Do You Remember the Kind of September?

What is it about September that makes me wish I had fruit trees? When I was in elementary school there was an orchard up the hill that we visited every fall. On blue skied, sunny days we picked our own apples, saw the cider presses, and tasted the juice. We went back in October for a hay ride and to pick out our Halloween pumpkins. I remember what it smelled like and I remember how it tasted. It seems like I even remember how it sounded. I think those memories lie sleeping throughout the year until September comes and then they awaken a quirky need within me to pick fruit, make jam, or can something. Whatever the reason I am overcome by this compulsive behavior every year, and this year was worse than usual.

It all started when our neighbor brought over a bag of peaches from off of her tree. That night I couldn't rest until I made a peach pie and put up four jars of peach jam. Seeing those jars sitting there made me think of grape juice. Last year my sister-in-law canned grape juice she made from grapes hand-picked off her neighbors vine. My curiousity about that whole process kept nagging at me like an itch that needed to be scratched so I finally called my brother and asked him to ask his neighbor if they had any grapes I could come pick. A little obsessive I know, but it got results. We met up with my brother and his family in Orem and tromped over to his neighbor's yard, bowls in hand. We picked all the grapes we could find and moved on to the pear and apple trees. It was so much fun, just like I remember as a kid, and our kids had a great time.

I remember sitting by my mother watching her pour steaming grape juice into jars and I couldn't wait to give it a try. I ran out and got a steam juicer and set it up right away. I called the girls over to show them how the juice streams out of the steamer and gave them each a turn to open the clamp.

Once the grapes were all juiced, I moved on to the apples. With the apples from my brother's neighbor and more from a tree near my mother-in-law's house, I cut, quartered, and steamed out a couple quarts of apple juice. But then there were all these leftover steamed apples that just couldn't be thrown away, so I ran them through a food mill and made applesauce. The girls took turns helping me turn the crank and mashing the apples down, and Luke stepped in when they got tired.

That was pretty easy, and there were still all these pears...

So we steamed and sauced those too.

I ran to the store to get more jars and saw strawberries on sale. Hmmm. The apple-strawberry juice bar I had earlier was sure yummy and since I already had apple juice at home... I bought the strawberries and juiced those. Then of course that left all the steamed berries that couldn't be thrown away so I had to spread those on trays and make fruit leather.

The total for the days work amounted to 4 1/2 quarts of grape juice, 2 quarts of apple juice, 9 pints of apple sauce, 6 pints of pear sauce, and 3 quarts of strawberry juice (but no fruit leather - it didn't turn out). Whew. After that frenzy of preservation I can not look at bottled juice and canned fruit the same way again. I am grateful I don't have to rely on what I can grow and preserve to feed my family all winter. I am happy to see my children enjoy what we have made. I have satisfied my curiousity. I'm pleased that I learned something new. I am very tired, and relieved to be done with fruit for the year. I'm not sure if I want do it again next year, but when September does come around again I'm sure I'll forget that and find myself telling my family, "It's time to go pick apples, remember?"

Way to Go Idaho!

Prior to August 17, 2009, I had never been to Idaho. Boy, have I been been missing out! (This is where you say "I told you so" if you are Wiley, Sarah, or Heather:). We spent nearly a week in eastern Idaho with varying combinations of extended family members, and it became my new favorite place. 6 days of boating, bear feeding, site seeing, and family-ness wasn't quite enough and therefore I have every intention of going back. Often. I took so many pictures during the trip I'll have to post them in separate slide shows, but here are a few favorites:

Madeleine on water skis - it was her first time up and she didn't want to stop!

"Twin" counsins - they wore these PJ's nearly everyday so they could match each other.
Super hero kids - The water was cold so when we were on the lake the kids wore wet suits. We called them "The Incredible Kids."
Pretty water - I spent a lot of time just looking at the lake, especially at sunset.
Yellowstone - this was a first time trip for the girls and me so we had to see Old Faithful. We waited and waited, and then when it erupted we happened to be down wind and it rained all over us! Everyone was screaming and running and trying to cover up their cameras and laughing all at the same time.

We really had a lot of fun. I thought we might run out of things to do, but instead we ran out of time to do them. That's ok - we'll just keep a to-do list ready for next year.

Class Lists

Are your kids ready for school? That seems to be the chit-chat question of choice lately, and the honest answer is that I think they probably are. Our fun packed summer has fulfilled our wish for lots of play time, lots of family time, and lots of swimming. Now as summer winds down and the school year momentum picks up I think they are ready to see more of their friends and just a little less of each other. Even loving sisters need some elbow room, if you know what I mean.

Last night we pulled in the driveway after 9, and it was nearly 10 before I remembered that there was a little something waiting in the mailbox for us. Despite the hour, we scurried out in the dark to retrieve the long-awaited Class Lists. Before anyone opened theirs I paused and deliberately stated, "Now remember, it doesn't matter which teacher you have or who is in your class because it will all work out when you get to school. You don't know how things will turn out until you get there, so if you don't have who you expected don't be worried." Then they tore into their envelopes like they were Christmas presents. Madeleine gleefully announced she had the teacher she wanted and that her favorite friend was in her class. Beth shouted at the mention of each name that she recognized on her list. Mary looked around as though she knew she ought to be excited but she wasn't really sure why. All three of them were smiling and at ease.

When the commotion died down I collected all the lists and accompanying letters and leafed through them. Mary spent last year as one of a trio, and now that trio is down to a couple, and her favorite girl friend is not in her class (worry). Beth does have several kids in her class that she knows from last year, but her favorite playmate isn't one of them (Worry). Madeleine's favorite girl friend is in her class. So are three other girls that she had a really hard time with the year before (WORRY). Class orientations for three different kids on three different dates at three different times need to get put on our calendar. There are requests for photos from summer, grab bags full of items that "characterize you," and letter from mom and dad telling how wonderful you are that need to be met. Uniforms need to be ironed and we've still got to get to the dentist.

Yeah, I think my kids really are ready for school. The real question is, am I???

