tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64475271339910436962012-02-16T11:45:15.131-08:00things that make me happyAnghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.comBlogger1391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-33173543925166897492010-10-17T21:19:00.001-07:002011-07-19T16:51:08.186-07:00

On Tuesday, October 5, 2010, I checked in at the hospital at 6:30 a.m. while Kenyon parked the car. We were scheduled for an external cephalic version, or rather rescheduled, since they'd canceled our appointment the previous Thursday. Our baby boy was breech, footling, and given my history of being oblivious to early contractions, we were getting more nervous by the day. What if he never turned,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-70125707767792627312010-06-14T21:45:00.001-07:002010-06-14T22:07:55.666-07:00

I have a lot I've wanted to write about, some of which I'll catch up on, some of which is gone forever, lost in the swiss cheese of what remains of my mind. This, sadly, is my most organized medium, and the back=ups and print-outs of the blog have to fill in for a journal or scrapbook.I missed writing about Clara's birthday and insane birthday party, a trip to Idaho, Easter in Grants Pass, a

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-46394709465071051752010-03-10T08:38:00.000-08:002010-03-10T10:08:04.057-08:00

File this post under "S" for, "So sue me, I think I have cute kids." Clara, this morning, was reminding me of one of the library books we checked out recently, describing it as:The dog has only one thing that his old owner knitted for him [a blanket] but there are five others [cats] that each took one of his things, and so that means he used to have six things.Get it? She made the book into a

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-19206547725575584742010-02-21T16:50:00.000-08:002010-03-01T10:02:34.177-08:00

With the bout of beautiful weather we've enjoyed this week (ok, so it was a couple weeks ago and this didn't get posted...), the kids have had a chance to become reaquainted with their old friend, the trampoline...and that old fiend, Static Electricity. Clara obviously had some fun with it; William was so scarred by the constant shocks he woke scared to get out of his bed because, as he told me,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-23495429167782882172010-02-15T19:55:00.000-08:002010-03-01T10:03:06.612-08:00

Here's hoping your Valentine's Day was full of love and sweetness!We had some fun - stake conference! Plus some other stuff. I got to make and deliver some treats with Clara to some of her friends and my visiting teachees. Kenyon and Will were taking a nap, and I was nearly regretting the whole endeavor by the end, but at the end of the day, Clara said that was her favorite part and that washed

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-42786115293643579002010-02-10T09:51:00.000-08:002010-02-10T10:14:50.032-08:00

It's raining today - again, some more. I don't think it would bother me, but yesterday it was GORGEOUS, blue skies, a little warm...and the only time I saw it was running from the house to the car as I took Clara to gymnastics. I don't even know what I was doing all day. Such a shame.Clara, at least, got out for a bit in the afternoon. She ran out back while I was putting Willie down for a

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-17852943593890584642010-02-06T13:15:00.000-08:002010-02-10T10:21:05.495-08:00

We had Willie's first-ever birthday party with friends a couple weeks after his birthday, which is probably what we'll have to do in general; because who's in town and ready for a party two days after Christmas? Poor kid.I...went a little nuts with this. Two nights before the party, I couldn't sleep, and spent several hours looking at youtube videos and questioning my decision to make Will

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-30840941859763205882010-01-18T15:51:00.001-08:002010-01-19T09:22:27.967-08:00

Will had never had a decorated birthday cake. I think his first birthday we had a jello cake with whipped cream; his second birthday we stuck a couple candles in some brownies and ice cream. Wanting to set a better precedent for future birthdays, I went a bit overboard this year with two decorated cakes and two celebrations. The first was with Kenyon's parents and sisters/families at the coast

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-75864919474300610422010-01-11T22:03:00.001-08:002010-01-11T23:10:37.795-08:00

Will, I can't believe you're three! You are such an integral part of all our lives. You are such a fun, amazing little boy. You love books and stories, songs and "scary" movies. Your big sister is your best friend, and you're hers. You two play for hours - and even get along most of the time! You play pretend and make up your own stories, usually based on Little Red Riding Hood, the Three

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-58532044896007980962009-12-29T11:23:00.000-08:002009-12-29T11:49:01.949-08:00

We had a lovely Christmas - time at home alone, time at the coast with family; good food, lots of walks on the beach and playtime outside in the beautiful weather; games and movies. William had his first decorated birthday cake ever! Amazing video to come. :)Christmas Eve, I through sense to the wind and instead of cleaning, packing, or making the pies I'd agreed to contribute to Christmas

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-20564689060501521812009-12-15T16:05:00.000-08:002009-12-15T17:09:45.119-08:00

I'm taking a break from frantic Christmas preparations (ha!) to say goodbye to a season that I didn't really have a chance to document. This autumn was lovely in so many ways, with a few visits from friends and family and lots of time together here at home. I had the kids' schedules coordinated more completely than I'm likely to ever experience again, as they had preschool and gymnastics at the

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-73095492064563450042009-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:002009-12-14T22:10:39.018-08:00

The Stake President challenged everyone in the stake to finish reading the Book of Mormon by June 1, the same deadline as the Seminary students. The bishop echoed the challenge - forcefully - when we went in for tithing settlement a few weeks ago. So, we're trying it. I've been reading a chapter or two out loud to the family most days since then, and we're on 2 Nephi chapter 3. The kids do

