Jacobs Update

Terrible Two-Year-Old

2010-05-04T14:07:00.005-06:00

So far today, Zeke has:

--climbed to one of the highest pantry shelves and emptied the Pop Tarts box
--kept his hands and nose fresh with lots of Bruce's deodorant
--gotten into Sammy's magic card trick and tried to rip up the cards
--covered himself and part of the bathroom in oily organic skin balm (think Vaseline, but greasier)
--scattered the contents of my desk drawer across the guest room
--decorated his face and legs with "war paint" (washable marker, at least)
--thrown 10 or more outdoor toys into the pond
--dumped our collection of play-doh toys all over the kitchen floor

All that before 1:00 in the afternoon, and no, I wasn't ignoring him! Thank goodness he is napping now. If anyone wants to invite him over for a year-long visit, I'll be happy to take him back when he's three.

Big News

2010-04-29T16:30:00.005-06:00

We've had a few months of big changes around here for every member of the family. Yet somehow, I think I can describe three months of life in less space than it took me to write about the last four days of our vacation.

Zeke is growing up fast. His molars have finally grown in (well, two of the four), and he also grew enough hair to merit his first real, true haircut! (He's only had a trim or two around the edges before. He's been climbing out of his crib for months, so we finally moved him to a real big-kid bed. After one napless week, he's gotten used to it and still takes naps several times a week. Also, his obsession with all things "Little Mermaid" seems to be waning (but not completely), helped along this week when he inherited Riley's old Superman pajamas. When he's not Superman, he's usually Harry Potter, complete with a dangerous 12-inch magic wand. There is no shortage of excitement when Zeke is awake.

Riley's biggest news is that he has started reading! He often surprises me by asking what various words mean while I read the newspaper. He's getting better, but could still use more time practicing if we could remember to slow down long enough. He's very excited that he got into a school with part-time Spanish immersion for kindergarten next year. (He often tells me he wishes he had some homework to do, "right now.") He has also started t-ball, and looks extra cute in his shirt that is 3 sizes too big. (Pictures coming soon, after his first game.)

Sammy thinks he's all grown up, now that he has turned 7 and is almost done with 1st grade. He finished reading the first three Harry Potter books, and we had to hide them to keep him from rereading those and nothing else. Lately we find him with his nose buried in books like "The Lightning Thief," "Treasure Island," and the occasional non-fiction science book. He has started running track, and so far his favorite event is the softball throw. He likes running, but tends to get distracted by watching his shadow or other exciting things around him.

Christy is excited that a few of her plants survived last fall's transplant, especially ALL 34 of her raspberry canes!! One gardening success is worth a wheelbarrow full of failures (we have plenty of those!), especially if the success lands us with few buckets full of raspberries. She's been making (and eating) too many yummy cakes: raspberry walnut torte, raspberry trifle, gooey Almond Joy cake. Her belly and Bruce's are paying the price of all that fabulousness. She also got a new sparkly dress for an event for Bruce's work, and just might have to throw a fancy party so she can wear it again. Her biggest thrill lately comes from the new locking pantry doorknob, to keep Zeke from climbing the pantry shelves and eating loads of chips, crackers, and other treats. (Zeke is NOT happy.)

Bruce has been busy at work, taking on the responsibilities for the United Way campaign as well as the one he already directs. This is kind of a huge change, with a lot more work involved. He's excited to do more strategizing, and to get some extra help too. He has traveled a lot lately, to exciting places like Fort Worth and Casper, Wyoming. Yet all of this is easy compared to the gargantuan task he's gearing up for--replacing our non-functioning, ugly, muddy pond with a new pondless waterfall system (much more kid-friendly!). He has yet to do the work, but he has set a date for it. We invite you all to come see it on Memorial Day, when it will be up and running beautifully (or else!).

Florida Part 3: Too Many Theme Parks

2010-01-30T18:46:00.032-07:00

Here it goes--I've been avoiding this post for way too long, due to the sheer volume of pictures and fun memories. I'm not sure I can get through it all, but here it goes.

On Thursday of our long-past vacation, we got the kids up bright and early to head to Magic Kingdom. Grandma, Grandpa, and Melissa didn't get to the hotel until 2 in the morning, so they slept in and met us later. After a quick breakfast, we got on the hotel shuttle and made our way to the park. One empty wallet later, we had our four passes to the park--hooray!

Ohh, the anticipation is killing us!

We headed straight to Fantasyland and did some of the "must" rides, like the spinning teacups, Snow White (Sammy refused, too scary), Winnie the Pooh. Then we headed over to Tomorrowland for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin--this was the all-around favorite of the day, and we came back several times. Eventually the grandparents got there, and waited with Zeke while we did Space Mountain, which Sammy and Riley loved! (They are much less scared about roller coasters than I was at that age!) After lunch we went to Adventureland and Frontierland, where the boys loved the Jungle Cruise (although the animals there were a little scary, too). Bruce and I loved the pineapple ice cream (Dole Whips). Sadly, Splash Mountain was closed for maintenance--huge bummer. Zeke's favorite ride of the day was the carousel, even with all those other amazing Disney rides around. Mom and I both took half an hour to ride with him over and over while everyone else went on their favorite rides a few last times. It was while we were waiting for him to finish a ride that Riley got lost, yes, LOST in Fantasyland! What a scary 5 minutes! Luckily, we found him waiting in line for Dumbo the Flying Elephant all by himself, very safe and very much in trouble. If only this had been the only time he wandered...

Zeke's very favorite ride.

Hmm, no one can get lost while they're behind bars...

Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

We were surprised no one fell out of the boat on the Jungle Cruise.

So much fun to be here with Grandma, Grandpa, and Melissa!

Heading up the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse.

Grandma loved going on rides with the kids.

Waiting for "Mickey's Philharmagic" to start.

Zeke's other favorite ride--the escalator.

Last ride of the day.

The next day, we had a lovely time at SeaWorld, except for the two minutes Riley got lost again. He went back to talk to the pearl divers (who hold their breath for 10-15 minutes at a time), and we found him fairly quickly. We loved all the SeaWorld shows, especially the whales and dolphins. Unfortunately, SeaWorld is enormous, and there's a lot of walking with not much in between. We were all very tired. Bruce and Melissa mustered up enough courage to ride the Manta Ray roller coaster, however. The ride hangs the cars upside down, from the bottom of the track. They said it wasn't as scary as it looked. And Sammy liked the Journey to Atlantis (like Splash Mountain), except for the creepy Atlantis people inside the cave part of the ride.

Zeke was a little confused by the splashing whales.

Our new friends.

Not too scary with a 3-inch thick pane of glass between us.

Bruce and Sammy after a successful splashdown.

At least we didn't lose anyone...permanently.

On Saturday morning, we met John at the Kennedy Space Center. It was not quite as thrilling for the boys as the theme parks, but they seemed to enjoy it anyway. Bruce and I liked the bus tour to various buildings. The boys liked seeing a bald eagle and an alligator from the bus windows. We watched a 3-D iMax movie about the moon landing. Even though we'd seen several 3-D cartoons at Disney, Zeke was somewhat freaked out by the 2-story tall 3-D astronaut that appeared suddenly on screen, and he cried out "Movie get Zeke! Movie get Zeke!" in a panic. I didn't panic until after the movie, when we went to get lunch and Riley got mad at me so he ran away (in a huge cafeteria and museum filled with hundreds of people). It took about 10 minutes to find him, hiding in the men's bathroom. This one got him in trouble since it was on purpose, and at a place not nearly as lost-kid-friendly as DisneyWorld (and fraught with alligators, as well). After the Space Center we wandered out to Cocoa Beach for half an hour, but it was cold and stormy so we didn't stay long. Our fried seafood dinner was fabulous, though.

Sammy wants to wear this suit someday, and be the first person to set foot on Mars.

On the moon.

Uncle John was the coolest guy around.

Sammy, zoned out at the beach.

There were always plenty of birds to chase.

Sunday afternoon was heavenly, because we managed to get Zeke a real nap in a real bed. Then we had a yummy dinner graciously hosted by John at his small apartment which is not meant to handle three rambunctious boys! He served us roast beef and lots of vegetables (the perfect antidote to 10 days of fast food), and the most delicious fresh-squeezed orange juice. We celebrated Riley's birthday with a huge Costco Key lime pie and a noisy Buzz Lightyear laser gun. The miracle is that no food or drink ended up ground into John's beige carpet, and no expensive electronic equipment was broken. Thanks John!

Happy birthday to Riley!

On Monday, Grandma and Grandpa and Melissa went back home. We wished we could as well, because we were all thoroughly tired of vacation. (Did I mention we changed hotels four times?) But we headed to Disney Hollywood Studios, half-terrified that Riley would get lost yet again when our adult to kid ratio had decreased by three adults. After we threatened to cancel his birthday for the next 10 years, he behaved and stayed close all day. Bruce and I enjoyed the Tower of Terror and the Aerosmith roller coaster (fastest roller coaster around, I've heard). The boys loved Woody's Wild Ride, which got up to a 2-hour wait time later in the day. Sammy was deathly afraid to try the Star Tours ride, but once I finally dragged him on it he loved it and we went back twice. Sadly, Zeke couldn't ride many of the rides at Hollywood, and didn't get much out of all the shows. We decided Magic Kingdom is definitely the best option for little kids. We'll just have to go back when the boys are all teenagers.

The awesome Toy Story soldiers were our favorites.

We got to meet our heroes!

If this thing wasn't cemented in, it would have been a childhood dream come true for Bruce.

Why am I soaking wet? Oh yeah, it rained all day!

Oh, did I mention it rained on us ALL DAY at Hollywood? Usually just a drizzle, but sometimes a downpour. We kept thinking Florida storms never lasted very long, but we found the exception. We were all soaked through by the end of the day, but at least it wasn't very cold. We couldn't muster up enough energy for a real restaurant, so even though we had waffles every morning for breakfast at the hotel, we chose Waffle House for a very late dinner that night. I have to say those were the best waffles I've ever eaten in my life! (I found a knock-off of their recipe online, if anyone's interested.)

We were so thrilled to go home on Tuesday!!! 10 days was long enough, but day 11 and 12 made our trip officially too long. We packed up all our still-wet clothes (Have I mentioned how humid it was, even in the winter? Nothing dried out at all!), and had a nice, uneventful plane ride home. Except that Zeke didn't sleep much. The boys were so happy to climb into their own beds and leave vacation behind. Whew!

P.S.-I think it took about two hours for me to write this post and add pictures. I hope you enjoyed every word!

Florida Part 2: The Beach

2010-01-29T05:05:00.009-07:00

On Monday and Tuesday, Bruce was busy working (gasp!), so I had to find something to do with Sammy, Riley, and Zeke all day. According to them, they would have been happy watching cartoons on cable TV all day long (they got a few hours in every day, at least). However, I noticed that after several shows, they would get cranky, ornery, and whiny. Horrible. So both mornings we packed a lunch, slathered up with sunscreen, and headed for the beach.

Clearwater Beach is such a lovely place that it was worth the 45-minute drive to get there. The sand is soft and bright white, made of crushed seashells from the Gulf of Mexico. Close to the waves you can see the shells at various stages of getting crushed into sand. Riley loved scooping up shovelfuls of shell bits to show me. Sammy never found a full sand dollar, but was happy collecting all the sand dollar chunks he could find. Zeke was afraid of the waves the first day, but had a blast splashing in them the second day; he needed a hand to hold on because the undertow was too strong for his little legs to keep him standing.

The boys' very favorite thing at the beach was my least favorite: hundreds (thousands?) of seagulls who know just how to get their lunch from tourists. On our first day, I noticed how hundreds of birds swarmed near us as soon as they saw sandwiches come out of the plastic grocery bag. I was carefully guarding the bag, but apparently not holding the sandwich in my hand tight enough. After I'd eaten about half, I was going in for another bite when a bird swooped in from behind and grabbed the whole thing right out of my hands! It was shared by 10 birds, and was gone in about 4 seconds.

The boys thought this was hilarious, but took it as a sign that Mom needed protection. Sammy and Riley began chasing seagulls away, one by one. I thought their efforts were futile, but after about 10 minutes of running around yelling, our section of beach was completely clear! They were so proud of themselves, and all our beach-neighbors got a good chuckle from watching. So on Tuesday, they planned all morning on how they could take shifts, so someone could "protect" us while others were eating. Unfortunately, just before our lunch, a lady close by was purposely feeding the seagulls! Aiding and abetting the enemy! Needless to say, the birds were less easily discouraged, but Sammy and Riley still did a great job, and no more food was stolen.

So we collected tons of broken sand dollar bits, a few cool seashells, and a lot of sand in our clothes. Sammy and Riley smashed an oyster in hopes of finding a pearl, but ended up just covering themselves and Zeke with oyster guts. We ended each day with time on a really great playground at the beach, and even got some ice cream. What a fabulous place to let the boys explore, play, and have fun while using their own creativity and intelligence. I love the way their minds work and the great games they come up with. I really love the beach and miss living close to one. I think we'll have to visit beaches more often...

Florida Part 1: Getting Away

2010-01-24T18:14:00.013-07:00

Here I am, so far away from the biting winds and icy streets of Utah that I have mostly forgotten how completely they inhabited my life just a few short days ago. Today's high was about 72, and yesterday we were sweating, sweating, while wearing shorts. Ahhh, Florida winters.

Anyway, we had a great, and uneventful, trip here. Despite getting up at 5 a.m. to leave for the airport, the boys were all filled with tons of energy. No one slept, sagged, whined, or cried (much). Well, Zeke did take a short nap on the second leg of our flight. Zeke and I also had a chance to meet with some wildlife in the Denver airport while the rest of the family navigated the moving sidewalk system.

We got to Tampa, settled in to our tiny hotel room, and headed out for dinner at the local Sweet Tomatoes restaurant. We found a coupon online for a free adult meal, and decided we'd look for a coupon for every dinner out while we're here. So far, we're good: pick-up discount from a local pizza joint, online coupon for Boston Market, and a free meal tomorrow at Ikea. We never eat out this much, but we're even finding places that serve vegetables, which makes us feel a little less bloated than living on McDonald's and free hotel breakfasts. (Mmm, waffles and pastries! Not that we're skipping those, mind you.)

On the second day here, we decided our hotel room was too small so we moved to a place up the road that offers two-bedroom suites (a MUST for traveling with three small children). We left $15 worth of groceries behind in the fridge at the first hotel, sadly. Then we went to a local street fair, the Children's Day of the Gasparilla Pirate Fest. We all had a good time, but it was not enough pirate and too much vendors selling food and souvenirs, in my opinion. Sammy thought it was boring, but everything else was bugging him that day too. Not enough sleep, perhaps? The best part of the party was watching the Navy Special Ops parachuters land right in front of us. Very cool. Oh, and the older boys each scored a free bike helmet, so we figure it was a day well-spent.

After that we went swimming in the hotel pool. We quickly discovered the downside of visiting Florida in the winter: unheated swimming pools. The day was nice and warm, but nights are cool enough that the water is icy and way too cold for me (unless I have a wetsuit on and plan on swimming at least half a mile). Bruce got in with the boys, who all shivered like mad but wouldn't stop swimming for anything. I have to distract them for a few days so they'll forget to make me take them back.

On Sunday we had a great day at church--I love going to other wards, especially when we don't know anyone. The kids were miraculously well-behaved. (See--having Sacrament Meeting FIRST instead of last is the true key to a quiet congregation.) The ward was very nice and we enjoyed visiting. Then we had lunch, had some quiet time, and headed to a great little park. Okay, it was not little, it was huge! Rain started pouring down just as we were getting in the car--the wind and clouds will be gone by tomorrow morning and it will be sunny again. Then sandwiches in the hotel, stories, and kids in bed. Sigh. I think everyone has worked out the exhaustion they felt from travel and not getting enough sleep. Now on to the rest of the trip, hopefully with very happy kids!

Happy Birthday!

2009-11-08T21:42:00.004-07:00

I will hold back from getting sappy about how wonderful Bruce is. Either you already know it, or you would get bored reading it. Instead I will just mention that he's now closer to 40 than 30, and doesn't even have an iPhone to show for it!

We had a great day of celebration. Bruce arrived home after work to see his wife grilling, for the first time ever. I didn't even burn the pork chops, and the garlic mashed potatoes were a hit. Then there was the cake: Orange Chocolate Chile Marble Cake. Wow, right down to the last forkful of truffle-glazed gooey-ness.

After cake we went to see a new play, "Sleepy Hollow, The Musical," written and directed by our friend and neighbor (and doubtless inspired by our neighborhood). It was incredible! I can't do justice here to the clever lyrics, entertaining characters, and creepy staging, but when this show hits Broadway, I suggest you all attend! Anyway, we enjoyed every minute and were glad for the great company.

What do you say, Bruce? Was it a good day?

Riley the Red Nosed Reindeer

2009-11-08T21:17:00.002-07:00

Earlier this week, Riley tripped while pushing a big car on hard, scratchy carpet (think church building carpet). He put the brakes on with his face. You can cringe in sympathy, but he's doing much better now (as you can see by the look on his face). I do a double take every morning the first time I see him for the day, but I still think he's cute!

Halloween at Hogwarts

2009-11-01T19:34:00.012-07:00

We had a very fun Halloween weekend, and took way too many cute pictures. After trick-or-treating, we got to visit Hogwarts. Apparently, a wealthy doctor who is SO kind and fun turns his home and grounds into Hogwarts every year. This was our first trip, and it was incredible. Many of the characters from the books are there, and they have some little magical activities. Sammy and Riley loved it all, but they were also pretty nervous about seeing these characters in real life. That's why Sammy has such a strange expression on his face in the photos. But afterward, he told us we were "the best mom and dad in the world," and they both are anxious to go back next year. It was a perfect non-scary, totally enjoyable activity (and it kept the boys up until 10:30!!).

Here are the photos, with captions. (And I will say that our kids are at the perfect age to enjoy Halloween without getting into all the gory, gross, scary stuff. I love it!)

Happy boys looking forward to the weekend's sugar rush:

Agent 007 and his girlfriend of the week.

Trying too hard to look like dangerous spies.

Don't the kids look great? Here they are, on their way to trick-or-treat with some good friends:

I love our neighborhood, and this creepy old sign. Sadly, we never saw the headless horseman this year. (He's real--Bruce saw him once.):

Sammy chose a very tricky jack-o-lantern pattern for me to carve. He was supposed to help, but it's really not practical to let a 6-year-old use a carving knife:

George and Fred Weasley were the life of the party, true to form:

Gilderoy Lockhart autographed pictures of himself for the boys:

We met Albus Dumbledore. This was the highlight of the evening:

Riley dodging bludgers as he plays quidditch:

Hagrid gave the boys a ride in the sidecar of Sirius Black's motorbike:

Moaning Myrtle cheered up when she met Harry:

Luna Lovegood kindly informed Harry that a nargle was eating his brains:

Professor Umbridge acted sweet to Harry, but he was afraid of her anyway:

Harry landed in Gryffindor House, of course:

Ry getting sorted into Hufflepuff; Bruce was also in Hufflepuff, Zeke in Ravenclaw, and I ended up in Slytherin:

Medical attention from Madame Pomfrey and Dobby:

Harry getting interviewed by Rita Skeeter:

Ginny Weasley went through a strange time warp and is now older and taller than Harry. He is excited to catch up to her so he can ask her out on a date:

Colin Creevy was excited to have his picture taken with Harry.

