream Parlor for lunch.   Delicious salad, ICE CREAM and good laughs.  (for Utah folks, Fenton's is the same as Leatherby's) We had the kids change at the restaurant before they ate as we only brought one change of church clothes.  That was a small adventure, but well worth the trouble.  (So if I post pictures, we would all be wearing two outfits at the single event.)   Thanks Jake and Leslie!
Day Five we went to church in the ward I grew up in.  The biggest surprise was the chorister turned out to be Michele, who was about 3 when I moved out.  She only ever wore a green lion king shirt (at first it was like a dress, then she grew and grew until it was too short) I asked her where her lion king shirt was and she got a very nostalgic look on her face.  I was also able to visit with an old Laurel class teacher.  She was brand new in the church when I met her.  She was surprised that I remembered her lessons.   My favorite person to catch up with at church was Mary.   She is the same age as me and we had a lot of fun together as kids- playing leap frog and feeding the ducks.  We also loved to call her dad "monkey face" because of his mustache and beard.  She has down's syndrome and the ward has found the perfect calling for her: librarian.  My dad said that if you don't turn in your things, she'll hunt you down.  Anyway, she told me her calling is great because she can hang out in the library talking on the phone and eatting cheez-its so when Rachel did not want to sit through Sunday School you can guess where we went (the library.)  Mary is getting married in a year or two and she showed me pictures of her fiance and told me about her work at Taco Bell and her hopes for a career in day care.  She called her mom on the phone to tell her I was there and passed the phone to me.  Her mom's voice sounded exactly like I remembered.   We colored a picture together (gee- why won't my kids do that with me?!) and then I took Rachel for a visit to the nursery.  Some of her cousins were in there and they were so cute playing.  Too bad Rachel wasn't old enough for full time nursery fun.  I know my parents would have loved to see me in class- my dad did come out a few times to tell me to come in.  Rachel was distractingly loud in class so that didn't last long. 
After church, we went to my parent's house and chatted for several hours.  I took a lot of pictures, especially of all the cousins picnicing on the lawn.  Maybe the photos will go in a post of their own.  I think every shot has someone chewing, but that's okay.  They still look cute.  My favorite part was when Bruce surprised us all by showing up part way through the day.  He was working on a tug boat on the river and got an hour off to come and see everyone.  He has to be on the boat 2 weeks at a time and we hadn't seen him yet on the trip.  I asked him how things are going and he told me about watching the birds grow up on the bay.  Delightful conversation.   
All too soon it was time to head back to Freemont, where we were staying.  (We had to pack up to drive to Utah the next day)  It was hard to say good bye- in more ways than one.  We weren't the only ones heading out at that time and so it was hard to track everyone down for goodbyes.  Goodbyes are also difficult, especially when we only get out every few years and everyone grows and changes so much between visits.  Thanks Mom and Dad for hosting the crowd!
It was a really nice too see everyone, how the children have grown and what new interests everyone has.  Between events, Amelia and James had fun chasing around with Charles, Ruth, Sara and Emily.  They mostly played "roary monster" with Rachel and Anna (the toddlers) and also giving bucket and wagon rides to Simon and Jonny.  The jumpoline was a big hit too.   We always stayed up way too late talking and telling stories, with people nodding off at times because we were all too tired to go to bed.  It was a nice visit and I wish there had been more time for relaxing together and getting reaquainted with each family member.    I am grateful for the time we had together. 
Day Six: Driving to Utah.  This was actually an easy drive.  No traffic,  no snow, and almost no stops.  Well, we did do a drive through for lunch and maybe 3 bathroom breaks.  We made really good time and were there before it got dark. 