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-26419563525856336132009-11-18T20:02:00.000-08:002009-11-18T21:42:51.925-08:00

Kenyon's birthday is later this month, and this year, he had a special request that, after some discussion, became No-Money November. The concept is simple: for the month of November, beyond paying the usual bills, we spend no money. Or, next to none, anyway. We set a budget of $120 for the month for gas and groceries.It's been fun! (Yes, really.) I've spent about $27 on groceries so far,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-31831888430684611392009-11-02T21:39:00.000-08:002009-11-09T09:55:13.104-08:00

My parents came out for another visit the last week of October, which was absolutely awesome for several reasons. One, the kids got to see them again after only a couple months, which they loved. Two, we completely gutted and redid our laundry room/office while they were here, which we could never have done without their help. They worked HARD almost the entire time they were here. Thanks, Mom

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-17980513463794939972009-10-21T20:57:00.001-07:002009-10-21T21:27:26.073-07:00

I love my kids. I do, so much. Some days, that's a little bit harder to feel, but sometimes it almost takes my breath away.They're amazing little kids (yeah, I'm biased - so?) and I'm doing my best with 'em. It's tough for me, not having structure automatically provided, but I'm working on creating more structure and consistency. But, honestly, the things I enjoy the most are the things I

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-36945925725363574802009-10-17T15:16:00.000-07:002009-10-17T15:40:51.550-07:00

Aroun 7:30 this morning, Clara tumbled out of bed and stumbled into the living room (where I'd been playing Mario Kart since about 5:45. What? I couldn't sleep!). I pulled her up on the chair with me and asked the little sleepyhead how she'd slept. I expected "Fine." The answer to any question with my kids is always "fine," and you have to judge by their tone of voice what they actually mean.She

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-26944566489429236982009-10-12T10:31:00.000-07:002009-10-21T20:55:00.375-07:00

The kids started preschool about three weeks ago - and yes, that includes the two-year old William. The paperwork I saw last year said kids had to be 2 3/4 and potty trained. Somehow, despite the fact that Clara well past 3 before we had ANY potty success, and despite my ever present (and charming!) pessimism, I decided to sign Willie up. He was just shy of 2 3/4 when school started, but in the

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-1822673832952952902009-09-15T09:11:00.000-07:002009-09-28T09:46:32.558-07:00

When Mom and Dad visited in August, we took them blueberry picking. Corvallis has some great blueberry farms, and it was one of our favorite summer activities. While we were out with my folks, Will wandered over to where my dad was picking. Dad asked him how many blueberries were in his bucket. Will seemed a little puzzled as he answered, "None." Dad chuckled a bit and went back to work.Will

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-14463059764003208452009-09-02T21:49:00.000-07:002009-09-04T09:07:55.391-07:00

Scrubbed my ceramic stove top.Fished 7 wooden puzzle pieces and 1 car (yellow Diablo) from between the bricks under the fireplace hearth using an 18-inch screwdriver and a wooden yardstick.Scraped/washed overlapped wall texture left on the wood paneling in the living room.Played "school" with my kids for an hour or so, including making lion puppets, going on an impromptu treasure hunt for sounds,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-75351958580505573642009-08-13T20:25:00.000-07:002009-08-13T21:50:44.309-07:00

Back in June, Clara had a little graduation ceremony from her preschool. They gave the kids little scrapbooks, had a lunch for the families, and the kids did a little show for the parents. To begin the performance, the high school student "teacher" in charge got the kids' attention by giving them a few physical directions, "If you can hear me touch your nose," and the like. As they finished up,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-50866239186197970292009-07-31T10:45:00.000-07:002009-08-13T21:38:34.623-07:00

The kids have a couple of habits that, really, I know I need to correct, and I do a bit, but reluctantly and not as consistently as I probably should. Because I think they're adorable. For instance, William will occasionally call a nose a "no," or a box a "bock." See? He's singularizing the words, because they sound like they end in 's' and he's figured out that usually means a plural. Cute,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-37592191101607470062009-07-16T11:35:00.000-07:002009-08-01T08:00:15.314-07:00

Catch up before I get to the new stuff. In May, we got to make a couple trips to visit family in Grants Pass and Idaho. That was our first time driving the 8-hour stretch across the state with the kids, and if it went poorly, I was prepared to buy plane tickets for our family gathering in July. Fortunately, the kids did wonderfully with snacks, a few books and toys, and, of course, the real

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-85476788269606868462009-06-06T23:21:00.000-07:002009-06-22T20:51:48.956-07:00

Just a snapshot, so to speak, of the kids right now:Clara, saying her prayers, uses the word "bless" in some variation an average of 14 times per prayer. I don't think that's an exaggeration. The problem is that she uses it in place of thank you...and also says things like, and I'm not joking here:"And please bless our blessings, and please bless them."That sentence shows up a lot. She also does

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-14823108855698342252009-06-06T22:24:00.001-07:002009-06-07T09:39:47.296-07:00

Easter at home this year - the first time we've had our OWN home in which to have it. I haven't totally decided what our Easter traditions will be - I don't love the idea of Sunday morning egg hunts, since they seem to detract from the meaning of the day, but I have such fond memories of my own...maybe we'll do them on the Saturday before in the future.This year we had Easter baskets, new outfits

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-17579310417832251012009-05-30T14:54:00.000-07:002009-05-30T15:49:36.600-07:00

It's been an interesting couple of months - a lot of ups and downs. Kenyon worked a TON, I felt a little overwhelmed myself, but we also got to do some traveling and had some really fun days in there. I plan to at least toss up pictures and a brief description of:EasterGrants Pass to visit cousinsThe coastIdaho with Grammie, Papa, Grandma Mitchell, and more cousins!

