Rebekah's Fifth

Three days after Sarah's first birthday, Rebekah celebrated a birthday of her own. She turned five!

After dinner we started the celebrations. (It was Rebekah's week to do dishes, which explains the dark pink sleeves and spots on her tummy!) Rebekah got started on her presents right away. Chad wasn't quite ready for the fun to start yet.



Since Sarah was now a birthday veteran, she qualified for helping to open presents.


Rebekah really liked the new bicycle helmet she got. But her favorite gift was the package of gum. We look forward to our fifth birthdays in our family (when chewing gum becomes a permitted activity). That pack of gum was gone in a week!

Of course, there was cake (even though we'd just had one three days ago). Rebekah had been extremely indecisive about what kind of cake she wanted. Eventually, I just told her I wasn't taking any more requests or suggestions...she would just have to be surprised.

The danger of having your cake done by your mother is that she gets tired while decorating it at 10 PM. So if the pink frosting runs out, she probably won't be able to match it (and likely won't try too hard anyway). It was still very sugary...which is all that really matters.

We were having a bees and flowers theme this year, it seemed.


And regardless of what it looked like, it still held up 5 candles long enough for them to be wished over and blown out. Isn't that it's function?


Gazing longingly at the cake. We imagine that it tastes good enough to make it worth the wait!


Rebekah got to cut the cake. You should have seen the monster pieces she was carving!


It hasn't been so long that Sarah has forgotten what birthday cake tastes like. This girl is excited for her piece of sugar! "Hey, Sarah...you're supposed to eat all your dinner before you get cake!"


We were good (or caked-out this week); we only ate half of the cake. Of course, it was a 12" cake. It's cut in funny angles because we were serving up specific portions of the cake to specific requests.


Our version of line dancing. Gotta work off that cake!

Lately

Lately, I haven't been blogging much. I apologize. Some of you are missing me...some of you haven't noticed. And that's OK. I understand you have more important things happening in your lives than what is happening in mine. Sometimes I feel the same way about myself. :)

Since I have been so lax in my updates, I'm not even sure what I need to be telling you. So I have another tab open with my blog posts so I can see what's missing.

I see something that is unacceptable. I never posted pictures from Rebekah and Sarah's birthdays! I should be fired. (It won't be much of a pay cut.) So let me make amends.

Sarah's birthday was first. She finally got to celebrate her own birthday! I had planned to make a cake shaped like a number one. I ordered one, but it didn't come in time. I didn't want to carve anything out of a sheet cake because I didn't want chunks of cake left over. So I had to go to plan B on the morning of her birthday. This is what I ended up with.

We have a recent (starting with Rebekah) tradition that the baby gets to attack the cake first and the rest of the family gets to eat from the carnage. It makes great pictures! Sarah was very willing to sample the cake put before her. She even tried out the paper petals!

Sarah enjoyed her birthday cards, as well. We didn't let her eat those.

It was a very filling cake. She looks satisfied, doesn't she?

The cake didn't end up too messy, considering what we put it through!



And of course, there were presents. Sarah was happy to rip paper (one her favorite quite-time activities) but she didn't quite understand the importance of ripping THIS paper. Fortunately, she has 5 older siblings who stepped up with experience and understanding.


Once the quilt came out of the wrapper, it became a designated place to sit for opening the rest of the presents!


It was a fun evening as we helped Sarah celebrate her first birthday. She took her first steps the week after her birthday. We have all marveled at Sarah's milestones. She turned 13 months two days ago and is now walking (toddling) all over the house. The kids still point out that she's walking!

Last night, she bumped her head and sat back to rub it for several seconds and I saw a little more of the baby slip away. How can I be so happy and sad at the same time?

And yesterday afternoon, Sarah enjoyed another first...she rolled down an entire flight of stairs while her older brother and sister fought over who was going into the other's room. I just happened to be at the bottom of the stairs at exactly the right moment to have her roll right into my arms. I was there because I was going to get after them for fighting so long. So then I let them have it. And I ended up with a sore throat afterwards.

This morning, Sarah has a little red spot in the white of her right eye. I'm assuming it's related to her tumble. I guess I'll watch it and see what happens. Poor kid.

And Rebekah's birthday is my next topic. But not my next task. I guess my kids want lunch today. They are begging for it loud enough!

Insights on religion

I have recently discovered a collection of books by Harold Bell Wright. I'd heard his name before, but hadn't taken the opportunity to read any of his work.

