Rebekah is on the move

Rebekah is trying to stand by herself and likes to walk along with us at the end of our fingers. She'll be shedding these training wheels pretty soon. I love that poofy hair!

Unconditional Friendships

Sometimes a friendship is doing quite well and then one of the friends decides to move the friendship into a different setting. It's great when it can change like that.

If it happens that the moved friend doesn't feel comfortable in the new setting, he or she should not feel like it's a requirement to stay in the new setting.

He or she's a really lucky person when their friend can understand that old friend's interests and new circle of friends' interests are different and doesn't hold it against the friend for discontinuing the move.

Otherwise, the old friend feels shunned and wonders how much of a friendship was really shared before it all seemed to fall apart.

I think I've got a few friends that would never really click...but they are still my friends, even if they aren't close with each other. That's just fine with me. I don't want to lose any of those friendships.

I found one!

People often ask me if I've noticed any differences between my boys and girls. I usually tell them that Leah thinks she's a boy, so she pretty much acts like the boys. I haven't really noticed any big differences. Until now.

Here's the difference I've found:

Whine, whine, cry, throw a tantrum, cry, give an order, whine, tantrum, cry, order, scream, whine, pout, beg, tantrum...you get the idea.

This young lady is seriously starting to make me insane! My boys just try to knock your teeth out (Daniel mostly), but Leah is hitting me where it really hurts! And I wish I could explain to her that fruit snacks are not their own food group, and would she Please stop asking for them 10 times a day!?

In other news:
We seem to have a bug (not counting the crawlie kind...we are a safe house for those). Leah had a fever Monday and a little one Tuesday. She said it was her ears, but some hard earned cash at the clinic and we've proved that wrong. She still prays that Heavenly Father will help her ears to get better. She's very good! Yesterday Nathan was sick and feverish all day. During the night sometime, while I was up with Leah (threatening her with dire consequences if she didn't stop crying and screaming), Nathan woke up thirsty and I got 104.9 with the ear thermometer. His eyes are still glassy and red, but at least he's up and playing: coughing and spreading germs freely. His temp was down under 101. Anyone want to visit? I'm crossing my fingers that the other two don't get it. Chad said his ears were plugged today.

Stood Up

I was planning on spending my time with my visiting teachers this evening but one of them forgot all about the appointment and ended up in Rexburg somehow. It is such a great feeling to know you're forgettable! Oh well, it got me to mop the kitchen floor and get some things cleaned up that probably would have waited. And now I have a great chance to tell you about our trip this last week.

We left town around 7 PM on Wednesday night for a two hour drive to Hagerman. The sunset was pretty as we drove in. The kids did really well and then Leah had to go potty just before the exit. We needed to take the second exit, but Chad thought it might be pushing it, so we got off on the first one so she could water the weeds. We got back on the freeway to see a sign indicating the 2nd exit was 1/2 mile away. Sheesh! We got to visit with Chad's brother, Shawn. Uncle Shawn is fun for a couple of reasons (but not limited to only a couple!): he has old light sticks from the army that you can run around a dark house with and try to hit each other in the head with (that last part is not recommended by the parents) and he doesn't have any kids yet, so he's not so tired of little people that he won't play with you (that last part IS recommended by the parents!). Thursday morning was spent watching the guys work on a storage shed. I have a certain opinion of Chad's family: they are extremely hard workers. No slackers are born into that family (we only marry in...speaking only for myself, not the others). I wouldn't say they are really efficient. They built the same wall twice and then almost had to build it again when Chad asked if they weren't putting windows into it (after it was framed and ready to be erected). I laughed a good one over that! But they all had a good attitude and everything seemed to be fun (if you count standing on a roof in the heat getting sunburned fun!). I especially liked their attempt to beat the heat by moving the swamp cooler up to their work area!

Rebekah tried to beat the heat by taking a LONG nap! It had to be upper 90's by this time.

At 3pm, Thursday, we headed for Salt Lake. I was dismayed that we were heading south in such heat! We got to Grandma's house a little before 8 pm and the kids were thrown into the tub. They were filthy! Chad, Rebekah and I boarded a plane for Las Vegas @ 7 the next morning and the kids rode to St. George with Grandma and Grandpa.

