Saturday, July 31, 2010

Artwork

Sometimes I just like looking at what my boys are drawing. I smile the biggest at the simple "MYMOMMYLOVESME" written at the top of a page by a precious 5 year old who's just learning to write:


Or the first "smiley face" of a 3 year old:

But sometimes they get a little more creative. Take, for example, Zachary's interpretation of swinging on a rope swing into a mountain lake fed by snow: The water really was close to 35 degrees, but I'm pretty sure there were no sharks. The fear, however, was most likely as real as it can get.(here's the real thing!)
But sometimes their drawings are just an indication of how they are feeling. Here is one of Jacob's on a day where he's feeling particularly happy. Notice the boots. Yes, he wears them in the summer for real, too.
These are just a few of my favorite things about being a mommy. It just makes my heart happy!

Friday, July 30, 2010

"I'm a robot"

Levi, for some reason, has been loving his inner robot. He is often caught walking around our house with stiff legs and straight arms, and when asked "Whatcha doin'?", he'll reply in a monotone voice "I'm a robot." For Levi's 3rd birthday, Zachary was especially tuned in to this and got him a stuffed robot. Levi loves to play with him! Gave him a name and everything. We call him "Robot." I guess this morning, Robot was hungry. Such sweet boys! I'm not exactly sure where this phase came from, but it makes me smile none-the-less.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

A "New" Tradition

In honor of Pioneer Day, we decided to start a new tradition. You see, a long time ago, in 1856, we had some ancestors who crossed the plains in the Martin Handcart company. Just when my great(x3) grandmother Mary Ann Mellor was about to give up, her daughter found a pie in the snow. It reminded Mary Ann of her blessing that she received as her journey began on the boat "Horizon," that she would see her children safely to Zion. Here is an exerpt from a speech that Louisa (the daughter that found the pie in the road) gave on March 26, 1881:

We witnessed some heart-rending scenes on our journey to Utah. Sometimes, I saw as many as thirteen bodies being buried in the morning before we started on our way.

The outlook was very discouraging. The captain called a meeting and told us there was only enough food for one more day and asked us if we would rather have it all or divide it into three days. We all agreed to divide it. And despite our desperate situation we sang the handcart songs. One was, "If we should die before our journey's through, Happy day! All is well!" The camp gave up to die, if need be, and scarcely a dry eye was left to see the dying.

My mother, being still weak, finally gave up and said she could go no further. The company could not wait for her, so she bade my father goodbye and kissed each one of the children Godspeed. Then my mother sat down on a boulder and wept. I told my sister, Elizabeth, to take good care of the twins and the rest of the family, and that I would stay with Mother. I went a few yards away and prayed with faith that God would help us, that He would protect us from devouring wolves, and asked that He would let us reach camp. As I was going back to where my mother was sitting, I found a pie in the road. I picked it up and gave it to my mother to eat, and after resting awhile we started on our journey, thanking God for the blessings. A few miles before we reached camp we met my father coming out to meet us. What a joyful meeting that was! We arrived in camp at 10:00 p.m. o'clock. Many times after that Mother felt like giving up and quitting; but then would remember how wonderful the Lord had been to spare her so many times, and offered a prayer of gratitude instead. So she went on her way rejoicing while walking the blood-stained path of snow.


So, to honor the our pioneer heritage, we have decided to make a pie on pioneer day. I just didn't want this great story and example of our ancestors forgotten!

We don't know what kind of pie Louisa found, so we just made our favorite, blueberry! We had a fun night talking about all our pioneer ancestors and eating pie. It was a great "Pioneer Day Pie" family home evening, and we will be doing it every year!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Happy Pioneer Day!

One wonderful thing about living in Utah is the extra holiday. July 24th is Pioneer Day, when we celebrate the day that the pioneers, along with Brigham Young, entered Salt Lake valley. I couldn't stand the thought of spending the day just cleaning and doing laundry, so we decided to get out and play! We found that Cottonwood Heights was celebrating "Butlerville Days," so we went over there to see what was happening. Sadly, we forgot our camera, but Aaron managed to capture this on his cell phone: (Get out your magnifying glass!)

(of course, need I say that Aaron's phone really stinks as a camera? I tried to resize, but I couldn't blow it up at all without it looking all blurry. Sorry!)

Here's another picture of Caeden going down just after Zach hit the target:



Both Caeden and Zachary got to sit in the dunk tank. We threw the balls and if we didn't hit the target, we just ran up and dunked them ourselves. We enjoyed free concerts (the best was Eclipse, a male a capella group, who are just awesome! - and we're not just saying that because we know one of the singers...), really expensive greasy fair food, bounce houses, a hilarious juggler, and fun fireworks. All in all, it was a great day!

Did you all do anything fun to celebrate?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

I know that I will want to remember this!

One of my reasons for keeping a blog is so that I can remember all those wonderful things that my boys said and did when they were young, (and so I can possibly use it for bribery and/or blackmail purposes when they get older). But sometimes the things that make me laugh hardest are those cute one liners or the simple contemplations of a young boy. Not quite enough to make a whole blog entry, I used to think... Until Now! Hey, this is my blog, after all. So every now and then, I'm going to post a "post it" of the little things that my kids do that make me laugh. Here's the latest:

Monday, July 19, 2010

Trying again!

