Our lives have been disturbed this week by a bit of sickness. On Monday, Deanne and kids couldn't go swimming with us due to some very unpleasant illnesses. On Thursday, they couldn't play with us due to more of the same. On Friday, our kids began coughing (didn't get it from Tracen and Tyler, though), and it got worse Saturday. I got to stay home from church with them today, and I'm glad to report Sammy and Riley are getting a bit better. Zeke, however, is not doing well and seems more miserable tonight than he has been the past two days. Poor guy is probably wondering why he was excited to get into one of these bodies, just to hack and cough and feel crummy.

I've been thinking about "disturbances" this weekend. On Friday I was listening to a U of U professor/poet on a radio talk show, and she mentioned how grateful she was for the "disturbance" of motherhood, because it forced her to see that the world didn't revolve around her. She went on to talk about how she constantly needs disturbances in life to remind her of this.

I am the first to admit that my three little boys are three big disturbances (in this good way, not the annoying way). My life as a mother seems to be happy or unhappy based not on the events of any day, my children's behavior, or any other external factors. Happiness comes when I welcome the disturbance and recenter my universe around someone other than me. This happens frequently when I take time to teach or play with the boys. But it happens most noticeably when any of them are sick. Especially because they are so young, sickness and pain are so hard to see in my boys. I've surprised myself with how easily I change from cranky mom to devoted nurse when one of them is sick. Nothing consumes me so much as taking care of a sick child, and I have never regretted setting aside my list of personal projects or diversions to hold, comfort, or care for a sick child. If only I could keep that perspective at all times. I think that's what we sign up for when we become parents, we just don't realize how hard it is.

(It was hard just now to interrupt my train of thought to comfort my littlest disturbance, who is sleeping fitfully today due to the cough.)

On a different level, other disturbances are good for us, even though they aren't as fulfilling or pleasant as children. I think of petty arguments in my own life--the kind that serve no purpose but to bother someone else. All the times I snap at someone, or speak rudely, or put myself above someone else. All the times I witness others doing the same and hear the harshness of it, then realize I can't condemn them because I do it sometimes too. Sometimes I forget that I'm not the center of everyone else's universe.

I think of friends who have disagreed and refuse to reconcile. I know it's easier for them to avoid each other. But what a waste of happiness!

I think of another friend who could have died this week--two blood clots in the lungs and a large one in her leg. She's still got some time left in the hospital, and a lot more time resting at home, but she's alive. I'm sure her perspective has changed.

I think of our nation's collective grieving after 9/11, when we came together for strength. How sad that we've reverted to argument and finger-pointing. Not that we have to agree on everything, but that we can't disagree with more respect for each other--united toward the same ends if not in the same means.

We can let all of life's "disturbances" really bother us, use them as excuses for anger, bitterness, rudeness, unhappiness. Or we can let them remind us that our pride, our pursuits, our happiness are not the central concern of all creation. We can let these disturbances shift our focus from ourselves to something else. Something good, hopefully. My three little disturbances in and of themselves are almost the best possible thing to focus on. Even better is when I see through them to my Creator. Through my love for my children I feel God's love for me, His agony at sending His Son to suffer for His other children. I see a way for me to accept His love, and to show gratitude by loving others.

The past few days, I've tried (not always successfully) to be grateful for each disturbance. It's hard to take the setbacks and frustrations of life and always be cheerful. But each time I look past myself and care for someone else, it shifts my focus a little bit more toward God. Being imperfect means I need constant reminders--that must be why I've ended up with three little boys.

Here's hoping we all have a week full of little disturbances that help us forget ourselves, and bless the lives of others. And by the way, the creme brulee and pistachio cake were both amazing--still have some cake left and we'd welcome the disturbance of visitors enough to share with you!

