Aerobie Fun at the Park

Yesterday, after my kids came home from school, I said, "Tomorrow, we are going to the park whether it is to sled (if there was snow) or just play.  But go to the park, we will."

I planned on reading my current book, "The Jungle Books" by Rudyard Kipling while my kid's played but then I remembered my word of the year and decided to join my kids.  

Toothsome #1 and I started playing "Playset Aerobie".  He climbed all around the playset and I tried to hit him while he tried to catch it.  In turn, when he threw it, I had stay in one place, (where the Aerobie landed previously) while he tried to land the Aerobie over my face and into my neck. Below, he is demonstrating the goal.

 Trying to take a picture of us together with my iphone.

 He was getting ready to throw the Aerobie at me when I took this picture. 

 Meanwhile, my other kids climbed up these trees.  If you look closely, you can see them.  

Great Aerobie fun.  Way better than a traditional frisbee.

It almost made me forget how upset I am by the lack of snow this year.

BTW:  Last night, I hosted my book club.  We read, "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute.  Wonderful book and wonderful discussion.  And, the Kneaders, Raspberry Bread pudding with their vanilla sauce was awesome too. 

Guess what? I have a son old enough to go to Scout Camp

I have spent the day reflecting about my now 12 year old son.  

12 years ago, we were living in Colorado.  My husband had just graduated from dental school and we had moved into my parent's house to wait for the baby to arrive and so we wouldn't have to pack up our dental school apartment with a newborn.  Toothsome #1 was born on the 4th of July weekend.  It was in a small hospital and he was the only baby born that weekend and we had the whole maternity wing to ourselves for the weekend.  The nurses would come into my room just to chat because there was really nothing going on except "us." 

My husband had a practice waiting for him to come and purchase but my doctor told us he didn't want me traveling with a newborn until he was 3 weeks old and my husband didn't want to leave me or the baby.  (This was the only time we had that luxury.  After my others were born, he went straight back to work within hours. My husband feels a huge commitment to his patients.)  

Since he was my first, I didn't really know but he was an easy baby.  He cried when he was hungry or when he peed outside of his diaper (which was frequently).   I had my mom with me 24/7 for those three weeks and it was marvelous.  

Three weeks later, we moved to a home in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake.  I went from constant help in a beautiful 5000 square foot home to no help in a home that was a 1400 square feet fixer upper that needed a ton of fixing up.  It was a horrible first few months!  But Toothsome #1 was a trooper and we made it through.

Early on, it became obvious that Toothsome #1 loved Daddy more than his mother.  I was honestly fine with that, and that is still the case and I am still fine with that.   When his chips are down, he wants Dentist husband.  They have a one of a kind relationship and I am so grateful they have each other.   

As his younger siblings have come into the scene, he has been an excellent older brother.  His siblings adore him.  He is smart and capable.  He is also shy.  Is he perfect?  Far from it but as a parent, I adore and love him to pieces.  

When he turned eight, and it was time to go to Cub Scout Day camp, he didn't want to go.  He cried--a lot.  I ended up having to carry him to the car over my shoulder, strap him in the seat and tell our leader to drive away and that he would fine once he was out of my sight.  That was true.  (I know him very well.)  

Well, at the age of 12, we had no drama.  He packed his own backpack, and got out of the car excited to go to Scout Camp.  I have complete trust in our scout leaders (honestly, they are the dream team of scout leaders) and I knew he would be fine.  And, he was.  He loved it.  Until scout camp, he has slept away from our house two nights.  This time it was five in a row!  But again, he was fine and had an excellent time.  (And they did amazing, fun stuff--SCUBA, aviation, horseback riding, canoeing, wake boarding, small boat sailing, ice caving, and even the horribly hard to get Environmental Science merit badge).

Today, he passed the Sacrament for the first time.  Yes, I got a little teary.  He is not my newborn anymore.  He is not even my little boy anymore.  But he is still my son.  12 years happened too fast.  

Sunflowers

For three years, he asked to plant sunflowers.  For three years, I ignored him.

This year,  we did it and I wish I had listened to him three years ago.  