Oh no! I've become that blogger who lets her blog go for months at a time! But, thank goodness, I can just try again. After all, you haven't failed until you've stopped trying. (which, ironically, is also my dieting motto. whole different story there...)

Quick update on all that has been going on here the past few months:

Our big project has been our basement. Yes, I know, we finished it 4 years ago. But Aaron had a bad case of basement envy (so many people have done such cute things with their basements, and every time we went to visit someone else, you could see it in his eyes: "Look, they have an exercise room..." or "Wow, a theater room" or "what a fun game room" or "wouldn't a second kitchen be awesome???"), and so he decided to redo our basement. Luckily, the bedroom/bathroom area has remained untouched. And by untouched, I mean at least the rooms weren't demolished. But they were filled with drywall dust. We've got them mostly cleaned and now they're ready to paint... again... (Jordan wants brown walls and Zach and Caeden want a blue room. We'll see what we get done in the next few weeks.)But the paint project is separate from the whole "remodel" project, which consisted of ripping out our big rectangular family room and making it into 3 separate areas using arches, cabinets, and flooring changes. So of course we had to change around all the electrical wiring and plumbing, too. Anyway, we now have a basement kitchen, a game room, and a tv room with surround sound. I think I may miss my big play room, but it does look pretty good. And Aaron is very happy ~ and because he did the lion's share of the work, that's what is most important. For the past 2 months, he has been working his 10 hour days and then coming home and putting 4-5 hours in on the basement. We are so glad that this project is finished! Now I just need to finish deep cleaning all of the construction dust which has imbedded itself into every corner of the house... Aside from our house projects, life has been going on and the boys continue to grow. (I guess that's what I get from feeding them.)

Let's go through life boy by boy...

Jordan: Just turned 13! Finished first year of middle school. Survived. Ran a 5K with me last month. Smoked his mom by 3 minutes. Got braces.(I think he looks more like a teen, which makes sense because he is!) Has been invited to join the "pre-competition" swim team at the rec center. Thinking he will do it. Did great in the school play, but decided to take ceramics next year instead of theater. Theater teacher was bummed, but she'll get over it. Has decided he wants to be a computer graphics designer - that's why I want him to swim, too. A kid has got to have balance in his life! He was so excited when his piano teacher decided to take June and July off to care for her mother, because it means he's done with piano - although his mean mother is making him learn a hymn a week. He is almost done with eagle required merit badges, and is starting to look for a project. We're thinking he may finish by the end of the year.

Zach: He has decided that he is "Zach," not "Zachary," which I can handle, but I still get to call him Zachary at home. He finished 5th grade. Zach has had a few run ins with regard to bullies (just one example - he kicked a bully who had his friend in a headlock in order to save his friend, and then he and the bully had to sit side by side in the principal's office and received the same punishment! which I thought was terribly unfair. We had the whole "we don't fight at school" and "what to do when a bully is attacking" talk, but Aaron took him out for ice cream afterward for having the guts to stand up for his friend), and a few other issues this past year, and so I have switched him to a charter school, Hawthorne Academy. It will mean he'll be on a traditional schedule like Jordan, and the curriculum is an IB curriculum, which means that they study subjects more deeply and broadly, instead of pushing them up a level when they get bored. It is exactly what he needs. He is smart enough to be in ALPS (Advanced Learning Program for Students - the same program Jordan is in), but he doesn't want to be one of the "nerds", and I am thinking (hoping) a change of pace will do him good. He also has passed off the swim skills to join the pre-comp swim team, and is still in piano lessons - which he enjoys, as long as he doesn't have to admit it. Still doing scouting, and will be playing soccer in the USA league this year. Still has that tender heart, loves the color red, and anything sweet.

Caeden: Turned 8 in March, got baptized, and his mom finally got his baptism blanket finished 2 months after his birthday. (yes, I'm a slacker. deal with it.) He finished 2nd grade, and is doing well, except for his handwriting. What is it with boys and handwriting??!? He is keeping busy with scouting, bike riding, and friends. He is my most social boy. He is taking a lot of teasing because he was caught holding hands with a sweet girl during track. And to be honest, it serves him right. Geesh. But he's not letting the teasing bug him. Is that a good or a bad thing? Caeden is on the waiting list for Hawthorne for next year. I'm not sure how this will pan out, but he likes his class at the neighborhood school and doesn't want to leave, so maybe it won't be such a tragedy if he doesn't get in. Although, he'd be the only boy in our family on year round school. Ugh. He is such a strong kid, and his soccer coach invited him to play goalie on his winter team team, so Caeden played indoor soccer this winter. This fall, he'll play in the USA league, like Zach. The USA league has more structure and learning than the rec league they've been playing on the past few years so we're thinking maybe it will help them step up their skills. He's a sweet little bugger, and still has that teasing streak. Dude, a serious teasing streak. Like, if a child is screaming, it's probably because Caeden is in the same room with him. I love my Caeden.

