Cub Scout Carnival, Collett Version

Joseph is working to earn his Bear Rank in Cub Scouts.  One of the requirements is to work with the den and organize a carnival for the rest of the cub scouts. Unfortunately, the den here did this activity in early November, before we arrived and before Joseph was even 9.  Joseph is going to be turning 10 in a few months and we didn't want to risk waiting for another chance with the den, so we said, organize one yourself for the FHE activity!

Today, Rebekah spent several hours helping Joseph organize games and create tickets and signs for the carnival.  They did a great job!  Here's what they did and how everyone enjoyed it...

Everyone got an invitation that had been handwritten, with several ticket taped inside.  No two were the same!

The admission ticket got us "into" the carnival, and a chance to punch a spot and reach inside for a piece of candy. A couple of them had two pieces; I was lucky enough to get a starburst AND a dum dum!  (It's perfectly understandable if you feel some jealousy.)

Notice the clown.  Joseph did an excellent job dressing as a carnival clown for the activity.  Don't miss the socks!

When Daniel took his turn, Joseph had to grip the box a little harder.  I'm suspecting Daniel was trying to get a little more fun from the moment than Joseph had planned on.

The carnival had several things to do and each station had a sign.  They really put a lot of effort into this!

Leah playing horse shoes...

You've already seen the tickets.  Here is Rebekah demonstrating how to "pay" for the game.  I think they thought of everything!

Near the horse shoe toss was a lawn darts game.  Considering the fact that we had two throwing games in close proximity, I feel grateful no heads (or anything else) were injured during the evening!

There was also a petting zoo.  I think Rebekah had a lot of influence in this one!  Poor Luke and Suzie were the only animals that could be staked out there (the cat wasn't really an option).  They endured the attention with great patience.  

Lastly, there was an abbreviated croquet course set up.  Sarah tried to beat Daddy in a game.  I'm not sure what the result was.  I know what she'd say!

The whole carnival was small, but they put a lot of thought and work into it and was pretty impressive for an 11 (almost 12)-year-old and 9-year-old!  I think everyone had fun.

Here is our master clown and host.  I think he had fun, which is most important!

Have you met our cat?  Rusty ventured upstairs while the dogs were safely tethered outside in the petting zoo.  Comfortably seated in the window, he kept an eye on the croquet game (and the dogs).

The weather was perfect and the mosquitoes were not too bad.  It was a great activity for our FHE.  After we cleaned it all up, we went inside for a lesson to support Sarah's upcoming baptism and then we finished it all off with German chocolate cake, compliments of Nathan.

Mind Trick

I found this gem this morning while I was trying to put more stuff away.  (So much stuff!  We will never get settled!)

I held it up to Sarah and waited for her reaction. Her first response was, "Which one is you?"  Then she corrected herself, but made several confused comments as her brain tried to sort out an old fashioned look with people she recognized.  Lol!  I wish you could have seen the expressions on her face.

Perhaps I should be offended that she thought I was old enough to have really had a picture so ancient.  But it was all funny enough to overlook the insult.

Early to Rise...

...should mean early to bed.  It would make waking up a whole lot easier! 

When school starts the boys will have to leave for Seminary around 5:45 am, over an hour earlier than we've previously enjoyed.  This means an early family prayer!

To get us ready for the big change, we've been adjusting our alarm clocks each week.  Last week we were up at 7:30.  This week is 6:45, though we let everyone sleep in yesterday because of a late night at the fair.  We will be falling out of bed at 6 next week and 5:30 during the school year.

Years of enjoying solitude after the kids have gone to bed has trained me to be a night owl.  This has been perfect since I've never been a morning person.  Going to bed before 11 pm is very unusual and it's often around midnight when we shut off the lights.  Of course, Chad still has a big reason to wake up in the morning and I'm sure he'd appreciate some extra sleep. 

Most of the kids are dragging through the transition like I am.  And then there's Leah who has her alarm set for 5:15 and is out watering plants an hour before I am getting out of bed. She also likes to cook and has been making dinner for the past few weeks. I'd wonder if she was perfect if it wasn't for the fact that she's terrible at cleaning up the kitchen afterwards.