With Stan Shunpike, about to get on the Knight Bus:

Getting our fortunes told by Professor Trelawney:

Harry with Uncle Vernon. Aunt Marge floated up and got caught in a tree:

Half Madness

2009-08-23T14:22:00.009-06:00

***Note--I added five posts yesterday and today. They are all long but as fascinating a read as "War & Peace," or at least more interesting than "Twilight." Scroll down (and down some more) to read them all!***

Yesterday (Saturday), I survived my first (and possibly only) half marathon. I signed up for it last spring on a promise of a really cute finisher shirt--technical shirts, they are called (not t-shirts at all!). Well, the shirt was disappointing--it's a very nondescript gray. My third gray shirt this year. What's up with that; can't race organizers be more adventurous in their color choices? Also, the swag bag was disappointing. Usually I end up with all kinds of free granola bars, drink mixes, and other stuff. Leah, as far as that goes, your friend's 5k last year is the best race I've been to.

Now on to the real race report. The race location, Hobble Creek Canyon, is a little over an hour's drive from my house. I was supposed to be at registration before 5:30 Saturday morning. Yuck! So, my friend Kellie and I spent the night with my good friend Megan, who lives just 5 minutes from the park we were supposed to go to. Thank you, Megan, for an extra 90 minutes of sleep! Not that I slept much, since sometime in the night I realized I was at least half crazy for signing up for this race. I enjoy the training, but come race day I usually wish I was at home sleeping in or making pancakes.

Kellie and I got to the park, picked up our packets, put our race bibs on, and got on a bus. The 13-mile ride through town and up the canyon seemed like it took way too long, especially since it went from dark to daylight during the trip. Then we got off the bus and waited 30 minutes to use the port-a-potties, and waited another 30 minutes for the race to start. I'll remind you that we were wearing only racing shorts and very thin running shirts, and we were high in a shadowy mountain canyon--brrr!

The race finally started (late, thanks to a lost bus), and we ran for 13.1 miles. The first 10 miles were fun. The last 3 were miserable, which supposedly just means I should have trained a bit more. Happily, Bruce and the boys met me at the mouth of the canyon with cheers and waves, then met me at another few places on the route. By their last stop, I didn't want to see them because those soft seats in the car looked way too inviting. Finally, after counting the minutes I had left to run, I crossed the finish line for a total time of 1:55:24.5--easily making my goal of finishing under 2 hours. That is a pace of 8:49 per mile. I was in the 46th percentile, so in the bottom of the top half of finishers. Woohoo!

My take on the whole thing? Madness! I really like running, but 8 miles seems long enough for me, in general. Half marathons are harder than triathlons (at least sprint distance), and not as much fun. I love doing a different activity in each portion of a tri--it keeps me more alert mentally, and isn't nearly as hard on the body. Not that I will rule out doing another half-marathon someday, but I don't feel like I need to and I hope I am NEVER crazy enough to try a full marathon. (Kudos to those of you who enjoy running 26 miles without stopping.) Finally, I am surprised that my knees and calves are not even slightly sore today (they usually are, a little), and I didn't lose a single toenail, but my quads are pretty stiff--I think that's mostly 'cause I just sat around all day after the race. I'd better go for a little run tomorrow morning...

A Fair is a Veritable Smorgasbord

2009-08-16T15:37:00.015-06:00

Last week I took Sammy and Riley and Zeke to the county fair. I decided that it would be a much better experience than the state fair, mostly because it is tiny. Some people judge fairs by how much cool stuff there is to see and do. I judge them by whether we can see everything we want to before the boys are so tired they fall apart. This one was the best ever.

We spent a lot of time looking at farm animals, all of which scared Zeke immensely!

We participated in a local sport complex's fitness challenge: doing pushups, shooting baskets, kicking soccer goals, etc. (Turns out I had the high score for the whole weekend in my age group for one of the challenges--not sure if it was basketball or pushups!)

We got free balloons and goodies, gave out our phone number to a few insurance agents, had a free pony ride (which also scared Zeke into hysteria), and ate our brownbag lunch.

Next we headed to the midway, which I wouldn't recommend for anyone over age 7. It was perfect for us--an assortment of rickety little-kid rides. We spent $20 for a few tickets, which only took us about 15 minutes to use up. Good thing admission to the fair was free, since rides are always and forever a rip-off! Then we went to the food booths to find our treats, and ate them while watching a great pie-eating contest--the boys thought it was hilarious and now want to try eating their pie without using hands. If we had only gotten there a few minutes sooner, Sammy and Riley could have entered. I thought about joining the adult competition, but managed to resist the temptation.

My only disappointment of the entire fair: the booth selling deep-fried Twinkies and Oreos did not have Snickers as well. The lady said they tried it once and it was too messy. I think that's because they didn't start with frozen candy bars. So my craving is NOT satisfied, and I have decided to attempt this culinary delicacy myself. I will choose a date soon, and invite anyone who wants to experience complete chocolate bliss to come over for a homemade deep-fried Snickers bar!

Sixteen Pounds!

2009-08-16T15:37:00.010-06:00

We had a great camping trip in Idaho this year, even though it rained most of the time. The frustrations of wet weather were tempered by two things: first, the rain cheered me up and got me out of a weeklong grumpy funk; second, we wimped out and ended up cooking meals and hanging out in Leo and Tricia's convenient rental condo. Since there were four families of us (including 6 small boys), we couldn't all sleep there, but sleeping in a tent during a rainstorm is actually just great as long as most of the water stays outside.

Really, what we mostly did was pick huckleberries. Day 1 was in the rain, Day 2 was partly sunny. A late, wet spring made for the most fabulous huckleberry picking any of us have ever seen.

For those who don't know, huckleberries grow only in the wild, and are usually sparsely scattered on low bushes. They are tiny and take a long time to pick, but they are worth every hour.

This year the berries were huge and grew very densely on the bushes. We found several wonderful patches near our campsite. We brought home 16 pounds of tasty berries, and we have a happy, full freezer now.

We have already had the most incredible huckleberry bread pudding with pecans and homemade caramel sauce. Future goodies await for visitors we like a lot, or who pay us enough money. As Sammy learned, huckleberries are as precious as gold (currently trading at $957 per ounce, though we do offer a small family discount).

Summer

2009-08-16T15:35:00.009-06:00

Here's a brief (okay, lengthy) rundown on our summer activities:

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit from New Mexico over the 4th of July weekend, and brought Melissa with them. We visited BYU for a day, and overwhelmed Melissa with all the exciting campus activities that await her.

We had a fun time with the Barbers at the Independence Day parade. We ended the day with them and also Dan and Deanne's family, watching local fireworks displays from up on the mountains. Sammy loved it that the fireworks aren't noisy from far away, although the noise of a few crying (way too tired) kids was louder than any fireworks display I've seen.

Here are pictures from Sammy and Riley's water party in July. We invited all the kids their age that we could think of, and almost all of them came--I think it was about 25. Deanne helped keep order, but the kids were surprisingly good--with two wading pools, a slide, sprinklers, and a slip-n-slide!

Sammy cried and moaned and finally tried out his training-wheel-free bike. It turned out not as scary as he thought, and he's getting pretty good. If only we lived in a flatter neighborhood so he could practice on his own! He's also overcome his fear of swimming, as long as he's wearing a scuba mask that covers his nose. He's a great little fish underwater, so if we can get him to let go of his "magic feather," he'll be all set! Lately he spends his time wiggling his first loose tooth (almost ready to fall out) and counting the minutes until he starts first grade (which happened today.)

Riley has gotten pretty comfortable in the water too, by which I mean he will sometimes put his face in the water a little. He keeps asking me when he will get to be in a triathlon, so we might let him try a kids race next summer. He has started sounding out words, and hopefully will be reading on his own soon. (He gets really bored when Sammy is off reading by himself, which is a lot of the time.)

Zeke is talking up a storm--and the first word out of his mouth every time we go to grandma's house is "cookie." We love his words for grandma and grandpa: "ba-gam" and "ba-gamp." He cries a lot as more teeth try to poke through his little gums.

I got my own wetsuit and have finally started to enjoy swimming in cold lake water. Bruce apparently thinks it looks like fun, and has started swimming a lot at our pool. He's making great progress and will maybe do a triathlon with me next year.

Finally, a picture of all the jars of apples I helped my friend Stephanie can. Some have cinnamon, some are plain. Aren't they beautiful?

And with that, summer is just about over! It went too fast this year, but I guess it's nice that we had lots of fun stuff to fill it with!

New Mexico

2009-08-16T15:34:00.004-06:00

This post is way overdue, and I'm sitting here hoping I can remember enough details to make it worthwhile.

Last June we loaded up the kids, some clothes, and a whole bunch of snack food and made the long trek to New Mexico. This is the highlight of Sammy and Riley's summer every year. It amazes me what kinds of details they remember from previous visits--and they expect the same or better on every new visit. The biggest excitement comes from the "Magic Treasure Box," whose mysterious fairy leaves small gifts for the boys each afternoon. This year they scored magnifying glasses, bubble wands, piles of pennies, and candy, among other treasures.

Another required activity is hiking up to the nearby mesa and feeding the family of bunnies that has lived in the bushes for at least 20 years. Grandpa and Dad usually orchestrate that outing. We also had fun with my friend Rachel and her two boys at a really interesting park--it has the most unusual climbing toys I've seen at a park.

Grandma spoiled the kids (and us) with fabulous food, as usual. Pancakes, strawberry shortcake, banana cream pie, etc. Zeke was in heaven, since no Grandma can resist a baby's request for "cookie?" Sometimes I fight against the nonstop flow of treats that come from grandparents, but I fully plan on doing that for my own grandkids someday, so I might as well be resigned.

The big event every year is a fishing trip with Grandpa. We've given up on driving 2 hours to a really great fish pond in the mountains. Instead, we drive for 20 minutes to a little trout farm in town. After trying for an hour to catch a big fish (they are big because they've been smart enough not to get caught for so long!), we moved to the small fish pond where the boys quickly caught their prize fish. Unfortunately, the water is so warm that all the fish taste like mud, so while the boys ate their trout for dinner, the rest of us ate wild Alaskan salmon (from the store).

All three boys cried when it was time to go, and are already talking about their plans for next summer's visit.

Miracles!

2009-07-19T21:22:00.002-06:00

Tonight in our home we experienced a significant miracle that brought a tear to my eye. You may think I'm kidding when you read what happened, but I really did tear up. You see, our sweet baby boy Zeke is not so sweet about eating dinner, unless it involves sweets like fruit or syrup. We actually worry quite a bit about his nutrition (or lack thereof), and frequently make him fruit smoothies with a bit of spinach blended up in the mix. Other than that, and the occasional mashed yam or chicken nugget, his diet rarely includes meat or vegetables.

This evening, Zeke ate dinner.

He climbed onto my lap, grabbed his spoon, and without a word from me started scooping up peas and eating them. All of them. He was suspicious of the bite-sized chicken pieces on his plate, but eagerly chomped a larger, nugget-sized piece. Then he asked for another. And another. I handed him off to Bruce while I cut up some cantaloupe, but even knowing that treat was on its way to the table he ate a few more bites of chicken. Needless to say, I happily gave in to his request for cookies later in the evening--for once I didn't feel guilty because that was the only thing he'd eaten all night. GO ZEKE! (Unfortunately, I still foresee many nights of utter refusal to eat any dinner, but at least now I have hope!)

A few other minor miracles have been keeping us happy lately. Sammy and Riley are both overcoming their fears of water, and get their heads and faces plenty wet in the pool and in the sprinklers. Bruce solved the murder in an Agatha Christie novel (and he will point out that this one even had Poirot stumped for awhile). And I came in SECOND in my age division at my triathlon yesterday, which also happened to be my first event in the open water (at Scofield Reservoir). It was a half-mile swim and I was very nervous, but it went really well and was fun. Also, I was riding a heavy, slow mountain bike, so I got passed a lot, but still managed a decent overall time. Still, even though racing is fun, being done with a race feels better!

Back to the grind tomorrow. Any suggestions for more Zeke-friendly dinner menus? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Suh-wing, batta batta batta, swing!

2009-07-12T16:26:00.005-06:00

Riley has really enjoyed playing t-ball this summer. He's in an "instructional league," which means they just learn how to play for several weeks, and only have a (non-competitive) game on the last day. Unfortunately, we only made it to two out of five (or was that six?) games, because we were out of town or just plain forgot a few times. Kind of not worth the money, except that Riley loved those two days he got to play.

Fielding practice:

What an arm!

At bat:

Why am I writing captions? You can see what he's doing!

Zeke's almost ready for the majors:

Sammy has been less than enthusiastic about t-ball this year. Okay, to be honest, he loves his team hat and shirt, and he REALLY loves getting a treat after each game. We're not sure if this makes it worth the money and bi-weekly treks to the baseball diamond, though.

Sammy at bat:

Running:

Standing his ground at first:

Upping his teammate's RBI:

Celebrating another game over and done with:

School's out!

2009-07-12T16:06:00.005-06:00

Yes, school was out about a month and a half ago. Yes, I'm way behind on blogging. Yes, this day of overdue posts is totally making your day!

Due to unfortunate miscommunication, photos of Riley's preschool "graduation" got deleted. Good thing he didn't graduate, so we can take more pictures next year. Not much else to say--he loves preschool and does well.

Here are some pics of Sammy's kindergarten farewell party.

"Sammy, what did you learn in kindergarten?"
"How to qualify for the card trick section at football games."

Apparently they learned to dance in kindergarten as well:

Proud kindergarten graduate:

We went to the Thunderbirds air show with some friends after the kindergarten festivities:

Sammy in the cockpit of a big plane:

Race Report

2009-05-31T20:34:00.008-06:00

We have had a lot of sports themed posts lately, but what can I say? The weather is beautiful, and in between activities the boys mostly read books or watch TV in the air-conditioned house.

Anyway, on Saturday I competed in my second triathlon, a small race in Bountiful. By small I mean not a lot of people (maybe 100?), not short. It was actually slightly longer than my last TRI, yet it only took me two additional minutes (total time just under 1:24)! I was very pleased with my better-than-expected swim time, despite getting passed by a few people who immediately slowed down and created quite a bottleneck in the pool. The bike course was much flatter than my last race, which compensated for the really heavy mountain bike I was riding (instead of a borrowed snazzy road bike like last time). The run was just a few minutes longer, but seemed way harder for some reason (I wasn't the only one who thought so); I think getting delayed by traffic lights at a few corner crosswalks didn't help. It was very fun, laid back, yet quite competitive (lots of great athletes there). Even better, I knew quite a few people from my team and my Saturday running group, and it was fun to see friendly faces and have people to chat with.

Oh, and I did the whole race half blind. I lost a contact last week, and couldn't get a replacement in time. I actually hardly noticed; my one good eye did a great job.

So here are a few pictures of the day. Hope you enjoy!

My cheering section:

Wow, I look great underwater:

Now for the bike:

The boys had a great time at the park while waiting for me:

Tired of biking:

Off and running:

Happy to cross the finish line:

So fun to have the family there! Do you see Sammy hiding behind the stroller?

Leo showed up just in time to see me cross the finish line. Thanks!

Sporty shorties

2009-05-26T21:02:00.004-06:00

I'll start with an advance apology and warning about photo quality. I used Sammy's "kid-proof" camera to take these shots, which turned out pretty good, considering. (We're one step closer to a new camera, hopefully soon!)

Yesterday, Sammy and Riley celebrated Memorial Day by getting up at 6:30 (cheerfully!) and racing in a local one-mile kids' run. Initially, I was going to do the 5k right beforehand, but plans changed and I didn't run. Anyway, the boys had a fabulous time, and they were so excited that Grandma Jacobs was willing to tag along to watch them. Grandma mostly appreciated the beautiful scenery at the park (way out in Syracuse). Zeke mostly enjoyed sneaking bites of his brothers' post-race donuts. Riley liked the donuts too. Sammy claimed "This is the best day of my whole life!" He didn't "win the race," like he was sure he was going to, but he was very excited about the cool flag medal and pin he was awarded. Then he got a race t-shirt, then he got donuts and Gatorade, and THEN he won a "scramble" for prizes and got a fun mini-fanny pack. It doesn't get much better than that when you're six!

Here's Sammy doing some pre-race push-ups:

Riley was calm and relaxed:

Showing off prizes to Grandma (notice the flushed cheeks):

Zeke has gotten into the sporty spirit lately as well. Tonight he was screaming in frustration that I didn't want to repeatedly lift him up to throw a basketball in the hoop hanging high on Sammy's closet door. So I went downstairs and dragged up our little basketball standard (out goes the rocking chair and the last bit of babyhood!). Zeke was thrilled and couldn't get enough of swishing the ball in the basket! All night he has been giggling and saying "babuhball." Best of all, I didn't have to lift him up once.

The funny thing is, we got this basketball hoop for Sammy when he was about Zeke's age, and he never really got the point of it. Riley was never interested, either. And when we moved here, we inherited another hoop that is still in our backyard. Both of them have mostly just been taken to pieces and used to build secret hideouts. I am so happy to have a budding ballplayer, and especially to finally get some use out of the old toy!

Triathlon Success Story

2009-05-17T21:55:00.007-06:00

Wow, I am so excited and happy tonight about my race yesterday, I don't know where to start! I guess to explain the excitement, you should know that I just found out I came in 92nd overall, out of 527 finishers! Don't believe me? http://www.milliseconds.com/participants/final_list/overall/140923

I don't know what really got into me when I signed up for my first triathlon (on a whim) last January, but I'm so glad I did! I have discovered how great it is to be active when it's a lifestyle, and how fun it is to have a great group of friends to work out with, learn from, and challenge me. Most of all, I've found something to motivate me to work hard--something I really needed help with. One of my most basic beliefs is that it doesn't matter so much what we are learning/working on--as long as it's something worthwhile and uplifting--it will have eternal benefits. I love that throughout my life I have had so many different subjects to focus on, each in their season. I am enjoying this season of life, with a dual focus on mothering and training--with the additional benefit of learning how to balance those competing aspects of my life!

I didn't get much sleep Friday night (nerves), but that made it easier to get to the race location in American Fork bright and early (6:15)! I was one of the first people there, and Bruce was right there taking pictures of me shivering in the cold. Thanks to Dan & Dee and Grandparents Jacobs, who tag-teamed to watch the kids for us. (They would not have enjoyed all the waiting around!) Though the race started at 8, we had to wait in line for our turns to swim (for me, a 45-minute wait!). I am so pleased with my swim time, coming in over 30 seconds faster than I had hoped for! Then after a race through the parking lot, I got my shoes on my wet feet, and took off up some hills for a bike ride. I dropped off my bike, and started running, and soon it was all over.

The race itself was really uneventful, but I have learned so much from the overall experience. Mostly, I am laughing at myself for my own reactions. First, my excitement at the finish line was dampened because I didn't do as well as I wanted to on the bike ride. Looking at the results tonight, I was surprised to see that my swim time (the one I was so happy with) was only ranked 258th, and my bike time (that I was mad about) was 168th--way better! But it's not about how I did compared to others, it's about whether I did as well as I knew I could. I really think I probably worked hard enough, but I'm glad for some new motivation to train harder and become a better biker.

I'm also glad I've come to love running, and to like swimming quite a bit. I felt every bit as exhausted during this race as I have during other races I've done in my life, but this was the first time I didn't think "I hate this! Why am I doing this? I should just quit now!" If only I could transfer that feeling to other areas of my life, for the challenges I have now and those that will come in the future. But it does give me hope that even if things don't get easier, I will become strong enough to bear it and not want to give up. As for swimming, well, last February I would have ranked in the bottom 15 or so (out of over 500). To move up to spot 258, and to even enjoy the swim portion of the event, is such a feeling of accomplishment!

I should mention what a great thing it was to be surrounded by hundreds of women of all ages (80 percent of them were older than me!), of all sizes (some were fairly large, at least one was pregnant), competing in this race and being able to complete it. Very inspiring to see the results of everyone's efforts.

Finally, I'm glad my kids get to see me excited about running, biking, and swimming. I've got a goal to go on a long backpacking trip with the family when our boys are old enough, and I recently realized my efforts now are a concrete step toward making that happen. I want physical activity to be part of our lives, and I'm glad Sammy and Riley are picking up on that--I have to set an example (Bruce does a good job of this too), so that the message will sink in.

