Team Mascot

Jonny was on a flag football team this year- the Eagles.  I didn't get any good photos of the team, but I did get this fantastic video of their mascot!  Mia went all out with her costume and dance routine for this game.  Yes, she kept it up for the entire hour... that's stamina!
I think an older brother might have been embarrassed, but the younger brothers didn't mind one bit. 

(This one may have crying in the back ground, so it might be more fun with the sound off.) 

Rachel in the fall

This summer we were fortunate enough to have 2 girls her age move in on our street.  They keep Rachel from being lonely during the school day.    When the weather was a bit warmer than it is now (in Feb), Rachel and I went to the farm with the girls. 

It was a fun time with friends- here they are telling what they think of the pig barn!   

 

 And here's a picture of Rachel holding up her broken thumb.  She had the cutest accident imaginable.  Sounds funny, but true.  She was wearing a blanket cape and running around.  She wanted the blanket cape to be fast looking and float up behind her, so she was fluffing it up as she ran.  Then her thumb got caught in the rails as she ran down the stairs.  I am not the best at spotting broken bones, but I figured if her thumb was swollen and burning hot after being iced for 10 minutes, something was up.  Sure enough- it was cracked at the base.  After taping it for a few weeks, it's good as new.

October/Halloween 2013 Catch Up

Now I don't have a pictures on hand of Simon and Jonny's birthdays. I am sure we took some, I just haven't located them yet.   I also don't have pictures of Jonny's baptism.  Suffice it to say, they were all wonderful events.  I am especially pleased with Jonny's decision to be baptized and I was honored to speak at that event.  I was also glad for the good friends and neighbors who attended. 

Now, on to lighter things:

One morning before church, James and Jonny were giving Simon a hard time about being the shortest boy in the house.  Not sure why, since he is also the youngest boy in the house.  I decided to help him out a little and turned him into the not so shortest one in the house.  With this hair do, he became taller than Jonny, 2 years his senior. 

 When Jonny turned 8, he joined the Cub Scouts.  He loves passing things off!  He will flip through the book finding things to do.  In the back of the book are directions for disappearing ink- write with lemon juice on paper.  Once it dries, it disappears.  The book says to hold it over a light bulb to make the writing appear.  It doesn't work, but holding it over the stove does.  Just keep the baking soda and grown ups on hand because you might start a fire.     Don't you love the message?  Come over today at 3 and bring Nerf guns. 

Remember how I told you Mia was asked to help plan the neighbor's Halloween party?  Here's the fishing booth the kids made.  James hid behind this passing out plastic teeth, necklaces, and candy to anyone who was willing to fish.  This was quite popular.  There was also a mummy wrapping contest, pumpkin bowling, pinatas and a costume parade.  I did not get a picture of this, but the neighbors built an alien crash landing site in their yard to be the haunted house.  It was unbelievable- a smoke machine, glowing lights, and people in hazmat suits dissecting an alien corpse.  It was pretty awesome and I could go on and on, but I'll stop there. 

James's middle school had a fun Halloween party with  photo opportunity. 

Here's pictures of  the kids that wanted to be associated with me at the event:

Mia

Rachel

Jonny- this ended up being the best photo bomb ever!  Some kid wandered in and it adds to the theme. 

 Here's Simon.  He was dressed as a hot dog that night, hence the red hood.  I call this the Gate Keeper of Oz photo.  Just imagine that he's green. 

And here they are- ready to trick or treat!  James and Jonny dressed as the scream guy.  Mia was a shepherd, Rachel her sheep.  Simon was a hot dog.  Happy Halloween! (belated)

Future Scientist

Jonny's teacher put together a poster of the kids in his class.  Each kid is holding up a little sign that says what they will be when they grown up. 

Here's Jonny- the future scientist

 

He got a really cool magnet kit for his birthday (thanks, Chris and Tirah!)  He built this little car with it.  The car rolls using magnetic force- as he moved that handle toward the car, the car would roll away.  Science is fun!

September (ish) Recap 2013: random photos I hope you enjoy

With September came the first day of school. 

Doesn't James look happy on his first day of 7th grade?  I think so.  They others were probably happy on the first day of school too.  Too bad I forgot to take pictures!



 

Favorite after school snack: Ants on a Yacht- You might ask "why a yacht?"  Because we're too fancy for logs. 

 

Here's Gary after a LONG day of church meetings.  He probably fell asleep reading to one of the kids and they just abandoned him there.    He's pretty darn cute, don't you think?  This may be the only recent picture I have of him. Sorry Hubbycakes! 

