Fantastic Christmas

Well, this week has been tough with a cold going around. It's not so much that the cold has been miserable, but it has prevented playing with friends and cousins. In fact, we didn't even go to my parents' house for the Christmas Eve program last night. We dropped by long enough to pick up the traditional pajamas and trade wrapped gifts to open today.

Today was really wonderful, though. Here are a few pictures from last night and this morning.

New jammies from Bama!

The girls' Santa stuff

Buster's stuff

Kandy has her new American Girl Doll in the cradle I fixed up. She has been asking for an American Girl Doll for 3 years.

And Sunny did get her Baby Alive doll.
Abel got a cool ride-on/push toy. I didn't get a good picture of it, though. He really likes Sunny's doll. I missed the picture of him snuggling it.

Buster and his "cute choo-choo."

We took things really slowly. We looked at stuff from Santa and unwrapped a few things. We played with cool toys from cousins.Then we unwrapped some more things.

Missy got "How to Train your Dragon" and a diary from Santa. This book is from Kandy.

If you're interested, there are tons more pictures in my Picasa album, Christmas 2010.

We managed to make Christmas morning excitement last about 5 hours. The kids have had a great time playing with all their new stuff. Now if we can just get over our sniffles and go play with cousins! I think it's one of our best Christmases ever.

The Christmas Palace

by Missy Kendrick. Grammar and spelling has been mostly standardized.

This is the story of how the twelve days of Christmas came to life, so listen carefully.

Once upon a time, there was a working and building company. Their boss told them to build a beautiful castle for Santa to work in. The workers started on the first day of Christmas. That day, they got their materials.

First floor: On the second day, they put down the floor. On the third day, they put up the walls, and on the fourth day, a door. On the fifth day, they put in windows. And sixth day, wallpaper and carpet.

Second floor: On the seventh day, they put in ceiling and floor. 9th, walls; 10th, windows; 11th, wallpaper and carpet...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, they put in stairs, hung up lights, decorated the castle with furniture,

And called it the
CHRISTMAS PALACE!
the end

Under the Toe

Kandy was singing "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" in the car the other day. In case you don't know the lyrics:

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night.
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep;
She thought that I was tucked up
in my bedroom fast asleep.

Then, I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white;
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.

Kandy suggested that I should kiss Santa! Sunny piped up and said, "She wouldn't want to kiss him under a toe, though!"

---

And speaking of the Man in Red, Sunny was talking to Ben the other day about what she wants for Christmas.

"Daddy, I want you to buy me a Baby Alive doll."

"Why do you want me to buy it for you? Didn't you ask Santa for one?"

"Yeth, Daddy, but Kandy hath been athking him for an American Girl Doll for three yearth, and she hathn't gotten it! I don't think he'll bring me a Baby Alive."

Given some of her comments lately, I'm not sure if Kandy believes in Santa. I think Sunny does, but she doesn't seem to have much faith in his actions.

I can't wait to see their faces on Christmas morning.

What Would We Do Without the Internet?

I really love the Internet, and I am so grateful for it! I'm prompted to mention it tonight because of the amazing support group it provides. Aside from blogs and facebook, you can find support for just about any problem you might be having. Cat peeing on your bed? Lots of other people feel your pain. (This is not my current problem, thank goodness, but I have been there!) Dog won't stay out of the cat's food? Well, you might not find a solution, but it can be comforting to read about everyone else complaining about it. When Sunny had that little episode of HSP a few years ago, I mentioned it on my blog, and someone invited me to support groups for it. There I read horror stories that made me feel even more blessed that her episode was so short and has not recurred.

And if you have something quirky going on in your body (my reason tonight), you can hop on and type into a search engine for ideas. Can you get a definitive diagnosis? Probably not. Can you get scared by all the serious things it might be? Sure. ("I thought we agreed that you'd come to me before checking Starfleet Medical Database." Dr. Beverly Crusher to Lt. Reginald Barclay, Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Genesis.") In my case, it could be anything from a vitamin deficiency to something a lot more serious requiring years of treatment and surgery. It was just really comforting, though, to read all the other people on one of the ask-question pages that said, "Hey, this has been happening to me, too!" It's always nice to know we're not alone when we're in pain or confused.

On a happier note, I love shopping online (Christmas shopping and shipping in one stop!). I also enjoy searching for information just for the sake of learning. I can get seriously lost on Wikipedia, especially after reading historical fiction or watching a documentary. I don't have to take my kids to the library for research projects, either (at this age)--they do it all from my computer. I can research everything from windshields to spiders from my family room.

So hooray for the Internet! I know we all used to live without it, but its prevalence coincided so neatly with my own advent into adulthood that I do not know what life was like as an adult in that pre-Internet world. I'm so grateful I was born in this era!

The Dog Ate My Homework

Kandy had to make a relief map of Utah for school. She used salt dough, and she did a pretty good job.


She brought it home from school and took it down to her room. The dog found it and ate it!


Apparently the Colorado Plateau looked irresistibly delicious.

At least the dog ate the homework after it was graded!

A Very Special Guest

I had just been through a stressful quarter of an hour with the toddler boys. The girls had set up a restaurant in their play room, and they had added to the stress by asking several times if I would come be a guest. I couldn't right then. Eventually, the stress settled down. I took a few minutes to find some sanity by building a hot and short little paper fire. Fire can be hypnotic, and I pondered as I alternately snuggled and wrestled my fledgling toddler how fleeting these days can be. I thought about how sometimes I think longingly about a time when I will not be responsible for an infant 24/7. Oh, the freedom! Then I think that I will no longer have a small person to snuggle. Oh, the loneliness! I thought how some days are so frustrating, and some are so rewarding. I thought about how these can even be a matter of moments apart, not days.

Almost on cue, Kandy came up to remind me about the restaurant. Ready to placate them, I asked if I could bring my baby. She said I could, and I said, "I'll be right there." I started to get up, and I heard her run downstairs, calling to Missy: "Get ready! We have a very special guest coming!"

I dined on plastic jacks and imaginary Sprite. Kandy took my order, Missy prepared the plate, Buster kept my cup full, and Sunny cleaned up the dishes. As I left to endure the rigors of bedtime, I heard Kandy singing about their very special guest.