Day Sevem: This is where I get really fuzzy on what was happening when.  We even sat down with Mom and Dad to get the schedule of events (written down in detail) so we knew where to be and when but I don't have the list anymore to refer to.  I think the kids did slip and slide for a couple of hours while the grown ups did laundry.  Then it was time to get ready for family photos.  My sister in law Tirah had a friend take lovely shots of the family group.  She was so patient as there were a lot of people to work with.  The setting, the Benson Grist Mill was great and I really liked the resulting shots.  We were all supposed to wear jewel tone colors and that would have looked really cool.  I was excited about that.  I couldn't find jewel tone colors for children.  I think it was the exact wrong season to find them.  Summer pastels were all I could find.  I shopped everywhere, especially online trying to find colors that would work. Then I decided to try shades of blue (rise all loyal cougars!) but all I could find was baby blue and I don't think that flatters my coloring (vanity!) In desperation, I headed to my favorite Goodwill, where I was able to find the birght blues I wanted, though they were mostly long sleeved.  Sorry to ramble about buying shirts.  It just consumed me before the trip so I thought I'd share the story.    (The week after we got back jewel tones were in- fall clothes had hit the stores)
After the photo shoot, we headed over to Nana and Pops for a wedding shower for Dave and Lindsey.  All of the local relatives brought yummy food (thanks!) and Angie brought the most darling decorations.  Tirah brought a large homemade cake.  She said it was her first from scratch.  Yum!  I was so excited to meet Lindsey and Ace (her son.)  They really are darling and I am so glad that they are a part of the family now.  We all tied a quilt in the basement.  It looked fabulous! The colors were vibrant and fun. 
Day Eight: I think this day we did crafts with all the cousins.  Fun decorated journals and puff painted hats.  The kids really were proud of their results and wore them as much as possible the rest of the trip.  That night we were able to attend the Salt Lake temple with Lindsey for her first time.  It was a sweet occasion.   She looked so radiant and virtuous.  Chris and Tirah babysat for us that night and I am so grateful for their support.  Tirah also had relatives in town for her side of the family and she took time away from them to help us.  Thank you!
Day Nine: This was day 3 of the cousin slumber party and the kiddodiddos were loving it.  Cousin time was the best memory from this part of the trip for them. (Yes we were there for the wedding, but the kids didn't get to see the wedding, so that didn't rank up too high on the list for them.)  Gary and I took the kids as well as Pop and Cousin Cameron for a trip to BYU.  It was great to see the campus.  We took a free tour, courtesy of the alumni association and it was great.  They had a large golf cart to drive our group around in and the guide pointed out various points of interest.  It would have taken all day on foot.  In the cart it took 45 minutes and the kids were thrilled to feel the wind on their faces.  As we rode past the library, we saw grounds crew workers having a contest to see who could jump up and click their heels the highest.  That was funny.  After the tour, we went to the museum of art, where I often wandered as a student.  It was a great place to reflect and destress.  One fascinating exhibit was someone's video of putting books in a front loading washer and washing the books.  I could have sat through the half hour video because I wanted to see how they turned out.  The kids thought it was great for like 30 seconds.  In the basement of the MOA there was a quilt exhibit.  I saw there a quilt I had always dreamed of making- a representation of the 10 commandments.  I never have made it because I my abilities are not that great and I would be embarrassed to display the result.  The quilt on the wall was exactly what I have feared my quilt would look like.  The people were boxy stick figures and while the colors were good, the whole thing looked very amateur.  It gave me courage to realize that things do not have to be perfect or professional to add beauty. 
After that we ate lunch and ice cream (YUM) at the Creamery on Ninth East.  This was brand new when Gary and I were there. 
That night all of the guys went out go carting and bowling for David's bachelor party.  I think they had fun even though Dad hurt his back.   Tirah brough over Jake and Abby and all the cousins were together again.  They played Scene It and loved it (even though there was some squabbling.)  I took Rachel in the yard and painted our toenails with some yellow polish that Tirah brought.  I didn't want to paint Rachel in the house as that would have got paint all over.  I was glad to match Tirah and Rachel.  I had wanted to do something girly like that in CA too but forgot when the time came.  The other girls were too busy playing games to paint up.