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-73486839219565713552009-05-10T16:34:00.000-07:002009-05-10T17:15:19.836-07:00

To our moms/Grammies: A family creation in your honor on Mother's Day. (Apparently artistic abilities skip a generation or two.)We love you! Thank you for years of hard work and continuing love, support, and good examples!Clara colored and cut out flowers, stems, the ground, the mountains, the sun with an ouchie, and the orange cloud. She also drew the spiral of footprints, the windows on the

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-29106322668449780092009-05-09T16:30:00.000-07:002009-05-09T17:21:14.772-07:00

I spent the morning vacuuming, and I was so happy. April was pretty much a loss for me - I'm not sure where it went or what happened in it, except that by the first week of May I'd managed to forget 90% of Kenyon's family's birthdays and the house was an unmitigated disaster. Fortunately, Kenyon scheduled an appraisal for Friday morning and we found ourselves with a little extra motivation to

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-41608008362536238732009-04-07T22:35:00.000-07:002009-04-07T22:52:29.307-07:00

This is Kenyon. Post #2 here.Beautiful day today in Corvallis, or so I heard. By the time I was able to escape from the office, the clouds had rolled in... We all got to spend some time in the back yard together tonight. We have a tramploine donated by Jake, a garden to work in, a sandbox to play in, bikes, toys, etc... William's favorite toy? My golf clubs. Bill, you should be proud. He doesn't

Kenyonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18300502998613905187noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-36173199047077293202009-04-05T14:39:00.001-07:002009-04-05T14:59:57.693-07:00

General Conference this weekend; always a powerful experience, I feel especially called to work on my habits, especially scripture study and regular temple attendence. Again and again I've heard recently about the need to constantly nourish a testimony. I've also heard and thought a lot about the true nature of suffering. Now, suffering and pain are things that I typically expend quite a bit

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-45330038214531125992009-04-01T20:23:00.001-07:002009-04-01T21:04:41.098-07:00

I'm a little shocked that I realized what day it was when I woke up this morning. I mean, it's not like the date and I really have that much to do with each other these days. Pretty much I keep track of the day of the week with regards to church and preschool, and beyond that it's all kind of hazy. But, as soon as I got up, I remembered: April Fools Day! There's a long-standing tradition of

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-40163278180770518312009-03-30T15:08:00.000-07:002009-04-30T22:56:21.020-07:00

Happy Birthday, my angel baby! You're four years old now, and I can hardly believe it. We had a wonderful birthday with you this year. Your friend, Brennan, brought you a cake he'd made himself, and we had a long, fun, day with Grammie Shar and Papa Bill, culminating in a fun little family birthday party. We had ham for dinner, which you don't get very often but love, and you ate a ton of it.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-70653898198466799272009-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:002009-05-09T17:29:43.150-07:00

While working on the computer (balancing our accounts, a job I've been assigned for the year, thanks Kenyon!), I gave Clara some paint to to work with. It seemed like a more appealing option than having her watch something, you know? I try to be a good mom. I gave her lots of paper, some water and paper towels, and I told her not to paint on the table - which, to be fair, she didn't. However, I

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-72489458778160081992009-03-30T12:48:00.000-07:002009-03-30T14:15:35.445-07:00

We made it to the lambing barn in the last hour of the last day it was open. The kids were pretty adorable trying to feed the sheep straw and hay, although Clara was nearly in tears when she couldn't lure a lamb close enough to pet (not that she would have been allowed to, anyway...). Going to try to catch up on a few things, so the blog might be light on text for a while (feel free to enjoy the

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-11531113028682513552009-03-27T09:36:00.000-07:002009-03-27T09:56:34.269-07:00

What is success?To laugh often and much;To win the respect of intelligent peopleand the affection of children;To earn the appreciation of honest criticsand endure the betrayal of false friends;To appreciate beauty;To find the best in others;To leave the world a bit better, whether bya healthy child, a garden patchor a redeemed social condition;To know even one life has breathedeasier because you

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-32362018391695923992009-03-11T11:48:00.000-07:002009-03-11T12:31:54.549-07:00

I just got back from taking Will to see the lambing at OSU with the ward playgroup. Clara missed out because of preschool, but I'm hoping to go there with her when my parents are here.It's a gorgeous day today - cold but sunny and beautiful. The barns are out of town up in the hills and surrounded by woods and fields - very picturesque. Willl was excited from the time I said "sheep," and he

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-85538424040452745002009-02-26T19:29:00.000-08:002009-02-26T21:24:42.376-08:00

I walked into the bathroom after a suspicious length of silence and found Clara surrounded by piles of shredded toilet paper. Immediately, her fists balled up and she scowled:"I am so dis-COURAGED! Funnyold's Dad tore. up. the. TOILET PAPER! (etc.)"So, apparently our mischevious ghost is not Funnyold (spelling phonetic, of course) him- or herself, but Funnyold's father. Upon further

