Here We Go!

Baby Annie's Blessing Day

2011-03-28T12:53:00.000-06:00

Annie is 2 1/2 months old now. Times flies! She really doesn't look like a newborn anymore, which is both a little bit sad, and way exciting! My baby is growing so fast! (It's a good thing, though, because her blessing dress is a size 3-6 mos, so I needed her to have a bit of chub in order to fit into her dress on her big day!)

For the big day, we had lots of family from both sides attending church with us. Why didn't I take a picture of all them, you ask? I have no idea. That would have been smart. And memorable. Maybe I'll think of that next time.

Sydney is the best big sister ever. Aren't my girls beautiful??

Grandpa Jon holding an infant. You will only ever see that happen when he is required to hold one for photo ops. He even pretends to enjoy it. He's a good sport.

Annie loves people and smiles and talks whenever she sees a face close enough to respond to. She also performs for overhead light fixtures on occasion

Aunt Natalie with Annie. Both are so pretty!

We LOVE you so much, Annie! I'm so happy to have you in our family! Already, I can't imagine us without you!

Soccer, Finally

2011-03-28T11:27:00.004-06:00

Tanner has been patiently waiting to be old enough to play soccer for three years. That's a significant portion of an almost-five-year-old's life!! Okay, so he wasn't exactly patient, but he did wait three years. This is his big chance to get out there and run. And fidget. And make silly faces for no reason. And run. And fidget. And drink from a water bottle. And eat half time snacks. And fidget. And get dirty. I mean, we are talking serious FUN for him.

He hopped (literally) right out there for his first practice before his first game. Somehow kicking the ball was much more of an elusive skill than he was expecting.

I love that the most important skill that his coach taught the team was to only score in the correct goal. His wisdom stayed with the players for the first half (for the most part!), but by the second half, none of the players on either team really had a concept of which goal they should be shooting on.

Here is Tanner after making the first goal of the season. Yay! That's my boy!! Should I mention that he also made the second goal of the season? He tipped it in for the other team. I'm not sure how many goals Tanner made in this game, but I'm pretty sure he made more for the other team than he did for his own! I LOVED watching his game! He's bound to be an energetic player, and may even learn how the game is supposed to be played.

Tanner! (because it's hard to say his name without an exclamation at the end!)

I Do It, Mom!

2011-03-28T11:07:00.002-06:00

I have told many people that Eli is the easiest two-year-old ever. That's because he is happy all day, he practically puts himself to bed for naps and bedtime, he says, "Okay, mom!" every time I ask him to do something, he never teases or hits his siblings, he's a great (not picky) eater, and he says the cutest things ever. No, really. I'm telling the truth. Easiest two-year-old EVER.

Except, as of 2 1/2 months ago, ALL THAT CHANGED. Apparently, he had to become a two-and-a-half-year-old before he could turn on the real charm. I won't go into the nitty gritty about how terrible his two's are, because, well, you probably already know. He still has his moments though, when I just have to scoop him up and hug him because I love him so much and because he makes me smile. And laugh. (And groan. And pull my hair. . . )

So the other day, in all his grown-upness (what? that's a word!), he helped himself to a snack. I often hear the phrase, "I do it, mom!" He's getting to be very independent. He didn't make much of a mess in the kitchen either, surprisingly.

Yes, that's because all the mess ended up on him.

He is great at cleaning up messes, though. He helps keep the napkin and paper towel companies in business. I'm not gonna complain if he's cleaning up his own messes!

This mess wasn't easy. He really had to work hard.

I'd say he worked at it for five or six minutes. An eternity for a two-year-old.

And he's done. Looks much better now. =) I love my Eli!!

Getting Ready for Church

2011-03-28T10:22:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Cannon had to be away for reserves, so I got the kids ready and took them to church all by my lonesome. Everything went exceptionally smoothly. HA! Not! People still ask me how I am feeling when they see me (probably because I had a baby 2 1/2 months ago??) and I tell them I feel great! I do! But when they ask how I am doing, I tell them my life is crazy!!! Depending on the day, I may say it with reserve and it fits right into polite small talk - or I may say it with a bit too much authenticity and the conversation suddenly stalls as the other person tries to find a quick way to move on and leave me to my insanity.

On this particular day, the kids lined up as I did their hair one by one. Eli generally goes first because he is still enthusiastic about mom doing his hair. And anyway, all I do it pretend to fix his hair because 1) he hardly has any hair to DO, and 2) his adorable cowlick in front makes it impossible to do anything other than let it be. So, I pretended to do Eli's hair and proceeded to help each of the other kids with their hair. As I finished up with Sydney, I hear Eli coming back down the hall towards me saying, "I girl, mom, I girl!" And he had put one of Sydney's flowers in his hair. Darling. And then he tugged on the door handle to go out to the car and off to church! Can I tell you how difficult it is to convince a two-year-old to change his mind about something once he has his mind made up??

What do you think? Doesn't he make a sweet little girl?

Oh, yes. And when the camera came out, every kid wanted his picture taken too. Tanner wins the most kissable cheeks contest!!

Star of the Week

2011-03-28T10:03:00.000-06:00

In Jackson and Jordan's fourth-grade class this year, they each get a turn to be Star of the Week. Last week was Jordan's turn. So fun to put together a poster with pictures and see which things are important enough to Jordan to present to his friends at school. Cannon and I were both able to be there and we brought along the little kids too.

Hmm. Check out Tanner's face. He is great in pictures!

This is Jackson and Jordan with their teacher, Miss T. It was also crazy hat day. Jackson is on the left, Jordan is on the right.

February 3

2011-02-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hmm. Well, I have obviously fallen off the "post a picture every day" wagon. It is already February 7, and I have yet to post my photos from Feb 3, 4, 5, or 6! I'm not going to give up, though. I will try to make up lost days, but no promises. I have my sanity still, but only barely. And I have an idea of why this particular assignment tripped me up a bit. The prompt is THEN AND NOW. So, since everyone is asking, and the time seems right, I wanted to post pictures of my darling little Annie on the day she was born (just over three weeks ago) and pictures of her now. The thing is, I sort of have this BLOCK when it comes to taking pictures of adorable babies. Let's face it, I'm not that great of a photographer. I'm only moderately better than my 4 year old when it comes to photography! Annie is adorable. I mean really darling. My pictures don't even begin to do her justice. I feel like I'm being kind of mean to her if I post her pictures, because you will never know just how amazing she is by looking at my photos! So, I'm going to swallow my pride a bit, and hope that Annie forgives me for posting less-than-amazing photos of her, because I want to avoid falling into the trap of not taking any pictures at all. . . (which I may or may not have done with my other kids!)

So, here is Annie, only minutes after her birth. 8 pounds, 7 ounces! Big girl! =)

And here she is today, almost 4 weeks old. She and I had some fun taking pictures this morning, and I even got a few smiles!

And now, I will show some more photos from this morning, because I think she is the cutest thing ever!!

And because I am a glutton for punishment, I will post professional pics too. I love these shots! Bella Baby Photography showed up in my hospital room and spent a few minutes taking pictures of Annie a couple of days after she was born. Easiest photo sitting ever for me! I just sat in my bed and watched. And I didn't have to agonize for weeks about what Annie would wear or how I wanted the pictures to look. There is definitely something to be said about spontaneity!

My favorite is last!

February 2

2011-02-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of my photo sharing! Since I don't have an infant in my arms tonight, I can type with two hands. So I will mention that I am taking a photo class. Well, is that really what it's called? Not sure. It's online, it's called The Joy of Love, and it looked like a good excuse to dust off the camera and start shooting again!

I admit that I am feeling a little overwhelmed with mommyhood right now. A three week old baby is the sweetest thing EVER, but juggling the complexities of bringing a newborn into the house with the day-to-day of running a household and caring for 5 other kids and a husband has me on the brink!! I have no room in my life for any projects! So, seriously, a photography class?? No, I can't even be sure that I will have ten minutes together to work on it! But I think I can commit to ONE photo a day, as long as I don't promise high quality!

Today's prompt for a photo is HOW THEY LOOK. I caught Jackson eating a yummy muffin, told him to wipe off the crumbs (he missed one, heehee!), and snapped a shot. For some reason, it is so difficult to get a picture of him looking natural, but I think the yummy muffin helped him to relax or something. (Yeah, I know, that makes no sense. But we're talking about a nine year old here, and it's a sleep deprived mommy talking about him!) This picture is certainly HOW HE LOOKS.

And I couldn't resist adding this second picture. Those two. I love 'em. Jordan made the muffins and he was very satisfied that Jackson enjoyed his so much. Uh huh. I know. I should have gotten their hair cut days/weeks ago, but don't forget that overwhelmed mommy comment! Now. Who can tell me which twin is Jordan and which is Jackson?

February 1

2011-02-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

In February, I plan to post a picture a day. My poor blog will be so happy to see something new after such a long, boring year of nothing! For the first day in Feb, Jordan. While he practices his violin. Right now he is working at the end of book 1 in the Suzuki method. He's a fabulous player, and I love to listen to him practice!

A New Car!!

2010-05-31T11:38:00.000-06:00

Okay, we don't actually HAVE a new car, but now it's time to start SHOPPING for a new car. The last time we bought a new car was in the year 2001, and after having twins, we decided that we had become a minivan family. We got the most beautiful car - a 2001 Caravan. I have LOVED this car. The roomiest car ever, but still drives like a car rather than a big ol' SUV. That car took us from one coast to another, more than once. It has taken our family of four to a family of seven, with camping trips, family vacations, trips to the school, church, and the park. You name it, that car has BEEN there for us! After 150,000 miles, it's still purring along and taking us where we need to be. So, shopping for a NEW car doesn't even sound fun to me. I want THIS one. MINE.

Alas, it is time for a new car. A seven passenger will no longer meet our needs. But who wants a huge SUV which is difficult to park, or a very UNcool van??

So, what do I do? I'm open for suggestions. I love my Caravan. There are other minivans out there that are eight passengers vans. But they don't have a whole lot of space for our camping gear for our family trips. And I'm thinking that we will be wanting to be able to tow trailers too. So, maybe we need an SUV. But the smaller 8 passenger SUV's don't have much cargo room either. Could I really handle a Suburban or some other monster? Certaninly, no big van. I just don't think I'm there yet.

Birthdays Past

2010-04-19T15:44:00.006-06:00

Well. My new years resolutions have gone very well so far. Except the one about blogs!! (Two a month! Guess I blew that one!) Who knew it would actually be detrimental to set a resolution? I haven't totally given up, though. Here are a few pictures to get me back into the game.

