Birds of a Feather

Stationery card

2011-12-15T21:49:00.001-08:00

Sweet And Scrappy Christmas Card

Create beautiful photo Christmas cards at Shutterfly.com.

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Dynamics

2011-07-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

The forces at work in family life are incredible. There can be push and pull and everything in between. Our Ben is gone working this summer and will head off to college soon! That leaves things a little different in our home:) No longer do I need to worry about pushing him on to do something good with his time, now Mike has slipped into that role. And Lauren is trying to break the mold of being in the middle--still mostly all about her though:) The house is devoid of that fun laugh and big hugs and we miss him! He is at a BSA summer camp teaching scouts merit badges on the lake such as swimming and sailing. He called the other day and relayed a bit about what he was doing and what he said made his Dad and I so proud. He had a very full week of scouts and about 50 doing sailing which is so many at a time that he and his instructor partner divided them in half because all couldn't sail at the same time. At this particular part of the camp the beach is near the doctor and his/her family that come for the week to volunteer their time and service. Well Ben and his staff were asked to take them out for an afternoon sail amidst this surplus of scout sailors! His staff partner lamented to Ben that they couldn't possibly fit them in to which Ben replied that indeed they could and would fit them in! That's our Ben--the best versions of us shining through! Tim would do for anyone at anytime and I have taught him that nothing is impossible. Those are some pretty powerful forces at work that can pass on attitudes like that.

We are so grateful that he has been able to attend church up in Bemidji and spend part of each weekend with Ken and Shirley and their good family. I was at a Time Out for Women seminar this Spring when I visited with Shirley(my YW leader as a youth:) again and told her Ben would be coming up there and not sure that he could get to church. She told me right away that she would be happy to get him and have them stay with him. What a tender mercy that was and is! He has had wonderful visits with them and he has called to say how much he loves them! That is the most powerful force of all and he is sooo good at loving. It meant so much to him that his grandparents and most of my siblings came out with their families for his graduation.

Ben grad announcement

2011-02-21T12:46:00.001-08:00

Honor Ribbons Green Graduation Announcement

Shutterfly graduation party invitations and gift ideas.

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influence and perspective

2010-08-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

The kids are growing up so fast now. I look back now over more time and memories than I have left with them at home. I remember days after school in 6th grade with the oldest boy rocking him still as he struggled with what friends would give the right influence for him. We talked about who he would be and who he wanted to be with. Several years of trying different ones on and now he seems to have found a stability in who he is and who he identifies with. Now he is looking up to young men a few years ahead of him and influenced by their example. I am glad I have helped him meet/associate with these young men(EFY and YM counselors,LDS friends and missionaries). These people have a framework that they are living their lives around that provide positive values and perspective. They are not perfect and the organization they are involved in is not perfect BUT the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and for me that separation is simple and complete. It can be messy but in these difficult times the simple vision I have to teach my kids how to be good people with successful relationships lies there. My daughter will be larger and better than I but I hope she remembers that simple way. She will do great things. She too has found what makes her happy in friendships and clearly sees the influence people can have. Now I see the baby making his way to 6th grade smiling from ear-to-ear as he is invited to play with friends, still navigating the way through influences and I hope I can show him the same or guide him along his own journey. I love seeing the people my kids are becoming and I am so glad to know them. They are my greatest work.

My marathon

2010-05-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

I started playing the flute in 9th grade (most started in 6th grade) and I taught myself how to play with some help from my band teacher the summer before. My journal entries from that time are all about what goals I had and playing each day to reach them. Then I played in a flute choir and took a few private lessons in college for a year. I really enjoyed it but didn't have some of the basic skills such as counting mastered very well. So for the past 6 years I have been taking flute lessons again and I have had lofty goals for myself. One was to be able to play a really extensive piece memorized with my teacher playing piano. With recitals in the winter and spring I have probably played a dozen times now in front of an audience in this venue and I can now make it through the entire song, not lose breath and I have memorized a Debussy piece! as well as keep counting to stay together with piano--difficult esp when nervous!!!! This is me playing Prelude to the Afternoon of a faun by Claude Debussy. --minus the middle half due to time constraints for the recital. Enjoy! Now I would like to work on enjoying the audience more but that is a way off I think:)http://www.motionbox.com/videos/d498deb1191be3c35c

