Raising ANJLs

2011-01-23T18:59:00.000-08:00

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2010 Updates

2010-12-30T22:53:00.000-08:00

Although you may not know from this empty blog, we have had a busy year... which is why the blog is lacking in updates. Here in no particular order are some of the happenings.

We cannot keep up with our oldest. He has a desire to try so many things but not enough time to fit it all in. I promise him that life does not end after high school. People do indeed learn stuff after they turn 18 but he wants to know everything now. He is now in Caleb Chapman's Crescent Superband. They are playing at a resort in Midway, Ut tomorrow for New Year's. He was in the Voodoo Orchestra until he was accepted into the Superband in the fall. Here is a sample of from his summer tour to LA: Rock This Town features a solo by Tony a bit after the 2nd minute of the song. Wish I could say he gets it from me. We are grateful for Caleb's bands and the experiences he's had with them since 7th grade. This summer they travel to Japan!

He received an award in March for his amazing piano skills with the Voodoo Orchestra. Is this seriously the best picture I could get??? Yes. Yes it is. He is the long haired guy by the girl who looks scared of his cooties.

Tony was busy with his eagle project this summer. Thanks to his friends and brothers for their help. He painted fire hydrants in the street close to the hidden hydrants for fire safety. Their favorite thing was piling in the back of the truck sporting the orange vests of authority.

Nate isn't quite as busy. I see him a bit more than Tony. He still plays his violin. I love to hear his orchestra but don't look for pictures because I can never see him from where I sit. A video would be nice. Then at least we could hear him. But no, I'm video challenged too. Here he is at a recital.

Oh, wait! I found one with his orchestra! He was playing in the open area in front of the office at the Jr High (what's that area called again?) on 6th grade night. And, being the 6th grade teacher, I was there taking pictures of his cute face! I hope he doesn't read this. Not sure "cute face" will win me any points but it is what it is...

He is in the center of the picture with the great side burns. My friends Judy and Tyler both took turns showing me how to cut my boy's hair... Not sure they want their names on here after they see my bogus job.

Nate loves Scout Camps. He went to Timberline 2 years in a row. I'm sure he will be wanting to go again next year. He wants Jonah to go with him. He is ready to start an Eagle Project. He and Tony have enjoyed 4.0 GPAs again this year. Nate loves the pizza party he is invited to when he is on the high honor roll. Not sure he would care if they didn't have the pizza...

As you may be able to guess from his hat, he is my fellow Giant's fan. We almost did not survive the torturous baseball season this year. What a thrill to finally see my Giants win! We did the happy dance and wished we were in SF for the big parade! So fun to have someone into it with me. He felt all the pains of a true Giant's fan during the last seasons.

Jonah enjoyed baseball with us and we all got new shirts!

This year, we had to figure out Jonah's freaky headaches. He got them way too often. I was getting worried after we tried all the usual remedies: more sleep, more water, better diet. Thankfully, he has a grandma that lives 5 minutes away who said, "Have you checked his eyes?" I didn't think that was the answer. He didn't seem to have trouble seeing at all. I asked his 5th grade teacher (this was last spring). She didn't notice anything either. But Nonnie took him to the eye doctor and turns out, his eyes are not so bad but he had to strain to make his vision 20/20 and that would give him nightly headaches. What a simple solution to a scary problem! And look how handsome :)

Jonah went from Cub Scouts to New Scouts. He received his arrow of light award.

He enjoyed Camp Tracy. He has such amazing upper body strength. I can always find him in the tops of trees when I come home from work. So rock climbing was his thing at camp!

He makes friends easily. He is fun to be around. He likes to make people laugh. He makes us laugh every day! More Camp Tracy pics.

His 6th grade teacher is my best friend. That is not fair to an 11 year old. His teacher will come over sometimes. I can't imagine my teacher coming over to my house! To make matters worse, his teacher is a Dodger Fan! What doesn't kill you will make you stronger... right?

Louisa also has a teacher who is my friend and has come to the house a few times. The difference between Jonah and Lou? She loves it!

That's not the only difference.

She
is
nothing
like
her
brothers
.

She is her own person. Her own ideas. Her own fashion style. Her own way.

Third grade music program. She loved every second of it. Her brothers dreaded every second of theirs...

Singing and dancing on a rock at Sundance. Don't ask about the outfit. I'm too old to be the fashion police.

Loved her 2nd grade opera! She loves dressing up.

She is not the tallest. She is the shortest in her class. This year she has taken a real interest in gymnastics where it is cool to be short! She's enjoying piano, dance and activity days. She is very social. If she could play with friends for 20 hours a day, she would.

Louisa got baptized on her dad's birthday, April 2, 2010. It was an amazing day!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Grandma and Grandad

Lots of family came from far away.

Tony played piano, Nate conducted music, and Jonah gave a great talk. Thanks brothers!

What a cute picture with Jonah's teacher! Louisa loves Miss Gill! The two most photogenic people I know.

Our good friends the Elbabas. We love them!


Keep dancing, sister!

So just because I don't update, doesn't mean we are not doing anything worth noting. I read recently that looking at family pictures cheers people up better than chocolate! Really? Well, Here are some random pics to help spread cheer and keep me away from chocolate!!

Goblin Valley

Sundance

On our way to Montana

Glacier National Park

St George for Tony's Marching Band competition. Do you see him? He is playing keyboards. He is happy he doesn't have to wear feathers.

While the marching band was working hard, we got to explore St George!

Not sure how many takes till we got this pic for our Christmas Card. But this year, Blake did not have to photoshop anyone's frowns away!

Look for more of Blake's art in 2011. He's been enjoying his watercolor whenever he can.

Of course, that's assuming I will keep up with my blogging duties... Maybe it should be a New Years Resolution but why burden myself? There is enough to keep me feeling overwhelmed. Like the stack of 54 research reports waiting for me to grade...

Happy New Year!

Milestones

2010-05-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

Tony was called and asked if he wanted to play in a combo at a restaurant in SL. His first paying gig. He even got tips! He said he did horrid but I'm sure it would have amazed me. I didn't have reservations at the place so I took a nap in the car out of sight so I wouldn't embarrass him. I was too nervous to leave him in a different county playing with other teenagers and no band leader. The guys he played with are a bit older and can drive themselves.

Which leads me to the next milestone...