Mr. Wright was a clergyman. And I feel he was very insightful. He was born in 1872 and many of his writing occurred around the turn of the century. It is amazing to me how the things he wrote about over one hundred years ago are still very applicable today. I guess that is because God is unchangeable...he is the same yesterday, today and forever. And though the world continues to change what it believes the scriptures to say, it doesn't actually change what God is saying.

I just finished, "A Higher Call." This book was also published as "The Calling of Dan Matthews." I recommend this book both as a good story and a text to inspire some personal reflection. The message is generally that we should take care that our "organized religion" does not interfere with living the teachings of Jesus Christ.

There is a particular portion of the text that impressed me this morning. I'm going to share it with you, while hoping that I don't get in trouble for copyright violation!

If churches should make this the test of fellowship--that men must live their doctrines rather than teach them, that they must live their beliefs rather than confess them, that they must live their faiths rather than profess them--imagine the results! Our churches doors would be swung wide open--whether to empty our buildings or fill them would undoubtedly be a subject of fierce debate!

That is such good counsel. And what would it do for us? Which way would we be going through those doors? How many of the people and things we have invested our energies in would we be permitted to keep in our lives?

I would lose some things.

Are you getting this?

Sometimes life gets quite interesting...don't you agree?

It doesn't seem like dirty diapers ever show up when you're ready with the wipes and diapers in hand and time set aside to clean up the baby.

The kids don't spill the pitcher of kool-aid if you have the mop out and soapy water in the bucket.

The car doesn't break down when you have a surplus of money that you can't decide how to use.

And the bishop doesn't call you in and give you a calling that fits right into your family's schedule and your interests.

RATHER:
You get nights where one kid throws up, the other wets the bed and another keeps waking up because she can't stop coughing. And just to make it memorable, each of these things happens just as you're falling back to sleep after dealing with a previous issue.

You drop your last jar of spaghetti sauce on the kitchen floor, while the noodles are boiling over, the baby is crawling directly for the mess at your feet and your older child needs to be timed for a math paper. Meanwhile, your oldest child is making another child scream somewhere down the hall and they are on their way to tell you all about it.

You just fall asleep for a short nap and the phone rings. It's for someone you've never heard of. Just as you start to doze again, the baby wakes up.


I'm sure you've had similar experiences. And I'm sure this is where all those comedy writers get their material...from real life. So if all of these crazy experiences in life are actually funny, I want to know...Angels in heaven, are you getting this? I want to watch this movie when it's done. And don't you dare leave anything on the cutting room floor!

Kewpie Sarah

Last night I mentioned that Sarah looks like a Kewpie doll.

This is a real Kewpie.

Here is my Kewpie.
What a face!

"How's my hair?"

That little mark on her chin is her battle scar...from the war on walking!

I have nothing

I know I haven't posted much lately. It feels like my life has been too boring to make it worth your time. So I'll force myself to type something this evening and see if I can't prove myself right.

Chad's sister, Pamela and her husband, John and baby Cordelia spent a few nights with us. I think Pamela was worried about wearing out her welcome, but I really enjoyed her visit. Her baby is so cute and has the craziest hair! I couldn't get enough of it. :) The kids enjoyed playing with their "step" cousins, Everett and Eliza. I think they almost understand how John's kids are related to them!

We spent some time with friends at a potluck dinner and enjoyed getting to know a few people a little better. The kids learned how to play "Ghost in the Graveyard" and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They have mentioned how fun it was. Too bad they get sent to bed before the sun goes down!

Joseph's potty training went so smoothly, I felt we'd "dodged a bullet." Apparently it was just a slow moving bullet. We've had several night time accidents lately. I'm not sure why that is. I do know that I don't like the extra laundry. I've been trying to figure out if there is a trigger that I can recall that would explain the change. But during the day, Joseph is a super star and has a near flawless record. And that boy is REGULAR! He says he has to poop and does it in less than 15 seconds!

Rebekah has been loving Kindergarten. I really wish I could observe her in her class. Her reports are of a different nature than Leah's Kindergarten reports. Where Leah was concerned about who was her friend that day and who was not, Rebekah finds it important to let me know who misbehaved and who didn't (usually it's only her). I think it's entertaining to think of Rebekah being the ONLY obedient one in her class, especially since I know there are some kids in there that would rather melt into the carpet than cause even a second of trouble. And then there is some kid named Brandon. He gets reported on often. I'd like to meet this bad boy!