Day Ten: This was the wedding day for David and Lindsey.  It was a beautiful day.  Sunny and clear.  Peaceful.  Chris and Tirah watched the kids while we attended the ceremony.  All through the ceremony I kept remembering Dave as the little boy he was when I met him and it made me more than a little misty eyed.  Take a picture of me on the trampoline! See my cool tricks on the finger bike!  See my disney pictures I drew.  Here's the floor plan for my dream house (it had a courtyard.)  He was 9 when I met him for the first time, younger than James is now.  He was almost 14 when we moved to the East.  And here he was a grown man, making and keeping sacred covenants.  I could not be more proud of him and the choices he made. 
After the ceremony and pictures, we headed over to the Lion House for a celebration lunch.  It was delicious.  We sat at a table with Gary's Uncle Mike and Aunt Martha.  I was so grateful to have some one to sit with and make it feel more festive.  Our family fills up a table all by itself practically and so at social occasions where you sit at tables (church parties) we don't get to socialize as much as smaller families who share tables.  When the kids are bigger, I think we'll be able to disperse through out the crowd better.  But that is a tangent.  Mike and Martha were lovely company for the meal.  Lindsey's mom, Karma put on this lovely program with singing all about the love story of the happy couple.  She is a treat.  I feel lucky because all of my in-laws (on all sides) have such awesome parents and I am glad to know them. 
After the wedding lunch came a really funny moment.  Dave and Lindsey cut the cake at the end of the lunch after  most people left, so not many people to admire or eat the cake.  As Dave was leaving to change, he told us "be sure to take care of the cake."  So we did.  We boxed it up into bakery boxes- 6 large ones.  Then we looked around and realized that our group was the only one left.  So Chris, Tirah, Gary and I loaded up the double stroller with the wedding cake and stand and (with other misc. items in hand)  herded the kiddodiddos through downtown Salt Lake back to the parking garage.  On the way we ran into the groom, who traded us tuxedos for a diaper bag.  I am sure our group looked pretty silly with a double stroller full of cake, arms full of kids and tuxedos, etc .  Or maybe it's normal and I just think it's funny.   
When we got home, Nana said What am I going to do with all that cake?!  we told her Dave said to save it.   Seveal times that night, I heard her answer the phone with "Hello, do you want cake?"  So hopefully he got some when he got back from his honeymoon:)
Day Eleven (were we really gone that long?): We went to the Salt Lake zoo.  I think it's nicer than the National Zoo.  James and Jonny were convinced they trainned the tiger to wink whenever they clapped.   One of the kiddodiddos didn't like the zoo much and when the whining turned on, I was not this smooth mom who turned it into laughter or anything cool.  Fortunately, lots of Gary's relatives are cool like that, so a crisis on the level of the Jelly Belly factory was avoided.  After that it was a picnic in Liberty Park with Nana, Pop, Cameron, Chris, Tirah, and several of Tirah's relatives.  Her cousins visiting from Oklahoma were sweet enough to have their kids babysit my kids at the park so I could break with the grown ups. I would have loved to sit with the grown ups  but I was too sleep deprived to completely process the offer and and take them up on it.  I do have fun memories of chasing Simon and Rachel around there so it's not a big loss, I guess.  We headed over to this awesome water sculpture of the canyons and rivers.  I think that was one of my favorite parts, wading around in the cool water.  Then there was a ferris wheel for the kids, I was proud of James for being brave enough to ride it. 
After that, we had to hurry and pack up because we were leaving for Disneyland early the following day.  We did manage to sit down to a family dinner.  Things had been so busy that we mostly ate in shifts, as people had time.  It was nice to have the experience of sitting together for a meal for the last night.  Uncle Adam had made and frozen this amazing lasagna for us.  That was so kind.  It was meatless, because Jonny refuses to eat meat.    
I think the only thing I forgot to mention was that I had fun pushing the kiddodiddos and cousins around on Uncle Dave's old unicycle.  I tried it myself a few times but could never get it going. 
We packed up the van and in the morning we left for Disneyland.  That's an adventure of it's own though.  So I think it will get it's own post. 