May 20, 2010 I sat in the passenger's seat while my son drove! I have to say that I've never experienced anything like that rush before. His whole life flashed before my eyes. I felt like I was giving the keys to someone I still pushed in a stroller. I wanted to cry at how fast the last 15 years have gone but I was too scared. He did great but I would have rather been on the Tower of Terror. I did all the things I remember my mom doing. Pushing on a break I don't have, pointing out stop signs a mile away, sucking in all the air in the car, saying "you're going too fast" when he's barely reaching 12 mph... I was ready for him to say, like my brother did when he was learning to drive, "Stop sign. I see it."

We drove to my mother's house. She was standing outside (probably a nervous wreck). She gave him food. Gave me something to settle my nerves.

And then we both wished we could put him back in the stroller.

My neighbor Arlene always told me they grow too fast. She is so right. I'll enjoy the journey... even if it feels like a roller coaster.

Words to live by

2010-03-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

Louisa turned 8 today. When I've recovered, I might post pictures of her rollerskating adventure with 7 cute friends.

In the meantime, here's a Lou classic--

Her: Mom, why do people get tattoos?

Me: I'm not really sure.

Her: I don't get it. I mean, if you like Hello Kitty or Hannah Montana, just put a picture on your door. You don't need a tattoo.

Si vas para Chile...

2010-02-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

I been through 7.5

I've experienced 6.9

But 8.8 is unreal.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people I fell in love with in Chile. I wait anxiously to hear from friends. Such a beautiful country. Amazing people.

I use to could do things right

2010-02-14T23:10:00.000-08:00

I hear snoring coming from different areas of the house. Peace, finally. Trying to update pictures when I don't hear snoring is a chore.

"If you use that picture, you'll ruin my life!"

"Do you know the (insert name of family)s read your blog?!"

"Any picture but that one!"
"No, not that one either!"

"Do I need a password to delete this stuff?"

I don't mean to ruin anyone's life. This is my therapy. No need to get your feather's ruffled.

Then Lou's high pitched voice pipes up, "Hey! Where's my picture?"
I'm glad to have one little person who doesn't accuse me of ruining their life. yet.

Truth is, life is getting crowded. I watch the days and weeks go by like I'm in a race. Seems to me sad things are happening at an alarming rate. If I can take time to recognize the blessings in life maybe the weight of the sorrow won't be overwhelming. Right now, the balance is not tipping in favor of joy.

And yet, looking at pictures, I remember the beauty that is life. I am grateful.

Funny how those very lives I'm ruining are the ones who tip the scale in favor of everything good.

2010

2010-02-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

So many sad things happening.
Time to choose happiness.
Time to count my blessings.

Swine Free

2009-06-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

While Tony was home swining, Jonah and Louisa spent time at their Nonnie's house. Blake and Nate were at scout camp. I stayed home with Tony and went crazy with the lysol.

We all gathered back from our different corners of the Earth yesterday. It felt like a family reunion... with just us. So happy to have the noise back in my life.

Grateful the swine has gone. Hopeful the swine stays out of our home. Waiting for the swine to leave our friends and neighbors.

H1N1 Has Arrived

2009-06-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

The question of the day... Does he or does he not have the swine? Maybe we can take a vote. Here are the facts:

1. He went on the High Adventure camp from 6/17 to 6/20.
2. Yesterday, 6/22, got a call from scout leader in the am confirming one of his buddies that he shared a tent with one night was diagnosed with the swine.
3. Found out in the afternoon yesterday 6/22, that a second buddy on the camp out tested positive with the dreaded virus.
4. Every time he coughed I turned my head and he laughed at me.
5. He said, "I'm immune to the swine, mom" (have to consider the jinx factor)
6. When I came home from a baseball game at approximately 6:35pm yesterday, 6/22 he had a fever of 100.6 and said he didn't feel good. Coughing had increased.
7. Took him to the after hours clinic at 7:15pm.
8. Nurse shoved a huge q-tip in his nose that went back into his brain. ("A little burn" she says... Shoves it up both nostrils one at a time and then leaves. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH" he says after she leaves but door is still open. I see the nurse smirk. She enjoys this, I think. Or maybe she is sick of H1N1 and takes it out on unsuspecting noses. Either way, the boy will never be the same.)
9. Dr. comes in and says, "It's negative HOWEVER, these tests are only 70% accurate. So I think you came in early enough for it not to show. It's my recommendation that we treat it as swine flu." (All that pain for 70% accuracy? Doesn't seem right)
10. Go get Tamiflu (cost just under 1 billion for ten tiny tablets) at 8:45pm. Takes 1st one at 9:30pm.
11. Today, 6/23, fever is gone. Coughing has increased. He's achy but not as miserable as his two buddies. Cuz their moms tell me it is awful. Hes been on the computer, watched tv, played piano. Kind of lethargic but not sleeping all day.

These are the facts.

so I'm guessing either
A. He has the swine but we caught it early enough and symptoms are mild because of tamiflu.
B. He is feeling bad for his buddies and this is how his body responds.
C. He's pulling a Ferris Beuller.
D. He has something else.
E. ?????????

The voting polls are open.

In the meantime, we are quarantined (go figure just as the monsoon season ends), a bit depressed and worried about his buddies.

When the fighting stops

2009-06-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

These two are hysterically laughing. I'm in the other room laughing at the sound of their laughter. Days later I found the source of their hysteria on my computer. They love photo booth. Not a clue how they did this. There are about 150 similar photos. I share only three.

Highlights

2009-03-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

Looking in the mirror after my hair appointment, I wonder "are the highlights orange?" I ask Lou, "do you see orange in my hair?" Lou, "oh no! I'm scared! I don't want you to die! I'm telling daddy! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Guess it's a hat day.

Conversations during the Ballet Carpool

2009-03-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

Girl 1: Did you know a boy said the F word at school?

me to myself: Holy cow these girls are only 6!!!

Girl 2: My mommy won't tell me what the F word is.

me to myself again: Good parenting skills.

Girl 3: I know what the F word is!

me in panic mode: Girl 3 is my daughter!!!

me out loud: You do?

Girl 3: yes. want me to tell you?

me to myself: yes. I mean NO! Can I imagine that little face saying that word?

me to her: what is it

Girl 3: I'll whisper it (She cups her hand to my ear ) faaarrrrt

me relieved to myself: that reminds me of the forte story

out loud: That's not really the right word.

Girl 1, 2 and 4: What did you say???

Girl 3 proudly: I said faaaarrrt!