Doing

2010-02-12T04:32:00.000-08:00

I can usually find no shortage of things to do to keep me busy. Today I am fondly thinking of all the places I have lived and found activities to do in and around. Just the other day I was telling the kids about when I lived at the top of a very long hill in Council Bluffs, Iowa and how my Dad would take a running start in the car to make it up, which I remember taking a few tries to do in the icy winters we had there. In the summer we kids would ride our bikes down the hill, oh so fast, with our legs flying out like we were ready to take off with wings. I actually hit the curb with such speed that I bit through below my lip once. Then when we moved to Bemidji my parents bought us ice skates(I actually have memories of doing this in Iowa too but at parks) and my Dad would flood the front yard and we had our own personal pond. One Christmas we all got Nordic cross-country skiis and we would go on the trails very close to where we lived by the Concordia language village. I have taken these skiis with me wherever I lived after I got married and used them in Pocatello on a golf course that they groomed with trails. Tim got a pair as well and then they went in storage. Not much snow in Seattle close to where we lived and we didn't go and do much in the way of getting out and enjoying it. But we did visit the beach and we had a great walking path and bike trail close to our house there. But the skiis stayed in storage. We moved back to MN and for the first time yesterday I pulled them out of the garage, tried on the old boots and made my way to the park/lake across the street. It was a beautiful day. The conditions were just right. It had snowed a few days ago. February snow is so good for skiing and it was still cold enough to not be sticky. The no-wax glide bottle was frozen (purchased in Pocatello) and after a brief thaw and application to the skiis that had been dug out of the garage cobwebs and brought in the house, I was off! I have been looking forward to this all week. I could just tell it was going to be perfect. I arrived at the edge of the lake, and no one was around except the busy city traffic and freeway nearby. I looked up as I had a feeling I wasn't alone as the birds were all a twitter and this guy/gal Eagle had probably just finished a meal of fish.

Well there is no better greeting than that for a good morning! So off I went and someone else had broken a trail before me so I hopped right on to the frozen ice and skiied around the trail. It didn't go all the way around the lake so I made more trail on the other side. Now it is said that cross-country skiing is one of the best aerobic excersises to do. It doesn't seem like one does much but I was sweating and shedding layers after 20 minutes. Another 30 minutes later and trying to take photos of myself, I headed for home. I had a marvelous time and it is a gray day today so I am going to surround myself with these photos!

ringing in the new year

2009-12-31T22:59:00.000-08:00

The boys and I rang in 2010 with our traditional "bubbly" and episodes of Mythbusters on Netflix after a couple rounds of Scrabble Slam! card game--thanks Grandma and Grandpa:)

just for me

2009-12-31T20:54:00.000-08:00

A few moments to myself at the end of the year. I made an artichoke ricotta pizza and lemon poppy seed bundt cake--yummm, while watching "Under the Biltmore clock", an American Playhouse movie which is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Myra meets his family". Very good.

Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade

2009-12-07T08:01:00.001-08:00

Here is one of the links to Ben playing in the Edina High School Band parade. He marches two rows in front of the white tubas to the left of the center yellow line of the road. I know they all look alike but that's where he said he was! http://www.wgntv.com/videobeta/watch/?watch=e5c15fcb-b026-4683-b4a6-69e21501d1bc&src=front

This is why. . .

2009-11-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

I'ts that time of year when sales abound and taunt and the desire for a new winter sweater popped out of my closet! So off I went to Macy's and looked and looked for an hour, finally settled on one and tried it on. Something just wasn't quite right so I left it and begged my daughter to come back with me later on that day to see if she liked it on me. I thought her ideas of what looks good on me might help see what I was having trouble with. She wouldn't do it. Farmville, an old episode of Heroes and talking with her friend on the phone was more important. So after dinner Tim and I went out to learn how to use our OnStar from the car dealer and he asked if he could help with what was bothering me. "Just a silly sweater", I said. He drove right to the mall when I had just decided to forget it and 20 minutes before closing watched as I tried it on and then saw exactly what was wrong with it for my body type and then helped me sum up what does flatter my shape in the most perfect way. He even branched out and helped with pants and that is even harder for me to find the right fit. Anyway, it is "New Moon" release week and maybe I am a little love sick but . . . I love him.