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-92190048439787429382009-02-18T12:01:00.000-08:002009-02-18T12:22:18.910-08:00

Clara, heading off to preschool with her John Deere lunch box (a secret Santa gift from one of Kenyon's coworkers - I love that she uses it and not some girly pink thing), her Minnie Mouse backpack stuffed with her new roller skates (which she earned by not having potty accidents), and the outfit she picked out to wear that morning. I consider it a triumph that she was wearing tights with the

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-64941773692931798612009-02-16T12:49:00.000-08:002009-02-16T13:07:09.422-08:00

Kenyon no longer eats beef or pork, and the kids and I now eat it rarely. It turns out that it's not only good for our cholesterol and checkbook, it's also good for the environment. Between this and Kenyon biking to work 9 days out of 10, we appear to be fitting in with our liberal green community! Who knew? We try to go meatless as much as we can, but we still do quite a bit of poultry and

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-32296441212648221052009-02-05T13:35:00.000-08:002009-02-05T14:49:10.378-08:00

We're cutting down a tree in our back yard, mere weeks after a wind storm blew apart an old tree by our driveway. Yeah, I know, in Oregon we'll be lucky if we don't get lynched or sued or something. I'm all about the arborial love, but they'd seen their time. The one in the front yard was one of those nice purple-leaved trees that are covered with the pink blossoms in the spring, but it was

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-1914796436185046452009-01-29T14:05:00.000-08:002009-01-29T14:49:20.544-08:00

William's moving from songs and nursery rhymes at bedtime to wanting books, books, and more books. I've taken to reciting books from memory, including "The Very Hungry Catepillar" and "Moo, Baa, La La La." I make him finish the lines and quote parts of the books for me. He's doing a couple quirky things, though, with "Moo, Baa, La La La." On the page with the pigs, he insists on saying "blue!

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-15881307423284912702009-01-27T13:23:00.000-08:002009-01-27T14:35:41.587-08:00

Oh, Clara. Clara, Clara, Clara. What a girl! Where to start?Last night, we had a Family Home Evening, rather impromptu. A song (Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, complete with jumping toddlers), a prayer (by William - "thank you for Mama and Daddy and Mama and Daddy and Mama..."), a scripture and a lesson about work (I introduced our new Job Jars). As we finished up, Clara disappeared. We heard

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-11014231925592281912009-01-26T12:49:00.000-08:002009-01-26T13:39:41.569-08:00

"I'm TWO!"You are a wonderful little man, my son, and we are so happy to have you in our family. Your cheerful, impish attitude and sunshine-smile brighten my days. I watch you playing with your sister, and you learn so much from her. She's your best friend, and you are hers. Your mind amazes me. I'd always heard that boys were slower to develop than girls, so I didn't expect you to say

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-82070835286473164112009-01-13T12:23:00.000-08:002009-01-13T13:51:13.229-08:00

We had a lovely holiday season with our sweet little children, the first in our new home. We were lucky to be able to see some family, both of Kenyon's sisters live in Oregon, and we were able to see Heidi's family the weekend before Christmas and Melanie Christmas afternoon when we went up to her place for dinner. The merriment, food and gifts of the season were wonderful, and we enjoyed

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-81398240944236612432008-12-18T11:29:00.000-08:002008-12-18T11:39:10.466-08:00

Late Saturday night it started snowing, which isn't so unusual here, but it was cold enough for it to stick around, which is unusual. The town shut down Monday (with the exception of the university), stayed in low-go mode Tuesday, and barely started stumbling along again Wednesday. Clara couldn't go to preschool, and with few exceptions, the kids and I have been stuck in the house. Which means

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-51162722261640524342008-12-13T00:05:00.000-08:002008-12-13T01:19:04.619-08:00

The first Monday of December, amidst the wreckage of Thanksgiving, we pulled out the Christmas tree and decorated it for FHE. It was the first time we'd set it up. While I'm ardent live-tree fan (we live in the Christmas tree capital of the world, HELLO, why can we not buy a real tree???), I lost the battle last year and we bought it on sale after Christmas last year. I cheerfully admit that it

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-84660020553115676292008-12-10T12:10:00.000-08:002008-12-10T12:25:55.390-08:00

I just finished reading a friend's poignant post about time passing and her children growing so quickly. I had my own startling revelation about that the other day, and it all started with a pair of scissors.I hear it happens to almost everyone with a daughter at some point or another: the self-administered haircut. I blame myself, really. Clara loves using scissors, and will sit for an hour or

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-81535102497389148022008-12-02T14:17:00.000-08:002008-12-02T15:32:33.843-08:00

The last three weeks have brought us so many things, including surprise haircuts, desperate last-minute indoor trim installation, Thanksgiving feasts, Wii shenanigans, and guests galore. Not to mention church talks, lessons, and new callings, plus the inevitable colds we've all been battling. We've enjoyed ourselves immensely, and we're looking forward to slowing things down, now, with

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-3235550600529450422008-11-10T15:17:00.000-08:002008-11-11T10:03:41.919-08:00

I made some evil little chocolate chip cookies the other day. Kenyon said they were the best cookies I've ever made, and I think he's right. They were certainly the prettiest, not to mention addictive. I was eating too many, so I put all of them in the freezer - at which point I discovered they're really good when they're frozen and had to move them into the garage freezer.Besides the recipe

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-9241280575490619832008-11-07T15:07:00.000-08:002008-11-07T15:48:08.398-08:00

Fun with leaves. They were perfect leaves for playing in, big and light and crunchy. The pile was huge, as tall as Clara at least. Clara's own photo of a creation she made in preschool (I LOVE the thing's expression).

