Snakes and Potatoes

In case you wondered, pouring expired dehydrated potatoes down the drain is NOT a good idea.  As I was running the water to wash them down and popped on the disposal, I thought no big deal.  Until I noticed the other side of my sink was filling up.  It was that moment I realized my snafu...  2 hours, a trip to home depot, constant snaking, a bottle of Drano, and lots of "no talking" and "No questions, I need silence"  the water finally runs through.  Also,  I think I hate potatoes.  My kids cheered, but mostly because I told them they couldn't have a muffin until I had fixed the sink.  

 

This is not the only time in my life that potatoes have gotten the better of me.  It is no secret that I have a larger list than most, of foods I do not care for.   As a child, potatoes were on that list.  I was creative in my younger years at making food disappear.  It went well beyond the spread-your-food to-make-it look-like-you-ate-more, and the old stuff-it-in-your-napkin trick.  No, this time I thought outside the box.  Grams was visiting that week and while cleaning up the table, noticed something peculiar on the floor beneath the chair I had been sitting in.    Snakes!    Upon further inspection, came laughter (thank goodness).  I had taken my mashed potatoes, lifted the seat cushion and stuffed them under it.  I can only assume I had planned to come back later and get rid of it properly.  I hadn't factored in that the chairs were wicker under that seat cushion... 

 

Just another day in paradise

bloody nose

covered in pond water

bruised and scraped but not broken

Sounds like a typical Sunday right?  Here's the story...

Church was only an hour this morning due to some ward boundary changes, and with Jason out of town we thought we would venture out. Jayce had a bloody nose before we even left, Jared's foot connected with his face in a game of craziness on the couch.  It was decided that we would take a bike ride to a park about 2 miles away.  Perfect day.  Perfect weather, perfect attitudes (almost) and no time constraints.  We fed ducks, fish, and even turtles.  It was while feeding the turtles that things started to take a turn...  Jared started to lose focus and right next to me, in he went.  There was a moment of panic in his eyes, and I yanked him back up on solid ground.  I started to laugh.  And then I couldn't control it.  I was trying so hard to be as concerned and stone faced as he clearly wanted me to be.  Sweet boy.  We stayed another hour at least and not a complaint.  He was soggy clear up to his chest.  Before heading home we rode to the back of the park.  I say park,  but this is not your typical park.  It's nearly 50 acres.  Some of the hills were calling to us to be ridden.   Doesn't quite qualify as a Sabbath activity.  And that's when unfortunate event #3 happened.   They all had a go at the hills, and after seeing how much speed was involved, I capped it at one time each.  Lainy's need for speed overtook her need to be obedient.  So, down she went, and then down she went. We checked her out and after making fairly certain nothing was broken, she picked herself up by her bootstraps and we rode the 2 miles home.  Now I need a nap. 

Everyday Lovlies

• L and JR who would rather read together during reading time in the evenings
• L singing poetry to JR, who loves hearing her as much as she loves to sing
• JY and L who both live so passionately and loudly that when they fight it's like an explosion, and when they laugh and play together its like fireworks.
• A home with screens to enjoy the weather
• Friendships.
• Flowers made from paper
• you teach, and teach, and teach,  and then finally they choose to learn.  And it's beautiful.
• Lessons that you know were meant as answers to prayer
• Spontaneous laughter- JR's in particular, it still sometimes comes out with complete wildness and no inhibitions.  I love it.  
• Halloween candy
• silence.

Let's pretend it hasn't been 2 and a half months since my last entry and jump right in.

JR never did have a birthday post from last month and my thoughts are on him tonight.  This guy is currently a bit toothless.  Two front teeth, gone.  And one or two missing from the bottom too.  I thought somehow his little face wouldn't be as cute without those teeny tiny teeth up front.  Boy was I mistaken!  He turned 7 last month. Yeesh.  JR has had a few funky habits the last year or so...