I painted the kitchen cabinets and the wall.  I didn't think of taking a BEFORE picture until AFTER.  Timing is everything, I guess.  The cabinets used to be mustard yellow with white trim and there was green paint and wallpaper above, a French street, I think.  After 4 years here, I thought it was time to make it my own.  Still not sure I like the shade of blue I chose, but it's an improvement. 

I made this massive wall thing of all of James' cub scout awards- and left half of it blank.  I wanted to make sure it looked like there was plenty of room for the boy scout stuff. (Motivating? We'll see)  So then I figured, I could make something like that of my own.  It's a lot smaller- a 5x7 frame.  You may or may not recognize some of these pendants and pins: bronze and silver medals in American Social Dancing, YW medallions, my Girls Camp Tree, a blood donor pin from the Red Cross, and the Gospel in Action award. 

The kids and I went to see a 2 man play at the library.  It was based on Prince Caspian.  They called kids out of the audience and Mia got chosen.  There she is in the bunny ears.  She got to be in the battle to save Narnia or something like that.  It was cute!  Was I freaked out that she was wearing SOMEONE ELSE'S head band.  YES.  But I am just freaky like that- I fully admit I have a phobia of head lice. 

Rachel and I were out shopping one day and we found this old fashioned sleigh.  It was in a random place and so of course, we had to take a picture with it.  So cute!

One day, Rachel was feeling crafty, so she made herself a paper sister and dressed it in one of her costumes.  She loved it so much.  She buckled it in the car and everything.  Then when she abandoned it, I thumbtacked it to my laundry room wall.  That's where my favorite kid art goes.  (That's because the kids always knocked it off the fridge and it was not fun to always be rehanging things, but I digress.)  So one day, she came in to help with the laundry and she was horrified "Why did you nail my sister to the wall?!" she cried.  Whoops!  I hadn't meant to traumatize anyone. 

Here it is!  This one was going to be a post of it's own, once upon a time.  I was moving the fridge for my painting project (see above) when I found the little stick that goes in this frog (it makes a ribbit sound if you rub the stick on the  back.)  It had been missing for at least 2 years.  So, what once was lost, now was found!  Come rejoice with me!  I felt like that lady in the bible that finds her lost coin and calls the neighbors to celebrate.  You all just got a late invitation to the party. 

Mia's Little Dresses for Africa

 Here's Mia with the summer dresses she sewed for Little Dresses for Africa.  (http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/)
She really enjoyed this project and will probably do it again this coming summer.  These dresses are made with pillowcases and oh so simple. If you'd like to give it a go yourself, follow the link above.  If you are not that crafty, but think it's a good idea, feel free to send Mia your new or gently used pillowcases and she'll take care of the rest. 

Summer Updates 2013

Well- I think the original reason I started blogging was because it was too hard to wait for pictures or movies to upload on our dial up connection (hey it was 2008- everyone was dialing up, right?) and it was easier to just type up a few lines here and there.  Pictures and movies are fun, but again, I find they are holding things up.  I have these movies I made back in late March. I really wanted to share them with you.  They are of James singing some of his solos from Willy Wonka Jr.  Unfortunately, the files won't upload properly (not the problem of dial up anymore, thankfully).  So every now and then and I try to put them up.  However, I think it's time to move on. 

This summer is well under way.  I think things are going pretty well.  Rachel had a swim lesson- she passed her level (waddler.)  I noticed that she was the youngest and not always the quickest BUT she was the best at following directions.  Example, the teacher had a game where the kids had to put their faces in the water BEFORE picking up rings from the floor of the pool.  So Rachel would dutifully put her face in the water every time before picking up rings.  The other kids would run around picking up rings and have stacks of them because they did not put their faces in the water and Rachel would have just a few.  Finally, she got tired of that and ran around picking up rings like the rest of them.  Then she sat down in a corner of the pool and put her face in the water once for each ring she gathered.   I guess that time, she only kind of followed directions. 

James did his first ever week at boy scout camp.  He did this wilderness survival overnighter where you could only take what fit in your front pockets with you.  He took a rope, a poncho and a space blanket.  Sounds like some good planning to me.  He refers to it as the "wilder-terror-freezing-blanket stealing-cannibalistic-thought inducing night."   I have only heard a few bits and pieces about the experience, but apparently, he and 3 buddies ended up sleeping on top of the poncho with twigs piled around them (attempt at shelter)  and through out the night, the others kept waking him up to steal pieces of his blanket.  Yes, I said pieces.  So by the time the night was over he had only a scrap left to rest  his head on.  I have no idea where the cannibalistic thoughts came in, but hope that part was for dramatic effect only!