Somehow, for just a moment, all of the stress and frustration was so worth it. I may have to be an ogress sometimes to get results, but I am still a very special guest in their eyes. How humbling. I often think I really should play with them more. I spend so much time cooking, cleaning, and meeting basic needs that I feel there is not enough time. As I did dishes after dinner, I considered the story of Mary and Martha.

I really should try harder to find balance between enjoying my children and meeting their needs.

Halloween 2010 (Finally)

Woo-hoo! I finally got the pictures offloaded from Halloween. Enjoy!

Kandy as Jeannie

We loved the skin color insert. "So I can still be modest," said Kandy. Notice her classic Jeannie pose!

Missy as a witch

Sunny as a flapper

Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger strike again! I think someone has been Winnie-the-Pooh every year. I'll have to check my pictures.
(Abel and Buster)

A few days after Halloween, I realized we hadn't photographed our jack-o-lanterns. They were a group effort this year. Everyone got to pick one feature to carve.

Buster. "Take a picture of me with the pumpkins!"

Do You Golf?

Yesterday I finally went to the doctor about my poor arm. He asked a few questions and checked a few things and said, "Do you golf?"

"No," I replied.

"Well, you have golfer's elbow," he informed me. He said it probably did come from carrying around Abel's car seat and just never healed. I guess golfer's elbow is shorter than car seat carrier's elbow. He prescribed a little arm band to support my elbow, and it is helping! That and the recommended ibuprofen. The doctor also told me that I should rest it. I laughed and reminded him that I have five children, two of them under 3. He laughed, too, and said, "I know, but I have to say it anyway! Tell your husband that you need more help."

"He is great at helping--when he's home."

This morning I went to my mom's house for a few hours, and I think the older girls are going to have to get better at changing diapers and folding laundry. Hopefully if I can get a little more rest for it and use the correct brace, it will improve quickly. If it doesn't improve in 2 or 3 weeks, I'll have to get a steroid shot, which I don't want.

But look! I can type again!

Beaver

Buster has had a couple ear infections lately. I just looked into his ear, and he said, "I have a beaver."

No, he doesn't have a fever, but I don't blame him for saying so.

Long Time, No Blog

It has been over a month since I updated. The biggest reason is that my right arm is having tons of issues. I can't type very long at all. I don't know if it's carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, or "perchance a brilliant combination of both." The pain has been steadily getting worse. It started when Abel was very young, and I thought it was just from carrying his car seat. Not so, or at least, not just that.

Also, October was crazy. I started babysitting extra kids. I'm very grateful because until this fell in my lap, I was contemplating returning to work for some extra cash. Now I still get to be home with my own kids. The older girls also had 2 weeks off of school. During those two weeks, I had various combinations of children. One day I had 10 kids here under 10 years of age. Most of the time, I had about 8. Crazy.

I also lost my card reader and camera cable. Last I saw the card reader, it was in the hands of Buster. Yikes. So I'm anxious to post Halloween pictures, but it's not going to happen today.

Well, my arm is protesting, and it's snack time for two cute 2-year-old boys. I hope you are all excited for a fabulous holiday season!

To Fix, Or Not To Fix?

As I mentioned a couple days ago, the Green Beast needs work. Lots of it. After getting the details and doing research, Ben decided we might be able to repair the $1,500 worth of repairs for between $500 and $800 if we omit or put off some things and he does some of the work himself. A ray of hope!

Yesterday, the last day the Beast was legal, I was driving up to my mom's house. I took 1800 South in Bountiful, which is a bear of a hill. The van started seeming gutless. Then it started to shake like I was driving over washboard. The power continued to diminish, and as I turned onto 900 East, I lost all power. The engine would rev, but I would only drift backwards.

I turned it off and asked my mom to come get me. I made some more calls, and the people whose house I was in front of helped me push it closer to the curb and farther from the corner. We left it there until evening when Ben's dad helped tow it home. It will go in reverse, but no other gears will catch.

Broken transmission, anyone?

In summary:

$800 to repair lots of stuff ourselves
$175 for a new windshield
??? for a new/rebuilt/used transmission.

We bought it for $3,000 14 months ago, and we have already put almost $1,000 into it on repairs.

I wish so very much that we could get a new car, but it's just not an option. It's fix this or be down to one car. Also, Ben had his bike stolen recently, which makes that harder. And who wants to wander around with a stroller in the winter?

Even if we do fix it, with a 14-year-old car that has 200,000 miles on it, I just have to ask myself what will go wrong next and when. So far, if you average out what he have paid, it's still lower than a car payment for a new equivalent vehicle. But it still comes unexpectedly in lump sums, and we can't save up for a new car because we are constantly paying for the old one. Grrrrr...

There are 2 silver linings on this cloud of automotive doom: 1) We kept the blue van instead of the sedan, so at least we still have a car that holds our whole family, albeit a tight fit, and 2) At least we didn't have them repair the $1,500 and THEN have the transmission go out.

Any thoughts, hints, suggestions, encouragement, and empathy would be most heartily welcome. I'm really upset about this whole mess.

More Communication

Abel is really amazing me. The other day we were eating cookies, and he was trying really hard to say it. "Cuh-cuh," and "ki-ki," were among the variations. The next day, he tried to call my mom "Bama." This morning he started dropping food off his tray. I asked, "Do you want to get down?" He grinned at me, said, "Yay ," or "Yeah," and started clapping his hands. So cute!

If You're a Mythbusters Fan...

you gotta check out this link by my friend, Rob.
Thirsty for Mythbusters

Wunch at da Pahk and Other News

Today I asked Buster what he wanted to do. He promptly responded, "Wunch at da pahk!" I thought for a second and decided it sounded like fun. Naturally, he wanted to leave right then, but I explained that in order to eat lunch at the park, I had to make lunch.