My sisters and I were out for a jog the other night, and one casually asked if JR had given up his "mouth stretching" habit.  He would always open his mouth really wide and stretch out his mouth.  It was weird.  Coupled with that, he was a lip licker.  Uh huh.  Red clown lips ALL THE TIME.   It bugged me to no end.  I tried the soft-kind-reminder approach, the you-get-to-choose-for-yourself approach, and the your-friends-are-going-to-make-fun-of-you approach.  Nothing worked.  Finally the angry-you-will-be-in-so-much-trouble-if-you-lick-your-darn-lips-again approach did the trick!  Then, with a giggle Shelley reminded me of his last years habit...

JR was learning to read last year and whenever he saw a word on a sign or paper he would "trace" it with his eyes and move his head in the direction of the "tracing".  He got so proficient with that, and the habit began.  He would "head trace" everything.  Then I realized he had gone from tracing to just wobbling his head all the time.  It was pretty funny.  And weird.  I tried all of the above tactics.  I cant remember why it stopped.  But it did.   My sisters and I had a good laugh when we coupled all of those funny JR habits together.

To my tiny,

I love you with every inch of my heart.  You make me laugh and know just the right moments that I need a snuggle or a kiss.  You are such a great friend and know how to keep us on our toes.  I love you tiny person.  Love, Mom

Are you crazy???

I'm SURE that is what many of you want to say when I tell you I have chosen to homeschool my 6th grader.  So far, I don't feel that way.  It came as much of a surprise to me when I entertained the thought late last school year.  But that stubborn little thought would not leave my mind.  So, I rolled it around a bit.  And the more I rolled it, the more snowball- like it became.  It was one of those things that after prayer, fasting, meditation, and temple attendance confirmed over and over (just to be sure I wasn't crazy) I knew I wanted/had to do.  Many steps over the course of the last few years have led me here, I just didn't realize they were headed up the homeschool mountain. 

It is a beautiful thing to research, study, and dig into the kind of curriculum you know your child will love.  And believe me, I have done my share of digging and researching.  It is astounding the kinds of resources there are to choose from!  Also, I must note: to the people who have been willing to take me under their wing and share their incredible knowledge and journey of homeschooling, thank you.  I would be lost without you. 

Today was Day 1.  And it was already so awesome.  This boy who does not have a love for learning spent 6 hours with me learning and we both loved it!  I know there will be windy days ahead, and I have no idea how long we will continue it, but if the Lord says it's a good thing, then we are sailing on! 

Winding down... and up again...

Phew!  This summer has been the fastest and fullest we have experienced yet!  I sure wish I had written it all down.  We spent a chunk of time off and on in CA visiting with my parents, going to Scottie and Jen Williams wedding, and just spending time with Jason when he wasn't working. 

Our final summer adventure was a camping-ish trip up north to Prescott.  Took a few tries to get there due to changes in work schedule, but we got there and set up in a beautiful camp location, pitched our tent and...

• spent hours trying to locate firewood (found some after dark!)
• hiked the next day to the lake, canoed and paddle boated out hearts out
• came back to find the van battery dead (thank you fellow camper for rescuing us)
• and a giant hole in the tent from Flapjack trying to get IN it
• while in town, the skies finally opened up and let us have it
• taught the kids how not to react well to the unexpected soaking of bedding, chairs, tent etc.
• spent the next 2 days vacationing my favorite way... in a wonderful (and dry!) hotel
• Hit the Sharlot Hall museum (AMAZING history museum of the area)
• Walked old town Prescott shops, love the artsy shops
• Settled in with the old folks for music in the park, & our very own solo dancer (near strip tease) center stage. 
• Drove around aimlessly looking at houses to replace our current inferno, but didn't fall in love with the place. 

And today we started school!  Which is another post...