A Visit to Maryland

There's no place like home, but Grandma and Grandpa's house is a really close second! This year I embraced the Sorenson Family "Girl's Trip" concept and we jetted off to MD, girls only. Poor Luke was loaded back at the office and we definitely missed him, but we sure had a great time.

Grandma Rosie led us on a tour of her favorite spots in downtown Frederick. The library, the art museum, the river walk, and the antique gallery kept us busy all day. (In the group picture above, everything on the wall behind us is painted - all the walls along the river walkway are painted like that.) In the evening Grandpa Dave pitched us some balls, and then we caught lightning bugs. Catching lightning bugs has always been one of my favorite summer memories and I think I was more excited than the girls for them to have a chance to do it.

A sunny day at the lake was a real treat. Complete with sandcastles on the beach, a picnic lunch, and lots of swimming, I thought it was perfect. We topped it off by stopping in at a candy store and picking out some more treats for after dinner. If only I had had my camera when the girls walked in and saw nothing but tables and tables of candy! Their awed expressions were priceless, and they wandered around and around gaping at everything,"like a kid in a candy store."

Swimming at the pool got rained out, but the fun at home didn't stop. My brothers and sister put on quite a soccer show in the front yard, and later the kids "rocked out the show" with the band in the basement. I got to visit with my best friend from Middle School, and my parents treated us all to a crab dinner - yum, yum! (The crab dinner was actually after we got home from the lake, but the picture ended up here).

Then it was time to wave good-bye to Grandma and Grandpa. Aunt Lynn graciously drove us to the Washington D.C. temple on our way to the airport. I really wanted to show the girls my favorite temple so I was glad we could fit that in. I was right in between Mary and Beth age-wise when I went there with my family to be sealed together. The girls were grumpy on the way there, but once inside the Visitor's Center they calmed right away. Mary was immediately drawn to the statue of the Christus and I felt a special witness of the Savior's love for her as we stood there together looking at Him. The copies of the Book of Mormon in different languages intrigued Beth, and Madeleine found the display of satellite images from space paired with scriptures about the creation fascinating.

From there it was on to the airport and off to Utah. The girls were really well behaved for the flight and Madeleine was especially helpful and sensitive to how tired I was. Going home to greet our dad and sleep in our own beds was the perfect conclusion to a great trip.

Happy Blog-iversary!

It is official. I have been a Blogger for one full year. To those who me urged to become such, I thank you, and regret that I didn't heed your advice sooner. I have enjoyed every word I've written, every picture I've posted, and every comment I've received. To celebrate I'm going to have my collection of posts from the past year printed into a book I can keep and look back on. To my fellow Bloggers, I love what you do so please keep it coming. Here's to happy blogging!!

Did You Know?

Did you know those hard shells that protect a snails' soft body really aren't that hard, and if you happen to kneel on a snail while weeding your flower bed and wearing shorts, the shell will smash and green oozy slime will smear all over your leg? I didn't... but I do now.

I'm just glad the neighbors weren't out to hear me screaming.

Tour of the Temple

The Oquirhh Mountain Temple was recently built near our home and our family attended the open house together. We enjoyed it more than this picture indicates! (That's what you get for handing your camera to a complete stranger.) It is a beautiful temple and I was so happy we could take our children to see the inside. The artwork particulalry caught my attention, and I thought the interior of the temple in general was breathtaking. I thought I might get a little choked up walking my girls through the bride room, but instead it was the sealing room that got to me. We sat there together, facing the altar and the mirror beyond it and I leaned over and said, "Daddy and I were married in a room like this one. We knealt at an altar just like that one there, and you were watching us from heaven and cheering, "Yeah! That's my mom and dad!" Then I got all choked up because I felt the truthfulness of that in my heart. Our family was meant to be together. Our children rejoiced for the opportunity to be born to parents who were married in the temple and to have their turn on earth as part of an eternal family. I rejoice to have them, and to know we will be together forever.

Family Reuion on the 4th!

Hey, hey, the gang's all here! Or they were here anyway. This year for the 4th of July, 23 people came in from 4 different states and met up at our house, and for just a snatch of time my whole family was together in the same place. We took a picture just to prove it. Reunions such as this happen about once every 5 years for us. In fact, the last time we did this at least four of the kids pictured above weren't even born yet!

Though we weren't together long we packed in a lot of fun. Eating, talking, teasing, playing, staying up late... and there were some organized events of the weeked as well. Whenever the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints builds a new temple, upon completion there is an "Open House," meaning that the temple is open to the public for tours. We're fortunate to live near to the newest temple and the open house there is currently underway. So, the out-of-towners took advantage of the opportunity and spent the morning together there. Then we met at our house for lunch, which was lucky for me since I needed a way to make good use of a 10 lb. slab of corned beef Luke received as a gift from a meat company. We took our family pictures (thanks again to my sister-in-law Amy for snapping the shots for us), and then headed for the lake!

The finicky weather still lingering from June had me crossing my fingers and holding my breath, but we lucked out with a warm, sunny day and good water. I was too busy enjoying myself to remember my camera, but I have pictures in my mind of my mom and dad relaxing on the boat, my brother falling off the boat (in a funny way - he wasn't hurt or anything), and wake-boarding with my sister and sister-in-law. My favorite part of the day was when the whole lot of us piled on the boat for a "sunset tour" all together before we pulled out of the water.

On the day of the 4th, the group disbanded for a bit but reconvened in the evening at my brother's house for BBQ and fireworks. Cousins frolicked all over the lawn and monster pops and sparklers and fireworks were going off everywhere. Then after we caravanned to a secret spot to watch the fireworks from the BYU stadium, cousins bedecked with glow-bracelets and necklaces romped in the dark. We bailed a little early, but caught a spectacular display at Thanksgiving Point as we drove home on I-15.

Over the next two days our crowd dwindled down as family by family, people said good-bye and returned home. I was sad to see them go, but I suppose it's missing them when they leave that helps keep me grateful for the freedom and privileges that enable us to be together, even it's only for a couple days.

