February Happenings

While Peter was sequestered upstairs with his sickness this week, life continued downstairs.  We hosted our kids book club for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  Not really a kid's book, and most of the group didn't get all the way through it.  I can't really blame them, and if I wasn't hosting the club, I don't know that we would have persevered all the way through.  But we made it.  And today, while we are all convalescing at home, we are watching the old Disney movie.  

It is so marvelous to have book club on a sunny day in February.  

Want to hear good news?  We're almost half way through February.

Shooting at innocent sea creatures for one of our activities.

Cute sisters of a few of the Cub Scouts in our ward at the Blue and Gold banquet this week.  I am a den leader for the Wolves and Abe just got put in as Cub Master.  I guess with three little boys ages 2-8, we're likely going to have a good long run in Cub Scouts.

Since Abe no longer has Young Mens' on Wednesday evenings, he and I and Greta took a little trip downtown to check out the progress on Prototype X's robot for FRC.  It always feels so adventurous going down into the sub-basement of the Leonardo museum.  

The oldest and the youngest.  They quite like each other.

The yellow plastic shield is for eye protection when they are welding.  

Elinor was overcome with joy this week to be invited to be a programming intern for the last couple of weeks of the FRC build season.  The current programmers are both seniors and it will be good for Elinor to start learning what she hopes to be doing next year.  

SHE LOVED IT!  She came home on cloud nine, like she had found her true calling.  

Yesterday was a very long day with the FIRST Lego League State Championship, but Clark's day wasn't done when we got home.  He gussied up and went to the high school sweethearts dance with a gal named Annie.  She looked stunning! and I loved her dress!

Clark said it was a lot of fun and they looked great together.

I think he's due for a nap this afternoon.  Let's all take a nap this afternoon.

My sister's second child, Brigham, was baptized last weekend.  It was nice to be together and especially nice to have my dad and Bev come into town for the event.  They are back up in Washington for a few more weeks helping with my brother's family.  

You Make Me Sick!

Oi Vey!
The sickness afflicting this house the past week is bad business.  Sadly, it wasn't the kind of week we could just cancel everything and stay home.  If you don't hate us yet for infecting you, you probably just haven't spent much time around us!
This is Peter and I visiting the Dr. earlier in the week when he had high fevers.  A solid week of fevers.

He was lethargic.

It was just too hard to do anything.  Along with the daytime sickness came terrible sleeping.  SO TIRED!

The first step of the stairs is his favorite spot to lie down and drink a sippy cup.

There was a fair amount of television watched this week.
Okay, there was a disgusting amount.

So, you get the idea.  Everyone seems to have been afflicted in some degree.  Here is the family listed from sickest to most well.
Peter-- near death
Greta-- very, very sad
George--worrisome cough, bad parent award to take in public
Faith-- sick and napping one minute, flipping on the trampoline the next
Elinor-- typical cold symptoms
Cannon-- cough and sniffles, could avoid detection in public
Abe-- finally succumbed today and severely sleep deprived.
Betsy-- minor sniffles all week, mostly suffering from lack of sleep
Clark-- headache last night
Bethany-- not sure, think she is avoiding the rest of us.

Greta started with the fevers a night before last.  I got up as Greta was fussing and moments later this is the scene I came back too.  Greta asleep holding her daddy's finger.  So sweet.

He is, indeed, a nice daddy, playing Duplos with Peter.

Here's to a healthier week.

Rex Go

George took a long nap on the couch yesterday and the extra sleep must have put his brain into overdrive, because he stayed up late last night creating a new game he called, "Rex Go".

Both Abe and I got a turn to test out the prototype this morning before church. 

It was pretty fun and I will say I was pretty impressed with all the different elements he had thought of.  The funny thing was it was pretty much impossible to beat George at his own game because he could change the rules mid-game to benefit himself. 

And then he'd give us this look of triumph when he'd kill off one of our guys.  He'd say something like, "Well, that's how it goes sometimes!"

I played with George first, but I was clearly too concerned about the rules.  Abe played with him next and he was a lot more fun.  This is not news to me.  Abe is always more fun than me and I'm totally good with it.  It relieves any unnatural pressure I might feel to be more fun. 

I wish I had more insight to share as to the origin of the game title, "Rex Go". 
When I first heard it I thought of "Rex Kwon Do" from Napoleon Dynamite.  Upon further questioning, I do believe that might actually have been the inspiration for the title of the game. 
Oh my, the incessant movie and tv show and comedy sketch quoting in this house has really spiraled out of control.  And I can't entirely blame the children.  I find myself thinking and speaking in "quote". 
We sure do enjoy each of these interesting little people!
I must say, this is markedly better thought through and interesting than the lame Candy Land type games I made as a kid. 

The Good Life

Bethany recently got a cute new hairdo.  She is fast approaching her 16th birthday.  She is working at Papa Murphy's Pizza.  I love to hear her practice her violin as I do housework-- it's the best possible soundtrack.  Someday when she no longer lives at home I will miss the sound of a violin.  I suppose one of the younger kids will have to take it up!

Bethany and I had way too much fun going to see Mama Mia! with Andrea and Raven last week.  I've had Abba songs in my head ever since.

A father/daughter picture the day before the haircut.  She really struggled to decide whether to go for the chop or not. 

And her long locks were gorgeous, but change is healthy and hair grows back!  Besides, I think her new look is absolutely adorable on her.

Cute little Faith and her cute little Greta.  As much as Bethany and Faith looked alike, Faith and Greta may look even more similar.

Here is a picture of Faith just a little bit older than Greta is now, wearing the same little outfit. 

We have had sickness passing through our family.  Greta was first, then Abe, and now Peter have been the most severely afflicted. 