A Child’s Prayer

You never can tell which experiences will have the biggest impact on your child's life.   Apparently, whale watching is a biggie for Jared.  A few weeks after the experience, he started letting me know he was not a fan of boats, and could we please not plan on going on another boat.  Ever.   It began to keep him up at night, and then he began dreaming of it.   Poor guy.  We have talked extensively and on numerous occasions about boats and the water.  It seems it is the instability of the boat that causes him stress.  He has taken to asking if he might sleep in my bed, or can’t fall asleep for hours after bedtime.  Last week I had him start sleeping with a pillow that smelled like me for comfort.   Tonight I was sitting relaxing watching a show, and he meandered in and handed me a teeny stack of papers stapled together.  They read, “Mom, I ned too toc too you.”   He climbed up in my lap and we had another discussion about boats.  Did he ever have to go on a boat again?  No, not if he didn’t want to I told him.  Even if he didn’t go, would I go ahead on a boat without him?  Yes, I told him I would.  That I liked boats.    Later, in the kitchen I could see him sort of circling the area, seeming hesitant but needing more communication. 
JR- “um, mom?”
M-“Yes?”
JR-“so, if Jesus helped someone…  can they talk about it?”
M-“You mean are they allowed to talk about it if He helped them?  Of course, yes.”
(relief, and entering the kitchen fully now)
M- “Did he help you?”
JR- “ Yes, I was really scared the other night to go to sleep, and I said a prayer that Jesus would help me.  And mom, He did!”
I know this is a long story to get to such a simple ending, but my tiny person has always been close to his Father in Heaven.  His prayers from the time he could give them, have been detailed and heartfelt.  He is never one to be a repeater, he has always know to whom he is speaking while in prayer.  So when he told me that Jesus helped him.  I knew how very real that answered prayer was.

Unfinished sentence

I’m not a believer in coincidences.  Only in missed opportunities to realize a blessing.  There are undoubtedly an incalculable  amount of times I have missed out on said blessings.   This weeks blessing was a blog post I read and for the life of me,  I can’t find it again, but it was about a mother who shared her thoughts on yelling at her children.  And the day she realized that she would have missed out on an opportunity that changed the relationship of her and her son, had she succumbed to the urge to yell at him to get back into bed for the umpteenth time.  

Bedtime isn’t usually a smooth ride around here.  Most of time I am on my own, and it’s not a full bucket time of day.  Tonight was no different,  and by the time Jared had gotten out of bed I had:  given each an extra sip of water, revised homework only thought of once a head hit the pillow, answered questions of thumb sucking, wiped a few tears, answered a handful of questions that could have waited until morning, and volunteered to finish coloring a project due the next morning.  So when Jared shuffled into the kitchen as I was finishing dishes, I nearly snapped for him to get his hiney back in bed.  But that little voice in my head shuffled through and pulled out that don’t yell at your kid reminder, and I was blessed to hear, “Mom?  Can I tell you a sentence and you guess the end?”  Sure kiddo.  “Mom, I love you more than the ….”  Stars in the sky?  “No, I love you more than the more than the galaxy.”  I wonder how many of those beauties I have missed out on.  Love you more than the galaxy too my Jared.

Virtual rooftop

I love my husband.   I believe I tell him often enough, but I haven’t ever shouted it from the rooftops.  If you have spent any time with us, you notice that he and I go together like a sharpie marker and the hand of a toddler.   They can be a disastrous combo, but can be very,very fun and creative times.  I am not one to pretend that my marriage is bliss and frolicky.  If you have one of those, here’s your star because you are unique. 

Now, onto the more positive spin of this post.  We are coming up on the celebration of 12 years of marriage.  I am so INCREDIBLY happy that I married this man.  He is the love of my life and exactly what I need and want for forever.   I love to laugh at and with him.  And thankfully, he feels the same way.   He makes me want to be a better person without guilting me into it, or parenting me.  He is an amazing father and husband.  Consider this my rooftop and imagine I am shouting it.  I love you husband of mine.

California Blitz

We spent our spring break in California with my family.   I do believe that it was the first trip there in a few years that all 5 of us were healthy and present.   Jason had some time off work and was able to spend it with us.  While I miss having tiny people around, there are many benefits to children getting older.  One of which is road trips.  They were a dream both trips.  Day one we hit the Santa Barbara Zoo.  It was a beautiful day and most of the animals were feeling showy.  We had been there before and had had a photo op in this very spot, but this time I read the fine print…  At the bottom of the sign it reads,

“It is generally agreed that Great Apes and Man have common ancestors, but Man and Apes went their separate ways about 15 million years ago.  Therefore, you’re not a monkey’s uncle, but only a distant cousin.”   

I’m not sure if the person who was in charge of that sign just wanted a good intro to fit the his monkey’s uncle joke, or really does think we generally agree!   

