Walgging

I like to go walgging. I used to call it jogging, but Abe informed me that it was really more like fast walking, so he called it walgging. OUCH! I still think it is jogging- just slow jogging. It is true that I do not go fast-- but I do keep going! I am trying to get back into the habit of daily exercise. A nursing baby really throws me off for a while, but enough excuses.
I've been exercising in the morning, but I went in the evening tonight and it felt so good. As many of you know, I just don't do mornings very gracefully. A lot of people say they aren't morning people, but really--- I HAVE A PROBLEM!!!! Why do we homeschool? Because I can't get up in the morning. Just kidding- sort of.
Bethany and Elinor had their Liberty Girls club today and Clark went to play at his friends' house so I just had Faith and Cannon for a little while this afternoon. How fun for me! We went to run an errand to get our vacuum cord fixed (you can only go so long with a non functioning vacuum- and I went well past that time). Faith talked INCESSANTLY! I guess with three older, out-spoken siblings she doesn't have a chance to get her piece in as often as she would like. Well, she did today! I still have trouble understanding some of what she says and she won't stop saying it until I repeat back to her what she is saying. So I had to turn my rear-view mirror to be able to read her lips as well as hear her.

The Berlin Candy Bomber

Saturday morning I was reading the newspaper and saw a little announcement that the Berlin Candy Bomber would be at the Hill Aerospace Museum.
I lived in Berlin from 1983-1986 and remember hearing the story of the Candy Bomber. In case you aren't familiar with the story--
At the end of WWII the Soviet Union attempted a blockade of Berlin (located in Eastern Germany). They blocked railroads and roads leading into Berlin. The Allies airlifted food and supplies, dropping them to the beleaguered Berliners from airplanes.
One pilot became known as the Candy Bomber because he dropped candy in little parachutes to the children. He was quite beloved by the German people and his efforts went a long way in healing the relationship between The Allies and the Germans.
That is the story as I understand it. So I was very excited to have a chance to see him and for my kids to see him.
Abe went to a home school conference on Saturday so the kids and I decided to make a little day trip up to the museum. It was great. He talked to the children for about 1/2 an hour and then went up on a mezzanine level and "bombed" the children with parachuting candy. He gave an adult directed speech later on (which we didn't go to) but there were lots of veterans there who perhaps were fellow airmen with this great man. It was a great generation and I want my kids to have as much contact with them as possible before it is too late. The really bizarre thing is that that very morning (well before looking in the paper) I was snuggling in bed with the kids and telling them about East and West Germany and Berlin and the wall and the Soviet Union. I had gone to see the movie Valkyrie with my good friend, Rebecca, the night before and the kids wanted to know what the movie was about. I thought it was so interesting.

This was our first time time going to the Hill Aerospace Museum and I
CANNOT believe we haven't gone before! It was GREAT! I guess it's because Clark was always so interested in animals that we have hit all the zoo type places in all the surrounding states, but we haven't gone to a really fabulous (FREE) museum only 45 minutes from our house. They had a wonderful "Ace Learning Center" with lots of hands on activities for the kids. There were plenty of awesome airplanes from all different eras. I was especially impressed with the friendly volunteers at the museum. I highly recommend this museum if you live close around, but I also think it is a worthwhile stop it you're visiting Utah.

Elinor turns six!

Our Elinor is six years old! The lucky little girl got to
celebrate her birthday at Disneyland. We had a little
party for her the night before her actual birthday
because we wanted to get an early start the next day
and wouldn't get back until quite late. The party
consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for
dinner (we were tired of eating out) and cake and
icecream. And of course her presents we brought with us.
Elinor is such a joy to have in our family. She is hilarious,
animated (you've got to hear her retell a story or quote
someone), very peaceful, obedient, forgiving, SMART,
and a great friend to everyone around her. I feel very
blessed to be her mom.

Disneyland

Here is the day at Disneyland. The lines for the rides
weren't too long, but the crowds walking around just
about drove me crazy. It was Elinor's birthday so she got
in for FREE-- yea!!! something free!
She got to wear a special pin and lot of people wished
her a happy birthday. I reminded her that she should
say thank you when someone wishes her a happy
birthday. I guess so many people wished her a happy birth-
day, that by the end of the day she wanted to take the pin off
because she was "tired of saying thank-you". Hmm, rough life!

A break from the pictures

I'm going to take a little break from posting pictures from the trip and write about my favorite moment of the trip. We were driving back from a little beach excursion when Abe started talking about how much he loves going to the beach-- everything about it-- swimming in salty water, sand on his skin, the sun. I told him that I love the sound and looks and the air of the beach, but I don't actually enjoy swimming in saltwater or getting sand all over me. This led us to a discussion of our alter-lives--- that is, our fantasy lives if we weren't happily married with five children!
Abe-- beach bum, surfer dude. He would live on the beach, with a beach house nearby where he would go around half dressed all the time.
Betsy- I would enjoy being a biker babe. No, not a bicycle, but a Harley! I would travel across the country in a huge motorcycle gang, driving really fast on the open road.
Clark-- living in a Brazilian jungle hut all by himself with no people around. He would just study animals day and night.
Bethany-- Design really cool/ weird hairstyles and dresses.
Elinor-- (her's cracked me up, but maybe it was just her delivery) She said she would fly around in an airplane and where ever she went she would turn into that kind of person that lived there. I particularly liked her description of how she would physically change when she went to China.

Please share with me YOUR alter-life. You know, the thing you will never actually do, but you think would be really fun.

Wild Animal Park

Wild Animal Park was my favorite day. Clark
says it ties with San Diego Zoo for the best day.
The surroundings were gorgeous and it was a
really nice, relaxing day. I don't have any desire
to go on a real African safari, this was close
enough for me. We saw lots of animals roaming relatively
freely and we rode a train/tram around them.
Our family really enjoys going to zoos, so this was
right up our alley.

Fun at SeaWorld

Next stop was SeaWorld. There are things
you can seeat SeaWorld that you can't see
anywhere else. Trained dolphins and Killer
Whales are pretty impressive. The kids
loved touching the sting rays, but somehow
I held them somewhat responsible for Steve
Irwin's death. Nobody voted SeaWorld their
favorite thing we did, but it came in second
for Bethany.

Lego land pictures

If you like looking at pictures of other people's vacations-- then ENJOY!
If you don't--- I understand!