I turned 8 1/2 this year. Wahoo! We celebrated my birthday very late because I was out of town all week before my birthday, got home late Saturday night, high-fived it with Cannon, and he took off early Sunday morning and was gone for a week. Funny - after all of his years as an active duty submariner, he never missed any major holidays or any birthdays. But this year, he has or will have missed multiple birthdays. Yay for reserves! That's okay though - it's a small price to pay. The big celebration was that Cannon managed to find me a Carvel ice cream cake! Since I was a kid, that has been a tradition for me. There is no ice cream cake like Carvel ice cream cake! We haven't been able to find it anywhere for the past few years. I haven't even really enjoyed ice cream much for the past couple of years. But this year - it was perfect!

Jackson and Jordan have now officially had more birthdays than me! They are 9! And wow, they are grown up now! Every age is fun - I love to see how they grow and overcome the challenges of childhood.

Here is a picture of our backyard two weeks ago. We have had a crazy spring! The poor fruit trees can hardly tell which season it is, and the kids are pretty confused too. I am hoping that was the very last of the snow, because the cherry trees are blossoming, and the rest of the trees are soon to follow. Yay for spring!

And here is crazy Eli. He is here in our home to make me laugh and to keep me sane. He has the funniest expressions sometimes! And he somehow knows when I need a good snuggle. Such a sweetheart. He will be two in August, but I think he will always be my baby!

Our Biggest Christmas Wishes to You

2009-12-14T14:23:00.009-07:00

The kids all told me their BIGGEST CHRISTMAS WISHES.

(tree, ornaments, and lights)

Corel Paint Shop Pro

2009-11-05T12:54:00.007-07:00

I had some questions about the photo editing (finally checked on the correct spelling of this word!) software that I use (and LOVE), so I thought I'd post just a bit about it. I am so not qualified to do a real review, so please don't expect much. I actually downloaded it for free a few months ago. I think Corel had just released the new version, Corel Paint Shop Pro XI, so there was a one-day deal to download Corel Paint Shop Pro X for free. I am SOOO glad I did, even though I didn't really know what it was at the time.

I like reading Amazon.com reviews, and if you want some, check here. (Wow, that was cool. I finally figured out how to put a link on a word! I'm getting so much technical experience these days!!) In my opinion, the price for this software is extremely low for something with so much depth.

You can use this software to make very sophisticated edits to pictures using easy correction or editing "wizard" type applications that work for beginners who don't want to invest a lot of time. Or you can delve into the details and edit with layers (so cool!) and advanced effects. I spent an hour the other day watching youtube posts which explain step-by-step how to create some advanced edits. Like pulling a person out of one photo and posting into another. Or some serious make-over action, including adding make-up and fake eyelashes! (Maybe I'll get good enough at that one that I will surpass my abilities to put on real make-up. Shouldn't be too hard considering my lack of skill in that department!) There are many places where you can download free, or costly add-ons which will make specific editing tasks even easier. The sky is the limit with this software. So fun. The only thing that it doesn't do that I wish it did is edit directly from RAW files. This requires significantly more expensive software and isn't in my sights right now. And I think when I get a new camera with RAW capabilities it will come with it's own software for this??

Why did I major in statistics when I could have learned super-duper recording skills or awesome graphic design and photo editing STUFF??! This is something I am deifinitely going to have to spend some time learning.

Here are a few before/after shots with edits mostly fixing lighting and cropping issues.

Photography Class

2009-10-29T09:05:00.004-06:00

I finally did it. Took that photography class at the community center that I've been eying for two years. I showed up knowing that I had a LOT to learn. And I did. I learned a lot. =) I left knowing I have a LOT more to learn! But I had some fun! I borrowed my sister's camera for the class (thanks, Andrea) and felt like a big girl with a grown-up camera. Here are some photos that I took for class assignments. I am ready to go out and take more. And I love, love, love photo editting now that I have some direction! I can't wait to work more in Corel Paint Shop!

My cute sil with her boys posed just a short walk from my house on our mountain.

This is at a fruit stand here in Perry. I could only shoot pictures places where I could take all my kids - or leave them in the car while I shot pics next to the car!

I love pumpkin pictures.

Tanner and I took a walk on our mountain with some friends and found an old pear tree. Tanner says the pears are delicious.

Eli only tries the stairs if he thinks he's getting away with something.

Taken from my front porch. The sun is setting on the mountains behind the Great Salt Lake and Willard Bay.

Did You Have a Pet?

2009-10-27T15:44:00.004-06:00

Stuffed

2009-10-19T13:08:00.001-06:00

Sydney. I just love her.

Summa' Time

2009-07-29T15:57:00.009-06:00

Summer, summer, summer. Where have you gone? Almost August already, and my to-do list has many to-do's still left on it! Here are a few of the things we have been working on so far this summer.

June - Tour de Cure

Cannon rode over 60 miles in this bike race. He wishes that his to-do list wasn't quite so long so that he had more time to pursue his biking hobby. Haha. Pursue. BTW, did I even spell that word correctly??

June - Neslen reunion
We had so much fun with Cannon's family at the end of June. We all stayed in a condo in Eden for several days, and had a blast. Here is Eli enjoying a ride on Cannon's back just before we took the gondola at Snow Basin. I SHOULD have taken pictures of the rest of the reunion too, but alas. I was just too tired this year! I'm hoping to mooch some from some of my sisters-in-law. Check out Heidi's blog for a great bunch of pics though.
Cherries - Yum!

Some totally nice (and inspired!) neighbor told us to pick as many cherries as we wanted from their trees, so we did! We ate tons of cherries, then canned the rest! The kids all helped with the canning, and that made it so much fun. I think this is the first time the kids have really been helpful with a canning project, and I am looking forward to the time that our trees and garden produce enough to can all summer! I have enough good helpers to get the job done!

Canada Day

Cannon was happy to see that the twins remembered Canada Day (July 1st) this year. We celebrated with cake. This was my creation of German chocolate cake, with additions (in red) made by Cannon.

4th of July - Perry City Fun Run

Cannon led the kids in a good stretch before they all ran in the 1 mile race (Cannon did the 5K). Natalie and her kids came too, and Eli and I were the only ones who didn't run! Well, Tanner and Logan actually rode in the stroller (thanks, Natalie) and everyone else ran. My attempt to get action shots at the finish line were a disaster, so what-you-see-is-what-you-get! Oh - and Sydney got a first place ribbon for her age bracket (9:31 for a mile!) and Cannon got a third place finish. Way to go, guys!!

4th of July fireworks

We went to the Brigham City fireworks accompanied by Brent and Missy, Natalie and Mark, and the kids. It was a great show, but I think I enjoyed the visiting more than anything. =) Eli enjoyed hanging out with the grownups too. Below is a picture of him with my brother, Brent.

Theater camp

Jackson, Jordan, and Sydney went to theater camp this year and loved it. Here is Sydney in the play, Stone Soup.

July - Montana

We took a quick trip to Montana to visit my sister, Jenni, and her family. Brent and Missy went too. Here is Jordan at the lake.

We also went to Lewis and Clark Caverns with Jenni's family. We thought that going underground would be a good way to escape the HEAT! We were right. The hike to and from the caves was rough, but the caves were a cool 50 degrees! Below is a picture of our tour guide telling us about the caves, and Tanner, who felt right at home being in front of the whole group. BTW, if you ever go to Lewis and Clark Caverns, I suggest you take only children competant enough to climb a zillion stairs. While ducking.

24th of July Parade - Bountiful

We had ton of fun in Bountiful this year going to the Pioneer Day parade and fireworks. Well, it was mostly fun. Fighting crowds and taking care of little ones during the heat can be a challenge. Here is Tanner, crying because he lost his blue balloon. Jordan saved the day by offering Tanner his white one. Thanks, Jordan. Of course, Jordan repaid us by needing to take FOUR trips to the port-a-potty during a 1 1/2 hour parade!!

Never ending summer project

So, I finally talked Cannon into buying a big playset for the kids this spring. From Costco (it is so cool! It it possible that I will play on it more than the kids.) The instructions say that it should take 2 adults 13 hours to put it up. I don't think so. It didn't mention all the prep work that had to be done. Like clearing weeds (shoulder high) from the play area. Or moving grass from one spot to another in order to get the play area in the proper dimensions. Or digging and moving boulders in order get a level spot. Or repairing storm drains that magically appear in the precise spot that you are digging. Or buying and moving and cutting railroad ties. Or moving terracing rocks which weigh 40 lbs a piece. Whoa. Here is Cannon after digging out said storm drain in preparation for the repair job. Currently, we are on step 11 of 37 in the ACTUAL set up directions. I'm thinking we'll have a playset before many more Saturdays pass by!

Sydney finally lost a tooth!!

It's been wiggly since May, and Sydney was so disappointed not to have lost her first tooth before the end of first grade. But it happened, finally, in July. In fact, she cleaned her tooth so well that the tooth fairy left her some fairy dust, aka Fun Dip.

Now, if you're still reading, you're awesome! And you are now an expert at the Neslen Family Summa' Time!

I Need Help

2009-07-07T14:42:00.004-06:00

Ha ha. Okay, nice title. I ALWAYS need help! But I'm going for something specific here. I am planning the Clark reunion in August, and I need ideas! In my family, there are many, shall we say, smarties? Smart alecks! Ha ha. And they always have good ideas. I'm hoping to avoid being known as the "lame ideas" sibling. What am I saying? I am probably ALREADY known thus, but I going to try to shake this up a bit.

So. I need a theme. My cute sister gave me a great theme: What's the Scoop? Get it? Double meaning, lots of ways to build on this. It's a good theme. Maybe this is the one I'll use. But I gotta shop around a little, and my lame brain (or should I say, mommy brain?!) isn't generating any competition. So help me out. Give me some ideas.

Here are a few details. This is my parents' family. Dad, Nancy, eight siblings, and twenty-something grandkids ranging in age from 11 months to 19 years. Wait. Actually the youngest will be -3 months. Owen Brent will be born sometime in Oct/Nov. Anyway. We're staying in cabins at Carter Creek in the Uintas. We will spend 3 nights there. There are hikes, nature trails, horseshoes, volleyball, a playground, and ATV trails. Sounds fun,eh? So give me a theme. Or a few. And fun things to do, if you have any terrific ideas.

Here is a picture of that cute sister I mentioned. And her handsome husband. Andrea and Matt. And please look at Andrea's blog to see some other inspiring pictures of our family.

Pinewood Derby by Jordan

2009-05-31T13:36:00.002-06:00

What I am bloging about is the Pinewood Derby.Can't you believe that was my first time in scouts?!?!?! I had rembered where it took place because I was in 2 plays there. I felt SO GOOD to be in scouts. I wanted to be in scouts forever(even though I can't)! It was exciting racing. There were pretty cool shapes. Mine had spikes on the front and a curve in the back. My brother's car had a gut in the middle. I loved it! I won!

My car is yellow. Jackson's is green with gold stickers.

Me, my brother, and my dad.

Nate won that round.

Me and my brother.

Me, my grandpa, my sister, my brother, my mom, and my baby brother.

Star Wars Episode 8 by Jackson

2009-05-13T13:51:00.007-06:00

I`m going to write about my eighth birthday.It was fun. Here is everyone barely here.