Day two we stuck close to home, the kids went swimming (in a heated spa) and then took up canoeing. 

Day three was my favorite and most hated day of the week.  As a kid, I remember going whale watching with fondness.  We never saw a whale then, but I loved being on the boat and watching the dolphins race along side it.  Such was our experience on this day…  The captain announced shortly after leaving the dock that once we got going that there would a chance of spray up and over the front right side of the boat.  The kids quickly realized we were standing in that very spot.  With elation, they planted their feet. Within minutes with shrieks of joy and laughter, the chance of spray became their reality.   It was a wonderful trip, we saw beautiful birds, seals popping their little heads up to check us out, and a huge pod of dolphins darting all over the place acting as if they were playing along side the kids.  There was a tiny and short lived sighting of a grey whales tail and spray.  We made it out to Anacapa island, which is a large rock island with a whole lot of nothing much to see. There were a couple of volunteer ocean preservers on the boat and they were a wealth of knowledge.  We had been out about 2 hours and even Jason had held up well with sea sickness.  Then we had about an hours ride full speed ahead back to shore.  With the turning of the boat, came the turning of both the weather and my stomach.  I’m sure we were a green and shivering sight to behold as we stumbled off the dock that afternoon. 

That evening we had the opportunity to go to see Return from Planet Earth with the kids.  My parents work with the young single adults at church and were told there was a proposal planned right after the movie.  It was pretty fun to watch it all unfold. 

Leo Carrillo Beach was our pick of the day Friday with it rock climbable shoreline and potential for tiny marine life.  It’s where Jason and I had our engagement pictures taken and also many many childhood memories are from.  While we frolicked the day away at the beach, the men were busy at home hacking away at my parents beloved but rotting tree in the front yard.  Only minor injuries were sustained. 

That night Jason and I had dinner with my dear friend Scottie and his (adorable) fiancé Jen, to whom he had just proposed to 2 hours earlier!  Nothing like two young newly engaged couples in love, to remind you that your old! (But still very much in love!) If you are ever in Ventura, I highly recommend the place we ate at, Milano's Italian restaurant.  So yummy. 

Saturday was spent with my always entertaining brother Jess and his sweet family.  We made pizza while pretending to be real Italian dough throwers (we were surprisingly accurate- Tami? Shall I share the video?), raced on tiny bikes, and snuggled and loved on their two little angels. 

Rounding out the weekend, we attended church in the wrong ward, made delicious brownie pazookies, and played an evening of cards.   Phew!  I’m still tired just thinking about it all.

The dog ate my…

Lainy is toothless these days.  I can’t really say she looks adorable without both top teeth.  She resembles more a vampire when she smiles.   It took a few different tries to get that stubborn tooth out, and today I knew it had to be the day.  I was tired of seeing that tiny tooth twisted, turned and dangling from her mouth.  After some crying and the pain subsided, she put that little tooth in a small Ziploc bag.  Her bedding was in the washer, so she just left it on her bed until her pillow was back in its place. 
Fast forward 3 hours…
Upon returning from a movie outing, I heard a panicky voice exclaim, “where’s my TOOTH?”  On her bed there was the little bag, minus the tooth with a tooth sized hole in it.  And Flapjack leaving the scene of the crime. 
Yup.  The dog ate her tooth.  I still giggle when I think about it.  Lainy’s response was NOT that of humor, but of betrayal and anger.  She physically shoved the dog out of her room (he loves to sleep in there) and cried.  We sat and talked about it as I assured her that the tooth fairy would understand, and that it might not have been the first time this has happened.  Lainy started to come out of her tears, catch the humor of it all and said, “Well, I guess he really wanted a bone!  Get it?  Cuz my tooth is a bone?!”   A memory that won’t soon be forgotten I think.

Pinewood Derby Journey

We are not lumped into the group of cub scout families who spend weeks preparing the wheels for a pinewood derby car,  many late nights perfecting the weights and finally the paint job.   Jason spent a weekend cutting and painting  Jayce’s car and I said I would finish up putting the wheels on before the weigh in the next week due to his leaving for California… 

Conversation between Bro. Vance (Pinewood Derby Professional and seriously awesome guy) and I, as I dropped off Jayce’s car 3 nights before the race. 

