Worth It

Last Wednesday I was rushing around the house packing my bag for a trip to St. George with our book club friends.

And I wasn't very happy.

There was a lot of work to do to get ready.  I thought to myself, "Why am I doubling my workload, just so I can leave the comforts and convenience of home for three days so that I can come home to double my workload when I get home to get life back to normal?"

Once we were all ready to go on Thursday I was quite tired and thinking-- is this worth it?  Why do we even bother to have fun?  It is so much work!  Then the car wouldn't start because the battery was dead.  The trip was not getting off to a good start.

But then we got there.   And I forgot the stress and hassle of getting to that point.  Any work it took to prepare for the the time we spent this weekend was COMPLETELY worth it!

We had such a marvelous time doing such a variety of activities.  I'm going to put up a whole bunch of pictures so that in the future when I am dreading getting my family ready for a trip I can refer to this post to remind myself THAT IT IS WORTH THE WORK for the opportunity for my family to build such wonderful memories.

THE SWIMMING.
There was so much swimming.  There was an indoor pool and an outdoor pool at the house we stayed at.  Swimming in the morning, afternoon, evening.  A lot of clothing and towels strewn about, but no matter.  No need to wash or comb anybody's hair.

The weather was beautiful-- very warm but not too hot.

THE BOYS

LIZARD HUNTING for hours on end.  

They probably caught more than thirty.  Most of them were released back into the wild.  But not all of them.  Lucky us.

They hoped to catch the "big one", and they got close, but they just caught the tail and the rest of the lizard got away.

MORNING YOGA with our professional yoga instructor.

Loving the DOMESTIC MEN doing the cooking, baby care, and dishes.

The PING-PONG tournament.  I love ping-pong and I don't want to brag or anything... but I'm pretty good.  Or at least I thought I was, and yet I got beat a lot.  But it was really fun.  I think I need more ping-pong in my life. 

FOOSBALL was fun, but not as fun as ping-pong.  But, come on-- does it really take any skill to be good at foosball?

One of our families moved to San Diego last year and the daughter missed out on celebrating birthdays with friends, so we had a group BIRTHDAY PARTY.

RENAISSANCE DANCING.  Fun for old and young!

FAITH and A.

I'd like to introduce you to my future son-in-law. 

Darling.

They were dance partners. 

ZUMBA in the morning with our professional Zumba instructor.  Note to self:  get some Zumba DVDs from the library this week.

PUTTING on the green.

An adventure through a SLOT CANYON.

Cannon was the littlest adventurer.

REPELLING.  Abe and I aren't very big outdoorsy/adventure parents.  So we were very grateful to have friends share the opportunity with our kids.

He was cute and snuggly all weekend.  And since I didn't have laundry, dishes, cooking, etc-- I got to snuggy with him a lot.

Time for FRIENDS who have played together since they were 3 and 4 years old.

And looking forward to wonderful relationships in the future!

Make Way For Ducklings

Do you know the children's book, Make Way For Ducklings?  Mrs. Mallard has 8 ducklings and she teaches them everything they need to know about being ducks.  She proudly waddles along through the streets of Boston as her fine feathered offspring dutifully follow behind.

We drove to St. George yesterday for a retreat with our book club friends (more on that later).  We made a couple of stops at gas stations for leg stretching and potty breaks.  I felt very much like Mrs. Mallard as I led my brood of well behaved little darlings through the aisles of the gas station convenience store to the back to find the restrooms. 

The trip got off to a very slow start yesterday.  We planned to leave at 1:00, and as you may know, when we plan to leave on a trip at 1:00--- it is possible that we might not get off until 1:15, but it will be with a great deal of shame that we didn't leave at 1:00.  If nothing else, we are punctual. 

As all 8 of us were strapped in our seats and ready to go, Abe tried to turn the key and... nothing.
Dead battery from leaving the car doors open so much.  We attempted a jump start with Abe's car and still nothing.  Blah.  Long story short, we called a guy to come fiddle with the battery and jump it with a magical box.  Hooray!  Three hours later we were on the road for a very uneventful drive down to play with our friends. 