And here is us playing The Cup Game.

And here is us using The Force.

In this picture me and Jordan are playing Mind Game. (editor's note: guessing what the gifts are)

I`ll tell you what I got:Legos, a dinosaur book, a key chain, lots of Droid Factory, a guy, a puzzle,and The Dangerous Game for Boys. Here is a picture of the light saber cake.

So now it is time to go. So soon?!?! Don 't worry I'll have more birthdays.Do you have any comments?

Surprisingly Wise Words … From First Graders

2009-05-13T09:36:00.001-06:00

Another good one from
www.SixWise.com

A teacher of first-graders gave her students the first half of a well-known proverb, then asked them to compete the saying. What they came up with will make you smile, laugh and likely wonder at the wisdom that comes from the mouths of babes.

Don't change horses … until they stop running

Strike while the … bug is close.

It’s always darkest before … Daylight Savings Time.

Never underestimate the power of … termites.

You can lead a horse to water but … How?

Don’t bite the hand that … looks dirty.

No news is … impossible.

A miss is as good as a … Mr.

You can’t teach an old dog new … Math.

If you lie down with dogs, you’ll … stink in the morning.

Love all, trust … Me.

The pen is mightier than the … pigs.

And idle mind is … the best way to relax.

Where there’s smoke there’s … pollution.

Happy the bride who … gets all the presents.

A penny saved is … not much.

Two’s company, three’s … the Musketeers.

Don’t put off until tomorrow what … you put on to go to bed.

Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and … you have to blow your nose.

There are none so blind as … Stevie Wonder.

Children should be seen and not … spanked or grounded.

If at first you don’t succeed … get new batteries.

You get out of something only what you … See in the picture on the box.

When the blind lead the blind … get out of the way.

A bird in the hand … is going to poop on you.

Better late than … Pregnant.

Beauty and the Beast

2009-05-07T14:04:00.006-06:00

What a blast. This production of Beauty and the Beast was SO fun for our family, and it was a big hit on the stage. It ran for, what? four weeks? and could have sold out for at least twice that.

Jackson and Jordan took turns playing Chip. On the night they didn't play Chip, they played a spice -- they were either Cumin or Chives, depending entirely on their mood that evening. Cannon was a villager/croney and had plenty of singing and dancing to do (quote from Cannon's dad: "Cannon, I've never really seen you. . . uh . . . DO anything like this before!")

Rehearsals were rough for the family for the couple of weeks before the show opened, with rehearsals most nights 7-9 pm. Especially when you consider that the twins' bedtime is 7:00! Cannon had to really cram in time to study and get anything else done around the house. Once the show opened, the time committment actually seemed more do-able. Shows were Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, with some matinees on Saturday.

These pictures are from the preview night, and Jordan happened to be Chip that night. Here is Maurice being surprised to find his tea cup talking.

Mrs. Potts was very helpful in getting Jackson and Jordan where they needed to be. As you can see, Chip doesn't actually have feet! This cart was on wheels, so Mrs. Potts and other characters just pushed Chip where he needed to be.

Cannon mostly kept track of the boys back stage. Well, this theater was too small for much of a backstage. There was what the twins called, "a secret passage way" backstage, which consisited of steps leading downstairs where they lounged as they listened for their cues. In fact, I hear Jackson took many a nap down there on the days he was a spice.

Below is a picture of Cannon (in the green hat) delivering his one line: "Crazy ol' Maurice!" He says he learned much better how to act drunk during his one line as the play went on. True acting for Cannon!

Above on the left you can see Cannon in his other role as a spoon for the song Be Our Guest.

Sometimes it was hard for J & J to see what was going on up on stage because they just had that small opening to stick their faces in. They couldn't move themselves to follow the action. So it was nice when the action was right in front of them. Although Jordan vehemenently denies it, there are rumors from cast members that he actually fell asleep on stage on Saturday nights. Who can blame him after a late Friday night, early soccer on Saturday, a Saturday matinee, then another late show??Above, Chip is finally human again!BRAVO! My boys all did a superb job in this play! I think we have two budding actors here, and we may have awoken a hidden talent in Cannon! I hope we can find more productions that we can be involved in. It was wonderful getting to know so many extremely talented members of our community.

My Return to the BLOG

2009-05-07T14:02:00.001-06:00

Wow. No posts at ALL in April. I got behind AGAIN! So many things to post. And I still want to post them. I'll just have to get right on it!

Conference Packet April 2009

2009-03-25T13:13:00.002-06:00

Here is another fun conference packet to keep your little ones busy and involved with General Conference!

2009 April Conference Packet 2009 April Conference Packet earl-girl8086 I updated the packet from last October. Happy Conferencing!!!

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Puzzles Puzzles & Games 2009 april general c general conference p

Creative Puns for the Educated Mind

2009-03-18T09:26:00.002-06:00

My mommy brain needs a little boost sometimes.

I am so caught up in thinking about matchbox cars (and cleaning them up), hair bows (and fixing little girls' hair), food (and buying it, preparing it, presenting it, AND cleaning it up), that I rarely remember that I actually have a degree, and a lot of knowledge that has nothing to do with, well, anything that I do day in and day out. Now and then I come across another mommy who is going back to school, or an old friend (does this make ME old too?) that I went to school with, and I think about compicated thinking. Because, that's what school is, right? Complicated thinking? Finding a way to make your brain understand new material and tucking it into an unused SPOT in your brain so that you can recall it in the future.

My little brother, who is brilliant, by the way, is going back to school. Again. He has a BS in statistics with an emphasis in actuarial science. He has an MBA. Now, he wants a PhD. And when he finishes this four-year program, he wants to TEACH college students. So much complicated thinking. Makes my brain hurt just trying to comprehend this idea.

But, I LIKED learning. Well, I still do, of course. I just learn, um, UNcomplicated things right now. Like baking bread (gluten-free, fresh from the oven!!) Or the art of keeping a two-year-old-who-won't-take-naps happy enough and calm enough to let his older sibs get their homework done when they get home from school without being harassed to tears. Okay, now look at that last sentence. That's like my current life. I guess it IS sort of complicated, but it's really just more CRAZY than complex. And it's crazy, in part, because I just can't focus well enough to do it right. And now check out this paragraph. I can't stay focused!!! Back to the "I liked learning" thing. I DO like learning. It just hurts my brain at this moment.

So, I found some riddles/puns from SixWise.com (I recommend the newsletter via email. Very interesting articles now and then) which made me laugh. I couldn't even figure most of them out. I have a rusty pun-brain, I think. two-year-olds don't really appreciate complicated humor, so for laughs at our house, I pretend to eat children while I tickle them. Works for children ages 7 months to 7 years! But puns make me laugh -- even when I'm by myself! So try this out and see if your brain is as tired as mine, or if you can guess the punchline before reading the answers, listed at the end.

Good luck.

22 Creative Puns for “Educated Minds” …Can YOU Figure Them Out?by www.SixWise.com

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was …

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it …

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her …

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of …

5. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little …

6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be …

7. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for …

8. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in …

9. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a …

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a …

11. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are …

12. Atheism is a [Fill in the Blank] organization.

13. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, "You stay here, I’ll …

14. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it [Fill in the Blank] me.

15. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: “Keep off the …

16. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, "No [Fill in the Blank] yet."

17. A chicken crossing the road is [Fill in the Blank] in motion.

18. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison was …

19. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a [Fill in the Blank] veteran.

20. A backward poet writes …

21. In democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's ….

22. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe …

Now Scroll Down to See the Answers …

ANSWERS:
1. Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. turned out to be an optical Aleutian .
3. still.
4. math disruption.
5. behind in his work.
6. stationary.
7. littering.
8. Linoleum Blownapart.
9. tie.
10. banana.
11. looking into it.
12. non-prophet
13. go on a head.
14. hit
15. Grass”
16. change
17. poultry
18. a small medium at large.
19. seasoned
20. inverse
21. your count that votes.
22. sects.

DID YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD???

Second Grade

2009-02-08T14:27:00.009-07:00

Jackson and Jordan are seven. And adorable. In second grade, they do a lot more in self expression. They write stories, which I love. They write letters - especially to each other (they are in seperate classes). They draw the coolest pictures (like the one Jordan drew of his pet kangaroo fighting Darth Maul's pet with light sabers) which I want to save forever. Their imaginations are limitless. I honestly can't wait until 2:45 when I hear their bus pull up because I know that any minute they will come bounding into the house (loudly, even though every day I tell them to be quiet since their two little brothers are sleeping) where they will empty out their backpacks and show me the work they have brought home. Their math papers show their new skills in re-grouping (do you remember that??). Their reading papers require essay-type answers. I can tell if Jackson paid attention in class based on how many doodles are covering his work. I can tell if Jordan finished his work early based on how many colorful drawings adorn the back of his work (he doesn't ever let a blank space go to waste).

Last week Cannon was been gone, and I was feeling totally selfish in being the only grown up at the dinner table to witness the hilarious conversations that happen there. Here is part of one that seemed to go forever. I WISH I could have stopped it in the middle and recorded the whole thing. I never knew how much I would love having dinner with second graders.

Jackson: Mom, I decided what I'm going to name my kids.

Me: Oh, really? Don't you think you should ask your wife's opinion first?

Jackson: No. They will all have "Jack" in them. Jacko, Jackolina, Jackie.

Me: Jaquelin?

Jackson: Yeah. And if they're born in October, Jack-o-lantern. And if they're born in April, Jackrabbit. Oh! I could name one after me!

Jordan: I'm going to have 5 kids. Leopard, Lion, Cheetah, Elephant and. . .

Sydney: How about Alligator?

Jordan: No, it has to be a jungle name.

Me: Why?

Jordan: Because I'm going to live in the jungle. Oh - Giraffe!

Jackson: I hope you teach them how to speak English so you can come visit.

Me: You're not going to live next door so I can see my grandkids all the time?

Jordan: No. I'm going to live in Africa!

Sydney: I'm going to live in Perry.

Jackson: I'm going to live somewhere in Utah.

Me: Maybe Salt Lake?

Jackson: Yeah. Jordan, you better come visit ALL the time.

And it just keeps going.

I hope Jackson's future wife doesn't mind not having a say in her children's names.

Some of Jordan's art work:

He had 100 day at school and Jordan drew a picture of himself with his five kids next to their cave house in the jungle. They were supposed to draw a picture of themselves when they were 100. He had a mustache that was grey and looong. He was relieved when he heard that a lot of people in Africa speak English. He really wants his kids to speak English.

Here is the picture I mentioned above. Darth Maul has the two-sided light saber, and Jordan (green light saber) and his pet kangaroo (purple) are fighting him. Jackson's pet dog is fighting (and beating) Darth Maul's pet lion (notice the "mean" teeth).

Check out Darth Vader in this one.