Mia is at girl scout camp and having a great time. My only regret is that the camps close to us were filled up so I end up spending about 3 hours a day driving her there and back.  (30 minute drive, 30 minute wait, 30 minute return.  Repeat) But she is having a blast there and making friends, so I am glad to do it this once.  You can bet she'll be the first one registered for camp next year.  The camp has a lot of camp elements (crafts, hike, fishing), but the theme is Lights, Camera, Action.  The girls are spending time devoted to developing their own skit for a production at the end of the week.  Mia told me she needs a large stuffed snake (thankfully we have a few) and head phones for hers.  Should be interesting.     
Mia is also sewing pillowcase dresses for a program called "Little Dresses for Africa." People can sew dresses and then mail them to be distributed at orphanages.   Funny story how she happened into this project.  We were eating dinner and she said that she was thinking about donating her hair to Locks of Love.   She said that she didn't really want to cut her hair, but couldn't think of another way to help people.  So I spent some time looking around for a service project she could feel good about and do independently (a big deal for her- she loves her independence.)  Last summer, she took sewing classes at Joann's and learned to make pillowcases, aprons, etc.  So when I found this program "Little Dresses for Africa" I figured she had the skills to participate.  She is currently working on 5 dresses.  She had a goal to do 50 dresses and 50 shorts (for Britches for Boys.)  I don't think she'll get that far, but 5 is definitely a good start. 

Jonny's camp got cancelled.  It was Lego Mindstorm Robotics.  He was planning to program the robot to clean his room.  Perhaps it was good it got cancelled, he may have been disappointed.  He has been doing IXL the math facts website, chores and park meet ups with friends.  His friends always seem to be available, which is great for him, but tends to make the other kids a teeny bit jealous.  I must put in a good word for Jonny here.  Everyone here is supposed to be doing IXL and chores, but he is the most dutiful. 
The other day, Jonny announced that he was going to be a vegetarian because eating meat made him feel like a cannibal.  After careful explanation of the difference between a cannibal and a carnivore, he insists that it's cannibal.  So, no more pepperoni or bacon (the only meat he eats, which we seldom have.)  So for dinner, I put a large bowl of peanut butter and celery next to him and told him that's what vegetarians can eat at our house- that and refried beans.  He was very happy to find that out.  We'll see how long it lasts.


Simon plays games with others and rides his scooter.  He likes to play games, especially Scene It and Star Wars Trivial Pursuit. One day, Jonny talked him into playing Twister and Battleship at the same time.  (Right Foot Green, A2)  Man that was  hoot!  I asked each kid to come up with a hobby this summer and Simon came up with "Baking Brownies With Whipped Cream."  Somehow that was not what I had in mind.  He has a good sense of humor, but has not come up with a more realistic hobby yet.   

I checked out Garfield Comics and Peanuts Collections from the library and everyone is loving them.  If anyone has suggestions for other comic collections, pass them on.  We may need a few more before the summer is over.  (FYI, during the school year we did Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes)

useful invention

Conversation overheard between Gary and Rachel last night:
Rachel: We should have a jump button on the van so we don't hit the deer.
Gary made a comment to clarify that she wants a button so that the van can jump over deer instead of hitting them. 
Rachel: Daddy- we should paint it purple and pink. 

Yes- a purple and pink jump button would have come in handy earlier this week.  

Everyone is fine but the deer and the van.  Thank goodness for that!

moments

Well, here it is the end of March and I have not been the good blogger I hoped to be.

I've had funny moments to share, like the time I told Rachel it was time to go buy gas. She got all excited until she found out it was for the car instead of her bottom.  She gets a good chuckle everytime she toots and thought it was the best thing ever that you could BUY gas. 

I've had proud moments, like last weekend when James starred as Charlie Bucket in the middle school production of Willy Wonka.  I was so impressed with his natural ability to capture that role.  He's a great singer too.  My favorite moment was watching his face during his last performance as he went out for a final bow.  He went through a wide range of emotions in that moment.  I think only his mom could see them all.  The relief at having done a hard thing, the joy at receiving recognition for it, and maybe a twinge of sad that the experience was coming to an end. 

I've had crying moments, like the week where Rachel had hiB- something we're all vaccinated for, but for some reason she got it anyway.  That was a crying week and a cuddling week for her .  Like when James turned 12 and I cried that my first baby was too big.

I've had heartsick moments, when James' mouse died- 9 days in to the experience.  Those were my tears- I don't know how we managed to kill it, but I felt so bad.  Hopefully Mouse 2.0 will last a lot longer. 

I've had sleepless moments, like last night where Jonny barged in every 40 minutes to flip on the lights and yell- "I just can't take it anymore!"  Yep- he's sick.  Half past midnight, I broke the news to him, I had maxed him out on pain relievers and he could either watch a movie to distract himself or I could read him a story until he fell asleep.   He left and two minutes later handed me a set of scriptures.  I read him a couple of chapters from Ecclesiates and he was out.  My heart was warmed that he chose the word of God for comfort at that time. 