I love how they look on the side of my house.  

Happy Valentine's Day

We woke up to a TON of snow. School has been delayed by two hours and we have been busy clearing out the piles of snow from this storm. This is been the BEST winter for snow. I honestly squeel with delight when I see the snow falling again.

Every year, I try to leave out a small gift for my kids. This year, I purchased them these. They came recommended by a blog I have recently started reading. Liz was recommended to me by a friend who thought I would enjoy her blog and I really have. It is great read and she and I think alike. I understand why Tiffany recommended her. And, in a small world connection thing, Liz married a boy that was in one of my BYU wards. Hi Brad.

So, on the the kitchen counter, where my kid's breakfast bowls usually sit, I had the Squiggles book waiting for them. This book is above and beyond any coloring book I have ever seen and it really encourages creative thinking because pictures are started and then the kids finish them. (Did any of you play that game in Sacrament meeting growing up? It got me through MANY long meetings.) I was so glad to have discovered it. So, thank you Liz. My kids were thrilled to find them at their places this morning.

So, tonight, since I love to eat out, we are taking the kids to our family favorite, Barbacoa. We call it "the magical place" in our family. We all love it, it is relatively healthy, reasonably priced and as I have said many times before, have the best Diet Coke in the valley. (One of the best parts is they have serve yourself fresh limes so you can have the perfect Diet Coke with fresh lime mix.) So, that is our day. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Adventures in Potty Training

I love being a mother--even dealing with the yucky parts--like diaper changes, cleaning up throw-up, wiping runny noses, having projectile spit-up land all down the front of my shirt just as I am about to go up and lead the closing song in Sacrament meeting, etc. I feel it is such privilege and blessing to be a mother that any of the work is so worth it, with the exception of potty training. I HATE potty training.

My wise sister (sibling #3) who has five boys, told me to not start potty training until a child is three. I have added to that until they are at least three and really ready. I mean really ready--like them telling you when they are going pee-pee when they have their diaper on. I want no accidents on my carpet. I want no wet puddles on the wood floor. I don't want any accidents in the Playland at McDonalds. Once they have proven to me they are completely aware of going in their diaper, then we move on to underpants. No sooner. That is my rule and it has worked with my first two kids. My two oldest children potty trained in 24 hours. Yes, I rocked as a potty training mother.

Until . . .this morning toothsome #3 announces that he is done wearing diapers and wants to wear big boy pants. As his mother, I know he is not ready. Yes, he is three, but he has given no true indication that he is ready and so I ignore him. He tells me we need to go to the store and buy him big boy pants. I ignore him. We are out doing errands and he reminds me to buy him big boy pants. So, I give in. We go and buy some Spiderman and Cars emblazoned underpants and go home. Within 10 minutes, he has tried on every pair and gone pee-pee in the toilet once and had one accident. He is not ready but this strong-willed child will not let me put a diaper on him! He is done with diapers.

My one small success is that he did do a number 2 in the potty just before bedtime. Hurray! So, I will keep everyone posted. I have a feeling we are in for a bumpy ride.

I'm So Proud

I went to the grocery store with my four kids. I know that sounds like a ton of hard work but I firmly believe that a trip to the grocery store is full of fun learning opportunities with my kids and never mind a "group trip" to the store. Today was no exception.
Today, while shopping they all begged for a jumbo bag of Doritos. I agreed and we kept on shopping. We then passed a huge display of rubber balls and they all begged for a ball. I said no. Then toothsome #1 consults with his siblings and says to me, "If we don't get the Doritos can we get a ball? The Doritos are $3 and one ball is $3." Impressed with his logic and math skills, (and grateful I won't have to clean Dorito fingers later in the day) I agree to that. While picking out a ball with a lot conversation between the kids, Toothsome #1 notices that smaller balls are just $1. He then says, "Can we each get a ball for $1? It will be the same price as one $3 ball." (Toothsome #4 is only 6 months old and doesn't need a ball.) Again, good math skills and good logic and so I agree. So, we leave the store with three balls, three very happy children (toothsome #4 was not so happy as I should have nursed before going to the store) and very proud mother. Good use of your math skills, toothsome #1!