Jordan is holding the red light saber in this one, and Jackson is holding the two sided green one. Again, their pets (which are actually the stuffed animals they sleep with) have come to the rescue. Anakin is watching from the bottom left.

Here is the groundhog after seeing his shadow.

This is a little love story about Cannon and I. We have been shot by love arrows. Also, our mailboxes have been shot by love arrows! I guess Cannon's house number is 39 and mine is 1.

This is currently my favorite. I found this on the kitchen counter after the kids were in bed and laughed out loud when I read the caption. Last week we had a day where we got about 15(?) inches of snow, and when the bus brought the kids home, the steep hill into our neighborhood too much for the bus to handle. The kids had to get off the bus and hike home (about a half mile). When they walked in the house, Jackson had snow covering him, including inside his coat ("But I DID zip up my coat! I just fell. . .") and Jordan said, "I think that was like walking to the promised land!" Sydney refused an offer for a ride and walked home happily, finding the biggest snow drifts to walk in the whole way home. They enjoyed hot chocolate. Then this picture. Jordan is frowning. And who wouldn't? This was the blizzard of his life!

Tagged

2009-01-22T22:23:00.003-07:00

Hey, check this out -- I'm doing a tag! I like tags, but I never get around to it!

A--Attached or Single: Attached to Cannon
B--Best Friend: Sydney (cuz the girls have to stick together!)
C--Cake or Pie: Cake
D--Day of Choice: Monday -- the house is so much quieter after a full weekend with everyone home
E--Essential Item: Diaper bag - forgetting it could be disastrous!
F--Favorite Color: Green
G--Greatest Accomplishment: 5 kids
H--Hometown: White Plains, MD
I--Indulgences: Pastry bites from Smith's bakery, and Bridgett's homemade chocolate truffles
J--January or July: January
K--Kids: Jackson and Jordan, 7; Sydney, 6; Tanner, 2; Eli 5 months
L--Life is incomplete without: Cannon
M--Marriage Date: March 17, 2000
N--Number of Siblings: 7--Jenni, Rodney, Paul, Evan, Andrea, Brent, JD
O--Oranges or Apples: Oranges, already peeled, please!
P--Phobias or fears: Calling people on the phone that I don't know well
Q--Quotes: "If you're gonna be dumb, you'd better be tough!"
R--Reason to Smile: Why NOT?
S--Season: Spring
T--Tag 5 Friends: Rynell, Heidi, Ashley, Heather, Emily
U--Unknown fact about me: When I eat Skittles, I eat them by color in this order: green, yellow, orange, purple, red (saving the best for last!)
V--Very favorite store: Amazon.com
W--Worst habit: Too many snacks!
X--X-ray or Ultra Sound: Ultra sound. For some reason, I feel like ultrasounds are safer.
Y--Your favorite food: Filet mignon
Z--Zodiac: Pisces

Our New Basketball Team

2009-01-19T15:13:00.006-07:00

Okay, now that we have five kids, we officially have the numbers to field our own basketball team. We practice jumping, although we don't have much height yet. That will come. Eli just used his baby genious powers and has started jumping at only five months old! The big kids were so excited about it that they joined in too.

In other news, check out this picture of our handsome two-year-old. Jackson and Jordan have begun to hand down their too-short ties, and Tanner is only too eager to accept them. Of all our kids, I think he has the most fashon sense, and he knows when to pose GQ-ish.

The twins cashed in their Christmas IOU's for ski lessons this week, and now they are pro skiers. I can't wait to have kids old enough that we can all go skiing together!

Cannon and Jordan had a fun time going to a Jazz game not long ago. It's not often that one of the kids has one-on-one time with Dad, especially when you're a twin! So this was a special event. Cannon is just happy for any excuse to get to a game in Salt Lake!

More on Christmas (and Thanksgiving!!) later, but I had to post this picture of Eli. This is Christmas night, and Eli is helping his aunt Missy play dominoes. He concentrates very hard when he plays games with us.

Budding Stars

2009-01-15T08:40:00.004-07:00

Jackson and Jordan showed their considerable charm as they auditioned last week for a part in our local theater's production of . Wahoo!! They landed a part! In fact, they both land the SAME part. They will both be playing Chip.

Fun, huh? These two love, love, love being in plays. They were known to write letters to their principal in first grade asking if they could please have a school play. It didn't work. But they did have a chance to be in a couple of plays last year with a group of home schoolers. They will also be playing in their second grade school musical - Shaharezade (anybody know how to spell that??)

Wish Cannon some luck with this one. They figured that since we would have a parent there with the boys for all the rehearsals anyway, why not rope one of the parents into participating as well? They needed men still - so he got the part!

Please come and see my boys in this play! It should be a blast! Everybody loves this show! Opening night is March 13, and it goes through April 4. Jackson and Jordan will be taking turns playing Chip, so if it matters which one you want to come see, let me know and I'll look up their schedule for you. Here is the website for Heritage Theatre in Perry. http://www.heritagetheatreutah.com/index.htm Let us know when you're coming! Ticket prices are very reasonable for adults and children (no children under the age of three).

What to Post, What to Post. . .

2009-01-06T14:23:00.002-07:00

It has recently been brought to my attention that I need a new post. What's it been, two months since my last one? Well, the thing is, I already KNEW I needed a new post! I just haven't gotten to it. The problem is, I really wanted to put up a couple of posts from our Thanksgiving trip, but I never quite got that going. And now it's AFTER Christmas! Plus, I hurt my shoulder and wrist. Typing hurts. (waa, waa, waa.) Plus, my baby is fussing. Not CRYING, just chatting in a please-pick-me-up kind of way. Ya know?

Maybe I'll blog tomorrow. Today (like the last month or so) I have the blogging blahs.

Seriously, So Cute

2008-11-18T13:19:00.004-07:00

I find myself saying these words to my baby ALL DAY LONG. My baby is seriously SO CUTE! In a life of major chaos (aka five kids), Eli is my anchor through the day. He helps me remember to just be happy. He helps me remember how much I love all of my children. (It helps that he can't talk back yet, and that he never has to reminded to get working on his homework!)

I pick him up, or just get close enough for him to see me, and his face lights up and the whole room lights up with happiness. His smile is so contageous.

When he smiles, everything around me seems to slow down. The business of everyday life changes to a moment worth savoring, and the stress of the previous moments just slips away. I realize that my children are the most important task at hand, and that there really isn't anything else I want to be spending my time on. I understand the innocence of my children and want to help fix the little mistakes that happen intead of being upset with them or wanting to hand out punnishments. Eli, you have saved your siblings from the wrath of Mom more than once!

I have delayed putting pictures of him on my blog because my humble photography skills just can't do his cuteness justice! Here he is, three months old. My darling little boy.

A New President

2008-11-06T12:33:00.002-07:00

Well, kids are smarter these days. And informed. We don't talk much about politics at our house (it makes me break out into a rash), so our kids haven't been exposed to much of it. Or so I thought. I went to vote early last week, and proudly wore my "I VOTED" sticker home. The kids don't miss a thing. Here's how one conversation went.

Jackson: Mom, why are you wearing that sticker?
Me: I voted today.
Jackson: Why?
Me: It's time to elect a new president. Of the United States. (I felt I needed to add this b/c in our house, a reference to "president" could be the president of the Church - the prophet.)
Jackson: (with a worried look) Why?? Did President Bushman die?!

On Election day, the questions and comments continued. I'm sad that I didn't write them all down cuz they were hilarious. Jordan was pretty excited about the whole thing.

Jordan: I'll be 11 next time we vote for a president.

The morning after elections, Jordan practically pops out of bed with his question:

Jordan: Who won???
Me: Obama.
Jordan: How do you know?
Me: (I show him the newspaper.)
Jordan: Oh, man! I wanted the OTHER guy!
Jackson: Me too! I wanted John McCain.
Me: You guys know who they are?
Jordan: Yeah. Most of the class wanted the other guy.

Then at dinner:

Jackson: Dad, Matthew said Obama wants EVERY day to be a school day except Sunday. Is that true?
Cannon: No. (It takes a minute to convince all the kids that they will NOT be going to school on Saturdays any time soon. Apparently, they had been pretty worried about this.)
Jackson: Tatum said Obama doesn't care if you kill babies. Is that true?
Cannon: (His eyes are popping out of head, and he sputters as he tries to come up with an answer! He never really came up with one. I filled in.)

Hmm. I think the boys are growing up fast. I'm going to have to start answering the hard questions!

Still Two

2008-11-01T15:53:00.005-06:00

Don't you love two-year-olds? That is, when they're not driving you CRAZY! Of course, I'm always patient with Tanner. Oh, I do try, anyway!

I love his talking now. He is a little chatterbox and is so good at communicating with us. He has so much to say, but it is very difficult to understand most of it. I've got a pretty good handle on Tanner-ese, but I usually have to do the translating for other people. It's so cute when we can't understand what he's saying; he is confident that he knows what he's talking about and patiently repeats himself (over and over) until we understand him. We will guess what he's saying and he responds with a clipped, "no" or, "yeah" or,"YES!"

Last week, it took me three days to figure out that he had a new phrase for "lunch time." It didn't sound ANYTHING like "lunch time!" So I worked with him to make at least one or two of the right sounds so that we can tell what it is he's trying to say. He's adamant, though - he won't change his dubious pronunciation. I took a video:

Mantua SPOOKTACULAR 5K and 1K Runs

2008-10-27T20:14:00.003-06:00

My cute, strong, athletic hubby took THIRD place in the Mantua (man too AY) halloween run on Saturday. See the three fingers? =) He ran his race while the kids and I waited, then he took the three oldest kids to run a 1K. They are all so FAST. At least, that's what Tanner kept telling me. Here they are stretching.

Here is cute Jordan. He managed to even give me a good wave as he sped past Tanner and I.

Here is Jackson as he whizzed past.

Look at him. Can you believe we didn't let Tanner run too?? What were we thinking? He managed to be a very supportive spectator once he stopped crying about being left behind. He told me how FAST they all were.

Here's Sydney showing off her prize. The kids each came home with a big Halloween tote, a whole box of Lofthouse cookies (yum), a big ol' gatorade, and some halloween candy. Score.

We like this tradition. Mantua is just over the mountain from us - very close. We'll be there next year!

GFCF Halloween!

2008-10-23T10:25:00.004-06:00

This time of year is so stressful for moms of kids with food "issues." Everywhere you turn, someone is trying to give your kids something yummy to eat. Our society is so FOOD centered, that when someone is trying to make a child happy the first thing they think to do is give them cookies or candy. So sad. Not only does this make my kids crazy, but they usually can't have the food that other people give them anyway, because they can't have gluten or casein (dairy). We are VERY strict with Jackson and Jordan -- there is a zero tolerance level for their dietary restrictions. Tanner is on is way to being free of food allergies (he can now eat eggs and dairy when they are an ingredient in baked foods - and he has no problem with gluten), and Sydney is proud to be able to eat anything she wants (as long as her grumpy mom lets her!)