I've had relieving moments, like when I took the kids to the allergist and found out Simon is no longer allergic to dairy (just cats, weeds and mold) and Mia is allergic to strawberries and coconut (and trees.)  It's great to have Simon on dairy- he loves real cheese and I now have more options when I cook.  And having Mia off strawberries and coconut has greatly improved the condition of her skin, something that has bothered her for years. 
Another relieving moment watching the food donations come together for the Annual Spaghetti dinner at the elementary school.  I was begging local restaurants for donations for months and it was so hard to get them to commit, but in the end the Lord poured out his blessings and we had enough. 

I've had frazzled moments that I can't describe because I can't even remember what set them off.  But I can pretty much guarantee there was pants pooping involved.

I've had snooping moments, like when I listened in on James and Mia having a conversation- I even let them stay up late to finish because I couldn't believe they were actually talking to each other.  And of course they were having a hearty critique of my parenting style.  (yeah she pretty much thinks she's a queen...)  But hey- at least they were agreeing on something. 

I've had moments where I get to spray my kids with homemade veggie water.  That's my new solution to name calling.  It kind of works.  Right now, I've got a vial of beet juice.  Bonus is, even if it does not stop the name calling, it acclimates my children to the taste of vegetables.  (so far celery and green beans are "toxic waste" and beets and cabbage turned out to be popular)
When I was at Costco today, all of the kids came too.  As we picked up items and "snacked around" one of the sample ladies asked if they were all my kids.  I said yes and she exclaimed "but you are so sexy!" in that moment I really hoped that her accent was thick enough that no one else understood.  She continued on that maybe I should have 5 more kids.  As soon as we were out of ear shot, James asked why I didn't spray her mouth with beets.  I wondered that too, sort of.

I've had girly moments, like when I used a flat iron for the first time.  I always wondered how the other girls at church had smooth straight hair.   Now I know!  Mia and I are still undecided over whether sleep or beauty is more important.  Did I just say that out loud?! Another girly moment involved learning that there is something called "day 2 hair."   I saw it on a few different hair do ing websites and I wonder if it's a nice way to say "unwashed hair" or is it something else?  Sigh-  34 and just hitting the tip of the ice berg on being a girl. 

I've had sweetheart moments, doing the foxtrot in the kitchen with my hubby when the kids are in bed.  He melts my heart every time!

I've had spiritual moments: when James received the Aaronic Priesthood and when he couldn't wait to tell me all about going to do temple baptisms for the very first time.  Special times.

Lots of growing and changing going on around here.  I just can't wait for more precious moments. 

Clappers and Kids

When I first got married, I had a Clapper.  I received it as a gift when I was a teenager and it was a fun novelty item.  I had it hooked up to my lava lamp.  It got broken in one of our first moves and has since been lamented and laughed at, alternately. 
Gary recently had a birthday and I bought him a Clapper just for fun.  Well, it turns out that a Clapper and a house full of kiddodiddos is not a good combination.  The claps need to be evenly spaced and we are all really good at clapping.  However if a noise happens betweens the claps (or if someone else claps just off beat), the clapper will not turn things on.  So now we have A LOT of yelling that sounds like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBDiYuEkP4M\
Yes, just like that because Santa brought Pee Wee's Big Adventure for Christmas. 
The extra yelling, combined with the extra crying (stop clapping, it's messing me up) and the lights flashing off and on with every random sound that could be clapping is less than ideal. 
Perhaps I should have noticed there are only quiet, old people in the advertisements.  Maybe it will work out better for us in about 40 years!

No title

We were sitting around watching Gilligan's Island tonight (thanks John and Molly!!!) On the episode we were watching the castaways were gathering up metal objects to melt down to make an anchor.   Ginger and Mary Ann offer up junk jewelry.  Gilligan offered up his skateboard wheels.   The kids laughed and shouted out "who takes a skateboard on a deserted island?!" Then they remembered that Jonny took his skateboard on a recent camp out and laughed even harder at that. 

Little Singer

Rachel loves to sing and entertain.  It does not take much to get her to do "Gotta Dance" from Singin' in the Rain.  Her latest favorite song is one she made up that goes like this:
The hot dog and the crackers
And the bread in the toaster
Had some breakfast with some bowls of cereal
(fill in the next few lines any way you want, that part changes around)

While driving around in the car the other day, she asked me to sing the "Night in Jail" song.  I told her I didn't know a song like that.  She told me I did, it was from Cinderella.  I insisted that I didn't know a song about a "night in jail" but she contradicted me saying "it's the Sing Sweet Night in Jail one"  OH Yes I do know that one.  It took some real talking to convince her that it's "nightingale."  I think we had to watch the movie for proof.