Mary's 4th Birthday

Our little Mary turned 4 years old on June 6th. We celebrated her "birthday day" at Grandma's, and then had her "Party Day" a couple of days later. She had been anxiously awaiting her "Princess Party" and let me know in no uncertain terms that there needed to be "princes" there so that there could be dancing at the ball. For weeks prior to her birthday, every time we went to the grocery store Mary would look over all the cakes and select two; one for her 7 year old birthday and one for her 4 year old birthday. When the big day arrived she gleefully made her final selection of her 4 year old cake and proudly toted it home, along with some rainbow ice cream and a boquet of balloons. Donning her blue ball gown our little Cinderella reveled in blowing out her candles, eating ice cream (melted though it was), opening presents, and dancing and playing with her little friends. The kids were so good and the party was so fun I actually called the parents and asked if the kids could stay a little longer!

Mary, you have been such a blessing and joy to us these past four years. Your lively, animated spirit endears you to everyone who knows you. Your expressions and infectious laugh are a light in our home and we are grateful everyday to have you in our family. We love you, "Little Bear Cub." Happy Birthday.

Here is footage of the Royal Ball, starring Mary as Cinderella and Carson as Prince Charming:

Ok, maybe not. Anyone else having issues loading video onto Blogger??? Hopefully the video will be coming soon.

Summer Survival Strategy

This year in anticipation of summer I decided to establish a game plan with a few accessories to facilitate our summer fun. As wonderful as the school year was, I was really looking forward to some free time with my kids and I wanted it to go well. Here is my "guide book" for the month of June:

Schedule: Looking forward to free time does not equate to relishing havoc, so I thought long and hard about how to enjoy our freedom without lapsing into utter lawlessness. Mimicking the design of the homeschool curriculum my amazing friend created, we opened the "Princess Academy" on the first day of vacation. We have a motto, a logo, some objectives, and a general guideline that I loosely refer to as a "schedule." It involves doing some chores, spending some time working on school skills and piano, and intermittent reminders about long-standing, tried and true but still evasive virtues, such as using manners, (ie. not driving your mother insane with constant bickering). We are not infallible with our daily pursuits of harmony and order, but even loose structure holds life together better than no structure at all. Besides, the girls like the sparkly gem stickers they get to use to adorn their crown shaped chore charts.

School Camps: I know, did I not just say I was looking forward to being done with school??? And yet, the school offers some really fun summer programs that the girls were super excited about so I consented to them choosing one program each, so long as they were in the same week and at the same time as each other. Then the school called to notify me that certain classes hadn't had enough enrollment and the schedule was being altered due to cancellations and . . .What? How did we end up with three weeks of activities at school when school just barely ended? Despite the jolt to my careful planning, the school camps worked out great and the girls loved them. Madeleine basked in dance and science while Beth flourished in art and private tutoring with her beloved Kindergarten teacher. Mary had some "Mom Adventures," like visits to the library and playing with the displays at Lakeshore Learning while we waited for the sisters at school. I was a little surprised at how glad the girls were to simply be in school. All three were eager to mosey up and down the hallways, peaking in classrooms to seek out any teachers and friends who might be hanging around that day. They gave me a tour of every nook and cranny so familiar to them now, and enjoyed the playground as if they were reuniting with an old friend. I found it a pleasure to watch them, so at ease and confident in their school environment. Even I had to acknowledge there was something almost rebelliously liberating about being at school without wearing a uniform:)

Swimming Lessons: All three of our girls love the water and can hardly be restrained from splishing and splashing every chance they get. Really. Once I ordered them to sit at the side of the pool while I went to change and came back to find them all immersed neck deep, stretched out full body length with a few fingers grasping the wall edge. They claimed they were still obeying given that they were still touching "the side." Anyway, thanks to the recommendation of a friend we found a wonderful teacher who offers private lessons in her own, indoor swimming pool. Initially I considered it somewhat inconvenient to go over to her house when we have a pool right here in our neighborhood, but when the uncommonly persistent thunderstorms of June crashed and boomed outside I took delight in being warm and content while swimming indoors. Really, if it weren't for school camps and swimming lessons, what else would we have done in 3 straight weeks of stormy, cloudy weather?

Summer Bags: Given that our scheduling didn't work out according to my original specifications I had to create some impromptu coping mechanisms for the amount of time we were going to spend in the car and waiting for siblings. So, the school-year book bags were replaced with "summer bags," each one of it's owners choosing, and filled each morning with the necessities of day as dictated by the scheduled activities. Book to read while we wait for sister? Check. Swim suit since we're going directly to swimming lessons after school camp? Check. Well planned, carefully packed nutritious lunch? Check - or not check. We did have more than a few quality drive-thru meals during those three weeks, but hey, a girl has got to eat and a mom has got to do what a mom has got to do. Thank goodness for Kneader's, the drive-thru that dishes out a healthier option for lunch on the run.

Sleep: We don't seem to be getting any! Glad to be free of our early mornings and evening time constraints imposed by the school year schedule, I anticipated early bedtimes and later mornings. To my chagrin, the girls are up until 10 or 11 every night regardless of our 9:00 bedtime and, with the exception of Madeleine, who is exhibiting some pre-teen like characteristics including sleeping in, they don't sleep longer than 7:30. Just when I was becoming convinced that there was something chemically imbalanced in our children my friends nonchalantly assured me that it was "just summer." I suppose if the sun doesn't go to bed until 10 kids won't either. Oh well. The flexibility is nice at least, and it hasn't been hard to convince me to give up a planned wake-up time and just stay in bed until everyone is awake!

Magnifying Glasses: Although this unfortunately does not follow my alliteration it warrants mention just the same. On a whim I purchased some plastic magnifying glasses which kept a constant home in the bottom of the girls "summer bags." Then, as they waited for their turn for swimming lessons or whatever else, they were set loose with their magnifying glasses to explore. Insects, flower petals, even the sidewalk pavement held their interest under magnified examination. It just goes to show that even the most mundane appearance can prove extraordinary when given a closer look.