Lauren's backyard summer projects

2009-10-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

This girl is doing every bit as much as Ben did for his Eagle project! Way to go Lauren:)http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer.aspx?sbId=2275448
Remember to hit the button to the top right to view in full screen--easier to read

Reading

2009-10-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

I pulled some lower back muscles last week during my body pump class so I decided to get back to reading as I couldn't do much else. I just finished The Help and now I am starting Peace like a River to read along with Ben. Mike and I are into Chet Gecko mysteries. I just finished reading The Hunger Games with Lauren and took her to see a local community play, Wait until Dark.

Visitors after the game

2009-10-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well this is a fitting way to get back to posting again. These little guys made my day last Saturday, around noon after our first freeze. Lauren had just finished her last high school soccer game of the season. This flock of Eastern bluebirds were on their way through and stayed the afternoon in our backyard Maple and would fly down to the grass and grab something. Their song was so pretty although it was a bit nippy to be out watching them. A guy at the wild bird store thought they were probably grabbing the bugs that had frozen and fallen out of the tree overnight. So here are a few shots of them and one of Lauren at the game.

Going to see my sisters

2009-06-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

I love visiting with my sisters. Now that we are old enough to enjoy each other, the visits we get are so fun. Love them! So here is a little preview of gifts I am bearing as I come:) http://www.brittneysscentsations.blogspot.com/ Can't wait!!!!!!!

June is such a busy month

2009-06-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

June is always so busy for us. The winding down of school and that busy schedule gets replaced with a more relaxed but still project-oriented busy, esp. outdoor projects. This year Lauren wanted to lay a patio and have it done for Father's Day. My birthday fell in the middle of the two week span she devoted to the project from planning, buying and assembly. So we squeezed some fun in there for that too! So here are some before, during and after photos.

Surrey bike rental and sling-shot for Mike(he wants one of these real bad!!)

The work continues . . . she enlists more helpers!

And FINISHED for lunch on Father's Day.

Ben spent all week putting the grill together:)

Complete with tiki torches that she had drawn into the plans at the start!

Dads at home

2009-06-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

Two or three Dads in my neighborhood that I know of are staying home this summer with their kids. Two have lost their jobs in the last several months. These are tough times, but I see both making "lemonade" with their situation. One just had a newborn baby 2 weeks ago and he will be home with his baby. I hope he knows that time will not be a regret. And the other has a 9 year old that just said to me last night that she is looking forward to being around to play with the kids more because she won't have to go to the summer day care program. He also has a 15 month baby. I hope both men know what value that have at home and around the neighborhood too.
My Dad was home with us when I was elementary school age and those are fond memories I have. Some playing around the house and watching Sesame Street together and a few field trip places. All of it are memories of being together with my Dad that I don't think any kid would regret. Maybe I will get a chance to tell them that. I think I have with my Dad. Do they know how just really coool they are! Wonderful times:)

happy day

2009-06-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Lauren and I just went over to the Mall and got ourselves some of these to celebrate my happy news from my doctor. A few weeks ago, my doctor said the words no woman wants to hear, "have you felt this lump?" as he was examining my breast on regular yearly exam visit. That moment was a little surreal at the time and I wasn't shocked until later esp. when I told my husband when I got home and he freaked out! A mammogram and ultrasound later with no definitive answer we saw another doctor to discuss biopsy/removal or watching and waiting. We opted to remove and test so today I found out from my doctor that nothing was abnormal in it soooo big sigh of relief and hence the treat of chocolates!!!!! Lauren was pretty worried like her Dad and I was resolved to deal with what I needed to, but I had a good feeling all along. Moments of contemplating your own mortality in a serious way like this affect people differently. I was happy with everything I have done in my life and have no major regrets. I definitely have more I want to do yet and am grateful for delicious chocolates:)

recitals and concerts

2009-05-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Below are the kids in recitals and band concerts. Some are a little lengthy so you might want to listen while doing something else:).