It was stinkin' HOT in Las Vegas! Luckily, we got a small rental car with awesome a/c. I visited a few friends while Chad met with some stuffy architects. We were on complete opposite sides of the valley, so I got to maneuver through LV traffic twice. Yippee. It was fun to see some people and catch up on some things. I even caught the day of a group lunch meeting, so I got to see a few more people that way. Of course, they were mostly taken with Rebekah...show stealer! On our way out of town, the freeway closed for some reason and we were forced off into the surface streets. We got out of Dodge as soon as possible and drove to St. George.

Unfortunately, St. George wasn't any cooler. A couple of degrees don't matter when everything's over 105 anyway. We met up with our kids and the rest of the family for dinner and then headed to the play at Tuacahn. It was Peter Pan and it was very good! I would change the weather though. I missed the last of the play because Rebekah was so restless and it was too hot to stand at the top of the theater. I let her crawl around on the grass. We were SOO tired from the heat and traveling for 3 days that we slept in until 9 am the next morning. My kids are usually waking us up at 7. We missed the family breakfast, but there was not much chance of enjoying it because we were so tired. I couldn't even fake pleasantries. I was doing my best not to bite heads off.

We headed home with full stomachs and then stopped 1 1/2 hours later in Beaver for ice cream. We were too full for ice cream, but tradition is tradition! We introduced one of my sisters and her family to our tradition. Now if they can only find the place the next time they are passing through!

We stopped for fuel in Orem at about 4:30 and I was disappointed to learn that it really hadn't cooled off much. So we stopped at my mom's empty house to steal some food for dinner and steal a cat nap to energize us for the last 3 hours in the car. We left there a little after 7 and got home around 10.

Our kids Loved the Peter Pan play. Daniel and Nathan have been making puppets with the characters they can remember. It really was a very good play. It was well done and we had excellent seats. A HUGE thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for the tickets and meals.

Neighborhood Watch

I love my neighbors. I have two neighbors at the opening of my circle who are home all the time and are very aware. One of them is like a young grandmother and the other is another mother. They always seem to notice what is going on around the neighborhood. When we first moved in, one of them called up to say that Nathan was crying at the front door. He was still too little to get the door open and had been shut outside! They know when my kids are at the boundary-line of their freedom (the end of the circle) and become extra watchful.

Another thing that's great about my neighborhood is that we live in a relatively small town of mostly obedient people. That means that the cops are usually available. My neighbor heard a noise at her back door one night when her husband wasn't home. She called the cops and they were there almost immediately. Of course, that also means that they are available when someone calls to complain that there are some children playing unattended in the street. Yes, those were my kids - breaching the boundary-line. To be fair to the kids, they had just been home a few minutes before that and they usually have friends there that they play with. It was just bad timing all around. And no, I wasn't watching them. I was peeling potatoes for dinner, which I'm sure was very obvious to the cop as I was holding a potato and peeler when I went out to talk to him!

And we have a dog. He's very noisy (to keep up with the rest of the dogs in the neighborhood) and lets us know if anyone approaches. When we go out of town, he stays and another good neighbor comes over frequently to take care of him.

We live in a good place!

My first business trip!

Chad has a meeting in Las Vegas this weekend. (Never mind that he was just there a week ago today or that now his partner has a meeting this week, too!) We already have plans to attend a play at Tuacahn in St. George that evening. So for the first time ever (besides job interviews), I am going on one of Chad's business trips. We will drive down to Salt Lake and fly out of the SL airport with Rebekah in the morning. My mom will drive our van and older kids down to St. George later that morning and then Chad and I will drive a rental up to St. George in time for the play. So now I am planning ways to keep myself occupied (and cool) while he is in a meeting that could last several hours.

When Chad and I were first engaged, I talked to a woman who's husband was also an engineer. She had been to place like China on his business trips. ME? I'm going to a place I used to live. This is just the first step! Someday we'll travel the WORLD! For now I have to settle for the crazy world of Las Vegas.

Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked

We had FHE on pioneers tonight. Of course, we sang THE song! Then we had a lesson on what we would be able to bring with us in our wagon or handcart if we were pioneers (we had a picture for each thing). We listened to a pioneer story about two women and the power of the priesthood. (We emphasized that being a pioneer was very dangerous. That got Nathan's attention!) Next everyone got a piece of cardstock cut into the shape of some clothing with holes punch around the edges. They got a piece of yarn with tape wrapped around one end (the needle) and sewed their own clothes. I personally, am very grateful for electric sewing machines! Next they walked through ice water in the tub. Apparently I needed more ice because it was all melted before we got them into the water and no one really complained that it was too cold (darn!). :) We finished the night by making butter from whipping cream in baby food jars and then spreading it on toast. Daniel was bored before he hit butter, but the younger two did pretty good. They had small jars, too. I can't take too much credit for the lesson since I found it on Deseret Book's web page. It was a pretty good lesson.