School starts in 19 days.  Before that happens, we have several more medical appointments, two birthdays (with parties), and a baptism to do.  We're also trying to a few things accomplished in the house. 

Who has time for sleep?  But I so want a nap!

Trust Issues

I have them.  Deep-rooted, too.  I'd tell you their history, but I don't know if I can trust you.  And so the cycle continues.

The thing I hate about moving the most, even more than packing/unpacking and finding new schools and doctors, is having to get to know people again.  Don't misunderstand what I mean.  I like to meet new people.  I think I'm pretty good at having a conversation with someone I've just met.  But everyone needs a base of operations.  I keep losing mine.

I have a child in a similar situation.  They are struggling with change and finding a new place to belong.  I have spent so much energy on this little soul to smooth the transition and support it through the bumpy spots.  But I'm also a little envious because while they can get away with leaving a situation in tears and finding safety at my side, I don't have that freedom.  (Honestly, I believe all of my children are struggling in some way or another, though one seems to be doing better than most.  Others are just in survival mode and retreating into a silence that seems standoffish...because it kind of is.  And the adults they are dealing with aren't really reaching out to them.)  I am not naming names to respect their feelings.  But if you know us well enough, you know who they are.

Recently, I've had several experiences that have caused me to want to go into my own standoffish survival mode.  The general gist of what keeps happening is:  Hey, Arlyn!  Come join us!  What is your opinion?  No, really, we want to know.  That opinion isn't the same as ours.  We don't accept it.  Go back to what you were doing.  Haha, just kidding (not really).

Because of these recent interactions, I have started to stay on the fringe.  And yesterday, they left me right there.  They did bring me a chair from their group so I didn't have to stand the whole time...in the fringe.  To be fair, I was dealing with a fringe-seeking child, but even after that issue resolved itself, I continued to hold down my chair and keep an eye on the minutes ticking by.  When it was finally time to leave, I felt such a chasm that I had one of my children return the chair for me so I wouldn't have to face the other women and walked to my car without saying anything to anyone.  Next time, I'll just wait in the car.  The hope of being included is starting to fade.

Why do I have such trust issues?  Well, some of them come from a bit of a nightmare that keeps repeating itself:  I make a friend that I think is a pretty close friend and start to share my insecurities, including the fact that I keep losing friends and don't understand why (to which they are supportively appalled at), and they end up ditching me down the road, too.  Warm fuzzies?  No.  Unless you want to count the heat I feel in my face as they "don't see" me when they walk past.

And why do I so keenly feel the sting of being excluded from a group?  That's also something I can't share without trusting you.

If you are the person that immediately has a bunch of suggestions on how I should be friendlier and just introduce myself, trust in the atonement, pray, etc., then I will know I won't be opening up to you.  This tells me you are making judgements with assumptions and not facts and you will not be my "safe place" when I need you.

My Hands

I have noticed that my hands haven't heard that I'm trying not to get old too fast.  I can fake youth in my behavior and my face, but my hands are giving me away.

These hands have a lot of miles on them and have been exposed to over 40 years of work and stresses.  

They've been sunburned, torn, swollen, and cracked.  

They've knocked on doors, manipulated home improvements, soaked in dish water, and been buried in craft goop.

They've wiped dirty bottoms, applied band aids, brushed away tears, and cut hair.  

They've  patted, swatted, tickled, and pounded.  

They've played instruments, cooked dinner, counted to 3 (so many times), and crocheted miles of afghan stitches.

They've painted, gardened, sewed, and sorted.  

They've worked on assembly lines, scanned groceries, led music, and taped (and untaped) boxes.  

They've been hot, numb, pained, and blistered.  

They've been raised in question and in acceptance. 

They've been folded in prayer and in worry.  

They've served and have accepted service.  

And it shows. I think my hands are a bit like a timeline of my life. I imagine my heart might show similar aging if it could.  I'm OK with that. But let's see if I can't fool people with my face for a little longer!  :)

Quote of the Day

Compliments of Sarah, after getting a panoramic x-ray at the dentist's office:

"And then she just left me there all alone. I mean, who does that?  To a little girl?"

Picture a fake disgusted look with hands outstretched. 

Lol.  She hasn't had enough x-rays to know the technician always leaves the room.

