Kids and Cousins Galore

My kiddos have A LOT of cousins.  There were three cousins to play with at my brother's house, but then we started visiting Fox family--COUSIN HEAVEN!

Cannon and James were sharing the dinosaurs.  No easy feat when you are 2 years old, but they did pretty well.

Clark enjoyed binging on video games this past week.  This week he will go through a video game cleanse.   Detox can be rough and I will probably be public enemy #1 at my house for a few days.  I'm prepared.

Cousins at Samatha and Micheal's home in Spokane.

George was feeling the love from the older lady cousins.

Playing with Mike's and Marjorie's kids in the snow.  And there was SNOW-- but that's a whole other post for later.

Daddies and babies-- from left to right--Jesse and baby Asher, Baden and baby Sophie, Abe and baby George. 

Bethany and Julia.  I didn't see much of them.  But they get along so well and love each other.

Faith and cousin Eliza are "super best friends!"

 

Clark and Alexis.  I'm so glad Clark has Alexis in his life.  She's about the only girl who doesn't drive him crazy.

And it appears that they understand one another.  

Philip and Calvin and Abe and George.  Someday I'll put together a montage of pictures of Abe over the years holding all our different babies next to his brothers holding theirs.  There are A LOT of those pictures.

Thanksgiving With MY PEOPLE

All of my siblings and my dad gathered up at my brother's house for Turkey Day this year.  It was great fun and we all stayed together at Matt and Misty's house.  In this picture from left to right is Brigitta, Matt, Chip and me.  Chip lives in D.C. and Matt is in the Northwest, so our times of getting together are getting few and far between.

Grandpa led a Thanksgiving sing-in.  Grandpa brought his hymnals from home to assure that such an activity would take place.  Please pay no attention to the fact that Clark is playing his game-boy behind the hymnal.  As long as he doesn't try that trick at church.

I don't want to give any of Matt's turkey secrets away, but.... okay, twist my arm... I'll tell.
He marinated the blessed bird in a garbage bag overnight in a "solution" of apple juice, salt, honey, and brown sugar.  Then the next day, at the appointed hour, the bird was injected with a freshly mixed solution of apple juice and salt.  Cooked bacon was stuffed inside the bird and draped across the top.  Every hour or so there was a fresh injection.

And the feast was magnificent!  Perhaps the finest gravy I have ever had. EVER.  We want Matt to bottle it and put a smiling picture of his bald head labeled, "Matthew's Own".  This was gravy worthy of drinking straight--never mind about putting it on food-- just grab a goblet and enjoy!

George and Grandpa Cannon.  I believe my dad was quite delighted to have a fresh crowd to discuss/argue politics with.  It did get a little heated at times, and it is possible that names, such as, moron might have been used in describing another's viewpoint.
During one such exchange, Elinor tells my dad, "Can you please make your children stop fighting?"

My dad told her that we weren't fighting, just discussing.  He said we'd know if it was a fight if we were mad at each other when it was over.  We were not mad when it was over, so it wasn't a fight.  Nonetheless, we're not big arguers/debaters at our house, so I think it was a bit shocking for the kids to see grown-ups getting a little heated.  

 

Game time was a favorite of the weekend.  The game we are playing here is called Masterpiece.  They don't make this game anymore, but it was our family's favorite when we were kids.  It's all about collecting artwork and auctioning it off and buying it and there are forgeries involved and such.  We love it.  We also played Bang.  If anyone in Utah has this game and is looking for a game night-- CALL US!  We loved it.  

Takara and Faith got along quite well.  Brigham and Cannon did not get along so well.   There was senseless violence involved, but fortunately, both sets of parents handled things very well (I think), and there were no lasting scars--emotional or physical.  We couldn't get a picture of them together-- too risky.

Car Traveling Reviews

(This post was started on Wed. Nov. 24, but it's taken four sittings to complete it)  Sorry, I've been too busy playing on this trip!

Our 12-hour travel plan for yesterday turned into 18 hours, thanks to Mother Nature.  But no matter, we are here and safe and happy. 