Mmm...cake

I'm not feeling very creative this week, so here's a quick rundown:

Sammy has hives--cause unknown. Also, tonight while eating a bowl of ice cream and brownies, he asked for some carrots. I told him to finish his ice cream first. We expect him to turn orange any day now, based on the amount of carrots he's been eating.

Riley is starting to calm down--a little. He's a little less belligerent and rude, but still refuses to have anything to do with Bruce (usually). He loves his nursery teachers, though, and insists on setting up the chairs for them every Sunday.

Zeke is cute. He's trying to figure out why we've stuck a bottle in his mouth a few times this week. He also thinks it's fun to cry for his binky in the middle of the night. And he has discovered his hands--yum.

Bruce is a spacecase. He didn't notice Christy decorating special Valentine cookies just for him, while he was in the room. He did tune in long enough to eat them. After BYU football, the rest of his mental energy goes to his job. (He just found out they topped $2.5 million for this year's campaign!!!)

Christy is a mental case. Baking is her most therapeutic activity these days, which is not good while Bruce is on a health kick. Tomorrow--chocolate mint creme brulee. Later this week--pistachio cardamom cake. Next week--New York cheesecake with mango topping. After that--chocolate wasabi cake. Anyone who would like to help eat any of these desserts is welcome to visit anytime. Bruce will give you his portion.

We're excited for the Hollywood writer's strike to be over because we've had too much time to do useful things the past few months. Like write silly blog posts.

A House of Heavenly Peace.... I Rent It !

That's a line from a play I was in in high school: Noises Off. Only now can I truly appreciate that line and the title of that play. I wish, as every parent before me, that I had a "Noises Off" button on the remote.

It's Sunday evening after sundown. I used to find this time depressing, mostly because Monday morning and an entire week of work loomed ahead. (What a difference the right job can make.) Now I'm quite content to sit here in the kitchen and listen to the sounds of Christy doing the Sunday dishes (don't get indignant -- I made the dinner), and the occasional squeak of the boys' bedroom door opening, followed promptly by, "Riley, for the last time, shut the door and go back to bed!" Two more things make this an enjoyable evening. First, about an hour ago Christy popped some frozen homemade cookie dough into the oven along with some muffins she's baking for Sammy's preschool class tomorrow. There's a faint aroma of fresh baked goodness left in the air, along with an echo of semi-sweet chocolate in my mouth. This, combined with the soothing sounds of "noises off" (the absence of children's voices IS a sound, I maintain) is a recipe for the kind of relaxation that can only come after our weekly Sabbath day of stress.

Zeke's news of the week is that he's in the Jacobs' baby stage of mild constipation. His older brothers both experienced this rite of non-passage at about his age as well, although Riley's was certainly the more infamous of the two. Who can forget the saga of the soap suppository of aught-five at Wolf Creek Lodge? (Well, luckily for him, Riley can.) Mercifully, Zeke had two episodes today that left him a little better cleaned out. Oh yeah, and he had his first bottle yesterday--administered by me. Now Christy is plotting a Friday night sleep in the basement bedroom, leaving me alone with Zeke.

Sammy is more into books than ever lately, and making us proud by constantly trying to sound out words and, more often than not, getting them right. We're really not pushing him, either -- he just loves words and books. His cousin Tracen is equally impressive with numbers.

Riley, bless him, is struggling these days. He is no longer the baby and finds himself getting less attention and Mama time than he used to. He doesn't seem to have pinpointed Zeke as the cause, thankfully, because he's really pretty good to his brother, if a little over-zealous in the brotherly affection. But he's falling to pieces much more frequently and dramatically than he ever used to, and is exceptionally clingy when it comes to his Mom. As for me, I think he'd rather that I didn't exist. In his defense, I let myself get too authoritarian with him and don't show him quite enough understanding and patience. I'm going to blame Zeke on that one too, though, because it's hard to be gentle and patient when you're always sleep deprived. And I don't even have it as bad as Christy. Speaking of my wife, my hat is off to her for just surviving this long because she gets even less sleep than I do and, unlike me, she is constantly in demand from three little boys (four if you count me). Usually she even manages to maintain control all day, whereas I'm liable to blow my top an hour after getting home from work. So I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank my brother Dan, for showing me that I'm not the only one who buckles under the strain of insanity that only three boys age four and under can instill. Bless you, Dan!