Rachel received a gift card for Christmas to Toys R Us.  She perused the whole store looking for just the right thing and finally settled on an umbrella and a pair of high heels.  She says they are her tap shoes.  She makes walking and holding and umbrella look like hard work... and it is when you are 2.  Soon she will be a real pro.

Stating the Obvious

Tonight, I was reviewing with the kids at scripture time the commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves.  Jonny and James made frowning faces when I asked how we were doing. Rachel was off changing her pajamas and Simon was playing with Kleenex.  Gary and Mia were not home.  Jonny gave his explanation of his response: 
Well, you see I have 4 brothers and sisters and only 2 parents.  That makes the kids out number the parents.  That makes it WAY too hard to do that. (that meaning love each other, I guess)

You aren't the only one feeling out numbered, buddy:) 

Catch Up

Well, every now and then, I think that I should get around to blogging.  Then I think to myself that no one reads blogs anymore and move on to something else.

Really though- I am not much for Facebooking. I like blogging.   I'll "like" stuff on facebook, but since I overheard the Relief Society presidency talking about how to use facebook to keep tabs on the sisters in the ward (this was in a previous ward) I got a little creeped out.  Not that I have secrets, it's just that words can be so easily misinterpreted online.

Mia was great in The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  She was a town child, a party child, and a life boat child.  She is getting to be quite the actress.  She made friends with the other kids in the cast and had a great time.  Gary did end up joining the cast at the last minute, to sing during intermission and also to play his clarinet in a party scene.

James and Jonny played flag football, for the San Francisco 49ers and the Pittsburgh Steelers respectively.  They learned a lot and had some great moments on the field.  James had a few turns at QB and Jonny pulled flags like crazy.  I was proud of them for doing their best. 

James got to lead the music at the church Christmas party- 5 hymns in front of the congregation of adults and kids- he did a super job.

James also got the part of Charlie Bucket in his school play Willy Wonka Jr.  The roles have been double cast, to give more opportunities for kids to participate.  He will have the part for 2 of the performances.  I am told he is known as "the Charlie Bucket that can sing."  and the other kid is "the Charlie Bucket that can act."   Umm- he can do both- but I think his nickname is more flattering somehow.  Come see him in March! 

Rachel learned to use the potty, so now we have none in diapers!  This is a huge moment in kiddodiddo history for sure!

Simon has settled down into kindergarten very nicely. I am grateful that he is enjoying making new friends and learning to read. 

Halloween was cute.  We had 2 ninjas, a pumpkin, a vampire, and the grim reaper.  I don't think I got any photos of that.  Sorry to you and me both. 

Rachel and I spent time this fall volunteering for the RNC making phone calls and eating elephant cookies.  But in reverse order- I listed her first as is grammatically correct, but she ate the cookies and I made the phone calls.  Disappointing election, but at least we did our best to get out the vote. 

Gary and I were very blessed to be able to take a trip to Hawaii in November.  It was an incredible time and if you want to see pictures, let me know and I will hook you up.  My favorite time was snorkeling in Hanuama Bay where I saw incredible tropical fish and even a sea turtle!  (you pronounce it Hu-now-ma Bay.  I tried to say it Ha-new-a-ma Bay, like the old Hawaiian dude in the welcome video, and everyone looked at me funny.  I guess you have to be an old Hawaiian dude to get away with saying it the old Hawaiian way:)

I managed to catch both the flu and strep throat last month and was most miserable for about a week- the doctor insisted that statistically I could not have both, so did not medicate me for both until the lab results came in- 4 days later.  Lucky me, to beat the odds.  Even luckier me that I am not allergic to penicillin.   I now have one more kid who is.  Poor thing caught strep throat last week and is now covered (literally) from head to toe in horrible, itching hives. Luckily she is now on the mend from both infirmities. 

Christmas was lovely.  The night before we acted out the Christmas story and Rachel got to be Mary.  She is still talking about how she got to do that all by herself.  She rode the donkey (rocking  horse) and held baby Jesus and watched over him in his manger (dolly cradle.)  James was the inn keeper, Jonny was the wise man, Mia and Simon were shepherds.  Gary was Joseph and I was the angel. That's the caption, in case I show a photo.  I know we took one.  

The first snow also came with Christmas.  The kids had fun running in and out throwing snowballs, etc.  Of course they had to warm up with hot chocolate too. Yum!