Spring Cleaning

With tempertures in the 60's and Spring offically only a few days away, it is time for some true Spring cleaning.

Rooms to Spring clean: 12
Roomed Spring cleaned: 0

I'll keep everyone posted.

Little Joys

After a morning spent making sure everyone had done their Saturday chores (and having to take away computer game privileges from my kids because they weren't doing their Saturday chores), I decided to take the kids to Sonic and get slushies and then take the car to be washed. We just went to one of those places where you pay your six dollars and pull forward and it cleans the outside of your car with the machine the sprays soap, water, etc. on it while you stay inside.

Anyway, the kids LOVED it! They giggled each time a bar would pass and hit the window on their side with soap, water, tri-colored protectant, etc. I turned off the CD I was listening to and just enjoyed listening to their laughter and chatter about the whole thing. At the end of it, my kids (even my 7 almost 8 year old) said, "That was such a fun adventure! Thank you Mommy. Can we do that with you again?" It's just one of the little joys of being a mother. I am so lucky.

I've Forgotten How Much Fun It Is

At the start of summer 2006, I started teaching toothsome #2 to read. Her pre-school teacher said she was more than ready and because she watched me practice letter sounds with toothsome #1, she learned them at the same time. The school district here uses a system called, "Academic Success for All Learners" and so I ordered on-line, the first set of books. I really like this system, particularly after seeing how fast toothsome #1 learned to read after using them in Kindergarten.

Anyway, all summer long, she read to me daily out of these books and we were super diligent about reading them until toothsome #4 was born in October. We really haven't read together since and not a day goes by without me feeling guilty about it.

So, today was the day to start again. We spent about 20 minutes together reading and I had forgotten how much fun we have together doing it. At the bottom of each page in the book there is either a comprehension question or a smiley face that says, "Praise!" to remind me to praise my child. Whenever we get to a "Praise!" toothsome #2 hollers loudly, "Praise, praise, praise, praise!" We laughed and giggled the whole time and she's learning to read. It reminded me that it is moments like these that create happy growing up memories for my children. I need to continue to create moments like these. They are priceless.

Who Made This Terrible Mess?

I walked into the family room to find Toothsome #3 standing by an empty Kleenex box and saying in a very frustrated voice, "Who made this terrible mess?" That would be you, my little menace, you.

Also, do you like his dapper outfit? He won't go anywhere these days without a sweater vest on.

Latest Mommy invention

When you don't want to dirty another knife, a "cracked sandwich" is the only way to go. Invented by me about 10 minutes ago, it brightened toothsome #3's day and enabled me to not have to clean another utensil.

Things That have Gotten Me Through

I had my fourth child (toothsome #4) three months ago and as I was drinking my Sonic Drive Thur's, Route 44, I thought I would document things that have helped me survive the sleep deprived and busy life I have been living ever since.

1. A Route 44 Diet Coke with Fresh Lime from Sonic Drive -Thru. 44 ounces of caffeine infused deliciousness.

2. Barbacoa Restaurant: A local Mexican restaurant, very similar to Chipotle, that is close to our house, tasty and healthy. All my kids love it and we seem to eat there about twice a week since toothsome #4 was born.

3. Dentist husband, who has been wonderful in watching and getting up in the middle of the night with Toothsomes 1, 2, and 3 so I can get a little more sleep.

4. Regular phone calls to my friend Diane I. She is a friend from elementary school who I talk to several times a day. I look forward to the daily fun she infuses into my life.

5. All children's TV programing--Wiggles in particular. This occupies toothsome #3 while I try and sneak in a nap or at the very least, keeps in him in one place so I can cuddle and hold him and know he is not destroying another part of the house.

6. Toothsomes 1, 2 and 3 who usually play nicely together, so I can nurse undisturbed and give my new little one some special Mom time.

7. My Roomba: My robot vacuum that vacuums for me while I clean and manage other parts of my life. It has changed my life so much, I am buying another one.

8. Hot baths: At the end of the day, there is nothing better than climbing into a hot tub with a good book.