Don't misunderstand though -- neither Dan nor I are overly physical with the kids -- just a little overly vocal at times. Fight fire with fire, that's what we dads are about.

Leah sang an arrangement of "I Stand All Amazed" in her sacrament meeting today, and Christy accompanied. I didn't get to hear it first-hand, in order to watch the kids at home, but I did hear them practice yesterday and it was really beautiful. You all know what a great voice Leah has (and of course my wife is a maestro on the piano).

Well, until next time... RILEY, GET BACK IN BED NOW!! I'M WARNING YOU... ONE... TWO.... THREE! OKAY, HERE I COME!! ... have a great week.

Love,
The House of Peace

Topping off

This week's post reviews the top events of the past week. Top of what...well, you'll have to decide.





Riley turned three yesterday, and we celebrated in style with a gorgeous (and not very tasty) Candyland cake. Dan and Dee (and kids) and Leah and Joel helped us celebrate and watch the Superbowl, and eat a lot of unhealthful food. (why is this a tradition? healthy food can be good too!) The kids were crazy as usual, but loved picking the candy off of the cake, licking it once, then going back for more. Riley managed to open his presents despite "help" from the other boys, and loved all of the gifts. Mostly his face lit up when he opened the red underwear he'd been requesting for weeks. Sammy, Tracen, and Tyler quickly claimed various gifts for themselves to play with while Riley admired the underwear. The boys had a great time riding Ry's new bike around the kitchen table. Eventually all the toys got broken in, but none have gotten broken, yet. And Riley loves all the toys, so thank you to all who provided. (He did tell me today we have too many toys and should just get rid of them all, though.)



Sammy spent most of last week complaining that his ears hurt, especially the left one. Eventually he felt better, but Friday afternoon the right ear started hurting, a lot. Despite all the pain medication, he cried a lot Friday (midnight) and Saturday as we waited to see if this ear infection would go away like the one in the other ear did. Sunday morning Bruce took him to the doctor (in a heavy snowstorm) where he got antibiotics and a coloring book. He was pretty cheerful by the time Riley, Zeke, and I got home from church (which was not a very fun experience, thanks to a very tired Riley).

Speaking of heavy snow, we've had it dumping down on us constantly lately. The banks of snow in our street and front yard are huge, and it is as high as our top step in the backyard. Last Wednesday I was out shopping with Melissa when I drove around one pothole only to hit another! Luckily, the flat tire occurred right in front of Wal-Mart, so a new can of Fix-A-Flat got me to the tire store, where they replaced the tire for free. Les Schwab has the best customer service!!! Bruce came all the way from Ogden to pick Sammy up from preschool.

Preschool must be bad luck for us, because today I was on my way to pick him up again when we had another snow-related disaster. I went a little too fast on the 3 new inches of snow that the city deemed not enough to plow off the street. I skidded right into a snowbank in front of our next-door neighbor's house and got very stuck. Too bad he wasn't home, because he has a big truck and towing cables. A kind friend picked Sammy up from school. I tried to dig the car out, but with three hungry kids getting bored, it just wasn't happening. So Bruce finished the job when he got home. I think the whole thing was kind of fun, since it wasn't too inconvenient. Probably you just think I need to learn how to drive in the snow...well, I'm learning the hard way!

We had fun with Mom and Melissa last weekend! We're glad Grandma Payne's surgery went so well.

Deanne and I have decided to share our favorite new recipes, to encourage more dinner variety. Too bad the boys wouldn't try a single bite of the African curry I made tonight. Bruce and I enjoyed it, though! Hope you try it and like it too.