Multi-Tasking

With all these kids and the laundry they create, I can be very busy. I have learned to do more than one thing at once!

The kids have been begging to play in the sandbox. This morning it was filled with new, clean sand and I have a break from their whining! Don't they look so cute out there together?

About Arlyn

I figure a blog should be a little about yourself. My days don't consist of much that is just me, so I rarely write about just me. I thought I would summarize myself, with as much honesty as I can brave and as much tact as I feel prudent (does that make you interested?) I wish I had an outline to keep it all flowing nicely, but you're going to get it off the top of my head. *This took me several sessions to type. It is LONG. You may need to go to the bathroom before you start reading.*

I am 32 years old. Age doesn't bother me. I've worked hard to get this far. The little lines around my eyes and the changing shape of my face do bother me a little.

I am fat. This morning I weighed 172.4 lbs, less than last week. I don't feel fat in my brain, but that's where it ends. I don't like myself this way, but I apparently haven't become desperate enough to REALLY do anything about it. I have lost weight occasionally, but have yet to get back to my 155 lbs of 7 years ago (when I was married). I think why I eat is because my tastebuds are addicted to food. Seriously, I'm not (really) an emotional eater or eat just because I'm bored. I just see a food and think it will taste good. Can't someone make a little calorie-free wafer of taste? Those and some water would do me wonders. Each time I think I'd like to get my weight down before I get pregnant again, I start losing and then once it really gets moving, I get pregnant. Sound like a complaint? It sort of is, in a weird, backwards sort of way. So having said that...

I am ready to have another baby. If I could just lose 10 lbs, I might spontaneously get pregnant. Isn't that how it works? I'm not ready to be sick though. And I wonder if I've exhausted all the things that could afflict me AFTER the baby is born. We have 2 boys and 2 girls. The oldest wasn't quite 5 1/2 when the 4th was born. (And I wonder why I have so much extra fat on my body.) I was pregnant or nursing from March 2003 until this month (July 2006). Very frustrating when you have a cold and can't take anything that really helps it. All babies are born c-section and I am very thankful for modern medicine. One hundred years ago, Daniel and I probably would not have survived, definitely cutting all chances for Nathan, Leah & Rebekah.

I don't have a lot of close friends. I like people and like to get to know new people. It just doesn't seem to be my personality to make a lot of really close friends. You know...the type that know what you'll do next when your child misbehaves, or know why it is that you're so stressed out and how to fix it. I have a lot of "seasonal friends." When I was 8-11 years old, I had a neighbor that acted like I was a great friend until her original friend came to visit and then they both treated me (and my sister) like dirt. In high school I had a friend with whom I was very close and then when I started dating, she seemed to get jealous and started avoiding me. I guess I was supposed to choose one or the other. She didn't notice that I often took a back seat to her extra-curricular activities. Once we got to college, it became even harder to be a part of her circle. Since getting married, I've had a few friends that have been close. Unfortunately, I move more than an average housewife and have lost a lot of those connections. I still have a REALLY GREAT friend in Washington that I hope to never lose. She knows just what to say to boost me up. For the most part, it has been a lot of work to keep in touch with old friends. Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one with a phone book. So, I have let go of some friendships and focused more on local responsibilities (family for one). Here in Idaho, I still am lacking that one (but not limited to one) special friend. It seems I am older than most women with children the same ages as mine. And there aren't many women with as many children in the same age-range as mine!