We live half a block from a small park. We are not too far from Jordan Park. I thought I understood that he wanted to go to Jordan Park. So assuming, I started to load Abel into the car. (It was close enough to naptime that we didn't have time to walk.) Apparently, he really wanted to walk to the park, so I got Abel and the stroller out. We walked to the small park, and he said, "No! Dat pahk!" He was pointing toward Jordan Park. It was getting even closer to naptime to change at that point, so I managed to get him to eat at the small park.

We sat down and got out the lunch. He drank his juice, but he ate only 3 or 4 bites of sandwich before going to play.

When it was time for Abel's nap, I bundled him into the stroller and started to head home. He had been under the impression that we would go to Jordan Park immediately after the small park instead of another time. He cried the whole way home, continuing with the refrain: "No! Dat pahk!"

We got home, and when he finally stopped crying, I tried to give him his pacifier and lovey on my bed so I could put Abel down. He insisted on his bed. I decided to give the same-time nap in the same room another try. Well, they were certainly happy enough. I heard lots of laughter! I went in to tell them they had 10 minutes to go to sleep, and Buster decided to get out of bed. I gave him the choice between napping on my bed or finishing his lunch.

He's eating his squished sandwich at the dining room table.

And all this at a time that I decided the reason Abel is waking up at night is because there is too much flexibility in his routine. Abel cried for a while after he left.

5 minutes later: The sandwich is almost gone, and Abel is quiet after I tucked him in again.

Sometimes getting out of the routine works, like when we went to the zoo last week. Today I wasn't so lucky. Well, I need to enjoy it while I can. Our Green Beast didn't pass inspection, and the quote to fix it was $1,500. Ben thinks he can do some of the work himself for a little cheaper, so we brought it back home. With his campaign and his calling, I doubt he'll have time until November. We also need a new furnace. Ours is a fire hazard and is releasing small amounts of carbon monoxide through the vents. That trumps the car.

Abel Speaks

Abel is now 10 months old. He has been babbling a good deal. Ma-ma-ma and ba-ba-ba are some his favorite sounds. We have thought he was trying to say the dog's name or doggie, but we weren't sure. Today I was holding him on the couch, and the cat jumped up. Abel pointed right at him and said, "Kee."

He also took a step yesterday without holding onto anything. Yikes!

Multiple Choice

Buster found some donuts in the kitchen this morning and asked for them for lunch. Of course I told him no, and I said, "What do you want for lunch? Sandwich or macaroni and cheese?" A few minutes went by, during which he continued to ask for donuts and dragged a stool over to the cupboard to get out some plates. Then I heard him say, "What want for wunch? Donuts or donuts?"

Ask Nicely, Please

At the table, Buster held up his glass and said, "Give me water."

Ben said, "Can you ask nicely, please?"

"Ask nicely please," asked Buster in his sweet voice.

Commentary on the Real Estate Market

As most of you know, I am a real estate agent. There is an awesome website out there called www.LovelyListing.com that features odd and amazing listings. I have a link to it in my sidebar, but I just HAVE to include a copy of this post in my main blog.


Dear Countrywide, I am Fine. Hope You Are Well.

i

Aww, look! Another happy Countrywide customer, so pleased with their experience that they wrote them a thank you letter.

Note to furriners: Countrywide is pretty much the evilest villain in the American financial crisis. It has the twirliest moustache, the creepiest hunch, the darkest eyebrows. Booo! Hiss!

Found by: SC

You can't see it very well in this picture, but on one wall it says, "Thank you" and on the other wall it says "Countrywide." Obviously, these people were less than happy with the service they received from the bank! I think you can see it better if you go straight to the source.

Why I Stay Home

No, this is not about why I stay home as opposed to going to work, so don't look forward to a feel-good entry. In fact, if you don't want to read about toddler drama and mother venting, I suggest you stop now. ;)

Buster really needed some new shoes. Ben just got paid, so I decided today was a good day to go to the shoe store. We got there, and Buster started throwing a tantrum because we forgot to bring his water bottle. I tried to give him a cup leftover from dinner last night, but he wouldn't take it. I managed to settle him down, and as we strolled across the parking lot, I was feeling pretty good about myself. "Wow," I thought, "two kids isn't so hard. Hey, they both fit in the stroller! I've learned a lot this summer about just getting out and doing stuff. Crazy that it took me 5 kids to get to this point."

We got to the store. Buster didn't want his shoes off. He wasn't sure about the whole foot-measuring process, and he liked the pink girl shoes. The salesman came out with some cool new red and black shoes with velcro (yay!) . He didn't want to put them on. Then we got them on him, and liked them. He liked them so much that he wanted to wear them outside. Off he ran, right out the front door. I stuck him back in the stroller and bought the shoes.

As we left the store, he wanted to walk in his new shoes. We were in the middle of a big parking lot, though, so I wouldn't let him. The tears began again. We got to the car, and Abel cried about getting into his carseat. I realized he had a stinky diaper, so I pulled him out to change him. (One of my laments about my big green van is that it doesn't have a great place for changing diapers on the go.) I started to change him and realized he needed new clothes, too. Meanwhile, Buster found the cup I had offered him earlier. He finished it off and started begging for more water repeatedly. He even dripped a few drops of water onto his brother. Abel was wriggling like crazy during the whole change, and Buster kept begging. I finally got Abel dressed, and Buster dropped his straw and lid right onto the dirty changing pad. Grrrr... I got Abel back in his carseat, and he started to cry. I strapped Buster in, already crying and still begging for a drink. I put the stroller in the car. At this point, I saw the mother in the car behind me. "This is why I stay home, " I said.

"Do you have twins in there?" she asked.

"No, just a 9-month-old and a 2-year-old, and they're both crying."

"That's almost the same thing," the sympathetic mother responded.

Anyway, I got in the car and gave Abel his pacifier. He, at least, settled down. I then told Buster I was going to Wendy's. "Would you like ice cream or a drink?" I asked. He replied that he would like a drink. I went and bought myself a Frosty and got a free water for him. He was very content. We drove home, and I marveled at how stubborn a toddler can be. He was so stuck on the drink that he didn't even consider ice cream. We got home, and I asked what he wanted for lunch. Can you guess? "Ice cream," came the response.

We were only gone for about 45 minutes, but it seemed a lot longer. As I told that other mother: Now I remember why I stay home almost every day.