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-48179257280901609672008-11-06T15:20:00.000-08:002008-11-06T16:07:33.814-08:00

We didn't actually visit a pumpkin patch this year, although Clara did with her preschool, but it's still one of Will's favorite things to say - he calls all pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns 'pumpkin patch.' He learned the phrase from one of his favorite books (called Fall; it's one of only 10 two-word phrases in the entire book).We carved pumpkins the Monday before Halloween, for Family Home

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-56654614844681398432008-11-04T11:26:00.000-08:002008-11-04T15:54:27.083-08:00

(I had a boss in my last job who was completely enamoured of alliteration, a result of which is that I find myself using it far more often than I otherwise would.)A little more about our fun and hijinks on Halloween, just for the sake of posterity. Will's awesome bird costume was courtesy of Heather and was adorable. There's a great video I'll try to load (it just failed for this post) in which

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-85324998613189257092008-11-02T20:42:00.000-08:002008-11-02T21:33:44.771-08:00

Version 1: The morning of Clara's preschool Halloween party on Wednesday.I was pushing for something else, since the dress is one she wears all the time for dress up, anyway. I tried to dress it up with the little crown and wand, and she was supposed to wear her little wings with it, but those seem to have disappeared entirely. So, we ran over to the dollar store around the block to see if they

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-90147377808822116102008-11-01T21:30:00.000-07:002008-11-01T22:23:35.284-07:00

I love the sweet, fascinating things kids say, out of the blue, and it always amazes me how much they pick up from us without our intention. A few days ago, William grabbed a broom and dust pan and, struggling, carried them to me in the laundry room. He's in a phase where he's trying to use long sentences but garbles the unimportant chunks, so I had a hard time figuring out what he wanted."You

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-76258341266058843212008-10-20T10:49:00.000-07:002008-10-20T12:45:23.265-07:00

We had the opportunity to visit Kenyon's parents on their mission in L.A. for his mom's birthday earlier this month, along with his sisters and his younger brother and his family.We had an evening flight and didn't get the kids into bed until after midnight, which was when we got to the...hotel, I guess it was. It's an old condo building that's actually on the temple grounds (you have to go

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-26436459914476792692008-10-12T21:47:00.000-07:002008-10-12T22:15:14.497-07:00

In order to get the new floors sealed without kiddie footprints covering them, I decided to take the kids to Bompa's Beach House for a couple nights, and I took Hez and her kids with us. We lucked out and the weather warmed up beautifully when we took the kids down to the beach. In the picture below, Will, who had essentially dived into the water and soaked his clothes, was wearing nothing but

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-23412086844234597342008-10-11T08:42:00.000-07:002008-10-11T15:09:51.404-07:00

William: "Mine-Those!!!" Clara: "Mines," as in, "Those are yours and these are mines."Beach trip and Dizzyland trip pics to come.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-77521675781311810562008-09-30T11:44:00.000-07:002008-09-30T11:46:01.139-07:00

This is really embarassing for me, and I probably shouldn't dare show anyone, but I've started keeping track of the books I read on another blog. It's just for me, really - the name and author of the book, and my reaction to it. I'm sick of reading books, only to remember nothing about them (or even whether I've read them) months later. It's not especially deep or well thought-out, nor is it

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-57081906019620494332008-09-29T15:24:00.000-07:002008-09-29T15:54:31.123-07:00

Here's what we've done in the dining area so far. First, days after we bought the house, we took down the wall paper in the kitchen. You should be able to click on the pictures for close-ups. This is just after we started dismantling the kitchen less than three weeks ago. We knew we needed to replace the sliding glass door (it was a safety hazard, hung backwards so it would have been easy to

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-56695473786034558082008-09-29T15:08:00.000-07:002008-09-29T15:23:27.171-07:00

From this:To this:To this:It's coming along! The refrigerator and table are back in the kitchen and out of my living room - hooray! (My living room carpet will never be the same. I tried to put down drop cloths under the table and mind spills, but there are still a ton of lovely new stains making a mockery of my previous "no food and no shoes in the living room" rule.) The fridge is even

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-41672369160789173282008-09-25T16:44:00.000-07:002008-09-29T15:08:52.433-07:00

(WARNING - there is some minor gloating to follow. It's been feeling like Christmas for the last few days - I'm completely excited and stressed, grateful and scared about all the new things I have to ruin.)I have half a kitchen! I have lovely new bamboo floors, installed by my extremely talented husband, myself, and some extremely kind and generous friends. I have new oak lower cabinets and

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-52720392019982602262008-09-15T15:40:00.000-07:002008-09-15T22:39:30.040-07:00