Girls 1,2,3,4: High squeaky laughter

me: This could have been so much worse...

New Do

2009-02-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

Hey Lou! You got a haircut! Can I take a picture before you go to bed?

Sure mom!

Take another one mommy!

One more!
Wait! Another one!

How about this one!

Really, mom, its the last one

she must get her self-esteem from her auntie

Toothpaste war

2009-01-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

I have a couple of kids who have an annoying hobby of fighting nonstop. I usually get caught up in the madness by telling them to stop in a loud voice so they can hear me over their screams. Pretty soon the decibel level is through the roof and I am left panting on the floor when it is all done, having accomplished nothing and wondering why I even try.

Tonight, however, was a bit different. Here's how it went down...

me: Time to brush your teeth.

kid 1: ok mom (calm before the storm)

me: don't forget to floss

kid 2: I always floss, mom (perfect children)

few seconds of quiet. I see kid 1 in the hallway brushing away.

me: where's kid 2 (storms a comin')

kid 1 (with toothpaste in mouth): in thew buhin me

kid 2 (toothpaste mouth): e cawed me a iei

kid 1 (starting to really foam): e's a ier

kid 2 (tilting head back to keep all the dribbles in): i ellin a ooth! e awed e a iei

kid 1 (tilting also): e's alays eing e in aowl!

me (laughing in their foaming, tilted, raging faces): go spit. you look like angry rabid rodents.

Wisdom

2008-12-30T23:51:00.000-08:00

I learned a few things from my kids on Sunday.

#1 If you wear happy colors on Monday, the week is a bit more cheerful. (How long has Tony been wearing a bright yellow shirt on Mondays?)

#2 You should hide your bangs when you go to sleep so they don't get ruined by morning. (Anyone get that? Help me out here)

and my favorite:

#3 Being perfect is no fun.

Ok, here's the story... Since I started teaching two years ago, I've been even more behind in anything there is to be behind in than ever before. This is frightening because I've been behind all my life. I decided my older boys needed to learn to do their own laundry. We would have our own laundry days. I would help them but I would no longer have the overwhelming heaps that accumulate with a family of six. I was sure my life would be back to being normally behind instead of over-the-top behind.

Here's a shocker: It's not working so great. Instead of laundry backed up in just one room, there are heaps and heaps in every room. Laundry is taking over the house. We ignore our "day" and wait until we cannot wait any longer and then we all fight for the washer.

So, on Sunday morning, one of my kids (for whom I am still doing laundry) asks for clean underclothes. "Oh, they must be in this pile of clean stuff... Hang on, let me look," I say. But no, there is not one pair of clean shorts for him. The panic turns to dispair as I think of the much rehearsed verse from David O. McKay "No success can compensate for failure in the home." I have failed my family. I mutter outloud as I'm searching for clean boxers, "I've failed! In the most important thing... Who cares if I'm a good teacher. My kid has no clean underwear for church... I bet sister so-and-so has clean underwear on all her children for church. I bet the other sister so-and-so's children don't know what dirty underwear is and the other sister so-and-so's kids have never seen a pile of laundry and don't know what the word "heap" means..." On and on I went with my hopeless, despairing mumblings.

Who knew my oldest son was listening. He said, "It's not that bad, mom. You aren't a failure. Who cares if those people are perfect. That's no fun. I mean, really, do you think it would be any fun to be perfect?" 'Oh sure' I think, 'easy for you to say, your underwear is clean'. I complained that I just can't measure up to all those great moms out there. 'Failure in the home' is written on my forehead. Who can bear to associate with someone who fails in their home? With more wisdom than I give a 14 year old credit for, he said, "If anyone looks down on you for not measuring up, they aren't perfect, are they? That's pride. You can't have pride and be perfect."

Then he was gone.

I stood in between my heap of dirty darks and clean whites with my face as puzzled as the Grinch's when Christmas came just the same.

Having never experienced perfection, I don't know if it's fun or not. I think it would relieve a heap of stress. I continue my quest for perfection, thankful to have amazing children who are my teachers.

I'm happy to say that the following day, Monday, we all wore cheerful colors, everyone had clean laundry put away, we went ice skating and our bangs looked fabulous. Although we are not perfect, we had a perfect day.

Candy Cane Ballerina

2008-12-27T22:06:00.000-08:00

Louisa has been asking when she can be in a play. To her, that means being on stage with a costume and people clapping. She can't wait for her turn to be in piano recitals or give talks in church. She is so not like the Elison boys. She started taking ballet this year and happily, they were on stage with costumes AND make up for three performances of The Nutcracker. I cannot believe how much she loved the whole experience. In the first performance, she was watching her teacher backstage the whole time and ran into one of her fellow candy canes and the girl behind Lou then ran into her. Domino candy canes. She got to curtsy to the Sugar Plum Fairy and let me tell you, that was the biggest thrill. She started begging me for toe shoes. She knows if she has them, she will magically dance like the Fairy. So, of course, I'm the bad guy. I'm holding her back. SHE could be Clara if it wasn't for her mom...

And I still am amazed that a girl with all brothers is in ballet shoes instead of cleats. I'm convinced they come from Heaven with those kinds of preferences already established.

Speaking of brothers... Have you ever taken three boys to a ballet? I should say four boys, Blake was there, too.There is not an ounce of ballet culture or appreciation in these boys. The cool dude in the middle laughed for 90 straight minutes. His hand was cupped over his mouth but an occasional hoot would escape from time to time. Their dad was absolutely no help. In fact, one could say he encouraged his boys to continue their barbaric behavior. Oh and please, when the guy in tights came out to dance with the Sugar Plum Fairy, we hit an all time low on the culture meter.

Next time, I'm sitting on the other side of the theater.

Christmas pictures part 2

2008-12-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

Louisa with her Hannah Montana wig on.

Louisa with her fluffy pen

All the presents under the Christmas tree. Notice the Who tree. (We wanted a real tree this year. The kids all loved the little ones. I think they felt sorry for them. Then they didn't want to cut the top off. It was straight for about 5 minutes. Each day it looked more and more whoville-ish) (Nice baseball jammies, too)

Jonah is helping Anthony pull the paper off of his present.

Nate with his new ukulele

(Louisa wearing the outfit Aunt Mary Louise sent. She always loves the new pink clothes that come in the mail)

(Nate helped with this post. My comments are in ( ). )

225, 315 who's counting?