Though this should have been the first thing I wrote, THANK YOU Bruce, for your love and support and for cheering me on. I could never have done this without you. Now, how about that push-up challenge?

The family that runs together...

2009-05-10T20:25:00.004-06:00

I am so proud of my boys, and I'm very sad that our camera is broken and we weren't able to take any pictures.

Yesterday, Sammy's school hosted a 5k run as a fundraiser. Since I run every Saturday morning anyway, we decided to support the school's race. The whole family participated, and we were even pretty cheerful despite having to be fed, dressed, and out the door by 7:30 a.m.

Bruce, Sammy, and I all ran the race, while Riley and Zeke rode in the stroller. Sammy needed a ride once or twice on the stroller, but other than that he finished the whole race with style. Bruce didn't even complain about pushing the stroller, and had a great finish time considering that he was packing all three boys. (He was kind enough to let me run fast, by myself, as a prep for my big race next week.) Riley was a little upset about riding in the stroller, so we let him run the last stretch and he did great--I think next year he'll get to run the whole thing. Watch out, school, the Jacobs family is set to sweep the event next year!

Well, maybe not next year, but we'll keep trying until we succeed.

In the meantime, we'll be running a lot--at least a mile every day to use up all the boys' extra energy. I think because of all the quiet, inside time that is inherent in our Sundays, all three boys tend to go crazy. Combine that with a mom who is anticipating a day of perfectly behaved children (why do we set ourselves up for disappointment on Mothers' Day?), and the result is disaster. Next year I think we will skip Mothers' Day and just go on a nice LONG walk, then go to bed early.

p.s.--For the record, today wasn't all bad. Bruce and the boys made me a fabulous breakfast in bed and got me some gorgeous flowers and yummy-looking chocolate. Bruce was kind and helpful all day, as always, and the little boys had moments of kindness and good behavior. They really are good kids, it's just that Sundays are not usually easy around here no matter what!

Our foolishly busy April

2009-04-17T17:52:00.003-06:00

This post is a bit overdue. We have had a busy month, and now I'm not sure I can remember everything that's happened. So I'll try to set it down in the usual boring, person-by-person list. Then after this, I'll try to be better at updating stuff more frequently, so you can get DAILY news and excitement from your favorite family. You know you've missed us!

Bruce--Busy at work. And working out. He's finally caught the fitness bug (again) that left him over the winter. Really, I think he's just afraid I'll be able to do more push-ups than him one of these days soon. He's the new Young Men Secretary in our ward, which means (hopefully) more flexibility about which activities and camping trips he goes to. It also means more meetings. Finally, Bruce successfully drove through a huge potential snowstorm (which never showed up) in Wyoming yesterday. I think he was almost hoping for something to break up that long, flat, monotonous drive. We're glad he's home.

Me--I've been helping with Easter parties, preparing for birthday parties, and doing a lot of laundry. To keep my sanity (though it means I get behind on the laundry) I spend many hours each week running, biking, and swimming--my triathlon is right around the corner in four weeks! Sadly, it has been too cold and wet all month to do much outdoor biking (but tomorrow looks good), and our outdoor practice swim keeps getting postponed. But--exciting--I managed to swim a full 1/2 mile without stopping in the indoor pool! I'm kind of amazed at that one. I also managed to pull off a few April Fools' Day stunts for the family (in addition to breaking our digital camera). Bruce messed up this first one by coming home early (it would have been funnier if I hadn't been in the house at the time), but this is what he found:

Really, it's not me! The boys helped me stuff some pants and shoes and they thought it was hilarious. I kept doing a double-take every time I walked by! Then for dinner, the boys got these:

Meatloaf cupcakes with mashed potato frosting. They look tasty, don't they? Sammy and Riley didn't realize it was a joke, and thought they were just gross cupcakes. But once we scraped the potatoes off, they loved the meatloaf. Sigh. I just hope their senses of humor mature a little before next April 1.

Sammy--Currently is aching to take karate lessons, which is too bad because we've already signed him up for t-ball. His birthday is next week and he's been calling himself the birthday boy all month. And acting like it too.

Riley--He's a little emotionally volatile these days. Bruce keeps reminding him that we don't understand "whine-ese" around here. He has become my best little singer in Primary, and has even memorized the 13th Article of Faith (Sammy has too).

Zeke--His brown eyes are changing color daily (just like dad's). Currently, they've got a ring of grey-blue around the outside, fading to greenish, then golden brown in the middle. He speaks his mind all of the time, especially with important words like "No!" and "Let go!" His two favorite people these days are Grandma Barber and Grandma Jacobs. We know both of the grandpas are trying to claim their spot in his affections by sneaking him cookies and treats. One of these days it will start working.

It is your birthday.

2009-03-11T14:07:00.004-06:00

I have the best husband.

I went into the kitchen this morning at 5:30, on my way out the door to the gym, and this is what I found (click on it, you've got to see it full-size):

Isn't Bruce great? He decorated all by himself! And just in case you can't read his fun-filled sign, here's a close-up:

Thanks Bruce! Now I'm going to go take a nap for an hour.

Humble pie

2009-02-28T21:29:00.001-07:00

After my glorious run last week, things have gone downhill. The major bummer was this Wednesday when I met my triathlon team at the swimming pool and realized just what a rotten swimmer I am. Wow, I have a lot of work. And my coach was very forthright about that fact. (In all fairness, that's exactly what I'm paying her for.) I went home a little humbled, a little depressed, and very tired of swimming.

Luckily the next day my coach gave me some hope. But still, at the moment I don't really want to work at it. I want to go back to just being lazy and not minding being a bad swimmer. Sigh.

Today, I've gotten Sammy's cold (which comes with a rotten, feel-awful fever). So I went on my long run this morning and was a little slower, a little less enthusiastic. I hope I get back to enjoying it by next week, cause at this point I never want to exercise again! Thank goodness for a day of rest tomorrow!

Run, run, as fast as you can!

2009-02-22T21:07:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I accomplished something that a year ago, I never would have thought I'd do. And it's not even that big of a deal for a lot of people, but it was for me.

I ran FIVE MILES, without stopping, at a good pace, and I ENJOYED it!! Even better, I sprinted the last three blocks!

I started running last summer because I hated running a little less than I hated exercise videos, and I had to do something to exercise. Leah and I were each other's motivation (thank you SO much, Leah) to get up and go several times a week at 6 a.m. The first few times we had to go slow, stop and walk frequently, and we both were kind of miserable. We got faster and better (no more walking), but I never really came to like it.

Sometime over the winter I began to enjoy running. Strange, because I was running on a track so tiny I almost got dizzy running in all those circles. So I signed up for a triathlon and a training group and began to get serious. Part of my training includes a group run every Saturday, and yesterday was my first time. Not only were the beginners in my group there, but there were several other "real" runners, the kind who are in the top ten at all the big local races, and even a guy who is going to the Boston Marathon in a few months. Uh-oh!

I wasn't the fastest or farthest runner in the group, but I wasn't the slowest either. I enjoyed almost every bit of the run. Okay, so the first two and a half miles went by really fast. Then I turned around and headed back. I have to admit, the last two and a half seemed twice as long as the first. So I settled in and thought I might not make it to the end, but I kept moving my feet. I came over a rise and suddenly there was the group, my car, and a major milestone for me. I felt great, so I picked up the pace and finished with a sprint. Hooray!

I feel a little strange admitting that I'm kind of liking exercise these days. I thought it just wasn't possible for me. But wow, just putting one foot in front of the other, even if it takes six or eight months, really does work. This is the first major goal I've worked on and accomplished in a long time, and I love it! I'm excited to get to feel the same about biking, swimming, and who knows what else. Thanks Kathryn, for mentioning the idea that even us couch potatoes can come to love physical activity. Thanks Bruce, for taking the early morning shift with they boys so I can run (and enjoy a few minutes of alone time). I'd also like to thank the Academy, my wonderful director, the Screen Writers Guild, my hero Katherine Hepburn...oh wait, wrong audience.

Anyway, happy running!

Spinach and Hummus--Yum!

2009-02-15T20:47:00.003-07:00

Time to give a little update, which may be a bit lengthy.

Zeke has been having a grumpy week, mostly due to his five new teeth that are coming through. One of them finally poked its way through his gums on Thursday, the other four look like they've come through just because they're pressing on his gums so hard. We're hoping they poke through soon, mostly because he's the only 14-month-old we know with just two visible teeth! Zeke also continues his dinnertime eating strike, but we made a great discovery this week--he loves hummus! He ate a bowlful of plain hummus a few days ago, and yesterday when I spread some on crackers for him, he licked it off and threw the crackers on the floor. Well, we figure if he lives on fruit, yogurt, and hummus, he'll be healthy enough. Oh, and sugar cookies, yeah, he loves those too!

Riley had a great time at his fourth birthday party last weekend. We were very relieved that he didn't wake up with the stomach flu that morning (the rest of us had just recovered). He and his friends made spaceships, went to "Mars" in our basement, and devoured the entire planet of Saturn (a cake version). They were five really well-behaved four-year-olds!

Sammy gave a talk last week in Primary. He was cheerful and read the whole thing clearly all by himself! We were proud, but also surprised, because the whole thing seemed doomed from the start. He was mad that he had to talk about an assigned topic, not one of his choice. He also had been up until 10:30 the night before with cousins, so he was grumpy and hysterical most of the morning, until right before church. Thank goodness for little miracles.

This week he and Riley have been obsessed with Popeye, which is both good (they gobble down spinach like it's candy) and bad (they pretend to fight, and do Popeye's special wind-up punch). The boys also ended up with tons of temporary tattoos from Valentine parties, and they have been covered in them for a few days. But this morning Sammy came to me concerned that they didn't wash off in his bath, and he asked me to remove them before church! When the boy wants to do the right thing, he goes all the way. (Good thing he wasn't sleep-deprived today like he was last week!)

Not much new for Bruce and me. I started helping out in the nursery at a local gym once a week in exchange for a family membership. Bruce and the boys are excited about that one. We are trying to decide the best way to spend the holiday tomorrow--Bruce is trying to keep me out of the kitchen because I've been baking a bit too much this past week. By the way, Bruce challenges every one of you to a human bench-pressing contest. He practices on Zeke frequently, but I've warned him he has to be able to bench-press ME before he can really brag. He talks all the time about what wimps Dan and Kent are...

Brilliant Boys!

2009-02-06T15:38:00.003-07:00

Riley is excited about his fourth birthday party, which is tomorrow. Hopefully we will all survive so I can post pictures and tell funny stories about a bunch of 3- and 4-year-olds exploring outer space. In the meantime, I just want to brag about how Riley knows all the planets in the solar system, along with which ones are rock and which are gas (and which one is frozen!). That's why he's having a space-themed party, for which I made him a Saturn-shaped birthday cake:

I'm pretty sure all three of my brilliant boys are brilliant because of one thing: books! They all love to read, pretty much right out of the womb. I know it's innate, but we do our part to encourage it quite a bit. Here's a picture of 1-year-old Zeke, who often runs into his room, grabs a book, and gets cozy with it (or brings it to me for reading).

I wish every mom out there would grasp how important books are and how easy it is to get kids to love books from the time they are infants! I know pretty much all of you who read this are right there with me on this, and your kids are as brilliant as mine. Thanks for listening to me up on my soapbox today anyway!

Attack of the un-weaned

2009-01-24T11:13:00.002-07:00

Bruce says it's my fault for writing that last post. After 2 or 3 happy days, Zeke has thrown a fit about the binky's disappearance. We would like to be consistent, but sometimes we have to cave in and give it to him (like at 5:30 a.m. when we need him to go back to sleep for a few hours, or when we have a babysitter). He's amazingly adept at getting his own way. Plus, the child is living on yogurt since I'm not nursing him much anymore and he refuses most other food. Could be worse, like instant pudding or fruit snacks, right? And then this morning, I forgot that I no longer nurse him when he wakes up, and I stumbled bleary eyed out of bed and gave him just what he wanted without thinking.

Where's supernanny when I need her?

Zeke's big non-event

2009-01-20T14:26:00.002-07:00

This could be it!!! The end of an era for Zeke, and the beginning of a whole new life!

You might think I'm talking about weaning Zeke, which we're in the middle of. But no, this is an even bigger milestone. I think Zeke will be giving up the BINKY! I am truly surprised, but it's just kind of happening. Not that Zeke doesn't love it, but he hasn't figured out yet that it's a necessary part of toddler life. Last night I tried putting him to bed without it, and amazingly he fell asleep without it! He even slept in later than usual this morning. Then again, naptime came and he fell asleep just fine.

Is this the trick? Take the binky away younger, not older? I have to say, it wasn't all that traumatic to remove the magic plug from Sammy (at age 2 and a bit) or Riley (at almost 3), because they mostly just got it at naptime. But this is even easier, and if Zeke can sleep without it, why should we encourage dependence by continuing to plug him? I guess it gets him quiet a little more quickly when he's crying, and maybe he falls asleep a little faster with it. Other than that, I don't think he really needs it. Especially since he's got a huge attachment to his blanket (way cooler, in my opinion).

What do you think? I'm interested in other binky-weaning experiences. Can it really be this easy?

Nice, quiet pictures

2009-01-11T21:56:00.003-07:00

Somehow, our computer and the camera decided to get along today. So after you look at the cute pictures on this post, be sure to check out the last one to see Sammy in action.

I have gotten a bit cantankerous in my old age and I enjoy a bit of calm and quiet now and then. Not that I get much, with three troublemakers running around the house. So I usually settle for "happy noise," as long as the boys aren't fighting or destroying things. Still, I have my limits and often try to direct them toward books, Legos, and other relatively quiet activities.

Yesterday morning was an anomaly. The boys found an activity they loved and could do together, so I gave up my lovely quiet morning reading the newspaper and settled for a persistent ringing in my ears. Riley found a wooden spoon and a pot, which got Zeke to coveting. I got out a set for Zeke, which set Sammy to longing. Sammy got out my entire collection of mixing bowls and a several more spoons. Just be grateful that this is a picture, not a video (with sound).

The boys were having so much fun that I didn't mind the risk of going deaf. Zeke even started dancing (kind of) to the great rhythms they were producing. Perhaps this is the next trend for heavy metal music?

Unfortunately, the whole enterprise dissolved after about ten minutes. The overall volume in our home decreased, but the orchestra dissolved into typical Saturday morning chaos which is much more destructive to my sanity. It was great while it lasted.

All tied up in knots

2009-01-08T19:35:00.004-07:00

I try pretty hard not to burden my kids with the responsibility of fulfilling my broken dreams and missed opportunities. (Let's hope so, the oldest is only five!!!) But when it comes to my faults and weaknesses, I think I do them a disservice by assuming they will end up with all the worst of me.

So I was thrilled this week to discover that my kids aren't little clones of me. I know, that shouldn't be a surprise considering I have three boys. But anyhow...

On Monday, I found some nice shoes on clearance in Sammy's size. He needed a new pair of sneakers because the pair I bought him about four months ago is completely THRASHED. That's what recess does for a boy. As long as this keeps happening, my boys had better not expect brand-name shoes.

The only problem with the shoes is that they have laces. Usually I won't buy anything that doesn't slide, zip, or velcro onto the foot. With three boys and myself, it takes about half an hour to get all the shoes on the feet and tied (including putting Zeke's shoes back on three or four times because he keeps taking them off). But one of Sammy's kindergarten goals was to learn to tie his shoe (even though at the time he didn't own a single pair with laces), so the good mom part of me (and my wallet) told me to buy the cheap shoes with laces.

At this point, I need to confess that shoe tying was my downfall in kindergarten. I aced every other subject, but when it came to tying the laces on the giant cardboard shoe, I folded. My mom will tell you about how I refused to go to school, and she had to take me in, sobbing and late for class, to have a one-on-one talk with my teacher (who was very patient and understanding). I blocked the whole experience out, but at some point, I mastered the art of shoe tying. Hey, maybe that's the real reason I avoid laces on my kids' shoes.

Back to the story. I sat Sammy down for what I thought would be a long afternoon of shoe-tying practice. I envisioned me tying his shoes every morning for weeks, which would cause him to miss the bus (we are down to the second on our morning routine). I psyched myself up to be patient and explain the process several ways, resorting to the bunny going around the tree and into the hole if I had to. So we started.

In ten minutes, Sammy was tying his shoes like a pro.

I immediately knew my child was a prodigy. Who cares that he's been reading for a year, or that he can count up to infinity (well, almost). HE CAN TIE HIS SHOES!!!! I was floored. I immediately called my mom to brag. Somehow she wasn't as impressed as I was. But nothing will take away the glory of that moment.

Sammy is even better at the whole thing now after a few days of practice. He loves his new shoes so much he won't wear them to school (they'd get ruined in the mud and snow). So our morning get-to-the-bus routine is safe until the snow melts, and for now he still jumps into his (velcro) snowboots. But as soon as he gets home, the boots go off and the shoes go on, and visions of my son's future dance before my eyes. Do they offer a Nobel Prize in shoe tying?

Fear and Friendship

2008-12-28T20:57:00.003-07:00

It's funny how answers to prayers don't always come the way we expect them to.

This fall, Bruce and I have been concerned about Sammy and Riley not getting along very well. Like, if one even touched the other there would be major screaming and fighting as a result. (Okay, I know this is somewhat normal for brothers--most of you remember the famous picture of Dan and Bruce. But that doesn't mean we approved or wanted them to keep up this behavior.) So, because we were frustrated, we prayed for help.

Slowly, things have been getting better, and it's mostly because Sammy is afraid. Very afraid. Of almost everything, including:
--Toys left on his bedroom floor at night
--Anything in his bed other than pillow and covers
--Being alone ANYWHERE for more than half a second (this makes bathroom time interesting)

It's this last item that has made him so dependent on Riley. Who will go in the bedroom with him to get another toy? Not mom! Who will go downstairs with him to put away the toys? Not dad! Riley, as much as he's been the picked on younger brother, is amazingly willing to be Sammy's companion. It's like Sammy realizes that Riley is more than competition for toys and attention, and Riley is happy to agree. They play computer together, run around together, and will now (occasionally) hug or sit close to each other. It is truly a miracle, for however long it lasts.

By the way, I am LOVING our new computer, if only because it came with a chess game pre-installed. Sammy can now play without bugging a grown-up to play with him, and better yet, Riley can play against Sammy because the computer shows him which moves are allowed. Score one for technology!!!

My favorite part of Christmas

2008-12-21T13:38:00.002-07:00

This is the best Sunday of the year, and I have to try to capture the moment so it will last a little longer for me. All around the world, congregations are sharing a Christmas program for their services today. Especially in the LDS Church, these programs are very similar, with a bunch of music (often the same favorite Christmas hymns) and some narrative or testimony in between songs.

Despite the predictability of it all, I love it. There is such comfort in tradition. And especially, for me at least, such power in the music, even the same music I've been hearing my whole life.

I am so blessed right now to be our ward choir director. It has been a challenge, a learning experience, and often a frustration. It's not the easiest calling, especially at this point in my life with three young and energetic boys. (By the way, Bruce is an amazing support, and manages not only to sing with the choir, but keep the boys under control, carry around my box of music, and serve up my freshly baked cinnamon rolls to choir members.)

Today the choir sang, and it was truly a choir of angels. We have been preparing for months and have a fairly good choir. But today (as so often happens), they were a different group. Every song was perfectly sung, and even better, they meant every word and offered it as their collective testimony to the congregation. Music can touch my heart like nothing else I have experienced, but only now and then. We have practiced so much that I don't usually think about the words or enjoy the music.