Usually at Halloween time I scour the isles at the store to see what I could buy for my kids, then don't buy much at all because even if they CAN eat it, that doesn't mean they SHOULD. I buy enough so that they can have substitutes for the treats kids are eating at their school parties. Then for trick-or-treating, I buy something non-edible. For the last couple of years we passed out glow bracelets. Way fun. Then when the kids went trick-or-treating, they brought home all their goodies, I sorted it with them and told them what they were allowed to eat based on their dietary restrictions. They got to eat a bunch before going to bed, and save a little in a baggie to put in lunch boxes for a week or so. Then Halloween candy was done! I saved all the good stuff (candy bars!!) and ate it myself over the next few weeks.

THIS year, I gave in and bought real candy. But all of it is GFCF (gluten-free, casein-free). And I'm pretty disappointed that I won't be able to confiscate the chocolate for myself this year. As a nursing mommy, I am on a no dairy diet myself!!

So here is my list of GFCF candy that everyone in our family can eat. Except Eli, of course. But he gets his later. . .

Starburst Fruit Chews - The original fruit chews, others may or may not be GFCF.
Skittles - same as above. both Starburst and Skittles have cream varieties that are not CF.
Lollipops - DumDums and Charms are GFCF, as are most lollipops that do not have a cream component in them. Tootsie Pops are a definite no no here!!!
Sweet Tarts
Spree
Smarties - Note that the Smarties necklaces reportedly contain gluten.
NECCO Wafers
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy
Gobstoppers
Bottle Caps
Pixy Sticks
Nerds
Runts
Gum - Double-Bubble, Wrigleys, Trident (NOTE: read labels and watch out for Recaldent, a casein derivative, in some gums)
Mike and Ike
Haribo Gummy Bears
Jelly Beans - Starburst, SOME Jelly Belly, Jolly Rancher, Mars
ACT II Popcorn Balls
Mary Jane's
Candy Corn and Candy Pumpkin - most of these are GFCF, but we have seen some that are not.

Now, take a look at this list. It's all sugar! My kids will be crazy for a while.

Hey here's an opportunity for one of you: come hang out with us on halloween, and you could win the grand prize of leftover chocolate!

Thanks to THOMAS (http://gfcfexperience.blogspot.com/) for listing GFCF halloween candy. See his blog for other GFCF entries and some yummy recipes!

Tag

2008-10-14T15:19:00.008-06:00

What a fun tag from Channing. It's nice to get insight into the brains of those kiddos.

1. What does mom always say to you?
Jackson: After I get something out in my room I should put it away.
Jordan: I love you?
Sydney: I don't know.

2. What makes mom happy?
Jackson: If I obey her.
Jordan: When I do what you tell me to do.
Sydney: My smile.

3. What makes mom sad?
Jackson: If I don't obey her.
Jordan: When I don't listen.
Sydney: When I don't hurry.

4. How does mom make you laugh?
Jackson: If she tells me a joke.
Jordan: When you tickle me.
Sydney: I don't know.

5. How old is mom?
Jackson: Hmm. Uh, 32?
Jordan: Hmm. 32.
Sydney: Uh, hmm. 31.

6. How tall is mom?
Jackson: I don't know.
Jordan: 30 inches.
Sydney: I don't know.

7. What does mom like to do?
Jackson: I don't know.
Jordan: Read books and write on the computer.
Sydney: She likes to be happy.

8. What is mom's job?
Jackson: To be a mom.
Jordan: Taking care of Tanner and Eli
Sydney: To stay home and take care of Eli.

9. What is mom's favorite food?
Jackson: Steak.
Jordan: I know what it tastes like, but I can't remember what it's called. It's brown. Oh! It's steak!
Sydney: Burritos.

10. How do you know your mom loves you?
Jackson: Because she does nice things.
Jordan: Because she hugs me sometimes.
Sydney: Because you hug me and kiss me.

General Conference Activity Packets

2008-09-30T11:05:00.003-06:00

General conference time -- yay! I love that in Utah you can just turn on the TV to watch conference. Problem is, we live on a mountainside and can't get any TV reception! Well, I also love that we can watch conference on the internet! Right in our own living room. Anybody have ideas on how to get the volume higher on my laptop? I can't figure out how to attach speakers. . .

Last conference we printed out these activity packets for the kids and they LOVED them. Everyone was so reverent that I actually was able to LISTEN. =) Try them out!

October Conference Packet - Upload a Document to Scribd

The SECOND First Day of School

2008-09-29T12:14:00.003-06:00

Sydney is a little smartie. We have all known that for a while. She spent the summer reading chapter books. She says Jordan taught her how to read, but she taught herself how to read chapter books! When I need a break from little toddler Tanner, I tell him to take a book to Sydney, and she reads to him. She'll keep reading to him until he runs out of books to bring her!

Sydney loves school. She came home from the first day of kindergarten just glowing. She loves her teacher, her new friends, the bus - all of it. Around the third day of school I asked her a question, and her answer cracked me up.

"Did you learn anything today?"

"Yeah. We learned a new letter. But I already knew it."

"What letter did you learn?"

"Little m." Sigh.

I think she was disappointed that there were no new letters to be learned in kindergarten. Too bad they use the same alphabet in kindergarten that they use in preschool! 26 letters just isn't enough for Sydney.

Anyway, after a couple of weeks of research, meetings, testing (which, of course, she loved), and pondering, we moved her up to first grade. She is now in Mrs. Christensen's class (which, again, she is loving!)

Tanner and Sydney loved the whole first-day-of-school-photo-session thing all over again. This time, I told Tanner ahead of time that he was NOT getting on the bus. Things were much smoother this time around.

Another cool thing about first grade -- you get to eat lunch AT SCHOOL! Sydney was thrilled. I got a bill from the cafeteria. But Sydney takes her lunch! Apparently someone showed her the a la carte section. She's been loving it.

How to be popular

2008-09-26T13:33:00.006-06:00

All you have to do (at least, if you're in second grade) is break your arm, get a cast, and let everyone sign it. For two days in a row now, we've had neighborhood girls knocking on our door wanting to tell Jackson how sorry they are that he broke his arm, and, of course, wanting to sign his cast.

Jackson broke his right arm when he fell down at recess a couple of days ago. He was soooo brave and tough about the whole thing. I probably wouldn't have taken him right in to see the doctor if I hadn't noticed his forearm sagging a bit strangely, because he didn't complain AT ALL. When the doctor examined his arm before taking x-rays, he asked Jackson to show him where it hurt, and Jackson pointed to where the doctor was holding his arm; the break was no where near there. Befor visiting the doctor, he calmly waited a couple of hours at home, ate lunch, did his homewrk with his left hand, and (see picture) enjoyed his time waiting at the doctor's office because he got to read.

Here he is waiting to get the x-ray. When I got out the camera, he said, "Do I have to smile?" Heh-heh. He was a good sport. He didn't even complain when the x-ray tech made him move his arm around to different angles for the shot. Did this NOT hurt or something??

Apparently, the break was a bit too much for our family practice doctor to handle, so he sent us next door to the orthopedic clinic to see a member of our former bishopric, Dr. Sumko.

On the left is the first set of x-rays. Even I can see THIS broken bone! On the right is the second set of x-rays, taken after the cast was put on. The doctor put the cast on, then molded the cast and set the bone at the same time. Ouch! He asked Jackson if he wanted a shot first so it wouldn't hurt so much, but Jackson declined. And he didn't even flinch when the doctor set the bone!!!! He must be super-human. Perhaps you can see in the second set of films that the bone didn't get set quite all the way. So we had to take off the first cast and try again.
This time when I got out the camera, Jackson decided he WANTED to smile for me. The thing is, while Jackson is smiling for the camera, the doctor is TOTURING Jackson by pressing on his break to set it (for the second time). Jackson hardly seems to notice pain, I guess. Here's the strange part. You know those little saws they use to cut off the cast? When the doctor used that on the first cast, Jackson fell apart and all but screamed in agony. But as far as I can tell, the saw never even touched his skin.

So here is cute Jackson with his new pal whose name is Slim. Slim matches the cast and likes to eat candy from doctors' offices.

And Jordan just keeps saying, "I wish I had a cast!"

Blessing Day

2008-09-17T09:51:00.004-06:00

This Sunday we blessed Eli. We had a lot of family in town. =) Here is Eli with Grandpa Jon. Grandma Laree is watching with love from above.

Eli with Grandma and Grandpa Neslen

Tanner LOVES his Grandpas and manages to be held by them whenever they are around. Of course, he loves sunglasses too!

We managed to finally get a picture of our family together. That's kinda rough. In this picture, Tanner is holding a chunk of Jackson's hair, and Jackson about to start screaming. Jordan is laughing about something, and Mom is wishing we had done this BEFORE afternoon church.

Tanner always asks to, "hoad Ee-eye!"

Beautiful new blanket, compliments of Rynell. Thank you, Rynell!! You have a mean crochet stitch! (that means it's beautiful, btw)

Peach Days

2008-09-17T09:41:00.004-06:00

I couldn't resist posting some of these pictures!

I'm getting behind! First day of School

2008-09-17T09:29:00.003-06:00

The twins have made it to SECOND grade! Wahoo! That means a new school, and they ride the bus with the big kids. They are still in separate classes, but they ride the bus together, eat lunch together, and play outside together. Being a twin definitely has its advantages.

Sydney is in KINDERGARTEN!! My girl is all grown up! She's been ready to go to school for like three years now! She's been standing out at the bus stop since the boys started school, so sometimes I forget that she's never been able to actually RIDE the bus. She is overjoyed to be going to school! Sometimes she is sad that she still doesn't have much homework.

Tanner insisted on coming out to the bus stop too, and he usually wears his backpack when he comes. Somehow, I didn't realize on the first day that he thought HE was going to school too! He was already on the bus before I realized what was happening! I was still recovering from a c-section, so I had a hard time catching up with him and getting him off the bus. He talks about the big kids and the bus all day long now, and plays with his toy bus a lot. Only three more years to go. . .

Labor Day Get-Away

2008-09-15T22:04:00.003-06:00

So, I'm a little behind posting. I don't think I should even use the excuse that I just had a baby. That's just how I work. A little behind. Anyway, with a brand new baby over the Labor Day weekend, I opted out of our family tradition of CAMPING. Undaunted, Cannon carried on without me and took four kids up to the Uintahs for some good ol' outdoor fun. They planned to camp from Friday to Monday, but since it rained and SNOWED, they decided it might actually be more fun at home for the last day and a half. I was happy to have them back.

Here is the happy clan packed into the van. Look how clean everyone (and everything!) is.

One of the MUSTS of any outdoor fun. Water. The muddier, the better.

At least we remembered the backpack for this hike. At 35 pounds, Tanner gave Cannon quite a workout!