Slowing Down: Now June is over and we're glad to settle into slower, sunnier days. Well, sunnier yes, slower, maybe not. Despite being free from as many predetermined obligations the days fill up and fly by so quickly! It's all in fun though. We've spent more time with family, more time by the pool, more time on play dates. Sigh. The time is going so fast but I'm trying not wish for more time but just enjoy the summer time.

Did You Know?

Did you know that those silver foil bags that say "Will Keep Your Ice Cream Frosty and Frozen for Hours and Hours and Hours!" really won't and that if you buy your ice cream on the way to pick up your daughter from summer camp at school and then go pick up your other daughter, make a quick stop to drop off a signature, and then rush home to a birthday party the ice cream will all be melted by the time you serve it even though you kept it in the foil bag which was tightly closed? I didn't . . . but I do now. 

The kids ate the ice cream anyway, even though it was more like a milkshake in a bowl, and the party turned out great. 

Congratulations!

Tonight I am thinking about the many different and wonderful women that I'm privileged to know and for many reasons altogether but for no reason in particular, I feel like celebrating. Celebrating you, and congratulating you for victories great and small. Those of you who have watched your children graduate, from pre-school up through high school, and those who have progressed in school themselves. Those of you who have spent hours cheering at baseball games and sporting events, and have hours yet to go before the season ends. There are those who have launched their own businesses, and others who have made things work in an economy that works against them. Mothers who have celebrated birthdays and gotcha' days for babies they yearned to have in their families, and mothers who are watching their babies marry and start families of their own. Some have coached their children through their battles and others have had their own battles to fight. Some have received miracles as answers to prayer, and others have found faith when they didn't receive the miracles they prayed for.  

As the pressures of the school year fade away and summer days of family time and freedom stretch ahead I know I'm feeling a bit lighter, as though I've crossed a finish line and can enjoy a minute to catch my breath. Perhaps that's what brought on this congratulatory mood, but whatever the reason, I mean it. Good job! 

I've heard it said that the essence of womanhood is guilt. Be that as it may, don't feel guilty by taking some credit here. Just for a minute, consider the numerous seemingly insignificant tasks you accomplish each day and marvel with me at the mountains that you've climbed by waking up each day and putting two feet on the floor. Even with all it's 15 letters "congratulations" isn't a big enough word to sum up the extent of what you do, but what word is? At this point I am oddly reminded of author Kate Dicamillo's little mouse Desperaux and his enchantment with the Princess Pea. In a fleeting moment as he grasps at the chance to express the abundance of admiration filling his heart he whispers, "I honor you." Maybe it's not one long word, but those three simple words I need right now. As I think of all of you my outlook is buoyed up. I am blessed by your examples. I am encouraged by your kindness. I am strengthened by your friendship. I honor you and the efforts you make daily to lead, love, and progress. In my mind THAT is the essence of womanhood and I rejoice to know women who live it, so here's to you ladies. Congratulations on a job well done. 

Mother's Day

Mother's Day this year was absolutely blissful. It started on Saturday when Luke took the girls out for the whole day and gave me the gift of some time to myself. That evening he took me to a nice dinner, and topped it off by buying me a new dress. I teased him that I was going to sleep until 11 the next day, but I was genuinely surprised when I woke up to see the clock read 10:30! He had been keeping the girls at bay the whole morning while they were chomping on the bit to give me my presents. Madeleine set up camp outside my bedroom door and waited so she could sound the alert when I woke up. I have no idea how long she was sitting out there! When I came down they presented me with handmade gifts from school, homemade cards, a new table cloth, a new spice rack, a salad spinner, a new salad bowl with matching tongs, and new pot holders. I loved it! Luke took them to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and asked them all to find things that they thought I needed, and they were exactly right.

I gave my mom a call before church, and after church we went to Liz's house, where the dads put on a dinner for all the moms. I had a bonus gift this year of having Ellie stay with us while her mom and dad were out of town. Having 4 children at the dinner table was just the right balance in my mind, and she and Mary were peas in a pod all weekend.

Motherhood is hard. It tries the patience, stretches the soul, pangs the heart, and expands the mind of each woman who embarks on the journey of raising children. But there is nothing I would trade for it and today was a perfect day to soak in the happiness that comes from little hands, shining eyes, and lots of kisses. What a blessing, what a joy, what an experience it is to be a Mother.

Madeleine's Birthday

 

What better Mother's Day gift can a mother have than to bring her newborn baby home on Mother's Day? Nine years ago this month we brought our little Madeleine home. I felt such joy the day I became her mother. It has been a joy every day since to see who she is becoming.  She is my little friend, my big helper, my darling girl. I love you Madeleine!

Why I Wouldn't Buy New Furniture

A few months ago I went out on a limb had my carpets cleaned. Upon completion the carpet cleaning professional (or to be politically incorrect, the Rug Guy) lead me on a guided tour of the various extractions he had performed. It went something like this: "I got out the lotion, the sunblock, the lip gloss, the melted crayon, the marker, the silly putty, the gum,  the grape-flavored cough syrup, and most of the baby powder, but the candy stains in the corner behind the arm chair and whatever that big red splatter is in the dining room we just couldn't get out. Do you know what that red stuff it is? Is it blood or something?" "No," I sighed, "No one has been bleeding profusely in my dining room to my knowledge so I don't think it's blood, but I don't know what it is." Then I added, "It's hard to believe that with 5 people living here, nearly all of the damage was incurred by only one person - the smallest one." He looked at me quizzically and declined to comment. 