As I write, I have no kitchen sink, and the only kitchen/dining/entry floors I have are bare floorboards partially covered by vapor barrier and plywood. My table and refridgerator are in the living room, the food and dishes are stacked in boxes and on shelves in the laundry room, and my driveway is covered with broken cabinets, bits of the old linoleum-covered particle board floors, and boxes and

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-67482366943767763012008-09-04T14:32:00.000-07:002008-09-04T14:48:02.320-07:00

I just let Clara have a chocolate pudding for a snack. Normally she just gets fruit, crackers, or maybe a carrot for a snack, but I was shamelessly bribing her to get back into the habit of using the potty.She finished it so fast - much sooner than I expected. And, immediately, she asked for another one and declared she was going to go use the potty again so she that she could have seconds.I

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-47174343405168103312008-08-29T10:48:00.000-07:002008-08-29T11:02:41.976-07:00

I'm pretty stoked about Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. I don't know anything about her, besides what was in the couple of articles I read this morning, but I just think she's adding something really interesting to the election. (I'll spare you the uneducated commentary I was planning - my time's short. You can thank my kids later.)What it all comes down to is that we're pitting the racists

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-73064086151473650472008-08-29T09:56:00.000-07:002008-08-29T10:30:30.180-07:00

Wednesday, Jo Lynn and Joseph came down to visit from Portland, where they moved last October. We've seen them a few times since, but we still miss them so much. Joseph and Clara were a little shy with each other at first (I think he forgot her - he's 9 months younger than she is), but they warmed up in no time and had so much fun together. It was so fun to see them still getting along so well.We

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-22016268785805860462008-08-29T09:27:00.000-07:002008-08-30T12:40:10.452-07:00

Have I mentioned my love of fajitas? They're one of my favorite meals to make. My mom-in-law gave me a really good and pretty quick steak fajitas recipe that got me hooked. I then found an even easier chicken recipe. When we went meatless, I tried tofu, and that was ok, but now I just like to do veggie fajitas and serve them with a bean side dish.Veggie Fajitas1 onion, cut into strips2 peppers (I

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-78534460500554184412008-08-21T12:26:00.000-07:002008-08-21T13:01:26.612-07:00

Just a few pictures from over the summer, since they're on the computer now so I can share. Grammy Shar and Papa Bill's visit and the petting zoo at the fair.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-42302513806903158722008-08-21T11:36:00.000-07:002008-08-21T14:09:42.085-07:00

Monkey see, monkey do: last night the older cousins pulled out my nesting tables and basically made an obstacle course with them, climbing over the two small ones to jump onto a throw pillow in the large one, which had be turned upside down. I'd seen them do this, but, honestly, the tables are sturdy, I was tired, and it was keeping the kids happy while I finished dinner, so I did nothing. After

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-70947039913303900202008-08-21T10:51:00.000-07:002008-08-21T14:08:17.397-07:00

The Butler family had a mini-reunion at the coast this week; we missed John's family and, of course, Grammy and Bompa, but the cousins seemed to have a lot of fun together and even the siblings and spouses were still speaking at the end. Success!! (Will's missing from the above picture, you'll notice - just down for a nap, and Kenyon was leaving so we had to get the picture taken..) Everyone

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-25534854399065771302008-08-14T09:34:00.000-07:002008-08-14T10:00:29.692-07:00

Last night, Kenyon was trashed - dark circles under his eyes, slow reaction time, dazed expression. So, I offered to take care of everything I could by myself last night. He normally does so much, it's the least I could have done. He left the dinner table to go rest, and as I sat there waiting for the kids to finish up so I could give them their bath, I started thinking about how I'd maneuver

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-35298577018465571422008-08-05T11:30:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:31.529-08:00

Also in that category, apparently, are clean floors, empty sinks, washed laundry, and eating vegetables. And blogging.We've been a bit busy. Kids are still being troopers. They LOVED seeing Grammy Shar and Papa Bill and still talk about them.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-52941676902040454952008-07-23T22:34:00.000-07:002008-07-23T22:36:46.839-07:00

I just published a post I started back in June - which means that it is down below a couple more recent entries. If you're bored and want to read a few stories about the kids, check it out.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-82030780389462197002008-07-09T13:39:00.000-07:002008-07-09T14:29:10.908-07:00

We picked up the keys two weeks ago today and spent our first night here just two days after that. We got moved in pretty quickly - some good friends REALLY helped us out, with physical labor as well as food and child care (thanks especially to Hez and Brian!!!). So, two weeks and too many stories to tell (now, anyway) later, we're in and loving it. Seeing how well the kids have adjusted, any

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-26462593007327904982008-06-25T08:13:00.000-07:002008-06-25T08:28:53.086-07:00

So, we're buying a house. As in, as I type, we're buying it. We've signed the papers, paid the cash, and are just waiting for the lenders to send the loaned funds to the right place so the title company can record the sale and we can FINALLY get the keys. We should have gotten them this morning, and I suppose there's a slight chance we still may, but there was a hangup over one of the dates on

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-52754979801292950292008-06-20T16:06:00.000-07:002008-07-23T22:33:08.476-07:00

A few random things I just want to document before I forget:William saying "Mouse!" with such enthusiasm. He LOVES the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes he's seen, and sings along with the intro song. I'm embarassed and chagrined, but on the other hand, he's 19 months old and I've heard him count to 14, so I guess there are trade offs.Clara started a game, inspired by a book, where she puts her