Ben's 10th grade band concert-May 2009

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/7a9edeb91711e8c1f5

Ben,Lauren,Mike Spring piano and guitar recitals-May 2009

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/7a9edeb91b1ce2caf5

Lauren 8th grade band concert-May 2009

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/7a9edfb51711e7c3f5

gardens grow

2009-05-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Here are gardens that Lauren and Mike planted this weekend. Lauren has herbs, flowers(edible), tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers and spinach planted. This is going to be one green-filled 8x8 spot soon:) Mike planted watermelon(his favorite fruit of all), peas and lettuce and carrots. He wanted to plant corn and pumpkins. He told me the other day that he feels like he will be a farmer of some type when he is an adult:)

my favorite

2009-05-22T07:33:00.001-07:00

What is my favorite Mary Cassatt painting? I like so many of them because she used my two favorite subjects--women, children in their intimate situations. I love the subjects on the beach or in boats. But perhaps this one invokes the most memories for me.

Gifts

2009-05-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

I love gifts. I love to be given them and I love to give them. I also love to ponder and enjoy the creative ones I have been given. I am very grateful for all that I am. Here are some pictures of things the kids and Tim made for me last weekend. I told them last week that I loved all their homemade ideas. Lauren stressed all weekend because she couldn't think of what to do with the pictures of flowers I have taken over the years. She cut them out and made a wind chime with nails and screws! Love it! I absolutely adore child pictures of me and them--so glad Mikey did that for me. And Ben put his cooking skills to order and made me stuffed French toast that I had been craving from a past B&B experience. It was marvelous and done all while I was napping:) And Tim, bless his heart, worked all night and came home to cook me a huge breakfast served in bed that I loved so much I didn't take picture until it was nearly finished!

May Day

2009-05-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

I remember making these and filling with flowers and putting on several neighbors doors and running away before they could come to see! That was when we lived on Charles Street in Iowa.

Looking forward to June

2009-04-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

I just finished a fabulous read! I was in the library last week browsing in the section of my favorite author when I was 13 years old, Irving Stone. And I came on books by Gene Stratton-Porter that looked interesting. I checked two out and just finished "A Girl of the Limberlost". Loved it! Reminded me of myself as a young girl discovering the swampy North woods of the iron range and the many moths and butterflies collected and pinned in a box my father made for me and the study of nature and all I learned there. Here is a selection of a passage that I love as it reminds me of my favorite month, especially fitting for today:)

"'June is June, not because it has bloom, bird, fruit, or flower exclusive to it alone. It's half May and half July in all of them. But as I figure it, it's just June, when it comes to these great, velvet-winged night moths which sweep its moonlit skies, consummating their scheme of creation, and dropping like a bloomed-out flower. Give them moths for June. ...'"page 319

Flood relief

2009-04-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

We traveled this past weekend for the maiden voyage in our RV we bought at auction last Fall. We went to help out the residents in Fargo, ND area remove sand bags that were around the homes. Ben's church scout troop and other members were organized to go in groups to help out so we geared up to go along Fri after school and spent most of Sat loading sand bags on to trailers and being part of human chain in passing bags(no pictures of that because we were all working). Mikey was even interviewed by local FOX station as they came to see what the large group of yellow t-shirted(Mormon Helping Hands)people was doing. The bags were heavy sometimes and wet and muddy but it was a beautiful Spring day and felt good to be helping people that definitely looked wearied after the past month. On the way home Mike said "I will remember this the rest of my life!" Love to hear that and see concern for others:)

Hawaii videos

2009-04-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Not sure if anyone but family will want to see these but here is some footage of whales breaching and jumping (the zoom is on all the way and they are probably about 2 miles out in the bay). And some video of the boys doing hula at the last luau we went to.
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/3097d6b91a15e1c1be?type=sd
http://www.motionbox.com/videos/3097d6b9161be6c4be?type=sd

Hawaii ID contest!

2009-04-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, here it is. The fastest scrapbook I have ever put together! Now if I could just tackle those boxes and boxes of printed pictures with the same speed:)http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer.aspx?sbId=1704103
(easier to see if you hit the button upper right that says View Full Screen)

Can you ID these pictures I took before I do? This one is a rare poppy that a ranger told us about growing in the lava bed at La Perouse Bay. And the next one is a bird at the Maui tropical plantation.