 In this picture we are stopped at a stand still in the middle of the freeway for over an hour during a snowstorm.  There were a couple of jack-knifed semi-trucks up ahead.  

I am sporting an Elinor Fox original pipe cleaner headdress.  Word to the wise, pipe cleaners are cheap and very entertaining.  The girls made dolls, flower bouquets, and antenna.  

Next to a pig truck.  (A truck full of pigs).  There was a smell even during a snowstorm. 

There was lots of snow, lots of icy roads, lots of children, and lots of snacks.  Now it is time for lots of family, and lots of turkey, and lots of games, and lots of fun.
While we drove for many many hours yesterday, we watched several movies on our computer and listened to a couple of books on tape and several music CDs.  We have a few movies and CD that we all enjoy on car trips.  I will now share them with you.  Some of them I am a bit ashamed of-- you'll soon see why.  I must know what are your family's standbys on long car trips.

Movies:
KungFu Panda.  This is the best animated show because it is so funny to listen to, even for the folks in the front seat that can't see the screen.  We think Jack Black is hilarious.  This was our first movie choice of the day.

Curious George (the movie). This one is a favorite for the younger crowd and is particularly effective at soothing little ones after several hours in the car.  The music is groovy and sweet and even the older kids have to admit to enjoying it.

School of Rock.  This was the choice of the older kids.  I was sitting in the back with kids and cackling.  Funny, funny, funny.  There is a bit of language.  And although swearing should never be funny, it kind of was.

Books on Tape:
Beezus and Ramona.  For whatever reason, I've never read any of the Ramona books, but after seeing the recent movie, we gave this a try and we all loved it.  I thought it was so sweet and funny.  And since we have Cannon in our family now, we can more fully appreciate a child who seems to find trouble more often than others.

The Whipping Boy.  It's a good story with lots to be discussed and learned from, but we didn't delve very deep.  We just enjoyed it.

Music:
I'll just start with the most shameful one first.  My family loves to listen to the Sons of Provo soundtrack.  If you don't know what that is, I'd rather not tell you, because I am rather embarrassed that  my children can sing along to this somewhat irreverent, ridiculous music.  I don't know how much they understand by way of lyrics, but they especially like the lines, "Don't don't drink.  Don't even think about it.  Drinking stinks.  Stinky drink no doubt about it."  And I have to cringe during "Diddly wack mack mormon daddy".
I offer no excuse or explanation for us.  There is none.

Micheal Jackson's History (greatest hits set) album is great because every song is fantastic.  But it inevitably leads to a discussion about MJ's messed up life.  And then is there a need to justify why Abe and I like his music so much even though...

Civil War is a two disc set with songs from the play Civil War.  Clark particularly likes this CD.  It is beautiful and brings a calm over everyone.

But what is the very best soundtrack on a long car ride?
It is the sound of sleeping little ones.  The older kids are very interesting to talk with, but Cannon and George were the very most "interesting" when they were snoozing. 
 I'm hoping there will be several more posts soon sharing fun moments of our trip.  If you don't like hearing about other people's  travels, perhaps you should come back in about a week, and I should be done reliving our Thanksgiving memories. 

Traitors

We are renting a suburban for a few days.  Abe picked it up from the car rental place this evening.  It's nice.  Really nice.  And spacious.  Really spacious.  It broke my heart to hear my family transfer their affections so readily to another car. 

Elinor:  This is SOOOO nice, can we buy this car?
Clark:  This smells like an airport bus, only better.  (he meant this as a compliment)
Bethany:  This is a vacation just to ride in this car.
Clark:  This is a holiday within a holiday.

Where is the love?  Where is the loyalty?  Our minivan has been good to us.  Sure, it's a little snug these days, but come on!  After all it has done for us.  I'm afraid our minivan could hear my family speaking thus, and it will retaliate by breaking down right before Christmas.  That will teach us to cheat on our car.