2008-12-26T20:30:00.000-08:00

Leave it to my friend Cheryl to point out that I am not 225. My kids are not doing so great with the new math stuff. When Jonah threw out a number, I was too taken back to even check his work. So I guess I'm really 315...

Yesterday 225 sounded old. Today it sounds like a spring chicken.

woof.

Christmas pictures

2008-12-25T22:41:00.000-08:00

Guitar for Tony

Is this seriously a Hannah Montana wig?

Jonah painted this in art last year. Blake got it framed for him for Christmas. It is a keeper!

Nate with his new book. He has not put down his ukulele. I don't know when he'll stop to read.

I think this is what he really wanted.

Blessings

2008-12-25T21:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas is winding down. Two kids and one dad are snoring. The other two are quietly playing with new treasures. I left my camera at my mom's house when we went there to play in the snow yesterday. Nutcracker pictures are coming soon...

I can't stop thinking about my blessings. This has been the whitest Christmas I have ever experienced. It started snowing late last night and didn't stop all night. Snow was falling as we woke up to delighted and eager sounds of our kids. I'm grateful for our warm beds, our health, our faith, our extended family, our friends. I'm grateful for our freedom, our jobs, our home, our four-wheel drive (seriously, this San Francisco girl is a wreck driving in the snow without it).

But mostly, I'm thankful for my kids. They teach me. They inspire me. They are fun! We have had a great time together these last two days. I don't like the fighting. I do love the laughter.

I can't help but be mindful of those who do not have warm beds or healthy children or jobs or freedom. I think of those who are so challenged by the snow they cannot see the beauty. I want to teach my kids to be mindful of them also and to realize we are blessed.

So, of course, I mention this to them and say we should clean out our house and find things others can use. We have so much. Louisa screaming and sobbing, "NO!!! I want all my stuff!!!"

Not to be one to compare my children...

When Jonah was that same age, he said, "They can have my pooh bear blanket." I wanted to say, "No, lets pick stuff we don't use" but I let him take his favorite blanket that he had never slept without in his six years of life. He gave it up and missed it for at least a year but understood that it went to keep someone else warm. Why is that hard for my little girl to understand?

Because she is a spoiled princess? probably. I always thought I would have a Laura Ingalls not a Nellie Olesen.

I'm braiding her hair tomorrow.

I didn't say everything was perfect, but we did have a wonderful Christmas. Oh, and my lovely children reminded me that my birthday is coming up. They were excited to figure out my age in dog years. 225. I was fine with my 40-something age until they did the math...

When was the last time you figured out your age in dog years? Yeah, that's right, it's ugly.

One more blessing to count. I'm grateful I'm not a 225 year old canine.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Card has a beautiful winter scene Blake painted but then sold because we are too exhausted to even think about putting all four of our kids together long enough to take a picture. Too dangerous. So it says to get the update from this amazing blog. Trouble is, while it is amazing, there is nothing very updated. Not even Halloween... So if you have come for updated photos and videos, I won't encourage you to hold your breath, but I will promise they are coming. All I have to do is take Nate to orchestra, pick up Tony from band, drop him off at piano lessons, get Jonah off to scouts, take Lou to get her Nutcracker pictures taken (she's a candy cane), make sure they all do their homework, figure out what is for dinner, finish a couple of heaps of laundry, grade 145 Science tests, pick up Nate from orchestra, remember Jonah is at scouts (does he have the treat today??? ahhh!!!) and then I'll be back to update this amazing blog.

My people have not yet received their Christmas cards (I can't bring myself to lick the nasty envelopes). Blake's people should have theirs and probably already come and gone thinking there is nothing amazing here.

Amazing is coming. soon.

the unblogables

2008-10-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Guess why I always blog about Louisa... Because whenever anyone else in the family does something blogable, I hear, "Don't put that on your blog!" They are even hiding things from me just so I won't tell the world about them. And they duck when I want to take their pictures. Two of them even came in just now and deleted this while I went to tuck in Lou. I came back and the only words on the screen were, "Jonah is too cool for everybody."

Why don't they want their whole life out there for cyber world to see?

I'm sure I'll never know.

New Song

2008-10-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

I've been looking for ways to stop all the fighting in the house. While Louisa was telling me the horrors of her brother at the top of her lungs, I asked her if she knew this song...

Jesus said love everyone,
Treat them kindly too.
When the world is full of love,
Others will love you!

Then Jonah came in complaining about her.

She started singing, substituting her own words and tune.

Jesus said love everyone.
Treat them kindly too.
Even when you don't like their face,
be nice because you'll get used to it.

Dog days

2008-10-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

Ever since she could wiggle out of her clothes, Louisa has been dressing up and changing clothes. When her friends come over, she dresses them up too. The funniest was Trevor with the princess dress. (His dad will not forgive me if I post that) This is what happened when Cheri came for a visit.

Whoever knows this dog will agree that even though she looks cute, she is NOT happy.

One more thing to be late to...

2008-10-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Because our lives are not chaotic enough, we signed Louisa up for piano lessons. To say she is excited would be a gross understatement. She practices more than she needs to and wants to learn everything all in one day. She was practicing with her dad and he was reminding her about the dynamics.

Dad: What does the p mean?

Lou: (reading) p-p-e-e-a-a-a-n-n-o... I know! Piano! Play it soft.

Dad: good! What does the f mean?

Lou: (reading again) f-f-a-r-r-t... fart? Play it loud?

Brothers: (hysterical laughter in the background)

Lou: what?

Shark girl and the tooth fry

2008-09-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

Louisa has this tooth problem. The baby tooth doesn't come out until the new one is full grown behind the baby tooth. She looks like a shark. It is frightening. And go ahead and ask her to show you. She will bite your head off, again shark-like. The whole thing freaks her out, too. Please don't notice my odd shark tooth. This is the second round with the shark tooth. I was thrilled as I came home one day and she ran over to surprise me with a little tooth in her hand. Hurray! I tell her. The tooth fairy will be so happy to see that great little tooth. And the world will not be afraid of you anymore, shark girl.

Do we seriously need to take the tooth outside to play? Of course it is lost. The panic and terror in her face are like no other. Nevermind the price of gas is $80/gallon and banks are falling like dominoes. The tooth crisis takes precedence. I tell her the tooth fairy can find teeth even in grass. She is amazing that way. Don't ask why, just write a note.