My favorite moment of all (recently) has to be when I was frantically making "hurry up ham" to feed the sister missionaries.  They were coming in 10 minutes and I spilled the package of egg noodles- main ingredient- all over the floor.  What a mess!  Before I could say a word my 2 children (who fight each other the most) grabbed the broom and dust pan and worked together peacefully while I scoured the cupboards for more noodles.  What a sight to warm my mother heart. 

Sending love to you all- and a promise to give more pictures and updates in the New Year!

Vote for Love of Country

We don't often blog about politics. But I love this country and my family, and this election is important, especially to my kids. Plus, this is too long for Facebook.

WARNING: FREE SPEECH

In 1980, the economy was a catastrophe, terrorists were having their way with Americans overseas, and Jimmy Carter asked for four more years. He was a good man, but he was a poor leader. Thankfully, most of our parents didn't gamble on the slim chance that he would suddenly become a good president. It wasn't revenge. It was just common sense. The result was an economic boom and the end of the Cold War.

Well, it's like 1980 again. The incumbent is a good and intelligent man but a poor leader and an unwise steward. He tells his supporters that "voting is the best revenge," like the world and our lives are some sort of B-movie and he's the star. Revenge against whom or what exactly?

• Americans who owe $6,000,000,000,000 in new federal debt?
• 23,000,000 Americans who are looking for work?
• The heroes of Benghazi who tried to avert a crisis when pleas for help were rejected?
• The firearms provided by this president to Mexican drug dealers and used to kill innocent people?
• Our brave soldiers who continue to die in the Middle East in wars that were supposedly ended by fiat?

If your worldview boils down to revenge, I can't help you. But if you're a thoughtful voter, consider voting for a proven leader who understands the following:

• America is exceptional and can be a force for good in the world.
• Americans are good people who will voluntarily take care of themselves and each other if given the chance.
• The world is a dangerous place, full of people who hate us for our beliefs. In my view, you reject the haters, not our beliefs! (Apology tour?)
• You don't ignore the Constitution for convenience. (Fast and Furious?)
• The government serves the people, not the other way around.

I have said outside this blog that this is not the most important election of our lifetime. Thinking better, for my friends born after 1980, it just might be. Do we keep marching to the establishment drumbeat toward the well-lit 1,000-foot cliff that represents certain failure? Or do we try a new direction with someone who knows how to fix things and who cares about the original American ideals?

Vote well, my friends. Vote for love of country.

"In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children"

Chickens

This summer we had a pair of egg laying hens come to visit for the month of July.  We got them from RentACoop a nice little business that rents out chicken coops, hens and feed on a month to month basis, with an option to purchase. 
The kids were immediately drawn to the birds, with 2 year old Rachel introducing them to Daddy as "my chicken sisters."  Multiple chicken related names were tossed about, but the kiddodiddos quickly settled on Fred and George, after the Weasley twins from Harry Potter.  I was just as quick to point out that these were girls, not boys and insisted that they lengthen the names to make them more girly.  Fred and George morphed into Winifred and Georgina, but were seldom referred to by their longer names.  George was smaller and feisty, always giving a good chase for the kids.  Once Fred got to know us a bit, she would squat down and get ready to be picked up when we approached. 

Simon turned out to be the chicken master of the family.  At age 4, he was often seen running through the yard with a chicken under his arm, football style.  He chased them through the sprinkler a few times and he slid them down the slide once.  I only saw the end of the process (lots of desperate flapping) and discouraged him from doing it again.  He was always very careful to put them away when he came inside. 

Jonny (6) liked the thrill of the chase.  He invited a friend over one day saying "come on lets chase the chickens."   His friend readily agreed, but when Jonny was giving detailed instuctions on how to pick the birds up, his friend said "whoah.  I don't actually want to catch one.  I just want to chase."  I thought that was hilarious.  Jonny liked checking for eggs.  They each laid one per day.  Fred laid medium sized eggs and George  laid large ones.  Once he was peeking through a screen in the back of the coop and actually saw an egg coming out.  Exciting? Jonny liked to exclaim as he came inside after collecting "It's a two egg day!"

James (11) thought chickens were "awesome"  he did a fair amount of egg collecting and putting the chickens away at the end of the day.    He was comfortable handling the chickens although he didn't do it as nearly as much as the younger boys. 

Mia (9) didn't think the chickens were as good as a dog (what she really wants.)  She also resented them for pooping on her best friend  (the only casualty.)  She held them once or twice and collected eggs once or twice and helped pen them up during a storm.  She gets points for being a good sport for sure.

Rachel called them her chicken sisters at first and liked to be outside with them and share strawberries with them.  She got the clean ones from the patch, the birds got the buggy ones.  But then one day, she tripped when she was heading up to the top of the yard to see them and she blamed them for the accident.  (I was there, they were innocent.)  So then she said they were scary and stayed away. 