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-17946465748180970892008-06-15T23:43:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:31.759-08:00

Completely, totally, 100% unassisted, Clara created this self-portrait. I didn't help her with it at all; in fact, I was working on something else and didn't even see it until she was almost finished. I asked her to tell me about it, and she said, "It looks like me!" I think it's beautiful.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-67056084642968432692008-06-14T07:36:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:31.956-08:00

This has been an odd spring, weather-wise. We had three days of 95+ degree temperatures in the middle of May, and besides that it has been almost universally overcast, cold, and rainy. We've finally started to get a few nice days in the last week or so, although they've been a bit unpredictable.Still, we have perservered in our Summer activities! On Memorial Day, despite a prediction of cold

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-34157643956351671072008-05-31T11:16:00.001-07:002008-12-12T14:45:32.680-08:00

No way my kids are gonna have issues. 3 year old daughter? Won't sit on the potty.Picture on the left? NOT my daughter.We had such a good time that bedtime, playing around, and Clara got such a kick when Kenyon put her jammies on Will - and his on her! They fit - scary. Hers were just a bit long in the limb for him.They have so much fun at bedtime. We usually get to have a lot of family time (

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-13287167166837021882008-05-28T11:44:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:33.085-08:00

My mom likes the above saying. I think, to be accurate, it needs to be, "It's times like these you just have to laugh as you look up the number of a qualified therapist." Or, occasionally, Child Protective Services. Exhibit A: While visiting my parents, my daughter discovered the joys of shredding styrofoam.She found a couple of pieces hidden inside a box that had, until my kids got a hold of it,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-29516047073655067112008-05-28T10:39:00.000-07:002008-05-29T12:24:40.061-07:00

We put an offer on a house the other day and accepted the counter-offer. And I'm terrified.This shouldn't really be a surprise; I can spend hours wrestling with a $20 purchase, so it's only to be expected that I'd be freaking out over a rather quick decision to spend, say, 12,000x that amount. Not a pleasant experience, regardless.A taste of my 3 a.m. mental whirlwind: Did we really get a good

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-62035017568725649822008-05-19T12:40:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:34.503-08:00

On my birthday (besides the breakfast in bed) Kenyon grabbed the kids when he came home from work early. They walked over to TJ Maxx to get their ol' Mom some presents - and I got a quick nap, which itself was a gift. When they got back, they went into the garage to wrap them. Clara found a roll of pink streamers leftover from her birthday party. She told Kenyon she had to decorate for Mama's

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-73202987252368496882008-05-16T10:23:00.001-07:002008-05-16T11:53:26.194-07:00

...I threw myself a party! A Pity Party! And I got a surprise! A sinus infection! Woo!I'll just leave it at that. Other than those things, not a bad day. I'll write more later about what Clara and Will did for me.Also: I'm sick of everyone in this family being sick!

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-21150212384133803052008-05-08T08:59:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:34.989-08:00

For Mother's Day, I'm going to treat myself and the Grandmothers of my children by posting a few sweet pictures and poorly written, boastful stories rife with parenthetical phrases (blame the headache...). So, may I present to you: Treats from (a previous) FHE; bath time; and Clara with her Cookie Monster mouse that lets her play computer games (our big, complicated, wireless mouse was too hard

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-6572812593175330122008-05-07T15:51:00.000-07:002008-05-08T08:56:01.575-07:00

Monday was a funny day that followed a funny weekend. We're all a bit sick or at least stressed out, and Monday the kids woke up early - 6:15 - and followed it with late afternoon naps. They each slept from 3 until 6 - weird. Wasn't sure what to do with them at that point, so after dinner Kenyon herded us all out the door. We went to Home Depot and had icecream at Coldstone and called it FHE - we

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-51888229443464461922008-05-01T10:52:00.000-07:002008-05-01T11:40:46.292-07:00

Kenyon tried a bite of a coworker's lunch the other day and came home with a recipe that he was really excited about trying. I just thought it sounded strange:8 oz of chopped imitation crab meat8 oz tiny cocktail shrimp1 can (7 3/4 oz? short can, yellow label) mexican style hot tomato sauce1/2 English cucumber, diced1 small avacado, choppedI made it last night and served it on really good

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-81168730174883121792008-05-01T09:58:00.000-07:002008-05-01T10:45:19.726-07:00

Kids are amazing, aren't they? Give them a chance, and they'll create their own fun. Just now, as I was reading a story to Clara, Will made his own little slide. He pulled the cushion off a chair, which he normally does so he can climb up and play with the keys and light switch. Today, though, he left it propped up against the chair, and it didn't take him long to discover how much fun it was

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-19563711926956449802008-04-30T10:10:00.000-07:002008-05-01T09:58:08.127-07:00

I realize I've been breaking my own rules lately, and I've been more negative than I'd like to be in some of my latest posts. I promise to put a more positive spin on things in the future.Now is not the future.I'm feeling down in the dumps, no two ways about it. It's a combination - let down from an admittedly very low offer on a home being ignored, the kids not going to sleep well in the same

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-40694202142607360302008-04-28T15:16:00.001-07:002008-04-28T16:15:00.788-07:00