TMI

There is a strange phenomenon occurring in my house.  Some of you may consider this to be sharing a little too much, but it's so strange that I feel I should record it for posterity.

The strange happening is that I cannot go to the bathroom without someone discovering me there.  It's a serious thing that is partly mystifying and partly annoying the heck out of me!

I can be left alone all morning, but Las Vegas could thrive on the probability that within minutes of entering the bathroom, someone will come disturb my solitude.  It's as if they sense I'm not nearby and they must make sure I haven't escaped out the back door.  (The temptation has been there.)

I am anticipating the start of school so that I'm assured it will only be the dogs tracking me down.

There Really Is No Such Thing As Catching Up

I seem to be in an eternal conflict.  Why recording my life publicly is so important to me is hard to understand.  I imagine it's due to moving often and not having an easy escape with friends to share my events and feelings with in person.  So I turn to the next easiest avenue I have...online outlets.

And why not?  It's a great way to keep friends and family updated as well as creates a record of the happenings of our family.  We have a wonderful collection of stories dating back to 2005 of the funny, momentous, and important activities that happen to our family.  So many of the things I have recorded have ended up being new to me later when my kids read them to me in fits of laughter. My memories are not very reliable, unless I write them down!

Unfortunately, once I started using Facebook, the time spent updating the blog became too much.  I was getting nearly instant feedback on my FB posts, and much more attention.  That was enough to keep me going and eventually my blog was ignored.  But not forgotten!  Facebook is great for short paragraphs, but I have a need to TYPE!  I have missed my blog.  I have also missed story-telling.

Because FB is a little too public and less intimate than I'd like, I have struggled with feelings of guilt due to sharing so much.  I attempted to fix that by limiting my friends lists and only sharing with certain groups, depending on the topic.  However, that hasn't been the best answer and I believe that many people have become upset when I have removed them from my friends list despite their inactivity in my FB life or real life.

So I have decided that I will open up my FB interactions to be more public, but less personal, and return to blogging the many details of our life.  If someone is truly interested, they will find their way here and I will be rid of the guilt of over-sharing!

I regret that I can't catch up with everything that has happened since my last blog post.  But there really is no such thing as catching up.  I would never be able to share all the details that have been since forgotten. I can only start from now and try to keep up with current events.

But I can share some recent photos.  Joseph recently got a cat.  It's mainly to help him with his anxieties that have followed him for a few years.  The cat, an orange tabby, is named Rusty.

He's had all sorts of attention, from the dogs chasing him to copious boxes presented for his cat-like hiding.  Joseph and Sarah made this box in Rusty's likeness.  It looks pretty good, don't you think?  I'm not sure how Rusty feels about it.

And in other news, Nathan and I enjoyed a morning of running errands.  One of our stops was Hobby Lobby.  While I searched and contemplated trims for Sarah's dresses, Nathan found some trim of his own. We call this his rapper chains!  lol  We don't really call them anything, but it's what I'm thinking.  I'm glad he's willing to be silly with me sometimes.  Oh, and during this morning out, we stopped to see ourselves reflected in the window of one of the stores.  I can confirm that Nathan is taller than me now.  2017 has been a good year for growing!

I rinsed the beans

Dear Family,

We're having 13 Bean Soup with turkey tonight.  I slow cooked the 13 "beans" in a liquid that included over a quart of the juices from the turkey bones that simmered overnight.   It's going to taste so good!

As you know, beans have a magical power that is collected in the water as they cook.  For the most part, this magic is considered black magic and in consideration for you, I took extra effort to drain and rinse the very heavy and hot pot of beans over the kitchen sink. 

I know how much you will appreciate this act of love because you have expressed many times your distaste for extra work (or any work) and undoubtedly know the sweat and tears I could have shed over the task.  But don't worry.  Other than temporarily  loosing vision through my fogged up glasses, it was no trouble at all!  

Thankfully, I did not shed the tears and exert the energy to avoid the extra time, because it would have made me more tired than just draining and rinsing the beans actually did!

So what all of this means is that you will have a nice dinner and your tummies will be full without as many severely unpleasant and embarrassing intestinal reactions.  All because I love you!

Or...it's a purely selfish move based on too much exposure to your delicate systems.

Either way, bon appetit!