Dear Tuth fry,
I lost my tuth in the grass. Please find it. Thank you. Love Louisa

Perfect. She will come. I know she will come.

Dang tuth fry didn't come! What a loser! As the panic rises in her little voice, I tell her that sometimes the tooth fairy is late. Ask your brothers, it happens all the time. Yes, they say, she is always late. Maybe she will still come.

Ten minutes later she came. And left a note. The fairy is forgiven and adored once more. The poor thing got caught in the sprinklers looking for the tooth. Anyone can understand and forgive. The wings don't flutter like they used to.

Louisa went around all morning with her wings on humming a fairy song and leaving money everywhere. Nate was a trouper and laid down on a pillow so she could leave him some money. She is a crack up. She wakes up laughing.

Unless the tooth fairy is late...

Look at that smile. Do you see a tooth missing? Seriously. It's just not right.

Go Cougars!

2008-09-22T23:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Margot has the coolest story on her blog. Her husband has been fighting with this dumb tumor on his brain for a year now. I wish they could take it out. We would all take turns stomping and spitting on that thing. Seriously, it is the pits. But they had a much deserved fun day with their family. They have two kids that I love. Ryan, the talkative but respectful student of mine from a couple of years ago and Lindsay the cutest red head on the planet. Read their amazing experience here and enjoy! At first I was thinking, wow, this is cool. Then as her story went on, it got better and better and all I can say is WOW! My old school is way cool. The coolest ever.

I would say I bleed cougar blue but the dodgers are blue. No blue blood here. Yucky stinking dodgers tainted all the blue blood.

September 11, 2008

2008-09-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

I can't sing. I'm ok with that. I enjoy listening to others sing. But my secret dream is belting out the Star Spangle Banner with perfect pitch at a Giant's game and having all the hard to please Bay Area fans go crazy when I hit the rocket's red glare. Not going to happen. I'm ok with that too.

So when I say THIS is cool, I mean, THIS is cool!

On September 11th my little brother Frank sang the National Anthem at the Rutger's game in New Jersey. I cried like a baby. Here he was living my dream (minus the Giant's fans), sounding amazing, and in National Guard garb. I was remembering the long year he spent in Iraq when he was too young to be a soldier. I am grateful for him, his service, others like him, my other siblings, my entire family, my freedom and that someone in the family has a voice that can belt it out! I only wish I had a video. (He was on ESPN but have I joined the 21st century and understand what a DVR really is and how it works??? I'm lucky to have a blog.)

I don't have a video of this song, but I do have his website with some of his country songs. My favorite is "Save Me." He wrote it. It makes me cry. He has a cool country name to go with his country songs. Good thing too because kanyas isn't country.

The good, the bad and the too ugly to blog

2008-09-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

Before I type one word tonight, I ask myself why I blog. To keep in touch with those I love, to keep something kind of like a journal, to have fun. Tonight's reason: Therapy.

All of my four "anjls" are wonderful people. I am blessed to be their mom.

However...

Yesterday our record of "not one person in our family has ever gotten detention" was shattered when I gave my own son detention. Yep, it was a bad day. I give out about 8 to 10 detentions a year. I haven't given any out this year. Well, until yesterday. I would never choose to be my own kid's teacher but since I teach all the 6th graders, I have no choice.

He was disruptive and talking back in a way that no other student has ever talked to me before-- you know, like a kid talking back to his mom. Unfortunately, it was in front of the entire class. I was proud of myself for restraining my sudden urge to inflict bodily harm. My jaw is still sore from clenching my teeth for the rest of the hour.

He has never dared talk like this to his non-relation teachers. So is this my fault?

My thoughts go back and forth:

good job, he had it coming (he really did)
your own son! How could you???
he wouldn't act up if you were a stay at home mom
way to put a stop to disruptive behavior!
you didn't put a stop to it, it will continue to get worse until law enforcement is involved
there must have been another way to handle it
way to treat him like any other student
pandora's box has been thrown wide open and now our children will have detention at least once a week
if they do have detention once a week, it will be your fault

Not productive, I know, but this is my therapy session and I'm working through things in as healthy a manner as possible (of course, my chocolates are close at hand).

My Nate is a great kid. He loves to hang out with me. He tried out for orchestra and made the highest level he could for his age. He makes me laugh. He reads above an 8th grade level. He does his homework without being reminded. I am a blessed mom.

We had a bad day. I guess I can blame it on the storm (which btw soaked through my underwear while I was on guard duty-- not sure I get paid enough to stand in lightning storms with hysterical kids who refused to come inside with me because their moms said to "wait right here." Try to convince a 6 year old their mom meant "wait right here unless lightning strikes, and then go with the teacher on duty to a safer location")

wet underwear and detention-- not blog worthy but there you have it.

Good news! Over 40? You can still shimmer!

2008-09-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

My mother came with me to get mascara at our local department store. I was asking the make up lady about other items. I wanted a new look in eye shadow. I love my neutral colors but I've used the same 4 colors for a year. She showed me cute colors with a little shimmer. I was tempted but always thought I should stay away from glittery type make-up. I didn't want to look like the old lady trying to be a teenager. So, of course, I asked, "Is it ok for a woman my age to have those glitter things in my eye shadow?" She said, "Oh, yes! You can shimmer all you want over 40. What you don't want, is to sparkle. Sparkles get into the crevices and accentuate your wrinkles."

Excuse me?

Do you laugh or cry after the 20-something with more make up than Tammy Faye (Tammy Who, to her) gives you what she considers the best news ever?

This was after she put 10 inches of lip gloss on my mother and shouted, "Wow! She still has some lips!"

Here's what I learned today at the local department store with the make up lady who was born when Tammy Faye was crying off her mascara on TV for the first time:

1. Hurray!! All of us over 40 can still shimmer!

2. All of you under 40, enjoy your sparkles. Your days are numbered.

And, finally,
3. No one at any age should wear 10 inches of gloss.

Piano Man

2008-08-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

I've been forbidden from sharing this recital piece with you but I'm sneaking it in. I figure as long as I pay the bills, I make the call. Here's Gershwin. Enjoy!

Modern Myrtle

2008-08-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite people. My friend Joni has started the cutest business. She has great gift ideas. Everything will make you say, (like Louisa says whenever she sees what I pick out for her to wear to school) "oh, Cuuuute!"