Some things really annoy me. I get really bugged by a "few" things. I have always looked young for my age. Once, I went in to apply to a temp. agency. The woman there told me I had to be 16 years old. I told her I was 18. She was surprised and apologized. I told her she should see me without makeup! I don't mind looking youthful, but I really don't like to be treated like I'm too young to know what's going on. I'm really quite intelligent, if some people would just give a chance to show it. I don't like fake people. I know when you're putting on a show. This includes cliques. I think a clique is a group of people who refuse to see something positive in a stranger. Mormons are especially good at this because we live our days in very familiar situations. It's hard to open up to something that may seem different. We can be too judgmental. I was recently victim of an online clique. I tried for over a month to connect with someone. It was like I was never even there. (I think one person -a friend who invited me- noticed that I unjoined that group and now I hardly hear from even her.) I don't like having to repeat myself. My kids are helping me work through that annoyance. I think Nathan hears in a different language. Daniel just doesn't care that I'm talking. I don't like rude people in public. I am not invisible, my kids are not invisible, you are not that important. I don't like people who can't keep their word. I live in a great ward here, but there really are some people who don't give any weight to keeping a commitment. One of Chad's responsibilities is to find people to help with moving or yardwork or setting up things at the church, or whatever else the Elder's Quorum is put in charge of. Many people say they don't know what they're doing at that time yet...they'll make it if they can. (I say, if you don't have anything planned, then it seems you've just been given something!) Some people say "yes" and then just don't show. (Way to go on your example for your children!) This weekend, a guy said "yes" but said he would be working in his yard then, so if Chad saw him out there as he drove by, please stop and remind him. Of course, he was conveniently missing when Chad drove by. (I say, a 40-year-old should be able to get himself to an appointment!) I don't like negative people. I go visiting teaching to a woman who doesn't seem to like 85% of the people she meets. She even has (MAJOR) issues with the bishop. I walk out of her home more depressed than when I walked in. Negative people also include those people who are always doing worse than the story they're hearing. I used to have a VTing partner who could "one-up" the old diabetic lady with bad knees that hardly left her home or the negative lady who I've already mentioned. It seemed like the visit was about her, rather than the sisters we were visiting. I think it's just as important to ask questions as it is to answer them! And now that I've been complaining like a negative person about a "few" (not an inclusive list) of the things that annoy me, I think it's time to change the subject.

Some things really make me happy. My children. When Daniel first went into Primary, I had tears in my eyes. When Nathan finally started talking at 3 years old, I had tears in my eyes. When Leah figured out the potty, I had tears in my eyes. When Rebekah figures out something funny, I get tears in my eyes. I had tears in my eyes when each of them was born. I love flowers and we're trying to get our yard to bloom. I'm slowly building a "secret garden" on the east side of our house, where I can escape the heat and enjoy some beauty. So far, it's looking lovely...in my head. I like to make things. I like to sew, crochet, cross-stitch, craft, etc. If I can figure out something on my own, I enjoy the process even more. I often give my things away. I like a clean house. When my house is clean, I'm really happy because that doesn't happen very often. I think that as I move through the house, I create a large pocket of air (kind of like a semi-truck) that blows everything around into a mess again. Or maybe that's just my kids. I like to read. I read when I get the chance. Sometimes I have to make chances. I look hard for books with acceptable language and themes. Some of my favorites are in series. I have read or listened to many of "The Cat Who..." mysteries by Lillian Braun, read many of Beverly Lewis' books - I especially enjoyed her "Abram's Daughters" series. I have read "The Work and the Glory" series by Gerald Lund and Dean Hughes' series..."Hearts of the Children" and "Children of the Promise." I have also enjoyed books by Anita Stansfield, Rachel Nunes, Robert F. Smith (Baptists At Our Barbecue) and Robison Wells. These are a bit of what I've read the past years. I have others to recommend if anyone is interested. I like to spend time with friends. I mostly have to rely on Relief Society activities for this, but I occasionally find a chance to go out with a friend for a couple of hours. I like to sing. I'm pretty sure that I annoy some people when I sing. I like to sing loud. I feel like my testimony is borne through singing hymns and other times, it just makes me feel good. I occasionally get asked to sing for one thing or another, but I have an annoying problem with "stage fright" and so I don't seek out opportunities. I do get nice compliments from kind people, and that makes me feel good. I try to be gracious and not let it hit my pride too much. ;) I like to see my kids "get it." I work all day at teaching my kids to be polite, responsible and just plain good. Once in a while, I get rewarded when I see them do something right. Daniel was known at school for being friends with a particularly difficult personality. We made sure he knew we were proud of him. Sometimes they hold the door open for strangers and I smile inside. Once Daniel told me that he had done something mean to Nathan and he felt bad for causing Nathan to feel sad. And when they do something "right away," without having to be told twice, we do a cheer in honor of the occasion! I tried to make the positive paragraph at least as long as the negative one. I hope I came close!