Decorating Day

We did the majority of our Christmas decorating today.  When we return from our Thanksgiving travels, we wanted to be ready and rearing to go for the Christmas season.  I always have very mixed feelings on the day we decorate for Christmas.  It is a day when memories come pouring like a flash flood into my mind.  Memories of my childhood.  Memories of the years of my marriage.  Memories of each of my children as they are growing up.  

Our wonderful family-like friends, Barbara and Allison Sherman, have carried on a tradition that my own mother barely had time to get started before she passed away.  They give each child and Abe and I a Christmas ornament that represents each person that year.  They are immensely thoughtful in their choice of ornaments for each person.  The kids treasure their ornaments from years past and eagerly look forward to getting their ornament for this year. 

The day is somewhat bitter sweet as we unpack the stocking hangers and find the one engraved with our angel baby, Tessa's name on it.  I was about 7 months pregnant with her Christmas of 2004.  We were so sure of her name that we went ahead and got her a stocking hanger along with the other.  Now Faith gets to use Tessa's hanger each year.  The feeling rushes in reminding me that one of my children isn't here.  I'm not doubting the Lord's plan for us, but I still miss her. 

On a much lighter note, there is the sound track of the day to be considered.  For Abe, the only possible music to listen to while decorating for Christmas is the Osmond Family Christmas Album.  It soothes his soul and reminds him of his childhood Christmases.  It drives me crazy--the songs are sung in ridiculously high keys and with atrocious over-the-top harmonies.  No matter.  It is official part of our family Christmas tradition now.  Once we play through that CD 2 or 3 times we move on to Donny Osmond's more recent solo Christmas album, which Abe and I both agree is great.  We listen to that one about 4 times through before we've had enough. 

My own mother took Christmas decorating SERIOUSLY.  I think she won some city award once in Cedar Hills for having the most stuff  as far as yard Christmas decor.  I don't know if that should be an award or an accusation.  But to each his own.  In my home growing up, Christmas decorating day took ALL day and then some.  To me it was a nightmare.  I guess I enjoyed decorating the tree, but I didn't then, and don't now, enjoy having much stuff by way of decor in my house. 

It seems that the decorating was more Mom's idea than Dad's, yet he was a good sport and did the Christmas honey-do-list.  When I say he was a good sport, I mean that he did it.  Not necessarily with a smile, but he did it.  That's pretty good, when it's not something you really want to do anyway. 

For my part, I'm glad that Abe is usually the one leading out in the Christmas hoopla, because I might take my "less is more" philosophy too far and miss out on some of the fun due to the work involved. 

But I do recall some stress on Christmas decorating day.  And I'm sorry to say that we had some tension at our house today as we decked the halls with boughs of holly.  So I'm curious to know what your feelings about Christmas decorating day are.  Who leads out?  What are your feelings about the day.  I'm going to try out a poll on the blog for the first time-- be a good sport and cast your vote!  Look over on the side. 

Signs of the Times

I grew up in a family of four children.  Not humongous by some standards, but my dad was in the Army so we were moving every three years (on average).    I think having to move so often and cramming in to smallish military quarters would make a family of 6 feel very large.

I know (and enjoyed) the dynamics of a family of four children.  There are the older kids and the younger kids, but your family moves somewhat cohesively from one stage to another.  All the kids are young together.  There a a few years when the older kids are in school and the younger are still babies and toddlers and still home.  But the majority of the time all the kids are in school together.  By the the time the older kids can really appreciate movies/plays/dinner out, the younger ones are old enough to behave somewhat humanly in public.  By the time the older kids are headed to college and getting married and having babies of their own, the parents have had a long break from the rigors of little children and are finishing off their child rearing years. 

I haven't seen first hand how a larger family operates, I am feeling very much in uncharted waters. I have six children and am hopefully not done yet (I hear those gasps of shock).  Clark will be 12 next year, and as a young man and deacon, he will enter a new phase of life.  More outside activities, more intense school work, and more grown-up responsibilities.  Bethany will be 10.  She's become quite the little lady with her dance and music and her endless helping and nurturing of her little sibilings. 