I am grateful for everyone who made the trip possible and comfortable and pleasant.  For all the service and love shown to my family.  I am grateful for my relatives (and there are many!) and wish that I could have spent time showing each one the love and admiration I feel.  Thanks for the memories!

I'm getting over it

I think I am over it.  I have just been too overwhelmed by the prospect to do a thorough post about our trip to see family in July and August.  A nod to my telephone survey experience from years past: Was it terrible, poor, just okay, good or excellent?   Well, it was all of those things. 
For example:
Our flight out was more than two hours late.  That was terrible.  It meant that we didn't arrive in San Francisco until after 1am.  But the fun that the kids had playing at the airport with all the other stranded kids was excellent.  Ask Simon: that was his favorite part of the trip, next to Disneyland.  About a dozen kids joined together for good old fashioned fun (tag mostly.)  We were lucky to be at the end of a terminal so there was room for it.
The loss of Simon's suitcase for a couple of days was poor.  It meant that we didn't get to Uncle John and Aunt Molly's house until 3 am (because of the paper work, etc.)  Good thing we packed the pull ups in a separate bag.  Just okay he and Jonny are only a couple of inches apart and could share (that meant Jonny ran out of clothes sooner though.)  But the excellent part was all of the jokes we got out of the "care kit" he received as compensation.  Deoderant, shoe polish and a razor.  I was sad we left the kit in CA.  He would have loved wearing deoderant to Uncle Dave and Aunt Lindsey's wedding. 

I think you are starting to see what I mean.   There's just a lot to say.  And there's pictures to show.  And now there's a baby who needs me.  So maybe I'll get back to this later. 

Rachel's Word List: 16 months

Rachel is about 16 months now and has a pretty large vocabulary for her age.  Here is a good sampling of what she says:shoe
flip flops
dress (means both getting dressed and a shirt or dress)
ba ba
hot
bath
Jonny
Simon
(James and Amelia are not recognizable by me yet)
Momma
Dada
dog
cat
car
bus
trash
bike
baby
story
tree
flower
ball
game
bird
outside
hi
hello (meaning the telephone)
bye bye
Nana
Pop
Jesus
 num num (something to eat)
chips (gold fish crackers)
cheese
yogurt
swing
minnie (means mickey and minnie and cartoony animals with extra large eyes)
eye
hair
nose
ear
knee
tummy
pony
poop (her first two word combo:bye-bye poop, after flushing the toilet)
brush (meaning toothbrush)
sit
floor
stroller

a bit of parenting advice

If your kids are sitting on each other's faces and annoyind the general public at large, do not ask them to draw pictures of each other to quiet them down.  That was my genius idea last night.  Descriptions follow because I made the kids throw them out. 
Amelia of Jonny: one artsy drawing of a pile of poop
Jonny of Amelia: a girl lying down with x's for eyes and a frown, a tombstone over her head which reads "death by brothers"
James of Jonny: an overly large person with a little bitty head; next to the person is a tiny person holding a pin to pop the large person
They haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

delayed trip report

Well I guess it's obvious that our recent trip has not made it on the blog.  I would love to do it justice, so you'll have to wait a bit longer.  I have high hopes that it will still happen.  Many of our trips (and yours to see us) have never made it on the blog because I didn't want to do a rush job.  SO, here's to hoping it'll happen once school is in session!

For MY Moms

I often marvel at the beautiful flowers that spring up here at home. The previous owners of our house had an obvious love of flowers. My mother and mother in law also have a love of flowers and have lots of blooms at their respective homes. I love it when they share pictures and would like to share some of my own. Once school let out the weeds have taken over. 
Here are some shots of what is blooming now, and a reverse chronology of what we saw earlier this year.   We have a small geranium and a few small petunias hanging on right now, but sorry no pictures.

We have 4 of these trees, I think they are hibiscus, one is taller than the house and the blooms are large and purple.

These are tiny and yellow.  I don't know what they are.

This crepe myrtle is looking washed out, it really is vibrant.

This is called sancresea and the leaves are dark purple and the buds are lavendar.  You should plant it, you'll love it.  It's  perenial that can tolerate heat and drought.  This concludes what is blooming now. 

Lavendar, still smells great!

I got the clematis to climb a lamp post this year, it was pretty.

Yellow daisies- we had red as well.

This hosta gets hot easily and often looks sunburned.  Here it's looking great.   This concludes the early summer flowers.

Irises, which bloom for Rachel's birthday.   

love this, but don't know what it is.  It looks like forsythia to start, blooms later and PINK.

These peonies are gorgeous in the late spring.  The following photos are the first bloomers of the year.