I have a thing with numbers. I notice when the clock says something like 3:33 or 10:10 or 12:34. If the odometer in the van reads 156,651, I point it out to Chad (who probably thinks I'm a little obsessed). I think it's a sign (or something) when I buy something at the store and it ends up being an even dollar with tax.

I am sentimental. I save things like the kids' hospital bands, their hair from their first haircuts, especially talented drawings (subjective, I know), notes from Chad, etc. I do draw the line at saving dried, yucky umbilical cords and positve pregnancy tests. I like to take note of the last time I do something and feel a little sad if it passes without warning. For example, on my last day of work, I think, "This is my last time I'll swipe my employee card." But one time our vacuum broke while Chad was using it (a small indication of his expert vacuuming skills - some things should be PICKED UP first), and I was sad because I didn't get to savor the last time I used the vacuum.

I am crazy. Refer to story about the vacuum.

I am insecure. I don't like my face. Everytime I look in the mirror, I'm surprised because I don't look like I feel I look. My jaw is square, one eye closes more than the other and my eyebrows aren't even. I worry that someone thinks something unpleasant of me because of something I unknowingly said or did. (I always worried about that when I had to give Enrichment announcements in RS.) I really do want everyone to like me - I really expect that they don't. I don't like my house to be messy when people (including repairmen) come over because I feel that I should at least be able to keep a house clean.

I think people should be able to read my mind. Not really, but it can be pretty frustrated when I'm trying to explain something to Chad and he doesn't understand because I'm saying half of the message and thinking the other half. Why can't someone understand, "It's under the thing." ???? And if I could mentally project, "Check her diaper!" we would all be more relaxed.

I have been out of the country. My first trip "abroad" was to Canada. I know...wow! I served a mission to Thailand and then did my student teaching in Samoa. Those trips required landing in South Korea, Taiwan (airports only) and Fiji, where I spent the afternoon resting on a beach. I have been snorkeling, hiking, shopping, teaching, working, worshipping in lands far away.

I grew up as a Navy Brat. My Dad was transferred every 3 years. I was born while my parents were living at Fort Douglas, Salt Lake City, Utah. From there we lived in Mira Mesa and Poway, CA; Tacoma, WA; Phoenix, AZ; Horsham (township), PA; and Taylorsville, UT. Since I have been married, we have had 4 different addresses within Las Vegas, NV; Ridgefield, WA and Shelley, ID. I had a dream just yesterday that we had moved into a new house!

"I Belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" I was raised in the church by my mother. My father is not a member of the church. I have had many experiences that confirm the truthfulness of the gospel and have received many blessings through obedience. I pay my tithing faithfully. Sometimes I get confused and have to seek out quiet time to sort things out. There are times that I think, "Boy! When they get to heaven, they're going to see what this all means!" and then I think, "I hope when I die, it's like I'm thinking it is!" I try to support the ward in activities and through my calling. I really do believe that there is no small calling and hope to stay out of the "big" ones for as long as possible. I feel a little let down when my Visiting Teachers or our Home Teachers fail to contact us. I am thankful for a husband who honors his Priesthood and is constant in his instruction to our children. He sets a wonderful example. I like to share my testimony when asked by someone showing interest. I pray almost daily that my example will be positive and reflect the Savior. I am not perfect. I wish I were close. I sometimes feel funny around my family and hope that they know that I am living my life the same behind closed doors as I am around them. I don't treat them any differently if they are "active" or "less active" although it does change how I word things. Does that sound like a contradiction?

I have never gotten a traffic ticket. Knock on wood. I've certainly earned a few. I've been driving for 16 years. Maybe I'm too fast to be caught! ;)

I would like the English-speaking world to learn how to use the following words at the right times: where, wear, were; their, there, they're; than, then; your, you're and the praying ones to use: Thy, Thine, Thou, Thee

I like to watch people. I like to just observe. Sometimes people think you have to be actively involved in something to really enjoy yourself. I think you can learn a lot by just being quiet and watching/listening.