Today I was touched by the Spirit and by the service these singers have given to worship their God. Especially I was overcome when the choir sang "O Come, All Ye Faithful" along with the congregation. It's not my favorite Christmas hymn and I wasn't expecting it to be so powerfully moving. But the incredible organ accompaniment, our choir's angelic descant, and the sight of a few hundred friends singing praise to Jesus Christ made me tremble and get teary-eyed. I was reminded what this entire season is about during the last verse of the hymn. I wish you could have been there too, because the words alone can't quite convey my testimony of this:

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus to thee be all glory giv'n.
Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
Oh come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.

May we adore Him and glorify Him in all we do this Christmas season and throughout our lives, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

Zeke the Beloved

2008-12-08T20:19:00.004-07:00

Happy birthday to my not-so-little baby Zeke!

We are so amazed at how fast the past year has flown by. Zeke just fit himself right into our little family, and life never really slowed down much. Zeke's birthday was an example of how crazy things can be. We were booked solid with Christmas activities for 3 or 4 days before and after his birthday last week. So, we settled for a lunchtime cake party the day after. Even though it wasn't his true birthday, we figure he's lucky to have gotten anything.

And boy, did he enjoy it! What one-year-old doesn't love being set in front of an entire chocolate cake, and having a roomful of people cheer with every bite (and every frosting glob in the hair)? He even got to throw the leftovers on the floor and we cheered that on, too. Of course, older cousin Tate showed him how to REALLY make a mess with the chocolate frosting--Zeke has much to learn from his more experienced friend. Then a birthday bath, and time for presents (with five little boys helping him "play" with the new toys). We're so glad Dan & Dee & kids, and Leah, could come. We missed the rest of you. But Zeke didn't--fewer people means more cake for him!

The Big Secret

2008-12-08T20:09:00.002-07:00

I hesitate to reveal this one. You're all going to rush out tonight to try to replicate my results. Beware--the universe is fickle. You never know just how your wishes will be granted. In my case, I would not choose to have this experience again, but I might as well enjoy the results.

Here is my secret to Holiday Season Weight-Loss. That's correct, not just maintaining your weight, but actually losing those excess pounds during the yummiest bake-fest time of year. It's a simple process, with just two steps. But beware, it's not fun.

First, get strep throat. It's helpful to get it a few days before Thanksgiving (like Monday), and not be sure if that's what it is. So don't go to the doctor until the day after Thanksgiving. By the time you feel well enough to down anything other than cough drops and herbal tea, the really good leftovers will all be gone and you'll be lucky to get some mashed potatoes (no gravy) or maybe cranberry sauce, if you're lucky. This is especially helpful if your Thanksgiving menu includes 13 homemade pies.

Second, it's okay to splurge and eat some treats for a few days, especially if that time frame includes your one-year-old's first birthday cake, filled with amazing egg-nog pudding. Because (and this is where you really shed the pounds) you will then come down with the stomach flu for a full 24 hours. Yup. Like I said, not for the faint-hearted, but very effective. I have dropped a full seven pounds in the past two weeks.

Now I can make it up by indulging in all those Christmas cookies coming our way. That is, if I have any room left after all those Saltines I've been noshing on all day.

OH so clean!!!

2008-11-11T21:26:00.002-07:00

This is nothing but a bit of excitement because today we cleaned the garage!!! I longed for a garage for the first five years of married life, then when I finally got one we just filled it up with junk! Okay, it wasn't that bad. We could still park two cars in it, but it was a mess.

Today we de-junked, swept, organized, bought pegboard and hooks, organized some more, and swept again. It feels great! I'm even building a little "mudroom" area, since we don't really have a good place for all that wet winter gear inside. So I'm patting myself on the back. You can feel free to do so as well! Doesn't it look gorgeous???

Okay, maybe that garage is still in my dreams. But we'll get there before long!

Tagged

2008-11-04T22:02:00.005-07:00

I've been tagged. I'm supposed to post the fourth picture in my fourth album (I think). Not sure exactly what that means, or if it means digital or real photos. I chose the easy route. Here's the shot:That's Sammy pretending to be asleep in Riley's carseat. Sammy was about 2 at the time and had to pretend to be a baby again. Oh wait, he still does that now too!

I tag Phame, Deanne, Tricia S., and Lindsay!

Broc-O-Mama

2008-11-04T21:54:00.002-07:00

I'm not surprised about the election results. I'm not overly excited or disappointed. I don't think either presidential candidate really had very many good answers. But in the morning, I will have to confront both sides of the political spectrum.

I mean Sammy and Riley.

They took an interest in politics only because they liked saying "Barack Obama," which almost instantly morphed into "Broc-O-Mama" (me), and several other goofy variations. But the boys do recognize his name on the radio.

Then I took the whole family with me to vote last week, where Sammy very loudly proclaimed that he wanted the "white guy" to win. "Do you mean the man with the white hair?" I asked, feeling condemned as a racist (by my predominantly white fellow voters, go figure). "No, the man with the white face," he replied. No reason that he could specify, though.

Then today, Riley came home with a preschool paper about voting, the president, and the two candidates. I noticed he had marked his "vote" for Barack Obama. He couldn't say why either, so I think it goes back to the "Broc-O-Mama" thing (Riley likes funny words). All he knew was that he wanted Obama to live in the big white house, not McCain. And he called them by their last names, for all the world sounding like a seasoned reporter.

All I want is for my two little boys not to bicker in the morning or taunt each other over the outcome of the election. And I guess it would be nice if the rest of the country wouldn't either!

Where did my little baby go?

2008-11-04T21:50:00.005-07:00

Zeke walks!

I've been meaning to post for over a week now. I don't even remember the exact day when Zeke took his first steps (I think it was three the first time we knew they were intended). Does that make me a bad mom? But this weekend he has progressed rapidly from three to who knows how many. He can walk several feet across the room, but only until he's within "diving distance." He's pretty perceptive about just how close he has to be to Mom or Dad to safely tip himself over into our arms. He has tried this once or twice on Sammy and Riley, with disastrous results. Now he only rarely dares walk toward them. (In fact, he's developing a healthy fear of these two, for as much "love" as they give him.)

Anyway, WOOHOO for Zeke!!!!

Happy Costume Month!

2008-10-26T19:52:00.007-06:00

Isn't it great that holidays last so much longer than they used to when we were kids? I mean, I got to dress up on Halloween Day. Maybe we had a party at church a few days before. But now, wow, we've been dressing up all month!

Deanne hosted a fabulous kids-only Halloween party two weeks ago. Last weekend she and Dan followed up with another party, this time for adults. This weekend we got to attend our ward Halloween party (where Bruce and I WON THE COSTUME CONTEST!!!). And there is no school on Halloween Day this year, so classroom parties for both boys will be on Thursday.

That's four, yes, FOUR occasions to dress up before Halloween Day. And of course, the boys will spend all day in costume on Friday. I have had a blast with all the dress-up, and even though I'm finally getting a little tired of it, at least I feel like we're getting our money's worth out of the costumes. Truly, we always do, since the boys wear costumes year round.

I just have to mention that I love ward Halloween parties, except for our ward being a little less than spirited about it. (C'mon, grown-ups, how hard is it to throw on a wig and a goofy shirt to pass as a costume? Lighten up!) What I love is that THEY ARE ALWAYS THE SAME!!! Chili and doughnuts for dinner--check! Trick or treating, since we all know the kids never get enough candy this time of year---check! Lots of chaos as children run up and down the halls and plow through the crowd in the gym--check! And my personal favorite: local band playing the same selection of oldies with the volume cranked up so high that all conversation ceases and young children cry--check!

I really do love the band thing. Bruce and I danced, even though no one else did. Of course, that makes sense because no one else dressed up either. (Okay, a few of you did.) I would love to hear if any of you have EVER had a ward Halloween party that was different from this--I can't imagine that happening, but maybe I'm wrong.

Finally, look at my amazing hair! Thanks to my friend Annie for making my way-too-short hair look like a poofy, sleek, Wilma Flintstone up-do. Maybe I was meant to be a redhead!

Domestic Diva

2008-10-23T18:41:00.003-06:00

Sometimes it surprises me how superficial I am. The dumbest little things can motivate me. For instance, my new project: a vintage "church ladies" apron that makes me feel like a sassy domestic diva.

My house (and life) was in massive disarray after last week's bout with being bedridden. Okay, I can't blame it on the illness because the house has been that way for months. It bothers me a little, but I deal with it.

Then on Tuesday, I finally found the time and energy to start a new project, the apron of my housewifely dreams. Once I started, I neglected just about everything else to finish sewing it (yes, including my children). Despite my friend's promise that it would take only an hour or so to make the apron, I was up until almost midnight. But it was worth every minute! Isn't it darling?

And now, every time I put it on, I channel my inner June Cleaver. Wow, amazing dinner and clean kitchen three nights in a row? Toys sorted and put away neatly? Fresh homemade cinnamon swirl bread (low-fat and low-sugar)? Floor mopped? Thank you, Apron of Action.

You can be expecting our new action figure, apron-wearing SuperMom, in stores in time for Christmas. Vacuum and homemade bread sold separately.

Modern Medicine

2008-10-16T18:35:00.004-06:00

If it weren't for modern medicine, I'd be in really bad shape. I guess a lot of us can say that. Today I am recovering from my fifth bout of mastitis (first time with Zeke, but I've had it a bunch with the other boys).

In case you've never had it (you probably haven't), it's a nursing mom infection and it results in soreness, fever, chills, aches, headaches, weakness. Fun! Luckily I know to go right to the doctor where I get a shot and some antibiotic pills, and I'm usually okay within a day or so. And even more luckily, my wonderful in-laws came and watched my children for several hours today (and drove me to the doctor) because Bruce couldn't get away from work. Thank you thank you thank you!

So I'm glad I didn't end up with a large abscess and a two-week hospital stay from all this, like a friend of mine did. I'm SO grateful for antibiotics, even though I hate shots, because this infection can get nasty. (I wonder how many women have died through the ages from something this minor.) And I'm grateful for TV, which is a wonderful babysitter on days like today, no matter what the experts say.

And there are perks of being sick. How often do I just sit on the floor and play puzzles with my kids for an hour? Or read to them all afternoon? (Okay, I'm a little better at that one.) I used to spend a lot more time playing with them, but today I had to do it because they were crazy bored and I didn't have energy for much else. I guess it's a good reminder to do those things, because we all had a great time, even Zeke!

I've been tagged!!!

2008-10-09T21:14:00.003-06:00

Thank goodness it wasn't the kind where I have to take photos of what my house looks like this very minute. This is not a good week for that!

3 Names You Go By:
Christy, Mama, "Waa-aa-aah!!"

3 Restaurants That I Love:
The Salmon Cooker
Any great Thai Place
The Sanitary Tortilla Factory (Gone!)

3 Trips To Plan on this Year!
LaVell Edwards Stadium
Mexico!!!
The Funny Farm

3 Things You Want Badly!
Vosges Haut-Chocolat
Sleep
A presidential candidate I actually support

3 People Who Will Do This!
The three people I tag!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 Pets I Have/Had
Two goldfish-Goldie and Bronzie
Betta fish-Ruby
Dog-Taffy

3 Things You Did Yesterday!
Went to the pumpkin patch
Made pumpkin bread
Took a nap

3 Things You Ate Today!
Pumpkin bread
Homemade whole-wheat bread
Yogurt
(No chocolate? What's wrong with me?)

3 Things You Plan on Doing Tomorrow!
Going to a Halloween Party
Grocery shopping
Trimming Riley's fingernails

3 Favorite Holidays

Groundhog Day

Valentine's Day
My birthday

3 Favorite Drinks
Water
Egg Nog from Smith Brothers Dairy
Mayan Cocoa Spice Herbal Tea

Do people actually do this when they're tagged? We'll find out! Now it's your turn:
Deanne, Lisa, Mary

Have kids, WON'T travel!

2008-10-07T21:38:00.004-06:00

I'm not leaving the house again for a long time. At least, not to go any farther than the grocery store.

We went to Cedar City with Bruce this weekend so the kids could enjoy the hotel beds, indoor pool, and free hot breakfast. It's their favorite kind of vacation and it's relatively cheap. But Zeke was just finishing cutting his second tooth (came through Sunday!). The kids were wired, a little rude, and unbelievably pugnacious (they usually travel so well, what happened?).

Oh, and the rental car we drove had brakes that were completely shot! We are wondering how this escaped the notice of the people in charge of maintenance. I took it to a shop in town while Bruce was in his meeting. I expected a quick fix or maybe some minor problem that could be taken care of later. No luck! And they couldn't get the part in until the next day. SO. Three boys and me waiting in Big-O for three hours until Bruce got a car from another company that would fit all the car seats. Luckily, Big-O had satellite TV (cartoons!), candy machines, grubby floors for Zeke to crawl on, and an ice pack in the first-aid kit for Riley's large head wound. (Note: dirty, sticky floors are still too slippery for three-year-olds to run around on.)

Four hours and a few spankings later, we made it home, and home we'll stay!

Not for the faint-hearted (really, beware!)

2008-10-03T18:33:00.003-06:00

It's really all my fault. Bruce and I admitted, out loud, that we were planning to attend the temple this afternoon. It's been a long time. In our defense, we had to do so because we needed to get someone to watch the kids.

In case you were wondering, no, we didn't make it there.

Bruce had to do some training in Provo for work today, so we loaded up the whole family and pulled out of here at about 7:45. A few minutes late, but not bad considering Sammy's tantrum (didn't want to miss kindergarten). Eerily, there were no major traffic problems. I just thought we were lucky. But by the time we were in Bountiful, we had to stop for a potty break. Still, we made good time to Provo, and that's where things began to go sour. Bruce stopped at a store, and Riley had to go for potty break #2--his face was pale, which was a sure sign of gastrointestinal distress. Then, we barely made it to Bruce's destination in time to rush white-faced Riley inside for potty break #3. Then on to my friend Emily's house, with a detour for potty break #4, and another dash inside her house for potty break #5. Poor Riley.

He felt better for awhile, so we had a great time visiting Emily and her kids. Then we met my friend Megan for lunch. Our mildly bad day started its crash landing here. Riley filled up on chips and chocolate milk. Meanwhile, Zeke sat happily banging on the floor-to-ceiling window while we ate. Too bad none of us noticed the hornet crawling on the glass, trying to figure out how to get outside. Oh, wait, Zeke noticed it. We think he tried to grab it (none of us saw this happen) and it stung him on the thumb. Thats right, my poor baby boy! He went berserk. I calmly gave him Tylenol and a binky while requesting that Bruce KILL THE EVIL INSECT!!! He finally fell asleep. Poor Megan, between that and our other energetic kids, she may never go out in public with us again. Thanks for putting up with us!

Riley turned pale again on the way home. Luckily, it was right by Ikea, and I had wanted to stop there anyway. (Potty break #6) Yeah, we made it to the (very lovely) family bathroom just in time. Then he got sick all over his pants. The shoes survived. It took us a long time to clean up, but he felt GREAT by the time we were done, and he got to walk out in shirt, shoes, and a too-small diaper borrowed from Zeke. Meanwhile, I finally got to the Christmas section to buy the Scandinavian straw tree ornaments I've been trying to get for the past four years. Wouldn't you know, for some unknown reason, this year they decided to dye the straw ORANGE and RED!! What were they thinking? Seriously, I know they're Swedish, but these are BEYOND UGLY!!! What was wrong with the old traditional ornaments? They sell out every year in just a few days--PEOPLE LIKED THEM. This was the final STRAW for me. I bought them anyway because I was desperate, but now I have to return them because they're even uglier now than in the store.

I'm done complaining. We stopped to visit my midwife's new birth center and it was beautiful--and Riley got to have potty break #7. The rest of the ride home was uneventful, except for Sammy needing a potty break (#8) when we were 5 minutes away from our house. We made him wait. At home, I promptly called the hair salon and scheduled an appointment for an escape, I mean, haircut tomorrow.

By the way, everyone was really cheerful today. At least we received that blessing, so other than being a little tired (and having some laundry to do) we are none the worse for the wear today. Zeke's thumb is still swollen but he's not in pain. Riley feels great. Sammy has gotten some extra attention for putting up with everyone else's craziness so well. Now if only the football game turns out the right way tonight...

The lights are on and someone's home!

2008-10-01T14:08:00.006-06:00

More about Zeke. What can I say, I just really love this stage of baby development. (Okay, I love most stages. Except 2-year-olds, sometimes.)

About a month ago I was commenting to Deanne that Tate has crossed that threshold of understanding--the one where he's figured out he's in this great big world and there's stuff to learn and do. It felt like Zeke would never get there (because 2 1/2 months is like being years older in babydom).

And now, Zeke has arrived!

It's not that there's one moment when it clicked and he went from infant to older baby. He's been sitting up, crawling, even cruising for awhile, and gradually understanding more. But today, he was turning pages in a book--he understood that that's just what you do with a book. He was pointing at things (with one pudgy little finger--such a grown-up gesture!) and imitating my sounds. "Tat tat tat" he kept saying; he was fascinated by the cat picture. He gets that there are words, and that they relate to things. Language, yeah, I guess it's no surprise that that's part of the whole understanding thing.

But that's not all. Zeke has never been a cuddly child. He likes to be held, but not hugged. Yet recently, he's started giving hugs. He leans in, and he understands it's a nice thing to do to someone. (He pulls away if I try to hold him too long. There are still limits.) He's showing affection! And instead of just having this general reaction of, "Mom's there, she'd better hold me," he seems to get the nuances of being held. As we were looking at the picture book, we were kind of snuggling. He seemed happy. But then he pulled himself to standing, stepped closer to me, and sat right on my lap. He wanted to be on my lap, not just next to me!

Sorry if that seems very minor to you, but it really warms this mother's heart.

Anyway, I guess what it all boils down to is that Zeke is now consciously exploring his little world. He's no longer just reacting to a bunch of random experiences that happen in his life; now he's putting them all together and starting to assign some order and meaning to things. He's learning, he's taking the initiative to act and find things out. He's communicating what he wants instead of just crying because he's generally unhappy, and he's understanding that we communicate to him as well. I love being his mom and being there for all these little steps he's making in his life's journey; I know there are many more ahead (and that they will be vastly different than these baby steps). What a miracle that we are programmed to figure so much out in such a short time. I feel the hand of God in my life more through my children than any other way, and I am so grateful.

First Tooth, First Word

2008-09-25T15:25:00.002-06:00

After the whole crawling/walking thing, I think the biggest baby milestone for me might be cutting those first teeth. It just really changes that sweet little baby face into a mischievous little boy face. Cute, but not quite so innocent.

Yesterday, Zeke's first tooth finally broke through his gums, and his second is following close behind. This is bittersweet for me. He has been bothered by the teething lately, and I'm glad it's getting a little better (until the next tooth comes!). It's good that he'll be able to eat more solid foods eventually (or should I just nurse him forever?). But he's really not going to be a baby much longer, so I'm holding on to every minute I can. All the minutes when he's not crawling or cruising away from me, that is. Good thing he's more willing to snuggle when teething makes him feel crummy.

Yesterday I also realized he's been saying his first word, though you might disagree. He can say "shoe" by putting his lips together and blowing. It sounds more like "bpooh," with a soft "bp" at the beginning, not harsh. But he's definitely imitating what I say and referring to his shoe. Woohoo! I do so love language development. I guess that goes right along with books about punctuation.

Running a race and surviving a marathon

2008-09-21T16:17:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I ran my first 5k since becoming a mom (that's three little boys ago). In fact, I haven't really been a runner since I got married, thanks to Bruce's bum knee and my need for external motivation. Anyway, I ran the race with my sister-in-law, Leah, and can proudly say we finished strong. Now I've made a list of future running goals for us (better time, harder races, etc.) which has her running away from me. But I'm excited and for the first time ever I'm not going to use winter as an excuse to stop exercising.

We'll see about that come the first icy December morning I meet.