What can I say?! CUTE!!!

And now they return. Tired and dirty. Notice the tent which is just thrown in there. Wet. We had 45 minutes to unload and bathe and feed the gang before church. Try that trick sometime.

Eli and I enjoyed the quiet weekend. But we were glad for the company when everyone came home. Next year, we'll be there.

What did your family do for the holiday?

Tag, you're it!

2008-08-21T21:50:00.001-06:00

MEMORY GAME

1. As a comment on this post, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

And if you're just a "lurker" that I don't know very well, please use this as an excuse to comment and say hello!

Eli Clark Neslen

2008-08-17T18:30:00.006-06:00

Here's our new little angel.

Eli Clark Neslen

August 11, 2008

7:32 am

8 pounds, 7 ounces

20 1/2 inches

So, we had a baby! Monday morning surgery, just like we scheduled! We actually thought we might be going early after I had contractions all evening and night on Saturday night. Also Sunday morning. I skipped church, hoping to keep this baby inside for another day, and it seemed to work. Contractions slowed way down Sunday afternoon. That night I woke up at about 2 am with HARD contractions 2-3 minutes apart, and decided it was time to go to the hospital. We got up and showered and packed and were checked into labor and delivery by 3:30 in the morning. Only two hours earlier than we were supposed to be there anyway. Contractions slowed down once we got all hooked up to monitors though. Doesn't that always happen? I swear they were real! It hurt so bad I threw up! Anyway, surgery by 7:00, baby by 7:32. Yay!

I have a tradition of writing a letter to my new baby soon after they are born. Here's an excerpt from my letter to Eli:

The surgery went very well. I was awake and alert for the whole c-section, and Cannon was there for the whole thing. Dr. Starr had estimated your weight to be 9 1/2 pounds, but had difficulty estimating because of the amount of extra amniotic fluid I was carrying. He was wrong by over a pound! during the surgery, Dr. Hess (the anaesthesiologist) said, "Wow, I haven't seen that many waters in -- years!" We made quite a mess in the OR. As soon as you were
out I heard you crying. Then they brought you to rest on my chest where I could hold before you even had a bath. You were the first of all my babies that I was able to hold immediately after delivery! I loved it!!
You are my fifth baby, and many things about my pregnancy and delivery were "old hat" to me. I knew what to expect almost every step of the way with you. But I was not considering nor expecting the feelings I had when I first heard your cries. My heart jumped when I heard you and I was so amazed and awed that I had just given birth to another human being! When they laid you on my chest I thought my heart would burst with joy and gratitude! In an instant all of the pain and difficulties of the last nine months had vanished, and I knew that one of the most incredible, amazing, miraculous, and life-changing moments had just
occurred to me.
I spent the next three days in the hospital recuperating. Oh, I hurt. But really, that time was spent just revelling in the newness and excitement that you brought. We had many visitors and a lot of help from the nurses, but it felt like it was just you, me, and your daddy just being together. It was heavenly.

Cannon still dressed in his scrubs. Eli still testing out his lungs!

My sister, Andrea stayed with the other kids while we were in the hospital. She brought the gang over for a peek at their new brother. Tanner refused the hospital gown, but I think they were adorable.

Me. With a NEW, adorable baby!

My NEW, adorable baby!

This is us leaving the hospital after three days and three (and a half) nights.

FINALLY. . .

2008-08-04T14:04:00.002-06:00

Only one week left!!

I have an OR time scheduled, with doctors at the standby. C-section scheduled for 7:30 am, Monday, August 11. Ahhhh. I love having something firm I can write on my calendar!!!

So, I found a trick for going a few days earlier than the doctor suggests. I requested a specific anathesiologist (the most experienced and highly respected), and so we have to work around the summer schedules of two doctors. The anathesiologist will do my surgery right before he leaves to go to Lake Powell for a week. Nice.

Brave Daddy

2008-08-01T11:28:00.003-06:00

Cannon has always been brave when it comes to taking children places. He loves to go to pro and college sports games, and for that matter, so do I. But once we started having kids, I began to beg off. Because I don't really want to go and hold children or dodge tantrums or be a mom while enjoying being at the game with my husband. So I guess I told him he had to make a choice if he goes to a game. Either the children or me. And I'm happy to stay home to save the babysitter expenses for another time while he takes the kids on an outing. He is a pro at finding free or reduced tickets so that there is no pressure to stay for the whole game. That way, he's okay leaving when the kids have had it. What a great way for the kids to spend time with Daddy.

Here they are at the Raptors game they saw in Ogden. I love the second picture where Cannon is smiling and Tanner is not. I certainly didn't say, "I told you so," but that expression just reminded me why I stayed home.

Trip to Washington

2008-07-30T13:07:00.004-06:00

A friend once explained to me that the difference between a "trip" and a "vacation" was whether or not you had kids with you. =) Haha. I agree. No matter how much fun it really is, it's still categorized differently when you have a gaggle of people to feed, clothe, bathe, and keep comfortable while away from the comforts of home. I will now add to this definition. It's definitely a "trip" if you are eight months pregnant. No way around it.

That said, we had a blast on our trip to Washington a week (or so!) ago! We gathered with all of Cannon's siblings and their families along with his parents. It was a long way to go for most of us, but it was so fun to be in the NorthWest and to see such wonderful people and hang out with them.

We all moved into two rental houses in Sequim, Washington (pronounced squim -- I love it!) and did a lot of sight-seeing in the area. We drove right past our very first real house in Poulsbo too, and were shocked to find it painted PINK!

Here are some picture highlights.

Sydney at the beach. The Dungeoness (sp??) Spit. A little chilly for a swim!

Rebecca, Timothy, Tanner, and Valerie. Hiking back up from the beach. Tanner hiked in and out without being held at all. That was over a mile round trip.

Some cousins on their hike at Hurricane Ridge in Olympus National Forest. This is a tall mountain! Colby, Timothy, Jackson, Jordan, and Madeline.

Cannon and the kids at the top of the Hurricae Ridge Hike. I think the mountain air was kind of getting to them. Notice -- no Valerie. I stayed in the car and read my book! Very relaxing. . . This was just before Tanner fell and got a nice puncture wound on his forehead. He's trying to be like his brother Jordan and is already collecting head scars.

Sydney with her cousin Madeline. They are a year apart age-wise, but with mostly boy cousins everywhere, these two stuck together for the whole reunion.

At another beach -- the kids had a blast looking at and also playing with the wildlife they found in the tide pools. With the help of older cousins and uncles, they made a fortress for the crabs they collected. The little kids just squealed every few minutes. Hilarious.

Logan and Tanner digging in the mud at the beach. All you need is dirt, water and sticks to make little boys happy! Notice the tape on Tanner's forehead -- we were trying to keep his new wound clean!

Valerie and the kids on the ferry back to Seattle. The kids were thrilled to ride the ferry, Valerie was not. Tanner wanted to stay on the (freezing cold and windy) deck the whole time and had his two-year-old tantrum when he got out-voted. Valerie was feeling very much like she wasn't in Utah in the land of large families as she realized how things looked. Three thrilled (not quietly) children climbing over furniture to get a better look out the windows to see the water. One VERY loud fussy toddler. One very LARGE tummy proving that number five is on the way. I decided to wait out the rest of the voyage safely out of sight in our car down below.

Sydney was kind enough to take a picture of my tummy when we got back. No wonder my back hurt the whole trip. This is me at 34 weeks pregnant. Yikes.

We had so much fun with cousins and family. We even stopped by my college roommate's farm in Mattawa, WA to see her family. What a blast. Sorry there are no pictures. I was too tired to find the camera. But, just believe me -- all of it was tons of fun!!!

Yellowstone!

2008-07-24T12:02:00.007-06:00

So, we finally made it to Yellowstone. This was actually three weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to posting pictures. FUN time!

My dad drove his monster RV up from AZ and saved his pregnant daughter from having to sleep in a tent. My hero! He also pulled his motorcycle along so that he could tour the park in style!

The kids liked roasting marshmallows better than just about anything else we did. Sydney and Jackson worked on their roasting techiniques (and did very well!) while Jordan sucked up a bit to his cousins to get his roasted to perfection.
Tanner loved the hikes, marshmallows and attention from older cousins. Plus, he LOVED having "Gampa" nearby so much.
The three older kids worked hard and earned their "Jr. Ranger" badges. We're very proud of them.

Big Baby

2008-07-10T09:27:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure if this title refers to me or to the little alien squishing my lungs, but it could be either. Ultrasound last week (at 33 weeks) showed a HUGE baby!! Already over 6 pounds, with seven weeks to go. Oh, mama. And I just compain all day now. I hurt. This baby better be worth it. (I'm going to write all about my dislike of pregnancy in my journal just so I can show him in ten years. Then he can see how much I really love him - even before I knew his name.)

A very good chiropractor just moved into our ward and just around the corner from our house. Turns out, chiropractors can REALLY help! I have always had back problems and I have always had trust issues when it comes to chiropractors (long story). But now I'm a believer! And I'm a believer in maternity belts (they do enough to stop silly, unwanted contractions for me), and I'm a believer in small babies, born one at a time. (You can see I've already forgotten, somewhat, the horrible morning sickness and bedrest that comes at the beginning of the pregnancy.)

Anyway, the doctor did tests checking to see that my blood sugar really has been low like I've been claiming (I have gestational diabetes and have to check my blood sugar after meals). High blood sugar could be the cause of the size of my baby and the cute fat rolls we saw on his neck, but it looks like I have had sugar levels under control. Now he says maybe this is just a big baby and his growth will level out before his birth! Oh, I hope so. We have a c-section scheduled for Aug 15. (It's wonderful to have a set date -- it makes me feel so much better to know what's coming and when.)

The old ladies at church shake their heads when they see me and tell me I look like I'm going to pop. The younger ladies tell me I look cute pregnant (what does that mean??? I say that to people too, and I don't even know what it means.) What I think is this -- I can't wait to have a newborn that keeps me up all night. That's probably the reason Heavenly Father makes my pregnancies miserable; so I love, love, love it when the baby is born!!!

p.s. This poor little boy still has no name!! I welcome suggestions, although I'm so contrary right now that I doubt I will like any of them. I'll probably have to wait to name him after he is born so that I'm happy that I'm not pregnant anymore!

Tour de Cure

2008-06-18T20:22:00.003-06:00

Cannon has been itching to go biking through the canyons here ever since we moved to the mouth of Sardine Canyon. Personally, I don't understand the draw of biking somewhere so STEEP and UPHILL. Plus, you use the same roads as the crazy auto drivers. And eventually, you have to go back DOWNHILL. Yikes.

Well, he finally found some time over the last two months to do some day-time bike training. Didn't do as much canyon biking as he probably would have liked, but he got into good enough shape to ride in the Tour de Cure on Saturday. It was 60 miles (although they mistakenly added almost 10 more), and orginated and ended in Brigham City. Up until that day, the farthest he had biked was 40 miles. That was Thursday. Needless to say, he was tuckered out by the time he finished!