Tea Party

Last week, Amelia had a friend over.  They baked cookies together and we threw an impromptu tea party.  As you well know, tea parties are fancy and attendees must dress the part.  I require no less than neckties for the boys and gaudy jewerly for the girls.  The table was set.  The tea was poured and cookies divided.  We discussed our favorite princesses as we sipped out tea with pinkies extended.  Then the door bell rang.  James' neighborhood friends had come to see if he could play, but instead they said "Dude, why are you wearing a tie?!"  James, who was wearing the tie to get cookies, ripped off the tie as fast as he could and ran away for some quality time with the guys. 

packing

Our  BIG summer trip is coming up in just a few days.  Jonny and James took the initiative to pack their suitcases last night.  Gary and I sorted through them after they were in bed.  Gary opened Jonny's first: Pack only the essentials, he said and then pulled out Jonny's essentials- a jester hat!, books, and clothes.  Then Gary moved on to James' case: Union soldier hat, pens and pencils, outer wear (only 1 underpants?!) 

Brief Summer Update

Well it's mid July and about a month since I posted last.  I think a few days ago I was excited to do a write up,  but I forgot what it is I wanted to say.Amelia went to girl scout day camp.  She had a blast.  The camp is run by high school age girl scouts at a park in a nearby town.  The website about it said to be prepared for wet surprises.  She caught "3 fish" (well, one fish bit her worm and left, one she reeled in, and the other one got a way before she could reel it in.)  She made an awesome kite with 100 feet of real kite string.  (that was cool until I spent an hour and a half untangling it.)  She got bangs, hung out with her friends, and got everyone to call her "Mia." The funniest story was from yoga class.  One leader sat them all down and taught them the lotus position and how to meditate.  While they were meditating, another leader came along and sprayed them all with a hose.  Then they all jumped up and played in the water.

Then they all went to a local Vacation Bible Camp: Pandamania! Where God is Wild About You.  The kids liked it and were always full of questions when they got home.  (James: Did God really make us by blowing on a pile of dirt?  Simon: Is God really INSIDE me?!)  My friends who have sent their kids to VBS said there kids don't ever talk about what they learned, but my kids absorbed it all.  Lots of fun gospel discussion that week.  Throughout the camp, the kids were doing a contest, boys against girls to raise money for Convoy of Hope.  The prize, a can of silly string to cover the losers with.  Jonny asked to do money chores one day, because he was so excited about this contest.  I thought  Gee, he's kind of sweet to raise money for this charity.  Then I found out he didn't think the boys would win and wanted to buy his own can of silly string for the last day. 

This week, James had cub camp.  It was a logistical nightmare, coordinating chaperones (Gary was over that) but the boys had a great time.  Everyday I got to hear about basket ball or volley ball in the pool, as well as how many bull's eyes he got (or almost got) at sling shot, bb's, and archery.  Also what kind of sandwich he got:  baloney 3 days in a row.  He was always hoping for turkey. 
Jonny also had camp this week.  It's a free one here called McGruff Safety Camp and he was lucky to get a spot.  He has been riding 4 wheelers there, as well as fighting plywood fires with real hoses.  Tomorrow is graduation and I think it should be pretty fun. 

We have been swimming 8 times at a nearby indoor pool.  The kids like it a lot.  I like best the time Gary came, because I actually got to swim too.  Usually I am holding Rachel and Simon (and who ever claims they forgot how to swim.) The shallow part is really fun.  It has a playground.  There is also a rock climbing wall at the same facility.  James made it up the first time and made it look easy.  Amelia made it about half way before getting spooked by the height.

We spent a day thrifting for bargains.  James has a really good eye for that.

We have spent a few days at the library.  The summer reading program this year encourages actually library usage (read a book with this call number, etc) so it has been fun to go there and let the older 3 loose to find the books they like.  (I introduced them to Tintin.  The boys loved it, Amelia didn't get it.) Jonny likes Bionicle and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  James is into Goosebumps.  Amelia likes fairy themed books.

This summer, the kids have goals: Jonny wants to cook, Amelia wants to babysit, and James wants to cook too.  Simon wants to cook too (according to Jonny.)   So I need to spend more time cooking with the kids, I presume.  I did it a lot in the past, but our last house had a kitchen that was hard to share so I got out of the habit.  Really, I could stand in the center of the floor and touch the fridge, the sink, the stove, and the counter top just by rotating, so it felt crowded.  Message to me: let us back in the kitchen.  I have been giving Amelia more chances to "watch out" for Rachel and they seem to like that time together. 