The Fun Stuff of Homeschool

Last week we had our first Kids' Book Club for the 2011-2012 school year.  We have two book groups this year--- the 8-11 year old group and the 12 and up group.  The older group is the first Tuesday of the month and the younger is the third Tuesday.  The younger group will function very much like it has for the past two years, and will contain many of the younger siblings of the original group.  The older group will be heavier on the book discussion, but still have some fun as well.  Also the older kids will take turns leading the discussion and planning the games.  I've become quite attached to these kids and am so happy to have a few newbies joining us this year.

We read Across Five Aprils, a historical fiction about a farm boy in Southern Illinois during the Civil War.  We always read the book club books aloud and Clark and I really enjoyed it.  I think it was a little above the girls, but I purposely picked books that would be a bit more challenging for the older kids.  Clark was in charge of planning the game and a rousing game of capture the flag seemed the obvious choice.  They used the whole yard-- front and back and of course the teams were the North and the South.  Generals were chosen to head up the teams' strategies.

  The Rebs.  A formidable opponent.  Even though the boy in the white shirt is obviously the only one who knows how to stand at attention for a photograph.  He better know--his older brother is in the military.

The Union soldiers.  We had the numbers, but we we definitely lacked the speed of our countrymen to the South.  I don't know what overcame me when I requested if there was a spot for me to play as well.  What was I thinking?  It was really fun, but I am embarrassed to say that I was super sore for the next three days.  I tried some very gutsy maneuvers, got caught every time and went to jail more than anyone else.  And then when I was guarding our flag it was stolen and the South won the war.  Oops.  I guess I won't be invited to participate again.  Besides, I did trash talk some of the kids.

Another fun thing the girls are doing this year is "Lady Bug Dinner Club".  It is so simple, but I think it will be a wonderful thing for Bethany and Elinor.  We just got a few of our home school friends together for a once a month dinner club.  There are 8 girls in the club, but a couple are missing in this picture.  The idea is for each girl to have a turn planning and preparing a yummy dinner and hosting a dinner for her friends.  It's just once a month and the great thing is that it won't take much work for the moms to do-- just a dinner once a year and then the girls get to rotate around to the other houses for the rest of the year.  After dinner the girls can stay and play games for a while. 

I love activities that are simple, but are very useful in many areas-- this covers learning to cook, hosting a dinner party, practicing good manners, time spent with mom planning and preparing the meal, and fun time with good friends.  That is my kind of activity.

Bethany was our first host and she prepared turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy.  Why start small?
For a few years now I have had groups of kids playing over at my house.  Sometimes they have been all boy groups.  Much of the time they have been mixed--boys and girls-- because Clark and Bethany are so close in age (only 20 months).  But I haven't had too many times with just girls.  And let me just say that it was D-E-L-I-G-H-T-F-U-L!!!!!  Talk about cooperative, nurturing play.  As I washed the dishes I looked out the kitchen window and I loved watching the older girls grab the hands of the younger ones and run off together.  They played the same games as the boys--capture the flag, cops and robbers and such, but with a very different end goal.  For the boys it is ALL about winning and every man for himself.  The girls were so darling as they whispered to each other their plans and screamed with excitement.  They were having so much fun it made me wish I could go out and play with them.  But then I remembered I was almost incapacitated after the last game of capture the flag.  I decided to just wash my dishes. 

Ten Years Later

Yesterday Sandy City unveiled the "Hope Rising Memorial" in honor of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.   We didn't have much time yesterday but we felt it was important to take the kids to see it and to see the Healing Field.

I knew that there was one flag for each person who died in the attacks, but I hadn't realized there would be tags on many of the flags with details about each person.  It was very moving.  I wish we had taken more time to wander through the field.

This weekend we had Clark and Bethany watch a you-tube video about 9/11.  I had not realized that they had never seen footage of the towers being hit and fallen.  Perhaps that was a good thing since they were so young.  The only real connection Clark had was a children's picture book about a Frenchman who walked on a high wire between the two towers back in the 1970's.  It was time for a little more detail.

Ten years ago on 9/11 our little family was in a hotel room in Orlando, FL.  We woke up turned on the TV and the first tower had been hit.  It was so sad.  What had happened?  Then the second plane hit and it was shocking.  What was going on?  When the Pentagon was hit I felt real fear.  We were away from home and the country was being attacked.  Were we in a war?  Where would it end?  What else would be hit?   They grounded all the planes in the country.  When would we be able to go home?  I wanted to just rent a car and drive home rather than waiting to be able to fly home.  I was scared to fly. We went to eat at an Olive Garden the night of 9/11.  The entire restaurant was hushed.  People solemnly whispered, asking who had done this to us? 