I'm proud of him. He's on the lookout for more races to be involved in. Maybe a triathelon or something.

Here he is in his ATK (work) team jersey.

It's been Father's Day for a month!

2008-06-17T10:39:00.004-06:00

Jackson and Jordan have been so into creating lately. Especially Jackson. He started making Father's Day gifts as soon as Mother's Day was over! That gave him plenty of time to make his many creations. Here's my favorite. I'm not even sure what's inside this envelope, but he made it two weeks early and put it on Cannon's pillow.

Here's the translation for those unaccustomed to reading the handwriting of a first-grader, "Dear Daddy, In this envelope is something for Father's Day but don't open it this minute or you will get in trouble. Love Jackson"

Here's my favorite picture by Jordan (he made a whole book, but this was the cover letter).

Translation. Dear Daddy, and a picture of Daddy. My family, with a picture of us. The two brown ones in the middle are Tanner, who is crying (notice the angry eyes) and Jordan, who is giving Tanner his blankie. (One of the other kids also drew a picture of the family, in which Tanner was also crying. Describes our new two-year-old perfectly.) Then a picture of What I did Today. Can't remember what that one is about. Then The Pet I Wish I Had. The kids have been working on the pet thing for a while. It'll never happen. But it was a good idea to send the message through while Dad is so happy with his kids! I love you. From Me. And a picture of Jordan. He's brown because that's his current favorite color.

Here is Sydney presenting her coupon book to Daddy. So cute in the morning, aren't they??

Then, as a special treat for Tanner (at least that's what Tanner thinks), my Dad stayed with us for the weekend. Tanner is "Gampa's" shadow.

We had a BBQ that evening with some of my siblings, and we all had a fun time and ate good food. Mmmmm.

Here's Rodney. Paul and me. Cute Tanner.

I love you, Cannon!!!

Soccer Mom

2008-05-27T10:46:00.005-06:00

Not sure I deserve the title, because, honestly, I'm a grouch when I have to get everybody ready for soccer games Saturday mornings. Find all the shirts, shin guards, cleats, and water bottles. Then get everyone IN the car, to the field on time. Lug all the water bottles, snacks and folding chairs, keep Tanner off the field and away from everyone else's balls, water bottles and snacks. Watch the game - with interest, of course. Gather everyone up, along with said water bottles, snacks, and folding chairs, to get the the NEXT game on time, and repeat the whole thing. Keeping a toddler happy the whole time. I love soccer - but not all the STUFF involved in getting there and back!

We had a great season, though. This was season #2 for the twins. They have improved leaps and bounds! Last year, the goal was to keep them AWARE of where the ball was, and maybe kick it once or twice in the game. We were lucky if they kicked it in the right direction. By the beginning of this season, they at least understood the whole "our team needs to score in that goal" concept, but how to do that was beyond them. Their coach put them on defense as full backs and showed them where to stand, then they stood in the same place all game and watched it pass them by! By the end of the season, they had figured out when and how to move around the field while still defending the goal. They were getting pretty agressive and paid attention the whole game. It was so fun! I loved watching them get excited when the ball came to their side of the field. They would jump up and down as it came closer. Loved it! Check this out. Jordan in number 11, Jackson is 5. They are wearing black shorts, and you can identify them by the jumping and windmills arms. Their grandma is cheering them on.

Sydney played her first season. They played 3 on 3 with no goalie. She's a little athlete! She jumped right in a scored three goals her first game! She was fast (at least the first half) and pretty agressive. She had a ton of fun, mostly.

I think her favorite part was watering the grass with her water bottle.

Well, who doesn't love the water bottles and snacks when you play soccer?

Mother's Day (only a little late!)

2008-05-27T10:41:00.002-06:00

I had to add this picture, even though this was weeks ago. Jackson and Jordan plotted for days, no, weeks, to plan my mother's day! Their idea was sooo cute! They made me a fruit sculpture. They (with Dad's help) made a pineapple into a couch, then made little fruit people to sit on the couch. So cute! I loved it!!!!

Tanner's 2!

2008-05-24T20:05:00.004-06:00

He's so cute. Adorable. And now he has the age to describe what his personality has been for months. He's 2. I can't say Terrible Two's, because he's just too darn cute to deserve that. But he really keeps me moving to keep up with him. He's so different than the other kids were at his age. He totally cracks me up one minute, then exasperates and exhausts me the next. He has been saying, "Daddy" very clearly for forever now, but just barely started to ask for me. It sounds like "ba-ba". He loves to read books, and even reads the paper when I'm done with it most days. He eats a ton, and asks for bread ("ba"), crackers ("ca-cah"), or snack ("snack") constantly.

Here is his cake.

I know, kind of boring. This is actually the second cake I made for him. He's still allergic to milk and eggs, and while I've figured out how to avoid milk pretty well, I had a hard time making a cake with the egg substitute. The first one just fell apart, and the second one was well on it's way to doing the same thing when I decided to just leave it in the pan and frost it right in the pan! It looked kind of sad. But the poor guy had so many food problems on his last birthday that he didn't even have a cake at all! So this is progress!

He LOVED his Geotrax train set that he got for his birthday. He's such a boy. Cars and trains fascinate him.

He is also graduating to a toddler bed from the crib. This kills me. I wish I could keep them in cribs until they are 10! But he will soon be sharing a room with his baby brother, and we must make room. So far, after four days, it looks like we'll have a smooth transition! (Please keep your fingers crossed!)

So, happy birthday, cutie! And PLEASE don't grow up too fast!

Singing Chameleons

2008-05-22T14:52:00.004-06:00

Okay, I've been away from blogs for a long time! That's actually good news. I am now well into my second trimester (wait - I think I'm actually starting my third), and I've felt so good that I've been working on other things that missed my attention during my nausea-filled first trimester!

The kids were involved a play last week put on by Missoula Children's Theater. They audition on Monday, practice all week, then perform on Friday and Saturday. Somehow (I think I was tricked), I ended up having a part in the play too, so it was a family affair. the play was Robinson Crusoe (loosely based, at best) and Jackson, Jordan, and Sydney were Chameleons. I was Mrs. Crusoe. They did some hilarious dances, and I think Sydney stole the show with her dancing. She even turned around and shook her tail at the audience a few times. The twins were pretty amazing too. Here's a clip. I don't think this one really does them justice - it's at rehearsal, but you can get an idea.

Auditions.

I'm glad it's over. The kids are dying to get the DVD we ordered.

Boy or Girl - Can you tell??

2008-04-10T18:26:00.004-06:00

so, here is a picture and a clip of our ultrasound today. Can you tell whether it's a boy or a girl?? =)

Here he is waving!

Home at last!

2008-04-10T13:21:00.003-06:00

Yay! After two weeks of out-to-sea, Cannon is home again!

I know it's kind of wimpy to miss him so much when he was only gone for two weeks, but I guess this just reminds me how much I appreciate civilian life! I've been scrapbooking pictures we took years ago, and remembering what it was like to have him gone, with no contact, for months at a time. The navy is great and all, but it's nice to have Daddy home!

It was fun to see how Tanner reacted to having him gone and then home again. After a few days with Daddy being gone, he stopped asking for him every five minutes. Now he's back at it. From the moment I get him out of bed in the morning, he asks for Daddy!

The older kids had a chance to try their hand at email while he was gone. Their first attempts! So fun. Although, I admit I almost lost it after teaching all three of them how to use the shift button (either I'm a terrible teacher when it comes to electronics, or the whole shift key concept is really tough!!)

So, yay! My honey is home!

American Academy of Pediatrics and Autism

2008-04-03T13:02:00.002-06:00

Wow! I'm so excited I can barely even think of what to write here!

As a mother of autistic children, I have spent many, many hours researching treatment alternatives for this disease. I have spent countless hours with my own children trying to find treatments, both bio-medical and behavioral, which would make a difference to them. I have learned, I have worried, I have worked, I have cried, I have rejoiced, and in a small way, I have triumphed. (Come visit my beautiful twins and you will understand my triumph!!)

Through the anecdotal information I found online from other moms, and from "fringe" group websites, I have found several ways to help my children, and I have offered support to dozens of other moms looking for ways to help their own children. You're probably thinking, hm, isn't autism a pretty common problem today? Shouldn't you be trusting your doctor to help your children rather than strangers you happen to find online?

It's true. I SHOULD be able to trust my doctor to help us. But it doesn't work that way. While Utah (and the rest of the world!!) has extremely high incidence rates of autism (1 in 133 people is conservative), there is an extremely LOW incidence of doctors who even understand what autism is. Research is sadly lacking in this area, and to my knowledge, there is currently only ONE recognized method of therapy for autism which is considered "main-stream" and therefore covered by SOME insurance companies. It is ABA therapy, and while I won't go into details, involves 40+ hours of weekly one-on-one behavioral modification therapy. Insurance companies only pay for treatment by licensed ABA therapists. Last time I checked (a couple of years ago) there were only a handful (less than 10) of these in the country. It is restrictively expensive without insurance. This is the help offered by modern medicine.

On the other hand, parent advocacy groups are exploding around Europe and North America, and action is being taken. Research has begun, and dozens of treatment methods are being identified and offered through these groups. Several celebrities have children with autism, and are helping the cause with money and publicity. There are so many treatments available, that parents have a lot of work to do to sift through the offerings to understand what is potentially helpful to their children, and what is really just "fringe" stuff. Well, it is ALL considered alternative medicine, so how can you know what is safe, and what is just out there to trap hopeful parents? There has emerged a sort of "mainstream" from the methods of alternative medicine. This gives so many parents a place to start.

There are so many children who have benefited from these treatments. Where is the federal research to back it up? They're working on it. While the funding for this research is far from what it needs to be, at least it is coming. In the mean time, there are still no treatments for this epidemic which are offered by conventional medicine.

Recently, I was ecstatic when I heard that the American Academy of Pediatrics released a statement recanting a previous statement they had made. The gist of it was that they no longer felt that diet had no effect on the hyperactivity and ADD/ADHD symptoms in children. This was a HUGE step for them to take! They are behind the curve by a few years - Europe has laws in place already which protect children in this area. But I was so excited to hear that we are moving in the right direction.

Last month the Supreme Court awarded the plaintiff in a case against a pharmaceutical company charged with causing their child's autism through vaccinations. This was a HUGE breakthrough for parents who feel the need to hold companies accountable for harming our children when they do indeed have information which suggest that their products might not be safe. This opened the door for parents who want to protect their children!

Then today I read something which actually made me cry. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/GFCFKids/message/318669

The American Academy of Pediatrics is sending representatives to meet with leaders in the "alternative medicine" community of autism treatments. They want to study the treatments and see for themselves what is happening. Could they possibly commit to learning the treatments that have worked for thousands of families already, and make them available for families who go their doctor seeking help?? There are so many parents today who are lost and flailing as they try to help their children. This could be what makes a difference to those children who have the potential to be great, but are mired down by that thing called autism.