This is the last week of school before Spud Harvest. The kids will be out of school again for two whole weeks. And we didn't even plant potatoes this year! I guess the kids may get a chance or two to play that "Ghost in the Graveyard" game after all. It's also Homecoming week. Will there be a second Homecoming after this second summer?

My heel is still sore. I've been wearing my shoes in the house. I don't know how it's been helping the overall problem, but it is easier to walk around during the day.

Sarah has started walking. She willingly makes the trip from the coffee table to the couch. And she often takes off into the middle of the room, though doesn't often get more than 10-12 steps. She's had a few accidents involving the coffee table, so I look forward to her getting more confident in her movements. My heart will have less trauma when she's a little sturdier on her feet! I've decided she looks a lot like a Kewpie doll. I'll have to get some pictures of her posted before she loses the look!

I haven't been able to scrapbook lately. Our desktop has been "in the shop" since last Tuesday. We'll get it back tomorrow (if Chad remembers) and things will be better in more than one way. I am very grateful for my laptop, but my desktop is where most of the magic happens. :)

Is anyone looking forward to Fall? I'm trying to decide how early to get the Halloween decorations out.

A hard lesson

I've mentioned before that my Daniel is a little impulsive and doesn't seem to think before acting. This is usually at the expense of his siblings. It has been a very frustrating thing for Chad and I to see him float through his life, leaving a trail of tears and turmoil in his wake. We often think he could use an older sibling to show him what it feels like!

Last night, we were at a local corn maze (for the 2nd time this week) and Daniel and Nathan and Leah wouldn't stop teasing each other. We were getting tired of it since they were blatantly ignoring our warnings. We finally told them anyone who didn't stop wouldn't be going to the Spud Day Parade in the morning.

Daniel hid around the next corner and jumped out and scared Nathan, who then screamed like a baby (which is how he always screams). Daniel took off running away from Nathan, then tripped in an uneven patch of ground and started crying like a baby (which how he always cries). I was just thinking to myself that his ankle had better not be twisted or his foot broken, because I was SO not carrying him out of that maze! And then I said that I would stay home from the parade with him.

Daniel didn't even respond. Of course, that's annoying to me as a parent because I want to know that he at least cares he's getting in trouble. Nothing was said about it until bedtime. We had to remind Daniel that he wasn't going to the parade unless he did something to make up for the problem he'd created.

And this is how we are ineffective parents. We tell them we're going to punish them, but don't want them to feel left out and miss the fun with the family, so we find a way for them to get out of it.

And that is exactly what Daniel assumed would happen. Chad told him this morning that he'd better do "x", "y" and "z" if he wanted to go. He instead chose to do "a", "b" and "c". And we were frustrated!

So, while I had continued to get ready as if I really was going to get to go to the parade with everyone else, we did indeed keep Daniel home. He was MAD and crying and pleading and I wanted to give in; make a deal with him. But Chad pulled out of the driveway without us and Daniel went racing around to the backyard.

I checked up on him and saw him letting the dogs comfort him. Then he climbed onto the hood of Chad's truck and sat there for a little while. I hoped he was thinking. And realizing that it was his choices that caused him to be left behind, not mean parents.

I was disappointed that Daniel made the choices he did to end up home from the parade. And I was disappointed to miss the parade myself (it's such a beautiful morning)! But even in my frustration and disappointment, I had to remind myself that a small-town parade is a very insignificant thing and it's more important for Daniel to learn this hard lesson. I only hope he does learn something!

Nathan's First Day of School

Nathan came home from school with a little essay he'd written: "My First Day of School."

I wish I could scan it so you could see it in his own cute handwriting (which is really good), but I am demoted to my laptop while the computer folks slowly take their time putting more memory into the desktop.

So here it is.

My First Day of School

On my first day of school in 3rd grade, I was kind of nervous.
But I was glad because I didn't have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
But then I decided I was not nervous enymore.

The highlight of his first day boils down to the privilege of school lunch!

Sunday Morning

You know it's Sunday morning when you hear this:

"Joseph went potty on the counter."

I'm glad the tomatoes were still in the bag! The recipe I'd printed couldn't be saved.

This tops the Sunday morning from last month when the older boys were using gel in their hair and Joseph decided that hand soap was just as good...in the last 10 minutes of rushing everyone out the door!

Sarah's First Year

I almost dropped a real tear as I was completing this LO. Sarah's first year is over. She has grown so much and brings us so much joy. And now that she sleeps through the night, I can enjoy the joy even more!