Shadows

I didn't hear the beginning of this conversation, but this bit caught my ear.

"Did you know all our shadows are Draculas?" Sunny said.

"No, all our shadows are miraculous." her big sister corrected her.

Link to a Cute Post Featuring Sunny

Sunny has a best friend that moved recently. Her mom did a really cute blog post about these two best friends, and I wanted to share it!

Click Here.

Friendly Offer

The other day, Sunny had a playdate. She found leftover pancakes in the fridge and wanted one for snack. She asked, "Can ____ have a pancake, too?"

"If she wants one," I replied.

Looking right at me, Sunny said, "She does." Then she turned to her friend and said, "Do you want a pancake?"

New Member of the Family!

We have been talking a lot lately about getting a dog. I have been browsing adoption websites and making phone calls. Today we heard about a neighbor who was looking for a new home for their black lab mix, Bailey.
As you can see, we have decided that she will fit in just fine at our house. The kids are so excited!
The cat, not so much. He will learn, though! Bailey is a very energetic dog, but the baby is more in danger of being licked by her than anything else!

Ben had a dog much of the time he was growing up, but this is a new experience for the rest of us.

PS. Now it is bedtime, and Buster is saying, "S'eep with my dog!" He has really claimed ownership!

Sunny's First Day of Kindergarten!

Today was Sunny's first day of kindergarten! It's so weird to just have boys at home. I was up with Abel in the middle of the night, so Ben let me sleep in. He woke me to tell me that the girls had made it off to the bus. I was disappointed that I didn't get to say good-bye to Sunny on her first day, and I was a little mortified that I didn't get to do her hair. (Ben brushed it, at least.) I'm very grateful for the extra sleep, and I'm glad he took lots of pictures.

Sunny is ready to go!

Another picture of Sunny

All three girls on their way out the back door

Sunny, Missy, and Kandy in their matching dresses for one last picture. I'm glad they like to match!

For the Love of Food

One often hears the phrase "There are ___ kinds of people in the world." The world is then divided in twos and threes by various methods. One that I have heard is that pretty much everyone's attitude toward food can be defined in two ways: Eat to live, or live to eat.

Those who eat to live are the ones responsible for imagining a future where all of our nutrients can be ingested in the form of pills. Those who live to eat can think of no torture more terrible.

I fall firmly into the second camp.

I LOVE food. I love good, rich food. I love sweets. I like fruit, but I just tolerate most vegetables unless they are very fresh or exceptionally prepared.

Why am I talking about this? Because I am obsessed with food. As I mentioned in a past entry, I am really tempted by chocolate and have been known to eat straight sugar. I'm obsessed for a different reason these days. I am trying to be more careful for my health, but I also have a goal to get down to my pre-Abel weight by his first birthday. I was on track until our crazy July, and now I am having to get pretty serious to get back. I'm writing this now so I can talk about food instead of eating it. I am hungry, but I have eaten all my allotted calories till this time of day.

I have found a fantastic website called livestrong.com. This site has a huge database of almost every food you can buy. It tracks your calories, other nutrition, and exercise. It's fascinating! I have learned a lot by doing this. I have learned that aside from junk food, my calorie intake isn't too far off from what it should be. I have also learned that snacking on vegetables is much more filling calorie for calorie than sugary or salty junk food. Also, the more I exercise, the more I can eat! And yes, I did already know some of this, but it makes a difference to see it all in black and white.

A last trip to the zoo!

Yesterday went to the zoo to celebrate the last day of summer vacation. I went crazy with the camera at the playground. Click here to view the album.

A Definite Sense of Style

This morning, I pulled 2 shirts out of Buster's drawer for him to choose between. He promptly ran to the drawer and pulled out this shirt. I said it would be too hot, but he would not take no for an answer.
I also had fun spiking his hair for a change. He took one look in the mirror and said, "Hair down!" in his most imperious voice.
This kid has a definite sense of style!

First Day of School!

Well, for Missy and Kandy anyway. Sunny has her assessment on Friday and starts kindergarten next week!

Why I Love Uniforms

I just had to post today to say how much I love having my kids in uniforms! Back-to-school shopping is a breeze! I just opened the catalog from my favorite uniform retailer with my kids and had them point to what they liked. We had already figured out how many of each kind of thing they needed. I said, "You can have 5 short-sleeve polo shirts. Here are two kinds. So how many red, white, or blue ones of each do you want? Do you like khaki or navy pants?" I went online and ordered everything. Also, with uniforms, hand-me-downs are not a problem. Size matters, but not taste! In less than a morning and for less than $250 (love the e-mail coupons!), all our school shopping is done!

There is a teeny part of me that misses the adventure of school shopping as I remember it as a child. I miss the shopping trips with my mom and the food we would eat. Trying to find the clothes itself was a really big pain, but the memories aren't all negative! I have clear memories of finding some of my favorite things. I cannot imagine trying to go school shopping with 5 kids in tow!!! So overall, I am THRILLED with uniforms and the internet.

Crazy, Crazy July!

I have been wanting to blog all month about all the fun things we have done. The problem is, we have been having too much fun to have time for me to blog. So here is the month in summary:

July 1: Hosted a playdate for 2-year-old Buster and fed the missionaries.
July 2: Ben had the day off, and we actually had a date.
July 3: 4th of July Breakfast at Jordan Park and hosted a BBQ for a newer family in our ward.
July 4: Baby blessing in Logan and dinner with my brother from Washington at my parents' house.
July 5: Ben and a wonderful friend chopped down a problem tree in our yard. We had 2 family parties in honor of one of each of our brothers from out of state. We had to divide and conquer, and I had to prepare a potluck contribution for both. Also, Abel did not nap well this day. Probably due to all the chaos!
July 6: Ah, peace and quiet and recovery...I thought. Nope, we had planned a zoo afternoon with cousins! Ben left for Pocatello.
July 7: We actually stayed home all day, and I let the kids stay in their pajamas to celebrate the fact. Ben returned from Pocatello late.
July 8: We went to the zoo again because members got to stay later than usual!
July 9: Free day at This is The Place Heritage Park. This day was chock-full of excitement, and I could write a whole entry about it. The most exciting part was losing Sunny. We were there with 2 of my sisters-in-law and a total of 14 kids. We all thought Sunny was with someone else and didn't realize she was missing for over an hour. Luckily, she had the presence of mind to ask for help quickly after getting lost, and she spent the time getting spoiled in the gift shop by employees and patrons alike. We also found her very shortly after realizing she was missing. Wow, did I feel like a terrible mother!!! To lose a child is one thing, to not realize she is missing for over an hour? Yikes! We stayed there almost all day.
July 10: Sunny's very belated birthday party and a meeting with the stake president.
July 11: Ben's new calling as 2nd counselor in the new bishopric was made official at church.
July 12: Took the Green Beast to the shop for new brakes and took the kids to Toys 'R' Us to use birthday gift cards.
July 13: Continuing Ed class for me and kids to Bama's house! We also got to go to the temple.
July 14: Took sleeping bags to the laundromat and did other preparations for the Kendrick Family Camp!
July 15-17: Kendrick family camp at Bear Lake!
July 18: First Sunday with Ben on the stand. Buster actually did amazingly well.
July 19: Dentist appointment for the kids--except when we got there we learned that there were some insurance issues and we came home. It cracked me up because my kids were pouting because they couldn't see the dentist.
July 20: PEACE AND RECOVERY! Well, for me. Sunny and Missy both had adventures with Bama and a friend, respectively.
July 21: Dentist appointment for me.

Ben also had 2 business trips to Pocatello this month. Every time he goes, he teaches just one day. With travel, though, he usually misses 2 bedtimes for the kids.

What's in store for the rest of the month? We had originally planned to go to Vernal this weekend to spend time with cousins. Given how crazy this month has been for both our families, the fact that we have seen them lots this month, and the fact that my sister-in-law has been out of town or had company almost all month, we decided to postpone it and take a rest! School starts in a week and a half, and although I will miss Sunny dreadfully (just me and 2 boys? What???), I am looking forward to things being a little more quiet and routine.

In the first crazy week, I had planned to post at least one picture for each of the wonderful and exciting events. I don't think I'll add all the pictures, but you can see the best pictures here.

I hope you have all had a great summer, too!!!

There Ain't No Free Lunch

It's summer, and it is therefore the season of free lunch and breakfast. The school district provides free meals to children under the age of 18 at various parks and schools. Adults can buy a lunch for $3. Adults are not permitted to eat off the kids' plates, and until this year, you were not supposed to remove food from the premises. This year, the kids may take one thing, such as their fruit or cookies.

I have tried this a couple of times in the past. I would go to the park, and it would frustrate me to no end to watch my children waste tax money by ignoring their food. I ceased and decided it was not worth it. Besides, I either had to feed myself first, pay $3, or wait till I came home to eat. With only 2 or even 3 kids, it wasn't worth it. This year, though, I have 4 eating kids of my own plus my wonderful neighbor. Going to the school saves me some money.

I totally agree with the motive behind the rules. The food is for the children. I believe in being honest and following the rules. BUT I also believe in being thrifty and not wasting food. Every time I go to the park, I have this major internal battle. I can justify disobeying the rules by arguing that the children will eat it later or that it would just end up in the trash anyway. Why is it worse to feed me than the garbage can? If they're not going to eat it, why shouldn't I? If I buy my own lunch, does that make me less guilty if I snitch unwanted food from my kids' bags? So this is my moral dilemma: Follow the rules or not waste food?

I'm glad that most days we can go to the school where food is served on a tray, and it would be hard to take the food with me even if I wanted. At the park, though, everything is prepackaged in a paper bag. Anything not eaten would be so easy to take home. And if I bring home Sunny's carrots, you can bet she won't eat them any better at home than she did at the park. So in the mean time, I think we'll keep eating at the school, and on Fridays, we will just eat at home to save me the dilemma!

By the way, I'm not sure how I feel about the whole program, but I'd be crazy not to take advantage of it since it's there!

How about you other mothers? Do you take your kids to free lunch? Do you ever snitch or keep stuff? What do you think about all this?

Oil Spill

We live very near the Jordan River, as I have mentioned before. The recent oil spill has hit very close to home, indeed. Yesterday we walked over to the river, and it was disgusting! I forgot the camera, though. The fumes were pretty bad, and there was lots of black slime oozing down the river. I walked over today, and it was much better. Here is some visible oil still floating:

This is the nearest pumping site, which is right below the slime in the picture above.
And this is below the pumping site. You can still see a sheen on the water, but there was no more black stuff!
I am really impressed at Chevron's response to this, especially when contrasted with the behavior of BP in the Gulf spill. They are doing everything they can as quickly as they can, and they are bearing the expense to get it all cleaned up. Last night I feared it would be weeks until we could even think of putting the canoe back on the river, but today I am more hopeful. We will see what they say at the community meeting tonight.

I recommend my niece's blog post on the subject as well.

Funny Labels!

Well, I have started my other blog. You can find it at http://funnylabels.blogspot.com/.

I just have a couple of posts, but one of my friends has graciously provided me with some more funny labels. Now I can keep it up for about a week. If you have any funny labels, please send them my way!

New Definition

Sunny: Mom, Kandy is exquisive. (pause) Do you know what "exquisive" means?
Robin: No.
Sunny: It means so...cheerful!

It's All About Timing

The night before last, I realized I hadn't seen our inside cat, Minou, since the morning. Yesterday afternoon, he still hadn't come home, and I started to get worried. I began looking on the websites of local shelters for information. This morning, I looked more and decided we better go look at the shelter to see if we could find him because there was a description with no picture that sounded promising. I put Abel in his car seat and found shoes and socks for Buster and Sunny. We opened the door to go outside, and, as usual, Tripp (the outside cat) was sitting right by the door. As we stepped over him, Minou came running in the house! He made a beeline for his food. He seems healthy, although he is extremely dirty. I wonder where he has been. We are all very glad he is home safe and sound. It is an answer to prayers! The timing is what really cracks me up, though.