I keep a dictionary by the computer so I can spell things correctly. It's a little anal of me. I don't like to misspell things. I have probably missed something in this post. *I'm so embarrassed.*

I like to watch old movies. I like to watch movies made before 1970. Some of the Disney movies made in the 50's and 60's are fun. Chad and I have been watching old Hitchcock movies and have recently discovered "The Thin Man" series. Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorites. I loved catching Abbot and Costello on Sunday afternoons when I was a kid. I subscribe to Netflix to get my fix. :)

I have a teaching degree. I really enjoy tutoring elementary kids. I enjoy it most when I get paid for it (let's be honest!). I like to see a student who has been struggling with something everyone else has excelled in finally understand. It is such a powerful boost for them! I wish more parents would become deeper involved in their childrens' learning. There are so many benefits to that.

I am lazy. Some people think that I couldn't possibly be lazy with 4 kids. They don't live with me. Ask Chad. I let him do more than I should. I am spoiled.

I am blessed. My husband is wonderful! He is supportive, respectful, helpful, and tries to understand what I need when I'm so difficult to live with. He sacrifices a lot for our family. My kids are a blessing to me as well. I have a nice home, clothes, food and the ability to pay for our needs.

Well, I think that's enough of me. Of course there is more, but let's show some restraint! If you want to know anything more...just ask. Now it's back to the more trivial and mundane life of my kids' naughty antics!

Wa wa wa!

Rebekah is talking! She's using her tongue to make more sounds and even mimicing rhythms. Today she was copying Daniel who was playing on the other side of the room. He didn't even know she was doing it. :) Here is some video of her at her finest. She's also expert at playing "Where's Rebekah" (not as in Waldo, but as in Peek-A-Boo) and swaying along to music. I'll see if I can get those on video sometime.

Also cute, I heard Leah singing "I Am A Child of God" yesterday. She's almost got the whole 1st verse learned! I was sorry I didn't have the camera for that one!

We've been pretty busy, especially yesterday.
We now have 5 pints of apple jelly (from our apple trees in the backyard), 4+ pints of raspberry jam (thanks to a neighbor with too many raspberries)and some apple and raspberry syrup - all of which used 26 cups of sugar yesterday!
Chad mowed the lawn and accidentally mowed over a dead grapevine that was slated to be returned to the nursery (since it didn't grow) along with it's neighboring grapevine (who also didn't grow). We still returned those and got some plants to add to the flower bed on the west side of the driveway. We shopped the 50% off shrubs and got some good deals. Here is a picture of the flower bed now. The two shrubs on the left and the one on the right were just planted last night. The perennials in the middle were planted about 2 weeks ago.

I got more pillows finished this week. The one on the left is the original. There will be two more, identical to the the Ohio Star patterns. The one in the middle was created because I am not a math genius and cut the triangles WAY too small. I don't like to waste! They turned out so well, that I'd like to find a way to make and sell them. Maybe I'm just too proud of myself.
I cut the boys' (including Chad's) hair last night as they took turns on the slip-n-slide (not including Chad). Since it got up to 95 degrees here yesterday, it was not fun to stand out there and get covered with hair!
Chad and I finished up the day by folding a ton of laundry. I think my boys wear twice as many clothes as they need, yet only seem to run out of underwear!

On Friday: Chad learned that high chairs are normally not designed to be carried by the tray, especially with the baby seated (who knew?)! So after 6 years of use in our family, and given to us used, we have replaced the old and broken high chair with this. Ours has a Pooh fabric cover instead of what's pictured. Rebekah looks tiny in it!

It was a hot and busy couple of days, and now we're resting up on the Sabbath. The kids are racing down the stairs on a box that used to contain a highchair, chasing each other, yelling, fighting, making each other cry and generally being disobedient. Is your "day of rest" similar?

For Crying out loud!!!

I have 4 kids. It's amazing how similar they are, starting with newborn looks. They have all been pacifier babies. They all have a stare that they use on strangers (I call it the Collett Stare, not to be confused with the Care Bear Stare). They all love their Daddy.

Of course, they are also very different. Daniel will beat you up for fun without even thinking about it first. Nathan can hold a pout for 20 minutes, while walking with the family around the block. (By the time his lip retracts and his arms are unfolded, no one can remember why he was mad!) Leah uses her charm to work herself out of trouble, "I'm just a little girl!" Rebekah is still a big ball of baby fat and we just try to keep her out of too much danger.