Blasted comprehensive exams

2009-04-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

This week and next the kids are taking the tests the state requires. Sooo many notes and emails have flooded me with paranoia about getting the kids to bed on time and off to school on time with a good breakfast. Yesterday I finally felt good, coming out of the jet lag, and I had everyone off with hot breakfast and then today came! I stayed up one hour later than I need to to get 6 hrs of sleep before up to take oldest to seminary(studying the New Testament at church with other high schoolers at 6am-7am). And that's all it took. Then I "napped" for half hour stints between getting the other two to school. I did fine on the middle one but then slept over the half hour on the third. I got him to school just as the bell was ringing but he knelt down before going in the door and I thought, "hurry, get in there" but he had stopped to help a girl get her scooter unstuck so she could fold it up to put in her locker!

Here is picture of my new dew and I am halfway done with Hawaii scrapblog so stay tuned!

Promised pix

2009-03-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Fam, here are pictures I promised to post. Lauren in her dress I picked up at Marshall's in 15 minutes flat--didn't I do good picking out the layers?!! Quite proud of myself as I am the sibling with the least amount of fashion sense:) And here is Mikey with his science fair project. I should have him blog about what he learned about periscopes. And I am going to try to attach a clip of Ben's band concert from last week. I wonder if Kai recognizes the song?!!!! Feel free to add the basic head bob as you listen along with Ben:)

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/3098ddb6181de7c6be

Addicted

2009-03-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

When we were visiting the eagles, Michael begged and pleaded for a puzzle. He said it will be great fun to do together and we will bond while we do it. The little bonder has put maybe two pieces in, always has something else to do plus it is a little difficult. BUT he loves to buy things and played on my weakness for a good puzzle! I don't know why I like them so much--challenge, satisfaction, discovery? I like to do them while talking on the phone, little time filler when needed. So here it is almost done. This one I think I will frame for his room and he can think of me!

The great North American flyway

2009-03-11T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year when the birds start to migrate back up north and we live in a perfect spot for viewing! The month of March can be cold but I brave the cold and wind to snap as many shots of birds as I can. Last year I took several days at the pond close to our house right smack in the middle of the city as we are and got several great shots of loons dancing and several different species of ducks.

This year Michael and I started the bird watching(he is my bird watching wing-man and fishing buddy) by taking a trip to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha. We had a great time driving down listening to several mystery books on tape and we got some shots of some eagles!

Unscripted birthday fun!

2009-02-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Ben's 16th birthday last night. I wanted to do a little something I haven't done before and I got him four helium balloons. Well, I am glad I made them wait until I had downloaded movies so I had extra disc space. I almost didn't film and would have missed this spontaneous bit of fun. The fam will enjoy. I didn't know how to edit out the 30 sec at beginning and end to polish it up a bit but will be amazed at myself if I actually accomplish uploading it!

http://www.motionbox.com/videos/309bdfb01610e3c6be

OK two days later and a steep learning curve re: AVCHD video and applications needed to upload large HD files like this and wallah you should be able to see this on motionbox. Sometime I will figure out how to embed the vid directly. Until then,ENJOY!

Vegas vacation

2009-02-20T21:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful time in Vegas this past weekend! Tim and I had a nice get away retreat for Valentines Day. We shared a fabulous tapas meal and a couples massage. We hiked and saw the Hoover dam and the strip, of course. We saw a couple shows and the kids got to do some disco bowling with their cousins. Kailer(2 1/2 yr) and Meili (5 mos) were the highlight of our trip!