You may gasp in disbelief and disapproval at my seemingly apathetic response to carpet care but I do now and always will plead "not guilty."  In my defense, I've invested in not one, but two carpet steamers and a vast collection of spot removing, stain lifting, allergen reducing sprays and foams in an effort to maintain pristine plushness underfoot.  However, after the many carpet infractions and misdemeanors committed by multiple young children and in particular, one toddler especially prone to, shall we say, "tactile exploration," I simply threw in the towel. One can spend only so many hours a day sucking various substances out of the carpet, not to mention furniture, clothing, and the person responsible for the catastrophe. No, when it comes to our carpet I no longer have any qualms about closing the door, walking away, and eventually calling in the professionals.  Let them deal with this:

Not only our carpet but our decor scheme in general readily advertises that very busy children live here. For the past 6 years our family room boasted a rather eclectic furniture collection comprised of family hand-me-downs older than my husband, cheap green leather we bought from what we're pretty sure was a mob ring in a back alley in Philadelphia, and an entertainment center that was tragically splintered and maimed in a mishap involving a Comcast serviceman and a very heavy TV. Hardly a layout for Better Homes and Gardens but it was comfortable and functional and virtually indestructible.  Despite those advantages, I frequently felt inclined to consider overhauling the whole room and upgrading from our Get-Your-Garage-Sale-Item-Here look to an It's-Not-Fancy-But-At-Least-It-Matches kind of style. After discussing, budgeting, and debating I would consider my surroundings and find:

Crumbs on the couch left by an unidentified perpetrator of the "No Food In The Family Room" rule;

Pock mock scars left on an end table victimized by multiple stabbings with a fork;

The arm of a leather recliner converted to a pencil holder;

 
 
 
 

The back of said recliner impaled with safety pins securing blankets arranged to form a "hurricane shelter"

And invariably I would conclude that our family was simply not ready to appreciate and enjoy new family room furniture. To purchase such would be to expose it undeserved abuse and  accelerated depreciation. So with resignation I would resolutely decline the opportunity to redecorate    . . .until this winter. 

Bogged down with winter blahs and feeling compelled to add variety to the chilled, gray landscape of daily life, the impulse to refurnish overcame me once again. It didn't help that a repairman glanced in our family room and asked, "Oh, do you run a daycare in here?" This time when I initiated my patented furniture conversation Luke was ready for it.  I think he may have grown weary of the repetitious cycle of me asking for new furniture, him conceding, and then me saying I didn't want it after all. Or maybe it was simply the fact that with potty training and the bulk of toddler instigated chemical warfare behind us, it was time for our furniture to make a more grown-up fashion statement. At any rate, when I brought it up again he was prepared to take action. He had a day off so we seized the opportunity with swift momentum and embarked on a one day marathon of conferring, considering, and comparing.  A myriad of fabric textures, wood stains, dimensions, configurations, and digital accesories swirled before our eyes until finally,  8 hours, 5 stores, 2 aching feet, and many dollars later we had surmounted the task of re-outfitting the family room.

 Our couches are still leather but they were purchased from a reputable dealer with upstanding family values. The entertainment center has ample storage space and all of it's doors are in tact. Two of the chairs are still hand-me-downs but neither of them are older than either of us. An area rug dutifully attempts to salvage the majority of the carpet, and though drapes have yet to be ordered the room has really come together. Yes, the family room has proudly graduated from daycare/landfill status to a classic, comfortable room we can enjoy together. Everything is coordinated, everything is new, everything is unscathed. For now. 

 

Did You Know?

Did you know that if you take a child under the age of 5 swimming at a county rec center indoor pool an adult is required to be in the water with them at all times? I didn't . . . but I do now.  Next time I'll bring my suit. 

What would it take?

Downstairs in our basement is a room. Not very large, not very fancy, but yet a very particular room. This room was much longed for, long sought after, carefully planned, and meticulously organized. Something of a dream that gradually became realized, the room I speak of is my office. Destined to be a haven of quiet reprieve, it is well stocked with supplies and materials of every type to inspire creativity and promote personal development. It is MY space, MY stuff, to be used in MY alone-time. So why are my children always in it?

There sits the beautiful sewing machine, a pinnacle of machinery in a the seam-stressing world, so I'm told. I don't actually know how to use it and my intentions to learn continue to hover faintly in the distance like a mirage in the desert. And there stands the large screen monitor, perfect for designing photo pages and laying out albums, yet there is no designing being done, no albums to speak of. The screen sits blank, empty and wistful under a fine layer of dust. The carefully stacked shelves of paper organized by color are in a jumble. The drawers once filled with scissors, stencils, and crafting tools sit empty while the floor plays host to their former contents. My cloud-borne castle of creativity has been reduced to a shanty of disarray. What would it take to rebuild it? Time, energy, diligence . . .

I do attempt on occasion to sequester myself in that room. Quietly tiptoeing down the stairs, quickly darting in, softly latching the door, I ignore the calls of "MOM??" drifting down the hallway and busy myself in some pursuit, knowing my efforts will be halted before I complete my objective but stubbornly I persist. Inevitably they find me and suddenly my space is no longer a secluded hideaway of introspection but an open forum for little fingers to ravage like a swarm of ants on a picnic lunch. The paper comes off the shelves and is meticulously shredded with a paper cutter. The buttons and beads are spilled so they can be "counted" and strung. Skeins of yarn are unwound to construct "spider webs." Yards of fabric are unfolded and draped to mimic couture gowns. Stickers are stuck on everything and always, ALWAYS, someone (who shall remain nameless but has short, curly blonde hair and is under three feet tall), insists on sitting in my lap thereby blocking the keyboard and inhibiting my efficacy with the mouse. Then she repeatedly asks,"Can I watch a movie of me on your computer mom?" until I am so undeniably distracted that I consent with resignation. "Cottages" are constructed beneath the worktables and "animal hospitals" occupy the corners. I once found a stuffed rabbit wearing a baby sweater and a nearly empty bag of marshmallows in the closet. Perhaps my realized dream of a room of my own was in reality, too good to be true. For my children it has evolved into a type of playground while for me it has descended to a storage room. What would it take to reclaim this space? A baby-sitter for an indefinite amount of time, an extra dose of over-the-counter energy boosting painkillers, an unpredictable alignment of the universe . . .

When it comes to my so-called office, I don't know how to establish an inviolable sense of forbidden territory in my children. There is no deep and abiding respect for boundaries or recognition of ownership. What would it take to teach them to stay out, leave things alone, don't touch, and don't interrupt? Threats, bribes, gruff reproach . . .