After several extra days stranded in Florida, I was so happy to finally come home to Utah.  I admit I felt much safer here, protected by the Wasatch Mountains than I did on the East coast.  I was grateful to see my family and my neighbors and ward members.  There are several reasons that I don't particularly like traveling.  I know much of it has to do with my stage of life with lots of little people and lack of extra cash for such activities.  But I wonder if some of my travel anxieties stem from September 11th?

As we've watched some 9/11 special memorials on TV this weekend and heard stories of many of the heroes of the day, I am so impressed by the efforts and sacrifice of so many.  There is much bad in the world, but there is more good.  So many who did what needed to be done.
Today I think how thankful I am for my country and my family and my friends.  I will think of the gratitude I have for so many who daily put their lives on the line so that I can enjoy these blessings.

A Really Good Bedtime Story

This is a story that Abe has told the girls as a bedtime story for several years about a magical daddy-daughter adventure.  Then Bethany suggested that they actually DO the adventure.  Last night was the night.  Here is the story, in Abe's words, with my details in parenthesis. 

Once upon a time there was a father with three beautiful daughters, each with blue eyes.  The oldest with long blondish hair.  The youngest with medium brown hair.  And the middle was a beautiful brunette.
This father decided they needed to go on a special trip, just the four of them.  And so the day came where they drove in the car up into the mountains (Heber City, Utah).  Along the way they stopped to get treats.

 After a long drive they arrived at the hotel in the mountains that had an indoor swimming pool.
They immediately got in their swimsuits and had a fun time swimming.

After swimming they went to go have a pizza dinner in the town.

 After dinner they returned to the hotel for more swimming.

 Then they finally got in their pajamas and watched a movie together (Rio) while eating popcorn.  

It was very late when they finally went to sleep.  The next morning they awoke and went to get breakfast.

 After breakfast they checked out of the hotel and drove down the mountain a little ways until they got to a waterfall (Bridal Veil Falls).  They hiked on a trail up to the base of the beautiful waterfall.  (It was chilly so the girls put on all the clothing and pajamas they brought with them to keep warm.)

 It was a beautiful day.  After the hike they returned to their home, never to forget the super-fun, special daddy-daughter date.

I Live in Fear

I recently stated that I was not afraid of my children.

I would like to formally retract that statement.  
I am very afraid of my two youngest children--Cannon and George.  Cannon more than George, but really both of them. 
I am afraid of them when they are awake.  I live in fear when they are asleep that they will soon be awake. 

You don't have to tell me how bad that sounds.  I know.  But if you had heard the crying at my house over the past week (if you are a neighbor of mine you probably have heard the crying), you would understand how I feel. 

I wrote of a rather lengthy post a couple of days back about my current struggles with my two littlest people.  I complained about all sorts of things that were making life very challenging at the moment like teething and diaper rash, incessant crying, spewing baby food all over as yet another meal is rejected, whining, hitting, destroying property, peeing on the floor, putting things in the toilet that do not belong there, riding the tricycle to the neighbor's house a block away without permission (permission would never be granted to a 3-year-old anyway).  And to top off my reasons for mental and physical exhaustion--George who was very close to being completely weaned, did an about face and not only is he not weaning, he's firmly reestablished himself in the world of lactation.  I'm pretty sure that alone is wreaking havoc with my body and mind. 

Anyway, that was the gist of what I wrote about.  But before I posted I watched a music video that a friend posted on Facebook that was all about was a blessing it is to be a mother.  She was so grateful for her children.   

Oh great.  So then I felt guilty and exhausted.  Not a healthy combination.

And I deleted my complaints and tried to think grateful thoughts.  That helped my state of mind.  I ate some chocolate and went to bed.  That helped, too.

Tomorrow morning I will take Clark to his football game.  Abe and the girls will be off on a little adventure, so it will just be the boys and me.  I am taking a backpack full of toys and snacks to try to keep them pacified to I can watch a bit of the game.  But I'll just tell you, I am scared.  I don't think it's going to be pretty.   

Listen to me... I sound like a crazy woman.  How hard can it be to entertain a three year-old and a one year-old  at a football game for 2 hours?  Oh help!  I think I'm going to need to stop at Walmart and get Cannon a Spider Man action figure for leverage. 