Here is a scrapblog we made for fam and anyone else interested.

http://www.scrapblog.com/viewer/viewer.aspx?sbid=1493595

Birds and Bees

2009-02-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I hit THAT milestone with the youngest this weekend. He was shown a video on puberty on Friday in 4th grade. Lots of questions erupted, his brain was a movin' all weekend long! "When will this happen to me? How many sperm will I have? What does it look like when it comes out of me and when will it? So did you and Dad just have S-E-X three times? (I was ready for that one because I've done this before!) What is the purpose/reason for pubic hair? When will I get hair on my chest? When is puberty done? What do sperm look like? How quickly do they regenerate? What causes them to die? What age did Dad start puberty, because the video said that is when I will too? Have humans ever had S-E-X with animals?(my eyeballs just about popped out of their sockets on that one!) What are hormones and how do they work? Yes this was only a few of the questions and many were asked multiple times as he was trying to grasp it all and luckily his Dad got home toward the end of the 2 hour inquisition and he could answer some of the more technical ones. Why do girls have all the eggs when born but boys don't make sperm until puberty? How many will I have and how many will come out at a time and what happens when they are malformed?" He does approach life with a scientific outlook so I should have been prepared for the deluge but alas I was a bit overwhelmed with the intensity.

ANYWAY, that's what my weekend was about! And other than that late night intersection I haven't been able to reconnect with Tim as he is working solid until we leave for Valentine wknd(no that's not too much info, I didn't mean THAT!) Looking forward to this weekend!!!!!!!!

2009-02-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

My neighbors live in Africa during the school year. The house across the street is empty for now but in the summer they come back and I love to hear about how my neighbor lives over there. She told me about how she goes to the market each day. That's how I like to plan for dinner more often than not. But it is just not the same going in to a grocery store or Let's Dish store. I want to peruse the outdoor market looking for what I feel like eating that day. Doesn't this picture look warm and colorful and yummy? She talks about the bartering she does as well and that part I would not be good at yet. But I sure would like to give it a try sometime. We often think about going to Australia and working in the outback sometime when our older kids are gone. I wonder if we will make that a reality. I could really see us doing it. At least for 6 months or so, which are the advertized job positions currently that Tim sees available.

Couldn't wait, had to take it NOW

2009-02-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well I couldn't wait any longer so I just prepared the kids Friday evening and declared January 31st as a Mother's Day. And I have to say it was wonderful and a great thank you for making it a happy Holidays for them and all the busy sign up times for summer stuff that all has to be done in January. I hate planning that far ahead and really hate planning at all but I was on top of things this year and so I deserved a big thank you day. And they obliged, the sweet things! The 9 yr old started the day by giving me a chocolate heart from the bowl of my own supply which was wonderful, thought that counts. Then they each proceeded to clean up around the house and I got to have some free time, which is normally unheard of for me on Saturday. I read my BYU magazine on the couch in the sunlight for a half hour and I got to play some more on creating a card I have been working on for my card club. (Allison, tell the girls I think the theme should be "go green"! My new favorite designer-fabric and paper- is Heather Bailey. Check her out on-line and her blog is fun too.) Then I got sick, oh well, it was good while it lasted and I feel better today. Stupid cold viruses, hate em.

I'm a nut or an Almond Joy!

2009-01-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

I just got new music yesterday at my flute lesson. I am trying some Claude Bolling flute and jazz piano pieces. I didn't really think I would like Jazz but turns out I do! I am going to play Irlandaise for my spring recital. Here is James Galway playing it on utube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsjCby54uSM

He rocks! By the way, I loved seeing Yo-Yo Ma play at the Inauguration. Lovely talent! So after practicing for the last 90 minutes(sweet escape) I must get back to reality. Kids and food:)

Reconnecting

2009-01-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

Yay I'm back! I walked in Starbucks tonight at my local Target and the young ladies getting my hot chocolate were so happy to see me. Don't know them at all personally but it was good to be out and about without running so fast to avoid freezing and get back in warm car/house. It was good to see them too. And the same holds true for my blogging world--I've missed you all! While I was away I was reconnecting with the teens. They really do get further away as they get older. The Holidays were a nice time to reconnect.

This is how I perceive myself:

And here is some of what we did together. I love that my kids still WANT and are WILLING to hang out together.

First time for me taking a picture of myself!

I'm not sure where to look! But Lauren is a natural!
(All that cell-phone practice)

Wow, she is amazing!