Then Bruce and I began our relay marathon--the true test of endurance. I got home from running to find the three T's (Tracen, Tyler, and Tate) playing happily/noisily/messily with our kids. Dan and Dee were in Provo for the (yawn) BYU shut-out. The boys were pretty good all afternoon. Then Bruce left to go watch the game on TV just before my friend dropped off her two youngest for me to watch for a few hours. That is eight kids (three under 1 year), and what's more, SEVEN BOYS and one little girl. We had a fun time for awhile. The kids were all pretty well-behaved, but it was still chaotic.

Blessings be on Dan and Dee (and Leo) for leaving the (yawn) game early and arriving just before I started feeding all the kids dinner. (They beat Bruce back home.) Thanks, Deanne, for helping get them all fed and happy. We were sad to say goodbye to your boys, but it was sure quiet when you left! Not too much later, the other two kids left and we all settled down.

I've just figured out why I enjoy running so much more now than when I was single. It is FAR EASIER than taking care of kids!

2008-09-10T22:39:00.002-06:00

The peaches...

And the cruisin' toddler...

Latest Exploits, Late Show-Style

2008-09-10T21:55:00.008-06:00

I've been too busy (or something) to update regularly. Sorry you've missed all the fabulous posts I have composed in my mind. This will have to do. Here are the top ten most important, time-consuming, and/or tasty events that have occured in our lives lately. As always, we like to offer samples of the tasty things to anyone who dares come around for a visit.

10. Riley started preschool. This happened way back in August. He loves it and is making lots of new friends. He wishes it were every day instead of two days a week.

9. We went to Lagoon. We couldn't afford Disneyland (or the gas to get there), and the kids couldn't tell the difference. We went with Dan and Dee and their three boys. Everyone had a great time, even Sammy, who cried and screamed on his first ride (a scary free-fall type, but for little kids) and loved that same ride by the end of the day. We even wished we could have stayed an hour or two more.

8. Zeke started crawling (all over, not just a few inches). Of course, by now, just a few weeks later, he has moved on to pulling himself up to standing using anything over three inches tall, and he cruises around the house faster than I can keep track of him. We don't think he'll take long to start walking.

7. We went camping at Capitol Reef. Camping is so much fun with people who are good at it. Thanks to Uncle Dave, Aunt Marie, Uncle Doug, and their families. We're so glad Torrey and Heather came with Elaina, who somehow loved playing with our crazy boys. Sammy survived a weekend of stormy skies and thunderstorms (he's a bit scared of them). And of course, next time we go hiking through a river we're bringing water shoes!

6. Sammy started kindergarten. He loves his teacher and classmates, has learned several goofy songs, and usually likes recess (except when it's cloudy and there might be lightning). But his favorite part is the bus ride to school. He and his friend have started taking turns for the window seat. And that's about all he'll tell me.

5. I built the world's most beautiful baby gate. Okay, you might not think so. But it keeps my beautiful baby from falling head over heels down the stairs, and it didn't require drilling large holes in the stair railing. I did it all myself, except for sawing the wood (thanks Bruce!).

4. Bruce successfully ran his second CFC golf tournament. His team didn't win, but they raised lots of money for the campaign and got to eat some dang good cookies at the same time. Next year, I hope he'll be able to get home a little earlier.

3. I made oodles of blackberry jam and Mom's amazing cupcakes. I won't list all my latest culinary exploits, but these are two of my favorites. I now have apricot and blackberry jam stockpiled for the next several years, and tomorrow I'll be making some blueberry jam too. The cheesecake-filled lime cupcakes wowed the Utah crowd (thanks Mom!), and next week it's on to Ginger-Lime Cheesecake with Mango-Lime Salsa (possibly my all-time favorite).

2. We've lost almost 90 pounds!!! When I say "we," I mean the biggest losers, a.k.a. Dan, Dee, Leah, Leo, Tricia, Bruce, and me. Thanks to Bruce's blog (and a whole lot of smack talk), we've lost a lot of weight since last April. We even hope to keep the damage down over the holiday season if we keep up the hard work. All this despite my cooking habits (see #3) and the other amazing cooks in the family (trip to Albuquerque, Deanne's cookies, Leah's pies, etc.).

1. My peach trees are working!!!! This is my current excitement. We've gotten 12 peaches from our two peach trees this year, and they're delicious! (I've eaten one already.) They will soon be a pie or cobbler or something. They're definitely growing well, and I hope to have an even better crop next year--perhaps enough to make a pie for me and one to share! Aren't they beautiful?

Day of (un?)rest

2008-08-20T11:34:00.004-06:00

Normally, I would not say it's restful to wake up before 6 on a Sunday morning, get dressed, then have my 3-year-old come in the room with white lips and an upset stomach. It's not usually good when he then asks for a bowl of cereal even though I know he will be losing said cereal within minutes of eating it. It's especially not a good thing if it's a Sunday when I am supposed to both teach the lesson in Relief Society, and conduct my first choir rehearsal in two months right after church. To add to the confusion, I had a house full of visiting in-laws, who were trying to get ready for church and pack up their stuff to leave for home right afterward.

But I have a fabulous husband who cleaned up Riley's mess on the floor, the bucket, the bathtub, and changed the sheets TWICE, and comforted the poor sick kid. I have kind, self-sufficient relatives who took care of their own needs and didn't mind getting their own breakfasts. I have a great Relief Society whose members like to comment a lot during lessons. And I have an easygoing choir, half of whom actually showed up (mixed blessing there).

Best of all, all of this Sunday-morning craziness was a welcome change after a week spent going from one family gathering to the next. We had a barbecue with Kurt & Kara, Dan & Dee, Kathryn and Kent, and all the kids going crazy. We went swimming with the herd of kids. We had a family dinner to welcome Leo and Tricia home. We had a family breakfast just for fun. Bruce and I had six kids under 6 sleep over here (plus two over six and their parents). We took all the kids to the park. We played cards. I gave up sweeping the floor becuase of all the kids kids kids! And to top it all off, Zeke started crawling on Sunday morning!

So you can see how maybe teaching a lesson and conducting a choir pale in comparison to all that stress. We had tons of fun, but I'm happy to be back to work and the normal routine. The only problem is, work is starting to seem stressful again. Could you all please visit (at the same time) every week or two so I can keep my stress level in perspective?

Future spelling bee champ?

2008-08-10T21:30:00.002-06:00

If you don't like hearing proud mamas brag about their brilliant kids, watch out!

Last week sometime, S and R were coloring and Riley showed me a piece of paper on which he'd neatly written "i-L-E-Y." I was excited, but I just helped him write his "R" and then forgot about it. Until Friday.

We were outside coloring with chalk and he excitedly showed me the "R" he had drawn all by himself. Then he wrote the rest of his name. Every letter got a little bigger than the last, but other than that they were beautifully formed--as nice as Sammy's letters, and he's been working on them for a year and a half! And mind you, he was writing with chalk on concrete; not the easiest thing. Even I'm a little messy in that medium.

So here comes the impressive part. He and I were sitting down and I was showing him a few tricks to make it easier to write some letters. Then he turns and writes, "Y-E-L-I-R." He didn't say, "There's my name backwards!" Just, "There's my name." Now, he didn't write it backwards, starting with the "R." He wrote it left to right starting with the "Y," without thinking about it, like spelling a word backwards is no harder than spelling it the regular way. He wrote his name and Tyler's name a few times more, once backwards.

The kid is a genius, I tell you! I have been thinking lately that it's time to start teaching him to trace letters and figure out what sounds they make. Too late for that! Not only can he write, he's got this logical little brain that lets him spell and write backward and forward interchangably.

I adore babies and toddlers and I miss that part of childhood when it's gone. So it's a fabulous thing that we get the excitement of learning and growing up all over again with these little kids. Baby Riley is gone, but now I get to see his unique personality and gifts and talents develop in amazing ways. On to the next discovery!

Creepy crawlies

2008-08-06T21:42:00.005-06:00

I'm a daydreamer. One of my biggest daydreams of the past several years has been to move toward a more rural lifestyle. You know, chickens and maybe a goat in the backyard, a really big garden (like, enough to sell the extra at a roadside stand, or at least give it away), big canning parties at harvest time. Life away from the suburbs (but not TOO far from Costco).

But let's face it. I'm a wimp.

There is a really HUGE spider, or maybe more than one, that lives in the window well right next to my computer. It was stuck between screen and window for a few days, and I sat staring at it for minutes at a time. Revulsion? Horror? Yes. But could I open the window to kill it? No. Bruce's job. I shriek and run when a yellowjacket surprises me in the garden. In fact, I only weed before 9 a.m., partly because of the heat and partly because of the bees.

In reality, my imagination is just too good. Or my paranoia. Last week I went to pick apricots at a u-pick place nearby. Not too far from the parking lot where Dan saw a rattler last month (just after our kids had been tramping through the weeds, mind you). So snakes had been on my mind all day as I psyched myself up to go. Alone. Luckily there was a tough-looking guy in military gear picking apricots at the same time. I traipsed across the open field to where the best fruit was. Two minutes later, he was done and turned back. I was alone, picking fruit, on a hot and sunny afternoon. I heard a noise from about 50 feet east. Stop. Again. Stop. I'm not sure if it was a rattlesnake, but it was a distinct possibility. Then the same noise from 50 feet west. Stop. Again. I climbed up the ladder and tried to pick more fruit--the apricots were GREAT on this tree. A few more rattling noises, from both sides.

I left the tree. I traipsed back across the field (luckily, away from the unidentified noises). The owner of the trees said, "Is that all you got?" I made some excuse (remember, I had left the trees with the best fruit) and headed north, past the little house and garden, to some other trees with smaller fruit, not as ripe. I heard no rattling noises. I paid and went home, happy to be alive.

So how would I do on a farm? Maybe okay, if I had a gun on me at all times (and could keep my wits about me enough to aim at the snake). Maybe not. But even here in the suburbs, nature sometimes gets a little too creepy for me. For now, I'll keep getting my eggs and goat cheese from the store, and buy my fruit for canning from someone else's roadside stand.

Have you done any good....? YES!

2008-07-31T21:27:00.004-06:00

I learned an important lesson recently: you never know how much of an impact you can have on the lives of others. For years I've lived in self-doubt about my mission experience. Most of you have heard the story about how I struggled to even make it into the mission field, and how that experience itself helped me gain a testimony of prayer, fasting and the Book of Mormon. Even so, the mission itself was difficult, with hours of tracting and street contacting, a lot of rejection and little success... or so I thought.

At the end of my mission, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to teach and help baptize a single-mother family from Peru -- Blanca Luz Vasquez and her three sons, Carlos, Norman and Manuel. We taught them by reading the discussions in Spanish (as best I could) and then discussing the principles in Norwegian. We baptized them just a few weeks before I left the mission, and in spite of good intentions to stay in contact, I lost contact with them shortly after coming home. This was mostly my fault for not writing more frequently and allowing school and social life to dominate my thoughts. Over the years I thought about the Vasquez family often, and occasionally prayed for them and felt guilty for losing touch, but guilt was as far as I got.

When a young man from our ward was called to Norway on his mission last year, I was mildly interested but soon forgot about him. As it happens, however, his dad, Mike Leatham, owns a local company that United Way frequently does business with, and during a meeting with him recently he talked about his son Tanner and what a good experience he's having. I asked where he was serving, and Mike said, "He's in Oslo right now." When I got back to work later, Mike had forwarded his son's latest email and I took the opportunity to send Elder Leatham a letter of encouragement, a few words in Norwegian, and a request that he look up "Blanca Vasquez." To be perfectly honest, I was not confident he would even be able to find her, much less report on her activity in the church. A week later I received a letter from "Eldste Leatham." He didn't have to look -- he knew Blanca very well because not only was she active in the church but she often helped the missionaries when they had Spanish-speaking investigators. Shortly afterward he called Blanca on the telephone to report that he had received a letter from the returned missionary who had taught her the gospel, and the next thing I knew my mobile phone was ringing with an "unknown caller" as we shopped at a Ross store in Albuquerque. I'm not sure what the other shoppers thought about the weird guy speaking excitedly in some strange language and trying to choke back tears in the middle of the store, but it was an incredibly happy moment in my life.

I've already traded several emails with Blanca and even added her as a friend on Facebook! Her spoken Norwegian is excellent, she has a full-time job as a "health secretary" at a local hospital, she has been to the temple and she is faithful in the church. Sadly, her sons are not active, but she maintains good relationships with them and their girlfriends, and it sounds like they are not unfriendly toward the church. Tonight I invited each of them to be my Facebook friends as well, and hopefully they'll add me. Of course, Blanca is not without trials -- she worries about her boys and about her sick father, and sometimes she has problems at work. But she told me how good Heavenly Father has been to her and that she has felt His love for her in life. She immediately forgave me for my lack of contact and made it sound like talking to me again was an answer to prayer... which I found extraordinarily humbling. (Let's be frank - a conversation with me has rarely, if ever, been an answer to anyone's prayer!)

I'm just so grateful to know I've made a small difference in someone's life, and that my mission was worth every minute of difficulty and frustration. The Lord said, "from small things proceedeth that which is great" and "the weak and simple" would proclaim His message. I feel like the "weak and simple" part definitely applies to me, and I'm grateful and happy I was allowed to play a small role for good. So don't listen to the voice that tries to tell you that nothing you do makes any difference, or that your feeble efforts don't matter to anyone. They matter. You matter. You make a positive impact in the world every time you try.

Sorry -- I know this probably comes across as preachy, but it's how I feel right now.

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

2008-07-30T21:45:00.003-06:00

I'm in post-vacation mode. You know, glad to be home, until I realize I have two weeks' worth of laundry to do, the kids have "helped" with the unpacking, there's no food in the house, and I'm too tired to do anything. So, I blog.

We had a great vacation to New Mexico. It doesn't always seem like a vacation to spend 11 hours in the car each way, with crying kids (no Zeke does NOT sleep well in the car), but it was worth the drive. My good friend Megan got married, which meant all her sisters AND Amy Chaston were in town for the event--it was quite the girl party when we got together. Plus, what could be more fun than frosting two hundred cupcakes and at least that many brownies, and getting to wear a white apron for the wedding reception?

Sammy and Riley loved Grandma and Grandpa's house: foosball, movies galore, pancakes for breakfast, their own bedroom with "new" toys, a treasure box that provided a treat every day, and a big basement where parents rarely ventured. I'm not sure why we bothered going swimming or to the museum--they had more fun staying home. However, the fishing trip with Grandpa was well worth the time and money, even considering that the four fish they caught tasted, well, exactly like mud. Sammy said it was the most delicious fish he'd ever eaten, so the rest of us let him eat it. Riley liked fishing for the first 10 or 15 minutes, then he discovered the snacks we had brought. Anyway, huge thanks to two grandparents who know how to entertain little boys. And thanks to Melissa, who took care of them a ton as well.

Then there was Zeke, who was teething or something half the time we were there. Grandma and Grandpa must think he's a fussy baby, which he's really not. He didn't even sleep through the night most of the time. But he's back to normal now that we're home. He did manage a few big grins on the trip, though (see the slideshow).

Don't you wish you'd been there?

More than just surviving!

2008-07-17T22:43:00.003-06:00

I usually go into survival mode when Bruce is gone--extra movies for the kids, no cleaning the house, early bedtimes all around (well, not for me). I thought this trip would be extra hard since he's off in Wyoming with nary a cell phone in sight. I can't even unload on him at the end of each day.

But the past few days I've been reading a horribly predictable, extra-cheesy romance novel (published by Deseret Book, which gives you an idea). Don't ask why. Anyway, there are two single parents who, during their dating "crisis" and all their other stresses (including bratty kids), somehow manage to be perfect parents. Not a grumpy word. Always saying the right thing. Not clueless about why their perfect children are suddenly slamming doors, but able to let the kids work it out with just the right amount of help. You get the picture. Yeah, fake.

Normally, that would bother me more than a Hannah Montana TV marathon. But I guess it's rubbed off a little. I've never been so cheerful on five hours of sleep and no husband for three more days! I preempted a few potential fights and tantrums today. Kept my patience while watching my friend's kids. Surprised Riley by saying "yes" when he asked for pancakes for dinner, and "yes" again when he pulled out the chocolate chips and asked to put those IN the pancakes (you should have seen the disbelief on his face!). Gave the kids an EXTRA bedtime story, despite Zeke loudly clamoring for food and bed too.

Sorry, I'm not bragging. Heck, I'm too embarrased about the lame book to even tell you what it's called. But if reading about two (fictional, of course) perfect parents can make me a better one, even while Bruce is out of town, I might just struggle through a few more trite, predictable books. At least it's slightly more interesting than parenting books, which just depress me and make me feel like a failure. In the meantime, does anyone know any worthwhile books about really great parents? Probably not--you can have a good novel or perfect characters, but not both.

Happy Hot Rockin' (Redneck) Fourth!

2008-07-13T21:46:00.002-06:00

So this posting is over a week late--sorry.

Bruce scored some free tickets to O-town's Fourth of July bash, so we decided to take the family (thank goodness Melissa was around to help keep an eye on the kids). Dan & Dee declined to come with us (can't figure out why!), so we gave our extra tickets to some lucky people in line when we got there.

The highlight of the event for our family was a bunch of inflatable bouncy slides/tunnels/climbing walls for the kids. They played there for almost two hours and got a little giddy with the excitement of it all. We just sat in the shade watching them and listening to the sound of screeching tires and crashing, crumpling metal. Oh yes, the highlight of the event for everyone else who went was the demolition derby that started about the time we arrived.

Have you ever been to a demolition derby? I hadn't before. We couldn't see it from the kiddie area, but I ventured over there for awhile and enjoyed the crashing brutality of it all, and it was kind of funny to see a car flipped by another car and end up producing billows of smoke (a few people thought it might catch fire or explode, but we weren't that lucky). But suddenly, I felt a little too much like a redneck. No one else would have thought so, though. I was way overdressed (not enough skin showing). And I wasn't smoking or with someone who was smoking. So, feeling self-conscious I headed back to the grass and shared a sno-cone with my kids.

Anyway, our indecision gave way to determination that we would indeed stay for the fireworks, since none of us adults had gotten our money's worth yet (remember, the tickets were free!). I had brought earplugs for Sammy, but he still got hysterical fifteen minutes before the fireworks even started, and cried under a blanket (while sweating profusely) until the fireworks show was over. Then the tears turned off and he was fine. Riley and Zeke both loved the whole show, and so did the rest of us. Well, not Melissa. Being a teenager, she would only admit that it was "okay," but that's high praise from her these days! Anyway, we were glad she was around later because we totally forgot where we parked the car, and she pointed us the right direction.

We all had a blast (ha ha) a few nights later when Joel and Leah brought over a pile of gunpowder (okay, fireworks, legal ones at that) and we set them off together with D&D and kids. Sammy kept his ears covered but enjoyed the show, and talked about how "awesome" the fireworks were. We're so glad he had a good experience to make up for the forced fireworks show a few nights before. The boys all especially loved the sparklers, of course, and were very careful with them--I guess they believed my warning that hot sparklers would burn a hole through their skin and hurt for days and days. Didn't even have to exaggerate on that one.

Finally, after all that blah blah blah, I just want to say that I am grateful for this country and the freedoms I enjoy and often take for granted. Despite its imperfections and problems, this is still a great country. And if it needs improving, I guess I'd better go do my part.

My new obsession

2008-06-29T15:05:00.002-06:00

Ever since Kathryn bragged to us several months ago that she (who never really liked exercising) is now addicted to exercising, I've thought, "I'd like to get there." Or at least to the point where I look forward to it, not just look back with relief when it's over.

I've been exercising consistently for the past two or three weeks. And lest you are concerned, no, I am not addicted to exercising. No threat of that anytime soon.

But I am developing an unusual enjoyment of weeding my garden.