Jacob is still Jacob. We are discovering he is a brilliant kid. He starts kindergarten in the fall at the charter school with Zach, and is reading almost as well as Caeden. It took about 2 days for him to figure out how to blend the letters' sounds, and then he was off and reading. We've been trying to figure out if Jacob is just Jacob or if there was something a little different that needs a some attention. And after observing him at pre-school and being his primary teacher, we have had some behavioral evaluations done. Officially, they're thinking it's ADHD, with an emphasis on impulse control issues. We tried some medication, but it just brought out obsessive compulsive behavior, so I took him off of it before we even went back to the doctor. We have worked with a behavioral psychologist, but she wanted to pull him out of his academic preschool program and put him into a behavioral therapy program, but Jacob is smart enough to know that he was being "demoted." And besides, his preschool was working so well with him, providing positive reinforcement, and he was academically soaring. And he was surrounded by kids who didn't have problems. The behavioral preschool would have been with half the kids, and twice the teachers, but it just didn't feel right, so I decided to not do what they suggested. So now we're working with a psychologist who is helping us make sure that we have the right diagnosis, and decide what we can do to help. I still have panic attacks now and then about Jacob. My biggest fear is that we will lose him one day. I think it's just residual fear from his (literal) death-defying leap from the window, but I still don't feel fully comfortable leaving him with others watching him. (I still do it, fighting my fear, but can't fully relax until I am almost home and can see that there's no ambulance or police car in my driveway.) He is always on the move, and not always aware of his surroundings. I still don't let him play in the front yard unattended, because he just doesn't get the whole "look before crossing the street" thing. What I love the most about Jacob is how loving he is. I love how he comes up to me and gives me huge full body hugs and tells me how much he loves me. In fact, his biggest complaint about his mom at one of his behavioral therapy sessions was "She just loves me too much." I guess I can live with that.

Levi is 3 now! And for the first time in 13 years, I don't have anyone in diapers. Amazing, isn't it! Levi loves me, and I love him. He usually wants me and only me, and sometimes it gets tiring, but since he's my baby, I put up with it. He is talking and being understood, can tattle on his brothers, and loves to jump and play right along with them. There is definitely a difference between the things that a first child says and a 5th child. Levi makes me laugh with his "Will you just stop talking to me!" or "What the crap?" (yeh, he gets that second one from his dad.) He can identify pokemon, and his favorite show is "Go Diego Go!" He is coming out of the "do everything for me" stage and now it's all about "let me do it!!!" and "My turn!!!" We have to have 2 family prayers every night. One where the person whose turn it is says the prayers, and a second one for Levi to say the prayer. What are we going to do? Tell him "No, you can't pray."? He has to have 3 books read to him every night. Thankfully, Jacob (yes, Jacob) will read at least one of them, then we read the rest. And we can't forget the drink. If he falls asleep before he gets it, he will wake up in the middle of the night and ask for a drink. His schedule is very important to him! Oh, he's a sweet guy! And he makes me laugh!

As for Aaron and I, we are just plugging along. Aaron is busy with work and scouting, and we're still waiting to see if we are going to be transferred to Washington DC. Stupid government. It's ok for them to take 3 months to make a decision, but will only give us 2 weeks to move a whole staff there and start the job. Although, at this point, we're thinking we didn't get the job. If we had, we probably would have some feedback on the bid by now. So we're just moving on as if we're staying, and unless we hear something, I'm just not going to worry about it. As for me, I am tired. I finally decided to get a few tests done to check thyroid and hormone levels. Normally, I get a small measure on energy back after having a baby, but it's been three years since I had Levi and I'm still dog tired half the time. I'm trying to lose weight - in fact, I've been running 3-5 days a week for almost 2 years now, and yet have gained another 20 lbs! So I'm now officially as heavy as what I was 9 months pregnant with Jacob and Levi. So sad! Am I tired because I am fat, or am I fat and tired because of low thyroid? Turns out it's a combination of things, and I'm trying a few medications. So far, I'm feeling a little better, and getting more done. Also started weight watchers again, and I'm hoping the combination of the two will make me feel normal again!

And around us, life is going well. My brother is finally back from Afghanistan! YAY! He had 2 coworkers and friends killed a not too long ago, and one of the reasons it wasn't my brother was because it wasn't his day to travel. He was on the ground and encountered dangerous situations every day. He joked about it (Like when he told us about rocket that flew over the building where he worked, and why we shouldn't worry about it: "You can't expect to get an accurate trajectory when firing from the back of a donkey." Or his theory of why so many terrorists come from Afghanistan: "It's the plumbing. It backs up so often that it makes you want to kill someone."), but I was so stressed about it. It was different having him on the ground working for the "lethal targeting unit," compared to the other times he had been deployed and was mostly in the air. So glad he's home!

So there's the update! I'm going to try to get pictures up and catch up on things that have been going on. I still want to put our pictures up from Nauvoo (last summer's vacation!) plus since then we have had family reunions, camping trips, and generally fun things happening. Life is good, and I want to remember that. Especially when I am swamped with crying boys who are mad because their brothers aren't doing what they want them to do... like right now... guess I need to go and get back to mothering...

I love my boys!