With summer fast approaching I'm considering an attempt at a more open mind and less closed doors, a space with figuratively softer edges and rounded corners. Maybe I should demolish my concept of a den of isolation and reconstruct a more harmonious center of productivity. While I am absolutely a proponent of personal space and privacy I cannot deny that my previous failure at achieving any has lead me to suppose that devising a treaty rather than issuing a decree may actually serve me better, both in my pursuit of personal development and in my relationship with my children. What would it take to create a shared space where they are welcomed in and invited to participate within the bounds of certain limitations? Patience, compromise, a soft answer, more patience . . .

It is MY space. It is MY stuff. But they are MY children, and they are only little for a little while. During that while my office will just have to be an area of give and take.

The Red Ants

Beth began her soccer career yesterday. On a team made up mostly of girls from school, they named themselves the Red Ants and adopted the coach's puppy as their mascot. They scored several goals (Beth got one!) and they really did a good job, especially considering most of them have never played before. It was hilarious to hear them when the other team started scoring - "It's not fair! That team PRACTICED!" "I was going to score a goal but I got scared that other girl would kick me." "Those 4 year olds are tough!" That's ok. The Red Ants are tough too, and we'll get 'em next time.

We run, we kick, we pass, we score!

We are the Red Ants and we've got more!

We go for the goal with all our might.

You better watch out, 'cuz these Ants bite!

 

Easter 2009

Easter Sunday gave us the much welcomed gift of  a sunny day.  Those have been in short supply this spring. After Easter baskets, pictures in their new dresses, and church, we had some friends over for dinner. It was nice and low-key this year.  Mary decided that when the girls had their Easter dresses on they were Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Belle. 

It's Safe Now

Just so you know, I went back and had my hair bleached to lift out some of the color. You can actually see some brown and even some red in it so I've relaxed considerably. It is now safe to mention :) 

On the dark side

Those of you who know me at all know that I am anything but adventurous when it comes to my hair. Sure, I went through a frizzy perm phase in the early 90's (who didn't?) and there was that one uncharacteristic episode in college where my roomate and I stayed up late and dyed our hair with Kool-Aid, but everyone knows that washes out. Beyond that, the variation in my hairstyles for the past 30-something years has ranged from medium to long, blunt or layers, and brown or . . . brown. 

At the end of the summer I decided my flat-toned hair was screaming "I went to the swimming pool everyday!" and needed a little help. I talked myself into adding a few subtle highlights to put some depth back into it, but even as I sat in the salon chair I thought to myself, "I am going to regret this. If not now, then later." That "later" is now.  

The highlights have long since been colored over to match my natural color, but just as flower petals fade with the waning light of winter so does artificial hair color, and those pesky highlights were re-emerging. In an attempt to suppress them again, I found myself back in the same salon chair and thinking, "I'm going to regret this," as the stylist said, "I'm pretty sure this is the color we used last time. I forgot to write it down."  No. It was most definitely and inarguably NOT the same color we used last time.

My daughter's comment at first sight was "Mom, why is your hair black?" You may call it raven, molasses, deep mahogany, or any other sugar coated version of a tactful adjective but regardless of how you label it, it is d-a-r-k dark. Much too much so for a hair-color chicken like myself. Sigh. Moan. Wipe a tear. Wash it for the fourth time in 2 days. Sigh again.

I think I'm stuck with this for a while so consider yourself warned. Don't be startled when you see me (although I wouldn't blame you -everyone else has been so far), and be assured that any resemblance to Elvira, Morticia Adams, or any given member of the Osbourne family was completely unintentional and wholly unwelcome.  So please, for the time-being, comment on my blog, comment on the weather, just don't comment on my hair, OK? The mirror is reminder enough. Give me a week or so. Hopefully by then my attitude, as well as my hair, will have lightened up bit. 

Blast From the Past

I used to practice the piano before school, wearing my green, plaid uniform. This was the first song I ever learned to play.

Spring Break:The Recovery

I know, Spring Break was officially over when the kids went back to school, but somehow life didn't seem quite back to normal. My sister flew in on Monday evening, which happened to be her birthday, and stayed for the week. Here's a hint; if you're going to get really sick right when you come home from a big trip, do it when your sister is coming into town. She took good care of me, as well as the rest of my family, and we had a great time. We talked, shopped, cooked, watched movies, traded computer tips, and folded laundry. I know, hardly exhilarating entertainment for a swinging single lady, but she was a good sport about all of it. Having her close for a while made it harder that she lives so far away. 

My brothers and their families joined us at the end of the week and the house was full of siblings and cousins, all happy to see Aunt Lynn. We had a group birthday cake for the four March birthday-ees in attendance. The weather was nice enough to spend some outside time at the park and exploring the creek. Then before I knew it everyone packed up and headed home to their various abodes. 

After traveling, Dr.'s visits, unpacking, company, and two school presentations, a new week started and life resumed it's normal pattern of turning in circles. I think we're finally home from vacation. 

Spring Break: The Adventure

Thanks to the generosity and graciousness of Luke's dad and his wife, our whole family (and I mean everybody) was treated to Spring Break on the Disney Cruise. The Disney Magic, to be exact. After a busy day of packing and a long flight, we arrived in Florida late Friday night and stayed over in a hotel. Our travel worn and over excited girls had a hard time settling down for bed until their dad conjured up a bedtime tale starring three mysterious princesses with mystical powers. Laying there in the dark on that bumpy sofa bed watching them give their dad such rapt attention while he entertained them was one of my favorite parts of the trip. The girls loved it too, and the story continued each night at bedtime for the rest of the vacation.  The next morning we shuttled over to the port and we were on our way. All aboard!!

We spent the first day swimming, eating, and finding our way around the ship. The weather was sunny and the kids were lovin' the pool. The ship was beautiful and very clean. To help prevent the spread of germs, we were asked over and over to wash our hands and were constantly given wipes to clean up with. The service was impeccable and our room was thoroughly cleaned twice a day. The food was good. There was lots to do. We were going to have a great time. 