She currently has an auction going on to benefit the Nielson family in Arizona. Read all about it on her blog. Modern Myrtle

Jumbotron hands

2008-08-24T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Park City Jazz Festival took place this last weekend. Tony's Little Big Band was the first ever Jr. High age band invited to play on stage! They were amazing!! It was their final performance together. Tryouts are next month. Hopefully he will make it again because it is too much fun. The best part was seeing him on the jumbotron! Talk about your out of body experience --my son was larger than life. I was not ready for that nor was I ready for the director saying, "Now we will play a song called 'Satin Doll' featuring Tony on the piano." What??? He never tells me anything! I got that on camera but it was the only part of my video I can't seem to download. When the jumbotron had the close up of his hands, I had to hold back the "THAT'S MY BOY" scream that was lodged in my throat. He is thankful for that. Had the woman in front of me shared her wine, I may not have displayed all that self control. Here is a small sample of their performance. (When my high tech friends come to my rescue, I'll be able to share 'Satin Doll') Yes, I am standing up at the end when the video goes all over the place and yes, you can hear my scream; however, I do not need to apologize for any words that would make a teenager cringe. My favorite line comes at the end when the MC says, "not old enough to drive but they sure can play." Enjoy!!!

and I thought diapers and formula were expensive...

2008-08-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

The orthodontist gave us a few choices: Pay all at once for both boys and receive a $350 discount (chump change after the total payment) or make payments to him equivalent of leasing a his and her pair of the 2009 SLK350 Roadster for the next 36 months.

I knew it would be a lot but seriously... WOW

If you see the his and her roadsters cruising along, you can conclude:

1. Blake and I decided the boys can chew and isn't that what teeth are for? We provided them both a functional set of teeth; if they don't like the way they look and feel, they can deal with it when they are rich.

or

2. it's the orthodontist and wife

thoughts at 2am

2008-07-26T01:24:00.000-07:00

Once a month, there is a scheduled camp out for the scouts. I look forward to the Friday nights I get to spend with my younger kids and have the whole bed to myself because Blake is, has always been, and will always be a scout leader. (Jinx. He'll be thrown out tomorrow) Occasionally, however, I am too distracted by irrational thoughts to enjoy the time half of my family is gone. They were hiking to their campsite with their supplies on their backs. This is nothing new. Blake has done it countless times; Tony several. But this is Nate's first backpacking journey. The pack was bigger than his body. I don't know how the kid made it. I'm sure by now (2:34am) he arrived. The other thing about Nate that is bothering me is his love for food. He doesn't love food like normal people. He enjoys food on a whole different level. It's borderline passion/obsession. Favorite quote for today came from Tony: "Nate, this is not an eating camp out." I would have laughed if I wasn't worried. Why am I worried? He will not starve. So then I ask myself again-- why am I up thinking about this? I guess I feel like I sent Linus off with out his blanket. So this is unhealthy. Food should not be a comfort. I even caught myself saying, "I'll try to have something ready for you when you get home!" I am insane. Realizing this doesn't help. Counseling might.

Nate's passion/obsession is comical, annoying and helpful all at the same time. He will stand over your shoulder questioning your every move with the spices. I laugh when he quizzes Blake about his pancakes. "Did you use the correct amount of baking powder?" Blake doesn't laugh. The best part is when we say, "YOU make them next time!" and he says, "I will!" And he does. I love that I can ask him to make dinner and he gets excited. When I ask for input on dinner ideas, he actually has definite, well thought out ideas.

Scouts has been a blessing. I'm grateful for the opportunity my boys have to do hard things. They get frustrated but I see them enjoy a sense of accomplishment. They will come home tired, maybe a little hungry but feeling good about themselves. In the meantime, however, I am up all night worrying about Linus spending the night without his blanket. Thank goodness there are programs that stretch them in ways I never would. I baby my kids too much mostly because they grow so fast. Just yesterday Nate was 18 months old eating an enormous dead spider. But that's another story for another day...

Quote of the Day

2008-07-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

"Oh my heck! New curtains too? That's incredible!"

As I was taking everything out of Louisa's room, I said that she was getting a new bed and quilt and even new curtains. Maybe she spent too many hours with 6th grade girls for the past two years...

Disney pics

2008-07-10T15:13:00.001-07:00

Because Tony's Little Big Band was performing at Disneyland, we simply had to go. It was a mini reunion with my brother Rick and his family, my cousin Sandra and her family, my mom and auntie. Lots of our family couldn't make it (new baby that I can't wait to meet, church missions, no babysitter, work, etc). Thanks to everyone who was able to come. And especially Nonnie- her screams at the concerts are still the talk of the town.

Random Pics

2008-07-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Since I've been lame about keeping up with this crazy blog, I thought I'd put on a few pictures to show we are here, doing good and keeping busy. Jonah makes us laugh as we journey through life. Nate loves baseball and my only child who loves the Giants like I do. Tony's jazz band has been going strong all year. And Lou hung out with my sixth graders all year. She signed more yearbooks than I did.

Jonah

Nate

Tony

Lou

How can one girl change everything???

2008-07-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

Before Louisa came along, I was wondering how our "Boy World" would be altered. I'll admit, in all my excitement to buy something pink, I was nervous about the change. But I told myself, she'll be the newest member and have to fit in with her brothers. I pictured her adapting to life with superheros, legos, wrestling, dirt, bugs and scouts.

Then along came Lou. And we have spent the last six years adjusting to her. We all know more than we want to about Hannah Montana. For her 6th birthday in March, she got a fabulous hairdo and we went shopping. I can't imagine my boys putting a haircut and shopping trip on their short list of birthday activities.

You can find Louisa decked out like a princess from tiara to glass slippers watching Spiderman and drawing Peter Parker.

oh yeah, I have a blog...

2008-02-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

Now that I'm taking a day off with sick kids, maybe I can sit down for a second. I was nervous about how life would change once Blake started working outside of our home. Time has been the real issue. If I had about 6 more hours a day, I would be still behind with everything but a bit more comfortable.

Anthony is getting used to 7th grade. I was at his school today and I couldn't believe how tall he is compared to the 7th - 9th graders. I told him to enjoy it because he may stay 5' 7" forever. We have enjoyed his jazz band. The concert in Disneyland for June is not set in stone yet. They may play at another park in Southern Cal. But the dates are pretty much set. First Thurs through Sat in June. He is playing trumpet in his school band. He is very close to starting his Eagle project for scouts. The whole teenage thing is odd from this side of it but he is a good 4.0 guy. He gets distracted with robotics and computer animation but it is fun to watch his creativity.