Love, Mother

Saturn, by Sarah

This school we're in has the kids start doing research reports in Kindergarten.  I both love it and hate it.  Thankfully, they make them super easy and increase difficulty as they get older.

Sarah recently had to give a report on a plant as part of an astronomy unit.  She chose Saturn.  The report had to be her work and in her handwriting.  I helped her look online and she did the writing.  She also had to make a model of the planet.  I gave her some ideas, but she did 90% of the work.  (I think Daddy helped her cut the inside circle out of the transparency sheet.)

I think she did a great job!  Her teacher agreed.  :)

14 Days of Valentines 2016

Our tradition is alive and well.  This year was the 17th year to honor the holiday of love.  And it was the first year that Chad had a theme for his gifts to me.  He made everything a sign of some kind or included a sign in some way.

This sign hanging across the driveway was clever.

I didn't have a sign theme.  But I did make sure to fill Chad's truck with balloons.  That's kind of a tradition.

Joseph and Sarah helped blow up balloons for me.  It's a good thing they have such chubby cheeks to help them fill up nearly 70 balloons.  Yeah.  They probably get credit for 4 or 5.

I did make some truffle type things.  They were an interesting first time activity.  Thankfully, we have a lot of kids to help Chad eat them.  Except for Nathan, he tasted the minuscule amount of peanut butter in them and wouldn't eat any.

Chad did put a keep out sign on the bathroom door and had the tub filling for me.  I turned on the jets

to get the bubbles going.  Unfortunately, the switch to turn it off can't be reached from the tub, and it isn't on a timer.  So things got a little overwhelming for a while.  I finally got Chad to respond to a text and come turn things off!

But not before the bubbles got so high that they started spilling out of the tub.  I was laughing as I spit them out of my mouth and blew them out of my nose.

I did make a couple of signs myself.  I had the kids help me quickly cover the back of his truck after school one day.

Chad also got the kids in on the fun.  They made these little signs and he lined the driveway with them.

They looked a little bigger in person.  :)

When we lived in Las Vegas about 14 years ago, and I was only on the third or fourth year of Valentines, one of Chad's coworkers mentioned that I would not keep it up for very long...after a few kids came along.  I guess we showed him!  

Prayerful

Every once in a while, I catch glimpses of my children doing beautiful things.  I hope Leah's relationship with her Heavenly Father is always strong and growing.

Joseph's date with mommy

Twice a year, each Collett kid gets a chance to go out with mom or dad for one-on-one time.  We try to do something they choose, though sometimes they need a little guidance in choosing.  February was Joseph's month and my turn to take him.  He wanted to go mini golfing.  He was sure he'd never been because he couldn't remember our golf trips in Idaho.  There's a nice golf course in Cape Canaveral that is only $5 a person.  Because it's outdoors, it's best in cooler weather, which gives us about a 4 month window.

Time for a selfie with a photo-bombing gorilla!

This is a little golf dance that Joseph made up.  It's one of the few times he was detached from his shadow.

Putting into a cave.  Very skilled puts are required for this hole but neither one of us qualified.  This might be one of the holes that Joseph got to start over again when his ball returned to him!

One last selfie.  It was a beautiful morning and we had the golf course to ourselves.  The fact that we are still smiling means that we had fun despite being horrible golfers!

Joseph didn't do too badly for his "first time".  But neither one of us got a hole-in-one.  Maybe next time.

The arcade had been very tempting as we passed through it on our way to golf.  I'm sure it's placement was no accident.  Joseph wanted to play some games, so I gave him the choice to spend the money on games or getting a treat together.  Guess which one he chose.

Ten dollars in quarters equals a lot of quarters!  It would have seemed less expensive if the games had taken tokens and not actual quarters.  But Joseph had a lot of fun and got a bit of a workout.  ;)

Our last cub scout!

Joseph turned 8 last November (yay!) and officially started Cub Scouts.  After watching his big brothers do fun things in scouts, Joseph was more than a little excited to get his own uniform!  I can't say I missed going to Pack Meeting, but now we're mostly all at the church anyway.  His older siblings don't join us because they are involved in their own scout or mutual activities.  And Daddy slips in and out.  But we do our best.

Daddy did get to be present when Joseph earned his Bobcat.  Big things are in store for Joseph!  :)