Rachel likes to grin with her nose scrunched up this summer.  She also likes to touch bumble bees.  There are plenty of them in the lavendar bush.  Also in the back yard where I just found a bunch (I mean a ton) of ground wasps ( Don't play out there for now okay? I am told Sevin dust will take care of them.  Will report.)

Mornings are peaceful around here.  The afternoons can be dicey.  The older kids aren't used to so much free time and get irritable.  But we are all learning to get along.

 Me? What am I up to?  Well, I am getting back in to an exercise routine.  I told myself  I could slack off  until Rachel was sleeping through the night.  (I had no idea it would be a year before she would do that, but am in heaven now!)  After 5 years of aerobics in my living room, I got tired of stepping on kids.  Last year, I tried running, but I didn't like to get up before Gary left to do it.  That meant running with all the kids, at a track.  Some on wheels, some in strollers.  After a year of trying to like running (I only made it out once or twice a week), I aquired a bike.  Love it.  Will get up early for it.   
Am trying to establish a strawberry patch on one side of the  house.  Kind of fun to watch over that. A deer came and ate off the leaves that were on top (as well as the sun flowers the kids planted.)  The lower leaves are thriving.   The rest of the yard needs attention, but that's too overwhelming this year. 
Gary and I have also been trying to make a better habit of temple attendance.  What with nursing babies, my attendance over the last 10 years has been spotty.  I am so happy to be making a better pattern now. 
Daddy-diddo has been on trips this summer- poor guy hasn't been able to relax much with work demands.  We all look forward to spending time with him.
I think I am all talked out, so it's time to take care of laundry and one last coat of paint.  It's the entry way this time.  (I gave up on the mirrored ceiling removal project. Too tedious. I suppose I'll have to return to it eventually, once all the easier stuff has been done.)  

Relish

The kiddodiddos recently discovered some Jimmy Neutron dvds at the library and have been enjoying them.  I guess on one episode, an evil genius cries out "I relish these days of power!" 
It has been a long week of gastrointestinal distress of all kinds, made worse by a broken washing machine (to be fixed on Friday, maybe?  We bought a contract with Sears for the repair, and apparently, our fix is not a priority to them.)
I was eatting breakfast one day, when I heard a shout from under the table "I relish these days of BABY!"  I looked and there was Jonny, vigorously patting the baby cheeks of his little sister.   It was a nice reminder of what's important.  And that these days of baby are fleeting. 

Adventure

Last week, I took my younger kiddos to a local farm.  We enjoyed seeing the  "really big dogs" (goats) and pigs of every size.  Jonny was thrilled to see the horses and I was amused to notice that one of them is the same age as the kid's Uncle Chris.  Rachel loved the horses until they looked at her in the face.  That was freaky.  The kids posed for photos on the de-comissioned tractors.  I think I could track the growth of the kids with photos on these tractors, we've been going there for the last 5 years.  We did something they have never done: the hay ride around the farm.  I have taken the older kids on a hay ride or two, when they were small.
We piled onto the trailer and found spots in the shade (very important since it was 100 degrees that day.) The driver told us a little about the farm/park.  He mentioned they encourage the black snake population, as they control the rodent population in the barns.  Sometimes, you can see them in the trees in the woods, he said. 
With a rumble from the tractor we were on our way.  As we rode past farm equipment, Rachel smiled, to feel the wind on her face.  Simon was thrilled to have no seat belt, and Jonny got huge eyes.  He pointed at some thing used for holding hay and said "I know what that is!" then in a hushed whisper he added "a guillotine."  I was glad he did not say it out loud, lest he scare the others on board.  We continued on past some things for horses to jump over and one of them was knocked over and propped back.  "Catapult," I was wisely informed.  Just as we entered the woods,  he spottd a cannon out of the corner of his eye (painted log.)  Then came the harrowing part of our journey:  the woods.   Remember we had been told to look out for snakes.  Jonny obeyed and told me about each and every one he saw, including several that were right behind me about to bite!  He wrote about it in school later: I saw 22 snakes!
If I had know the ride would be so exciting, I would have done it long ago!

Rachel's Word List

Here it is:
Rachel's vocabulary at almost 13 months:mom: mom
dad: dad
hello: heyo
bye bye:bah bah
bottle:baa baa
smile (for the camera):smi-ya
Rachel: wayzo
She also growls a lot if she sees something that looks like a monster.