The Importance of Being a Princess

Me: Sunny, did you know your name means "princess?"
Sunny: No! Does that mean I'm the importantest person in the house?

A Busy Morning

From the IM I just sent Ben:

"It's only 9:00, and I'm exhausted. I have not let Buster watch any screens until now, which I did so I could put Abel down in peace. I have tidied up around the house and started a load of wash. But I can't rest now, I have to go change a stinky diaper and bathe Buster and Sunny. Phew!"

Sunday School

"Today we learned about the priesthood: the Melchizedek and the Ironic," said Missy.

The Kendrick Family: We Speak, You Listen

For Mother's Day, Ben and Kandy were asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting. As Kandy got up to speak, Buster piped up (again), "Wanna talk!" My helpful neighbor (sitting with us for just this reason) took him out in the hall so I could actually hear the talk.

Tonight at Family Home Evening, Ben said that if the Bishop asked for one of our children to speak in Sacrament Meeting, he would recommend Missy since Kandy has already done it twice and Missy hasn't. Missy got a thoughtful expression on her face and said, after a moment, "I think it would make me a little embaraththed" (she has no front teeth).

Sunny quickly spoke out: "I want to talk in Thacrament Meeting!" (She has her teeth, she just has a lisp.)

Not to be outdone, Buster rejoined, "Talk Sac-a-ment!"

"Do you want to talk in Sacrament Meeting?" Ben asked.

"Uh-huh!" came the enthusiastic reply.

Oh, sure, Missy is the "shy" one, but only for a Kendrick.

---

Tonight Sunny didn't want to go to sleep. She did have a rather late nap, so we let her stay up for a while. About 10:15, Ben saw her yawn, and he mentioned it.

"That wasn't a yawn," she replied disdainfully, "that was a silent scream." After watching the weather, Ben saw her yawn again, and he called her on it.

"That was just a thing I do when I'm mad." Right. We turned out the lights and TV in the family room and left her there. She was asleep less than 10 minutes later.

New Blog Idea

I am an avid follower of some pretty funny blogs, and I have been trying to think of an idea for a funny blog for some time. I finally thought of one, and I would appreciate some help in getting it started! The other night, we were reading a usage label and started cracking up. There really are some hysterically funny labels out there. I have searched, and I can't find a blog that specializes in them. Oh, I find posts here and there, but not a dedicated blog.

So please look around and keep your eyes peeled for funny or bizarre labels. When you find them, please scan or photograph them for me and send them on over to robin [at] realtorrobin [dot] com with a subject line of "funny labels." (Please be respectful of any possible copyright issues from using images already online.)

Thanks for your help!

Church With Kids

Sacrament Meeting was just comical today for me! We got there about 10 minutes early, which was great. Ben went up to translate for the Spanish-speakers in our ward. Right before the meeting started, I realized Buster was stinky. I got up and asked our 11-year-old neighbor, “Z,” to come sit with the rest of the kids while I went to change his diaper. I got to the Mother's Room and realized I had no wipes! Luckily, there is a sink and paper towels right with the changing counter, so it was just an inconvenience. I got him changed and took him back to the meeting. I had to sit on the other end of the bench because another wonderful neighbor had sat in my spot to help with kids, too. She was by Abel. Anyway, I guess business was short today, because they were already singing the hymn to prepare for the sacrament when Buster and I came back.

During the sacrament, things were pretty calm until Missy said she needed to use the restroom. I encouraged her to wait until the sacrament was over, which she did. Toward the end of the sacrament, Abel started getting fussy. They took him out of his carseat and passed him down the row to me. He started pooping. As the sacrament finished, Missy got up and left. A minute or two later, Sunny informed me that she, too, needed the bathroom. I grabbed Abel, the diaper bag, and Sunny and left. Missy was still in the bathroom. She finished washing her hands, so I sent her into the Mother's Room (which is off the same little hallway but has a totally separate door) to hold Abel while I helped Sunny finish up in the restroom. Sunny finished, so I took Abel and sent the girls back into the chapel while I changed Abel's diaper. Luckily, one of my good friends was there, so I was able to borrow her wipes. Abel's diaper had leaked, necessitating a complete change of clothing. Once that was complete, I started to go back into the chapel.

As I was pulling open the door, a flash of yellow caught my eye. I looked toward the foyer, and there was Missy spinning around! I walked into the vestibule where I found Z with Buster and Missy, both of whom were twirling. I handed Abel to Z and the diaper bag to Missy. Then I grabbed Buster and sat down with him. After a few minutes, I got him settled down enough that we returned to our bench. Z continued to hold Abel, and Buster lay down on the bench next to me with his paci, burp cloth, and blanket. I actually did get to listen to a few minutes of the meeting at that point. It was Fast Sunday, though, and eventually, Kandy decided to bear her testimony. Once Buster saw her up at the podium, he tried to go up on the stand. I restrained him, so he started crying and yelling, “Wanna talk!” He refused to calm down, so I took him out of the meeting again. I sat in the foyer with him for the rest of the meeting.

Freeze!

Okay, so it seems like the only thing I post these days are quotes. I can think of a few reasons for this: 1) Most of life goes on in a rather hum-drum round of cleaning, cooking, laughing, and playing. There hasn't been much excitement around here. 2) I have been doing better at writing in my personal journal. 3) Most likely, though, it is due in great measure to the fact that I am finally getting control of my bad habit of sitting at the computer to avoid looking at how messy my house is. I have actually been cleaning it more! I am enjoying the cleanliness, and when I do sit at my computer, I am appalled at how much time I used to waste. So I still check out blogs two or three times a week, but I rarely get bored at my computer these days. The house still needs lots of work (anyone opening the bathroom cupboard is in danger of getting clonked on the head by a rogue book), but with 7 people around, it would need lots of work even if I were a master housekeeper. Oh, and I have also been trying to get more exercise.

So on to the latest quotes:

---

1. Buster found a squirt gun in the bathroom the other day. He picked it up, pointed it at the door, and said, "Freeze, door!"

2. The girls were discussing whether or not they liked boys or boys' toys. Kandy, at the mere age of nine, said, "But girls have to like boys when you grow up or else they wouldn't get married and reproduce!"