Weeding was possibly the worst chore I had to do when I was a kid. Nothing like spending an hour on your knees on a 95-degree day in New Mexico, pulling weeds out of hard, rocky ground, with two older brothers to dish out a little emotional abuse as well. Lucky for me, we didn't have to do it very often.

Last summer I met bindweed, the nastiest weed ever, with miles of snake-like roots that snap under the slightest upward pressure, then shoot up new sprouts practically overnight. Our yard is infested with it. Solid clay instead of soil doesn't make the task any easier.

But the bindweed is not as prevalent this year (last year's battle is paying off just a bit), the soil is slowly getting better (after several hundred-dollars worth of compost), and the kids are crazier than ever. Yes, the real reason I love to weed is that it's as good as an hour of transcendental meditation or a long sauna session. Well, almost. I had Sammy & Riley help a little yesterday and they did their quota (yes, I'm being a good mom and showing them the value of WORK), but then they wandered inside to play with Grandma and Aunt Melissa. And I was left sweating in the sun, meditating on the significance of gardens, global crises, and what color to paint my toenails tonight. Thanks to those who gave me an hour of productive peace. I may have solved a few of the world's toughest problems out in my vegetable garden.

And the best part of all--pulling all those weeds out by the root is almost as satisfying as sqeezing a really great zit!

Dads are the greatest

2008-06-15T14:19:00.004-06:00

Happy Father's Day!

First of all, apologies to Bruce. I can bake, but I can't sculpt a marshmallow daddy lying on a beach of meringue, or make a bed out of shortcake with a mini family snuggling in it. At least he'll get some strawberry trifle today!

Sorry if I get sappy, but I want to send a note out to the fathers I know and love. They have done a lot for me and deserve a little recognition.

Dad, thanks for being there my whole life. You've always been the smartest guy I know, which I knew even when I didn't want to listen to you. Thanks for taking the time to teach me math and how to use a hammer, for reading me "Tale of Two Cities" and picking me up from dance classes. Thanks for answering my questions even now that I'm an adult. Thanks for showing me how to be a good parent, and for being such a wonderful grandpa to three little boys who adore you.

Bruce, thank you for being my stalwart friend and example. You are so steady and kind and good. Thanks for putting up with the kids and me in all our craziness, and for even seeming to enjoy it. I see you in each of the boys in so many different ways. I hope they grow up to be wonderful fathers, just like you. I can think of no greater compliment.

Leo, thank you for raising such good kids. You gave Bruce a great example to follow (in fact, I think he even wishes he could retire and head off on a mission right about now). I am glad to have an extra "father" in my life, even though you tease me into humility a little too often. Thanks for your love and for being there when we need you.

Thank you to these three wonderful men--I have been so blessed to have each of you in my life. I love you all.

Six months and growing...HUGE!

2008-06-13T21:32:00.003-06:00

Happy six-month birthday, Zeke!

Okay, so it was really eight days ago. I'm a little late. But look at how our little guy has grown. We are so amazed at all he can do, and so grateful for all he can't do (yet). We have enjoyed every single moment of his babyhood.

Before Zeke came into our lives, I realized we were just a wee bit crazy for thinking we could take on another kid. Sammy and Riley keep us busy! But now I am so grateful for the moments of peace he brings into our home. I get time to relax and nurse him, and I often read to the older boys at the same time--instant quiet! I appreciate evenings (after they are in bed) that much more. I get to watch Sammy and Riley stop running around to play with Zeke and see his enthusiastic reaction--he loves their antics. He is a joy in every way.

Unfortunately, I know what comes between six and twelve months--movement! I'm a little nervous about that, too. But we'll get a baby gate up, keep the tiny toys off the floor, and somehow we'll get through. If the first six months is any indication, we will find plenty of unexpected happiness throughout the coming months as well.

I love you, Zeke!

Harry Potter 100

2008-06-13T21:28:00.003-06:00

Harry Potter 100
by Riley Jacobs

Harry Potter went up and down. He hit nothing but trees. He broke words off. I love pictures.

Harry Potter and Malfoy drowned.

They fell down a waterfall.

Harry Potter climbed up a tree. By himself.

Harry Potter and Malfoy fell down a house. They climbed up a candle. Harry Potter got Snape. He made boogers come out of Snape's ears. Then Harry Potter ate tree cookies for dessert.

THE END

Harry Potter # 9

2008-06-13T21:24:00.003-06:00

Harry Potter And The Funnel
by Sammy Jacobs

One day Harry Potter did something that Dudley and Mr Dursley didn't want him to do.

Harry was at Hogwarts. His teacher was there waiting for him.

She said, "Are your mom and dad nice?" Harry said, "I don't have a mom and dad. I just have an aunt and uncle and cousin."

"What's your address?" asked the teacher. Harry said, "It is 95221253." "Okay," she said. "I'll come to your house tomorrow." The next day, when Harry woke up at Hogwarts, his teacher was already waiting for him at his house.

Harry went to his house. He saw his teacher. His teacher said, "Oh no you don't, Petunia and Vernon Dursley!"

THE END

Lettuce, Lawn and Losers

2008-06-09T16:30:00.003-06:00

Latest goings-on:

We went hiking Adam's Canyon with Dan & Deanne's family on Saturday. The boys had a fun time, but we didn't make it all the way to the waterfall (not that we expected to). We took some pictures and will post them up here when we can. Dan saw a rattlesnake -- not on the trail but in the parking lot! We're glad the boys did NOT see it.

I got a new calling on Sunday -- Asst Priests Quorum Advisor and Youth Venture Leader. I'll be sad not to be teaching my group on Sundays anymore but I'm starting to look forward to working with the 16-18 year olds and going on camp-outs, hikes, etc.

Sammy's busy with T-ball, Riley's busy with plastic swords, Zeke is busy with eating new solid foods (rice, peas, peaches, applesauce) and they're all three busy driving their parents nuts. But we still love 'em.

I've been having a good time with the "Biggest Losers" blog -- some of the smack talk has been downright hysterical, and everyone who's participating is having success getting into better shape. Social pressure pays off -- whenever I'm tempted to eat more than I need to, I think about the shame I'll be forced to endure at the hands (or typing fingers) of my fellow Losers.

We've got a garden going now, and so far so good. In fact, we're already enjoying two varieties of home-grown lettuce that Christy planted quite a while ago.

Our lawn is still giving us headaches & stress. It doesn't look like it yet, but we really are working hard to restore it!

Have a good week.

Summer Eating

2008-05-26T17:14:00.005-06:00

I love winter and the holiday season because I get to bake. I love summer for the non-baked goodies that are out there, especially those that use fresh delicious fruit. My apologies to those of you who are dieting right now.

Last weekend (or was it the week before?) we tested out a new recipe for Ginger Strawberry Soup. Wow. Thanks to Kathryn that I even noticed the recipe in a paper. I was excited to see it had no alcohol--she and Kent ate some they loved at a party, but they found out it had wine in it; I've seen a few recipes since that also use alcohol. This one uses ginger beer (high quality, not Canada Dry please). Refreshing, kid-friendly, elegant, and sugar-free! Okay, not really--it's more dessert than main course soup, but it's really fun.

Today we hosted Dan & Deanne and Leah & Joel for grilled grub and homemade ice cream and brownies. Wow. Thanks to Mom for the amazing pork chop marinade. I was skeptical that something that simple could be as delicious as she claimed. But I was blown away, and I think Bruce was too. Then, we made some chocolate cinnamon ice cream with chunks of homemade ginger snaps in it. My stomach was full to bursting, but I kept going. (We almost had to cancel that one because we couldn't find the lid for the ice cream maker. Luckily, I found it in the dish drainer where I left it. I tell you, my brain is dying a slow and embarrassing death.)

Here's to a summer of grilling and ice-cream making. Please come visit so we'll have an excuse to do so. We're glad to take suggestions for ice cream flavors/mix-ins. I also take bribes from anyone who wants to make sure Bruce does NOT win the biggest loser competition. I know I'm out!

We love Neil!

2008-05-26T16:58:00.001-06:00

By the way, thanks to all of you who voted to keep Neil on our playlist. He won with a whopping 40%!!!!

Cracklin' Rosie, get on board!

Riley and Zeke

2008-05-26T16:43:00.003-06:00

Riley and Zeke need a little shout-out too, so here goes.

Riley, who took his time about starting the "terrible twos," is now proving that the terrible threes can be that much worse. He runs faster. Saturday we were doing yardwork in the front, and noticed Sammy was gone. While I searched for him (found him inside), Riley sneaked off and hid behind Bruce's clothes in the closet. We searched for 5-10 minutes and were starting to enter panic mode when we found him. We weren't panicking enough to let him off without a scolding though. He also managed to turn the chapel lights off during Sacrament Meeting yesterday. Oh, and there was the incident in the bathroom Sunday evening. He took his time washing his hands before dinner. Later, during toothbrushing time, Bruce asked me how long the sink had been draining slowly. I've been a mom long enough that I immediately pulled out the drain stopper and found a large wad of Kleenex clogging up the pipes. Lest you worry for our sanity and Riley's life, Riley is a sweetheart most of the time and has one of those smiles that gets him out of trouble quickly. And he prayed last night that "no one will get killed or die, and no one will get hurt" while Tracen and Tyler visited today. Amazingly, no one did (well, not seriously).

Zeke is cute as a button, is learning to sit up (set a record of three minutes today before he toppled over in fright as Riley approached), and even wakes up cheerful after being ignored all night long (no more midnigt feedings, buster!). He started eating rice cereal last week and seems to like it okay. He turned up his nose at applesauce, probably because I buy the kind with no added sugar. That's what I get for swearing I would not allow my kids to be picky eaters--that is, I get three picky eaters.

Preschool Graduate(s?)

2008-05-25T21:04:00.004-06:00

I'm sorry to be posting old news, but I have been a bit under the weather the past few weeks with a minor infection that has made feeding Zeke pretty uncomfortable.

Anyway, just over a week ago, Sammy graduated from Buzi Bee Preschool in a gala event that spanned two days. (You're right, evidently the teacher can't spell and we're glad he just learned shapes and letters there, but she's great with the four-year-olds.)

Friday morning they had a parents-only program at school where the kids sang and talked and showed off all they had learned during the year. Ms. Debee was quizzing the kids before the program really got underway, and came to the question "What is the solar system?" Silence. Evidently, one day on the subject isn't enough. Then Riley came to the rescue by calling out "The sun and all the planets." We're now wondering whether he should go to Ms. Debee's preschool next year as planned, or start teaching his own preschool. He can spell pretty well, too.

Saturday evening we had a mass picnic at the park for all the kids, family, friends, and anyone who has even heard of Buzi Bee Preschool. The kids had another cute program. Then we crowded into the lobby of Surf & Swim for the countdown to 7:00--that's the time when the pool reservation began, and we all rushed into the locker rooms and under the giant bubble dome that is Surf & Swim. Sammy and Riley had a great time, but were sad that we didn't let them stay until 10 when the party ended. (Sorry, but who throws a preschool party that goes until 10 at night?!?)

Congratulations, Sammy! We're so proud of you for all you've learned and we're excited for you to move on to Kindergarten. Keep up the good work!

The Belated Birthday Bash

2008-05-15T15:24:00.005-06:00

My parents always gave me amazing birthday parties. My mom made delicious and beautiful cakes. I pretty much got to do whatever activity/theme I wanted. But still, I was always a bit jealous of the kids who got to have birthday parties at Chuck E Cheese or the roller skating rink, complete with a big store-bought cake with mounds of gross frosting.

So, when the opportunity came for a joint party with four of Sammy's friends (including his "best cousin") who all have birthdays very close to each other, we decided to go for it. Today was the big day.

Classic Skating has climbing toys, bouncing toys, a giant skating/scootering/tricycling rink. We invited a million kids (okay, there were only TWENTY FIVE four- and five-year-olds). We got pizza. We had Spider-Man cupcakes. Half the kids wore superhero costumes. It was fun for the kids and I didn't have to plan anything.

But I guess chaos is not my forte. I only had to keep track of a few kids other than my own. No one got into fights, got sick, or got lost. Still, the whole thing left me feeling a bit unsettled. Most of the kids just played with one or two others, which I guess always happens when that many kids are together. Sammy got some presents, but in the confusion he was never sure who they were from. I found myself thinking, "When can I go home?" instead of, "What great friends and what a cute birthday boy." I didn't get to have fun with the kids.

I hope my kids don't resent me for this, but I think it's back to the hokey, homemade, play-in-the-backyard kind of parties next year. I kind of enjoy the party planning and cupcake making. It's nice for me to feel like a part of Sammy's crowd during these younger years while he still acknowledges my presence. Thanks mom, for all the years you threw great parties for me. Or did you do it for your own sanity?

Disappointment haunted all my dreams...

2008-05-12T21:26:00.004-06:00

Sammy has been looking forward to playing on a baseball team since last summer.

A week and a half ago, he had his first practice for his t-ball team, the Mariners. Unfortunately, it was a bit rainy/snowy that day and after two minutes of running around bases, the coach sent us home. Sammy had to be dragged off the field, and sobbed all the way home.

The following Monday was sunny, so he got to practice. He told me "This is the best day EVER!" He had preschool, played with cousins, then t-ball practice. Of course, he's the kid who sits down in the outfield, forgets to run after he hits the ball, etc. But he had fun. Then came Wednesday's practice, cancelled by rain again, and more sobbing. It's hard to watch my little boy so disappointed, and not be able to do anything about it.

Anyway, tonight was his first real game. Again, he forgot to run when he hit the ball. He had fun kicking dirt on the bases. And he chased the ball all over the infield, no matter he was playing outfield. Once, he even got the ball after tug-of-war with a teammate, and was so proud of it, holding it up like a trophy. Too bad he didn't throw it to the first baseman. Or the pitcher. Or the coach who asked for it back.

But there has never been a happier five-year-old. After all, he's got another 15 years before we expect him to play like Derek Jeter. For now, we enjoy watching him be Sammy.

Spring Cleaning, Part 2

2008-05-11T21:07:00.010-06:00

A huge thanks to Dan and Deanne for watching Sammy and Riley Friday and Saturday. It was the most fun I've had cleaning house in a long time--very few interruptions. Zeke was quite good all day. He slept in, took long naps, and watched us clean blinds, light fixtures, walls, and all the other stuff we never clean. And, lucky you, cleaning all day makes me wax philosophical.

Cleaning is satisfying. Most of you have felt that. I've decided that's why it's smart to let my whole house get really dirty, not cleaning it very often. Much more visible satisfaction. After all, what fun is mopping a white floor that just stays white. I prefer mopping a dingy gray floor--instant gratification.

Cleaning is depressing. Especially deep cleaning. Because no one notices when you do it. They only notice if you don't do it. No one will come to my house and say, "Wow, you must have spent hours vacuuming your blinds! And look at your clean cupboards!" Not to mention, the constant clutter of four boys and a messy mom tends to be more noticeable than clean windows.

Cleaning is addictive. Once I get the momentum going, I want to keep going and going and going. This is why it's so hard to clean with kids around--the interruptions keep me from getting in the groove. Right now I have big plans for more deep cleaning, a project a day. But one lazy Mother's Day with Bruce cooking and doing dishes might destroy all my initiative. Anyway, it seems like most things are addictive, for example Kathryn and exercise, Bruce and BYU football, me and eating chocolate (also eating veggies, gardening, reading, and even scripture study). So I guess I'd better do a little more of those things that are good for me, hoping that they will become things I also love to do.

By the way, hats off to my wonderful husband who took me to the opera last night (Don Giovanni, kind of a cheesy soap opera). It was fun, though next time I want to dress up a little more--it was fun seeing some of the getups people were in. He and Sammy also made me a fabulous Mother's Day "Funny Lunch"--it's me lounging on a beach of meringue and blueberry pie filling, in case you can't tell. Sammy and Riley were too tired today to be very fun--Sammy refused to go up to sing with the Primary in Sacrament Meeting, which he usually loves. And Riley was excited to go with me to see Great-Grandma Payne tonight, but then was shy and wouldn't talk or sing to her.

Finally, love and appreciation to our wonderful mothers, who got through the ups and downs of raising us with patience and good sportsmanship, and still love us today. We are so grateful for all you do and all you are. Thank you!

Spring Cleaning Part 1

2008-05-04T17:42:00.005-06:00

Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but this is the first time in my life I'm doing an official "Spring Cleaning," and it's only because of my wonderful sister-in-law, Deanne, who volunteered a kid-trade so we could both have a weekend to get it done. Thanks for the idea, Dee. And thanks for letting your kids get the stomach flu the day before said trade, so it didn't end up happening. (Never fear, we'll try again next weekend.)

Anyway, Bruce and I tried cleaning yesterday, even though the kids were all home. We cleaned the entire house...okay, just the windows. The rest of the house can wait, but boy did it feel good to scrub windows, frames, screens, everything. Only to have them all covered with fingerprints a few minutes later. But isn't that life? After the windows, Bruce weeded our bog/pond area and even drained the water (so we can convert it to a pondless waterfall in the next few weeks), but by this morning our hillside spring had filled the pond back up. And the weeds will grow back. But in the meantime, it's nice to have a few minutes of clean.

It was a pretty romantic day of scrubbing, too, because it was our anniversary. Happy seven years, Bruce! I feel blessed to be able to say I'd do it all over again. And despite what we see in Hollywood, happy marriages can happen without a prenup. (We're probably better off without one.) I am so grateful for my wonderful, kind, patient, loving, funny, and good husband, and for the three little (big!) blessings that have come into our lives. They are the greatest evidence that marriage works, given a little effort and a lot of love and forgiveness. Aren't children beautiful? Thank you Bruce! (By the way, the cleaning yesterday was my idea, and Bruce has planned a fun date for next weekend, so he's not a slacker.)

On a side note, Bruce wants everyone that I had hiccups, loudly, during stake conference today. But after one upside-down drink from Sammy's sippy cup, I was cured.

Finally, I'm spring cleaning online, too. Gone is the poll about Riley's hair. Thanks to all who voted. For the time being, the hair will stay short. Unless he cries again at the next haircut. And now we want to know how you feel about the music on our site. Really. Because I like it, but sometimes the music on other peoples' blogs bugs me--depending on what songs they choose. We do take requests into consideration as we post our playlists, so tell us your favorite and we might add it! (Don't worry, votes are anonymous.)

p.s.--Check out the new slideshow. Nifty, eh?

Me and Neil

2008-04-29T15:19:00.002-06:00

Probably most of you don't know this. Prepare for a shock. I love Neil Diamond.

No, not the man (Bruce is hard to beat). Just the music. Specifically, the really old stuff, pre-"Comin' to America." More specifically, the really soulful, sappy ballads that were never released as singles, so no one knows them.

Why am I telling you this? Neil is tonight's featured mentor on American Idol, a show I never thought I'd care about. For some reason, I'm hooked this season, and what a coincidence that Neil is showing up, just for me. Anyway, I'm a bit nervous about it. Neil has kind of sold his soul, in my opinion, doing snazzy shows with all his old hits, wearing sparkly shirts, not really doing anything innovative--just to sell tickets to 60-year-old ladies who remember him from the good old days. I know, I've been to see him twice. But he was a great songwriter in his day, and it will be fun to see what everyone sings on Idol tonight. Bruce thinks David Cook will go for "America," and I think Jason Castro will choose "Girl, You'll be a Woman Soon." After the disappointing (BORING) song choices on Andrew Lloyd Webber week, I'm not expecting much. But it should be fun, anyway.

From the mouth of three-year-olds

2008-04-27T19:44:00.002-06:00

Riley may not be quite as eloquent as his cousin Tyler of the "doomed underwear" fame, but he's had a few gems lately.

A few days ago Riley came in our room at 6 in the morning and tried to climb in bed for comfort. I really cherish my last half hour of sleep (Zeke usually doesn't wake up between 2 and 8), so I told Riley to head right back to his bed. He burst into tears and cried out, "But there's a chicken leg in my eye!!!" He insisted several times that this was the case, and I promise you he was wide awake, not sleepwalking. So we hugged him and sent him to the bathroom, where it must have fallen out because he went back to bed.