She's starting to walk now, for more than just applause. 
Rachel is growing up too fast for my taste!

soccer night

Jonny and Simon have been playing soccer this spring.  Jonny's team is the Sharks.  On the way home one night, he was recalling the events of the night and his team victory.  Then he said in a kind of wistful way "You know what would make it even better?  If there was half time and a half time show and one of the parents came dressed as a shark and danced around."
Yeah.  That would make it even better.

hat trick

Simon came to me with a magic hat on and a smug smile on his face.  "I will do a trick for you. I will pull a rabbit from my hat."  Then he realized that he pulled the rather small hat down too far and couldn't get it off!  YIKES!   memorable in more than one way!

Happy Birthday, Rachel

Dear Rachel,
I am sorry that I was not able to post this on your birthday. I tried and blogger was not working. It wasn't working the next time either. I know when you are older, the timeliness of your birthday post will be important to you, so today I apologize to you, sweet baby girl.
love,
Mom

Plenty of cuddles

                                                                  Plenty of cake to eat

Plenty of cool presents

It was so fun to have a birthday girl who knew what was going on, very impressive for ONE.  Rachel found her presents early and tried to open them, so I knew she got the idea of unwrapping gifts.   She  loved unwrapping and playing with gifts, although she didn't get so many turns with them. They were so cool, the big kids didn't let her while they were awake.
 She (through her endearing baby ways) talked Gary out of his chocolate Easter bunny, so we knew she LOVED chocolate.  If I had my thoughts together before hand, I would have made the cake look like a chocolate bunny.  But I did not (in hind sight that's probably good because it would have looked vaguely Playboy).  She was having a weepy day on her birthday, so I figured she would rather have cuddles than a fancy cake.    She loved the attention, and she loved the plain chocolate cake.

Happy Birthday Amelia!

To the girl who wanted COOL stuff for her birthday:

 I just wanted to let you know you ARE cool stuff!

I loved spending time with you today doing girl stuff like shopping for a baptism dress and decorating your cake together.  You are a beautiful and fun loving girl .  I love the way you notice and take delight in the tiniest detail. 

love,

Mom

Business Trip Extraordinaire--Day 23

I made it home and all is well!

Details:

I checked out of my hotel Sunday afternoon and rode a taxi to the airport. One thing about Rio is that the taxi ride TO the airport is, or at least can be, a lot cheaper than the taxi ride FROM the airport. At the Rio airport, you get mobbed by drivers who insist that they are insulted that you would suggest they are trying to overcharge you. But returning to the airport, it's much easier to get a yellow taxi that charges a fair price. My taxi from the airport was R$90 (about $55), while my taxi back to the airport was R$52 (about $30). No traffic, despite yesterday's Niterói-Rio marathon.

I was very early to the airport. Rio actually has a decent amount of shops and food places in the international area, but you have to go upstairs and downstairs and all over to see it all. I bought some rapadura in the duty free shop. Rapadura is basically a block of brown sugar candy. Good stuff! I'll enjoy it with Tracy and the kiddodiddos one of these days.

I got a decent amount of sleep during my long flight from Rio de Janeiro to New York. It was probably the best night of sleep I have ever had on a plane.

Landing at JFK provided some interesting views of the pre-dawn city. New York is so huge that it's hard to get a sense of it until you actually visit. Even seeing it from the air doesn't give a fair picture. But the view was very nice. And as the plane touched down for a bumpy landing, I had a thrill as I thought, "I'm back." I don't have any connection to New York, but it's part of my country.

I am pleased to report that at JFK there were as many CBP officers helping Americans as there were officers helping foreigners. That was not true last time I returned to the U.S. This time, I flew through the line in five minutes. One of the highlights of my voyage home was what the CPB officer said to me sincerely when he returned my stamped passport:

"Welcome home."

Thank you, officer, for warmly welcoming a fellow American after a very long trip. You made my day.

By the way, simple math: CBP > TSA.

The flight was early, and I spent a couple of hours waiting for my final flight. Before boarding, they asked for volunteers to be bumped to a later flight, not because they were oversold, but because they were overweight. They offered a $250 voucher. I really wanted to get home to my family. Plus, if I had to get home late, I wanted cash, not vouchers. So I stood my ground. Fortunately, they got enough volunteers, and I boarded the regional jet that took me home.