3. We had a great get-together with my in-laws on Friday night. Several of Ben's siblings were there, too. Abel was the only child there, so we had a fantastic and uninterrupted conversation. There were several things I really wanted to say, but I had a hard time getting a word in edgewise! On the way home, I mentioned this to Ben. "Welcome to the Kendrick family and the art of competitive talking."

Buster and the Snake

Yesterday we found a snake on my parents' front walk as we arrived. The kids were all fascinated. Ben picked it up with a stick, and Sunny was brave enough to touch it. My favorite, though, was when Buster came up to me, patted my leg, and said, "'S okay. Don't worry."

Birthday Quotes and More

1.My birthday was last Sunday. As we were dishing up cake, Ben said, "The birthday girl gets cake first!"

"You're not a birthday girl," said Missy, "you're a birthday woman!"

---

2. While the kids were trying to pick which piece of cake they would like to get, Sunny piped up, "You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!" Just a few minutes later, she started pouting because she didn't get the piece she wanted. When we reminded her what she had said, she said, "I was just kidding!"

---

3. This morning, Sunny was holding her bottom. "Do you need to go potty?" I asked.

"No," she answered.

"Are you afraid your bottom will fall off?" I continued.

"Yes!" she replied, giggling.

Blossoms and Meadows and Walking

One of my favorite songs is "I Often Go Walking." I have sung it to my children a lot over the years. Perhaps it explains why one of the first signs of spring in my house is dandelions picked just for me! The kids delight in bringing me wildflowers. I often set them wherever I happen to be. When it's on my computer desk, it results in dried petals all over the place when I finally dig out all the papers. They make me smile.

Sometimes, though, they have warranted pictures. Here are a few:





I Often Go Walking

1. I often go walking in meadows of clover,
And I gather armfuls of blossoms of blue.
I gather the blossoms the whole meadow over;
Dear mother, all flowers remind me of you.

2. O mother, I give you my love with each flower
To give forth sweet fragrance a whole lifetime through;
For if I love blossoms and meadows and walking,
I learn how to love them, dear mother, from you.

Words: Phyllis Luch, 1937–1995. © 1969 IRI

Music: Jeanne P. Lawler, b. 1924. © 1969 IRI

The other night, I was singing this song to myself in the shower and realized that maybe it is why my daughters love to bring me flowers. I'm often too busy when they hand them to me to be appropriately grateful, but I do love it. I treasure these simple gifts, trying to remember that someday no toddler or grade-schooler will hand me a bunch of dandelions with a glowing face, saying, "I picked these for you, Mommy!"

Parenting Books

Note: Wow, this got really long. It looked a little shorter in the editing window. Oh, well, I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Recently, one of the sisters in my ward came to visit me. While she was here, she asked for a list of the parenting books to which I refer. I thought I would go ahead and write it on the blog in case any one else would like some great references for parenting.

Pregnancy books:
1. What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel. Just a great basic resource for the expectant mother! I have referred to this book at least once with each pregnancy. Sure, I read it a lot more often the first time around, but maternal amnesia made this a necessity in my library.

2. Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Glade B. Curtis. Another great book! It includes weekly measurements and lots of other great info.

3. Husband-Coached Childbirth by Dr. Robert Bradley. Where would I have been without Dr. Bradley??? When I first got pregnant, I was all for pain management. Then I saw the needle! "And you want to stick that where?" I am more afraid of needles than pain. Luckily, my wonderful sister-in-law had told me about the Bradley method even when I wasn't at all interested. Now thanks to Dr. Bradley's book, I had all five of my kids without pain medication. I didn't even take the expensive classes.

Baby Care Basics:
4. On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. This is a great book to start with. I don't agree with everything they said, but it gave me confidence at the beginning. I do stick with the routine of eat-play-sleep. I don't recommend being super strict from the very start. Abel had to eat every 2 hours instead of the recommended 3 hours for the first few weeks, and Sunny got dehydrated at just 6 days old. Was it his method or something else? We will never know! I liked the information, though, combined with my motherly intuition and experience. BTW, I did NOT like Baby Wise II at all. I think his ideas of disciplining a five-month-old (I think it was) rank heresy.

5. Your Baby's First Year by The American Academy of Pediatrics, editor-in-chief Steven P. Shelov, M.D. This is a fantastic book of basic baby care. It has a lot of the medical stuff covered, and it is less slanted toward any particular philosophy than a lot of books out there. I'm not even sure if you can find this anymore; I think it came home from the hospital with one of my babies.

6. This came from an article, not a book. Dr. Ferber did write a book, but I haven't read the whole thing. His method of sleep training does involve crying it out, but he recommends checking on the child in increasing increments. This worked with some of my kids, but it didn't work with all of them. Some kids just will not cry themselves to sleep! And sometimes checking on them and leaving just seemed to make them madder. Made me feel better, though! If you want to read the book, it's called Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber.

7. The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley and William Sears. Sunny would not ever cry herself to sleep. She could cry for 3 hours, I kid you not! I thought making her cry for 3 hours till it was time to eat and have her fall asleep at the breast was stupid. That lasted only a few days until I gave up and just kept feeding her to sleep. I finally found this beautiful book. I am not a proponent of "attachment parenting," but this book was a fabulous and life-saving alternative to everyone who said you have to let your baby cry it out. She includes several suggestions and ideas to fit you, your child, and your family. You can pick and choose.

8. Stress-Free Potty Training: A Commonsense Guide to Finding the Right Approach for Your Child by Sara Au and Peter L. Stavinoha. Woo-hoo! I didn't find this until Sunny was potty training. This book is awesome! It has 6 different methods for potty training. You take a quiz to help peg your kid's style, and off you go! I only read the one that was recommended for Sunny. It worked like a charm!!! Granted, she was four years old, but her real bout of potty training that resulted in near total control lasted between one and three days. It mentions other popular methods, such as training your child in one day, but that is just for one personality type. I LOVE books that are not a one-size-fits-all type because no two kids are exactly alike. Speaking of which, I need to get this book again (love the library!) to read for Buster. He is showing some interest, but I know that doesn't mean he's not still 2 years away from getting serious about potty-training.