I pulled up Rebekah's first year LO to compare the two girls and realized how much I am going to miss capturing these beautiful baby faces. And I'm also looking at how much I can see 5-year-old Rebekah in the face of 12-month-old Rebekah. So then I started staring at Sarah's 12-month-old picture here, trying to imagine what she will look like when she's a few years older. That's a really tough task at 10:30 at night!

BTW: I only have one more LO to go before I finish 2004. It's that 4th of July one that I'm trying to decide if I want to buy a new kit for. (I probably will end up buying it, but if I wait, maybe it will appear that I was being careful with my money!)

Even so, I did get through Leah and Rebekah's drawers and pulled out the clothes that were too small. And then I cleaned their room, hauled out a whole bag of garbage (like I end up doing every time I go in there) and vacuumed the room and hall. It only took me two hours since I had to CONSTANTLY pick up Sarah and put her back where I could keep her out of trouble. That was a less effective way to work! I also cleaned 1/2 the bathroom. Why half? It was the most obvious part of the mess. :)

So I didn't just sit and scrapbook yesterday. I was a good girl!

Thanksgiving 2004

I got one more done. I still have a snowy trip to Temple Square to do and Christmas, as well as the 4th of July. I want to buy a new kit for that one, but I'm having a hard time justifying the $4. (What tough decisions I am faced with!)

Of course, I have several rooms to clean and some outgrown kids' clothes to sort through. So I guess some things will have to wait. I hope I choose the right things!

Scrapbooking

I've been trying to catch up with the scrapbooking lately. Here are some of the LO's I've completed. I only have 4 more to do in 2004! Good thing, because I can't remember much about stuff 6 years ago.

Office Stress?

Chad sent these videos to me. He must have been the 107th person that got them in a forwarded email. I guess that makes me the 108th.

The quality isn't great, but you get the idea. Isn't it interesting that seeing someone else totally lose it makes you suddenly able to handle your own stress a little better? No wonder my family doesn't seem too worried about the same things I do!

Enjoy!

CRABBY

I'm feeling quite crabby this morning...and my kids weren't spared.

We just finished a four-day weekend full of teasing, whining, begging and fighting. OK, it wasn't all bad, but I'm crabby this morning and that's all I can remember right now.

We spent 4+ hours at the fair last night...most of them walking. (I think I'm going to enter something into the fair next year. Maybe one of my baby blessing afghans I made for the kids.) I felt the strain on the bank account from the very moment we paid $18 to get the family through the gates. I'm grateful that 3 of the kids were free! We only bought ice cream cones and let each kid pick one ride, but with parking and a quick stop in the Arctic Circle drive-thru for cheaper refreshments, we spent $77.02. We bought NOTHING from the commercial buildings and other booths. I couldn't bear to part with anymore cash. One day I'm going to look back at this and think that wasn't so much money, but right now, it is.

Anyway, we got home with less than 20 minutes before I had to go to my pres. meeting. I gingerly slipped off my sneakers and socks and slipped on my sandals. The rest of the night, my limp was more noticeable than usual.

So last night, I looked up my heel pain a little more seriously. I've been suffering most of this year; it isn't getting any better. I need to lose some weight, but don't have good enough mobility to exercise. And at the end of days like yesterday, the pain includes my calf muscle, too. I feel confident that I've self-diagnosed my problem with 95% accuracy. Plantar fasciilitis. Or policeman's heel. Or jogger's heel. Or tennis heel. Or lazy, fat lady's heel. (I made that one up all by myself.)

I can't avoid it any longer...I have to stop going barefoot. I have always gone barefoot. My bare feet to me are like feelers to a bug. That's how I know there is a spill on the floor, a fruit snack being smashed into the carpet, sharp objects lurking and waiting for little people to crawl on, etc. With shoes on, I feel clumsy. I trip on things more (since the floor is usually SO uncluttered) and step on people more. It's like walking blind through the house! I can't curl up on the bed or couch with shoes on. And I have to wear socks.

But even with so many reasons why I can't stand shoes, I can't stand the pain anymore. Since I don't have the luxury of staying off my feet, I have to do this. It's obviously not going to go away and it can eventually cause a whole list of problems (some I have already begun to see). I hope that a few weeks of shoes will heal my heel and I can toss those clunkers back into the closet! And then winter will come and I will have to dig them back out again.

A perfect adventure to start on a day that I feel crabby.