We were early, and my luggage came right away. I tried calling Tracy, but no answer. I went to sit outside and look for Tracy, as well as breathe that American air. Mmm, freedom. I went back in to the baggage claim, and there were Tracy and all the kids! I went up next to them like I was watching the baggage claim with them, and after a few seconds one of them noticed me, and soon I was smothered in hugs and kisses from all my kiddodiddos and my darling wife!

After such a long trip, I thought the desire to travel would be completely gone. However, this was a very successful and in some ways enjoyable trip. The work in California stressed my limits, but my team and I came through and slew the beast at the Main Event. My visit in Manaus was delightful and I would love to go back someday with Tracy. Rio is Rio, which I have seen before but was just as nice the second time, and the work there was low-stress. I survived 23 days, 17,099 air miles, 14 South American taxi rides, 19 nights in hotels, three nights on planes, one corrupted operating system, two sunburns, two motorboat rides, and whatever else the Lord protected me from that I don't even know about. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I'm glad I did it, and I'm glad it's now over.

Excitement

We're off to pick up Daddy in just a few hours.  Can't tell you how excited I am to see his sweet face again.  The kids are dying to see him because "It's no fun with out him." 
I just can't wait to see how Rachel reacts.  She loved him on Skype 2 weeks ago.  She pointed and flapped her arms and made all kinds of excited noise.

Business Trip Extraordinaire--Day 22

If everything goes well, this will be my next to last blog post for this trip. I am now in the Rio de Janeiro Galeão airport, waiting for my flight home through JFK. Unfortunately, I can't tell whether the Internet access is free or not, and to find out I would have to provide my driver's license number and many other unnecessary and inappropriate pieces of personal information, so I'll pass. Therefore, you probably won't see this post until I actually return, though I'll adjust the date so you may not even notice.

Day 22 started very nicely, as I went to church this morning in the Ala Botafogo (Botafogo Ward) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The last time I was able to go to sacrament meeting was March 20, so it's about time. There is a meetinghouse very close to the Botafogo metro station, and the metro trip was very quick and I arrived quite early.

Capela da Ala Botafogo

The ward members were very welcoming and friendly. Attendance was low today, but they told me it was lower than normal because of the upcoming Holy Week culminating with Easter. A lot of people have gone on vacation. Sounds like Spring Break, and I'm glad the people in this part of Brazil have that luxury. Botafogo seems like a nice part of town.

After church, I wandered the building a little bit. This church building has three stories, as well as an additional flight of stairs with roof access. I snapped a couple of photos from the roof:

Part of Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro, taken from the roof of the Botafogo LDS chapel looking west

Part of Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro, taken from the roof of the Botafogo LDS chapel looking southwest

I returned to my hotel via metro. By the way, if you use the Rio metro "Pré-Pago" (prepaid) card, be aware that you can only recharge it with at least R$5. I made a mistake and ended up leaving a few reais on my card. I'll use it next time I'm here, but I'm sure the fare will be higher then.

This afternoon, I was tired and needed to pack, so I took it easy and made it a true day of rest in my hotel. That was nice. By the way, I can recommend the Premier Copacabana Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. My room was generous. It wasn't the newest and looked a little dingy, worn, and dim, but it was also clean, safe, and comfortable. There was an ashtray on the sitting room table, but the room didn't smell like smoke (or anything, for that matter). Breakfast was really nice every day, one of the best free hotel breakfasts I have had (not as good as Hampton Inn though). They allowed me to stay Sunday afternoon before my flight for a small fee that was well under the daily rate, and that was very helpful. There was a slight snafu at checkout, when they played the Famous Minibar Trick, in which they accused me of taking items from the minibar (which I never do). I have been through that before at other hotels, and today they took me at my word when I said I didn't take anything and did not charge me.

Good news from home: Tracy is on the mend, and the kids are healthy. Many thanks to Ott and Tera for helping with the kids a couple of days ago, and thanks also to Miguel and Ellen for taking the kids to church today. Tracy is usually so healthy, but it's just my luck that I'm not around to help when she needs it. But I'm grateful for good friends who are willing to help.

Tomorrow I will conclude this 23-part series, which hopefully will be the end of the longest business trip for the rest of my life.