Gary, not an animal lover, did not seem to mind having the chickens around.  He helped move the coop into place and also helped drag the coop under cover in a Super Derechio or however you spell "land hurricane." He even picked up a chicken once and said it wasn't so bad.  He gets points for being a awesome husband and good sport about having animals on the property. 

I enjoyed having the chickens.  They were fun to watch from the window or the porch as they searched for bugs to eat.  They did that all day long, much to my delight.  There was a noticable decrease in ticks, spiders, gnats, bees, wasps and ants.  Only thing that didn't seem to decrease was mosquitoes.  They were soft to hold.  They reliably gave eggs.    They were quiet.  They encouraged the kids to spend time outside.    They were pretty low maintenance.  The coop needed moving every few days (to prevent poo build up/smells.)   It was on wheels so that was easy.  It needed scrubbing once a week, the kids helped with that, it was pretty funny watching them play rock/paper/scissors to see who had to scoop out the piece of poo they found.  James lost that one, but then used twigs as chopsticks to solve that problem.

I would have to say that having chickens was easier than I thought it would be and rewarding too.   I highly recommend the www.RentACoop.com experience.  Their chickens were incredibly gentle and friendly.  They tolerated lots of handling by the youngest kiddodiddos.  My friends who came to visit were amazed and said that the chickens they had as kids never would have tolerated handling like that.  These were just great birds.  If all chickens were this nice, I think more people would have them.    

Good Scout

James joined the Boy Scouts when he turned 11 years old and he is a forward thinking young man.  Tonight he proposed his Eagle Scout project (for those not in the know, google it, I am having a hard time coming up with an accurate 5 word description.)  His idea: installing dumb waiters in the homes of those who have not.  If your boy scout wants to steal the idea, let me know.  I'd love a dumb waiter. 

Mid Summer Update

Well, I don't often find myself thinking of blogging these days.  The middle of our summer is passing uneventfully.  We've played mancala, ants in the pants, cootie, don't break the ice, bang, labyrinth, and a few others I don't remember.  We toured a potato chip factory.  It was amazing to see potatos coming off the truck at one end of the warehouse and nice hot chips coming off the conveyor belts at the other end.  Wash, cut, fry, repeat.  It smelled really good. 
James' viola arrived in the mail this week.  I am excited for him to have a chance to learn a musical instrument.  I think he will love middle school. 
Simon is gearing up for kindergarten.  He is an excellent helper with the chickens and is very interested in learning to ride a 2 wheeler.  I was excited to teach a 2 wheeler when I am not pregnant, as has been the case in the past.  I was not counting on a helpful 2 year old who insists on running behind and holding Simon up as he tries to gain his balance.  Scary! 
Mia has really developped some great sewing skills through classes at the local fabric store.  She has made a pillowcase, an apron, a pair of shorts, and appliqued a cute t shirt.  She would like to make a dress all by herself.  She chose a pattern (after I insisted) and is looking forward to the day when she can wear something she made to church. 
Jonny likes playing with friends- he has had a lot of good  play dates this summer. 
Rachel loves to talk on the phone, sing songs and help Simon ride his bike (yikes!) She is funny, but don't call her that.  She will tell you she is not funny, she is cute.  I think she can be both.

We took the kids roller skating a few weeks ago.  It was tons of fun.  Gary and I were the only parents on roller skates at first, but a few more joined in.  This was the kids first experience and they were real troopers.  They skated and fell and skated and fell and skated and skated and skated.  Even Rachel got going a little.  James, Jonny, and Mia took to roller blades very well.  Simon did much better on standard skates.  Rachel did fisher price my first skates and that was just right for her.  Gary and I each took the youngest ones around until they got the hang of it.  At first, skating with Rachel was a bit like dragging a scarecrow around the rink, but she found her feet and had a good time.  Simon much had a similar experience on roller blades, but once he switched to skates he did great.  I felt like a kid again, it was so much fun.

A few days ago the kids started "The Night Night Club."  It's where they take all of the pillows and blankets and spread them on the living room floor.  Mia is the president.  Jonny is the national guard. Simon in the vice president.  Rachel is in charge of recruiting.  I am the secretary.  I think I have the best job because it is funny to write down what really happens.  First meeting: Jonny motions to remove Mia as president.  Motion is denied, but term limits of 1 year are established (this was a tough compromise between daily turn over and every 3 years.)  Next motion:Should the club do cuddle time or pillow fight?  membership voted 3-1 in favor of cuddle time.  (When James found that out, he determined that this was not the club for him. Rachel will have her work cut out for her as recruiter.)  Next motion: weekly schedule established, Monday cuddle time, Wednesday pajama day, Friday is trick day.  Meeting adjourned.     Only casualty: Daddy's pillow is no where to be found.  Sorry!  I promise we'll find it before you need it:)

The kids are all in swimming lessons, including Rachel.  I go in the water with her.  It's fun, but I am really missing seeing what the others are up to in their classes.  I didn't anticipate that. 