Tonight we were eating dessert when he suddenly put down his spoon and shivered. I asked if his ice cream made him shiver and he replied, "Yeah, it colds my tummy."

Love that kid!

Milestones

2008-04-24T20:48:00.007-06:00

This has been a momentous week for the Jacobs boys. Yup, lots of moments, usually happy.

Sammy is 5! (He had a great birthday on Tuesday, except he's been stretching out the royal treatment so it's more like a birthday month.) I can hardly believe he's that old, or that I've been a mom for that long. And while it's been a challenge to raise a little boy, I hear tell that it's harder as they get older. Still, most of it has been full of joy. Sammy has had an unusual interest in scriptures since before he could talk, and he still loves our nightly scripture story (current favorite is Moses). A few years ago he had several Articles of Faith memorized, and recently has relearned them (up through number eight). He is a fabulous big brother to Zeke, who grins and giggles when Sammy is around. He and Riley are great pals too, as long as there aren't any squabbles over toy possession going on. Most momentously of late, he has become an amazing reader. I'm not sure at what point we knew "He can read!" He's been sounding out words for months, and for the past month or two has sometimes been stringing sentences together. In the past three weeks, though, he has taken to reading (out loud) picture books, sentences from "Harry Potter," cereal boxes, billboards. And to his credit, he's not just reciting lists of words. He comprehends the sentences and the story they're in, too. It's a sweet scene to walk in on him reading a story to Zeke or Riley. This has to be one of the most rewarding feelings I've had in my life.

Riley has survived his first broken arm and the cast came off on Monday. He never hit any of his nursery mates with it, but he whacked Sammy's head a time or two. (I almost think Sammy deserved it, though.) We're adjusting to his new haircut, and no longer do a double-take every morning.

Zeke hit a big baby milestone on Tuesday night when he rolled over from his tummy to back. Bruce and I both missed seeing it, so we rolled him over and let him do it again. Bruce looked away at the critical moment and missed it a second time, but Zeke refused to do it any more. Still, soon he'll be rolling, then crawling, then driving us crazy. I can't say I'm excited about babyproofing again.

I don't know if it's a milestone for me or just that I've finally resigned myself to Bruce's travels. After we got through last week's four-day trip so well, his one-night trip this week was hardly noticeable. We missed him, but somehow it wasn't so bad. That's saying a lot for me, because I used to really dread his business trips. Maybe I'm growing up too!

Finally, Bruce has become an official season-ticket holder for the Cougars. Woohoo! No more grumbling about missing the games! As long as they have another great season, he'll be the happiest fan around next fall.

Vegas, Visits, and Marbled Steaks

2008-04-13T21:58:00.003-06:00

I flew to Las Vegas today for a four-day CFC workshop. The first day of meetings was pretty boring, really, and since they always seem to start these things on a Sunday, I may just skip Day 1 next year. The most valuable thing was to hobnob with some of my fellow CFC directors between sessions and during the reception. (Incidentally, I don't regret being here for the reception because the food was pretty impressive!)

I just talked to Christy, and it sounds like she had a good day and that the boys have been well-behaved. They sometimes use absent-Dad as an excuse to act up, but not so far. Mom and Dad, thanks so much for helping Christy out today! We owe you.

It's been fun having Mom and Dad around for a couple of days. It's too bad the timing of my CFC trip coincided with their visit, but at least we got to hang out with them for quite a while yesterday. Sammy and Tracen had a joint birthday party at Dan's house, and we took advantage of a sunny, mild day to have the first BBQ of the year. (Dan, those steaks were tender and, I must say, nicely marbled!) Later that evening, after the boys were in bed, Mom & Dad came over and for a change we didn't play cards but just sat around talking. I guess I'm truly an old geezer now because I enjoy "visiting" with family about as much as anything else.

Wish there were more exciting things to say about my trip so far. One thing I really DON'T like about Vegas (there are many, but I'll try to limit my complaining) is that smoking is allowed in the hotel casinos. Even though I don't spend any time there, you have to walk through it or by it in order to come and go--even in other areas of the hotel there is often a faint tobacco tinge to the air. It gives me a headache. OK, done complaining now.

The weather here is gorgeous -- mid-to-hight 80's, sunny, with just a slight breeze. Before everything started I was able to grab a personal veggie pizza for lunch and sit out by the pool under the shade of a palm tree. I even dozed off for a while... in fact I think it's about time to try a little more of that, so.... have a good week, everyone.

-Bruce

The big question

2008-04-09T10:19:00.006-06:00

I did it. After months of waffling, I cropped Riley's hair. The kid is so handsome he looks great no matter what, but I miss the curls. And boy, did he get lots of compliments on them (when they weren't smashed, frizzed, and sticking straight up from all his rambunctious playtime).

Here are the before and after shots. Please take a moment to let us know what you think--vote in our poll on the right. Results may or may not affect future haircuts.

Weekend news

2008-04-06T20:55:00.003-06:00

We're wrapping a good weekend by enjoying a quiet home in which all boys (except me) are asleep. Today was a little hard on Sammy & Riley -- four hours of conference and not single cousin to play with -- just books, puzzles and wooden spoons doubling as ninja swords. Not long after the second session ended, I took them to a nearby park to let them get some pent-up energy out by riding their bikes and playing on the big toy. It seemed to help, and they actually had a dinner appetite, but by 7 p.m. their tired bodies had had enough -- trouble is, their minds weren't convinced and the result was belligerence.

Yesterday we had the Palmers and Cookes over for the first session of conference, and afterwards we were joined by Dan & Deanne's family. Between sessions we ate pizza, salad and had brownies to celebrate Eric's 12th birthday. The Palmers then had to leave, but Dan & Deanne and Leah & Joel stayed for the second session. After that we watched a TV show or two from Joel's iPod and the boys all played around the house, but mostly downstairs. Later that night Dan and I went to chapel for the Priesthood session and the women watched "Dan in Real Life" here at the house. It was a fun day.

A day or two ago, Sammy and Riley came in from outside, excitedly carrying a worm they'd found in the yard. Christy helped them bottle up some fresh soil and they stretched some Saran wrap (with holes poked in it) over the top. The boys named the worm "Harry Potter," which is apt, because he promptly put on his invisibility cloak. Later that day, Christy and I thought we saw a very still worm's tail poking out of the soil--and we fear the worst. Apparently they might have damaged poor Harry a little in their excitement. According to Christy, he looked pretty beat up -- maybe even partly severed around the middle. So I call him "Nearly Half-Gone Harry." It's probably time to confirm his living status, but I just haven't had the time or inclination to go digging for a worm corpse. OK, OK, I'll go check now...

Hooray! Harry is alive! (Sorry, but Dumbledore is still pushing up daisies.) I dug down to the bottom of the jar, and there he was, alive and intact. His wriggle was a little feeble, however. We're hoping our slimy little pet will be with us a little longer.

Have a great week.

Surprises

2008-04-02T14:18:00.006-06:00

The past week has been full of surprises, mostly good.

We enjoyed a visit from Grandma Barber and Melissa (not a surprise-we always have fun with them). We even managed to make it to a local performance of "Big River," which was surprisingly good. Best of all was the actor who portrayed Jim--he has a CD out and was definitely the best part of the show. Pretty powerful singing.

We realized shortly before leaving that a live performance is not the place to take a baby (we usually take Zeke everywhere), so we left him home with the babysitter (who had brought a friend). Yeah, well, in the past three weeks he has decided he no longer likes bottles. He refused to eat all night and we came home to a hungry (sleeping) baby and two frazzled babysitters. We're now doing bottle training, every night, but he refuses to eat unless he's distracted by the TV. Evidently it's entertaining enough to make him forget the injustice of eating from a bottle.

Saturday night, Bruce and the boys finished cleaning the basement and sat down to play. Riley can navigate our basement floor fine when it's covered with toys, but wouldn't you know, when there are only two or three toys on the floor, he trips and breaks his arm. He cried for about 10 minutes after the fall, and the arm bugged him just a little that night and Sunday. On Monday it was mostly better but we still took him to the doctor. By the time of the appointment, he was playing with it just fine, wiggling like nothing was wrong. The doctor squeezed and prodded and decided it was probably not broken (Riley didn't even flinch at all this), but said he'd order an x-ray if it would make me feel better. So a few pictures later, Riley had a cast on and the doctor said it was good he hadn't made any bets on Riley's arm. Riley was pretty uninterested in the whole thing, even getting the cast on; all he cared about was getting a lollipop at the end. The cast doesn't bother him and hasn't slowed him down at all. For anyone planning to break a bone, I think Riley's method is the way to go.

Sunday's great surprise was that we had almost the entire choir show up to practice after a week off and with no reminder phone calls! Maybe they're all finally getting in the habit of coming. I have high hopes for their performance on April 20 (another Mack Wilberg arrangement) and we wish everyone could be here to hear.

Finally, Bruce was surprised by the delicious pinto bean pie I made for dessert at our ward Emergency Preparedness Fair last night. Or was it a pecan pie? It was hard to tell a difference...

Comings & Goings

2008-03-16T21:18:00.002-06:00

It's late and we're bushed, so we'll touch on the recent highlights. The Kurt and Kara Lyman family are in town for a couple of weeks, and we were glad to have them over for dinner today. Sammy & Riley both adore Haylie, and she seems to like them OK, too. Maybe it's not my place to comment, but Kurt and Kara are both doing Weight Watchers and they're looking good. I've been trying to exercise and eat better the last few weeks (doing better at exercising than avoiding junk food, truth be told) and have shed a few pounds, too.

We got up early today because we had to be at church by 7:30 for choir practice, since today was ward conference. Sammy & Riley were both grumpy about being up so early, and I won't claim there weren't some difficult moments getting them ready, but we made it. Riley was still in pajamas when we left and Sammy was crying but when we got to church they both calmed down pretty fast. It was ward conference today and the choir sang several numbers, all of which went well and added to the spirit of the meeting. Then of course we had choir practice after church, in preparation for Easter Sunday next week.

Yesterday we got a babysitter and went to Park City with Dan & Deanne, where we (what else?) shopped at the outlet mall. We all found some things we liked and had a good time without kids, except for Zeke and Tate, but they weren't any trouble. I'm sure our other boys had more fun at home than they would have had if they'd come, too.

This coming week Christy and the boys will accompany me on a trip through eastern and southern Utah on Wednesday, and then on to Grand Junction on Thursday. That evening we'll head over to the Kent and Kathryn Palmer house, which we're all looking forward to. Rumor has it the Easter bunny will be visiting their place Saturday morning. We'll drive back Saturday afternoon.

So that's our life for now. Until next time...

Happy birthday to me!

2008-03-11T22:23:00.000-06:00

Vacation.

I’ve come to a new understanding of this word over the past two days. When I was younger, the annual family “vacation” to visit relatives in Utah or Washington was not really a vacation to me. Especially not the hours in a car with my bothersome brothers (they probably felt the same about me). After Bruce and I got married, we couldn’t afford a real “vacation” to Hawaii, or even the Pacific Coast. And with kids, even when we do something fun like camping, it is far from a vacation for me.

So in January when Bruce sent me an e-mail with an invite from the federal employees in Casper inviting him to a meeting on March 11, my birthday, he jokingly asked if I’d like a vacation to Casper for my birthday. I laughed out loud when I read it, but then I reconsidered and surprised Bruce with my answer: “Actually, yes.”

So here I am, spending my birthday afternoon riding into the sunset across the brown Wyoming plains, having the time of my life. Or at least, the time of my past few months. This trip has fulfilled my expectations and has been a true vacation.

We left Sammy and Riley with friends in Layton, and drove to Casper yesterday. Zeke has been great in the car, crying only when he’s hungry and smiling and sleeping the rest of the time. We got to Casper for a late dinner at a local steakhouse, where the food was even tastier than we expected (sweet potato pie!). The hotel was clean; we lounged in our room and watched movies until we were tired. Free hotel breakfasts are amazing compared to 20 years ago—waffle bars, (fake) scrambled eggs, yogurt, granola. Then I let Zeke nap, packed, read the paper, and had my own nap while Bruce went to his meeting. We had a good lunch in cute downtown Casper, Bruce dropped off one last award at the (tiny) airport, and we headed out. We even stopped for a tour of the Martin’s Cove visitors center, but it was too cold and windy to make the two-mile hike out to the cove itself.

In short, a great vacation. I feel refreshed and rested, and it’s been short enough that I don’t miss Sammy and Riley too much. Who knew I’d have so much fun on Bruce’s CFC road trips? And while it wasn’t as much of a vacation for Bruce, he’s had more fun because I’m here. How often do we get 6 uninterrupted hours to talk to each other?

If only next week’s trip to southern Utah and Colorado promised to be so restful. But Sammy and Riley demand a little more attention than Zeke. Oh well, today was for me (great birthday present), and we’ll have a great time next week too, as long as the hotel has a swimming pool for the boys!

Of birthdays and bathrooms

2008-03-09T21:38:00.003-06:00

This will be a short one. On Friday, Christy called me at work and said, "Listen to this!" I then heard her making some tickling noises, which were followed by the sounds of Zeke grunting and laughing. It is so magical the first time a baby laughs -- I could listen to it over and over without growing tired of it.

We survived another Sunday. Lately the sacrament meeting routine is that shortly after the sacrament, Christy and Zeke head to the mother's lounge and I end up escorting one or both of the boys to the bathroom. Our boys are not efficient bathroom goers, and I end up missing the majority of the meeting. So does Christy, of course, but she does have the benefit of a quiet room and the sound being piped in.

Tomorrow we're driving to Casper for one of my Eagle delivery trips. We'll stay overnight, and I'll meet with some people and make some deliveries before we turn around and drive back Tuesday afternoon, which is Christy's birthday. We're taking Zeke, but Sammy and Riley will be staying with some friends. Normalliy I wouldn't have scheduled this on her birthday but the Casper agencies had a once-a-month Federal Executive Committee meeting they wanted me to attend, in order to present the top awards and talk to them about CFC. I still would have passed, but when I told Christy about it she said she wanted to come. So we'll celebrate her 29th birthday with an excursion to exotic Casper, Wyoming. We'll celebrate her birthday for real on Thursday, when she plans to make the chocolate wasabi cake she's been scheming about for weeks. Wish everyone could come!

Until next time.

At the Alma Mater

2008-03-02T19:44:00.007-07:00

This week has been busier than most -- or maybe it just seems that way. Yesterday afternoon Christy and I took Zeke down to Provo with us (Dan & Deanne watched Sammy & Riley for us) for a visit to BYU. First we stopped to visit Emily Dunford, a friend of Christy's who lives Pleasant Grove. Emily had a brain tumor removed a few years ago that unfortunately left her with motor skills problems--just walking and talking are big challenges for her, although she's endured her trials well. Although she might claim otherwise, Christy has been a good friend to her, especially considering the distance -- she's made time to visit her and call her many times.

When we got to campus, we parked close to the Wilkinson Center (thank you, Saturday) and grabbed a bite at the Cougareat. Then we walked over to the BYU Museum of Art and looked at the Minerva Teichert exhibit for about an hour. It was great, but I think what really impressed me was the enormous Carl Bloch painting BYU has on display: Christ at the Pool of Bethesda. We strolled around the campus for a while after that, reminiscing and admiring all the new additions. I hadn't actually been on the main campus for years and I couldn't believe how much it's changed -- there seemed to be a new building or structure everywhere we looked. Probably the most impressive new building is the Joseph F. Smith building, which replaced the old Smith Family Living Center. It's huge, but beautifully done.

At 6 o'clock we met another couple at Ottavio's, a popular Italian restaurant on Center Street. Barett Christensen and his wife Heidi were nice hosts--he works for LDS Charities, and has been trying to get them into the Combined Federal Campaign for a couple of years, but meeting with some internal resistance. It seems most of those barriers have come down now and he expects they'll be able to apply in 2009, having barely missed the cutoff this year. Anyway, dinner was very good, and afterwards we went to the Marriot Center to watch the BYU dismantle the Air Force Academy in basketball. We had pretty good seats, in a section where BYU often hosts big donors to the school.

By the time we got to Dan & Deanne's house to pick up the boys, it was almost 11 p.m., and closer to midnight when we finally dropped into bed back at our house. But it was a fun day.

It snowed last night, after a week or so of relatively warm weather, in which much of the snow on the ground had melted. There must have been a hoarfrost covering the new snow, because it stayed on the branches despite the weather warming up again, and the effect was really pretty. I snapped a couple of pictures on my cell camera--hopefully they turned out OK.

2008-02-24T19:37:00.005-07:00

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

2008-02-17T20:16:00.006-07:00

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 !

2008-02-10T20:10:00.001-07:00

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

2008-02-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Rock on!

2008-01-27T21:48:00.000-07:00

I know you've all been anxiously awaiting news of our latest arrival. The day has come! Our family is (for now) complete! Yes, I finally finished reupholstering my rocking chair!

I'll keep it short, but I'm thrilled to have it done--I have a place to sit and snuggle Zeke (and his brothers who climb on me whenever I sit down); the mess of various chair parts is out of Zeke's bedroom; the burden of a massive project that's been weighing me down for months is gone. Bruce is glad too, because he won't have to watch the kids any more for lengthy reupholstering sessions.

Thanks to Deanne for all her many hours spent helping me (especially as we undid and redid several sections). Thanks to my friend Marcina and her electric staple gun. Thanks especially to Mom, to Grandma and Grandpa Payne who had the chair before me, and to Great-Grandma Oldroyd who had the chair even before them.

Lonely snow fever

2008-01-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

I don't remember much about last week--it's all a blur of stapling and unstapling as Deanne and I worked on reupholstering Grandma's old rocking chair. And as Bruce helped me recover the part we had to redo. We're getting close to done on that project--I hope.

Yesterday morning, Bruce left really early for Washington DC. I told myself if I could survive church and choir practice with the kids, the rest of the week would be easier. (I was wrong.) Church was hard but good, thanks to the help of some friends. We had less than half of our Christmastime choir attend our first practice after church. Hopefully a few more will come next week. At least the choir hosts made soup for everyone, and sent me home with some since Bruce is gone.

Today (I hope) was the hardedst part of Bruce's absence. Riley was up a few times in the night, and stayed up beginning about 5:45. By 6:30 he was cranky. By 8 he was a basketcase. He's a little sick, and seems to have a bit of a fever. The worst of it is that he doesn't even want me to hold and comfort him, which makes me feel helpless. He's just hysterically grumpy. A short nap and Tylenol helped, and he even came out to play in the snow for awhile. Mostly he was cheerful only if there was a movie on or if I was reading to him. Then he fell asleep in less than two minutes tonight. Hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow.

Zeke and Sammy are trying to cope with very little attention, and Sammy has been very helpful (except for when he's been a stubborn 4-year-old). I'm trying to keep Zeke from getting Riley's bug. Oh, and we got about 10 inches of snow today (not stopping until 3 or 4). Sammy was so happy when we left Riley watching a movie to go outside and shovel. I wasn't happy as this was my first time shoveling a REAL snowfall without Bruce's help. (Not counting shoveling a path up our street last week so I could get the van back to our house.) I was getting tired and was not quite halfway through when our kind next-door neighbor saw me and brought out her snowblower and 11-year old son. The three of us finished very quickly. I was so grateful. Luckily I made bread this morning and so we gave them a loaf.

That left me with time and energy to play in the snow with Sammy and Riley while Zeke obliged by napping inside. We needed the boost and had a lot of fun together. We've got moutains of snow everywhere thanks to the plows and all the shoveling--and I was even sinking in almost up to my waist in places. The snowflakes were huge today and the sun was shining just right, so Sammy and I got a close up look at snowflakes--the detail is incredible and it was sweet to see his excitement over their miniature perfection.