Nate is still in orchestra playing the violin. Of course, I forgot the camera during his last concert but it was a miracle to get everyone there between all the other activities so we just sat and enjoyed. He was so serious and very cute. (Don't tell him I said that). He can't wait for baseball. He is enjoying Jazz basketball in the meantime. He played his third year of flag football and loved it.

Jonah plays piano but I can't say he "enjoys" it. He loves any kind of sports-- watching and playing. He is loving the snow. Blake took all the boys skiing. Jonah learned really fast. He played flag football for the first time and had a great time.

Louisa is loving kindergarten. If she could go live with her teacher, she wouldn't even hesitate. She sings, dances, and teases her brothers to death. This week, she discovered the Hannah Montana world. She wants to dress like her, sing like her and, well, be her. Nate finds a room with a door whenever the Hannah Montana video comes on. He can't stand the sound of any of it. I guess he won't be seeing the movie with us.

School is crazy -- 6th graders think they are big and bad but I just laugh because they are still babies. Some of them have the saddest stories and have to grow up faster than they should. I enjoy being back in education but on days like today when my own kids are coughing up a lung, I wonder if I should stay home and make chicken soup. Yeah, like they would eat it. Anthony thinks he discovered the best food ever-- he tried Romen noodles. He's wondering why I don't buy them so he can eat them everyday. Nate has more refined taste buds. He watches me cook so I don't mess things up. Through all the sickness, Nate never lost his appetite.

Well, there's a summary of our crazy but happy life. Hope to get back here before two more months pass...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE!!!!

Am I shrinking?

2007-11-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

One of these shoes belongs to my 13 year old, the other to his dad.

I went to buy Anthony shoes tonight for the zoot suit he will wear in his jazz band. Last time we bought shoes, Tony was size 10. (Blake is 91/2). I know he's growing fast. He's 5' 5" and he's left me in the dust but I was not prepared for him to be 3 sizes bigger! Ouch! pinchy shoes. He obviously doesn't complain. I hope he grows into his feet. Nate doesn't think he will. He said, "Maybe he's done growing and he'll be a stubby guy with big feet."

Anyone recognize the chair?

The Jello Cells

2007-11-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

I am not allowed to share pictures of Anthony on my blog but I have been given special permission to share his latest science project. He made models of an animal cell and a plant cell out of jell-o.

Way cool! Except that with all the gross stuff in the fridge to choose from, it doesn't quite make sense that he would use my expensive yellow and orange peppers for his endoplasmic reticulum.

I was glad he got them to school before the other three thought it was their snack.

Where's Waldo?

2007-11-13T21:11:00.001-08:00

I get claustrophobic watching her sleep. And now we add the hat.

The pirate and the princess

2007-11-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

I only have one child who is willing to smile when the camera comes out. Here is her new dress. A present from the Halloween witch who leaves presents to all boys and girls that leave their candy on the fireplace after they have picked out their favorites. I have been accused of robbing my children of precious holiday memories like eating candy until Easter but let me emphasize: It has always been their choice! (with big bribes, of course)

Nefertiti's Bust at Church

2007-11-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Teaching at my kid's school has many advantages. If they throw up at school, I'm right there. I can't do anything, but I'm right there. I know their friends. I have parent teacher conferences during lunch. etc. etc.

There is a small drawback. I taught 135 6th graders last year and 128 this year. I can't go down the halls at church without being called "Mrs. Elison" a few dozen times. Costco, library, you name it, those kids are there. Trick or treaters at my door saying, "Hi Mrs. Elison, is this where you live?" Scary.

So today at church, one of my highly entertaining students hung out the door of his Sunday School class and saw me walking by. He was thrilled to let me know he has been working hard on his Egypt report. In what can only be described as a loud, booming voice, he yells into the crowded hallway, "Mrs. Elison! I found the BEST picture of Nefertiti's BUST!!" And, of course, I say, "That is wonderful news. Bring it tomorrow, I can't wait to see it!"

I hope my church going friends realize the said bust is a highly prized find of Ancient Egypt. Lest they turn me in to the authorities...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Nefertiti_berlin.jpg

A Bend in the Road

2007-10-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

Just when I was loving the whole I-go-to-work-thing and Blake is Mr. Mom, he took a new job. Well, almost. He's going in to hear the offer on Wednesday--Halloween. I think he should dress up as Superman because you know the guy making the offer will be dressed up and it might make him feel not so silly. Maybe they will offer more money.

Well, so this changes everything. Not only did he bring in 90% more income than me, he cleaned the bathrooms every Wednesday, did homework with the kids before I got home, had the groceries bought and put away with receipts on the counter for me to admire the good deals he found, paid all the bills, balanced the checkbook, went to parent teacher conferences, and well, everything except cook and wash the clothes (but he would fold and put away which is the worst part anyway). I wasn't a working mom. I was just working. He was a working mom. He did it all. Since I don't have the kind of job I can walk away from in October, I will now truly be a working mom.

And I am very scared.

If he accepts the offer, he will be working at Close to My Heart-- that's right, the scrapbook and card making supply place... there's always a silver lining!

there's a bee on your butt

2007-09-28T23:35:00.000-07:00

So I'm bringing in my 6th graders from their lunch recess and one of my students, an out spoken girl, says, "oh my gosh! There's a bee on your butt!" I turn and look at her and realize that I can either hold in my laugh or lose all management of my class for the day as I explode into laughter and pee my pants.

Who says "your butt" to your teacher???

Out of balance

2007-09-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

After teaching 130 6th graders, coaching a 3rd/4th grade Knowledge Bowl team, attending a parent's meeting, making dinner, shopping for football treats, dropping off at soccer practice, dropping off at orchestra, making sure someone else can drive to Jazz band and piano practice, picking up from orchestra, going to football game, cheering, getting lesson ready to teach tomorrow, finish feeding rest of family, it is now 11:05pm and I have just finished making my grandmother's cure all chicken soup for the faculty treat table tomorrow. Something is wrong. I don't remember signing up for so much chaos. Good thing I love my kids and my teaching job.

Now I'm off to count the sleeping bodies.

Did I mention my mom and auntie are in Italy?