Meanwhile, the babies keep coming.  And we love them and are grateful for them.  But later babies are still babies and are as much work as first or second babies.  They still cry, they still poop, they still love to be held and snuggled.  The workload keeps increasing.  The benefit is that we get so much stronger and patient, and more like who we want to become.  It is hard, but it's the whole point of life.

Fortunately, I enjoy the later babies even more than I did the earlier babies.  I am more relaxed with them and know just how quickly this baby time passes.  I treasure the times I can just sit and hold them and kiss them over and over again. 

The trick becomes meeting the needs of older people and younger people simultaneously.  Not focusing so much on one group to the exclusion of the other.  Some might argue that it isn't fair to the older kids to be held back in anyway due to the needs of the younger children.  YIKES!  Are you serious?  What kind of monsters do you think I am trying raise?  I think it would be beastly for older children to think that no one's needs but their own are important. 

I absolutely believe it can be done-- raising a larger family and still have spirits nurtured, talents developed, relationships strengthened, education forged, friendships built, communities enriched, and gospel lived.  It's just that this is new to me.

I have children in such different phases and I'm finding it necessary to super-prioritize, to make sure the most important things get done for each person.  There isn't time or energy for everything so during these critical years, we've got to take care of the needful things first. 

Perhaps the title of the post was misleading.  My original idea of this post was to make note of a few signs that my older children are indeed getting older and not little kids anymore.  Rather they are well on their way to becoming what I hope they will become. 

Little things.  Like when Clark and Bethany were looking through a National Geographic magazine and had their first encounter with real human cruelty.  The sadness in Bethany's eyes when she saw how horrible people can be to each other.

Like when Clark and Bethany were talking to one another as friends-- not just as siblings forced to live together and endure one another's presence for the first 18 years of their life.  Asking each other their opinions of people and things and events.

For so many years these older kids have felt like mere appendages of Abe and me.  Who'd have thought that they would grow up so quickly and become their own persons!  I'm so intrigued with each one of them.  I love discovering how they think and what motivates them.  I am quite enjoying them and look forward to watching them become adults. 

 

Aren't I Suppose to Be Getting Better at This?

Parenting.  I've been at this parenting thing for 11+ years.  I realize I have many more years ahead of me--in fact some days I cannot see any end in sight.  But I do have a bit of experience, and I would have hoped I was getting better as I go along. 

But here's the reality.

My baby won't sleep during the day and Cannon got expelled from nursery yesterday.  It was just the usual 2-year-old terrorizing of the other children and incessant crying.  If he is sick (physically) we aren't seeing any symptoms. 

This was Cannon this evening--REFUSING to eat any of his dinner.  This is a nightly occurrence.  I don't know what to do.  Yeah, I know there is the "feed it to them for breakfast the next morning--give them nothing else until they eat it" philosophy.  But I'd rather not go there.   This is his "Don't hurt me--I'm scared of you!" face.
No one has ever actually hurt him.

The pumpkin sheet cake for dessert wasn't even enough to convince him to try a bite of his dinner.  Stinker.

You know I'm not crafty.  I do think I'm creative, but not crafty.  Nonetheless, I made the girls these flower bows at a Relief Society activity.  So what that half the ward will have the same bows?  They liked them.  And note that the bows are all the same color.  Sisters can't argue over them if they are all the same.  I guess I'm learning a few parenting tricks as I go!

Okay, I guess this is kind of wrong, but I miss girl babies.  And besides, George is so yummy here.

We just started reading King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table.  Consequently, my formal living room was transformed into some sort of round fort guarded by knights.  I love to see how our family read-alouds seep into their play.
 

Leaf Party 2010

We've been playing a lot lately.  Too much by some accounts.  However, Saturday was our last opportunity to have our leaf party, so we went for it. 

The participants--tummies full of pizza and ready to play.

First order of business-- rake the leaves into a HUGE pile.

Then throw the leaves on anybody you can find.  Preferably on the boy or girl you hate/like the most. 

Finally, squeal with delight as you swing from the tree swing and land in the giant pile of leaves!!!!!  Doesn't that make you wish you were a kid again?

I got a hold of a rake and showed the kids my favorite childhood game-- raking the leaves into rooms and hallways and roads. 