One thing that has been constant so far is that they all wake up crying. Not just whimpering, but loud, irrational crying that borders on screaming. It doesn't matter if it's at home, or in the car, they just don't wake up quietly. I'm not talking about Rebekah yet. I expect babies to wake up and cry, but not kids who can walk and talk! It drives Chad and me CRAZY! We get so frustrated, especially when we're hoping to silence the noise before it wakes up the (current) baby. The more you work to get them to be quiet, the louder they become. Luckily, it doesn't last forever - Daniel and Nathan have outgrown it. Leah is at her prime. And today was a special day becuase I was extra tired and hoping to get a nap. Leah woke up midway through her nap and started raising the roof. I called to her to be quiet so Rebekah wouldn't wake up. No go. Soon, Leah was back to sleep and Rebekah was screaming! Argh! Rebekah is still gasping for breath from crying so hard (I let her cry for a bit, hoping she'd settle back down).

Well, that's over. Not the best nap on record; maybe 5 minutes for me. Leah might fall asleep in the car later today. The boys most likely will since they don't take naps. Rebekah has a good chance, since she's now under her sleep quota. I won't be asleep until after 11 tonight. I just wasn't meant to be.

But why in the world do they do that? I just assume Rebekah will - it seems to be a given for us. I read somewhere that kids who don't feel secure at home will wake more often during the night. My kids do that, too. Maybe I've messed them up so much that we all need therapy! Daniel is approaching the age for night terrors. I'm crossing my fingers against that one! Actually, it's Nathan who's the vivid dreamer. He gets that from me...poor kid. I guess it's a waiting game on that.

On a happier note, Rebekah's teeth seem to be giving her a break the past two days. She is much more willing to play and hasn't been nearly so beastly. Those little devils are just a layer of gums away from coming out! They'll increase her "cuteness" so much when she's got them. :)

Home Improvements

We've been busy in our kitchen lately. These two pictures show what it all looked like when we first moved in two years ago. Notice the carpet, wallpaper over halfway up the wall, and border all around the rooms near the ceiling. I hated the carpet in the kitchen for obvious reasons. I didn't love having the chair rail higher than my shoulder because it made me feel like a child! And the border around the tops of the walls just made the whole space feel smaller. Even all the outlet and switch plate covers were wallpapered!
















So we stripped the wallpaper and borders off. And threw the outlet and switchplate covers out. Just doing that was a huge difference! We had to prime the walls and trim. After we'd finished that, I was very glad that we weren't actually using that color-scheme. We had to use tinted primer for the trim because the paint was going to be a dark color.


















We painted all the trim and the wainscot boards in a brick redish color. I was using the same curtains because I actually like those. The paint was matched to the curtains. Painting those wainscot boards and trims 3 times was a big pain! Here is Chad putting up the wainscot. She how well he cut that hole for the outlet? I'm so impressed. :)
















Here's Rebekah helping out. Everyone helps in a Collett family!

And here is the finished kitchen. It still needs some touch up, and the ceiling probably needs to be painted now, but we're glad to mostly done. I still have to get things back on my walls. As soon as Chad touches things up, I can get everything into the right places.

Notice the new vinyl floor. We got a good price for it. Now I know if my floor is clean or not!

I want to think of some fitting phrases to put up on the spaces above the counters. Maybe something like "Give us this day our daily bread." or "Kiss the cook" (just kidding on that one). I just can't think of what I want yet. Any suggestions? I know someone who can cut vinyl letters that I could stick up there.

And not to be outdone by the kitchen, the livingroom is getting a little help. There was a sale on furniture here in town. Chad was feeling a little crowded on the biggest piece of furniture we had (a loveseat - thanks for the hand-me-down, Amber...it's gone on to another family now) and decided it was time to get something bigger. So now when visitors come, we won't have to squeeze our whole family into the two arm chairs to make room for them! Do you think that's why our Home Teachers never come?


I'm making throw pillows for them. What do you think? They are green to tie in the rest of the room. I don't think they really match the couches at all. Oh well. I have this pattern with colors reversed, almost ready to put together into a 2nd pillow. I plan for 5 pillows in all. Obviously, this is an Ohio Star quilt pattern, but that's the only part of this pillow I didn't figure out on my own. Yes, I need to repent of my prideful boasting.


Now, before you go thinking that we've won the lottery or something...I feel compelled to say that we've used tax returns and company bonuses for all the big stuff. I wish we made enough money to just fix up the house any old time. I would get the carpets replaced if we did!

Swinging Baby!