2008-12-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

I had time earlier in the week but I lounged in bed, fully knowing I would be crunched for time later. I tried avoidance and the Holiday hectic is catching up to my psyche. So I didn't call my mom for help until the very last minute and she pulled it out for me! What an inspiration that was for me to be more patient and helpful when my own kids leave things to the last minute.
Before dawn yesterday I am up to get son off to early morning religion class with only 4 or 5 hours of sleep under my belt. Then other two kids off to school by 8am, everyone gone. I pile back under the covers and slip into the thoughts I am having after finishing The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. I am up sometime before noon, have time to shower and get ready to face the day. Off to a friend's house to shop at a CaBI end of the year clearance. A few fun outfits later I head to the fabric store looking for fun Christmas prints, they are getting really bad lately, hardly carrying anything. I am going to stick with my outlet store from now on. Husband is home from office for a few hours before heading in to work. I come home after grabbing a few things at Target and start split pea soup just before kids start coming home at 2:50p. Then I start thinking I should have gotten some excercise in , oh well maybe tomorrow. Now I start trying to figure out how to download SD cards on camcorder bought this summer so I can record oldests' band concert for his father. Oldest comes home at 3:30p and I haven't made much progress. I start thinking about just going to buy another, the fourth, card when I start reading the manual for the camera. Seems easy but now I am starting to get stressed. "The soup is bubbling" my oldest says as the youngest comes in at 4:10p, hungry and cold and only wanting one thing, to advance his PS2 game to unlock more cars, players or something he is all revved up for. I bargain with him to do his homework first, lots of whining at this point but he does it. At 4:45 the girl calls for a ride home and I know there is a piano lesson at 5p to get youngest to so I sit him in front of soup bowl and hop in the car. Now it is rush hour and it takes me longer to get there and back, I already have a ticket warning in this city so no speeding. Pick up the youngest at 4:48p and he is a couple minutes late which I am bemoaning so the girl is quiet. Then back home find the oldest still trying to figure out my camera, he is frustrated so by 5:40 after taking girl to piano and picking up youngest I find him dressed for band concert but now engrossed in PS2 as well, he struck up a plan with youngest to help him unlock those things! He is in car and we are heading to High school when I finally call my mom. She is up to the task, put off who knows what to help me in my crisis (created by you know who!). She needs model number of camera, it's at h0me. I pick up girl from piano lesson at 6:15. Back at home by 6:25 and now I have 40 minutes daughter says to relax and starts to tell me about her day. Then she thinks otherwise and leaves me talking with grandma who is now holding my hand stoically over the phone looking up camera model and info on-line and grasping the language rather quickly. Seems like my new camera is so sophisticated that it only can run with HD technology included so we figure that out and download, now trying to find it on hard drive of computer so we can be sure it did before I format the disk to take to concert. For a minute or two it is unclear then 6:58 we think we have it and more to learn later but disk is clear and ready to go. I am off to concert that starts at 7:30 and am there waiting with 10 minutes to spare! Didn't get a chance to see husband leave for work, but maybe later. Concert goes well, taping works great, good camera. Now it is 9:30p, the boy and I are hungry for dinner and we pick up a pie, French apple cheesecake and head home to eat. He heads off to bed by 10:10p and I have a book read to me by youngest, who doesn't want to go to bed and has been short of sleep all week and girl finally gets to tell me about her day in whispers under the frustration of the boy reading that thinks I can't be listening to him and her at same time-honestly! Pie is in fridge, I leave on a note for husband whose only birthday wish was, I don't even know! I settle down in bed to watch late news and he calls to say he will be home in a couple hours. I wish him Happy Birthday and wake up this morning to do it all again, yes with the sleeping until noon as well but this time I wasn't alone. Now I check my email and my mother, bless her heart, has researched my camera and email me all kinds of info and even highlighted the parts for me to see like cliff notes! All I can say is "Wow, she is amazing!"

Bring it on-we're ready!

2008-12-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

And the house is ready too!

Inside and out!

Lauren's themed tree
And it came and more is on the way!