The circular princess suite.

I feel that we have sufficiently enjoyed our leaves.  They have decorated my lawn for long enough.  Now they can just disappear until next fall. 
What?
You mean we have to rake them and bag them ourselves?  Bummer.

Confessions of a Grouchy Mom

About once a month I have a grouchy week.  I know this is nothing new to the world of women.  It doesn't matter if I'm pregnant, nursing, or "normal"-- once a month I'm convinced life stinks and I'd like to curl up in my bed for a few days, eat pounds of chocolate, and watch Jane Austen movies to oblivion.

Due to life's responsibilities, I rarely indulge in such activities (except the chocolate part).  But this is a week I thought about it a lot. Why have I been grouchy?  Call it hormonal, call it six children, call it an overextended mom, call it anything you want, but it was ugly. 

 I think it has something to do with these two.  This picture captured moment of peace between brothers, but the teasing of Cannon hit a frenzied pitch this week.   This big problem is that Cannon seriously dishes it out--hitting, biting, clawing, destroying property--, but all it takes is a scary face to send him running off screaming.  It is kind of funny, and I can understand why the other kids get such a kick out of such easy retaliation, but still.  It's not nice and it needs to stop.  The punishment?  Instant time-out for anyone caught purposely teasing Cannon.   

 

A tea-party with friends is great fun.  Painting is great fun.  Building forts with blankets, chairs, and pillows is great fun.  Reading books, drawing pictures, playing dress-up, all fun, fun, fun, and MESS, MESS, MESS!  

I love my kids, I love mothering them and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else, but some weeks are harder/messier than other weeks.  Or maybe we are just lazier some weeks to get the messes cleaned up.  I don't know.  I'm always torn between making peace with the mess vs. conquering the mess. 

Years ago Abe's mom gave me a little plaque with a picture of a mother pulling a child in a wagon with the saying, "Let the cobwebs gather and the dust bunnies grow, Your child will be grown before you know".  I'm sure this is true, and I do try to remember it.

I mean, stuffed foxes having a tea party of their own under the table--that is fun.  I especially like the flower in the gray fox's fur.  There is no reward for having the cleanest house on the block.  Now, I realize there is no reward for having the messiest one either.  But houses are meant to be lived in.  I love the kids having their friends over to play, and kids and play= mess.  My kiddos are pretty good about cleaning up when they are asked to without complaining.  So, I will now stop my complaining.  I will take one giant CHILL PILL and go to bed.
After all, tomorrow is another day and we have a leaf party planned.  We purposefully haven't raked our leaves yet because we had to wait for enough to fall to have a proper leaf party.  At a leaf party we get to rake the leaves into rooms and roads and pathways all over the lawn.  This was my favorite outdoor game to play-- I'm quite excited.  I hope there's no wind.  Eventually we'll have to rake them up for real, but there is much fun to be had first!

Have I Ever Mentioned. . . ?

 

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy these boys that come to our Kids' Book Club?  They have so much personality.  They are enthusiastic about everything they do.  I have a couple of them picked out as very appropriate marriage choices for my beautiful daughters.  I won't publicly announce who I have chosen as I do not want to jinx it.  I will just say, my grandchildren will be delightful!

Have I ever mentioned how glad I am that these gorgeous gals sit as far away from the boys at book club as possible?   It's only a matter of time before both sides (the boys and the girls) discover how interesting the other side is and then things get more complicated.  

Have I ever mentioned how loud a group of 12 kids playing hide-and-seek throughout your house can be?  My room is off limits, but everywhere else is free for the hiding in.  How do I feel about letting children, other than my own, hide in my linen closet and storage rooms?  It's a little embarrassing for me, because I'm not known for well organized closets, but they don't care,  Now, I would never let their mothers hide in my closets.  Heaven forbid they had any interest in hiding in my closets!