That night we bunked down to the sound of waves splashing outside our window, and then lo and behold, we woke up in the Florida Keys, just like Magic.  The excursion guide led us to a butterfly conservatory and shared some history and interesting information about Key West on the way. The beautiful garden and fluttering butterflies made the girls feel like they were in some kind of a fairy land. Madeleine asked me, "How hard would it be to put something like this in our backyard?" I don't know, but I can't say I didn't think about it. 
A big, blue one landed right on Beth's head!
Time for lunch, and then we walked over to the aquarium. Madeleine made friends with an enormous hermit crab and Mary pet a baby shark.  Key West was a fun stop, but the ship and all it's food and entertainment awaited . . .
One fun thing about the cruise was that there was a different show performed on stage every night. Sometimes it was was magician type performer, sometimes a musical performance. After a few nights of watching Princesses whirling and twirling Beth seemed to forget how to walk. She skipped and danced all around the ship, leaping and kicking while she sang. Every little girl has a princess inside. She just couldn't help letting hers show.

The girls spent the next day playing with their cousins in the pool or in the Kid's Club while we sailed away through the ocean blue. At that point motion sickness was starting to get the better of me so I spent some quality time in the stateroom while Luke put the fitness room to good use.  Then it was time for another yummy dinner, another fun show, and another bedtime story. Bright and early the next day we pulled into Grand Cayman.

We vacationed in Grand Cayman when Madeleine was nearly 3 and Beth was a baby. (If I was really awesome I would find one of the pictures from that trip to post here, for the "Then and Now" effect, but I'm not that awesome so just picture it for yourself. ) We were excited to go back and we weren't disappointed. The turtle farm we visited 6 years ago had relocated to a better facility in a big park. We made friends with the turtles, snorkeled in a lagoon, and played in the sand. Mary didn't love the snorkeling because she kept getting salt water in her mouth, but I think she did pretty well for a 3 year old. Beth swam halfway around the lagoon with her mask fogged up, but once Luke cleared it she excitedly discovered there were fish down there! 
It was hard to leave the sandy beach but the boat waited for no one so our happy day came to a close. 

Next stop: Cozumel and the much awaited Swimming With Dolphins excursion. Madeleine counted down the days until this event for months. She was so excited she could hardly eat breakfast. Luke took Beth and Mary to more shallow waters to meet the dolphins, and he said Mary enjoyed petting the dolphin and gave it a kiss before she climbed out of the water to join her cousin on the pier. Beth got a kick out of dancing with the dolphin and kissing it's nose. Meanwhile, Madeleine and I jumped in for a swim. It is difficult to describe the sensation one experiences when a dolphin pokes the bottom of your foot with it's nose and then pushes you across the water! We also rode on it's tummy, and "surfed" with it on a boogie board. It was incredible. Smelled like fish, but incredible. The national park where the dolphin excursion took place was pretty great too - restaurant, swimming pool, and a beach so we spent the afternoon there relaxing and having fun while the dolphins flipped and flopped in front of us. (Pictures need to be scanned so they will be posted later in the slide show. )

Back on the ship, Mary wasn't feeling too hot. Actually, she was feeling a little too hot. Too much sun? Too much swimming? Hmmm. After a dose of Tylenol her dad asked her if she was feeling a little better. She replied, "No, I'm feeling A LOT better." We hoped that would be the worst of it. We sent her off to the Kid's Club with her cousins and her sisters while all the adults enjoyed a scrumptious dinner in the ship's gourmet restaurant. Several parent's pagers went off during dinner, but ours wasn't one of them so we figured Mary was feeling fine. The next morning she woke up and went to breakfast looking like this . . .
Until this guy showed up!
Even so, we popped into the ship's doctor. Slight fever, slightly irritated ear, nothing some Motrin couldn't handle. She was up when the Motrin was working, down when it was wearing off. Then Madeleine said her throat hurt. Hmmm. Then Mary started coughing. Then we bought more Motrin,  and then some cold medicine. Wanting to save our energy for our big day on the Disney island, Castaway Cay, we tried to lay low and get the kids to bed early. I really wanted them to have fun on the Island. 

Friday we left the ship in cloudy, cool weather. Madeleine struggled to walk from the ship to the beach and once we got there she shivered on a beach chair with her cover-up on and two towels laid over her. Luke dutifully obliged to seek out some hot chocolate for her at my request, his effort gaining him some strange looks but no warm beverage. Mary played in the sand for a bit and then joined her oldest sister. I was beginning to think our day in paradise was a bust when the sun peeked through the clouds and started warming everybody up. Beth was busy in the sand and the ocean, and late in the afternoon Madeleine perked up and joined her. 
Mary did not budge. 
At the end of the day we trudged back to the ship and were nearly there when Mary commented, "My shoes are back there." So, I trudged back to the beach and back to the ship again. By the time I got to our stateroom I felt like the life was being sucked out of me and I couldn't wait to lay down. Hmmmm. Luke observed, "You look like you just got hit by a truck . . " and took over with the kids. We ordered room service for dinner - 8 bowls of chicken noodle soup and some popcorn. As Luke phoned in the order he said, "I always have to make the weird orders . . ." We passed the Motrin and cold medicine around, listened to a "Daddy story" and drifted off as the boat turned towards Florida. 