Gary

2007-09-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was on hall duty before school. One of my 6th grade students ran past me so I had to ask her to wait for the bell to ring before scurrying off to class. Without slowing her pace and keeping her head down, she informed me she was off to the bathroom. Being the expert that I am in spotting the irrational preteen hormonal pout, I decide to pick my battles. She is off to the bathroom and I resume my hall duty. A smaller girl came up and informed me that her friend ran to the bathroom crying because some 6th grade boys killed her pet! Oh no, I say. This is more serious than I thought. I ask what happened and who was involved, ready to turn this one right over to the Elementary School higher up powers that be. The younger girl explains the whole thing: These horrid, mean 6th grade boys laughed at her friend-- let's call her Maude-- because Maude was crying after they killed her pet. I am now beyond anxious that I need to spend the year with such awful, uncaring, murderous boys and that my own children go to school with these cruel delinquents. I ask, was it an accident? No, she assured me they meant to do it and then reminded me that they laughed afterwards. How did they do it? With her innocent, sincere, unblinking eyes staring straight into mine she tells me they poured salt on Maude's pet. Now I am looking at her like she is an alien creature from a far off galaxy. "Don't you know salt kills snails?" she asks.

'Maude' continued down in the irrational preteen hormonal dumps until lunch recess. When she was cheered up and more approachable, another teacher asked her why she had such a rough morning and she confirmed the whole story, adding, "They even threatened Gary!" Who's Gary? You got it, her other pet snail.

She can come hang out with my roses, gather herself a plethora of Gary's cousins and call herself a zoo keeper. Better yet, I think I'll invite the 6th grade boys over and tell them to bring their salt shakers.

Which just goes to prove my mother's Words to Live By #84: If you are going to have a whole bunch of something, better to have a bunch of boys than girls. Insulted by this wisdom in the past, Deb and I now whole heartily agree.

Harry Potter the musical

2007-09-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

After seeing Hairspray, Louisa can't stop singing
all her new favorite songs. My favorite...
"Good Morning, Voldemort!"

No hands!

2007-08-25T11:13:00.001-07:00

Jonah's been playing for a few years now so he knows the drill. He played hard. He had fun. Louisa is totally new to this game. She loves her outfit. We had one "goal" for her first game: Don't Use your Hands! If she uses her hands, the other team gets the ball. This makes her cry. Why?
Because she is sure the other team will take her brand new Cinderella-blue soccer ball home with them. I could not convince her otherwise. She never touched the ball.

I was ok until I saw the tattoo and cleavage

2007-08-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

I take deep breaths and mutter, "I'm ok, I'm ok" as I try to remember the techniques I heard in a Lamaze class about a century ago. How bad can it be, after all? People do it all the time. Every year. And lots of them survive. In fact, I haven't heard of any fatalities from attending the first day of Jr. High. But still I mutter and hyperventilate. Seems no amount of logic can squelch the irrational fear that had an iron grip on my breathing organs. Pressing on, I manage to drive up to Willow Creek Middle School, ready to sacrifice my first born to the wolves. He says, "Really, mom, I'm ok. You can go. You don't need to come with me." I am compelled to go in. The mother part of me thinks that if I walk through the foreboding doors with him, I will be taking some of his anxiety and pressure. He says I will give him more anxiety and pressure. He's wrong. I know. I'm the mom. As we get in the school, he begs me to leave. I tell him I will not even let on that I'm his mother. His friend goes one way to pay his lunch money, while Anthony goes up the stairs to his locker. I call up to him, "Stay with Christian!" Then I immediately cover my mouth, knowing I had just done the unthinkable. Now he is sure he will be stuffed in a locker because everyone in Jr. High now knows that he has a mother. I decide I better leave before I do more damage. After talking to someone in the office about mistakes on his schedule, I leave. As I walk to the car repeating, "I'm ok. I'm ok. Breathe. I'm ok. I'm ok," I see a student with a full on tattoo the size of my head on her arm and Las Vegas cleavage arriving 3 minutes before the rest of her. No amount of Lamaze training can help me now. I pause for a moment, wonder how bad it would be if I grab him and pull him back to the car kicking and screaming. I opt for the more obvious solution. Praying for my son and promising myself chocolate, I cry all the way to work.

Tony has started Jr. High.

On doing hard things

2007-08-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

Archery has not come easily to the Elison boys. The quest for the bulls eye starts when they are 8 years old and go to Cub Scout day camp. I have seen them watch other boys shoot with ease, making their struggle that much harder. So when Anthony signed up to do the archery merit badge last summer at Scout Camp, you can imagine my concern. He did part of it last year and was a bit disappointed. This year, Nate signed up. I was VERY concerned. He was the youngest boy there. He would be watching boys 2 years older than him do something that is hard for him. When he came home with only part of it done, he was disappointed. I told him he didn't have to do it while he's 11, maybe he should wait until he's 17. This weekend, our neighbor lent Blake an archery set and these pictures tell the whole story! Archery is now officially an "easy" and "fun" thing to do! They even tried to get their sister shooting. Nate finished his Archery merit badge and received it at his first Court of Honor along with 6 other merit badges.

I have been thinking of the transition from something dreaded and hard to something fun and easy. Is it a miracle? perseverance? hard work? or maybe a change of perspective? I have seen seemingly impossible situations turn around. Like when Boston, down 3-0 to the Yankees, won the pennant. It feels great to put your game face on and defy the odds.
Repeat after me, boys: I CAN DO HARD THINGS!!!

MTC Trip

2007-08-09T14:49:00.001-07:00

What a fun day we had with my nephew, Will, before he went into the MTC. I cannot believe that we won't see him until Anthony has his learner's permit. We were lucky he could come a day early. His cousins followed him around constantly. Had he turned around too suddenly, he would have knocked someone's teeth out. I was fine at the MTC until they started passing around tissues. I've never seen so many boxes of tissues! And as we left, there were large garbage cans ready to receive the crumpled up, mascara smeared tissue. All day long I've been wondering what he's doing. I loved the MTC and I hope he has an amazing experience.

a whole new world

2007-08-05T22:02:00.001-07:00

Inspired by my friends Cheryl W. and Heather D., I step into blog world. As my life has changed from "I need to get out of this house!" to "When will I have a full day at home?" I find myself out of touch with those who mean so much to me. Here's my attempt to a) stay in touch b) show off pictures of my crazy kids c) pretend like I keep a journal and d) blow off steam as I continue to raise Anthony, Nate, Jonah, and Louisa- my "anjls"- without their instruction manuals.