Have I ever mentioned how much fun it is for the kids and I to come up with activities to go along with each book we read.  This month was Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite O' Henry.  Come Monday morning (the day of the club) we still had a couple of chapters left and we hadn't planned anything yet.  But never fear!  We sat down to brainstorm and came up with the idea of doing an auction for our snack-- just like in the book when they auctioned off the ponies from Assateauge Island.  We headed off to the store to get our supplies.  Bethany was funny and was a bit embarrassed to be going to the check-out with "so much junk" in our cart.  

We made money for the auction.  Each kid got $20 to bid with.  I enjoyed being the auctioneer.

Have I ever mentioned how SMART kids are?  Some of them seriously thought through how they wanted to bid and were very wise in winning just what they wanted and them some.  A few pooled their money together and were quite a force.  Some kids were a little more impulsive and overpaid for just a couple of things.  A good learning experience.  But just like at a real auction (so I hear--although I've never been to one), bids are final!  No funny business!

 

Have I ever mentioned how much I like homeschooling?  I do.

Must Sleep NOW

I was a naughty mommy this afternoon.  I took a nap.

I don't mean a 20 minute cat-nap on the couch.  I mean a turn the phone on silent, lock my bedroom door, down for the count, half-a-night's sleep kind of nap.  Don't I have children I need to care for?  Why yes, I do.  That is why I was a naughty mommy.  I took George with me for my nap, but I let the rest of them fend for themselves. 
I was just SO tired.  Unnaturally tired.  Perhaps I have a little bug of some sort and I do feel a bit chilled, but not really sick.  And don't worry about me-- a monster nap doesn't affect my ability to get a good solid night's sleep.  It's a gift I have-- the ability to sleep.  Insomnia is not in my nature.

When I was a teenager, doing a 6 AM early morning seminary class every morning, I was constantly sleep deprived.  I would go to bed by 10 PM, but then if I woke up at 4:45, that just wasn't enough sleep for me.  I would eventually have a bit of a break down and get overwhelmed by life, my wise mother would comfort me by reminding me that I would feel better after a good night's sleep.  SO TRUE.

Now as a mommy myself, I can tell so clearly when I am behind on my sleep.  It feels like my world is crowding in on me.  Everywhere my brain looks, I see and feel life closing in.  Everything feels like a big, important thing.  I'll stress about a dirty floor.  If a child excitedly speaks of the upcoming holidays and how fun it will be, I feel unreasonable angst over what I need to get done to make it happen.  Little things seem really hard to get done.  Changing a diaper-something I do 10 times a day-- feels like a major chore.

This is how I was feeling today, so I took my mom's advice and got some sleep.  While the children didn't have a very productive afternoon, and I did hear occasional scream for help (which I ignored), I am feeling a bit better.  That being said, I'm looking forward to going night-night soon.

Bringing Out the Worst in Us All

The game of Monopoly brings out the worst in us all.  I've never liked the game.

 

But my children love it and they and Abe are going on 3 hours straight of playing.

In my experience with the game of Monopoly, it NEVER ends well.  Everyone is happy for about 10 minutes and then feelings are hurt and the tears start flowing.  They are playing a "Ranger Rick" edition.  It's all about nature, seasons, clean air, and furry woodland animals.  Don't let that fool you-- it's as cutthroat as ever. 

Actual verbal exchange at our house during this game of Monopoly:

Bethany:  (through tears) Dad, tell Clark to stop calling me a hobo!

Abe:  Clark, stop calling Bethany a hobo.

Clark:  Why?  She is a hobo!

What is that all about?  She must have lost some property.

Clark:  I have the overwhelming sensation of being a millionaire and being able to do whatever I want.  Like I can get out of jail.

What?  So you are learning from Monopoly that if you have money you can do anything you want and get out of jail?  Well, that is just great.

Blessed are the peacemakers who can't stand the conflict and so they just give their money to the upset parties.  I love you, Elinor.

Fair-Weather Fan

There was a REALLY big football game in Utah today-- the U of U vs. TCU.  It didn't go so well for the U.

There was a not so big football game in Utah today--BYU vs. UNLV.  It did go well for BYU.