A lot of women joke about men turning into total babies when they are sick, but that is in no way the case with Abe.  He keeps going and working and I have to beg and plead for him to just go lie down and REST!  This was after a full day of activity while sick and he finally slowed down and got warm.

Peter has been the worst hit and has had a high fever the last couple of days.  In lots of ways Peter reminds me of Clark as a little guy.  Like Clark, Peter attaches to things and carries them around with him all day.  His absolute favorite toy is his little yellow dump truck.  He got it for his birthday in August and still has it!  That is some sort of miracle!  His second favorite is the stuffed lizard toy.

Clark and Cannon teaching George the favorite game of Heroscape.  This is a good thing because when Clark leaves, Cannon will need a buddy to play it with.

We Like Our Cat

What can I say?  We like our cat.
If you recall, we got "Holly Berry" a week before Christmas and everyone in the house quite likes her.  One of our favorite things is finding her in bizarre sleeping positions. 
And now I'm one of those people taking pictures of their cat all day. 
I don't care!  I like her!

She has two favorite locations for sleep.  Abe's side of our bed is her most frequent napping place. 

The other is on top of one of Clark's pet snake cages.

She thinks pretty highly of herself.

She is very patient with the kids.

I like her striped legs.

This one is my favorite.  She is hanging her head upside down with her arms hanging back over her head while laying on Faith's lap. 

A little closer up.

So there you have it.  Our very attractive, very sleepy cat.

Abe Turns 42

Abe began his birthday celebration last Sunday evening when our wonderful friends, the Chase family, came over to serenade him with a compilation of Osmond family hits, and gave him a CD of greatest hits.
Why not?
You see, Diana (on the left) is Abe's buddy in the tenor section in ward choir.  They do rather cause a ruckus, but they have a great time.  She found out that Abe's favorite Christmas music is the Osmond Family Christmas album, which also happens to be one of my least favorite!  Anyway, knowing of his love for the Osmonds, they worked up a little number and it was great fun.  We love the Chases.  It's not every friend that will sing the Osmonds for you!

On the evening of his actual birthday we got some dinner together and then spent the evening at a private rock concert!  The band sang him happy birthday and we partied just about as hard as we ever do!  Not saying too much, but it was something.  Actually, it was super fun.  Dave Young is our good friend on the drums.

I guess we partied so hard it set off the fire alarm in the City Creek building-- firetrucks and everything!  It wasn't too long before we could all head back in and all was well.  I don't know why Abe would be giving a thumbs up when a fire alarm is causing everyone to evacuate a building.  I guess he's just a positive kind of guy!

Heading down ten flights of stairs.  

My shame is that my legs were genuinely sore today after going down so many stairs.  Heaven forbid if my life depended on getting myself up that many.

This picture was taken last Sunday morning when the little kids came into our room for morning stories with Dad.  He tells them stories with their characters:  Faith is Fire-Girl, George is Laser Dragon, and Cannon is Dark Bot.  Altogether they are "The Fearsome Three". 

Peter wasn't there for this story telling, but his name since his infancy is Stink Bomb.  Stink Bomb, as it turns out, only makes occasional appearances, and yet he is somehow their mysterious boss-leader.

Little Greta looking pretty for church last Sunday.  That evening she came down with a fever and had a sad cold for most of the week.  She's on the mend now.  Even in her discomfort, she's been a doll!

Warning:  This is the first of many Greta pictures to be shared.  I can't help myself.  

As I wished Abe a happy birthday, I confessed that I hadn't gotten him a present.  Not an unusual occurrence in our marriage.  Mostly, we just like to have a date together for our birthdays.  As usual, he said he didn't want anything.  Then, like the wonderful father he is, he expressed his gratitude to be at this point in his life; that we are happily married, and have all our children here on earth, plus our angel baby Tessa.  That is his gift.

So here is my simple gift to Abe-- a few pictures of our kids as of late-- to look at and enjoy.

Cannon has discovered Harry Potter and he can't get enough.  I'm reading them aloud to the kids, but I can't keep up with Cannon's demand.  

 

George was excited that the house was actually picked up enough to get out the Snap Circuits-- so many little parts require a clean working space.

The teenage girls a a recent ice skating youth activity.  

Bethany working hard at Papa Murphy's Pizza.  

  Lots of love.

Elinor was so happy to have Abe hang her punching bag in the garage.

She is in heaven.

I realize I don't have a very recent picture of Clark because he's been gone so much with robotics, but this is the face Greta made when she was looking at Clark.  She quite likes him.  And it is so sweet to see how much he loves her.  I think it's rather caught him off guard just how much she has charmed him.

And seriously, what is not to love?!

Smiles for days.

Well... she doesn't smile at everyone.  Only about half of the population.  Besides Clark and Abe, she is something of a man-hater.  If they look at her or talk to her she cries.  I guess that's okay for a few more years.

We are smitten.

Check out her two little claw fingers on each side.  

  Is it enough pictures of Greta yet?  

Okay, I'll try to move on.  

Peter loves to have his picture taken, but he loves to make these faces.  I can't get him to smile normal yet.

Peter had a couple of rough days this week, but he's also had a few breakthrough moments that give me such hope.  Namely, at the aquarium today he was about impulsively run away to the next area... when he paused for a moment, looked back at me, ran back to me and said, "Me... mon" (interpreted means, come with me).  

He had some impulse control.  Somewhere in his mind he knew he shouldn't run away without me and he stopped himself and waited!  THAT'S HUGE!

No lack of personality here.

Here is Peter eating his favorite breakfast-- rice krispies, and holding his favorite toys--a stuffed lizard and his dump truck.

The boys at the aquarium.

Abraham, thank you for being you.  Thank you for spending your days and nights working hard to take care of this family.  We love you beyond measure and wish you a very happy 42nd birthday.