After hot chocolate, Riley got cranky again but we managed until bedtime. We're praying he feels better tomorrow so we can play with Tracen and Tyler. Then Wednesday Sammy will have preschool and Bruce will be home at night. After a day of quarantine and being snow-bound with no outside contact, we are excited for a bit of social activity! Hooray for tomorrow! Hooray for good health! Hooray for early bedtimes!

Blurt out the budget

2008-01-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a little party at the "other" Jacobs (Dan & Deanne's) home, where Leah & Joel as well as cousin Scott and new wife Naomi and kids were also assembled. Aside from the half-hour hunt for Sammy's lost glasses (we found them), it was a lot of fun. The eight boys (all 4 and under) seemed to have a good time together, with not more than the usual violence and mayhem. Of course, Zeke and Tate didn't really add too much to the chaos, except for the occasional call for food. The adults had a good time talking and playing "Blurt" -- a game of definitions, which Dan won.

Yesterday I got to take Sammy & Riley to a "Super Reader" party with Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat. It was at the State Fairpark in Salt Lake City and was a lot more fun than I had expected. As soon as we got there I hustled the boys upstairs so we could get near the front of the line to take pictures with C.G. and TMITYH. In less than 5 minutes it was our turn to take pictures with these life-size celebrities of cartoon fame. Unfortunately, both Sammy and Riley were struck with an acute case of paralysis when our moment came, and they wouldn't take another step closer. So alas, I could only take their pictures with somebody else's kids (just to prove we were there). But we still got to see a cool magic show, which both boys loved and (get this) sat still through. We also saw some pretty cool jugglers, got to pose as astronauts, made paper helicopters and kaleidoscopes and lots of other fun stuff. After almost three hours, I practically had to drag them away. By this time Sammy had decided that he wanted another shot at C.G. and TMITYH but unfortunately they line for pictures with them had grown 10 times longer.

It was a good week for me at work because, much to my surprise and excitement, we beat our fundraising goal for CFC! It being my first year, and because we'd intentionally set the goal really high ($2,450,000), I didn't think we'd actually do it, especially since almost every federal agency had reported when the week began. But a few of them came in a lot higher than they'd said they would, so I was ecstatic to find out we'd done it.

Christy's spent many hours this week reupholstering the rocking chair she inherited from her grandma. It's her first time doing something like that, so it's caused her some grief along the way, but it's getting there. She might even get to use it before Zeke's done nursing for good...

Let's see, Christy also found out today that she has more budget than she thought for choir (she'd actually been told earlier that she had no budget), so she's pretty excited to get choir going again this year and has some great arrangements in store for us to sing.

I guess that's it for now. Next week at this time I'll be in Washington D.C. for the CFC Million Dollar Roundtable conference. Christy says I'm going just so I can get three interruption-free nights of sleep, and while I don't deny I'm looking forward to that part, that's not why I'm going! I'll take the camera along and see if I can get some interesting photos to post next week.

So long for now.

Snowy Pink Smiles

2008-01-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

We've gotten through our first month with three children and we think we may survive the next few years!

Despite a lack of sleep and occasional grumpy outbursts, we're kind of keeping up with all three of our busy boys. Sammy and Riley still love Zeke and smother him with affection as often as possible. They had a great time this week sleeping over at Tracen and Tyler's house--our big New Year's Eve party. Their dinner that night consisted mostly of chips, then they went to bed and got to stay up talking and giggling. Finally, there was the excitement of waking up at an insanely early hour and realizing they were still with their cousins. Party couldn't have been better for the kids. (Bruce and I foolishly stayed up until midnight watching "Transformers" and regretted it all the next day.)

Zeke has rewarded us with a smile or two this week, and has begun to open his eyes and notice things. Today Uncle Dan got the biggest grin we've seen so far. And speaking of Zeke, the name is now completely official. Bruce blessed him in Sacrament Meeting today and it was really nice. (A ward member said Bruce passed the test because he took the baby "to give HIM a name and a blessing," not to give IT a name and a blessing.) Leah kindly wrote down everything for us. The things that stand out most to me were blessings of a long life; a strong body and mind and intellect, as well as humility; worthiness to serve a mission and joy in missionary work; being a peacemaker.

Bruce has enjoyed almost daily workouts of shoveling snow--this weekend's batch was particularly wet and heavy. We might have to invest in a better snowshovel.... At least he has something to use up his excess energy now that college football season is over.

I'm just happy to have Christmas decorations put away and to have Sammy back in preschool. (He's much happier with a little outside social activity now and then.) Now that I'm pretty much recovered from Zeke's birth, however, it's hard to get into the routine of cleaning, taking care of kids, and making dinner. I think I went at least three weeks without making a single meal. But to my credit, I've made several complete dinners this week. Boy, what an exciting and challenging life I lead, eh?

Life is great in a household of FOUR boys and me. I wear a lot of pink (subconscious habit, I think), and generally just enjoy being everyone's favorite. That must have something to do with all the cookies I bake.

Have a great week!

Jacobs Family Top 10 for 2007

2007-12-30T19:25:00.001-07:00

And just like that, another Christmas has come and gone. It was a good one, though, thanks to an abundance of family, friends, food, and snow. (It's been a while since it actually snowed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, at least for our family. In Washington we were lucky if we saw snow once or twice all winter.) We wrote all about it on Wednesday. By Thursday all the family had gone home and we breathed a sigh -- not so much of relief, but of sadness to see it end.

On Friday evening we drove down to Lehi for a get-together with a bunch of my old roommates and friends from college. It was fun to hang out and reminisce about the good times at BYU and see how well they're all doing now. A lot of them live down in Utah Valley but there were several families who were in town from out of state and we hadn't seen many of them since graduating. We didn't bring our camera but hopefully they'll email us some of the pictures that were taken.

Yesterday was pretty boring; we stayed home and cleaned the place up. But it's always nice to get the house back into order. One thing that has helped is that Christy's dad, brothers and I put together three sets of shelves for our food storage room downstairs, so we were able to get a lot of food out of our upstairs pantry.

And now, with 2007 just hours away from becoming history -- it's time to bring you.... (drumroll) the Top 10 Jacobs Family Moments for 2007! (Hey, where's everybody going? This is way more exciting than our pantry clean-out!)

10. Riley's non-emergencies. Our 2-year-old took us to the emergency room twice this year, both times at night after the Insta-care Clinic had closed (of course). The first time he dislocated his elbow, which the doctor fixed in two second flat after we waited around for an hour. The next time he attempted to O.D. on flouride toothpaste. It turned out he hadn't had near enough to cause permanent harm, but he complained of a tummy-ache and he got all the way to the parking lot before mom and dad, after calling Poison Control, determined he was fine (especially since he was singing in the parking lot by that time).

9. The family fights off vicious attack by man-eating rattlesnake at Kodachrome Basin State Park in southern Utah. Okay okay, so it was a baby rattlesnake that slithered under our picnic table but it still caused quite a stir!

8. Christy bakes an amazing red chile chocolate cake for her birthday. If you think a cake shouldn't be in the top 10, much less at number eight, then you obviously didn't have a bite of this cake!

7. Bruce fulfills a long-time ambition by making a movie. Yeah, it was our campaign video and it was just 7 minutes long, but it was fun to write, produce and help direct it. You can learn about being a 2-Minute CFC Hero by watching the movie at www.intermountaincfc.org (Dan, Christy and I have some cameos)

6. Mom and Dad Jacobs leave for the mission in Spain. So this wasn't really our moment, per se, but attending their farewell was one of the spiritual highs of the year, and getting to read about their experiences and see the amazing pictures they send back has been great. Thanks for the great example, Mom and Dad.

5. Riley gets potty-trained. Need we say more?

4. Sammy starts pre-school. This one was a great moment for him of course, but also great for Mom, who gets a 2.5 hour sanity check three times a week.

3. Family comes for Christmas. We got to spend Christmas and several days before and after with Christy's whole family. Having lived in Washington for six years, we seldom got to spend Christmas with family. Now we've had that blessing for two years in a row, with my family last year and Christy's this year. And we all got to hang out with Dan & Deanne and Leah & Joel for Christmas Eve this year. (See previous post).

2. Christy's Choir Christmas Program. Several months of preparation and hard work went into this one. Part of that work was convincing the bishop to allow the choir to run the program at all! During the performance the choir sang better than it ever had, and the music and message were terrific. I was really proud of Christy and really touched by the whole program. Some of you got to be there; for those who didn't, we wish you could have.

1. The arrival of Ezekiel (Zeke) Leo Jacobs on December 5th. Well, you knew this would be #1 by far. For all the details, see our letter from the day after. We'll get pictures up on this site soon.

We wish you all a happy 2008!

Christmas Letter 2007

2007-12-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Seasons Greetings! The year 2007 is nearly behind us, and the Jacobs family is happier, healthier, smarter and more talented than ever. Perhaps not as happy, healthy, smart or talented as your family, judging by the epistle in your homemade Christmas card that arrived on December 1^st… but at least we aim for full disclosure! SO, now that we have the Christmas letter pleasantries behind us, let’s get down to business here.

This year we’re pulling out all the stops (and clichés) to share something really intimate with you. Not as intimate, perhaps, as our near-naked newborn son tucked in a Christmas stocking (see card) but almost as good. Yes, we’ve decided to give you a front-row seat to the Jacobs family dinnertime ritual, with the play-by-play called by ESPN’s Dick Vitale. Take it away, Dickie.

Dick: Ba-boom, baby! I’m sitting tableside with the Jacobs tonight and it looks like Mom has cooked up another delicious and nutritious dinner! How does she do it!? Didn’t this beautiful woman give birth to her third, yes third, son just one week ago? And here come the oldest two now. Dad is shepherding them into the bathroom to wash their hands. Oh! They just executed a textbook scatter move to avoid hand-washing. But it looks like Dad’s got ’em cornered. I’m telling you, this man has the size and weight advantage and he’s not afraid to use it, baby! One under each arm—look at the determination on his face!

OK, hands are washed and they’re sitting down for the meal. Here comes the blessing… and Sammy jumps off his chair! He’s off to the races… but no! Brilliantly corralled by Mom, and I’ll tell you what, she had the foresight to strap Riley into his booster chair first to prevent another scatter play. This woman’s seen it all, folks. Oops, boys are fighting over who gets to say the blessing again. Let’s see how Mom & Dad handle this one. Yes, Sammy admits he said it at lunchtime, and he’s, he’s… calming down. Whew! This 4-and-a-half-year-old is really showing signs of maturity lately… maybe it’s the preschool class. He wows his teacher every day with his reading and phonics skills!

Dinner is served. Dad dishes up Sammy’s chicken casserole while Mom helps Riley. And Sammy’s off his chair again! There he goes! He’s off to the potty races folks. Boy, you get that body sitting still for five seconds and look what happens. Now Sammy’s back. He goes for the rolls---ooh! Rejected by Mom! No bread until you’ve tasted your casserole, young man! Meanwhile Riley uses the distraction to tip his chair backward—denied by Mom again! But good try. This is one almost 3-year-old whose competitive fire is only matched by his vocabulary! Was that an adverb he just threw out there like a champ? Maybe, but what do I know, I’m a sports broadcaster…

And now timeout is called by baby Ezekiel (Zeke, baby!) who just pulled a hat trick by interrupting dinner for the third straight night. Kid’s got moxie, I tell you! And check the stats on this little guy: 7 lbs 13 oz, 21-inch vertical, with a head like a beach ball! Good thing he was born a week early! OK, Mom plugs him with a binkie and we’re back into action! Sammy and Riley still refuse to try the casserole… uh-oh baby, this one could go the distance! Mom and Dad are busting out all the moves: bribery, super-heroes and villains, cajoling, begging, pleading... Did Dad just threaten a college tuition blackout? Yes! Will it work…? No! Would you look at the recalcitrance on those angelic faces! The sheer defiance! Their lips are sealed tighter than Daddy’s wallet, and they COULD—GO—ALL—THE—WAY until bedtime!

But no! Christy pulls out the last-resort: dessert! We’re headed to overtime with double-chocolate-chip cookies! (Would you believe Bruce made them?) She and Dad are eating them in front of the kids… The boys are eyeballing the treats, now looking back at dinner. I don’t know, I think their will is crumbling… and they’re eating! Whoa! And just like that, dinner is devoured in unbelievable time and it’s all over but the face wiping. Another thriller! This has been Dick Vitale, and I’m out!

Thank you, Dick. And thank you, bewildered reader, for your love and friendship, and for braving yet another year of the Jacobs Family Christmas Letter. We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful, prosperous, and of course, Happy New Year!

Marshmallow Battle Royale

2007-12-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Our week has been go-go-go, and the weekend was even busier, but now that Christmas is in the rear-view mirror I thought we should catch you up on what’s been happening. Christy’s mom, Luana, flew in on Saturday the 15^th, which allowed me to go back to work and focus on final Christmas shopping (Christy’s shopping had been wrapped up for weeks). It’s been a slower pace at work lately, so it leaves me with flexibility in getting other things done as well. However, I’m happy to say that the CFC campaign has raised more than we did last year ($2.3 million), although we might come up a little shy of our goal ($2,450,000). Still, I don’t feel too bad about that because I pushed for us to set a very ambitious goal and we won’t be too far short of it I believe. That’s all I will bore you with regarding work.

On Thursday Dec. 20^th we had quite a snowstorm here. It started about 3:30 p.m. and by the time I got home around 5 p.m. we already had about 4-5 inches. Sammy had a preschool Christmas performance that night, which Christy and Luana attended but unfortunately I had to attend traffic school because I’d been cited for making an improper left-hand turn in Ogden (I didn’t turn into the closest lane). It’s just a good thing that Ogden doesn’t have any crime or safety issues so its police force can spend so much time at the end of each month issuing tickets to meet their “performance standard” a.k.a. quota. By the way, the officer teaching traffic school openly admitted there is a quota and that most of the policemen hate it. Luckily it had stopped snowing while I was there so everyone made it home that night without incident.

Christy’s brother John flew into town on Friday, and the rest of her family came the next day. I picked him up at the airport after having dinner with Uncle Bill, Scott and their family at Rodizio’s Grill in Salt Lake – Uncle Bill’s treat – since Scott was getting married the next day. On Saturday afternoon I drove down to the 5-Star Ranch south of Provo with Dan and Deanne to see the wedding, which was a lot of fun. Scott’s new wife is a spunky woman, so I see this marriage working out pretty well. Christy had her family Christmas party that evening, so she couldn’t make it – but Dan and Deanne dropped me off at their party in SLC on the way home. I came just in time for our family’s part in the program – we sang a Christmas song Luana wrote called “Once Upon a Silent Night.” I say “we” sang the song but in actuality it was Sammy, who stood on a chair, grabbed the microphone and belted it, word-for-word and with perfect pitch, at the top of his voice. There is no such thing as stage fright for that boy.

By the time we left I was on pins and needles because BYU was in the middle of their Las Vegas Bowl game vs. UCLA. We had set up the VCR to record it, and after getting home and making sure the game was over, we rewound the tape and started watching. Dan had listened to most of it on the radio but he stopped listening with about 1 minute left, so even he didn’t know the outcome. As most of you know, BYU blocked a 28-yard field goal with 3 seconds left in the game to preserve a 17-16 victory. They also ensured that yet another year of my life was taken from me thanks to another gut-wrenching, hand-wringing, nail-biting, down-to-the-last-second game.

Sunday brought our ward choir's Christmas program in Sacrament meeting. Christy is our ward choir director and, despite her self-critique, did a wonderful job in preparing the choir. The music was terrific and the choir sang better during the performance than it ever had in practice. For me it was a spiritual highlight of the year, although admittedly some of that was probably due to the fact that we didn't have to wrestle with two children throughout the meeting. Music is often my favorite part of worship.

Fast-forward to Christmas Eve. We all headed over to Dan & Deanne’s house, during yet another snowstorm, at about 5 p.m. and enjoyed a delicious meal of New Mexico tamales, posole (Deanne did a terrific job on that one!) and afterwards, Ris Krem – and yes, that should be capitalized along with all proper nouns. We exchanged a few gifts for the boys, but far and away the most entertaining thing were Deanne’s gifts: 8 homemade mini-marshmallow blow-guns made of PVC pipe. For the next 20 minutes chaos reigned supreme as marshmallow pellets whizzed through the air and many a casualty was incurred, thanks mostly to the aiming prowess of Tracen and his surprisingly powerful lungs. I guess all that pretend webbing and lasering has paid off for him. Dan actually got a marshmallow going with enough velocity that it stuck permanently to the wall… and rumor has it that more than one of the little white bullets were extricated some our underclothing that evening. Oh, but I nearly forgot to mention that before “Mini Iwo Jima” we had a nice Christmas program in which we re-enacted the Savior’s birth with a nice Christmas program in which the boys fought over which costume they got to wear. Sammy got to be the angel but was chagrined when we had to reprimand him for pulling a gun on the shepherds. He defended the action by claiming it was “a gun that shoots stars.” Well, we tried.

Christmas Day was great, of course. Riley got a mini-kitchen, which thrilled him to no end. Sammy received a kid’s digital camera and by the end of the day he’d snapped more pictures than I have in my lifetime and nearly drained all the battery power. But I’m sure there are some Pulitzer-prize winning photographs of our carpet, the TV and Grandma’s chin in there. Santa brought me a carry-on suitcase and Christy got me a Shop Vac – both things that I’d wanted. Christy received Crème Brule bowls, perfume and the Dan-in-Real-Life movie soundtrack on CD. And of course there was tons of chocolate, stollen toast and other goodies. That evening we dined on a delicious ham, fresh orange rolls and topped it off with carrot pudding and coconut cream pie for dessert. We also had some fun playing outside in the snow.

So you see, it's been a great week -- made even better of course by having Christy's family here to share it with us. There is nothing like being with family for the holidays. I wish we could have seen more of you, but I'm sure we'll have that chance in Christmases yet to come.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday, Baby Jacobs!

2007-12-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dear friends & family,

Tuesday evening, after Christy had been experiencing relatively mild but steady contractions all day long, we decided to take Sammy & Riley over to Dan and Deanne's house for the night. It was a good decision. Christy woke me up at 2 a.m., which seems to be her body's scheduled time to get the "real" labor underway. She had pretty steady contractions for a couple of hours before we decided to call and let our midwife know, not wanting to leave anything to chance what with morning rush hour traffic, etc.

I guess you could call her labor experience a "normal" one, although there's really nothing normal about the birth experience. Each one is unique and wonderful. I can't speak for Christy's experience of course, which was FAR more intense than what I went through. All I can say is that it's humbling to watch the woman you love go through intense physical trauma in order to give birth to our child. The actual experience of watching your son make his entrance into the world is tremendouly emotional and even spiritual -- mixed with relief and gratitude that everything went well. It's amazing to watch that instant connection between mother and son, as the previous hours of discomfort and pain are almost all forgotten right away.

Our little guy was born at 9:20 a.m., weighing in at 7 lbs, 13 oz and 21 inches long and with an extra big head. He came exactly one week before the official due date of Dec. 12. (It's interesting that all three of our sons came at roughly the same time of morning after starting labor at about the same time during the night. I guess Sammy left a blueprint behind for the other two to follow.)

Well, you all know how we are with names. Sammy went nameless for three days and Riley for almost one. We had a short list of names we liked and wanted to see which one "fit." Well, this time it happened a little sooner, which is a first for us. We have decided his name will be Ezekiel Leo Jacobs, but we'll call him Zeke. Before the birth, Zeke was alternating between my first and second choice but was probably third or fourth for Christy, yet when I told her which name I liked best for our new little guy she surprised me by saying that she was thinking the same thing. So there you have it.

Thanks to all of you for your love and friendship. We hope you'll get to meet our little Zeke before long.