Abe and I wanted the U. to win and we wanted BYU to win.  But truth be told, we probably wanted the U. to win it's game more than we cared about BYU's game.  BYU's season is already shot to heck, but the U. was highly ranked and it was probably the biggest game in the country this week (this is according to Abe--like I have time to follow such things).

Abe and I are unabashed fair-weather fans.  We cheer for BYU.  It is our school.  But if BYU is on a major losing streak, it doesn't really affect us.  Abe is almost relieved because it frees up his Saturday afternoons for house projects.  As long as  BYU is winning, he feels compelled to watch their games, follow their schedule, and check their rankings and such.  

I understand that these statements are very offensive to you loyal fans.  I'm sorry.  I actually have a quite a bit of respect for you fans who cheer for and support your teams come what may.  You are true and loyal and that is admirable.  Maybe I'm jealous of you.

I'm not sure why I'm such a fair-weather fan.  It certainly doesn't stem from my upbringing.  I come from a very loyal BYU family.  Is it a character flaw?  Perhaps.  I just figure, why should I get upset over something that I have nothing to do with.  If "my" team wins-- I didn't do anything to help them win, so why should I glory in their success.  On the flip side-- if they lose, I don't see that it's any reflection on me, so why should it bring me down? 

I'm not  trying to be a party pooper, and I understand that it is fun for people to invest in their team and the revelry of the sport.

We don't have cable so we couldn't watch either of the games today.  That's okay though because we've (as in Abe) have discovered it is fun to listen to the game on the radio and we (as in Abe) can get those house projects done while we listen.

Some people go past loyal, and get nasty in their fan-hood.  This doesn't actually bother me, either.  I guess that's part of the fun- to gloat when your team wins and hide from people when your team loses.

I have been known to say mean things to a man in my ward who wears a University of Utah tie.  Maybe I'm not as fair-weather as I thought.    Go BYU!

Sicky-Poo George

Abe was sick with a cold.  Sad.   But he's a grown man who insists on eating Halloween candy and Diet Pepsi late at night, so what do you expect?  He's better now.

Clark was sick with a cold.  Sadder.  He insisted on waking up too early in the morning to work on his school work.  He said it ruined his whole day if he got started too late.  Weird , I know.  Hard to blame him for being overly  responsible.  He's mostly better now. 


George is sick with a cold.  SADDEST OF ALL.  He is in no way to blame-- his own family infected him!   His eyes are all red and puffy.  He regularly sneezes four times in a row.  He is snorty and sniffly and drooly.  He's napping worse than usual, which means he catnaps for 5 minutes instead of 10.  He does like to be slathered up with Baby Vicks Vapo Rub and then wrapped up in his blankie. 

Three happy thoughts for my day:
1.  The advertisements for the grocery stores this week are full of sales on holiday baking items.  It's almost enough to make me excited to go grocery shopping.  Almost.

2.  I heard Christmas music for the first time of the season today.  I still think it is a little wrong to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving, only because then it isn't fresh and new come December.  It's a personal preference and I know Abe would listen to the Osmond Family Christmas album all year long, and yet we are still happily married.  But we indulged ourselves in the car today and listened to just a few.  I will now declare (early in the season, I know, to make such a declaration), what is the MOST OVERPLAYED, OVER PRODUCED Christmas song.  "Little Drummer Boy".  I liked it when I was a kid, but it bores me to tears now.  And quite frankly, I don't get the song.  Why is the boy drumming?  What does it have to do with shepherds, or the Holy Family, or stars, or angels, or anything?  And it just repeats over and over and over again.  Maybe I should go look up the lyrics.  Maybe I'm missing something.  But it just drones on.  I'm sorry to be so harsh, but there it is.  

Okay, I looked it up and I guess it makes a little bit of sense.  Just a little.

3.  After a while of listening to the Christmas songs, I turned the radio to something more worldly.  The song "Dancing With Myself" by Billy Idol was on.  I hadn't heard that song in years and it happily reminded me of  Youth Dances in California.  I wanted to go home and dance with myself, but I had sleepy, fussy little ones who needed naps.  Not a good time to dance with myself.  Maybe later.