Me:  There you go-

Bro. Vance:  Looks good! (picks it up) Hm, it’s really light.  Did you put an weights in it?

Me: Nope, just thought we could slap some on the bottom. 

BV:  (He has a very calm and kind voice) Oh…  Ok… Hmmm.  So, there are no weights in it at all?

Me: Nope.

BV: Ok, we can work on that.  (He spins the wheels a bit)  Sooo, how did you prep the wheels?

Me: Umm, prep? 

BV:  Did you do anything to the wheels?  How did you put them on?  (as he turns over the car and his eyes get wider)

Me: I just took them out of the box, tapped ‘em in with a hammer and then stuck some wood glue on there so they didn’t have a chance to fall off this year.  (yes, we lost a wheel in the past.  I can’t imagine how that happened…)

BV:  (lots of quiet and kind small hims and haws…)

Me: It’s ok,  you aren’t going to hurt my feelings.  What do we do?  (I’m laughing and nearly crying at this point)

BV: Well, I’m just worried I can’t make a car slow enough that this will beat it… (he made a smart car to lose, it was sweet.) I’m not even sure if this car will make it all the way to the end of the track.  I’m surprised the wheels roll at all.  (As he rolls it across the counter)  One of the wheels doesn’t even touch the ground.    He finally starts to laugh. Loudly.  And says well,  what’s Jayce doing right now?  (7:30pm)

They started over completely.  Jayce spent that night until 10 pm and the next afternoon through 9pm in Bro. Vance’s garage creating a new derby car.  And it was awesome.

(Even though I did use silver leafing paint for the stripes and mod podge on the reject car)

In my world everyone’s a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies…

At Breakfast…

Lainy:  Mom? Can I bring an ear cleaner to school today?

Me: Um, a Q tip?  What for?

Lainy:  Well, my friend… well, whenever I talk up close to him, I can see all that itsy witsy chunks of gunk in his ears. 

Me: (laughing) sure Lain, but you might need more than one. 

I love that she is such a good friend.  Heck, if I had a friend who needed a lesson in ear cleanliness, I might just avoid them altogether.  And I have no doubt she will be kind when she hands over the Q tips.  If we could all have a friend such as this.   Ha! 

Another loving Lainy moment this morning.   After a little giggle at the ear convo, Lainy made a face and noise she tends to make when she feels a bit awkward.  Jayce pegged it.  It’s exactly like this:

Katie from Horton hears a who, if you are confused.  SO FUNNY.  Love my tinies.

Of stinky things

It has been a rough week in our house.  Asthma laced with colds and whining.  I tend to panic when a child cries due to pain and discomfort.  My knee jerk reaction is to figure out what to give them to make it all go away.  Essential oils really REALLY have worked wonders.   (except when I spill half of a $30 bottle and mutter the word stupid under my breath until the desire to swear passes…)  But this week it has been a combo.  Modern medicine is a blessing we could not live without in this house. 

My Jared has been hit the hardest and last night the earache started.  I of course had been putting Apple cider vinegar/vodka mix in his ears, but this was no ordinary ear infection…  I came in to check on him a few minutes after I put him in bed last night and he was sobbing into his pillow holding his head in so much pain.   I couldn’t even touch the top of his ear without it hurting him.   A quick Google search sent me to Sprouts for garlic oil.  I just stuck a tack into one of the capsules and squeezed it right into his ear.  He went to sleep and this morning…  nothing.  He grabbed his ear wiggled and said it didn’t hurt AT ALL.   I did a little dance.  And said a little prayer.  So grateful for a Creator who thought even of our little ears. 

With so much yuck going around, there has been an absence of  humor and happiness around here.  Thank you Lainy for changing that this morning:

Mom: So, how’s things with Sidney at school, still good friends?

Lainy: Oh, yes!  We love playing together.  We play Don’t touch the cheese, and Black out. 

M: Um, Don’t touch what cheese?

L: Stinky cheese.

M: Where is there stinky cheese?

L: Oh sometimes in the lunchroom, sometimes on the playground if someone left it there.  I hate touching it. 

Can’t blame you there Lainy, can’t blame you there…