Po Boy Space Camp

 We've had a project in the works for many months at our house.   It is finally completed and ready to be unveiled to the the world.  Introducing the U.S.S. Viper-- a space ship simulator available for space missions right here in our very own basement.  It is Space Camp for the poor boy!

This is the door (hanging black garbage bag) down into the basement.

Here is the view down the stairs.  

 At the bottom of the stairs to the left is the little room with the water heater and furnace.  It is also now the engineering room.  Here is the control panel for the engineer.

And here is where you can distribute power to different parts of the ship.

The post for the security officers. 

The main screen for the ship's main computer.

 This is where the Navigation Officer sits.

And the Operation Officer.

And more control panels for the ship.

And a place for the Captain.

A captain's log.  As you can see, it is very much like Star Trek.

Damage Control.

A LOT of work has gone into this project.  Hours and hours of work in the basement.  Which has afforded our family hours and hours of peace and tranquility.  I love the basement. 

And here is my number one favorite part of the ship.  This very old Polaroid camera has been turned into a retina scanner.  Once the Captain, and ONLY the Captain, has been identified, the shelf top unlocks. . . and

and reveals the red button to self-destruct the ship.  Of course this would only be used as a very last resort to protect valuable information aboard the ship.

A Saturday Lull

Clark is fishing with Grandpa.  Bethany, Elinor and Faith are off playing at a friend's house.  Cannon is puttering around the house.  George is sleeping.

Let us take a moment to savor this moment of silence.  I will celebrate by writing a leisurely post this afternoon.  Usually I post at night when I'm rushing to get to bed at a decent hour.   But now I can meander through my thoughts.

We don't get too many moments of silence in this house.  This house is constantly teeming with life and I love it and am so grateful.  I wonder how many times I hear "Mom?" on any given day?  It seems that from Clark down to George and everyone in between someone is always in need of Mom for something.  I am needed and I am loved.  I'm pretty sure that I will always be loved, but there will come a time when I am not needed quite so much.  My people are growing up.  It is actually happening.  I think that because we still have so many little ones it takes away some of the shock that the older kids are becoming so much more independent. 

We started school three weeks ago and I have always had some back-to-school envy about this time of year.   The neighbor kids and their new school clothes and backpacks and new teachers and classmates.  The moms celebrating their re-found freedom as they send their kids off to school.  The weight of home schooling has felt especially heavy around the end of August. I know that for school to start at our house it will require a great deal of effort and discipline on my part.  I have to emotionally prepare myself for the complaints that are sure to come from children about what they are required to do. 

But not this year!  Hooray!   

Back-to-school has been a marvelously smooth transition for everyone involved.  The kids are happy to be back to their schedule--as am I .  Clark and Bethany are both taking so much responsibility for their school work, jobs, practicing, and outside activities.  I am ecstatic!  I know there are ebbs and flows to family life and home school, but I really am thrilled with how they are getting themselves up in the morning and getting to work without me asking them at all.  Football practice every night of the week has consumed a lot of Clark's energy that might otherwise be used in resistance!!

Elinor and Faith are at the stages that need a lot of my time for their school work.  Elinor is the master of escape.  She'll never fight with me.  She'll never cry or complain or argue.  She'll just disappear.  "Elinor?  Elinor?  Where are you? Come here!"
She'll obediently come right back, but if you turn your back she is gone again.  I've been through variations of this stage with Clark and Bethany and I think 10 is the magic age for home school, when they finally learn that there is no escape.

Clark's tactic was rage.  "If I get mad enough then Mom won't make me do it".

Bethany's was sadness.  "If I cry and am sad then Mom will feel sorry for me and won't make me do it."

They underestimated me.   They didn't realize that I will not forget what they need to do. I am unmoved by tears.  I am not afraid of them.   I will find them (I know where they live).  And I will not quit until they get it done.  We are in the training phase with Elinor right now.  But she is particularly clever with her stealthy, peaceful tactics.  In addition, she is perfectly able to move quickly when she wants to, but you have never seen a child dawdle like Elinor can.  She is our Pokey Little Puppy.

I find myself excited for this school year.  We are learning together and still have plenty of time for playing together.  Three cheers for back-to school!