So, I had this great idea for a motivational potty training chart for Clara. It's pretty awesome - Minnie Mouse dressed as a princess, standing next to a picture of the type of potty chair Clara has; "Potty Princess" written in fancy purple letters; six stars across the top, and a chart of 25 squares underneath. The last square has a little picture of a pink dress in it. The idea is, Clara gets

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-27356030494852734162008-04-24T20:49:00.000-07:002008-04-28T15:14:50.834-07:00

We're back to trying to get Clara and Will to sleep in the same room beginning to end, and I gotta say, it's tough! It takes forever for them to fall asleep, and I have a sinking feeling that there's a direct correlation between when they finally call it a night and when the sun goes down. They talk and play, Clara gets out of bed and chucks toys in the crib. She'd be in there herself except that

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-62149359198456761472008-04-22T15:07:00.001-07:002008-04-22T15:11:55.657-07:00

When you vacuum the living room and your children stare in awe and wonder, that's...not really a good sign, is it?

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-28777976453775419582008-04-21T11:29:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:35.733-08:00

The paintings here are a result of a recent painting session Clara and I had. I quite like hers! It's less of a brown mass than usual because I separated her paints into separate dishes instead of putting them all on the same plate. The second painting is mine, and I include it only to reassure the Sharons in my life that I won't be putting either of them out of work any time soon. Quite

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-44721682769981428292008-04-18T11:36:00.001-07:002008-04-18T13:25:21.013-07:00

I've had some really great moments with the kids in the last few days. They got over their last colds, finally, and I think that's made a big difference in everybody's mood. (Although, Will just came down with another, so we may be in for another round.)Yesterday, I painted with Clara in the morning while Will was down for a pseudonap. I was mostly doing my own thing so that she could do hers,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-86640665049824323412008-04-14T19:09:00.000-07:002008-04-14T19:23:16.139-07:00

Saturday was gorgeous, and the peak of a wonderful weekend. Friday, I got a massage at a friend's chiropractic clinic. Friday night and Saturday morning I spent with my sister-in-law at the stake women's conference (a few laughs, a bit of pertinent information, and adult time - can't be beat). I even had an hour at home to myself that morning while I waited for Mel. Kenyon took the kids to

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-81646223181142206382008-04-10T22:40:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:36.139-08:00

Clara participated with us as we sustained the newly called president of the church, along with the other general leadership of the church. Will also rather enthusiastically joined in on the solemn assembly.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-68611637688864616322008-04-10T22:19:00.001-07:002008-12-12T14:45:37.841-08:00

Clara, wearing Papa Bill's birthday crown. It took her a few minutes to get into the hunt (indoors, obviously - it was a pretty cold, rainy day). She was too distracted by the easter grass!Will, on the other hand, got right into it - grabbed the first two eggs he saw and was done. That was enough for him, and he just played with those two eggs while Clara gathered the rest. Eventually he got one

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-591332033780879922008-04-10T21:53:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:38.227-08:00

Heh. I guess that's pretty cute. Grandma sure seemed distracted by the kids when we were there. Yeah, OK. That should do it. It just about outweighs the inconsolable (believe me, I tried) screaming, whining, clinging, and crying from today. Not quite, truthfully, but I can cut the kids some slack because they've been sick, I am sick, and Will's cutting still more teeth. Kid's got, like,

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-14702997977223461952008-04-08T11:15:00.000-07:002008-04-08T12:40:35.208-07:00

We proved it last night - as my last post indicated, reverse psychology is a pretty effective motivating tool for Clara right now. Last night at dinner, I made a vegetarian quiche, which Kenyon, Will and I ate and enjoyed quite a bit. Clara had some leftover tortellini and refused to touch the quiche (or egg pie, as Kenyon insists on calling it). Until, that is, Kenyon had just a couple of bites

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-74024908113386378342008-04-04T21:08:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:38.488-08:00

I don't know what it means (Tom says it), but this is what Clara did when Kenyon said it to her:Don't bite the puppy on the tail, Clara.

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-46790245420279826822008-04-04T20:31:00.000-07:002008-04-04T21:08:28.510-07:00

With apologies to those who are offended by the above phrase, it's related to a pretty funny story tonight. For those who don't know (...in which case, I'm so sorry we don't keep in touch!) that's a phrase we use embarassingly frequently. I get a kick out of the irony of it.Kenyon came home a bit early today (he'd worked long - LONG - hours several other days this week) and we had a chance to

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-41771544721507105322008-04-03T19:16:00.000-07:002008-04-03T19:27:20.054-07:00

This is my first official post on a blog. I've tried several times to post comments on other people's blogs, but invariably get a time out or password error. Now that I'm posting I'm realizing how hard what Angeli does here is. I have nothing important to say. The kids are so great, they give me big hugs when I get home from work, and then they go to bed. Angeli and I have been losing

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6447527133991043696.post-46667157648080967222008-03-29T15:46:00.000-07:002008-12-12T14:45:39.091-08:00

Clara's Three! Happy Birthday to my sweet girl. Every day she amazes me. She's so creative, independent, thoughtful, and sensitive. Just last night, after her bath, she grabbed her own jammies, brought them to me so I could help her with them, then went back and grabbed William's jammies without being asked.Thanks so much to my mom and dad, who came into town to celebrate with us, then drove me

Anghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00072516508578119200noreply@blogger.com2