Saturday we left the boat early but the whole process of disembarkation, customs, etc. took a little bit of time. I became frustrated with Madeleine because she kept sitting on the floor whenever we were waiting in line or standing around somewhere. After a week of constantly washing our hands and using sanitizer, sitting on the floor looked like an invitation to a germ fest to me. Finally we got her in a car where she could just sit and rest. We stopped on the way to the Kennedy Space Center to buy a box of Kleenex and more Motrin. We saw alligators in the ditches along the roadway as we drove. At the Space Center all the kids were in good spirits and seemed animated enough. We passed the time there until we needed to leave for the airport. 
At the airport Madeleine was once again dropping down onto the floor while I cringed and frantically groped in my purse for the hand sanitizer. Mary was drooped on Luke's shoulders, and Beth was perfectly fine. That is the first time I felt relieved to get my kids on a plane for an extended period of time. Madeleine and Mary slept most of the time while I huddled in the corner, coughing and shivering under one of the oversized handkerchiefs the airline calls a blanket. Poor Beth was tired and bored but at least she wasn't sick. We went directly from the airport to the Instacare. Mary's temp was 103 and she had double ear infections. Madeleine and I both had a "nasty virus." We limped in from the doctors at nearly 10:00 and realized we left a bag at the airport (the one with the kid's blankies and teddy bears in it, of course) and we still had to pick up a prescription. What a day. It finally ended well though, with all our bags claimed, family members medicated as needed, and everyone cozily asleep in their own beds, blankies and bears in hand.

Sunday morning I woke up sicker than I have ever been. I mean it. This was not your run of the mill body aches and fever. This was throbbing pain everywhere - too tired to move-irrational frame of mind kind of sick, and all I could think was, "Did my children feel this awful and I was yelling at them for sitting on the floor while I dragged them through the airport??" It occurred to me that I didn't know where my children were or what they were doing but that it didn't matter since I couldn't get out of bed. Enter stage right, one Super Man of a husband, ready to save the day. Luke brought me a mega-dose of Advil, took care of breakfast for the kids, and got them all squared away before he left for his early church meetings. I spent the next four hours in bed. By that point I thought I felt good enough to shower and get dressed for church. I wouldn't have gone except it was my last week as a leader in the Young Women's program and I wanted to be there. I left for church when Luke walked in from his meeting, leaving him to make lunch and care for the sick kids. When I got home I saw he had also cleaned the kitchen, picked up the family room, unpacked all the suitcases AND started the laundry. What a guy! I crawled back into bed feeling sooooooo grateful for such a wonderful husband and confident that I would soon be over the worst of this bug. 

Maybe we didn't end our trip on the highest note, but it was a great vacation and we don't regret it a bit. Madeleine told me,"this vacation fulfilled all my dreams - to snorkel with turtles, to swim with dolphins, and to find a hermit crab in the wild." Having family time together and watching my children have so much fun made the trip a dream come true for me too. 

Spring Break: The Beginning

The girls had two weeks off for Spring Break and we were really excited about it. I had this "now or never" feeling about them learning to ski, so our first day off we headed up the mountain. Madeleine and Beth had one lesson earlier in the year while Mary stayed home. That plan didn't really meet with her high approval, so this time I figured she ought to come too. I'll admit I felt like I was getting in a bit over my head by attempting this whole shebang. I'm not yet a skier myself and I was pretty clueless where rentals and lift tickets were concerned.  But, we bundled up just the same and asked a lot of questions along the way. It was a bit of a haul to get all three girls and their equipment to the right place for their lessons, but we made it! The hardest part was over and the fun began. 

Madeleine and Beth were in classes according to their age group and level. Mary was with me and a private instructor. The instructor was a really nice guy who greeted Mary with a big smile and friendly words. He started explaining to her how we were going to get her ski's on, etc.  She stood absolutely still and refused to speak. Then, without bending at all, she flopped over backwards  and lay on the snow as if she had passed out. At that point I thought, "Ooooo, this might go badly," and intervened. I prodded Mary to her feet and coaxed her through the first little steps, like how to make a "pie" with her feet and how to put the skis on. Still silent and sullen, she followed my promptings. Then she looked up at the instructor and demanded, "I want to go on the lift!" Using a chance to go on the lift as incentive, he took over from there and got her going. He had his work cut out for him, let me tell you. She took to the skis right away and LOVED riding up the lift. She kept laughing and yelling to people below and at one point she started singing as loud as she could up to the tree tops.  The instructor was working really hard to teach her speed control and wanted her to ski down in a snowplow. She thought it was hilarious to start in a slow snowplow and then bring her skis parallel, zoom forward, and smash into him. She would throw her head back and laugh every time. He was smiling but his face was clearing saying, "How much time is left in this lesson??" She quit goofing around eventually and by the end of the two hours she was following him down the hill and was able to stop, speed up, and steer on command. At the end of the lesson her instructor happily confessed that he was amazed at how well she had done. He said they rarely have a child that young come for lessons and they've never had one take a two hour lesson - the little ones are usually cold and crying at the end of 45 minutes. (I wondered why they looked at me funny when I scheduled the class. I guess not knowing what I was doing paid off in this instance. Lucky for me.) Although she held up well throughout the lesson she was one worn out, grumpy little bugger afterwards and fell asleep before I pulled out of the parking lot.  I have to say I felt pretty much the same, but I waited until we got home to fall asleep. Totally worth it though. 

Madeleine and Beth started off on the same hill as Mary and I was glad I could see them coming and going on the lift. They were doing great and before long they moved on to bigger hills. I was disappointed that I couldn't watch them anymore but their teachers said they did great and they both advanced a level.  (In the photo below they were taking a break in the snow before their classes began).   I feel like we got the girls off to a great ski start this year and next year, while they are all in their respective lessons, it will be my turn to give the slopes a try! We'll see how well that goes when the time comes:) 

For our second Spring Break outing, we went swimming at the rec center (sorry, no photos). There is something about going swimming in the middle of the winter that makes you feel like you are getting away with something. The girls love it! Navigating them through the whole process of bathing suits, showers, etc. used to be overwhelming. Now they are nearly self-sufficient in the locker room and it's a pretty manageable activity we enjoy every now and then. 

On day three, we met some friends at a tea shop downtown and had a tea party lunch, British style. Then we headed over to the Children's museum and joined the art class. The artist of the day was Jackson Pollock. With bare feet and their pants rolled up, the girls had a blast splattering and splotching while music played. It is an activity I will definitely recreate at home -  in the summer, outside, in bathing suits, with very washable paint, and a hose near- by.

The next two days were full of cleaning and packing in preparation for our big Spring Break adventure. Stay tuned . . .