Summer Time

This summer, I set a goal to play more games with the kids.  The specific goal was to play one different board or card game each day.  3 weeks in to summer and I am not there yet.  Here's a list of games we have played:
Life
Busy Town
Apples to Apples (Simon can't read, but was just throwing in a random card each round and managed to win!)
Bang!
Set
Jumbling Tower (knock off of Jenga- buy the real deal, if you do- the blocks don't align well in the generic)
Elefun
Monopoly Jr.

Another thing I want to do this summer is find service projects to participate in.  So far, we helped clean up the landscaping at a local school (someone's eagle project) and help clean the house of a woman who had back surgery (the kids were pretty excited to be assigned the bathroom, if you can believe it.  All of those chore skills put to good use.)  If you hear of any family friendly service projects, let me know:) James has done a little free babysitting and Mia delivered treats to sick people with the Activity Girls.  Hopefully, we can all feel the joy and unity that comes with service. 

Jonny decided that he likes to do 4 things: eat, play video games, burn things (well, watch things burn, as in camp fires) and bake things.  As we have time limits on video games, he is twiddling his thumbs a lot.  And he is baking a lot.  5 dozen cookies donated so far, who knows how many consumed. 

Mia has decided that she only likes are amusement parks and vacations where you go somewhere.   This kind of reminds me of a kid I babysat a few times when Gary was in grad school.  When meals were served, she would politely decline, saying "I only eat Happy Meals."  Mia is taking sewing classes at the fabric store and has brought home some great projects so far- a pillowcase and a quilt/applique t-shirt.  She has a few more projects to go.  I hope she'll find some satisfaction in gaining a new skill. 

James has discovered the library's teen center.  He's not a teen yet, but he loves to sneak in.  So as often as he can, he goes to the library under the pretense of reading a great new series.  But really, it's the video games, every time.  He also went on a couple of over nighters with the scouts too.  How exciting!

Simon has read the first 4 Hooked on Phonics books to me!  I am proud of him for trying and proud of me for making time to do it.   He enjoyed a week of McGruff Safety camp where he learned all kinds of safety tips and how to drive a 4 wheeler.  (my favorite new saftey tip: for kids in 2nd or 3rd floor bedrooms, if there is a fire and you  are trapped in your room, open your window and start throwing your toys out the window.  The firefighters will see the toys right away and know where to find the kids.  The firefighter explained that the first thing they do is walk a perimeter around the house to gauge the situation and will find the toys and consequently the kids.)

Rachel has decided that it's time to act her age: 2.  She no longer likes the straps of her car seat and it's this "awesome" wrestling match when ever we need to go somewhere in a hurry.  She has also learned how to stretch "just a minute" to it's fullest extent.   She is in a big girl bed now and also sings and talks ALL the time. 

We rented chickens and for the next month, Winifred and Georgina will be wandering the yard, eatting bugs, laying eggs and delighting the children to the max.   Simon and Jonny are constantly checking on them and are especially fond of them.  They are good natured and calm and don't mind catching/holding. That's not to say that the others don't like them too- Rachel first saw them and said "OOO!  See my chicken sisters?"  Will it be heart break or good ridance when it's time to give them back?  Time will tell. 

We've met friends at the park each week (email for the schedule if you want to join in) and enjoyed the free movie offerings at the local theater.  That's a run down of our summer so far.  I'm trying to keep track for the kiddodiddo's sake, so they don't turn in another essay like this:
"We went to the store.  We went to the store again.  It was boring.  Next year it will be boring too."
Or, if they do, I can print this, to show the teacher I am not a shopaholic. 

Our Record-Setting Family

During the weekend, my family and I helped set a world record!

The record-setting kiddodiddos! Front row: Simon (blue), Rachel (pink), and Jonny (brown). Next: James (gray/orange) and Tracy (white/blue/purple). Next: me (my white/red/yellow Singin' in the Rain shirt; my head is absent).

We joined several hundred of our closest friends to attempt to set the record for the most people ever in one place to wear surgical masks at the same time. Our family appears in a photo gallery of the event. Our photo is #5 of 6 in the gallery. Or you can cut to the chase and go directly to our photo.

Everyone in our family attended except Amelia, who chose to attend a sewing class instead. It's her fun new hobby, which she enjoys so much that we gave her a sewing machine for her birthday. So while the rest of us got a world record, she got a custom decorated t-shirt. It was a fun day for all of us!