Behavior and Parenting:
9. Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, and Energetic by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. This is another book that saved my sanity! Another sister-in-law found this book years ago while raising her own spirited child. A few years ago, we were in a lot of stress. We were moving around a lot, and Missy really started acting up and driving me crazy. She reacts to stress in the home by causing more of it! I ran to the bookstore and bought this book. Missy is not excessively energetic, but she did come out of the quiz as being "officially" spirited. (Sunny and Kandy are just "spunky" on the scale.) I have learned a lot of coping strategies from this book. It has also really opened my eyes and my understanding of various quirks of my children. For example, Sunny really is an anti-routine child. "Irregularity" is a "bonus trait" of the spirited child. By realizing this, I have become more accepting of Sunny's irregular rhythms and am more willing to be flexible about it. Although we do encourage regular bed times, sometimes she honestly is not tired. We have come up with a good compromise: If she stays awake in her bed for 20 minutes, she can stay awake and watch a movie as long as she doesn't intrude on cherished husband-wife time in the evenings. It helps you look beyond the misbehavior to the motivation. Rather than excusing behavior, though, it helps you work around the problems.

10. The Parenting Breakthrough: Real-Life Plan To Teach Kids To Work, Save Money, and Be Truly Independent by Merilee Browne Boyack. I have talked about this one before. It reminds us that the end goal of raising small children is to turn them into independent adults. The author includes her plan of how she is doing this with her boys. There are certain life skills grouped by appropriate age. This is everything from brushing their own teeth to making their own doctor appointments and running their own finances by the time they are 18. I have added a few things to my own list (boys don't learn to do barrettes and ponytails, for starters), but I now try to sit down with my kids once each month to discuss their progress. One great quote from this book: "It's not my job to make my kids happy." Such an epiphany! It is my job to teach them how to be happy, but it is not my job to try and make it so they never cry. To do that, I would actually end up doing things that are counter-productive to their happiness in the long run!

Honorable Mentions:
The Wonder of Boys and The Wonder of Girls by Michael Gurian.
Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax

And no book list of my "bibles" would be complete without mentioning The 5 Love Languages: The Secret To Love That Lasts by Gary Chapman.
Yes, this helps more in adult relationships, but he has written one that applies more to children as well. This book helps so much in figuring out what makes your spouse tick and in helping to keep a happy marriage. So much of parenting is making sure you have a happy foundation on which to build and a happy place in which to do it. I know I am far more likely to be impatient and grumpy with my kids when I am frustrated with my husband. Also, figuring out how your children communicate love helps you be a better parent to them because you can better communicate your love to them and understand how they communicate their love for you.

I also read parenting magazines. I don't always agree with their politics, but I think it is good to keep up with the latest research. Is it always right? I don't know! They have changed feeding guidelines for babies a lot in the last 10 years. (Start at 4 months, no, wait, 6 months, now 5 months. After cereal, start with fruit, no, yellow vegetables, no, green...) Reading about older kids also gives me a good preview of what is to come so I have it in mind when I need it.

Why do I read so much? Reading helps take what is often already in my sub-conscious and brings it into my conscious mind. Also, I find that the more I read and think about parenting, the more likely I am to be a proactive parent instead of a reactive parent. In other words, I think before I react instinctively to the misbehavior. And instead of reacting, I try to be proactive by being prepared and laying a good foundation to prevent the misbehavior in the first place.

Finally, I read my scriptures and pray A LOT. In the scriptures, we learn a lot about parenthood by seeing how our Heavenly Father deals with His children. I have also learned a lot about how He must feel about all of us by being a parent myself. I gather lots of information, and then I pray about how to apply it. I try to live worthy of inspiration. I talk to other mothers around me, old and young. How grateful I am for my own mother, mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, grandmothers, and sisters in the gospel as we all try to raise the next generation the best we can!

Lots of posts!

I'm catching up on the blog! For one thing, I was waiting for Abel's 4 month stats. Also, I have been trying hard to spend more time keeping up with children and housework and less time on the computer.

Tripping Midnight and Tickles

A new little cat has been adopting us. He absolutely loves to wind around our legs whenever we go outside. Because of this habit, we have decided to name him Tripp! Or, as Kandy calls him, Tripping Midnight. I don't want him inside, but I have no problem feeding him in the garage. (I know, famous last words.) Anyway, Sunny said, "I don't want to adopt him because he's too nice."

Overheard from the playroom:

Missy: I'm not ticklish there. I don't laugh when you tickle me. Well, I might chuckle a little, but I don't laugh.

(Does she know what chuckle means?)

Kandy's Canoe Birthday Party

For her birthday party this year, Kandy invited some friends to come canoe on the Jordan River. They pulled out of the river near our house and walked over for cake and presents. It was lots of fun!

Abel 4 months!

Abel is 4 months old! Here are several pictures of him on the momentous day.

At his doctor appointment a week later, he was about 14 lbs. and 25 1/2 inches long. I don't remember the specifics because Buster, Kandy, and Missy all had their birthday well-checks on the same day. (Sunny went to a friend's house so she wouldn't feel left out!) With all the chaos, they forgot to write it on the form for me.
Anyway, he is about 50th percentile in height and weight, and about 25th percentile in head circumference. This bears out my feelings! He is smaller than his siblings were at this age, and he does have a narrow head. The cheeks sure have filled out in the last week or so!

He is also sleeping through the night, and he moved into the crib in the room with Buster this week, too. He is still napping in my room, though. He can roll both ways, and he loves to coo, gurgle, and giggle. He is also mastering the art of blowing raspberries and loves to take out his pacifier so he can shove his fists in his mouth.

Apples and Strawberries

Missy came home with a missing tooth today.
"How did it come out?" I asked, knowing it had only been a little loose.
"Apple!" came the answer.

---

Sunny spent a day with her grandma, "Bama," a few days ago. She told me a story, so I had her type it up for me:

The other day when I had Sunny here for lunch I made her a sandwich and then sliced some strawberries and placed them in a bowl next to her plate. After a little bit she turned to me and said, "Bama, I think I will like strawberries when I'm 5."