Every year is a big push to get the leaves raked up on time, the windows replaced with their storm counter-parts and plastic taped over them. Then there is the outside water valves to shut off and and then get the lights out before it gets finger-numbing cold. This year we did it and even shoveled the first snow off the drive right away before driving on it in spots that don't lift off until Spring. So there are benefits to not traveling in the Fall. But I miss the adventure of travel. Maybe Tim is on to something when he talks about selling the house and just living in the RV!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqLG7bVA-dk

Reaching the one

2008-12-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

I had ten 7 yr olds in my Sunday school class that I teach this past Sunday. Seven year olds are wonderfully joyful and love to participate. However, this Sunday one in the class, who was visiting, was quicker than the rest to perceive inequalities in a matching game that I had for them to play. And he subsequently opted to show with his body language that he didn't care to play then. I had every person turn over one of the eight cards fearing that not every one would get a turn and immediately he realized and voiced that he would never be able to make a match based on where he was seated. After the class was over and I was talking with my Dad, a gifted/talented teacher, I felt bad that I missed the opportunity to reach that one child. He remarked that it is extremely hard to do. My husband quickly pointed out the principle the Savior said to save the one and the other 99 would make it too. In practice it is so hard to teach to the one in a group setting. My own children have complained about this in the past. And from a parent perspective it is disheartening BUT hard to do in a group setting. How to engage the gifted child? Perhaps I could have enlisted his help with me or offered to mix the cards and play again with groups or individuals getting to turn two cards over at a time. The problem is I am not gifted and just don't think that fast or ahead at the time.
I went to a GT lecture tonight sponsored by my school district led by clinical social worker. The analogy was presented that we as parents of gifted teens are steering a canoe in which the teen is in the bow and we are heading toward rapids. How do we help them navigate when each has a different approach? Do we want to still want to be in the canoe with them when they reach the other end of the riverway? Often we react to what is approaching or more particularly to how the child is acting at what they are facing. So we need to save energy for the whole journey and help them talk about what they are feeling or options to tackle the task ahead. We will hopefully never give up on our own kids, that they can count on that is huge. The story of the prodigal son is told from the point of view of the parent. And that is the one person that has the expertise and loving desire to reach the one.
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/brain-and-behavior/2008/11/26/how-to-deploy-the-amazing-power-of-the-teen-brain.html?PageNr=1

Blog fever

2008-11-23T19:04:00.000-08:00

Wow! A few years ago I heard some of my friends say how they were going to start blogging on-line and I thought, "I don't have time for that." Now look at the explosion of sharing going on even just within our immediate family. Lauren and Ben both have blogs now and they are really insightful, cool people. There is that level of sharing that is a little beyond talking and not quite as private as a diary or journal that the blog fills and that is a way cool addition to living with teens.

Thank heavens for the baby

2008-11-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again when teachers take time to conference with you about your kids. Sometimes that can be filled with trepidation of things revealed that you weren't quite aware of, especially as kids get to those wonderful teenage years. I remember thinking when I was in high school that my parents never really knew who I was at school and wishing they could see me for who I thought I was, not as they had always seen me. And here I am now as a parent and I know I see my kids for what they were and they probably have the same thoughts I did. I do enjoy watching them take on new talents and reach new heights but mostly I remember how cute they were toddling around saying "lellow" and "sharberry" and "I make a fish". Now they just roll their eyes when dropped off at their dreaded piano lessons and ask them to get their homework done etc. Which brings me to why I am so glad I had that last baby, who is still joyful and fun and positive and reminds me of the goodness the others had before the jaded teenage attitudes laid hold. And he just turned 9 years old last week, November 12. When asked what he wanted he so sweetly said he has so many toys and things that all he wanted was to have two friends over to play Wii with and go to Cub Scouts and bring cupcakes to his friends there. So that is what he got to do and he said it was the best birthday he has ever had! Thank heavens for the baby of the family:)

Getting started

2008-11-06T20:17:00.001-08:00

My son helped me put this blog together tonight. He is doing a blog for his 10th grade English class and took time to help me. All those diaper changes and late-night feedings are finally paying off! When I was a little girl I used to look at homes of people we drove past and wonder what their life was like inside. I never imagined that one day we would be able to read and share in the lives of others beyond books and in real time. I hope to share pieces of my life and ideas with my family and friends. I like to be inspired and uplifted and to think about new ideas when I read others and hope I can do the same.