I was intending to post a very short, happy blog with a link to the above mentioned article, but as you can see, I got carried away. I only wrote the bare minimum to get my excitement across! I think I could talk or write about this forever. Anyway, good things are happening!

Our Strength/Our Weakness

2008-03-31T21:19:00.003-06:00

I took Sydney and Tanner to the twins' school for a special lunch. Everybody had a ball. Even Tanner had a blast eating lunch in the cafeteria! After that, we went to Jordan's classroom and he showed us around. In a matter of seconds, all four of my children made it to the far corner of the room. The Reading Corner. Then they parked, and prepared to stay there all day.

Of course, this is wonderful! Even little Tanner LOVES to read books. Jackson and Jordan would prefer to read books to just about anything. Sydney, still in preschool, now sits and reads chapter books to herself too. I LOVE that my children are enjoying something that I am passionate about! You can't go wrong with having a love for reading, right??

Well, I guess that depends on how important it is to do OTHER things too. Like housework. Or paying attention to one's children. I know you could never imagine ME ignoring all else in favor of a good book (ha ha) but it happens way too often. I think my children are learning a bit too much from me.

Jackson and Jordan each bring home at least one book, maybe up to three books home every day from school. As soon as they get home, they read their books, then read each other's books. Then, they re-read the best ones. And Sydney checks them out too to see which ones she wants to read. All reports say that the twins usually spend any play time at friends' houses reading their books. This happens every time unless I specifically forbid it ahead of time. Alas, it even happened to Sydney. She met a new friend last week and went to her house to play. I asked what she did when she got home and she told me she read her friend's books. Tanner goes beserk if someone happens to be reading his favorite book of the day. He gets very possesive of his books.

Is it our strength or our weakness? Still not sure, but at least we can all read as a family!

Yay! It's gone!

2008-03-27T16:04:00.000-06:00

So, Jordan came home without one of his teeth! It's about time!

Guess he has to write a note to the tooth fairy since he has nothing to put under his pillow.

Is there a time limit here?

2008-03-26T19:13:00.000-06:00

Hey, how long does it take for the loose tooth to fall out???? It's been over a month now, and Jordan's first loose tooth isn't much looser than it was when we discovered it! I'm beginning to think that the twins will be going into second grade before getting their first permanent teeth!

A good picture?

2008-03-25T13:21:00.000-06:00

Okay. I haven't figured it out yet. #1 The art of photography is beyond me. I think I'll take a photography class. But it will only help if I I figure out: #2 How do you get more than one child to sit still, look in the same direction, and have a least a mildly happy look on their faces??

Easter - everyone has new clothes, and they're happy. Good time for pictures, right? I think a little too much candy got us off to a bad start.

Tanner was goofy, and the twins couldn't calm down!

Hope you had a happy, and picture-ful Easter!!

Time for a hair cut??

2008-03-09T09:32:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure why Tanner (22 mos) decided to raid Sydney's hair drawer, but I'm wondering if this is his subtle way of telling us his hair is a little unruly right now. It's too hard to do without at least using a curling iron! heh-heh.

I LOOOOVE BIRTHDAYS!!!!

2008-03-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

8 is great!

Okay, now I totally remember how exciting things can be when you're a kid. The anticipation of . . . say, a birthday. Do you remember? My husband and sister put together a fun "Bowlympics" party for my leap year birthday and we had about 30 people come. The hour before the party, I actually had butterflies in my stomach! (That may just have been because I couldn't figure out if I should wear "regular" clothes, in which I look a little fat, or maternity clothes, in which I look a lot fat, but have a good reason to expect some understanding.)

So, for "Bowlympics" we used our own scorecards instead of the bowling alley's computers. Here's what they looked like:

There were prizes (bowling pin trophies) for each category, as well as for best overall. It was really funny to look down the row at the lanes who were in our party to see all the funny approaches and sound effects ("hut-hut-hike!") which weren't what you would expect to see at the bowling alley. Andrea, the inventor of "Bowlympics" came and whispered in my ear after the first few frames seemed to go well, "Valerie, I'm so glad you have fun friends. I was worried no one would want to do this!" In fact, I think most people got a kick out of letting go and being silly for a little while. Then for the second game, we bowled a regular game and saw who the "real" bowlers were.

Cannon is doing the "hut-hut-hike"

Valerie with "no approach" (also "no pins!")

Yummy German chocolate/Reese's Pieces birthday cake!

Then, we had another celebration with my cute kids. Jackson and Jordan usually don't get birthday cake since they can't eat gluten, so I had a gluten-free vanilla cake with coconut frosting.

Happy Birthday!

Sydney

I think this is Jordan's and Jackson's way of saying,
"love the cake, mom. oh, and happy birthday."

Pet Peeve

2008-02-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

So, I'm pretty much a live and let live kind of a girl. You do your thing, I do mine, and we all just do our best. It takes a lot to get me riled up (unless you are one of my children!)

That's why I was surprised at my reaction to something the other day. Total strangers did something, not even aimed at me (or at anyone, really) which had me steaming for a long time afterwards. It was last week and I'm still irritated about it. Want to know what they did??

They left their shopping carts between cars instead of putting them back in the cart return.

Argh! I hate that! It was raining/snowing at Costco, and all of my groceries were getting wet. My children were getting wet. My HAIR was getting wet. I think I was already cranky. In fact, this was like my first time going shopping since my morning sickness hit a couple of months ago. But, even though things were uncomfortable, would I have left my cart sitting in between a couple of parked cars where they could damage cars, create chaos for parking, and require some other human being to take care of what I was to lazy to do myself? No.

There were three adults with two carts. No kids to deal with. No disabilities that I could see. The cart return was actually pretty close by. I REALLY wanted to point this out to them, but my non-confrontational self stepped in and wouldn't let me. Then I REALLY wanted to offer to take their carts for them while me, my groceries and my children got wet, hoping that they could also tell that I was pregnant. But my rational self said that was a stupid idea.

I watched them drive off as I put everything into my car. I tried to glare at them, but still, that's too confrontational for me to handle. So I just steamed about all twenty minutes that it took me to drive home. Sad, huh?

It always bugs me to see the carts left everywhere. Especially with bad whether when they end up blowing all over the parking lot. I am always tempted to leave carts out myself, but I never do. No matter what children are crying in the car. No matter how wet I get. No matter how late I am. No matter how far away the cart return is (I try to park really close so I don't have to leave the kids alone while I'm taking it back) I always take it back. It's not that hard! One time, I was at Wal-mart and I decided that I was actually closer to the front doors than I was to any cartr returns (Wal-mart is the worst), so I took it to the front of the store. Before I made it inside, a manager stopped me with a very confused expression and asked what I was doing. I told him, and he just looked more confused. Then he smiled and said, "You're my new favorite customer!" Then he took my cart for me and told me to have a nice day!

And it wasn't that hard. I still want to tell those people that I for one, was not happy that they couldn't bother taking care of their own carts. I know, I shoudn't let a pet peeve bother me so much!

And other pet peeves out there?

Grown-up Wimpiness

2008-02-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Jordan has "show and teach" every now and then in his first grade classroom. He really digs it. It's probably the highlight of first grade, after pajama day. He's taught his class about seashells, submarines, and twins so far. What a blast! He practises at home so that his presentation is flawless. He loves getting up in front of everyone. I have been amazed at what a great job he does actually teaching about something. He must really pay attention to what teachers do.

Anyway, after President Hinckley passed away a few weeks ago, he decided he would teach about him next chance he got. When I explained to him that not everyone in his class believed that President Hinckly was a prophet, that didn't slow him down a bit. In fact, he decided he'd better change his topic to just teaching about the church. Cannon and I just listened to his ideas which we all forgot about until yesterday.

Jordan brought his note home saying that he was in charge of show and teach for Friday! Joy! Happy day! Jordan was so excited! When I asked him what he would teach about, his response was immediate: "The church!" Duh. He already told us that. I guess I wanted to be sure that it was his idea, and not mine. Why wouldn't I want to suggest such an idea?? Maybe because I'm a wimp and I worry about offending other people's first graders??

My husband and I exchanged glances, and he tried to talk Jordan into teaching about something else. Jordan was sure about his topic. Cannon and I tried to get each other to help Jordan (are we both wimps?) until finally Jordan sat down by himself with some paper and began to write out his presentation. He's so grown up.

He brought me his presentation, and I realized how wimpy I must be. Or maybe I just realized that Jordan is strong and true and not afraid of truth and right. He wrote about how we should keep the word of wisdom, and read the scriptures every night and go to church every Sunday. I told him that not everyone believes these things, so it might not be nice to tell them that they should do those things. He had such a sad expression as he looked up at me and said, "Should I say, 'can' instead?" I suggested that he tell people that these are things you should do if you do believe in our church.

He came back with revisions. Hi preface read, "If you believe me, here are the things you should do." What a little missionary!! So cute! We changed the "me" to "this church." He added a few more things, drew a beautiful "church" with angel Moroni at the top, and Jordan going inside.

He's so innocent and strong and so ready to choose the right. And he's right in wanting to share something he loves with his friends. Why is that so hard for me?? I know grown-ups are wimps, but hopefully I'll be able to learn from my kids. They're my best teachers.

Follow up: Jordan came to me last night and told me he knows what he wants to talk about at his next show and teach. "What?" I think, it can't be harder than the last one. "The Plan of Salvation," he says. Whoa. I tell him he can't teach that to 6- and 7-year olds. But I'm probably wrong. . . after all, he knows all about it!

Our First "Woose Tooth"

2008-02-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

An exciting discovery was made during breakfast this morning! Jordan who is almost seven, found his first loose tooth! Jackson and Jordan have both been patiently watching all their friends losing teeth, gaining new ones, losing more. . . I guess since they were so late getting teeth in the first place they're just on the slow track for the whole process.

Since I still have yucky morning sickness, I listened from my own room -- in bed. Jordan runs into my room:

"Mom, I have a surprise!"

"Wow, what is it?" Like I hadn't heard all the excitement already.

"I have a woose tooth!" We still have a hard time with those "L's".

"Really? Let's see." He shows me.

"This is so AMAZING!" He runs back to the kitchen, where Jackson and Sydney are checking for their own loose teeth and discussing whether or not the tooth fairy brings stuffed animals or not.

Jordan just keeps saying, "I can't bewieve it! I can't bewieve it!"

2008-02-14T15:17:00.000-07:00

So, today I decided that I really am the only person I know who doesn't have my own blog. Well, practically.

I love reading my friends' blogs, especially my friends who live far away and I don't see them often. And when I read their blogs, I think, "Wow, this is as good as keeping a journal!" Which is another thing I don't have. And I wish I did.

So, I guess it's time.

Here we go!!!