Here is Rebekah in the swing yesterday. To see it bigger, click on the YouTube logo in the lower right corner. (It was a lot of work to get to video level for this sad computer! You'd better REALLY enjoy it! :) ) Rebekah is working on her top teeth right now and we are all hoping they come through soon. She is miserable! There are 2 or 3 teeth working their way out right now. Leah was a little cranky at church today. I think her ears are still giving her some pains. How long does it take for the antibiotic to help? Maybe it's a viral thing after all.

I had all 3 of my regulars in class today. I have had to get resourcefull with these girls. They are very energetic and disruptive, and there's only 3 of them! First, I started giving them reading assignments for the next lesson. One of them had actually read it and was full of knowledge at the right times. (The lesson was on Samson.) Additionally, they are really bad about getting out of their seats and wandering/flittering around the room at random times. If you know me at all, you know that doesn't work for me.

So today I brought clothespins with their names written on them and clipped one to each of their skirts. I told them that if they got up, they had to give me the clothespin. If they could keep their clothespin the whole time each week, then I would let them pick a reward at our class party next month (lip gloss, smelly lotion, fingernail polish, etc.). No one got out of their seat!

As for the class party, I never have a party for "free." In the past, I/we have given out monthly scriptures to memorize. You have to earn your way into the party (reciting one at the door). This time I'm requiring them to learn the 13 Articles of Faith. They have to learn 6 of them by the party sometime mid-August and the rest by the Christmas party in December. I have individual charts for them and star stickers to mark them off. Now you may wonder, when do I have time for a lesson? That's been my problem all along. Maybe a little organization will be a blessing.

I agreed to take another teacher's class next week. Four older girls (two of whom can't be quiet to save their lives). If my own children ever get to the point that they disregard other adults when being instructed/directed, I'll make their lives miserable!

It would be easier to throw it out the window!

I have been having problems with my computer and some programs. Today I am trying to get Kodak EasyShare to load. I spent an hour on the phone with tech support and still can't get it to operate. He had me uninstall the program to reinstall it and promised me that my pictures wouldn't be lost. I'm trusting him BIG TIME! Especially since it seems to be conflicting with Microsoft. I know that my desktop wallpaper has been erased, and that was a Kodak image. I REALLY hope that my pictures come back! There have been some other frustrating things going on as well. Little steps...I hope everything irons out ok.

UPDATE:

I finally got an older version put back on. YIPEE! All 2077 (WHAT???) pictures were saved and restored. I think I need to go through and delete some of those. B took a bunch of pictures of herself and some of others while she was here. I need to do some B cleaning. If you want those pictures, B, you'd better speak up soon!

Funny Commercial

I just came across this link. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Ironically, notice the spelling of the title of the video!

Happy Birthday, America!

We had a fun time with the holiday this week! On Monday, we made Firecracker Crowns from the Family Fun Magazine and had FHE on America's history of gaining independence. We colored some patriotic pictures and hung them in the front window.



After it got dark, we tried a few little fireworks on the driveway. Our kids don't really know that you can buy big fireworks to do at home. We're keeping it that way for as long as possible.


Tuesday evening we went to a BBQ with some other families in the ward and then drove into Idaho Falls for the big firework show. We wanted to avoid lots of walking and crowds, so we plopped ourselves down in the middle of a dry sticker patch to see the lights. It was ok until Rebekah wanted to start crawling away. We used the firework option on our camera and these are a few of the shots we got. They look pretty neat, if I do say so myself!


A big pile up on Daddy. This seems to be a favorite pasttime around here. Daddy can't breathe, but he's used to it.




Rebekah is piling up on Mommy. This is also very popular in these parts. I guess I'm used to it, too. Gotta love her spikey hair!




There were all kinds of fireworks.

Some were fuzzy...






...some were colorfull...




...some were wispy....





...some were bright...



...some were timed together...



...and some were funny.

Chad is modeling Daniel's firecracker crown. It was a good day and the fireworks were good. My kids quickly lost interest, but I enjoyed them (mostly through my camera's display).


Happy Birthday, America! We're blessed to be living here!




In other news:

Leah has been dry since going potty for the first time on Thursday. We're thanking our lucky stars for that! She turned out to be a potty-training prodigy, once she got started!

Rebekah finished taking her antibiotics today. That's just in time for Leah to start hers. She has an ear infection. So her ears hurt, and our ears hurt (from her screaming about how her ears hurt). She slept most of the afternoon.

It's just a countdown until we take the next child into the clinic. We're very good about supporting small community resources!