oneofeach: summer edition

I often think of a phrase I once read in a book by Emily Watts: "The years fly by, but the days are mighty long."  Truer words were never spoken!  A few days into summer we are finding our groove, and there are a few things about each of the kids I want to remember from this phase of life.

Tyler holds the honor of finishing the first book of the summer...and he has already read two, for a total of 304 pages!  He is delighted to be taking piano lessons and loves the school work he has to complete each day.  Right now he is working on carrying and borrowing in multi-digit addition and subtraction.  Today we enjoyed a delightful journal exercise wherein we held a 15-minute conversation through writing only.  Tyler is struggling to get along with the neighbor kids, however.  He flung a verbal insult at one kid today that he says he got from the scriptures.  It's nice to know our efforts to study God's word are having such a good effect!

Gavin's mischief ebbs and flows, but he has been on a tear this week.  Wow.  There are times when I think he might be outgrowing the terrorize-and-destroy phase, like when he will sit on the couch for half an hour and listen to me read his library books over and over again.  But then, when he sneaks into the backyard and soaks those library books with the garden hose, I'm pretty sure he won't survive until his fourth birthday.  While he was drowning any chance he had of ever possessing his own library card, he also pulled apart our cable line, thus disabling our internet service for the morning.

Zachary has spent the holiday weekend doing chores.  Two weeks ago he used Gavin's new-at-Christmas bicycle helmet to test the law of gravity.  Apparently he wasn't confident that "what goes up must come down," so he hurled the helmet high into the air and watched it crash and splinter on the driveway.  I guess he needed more evidence that the law of choice and accountability still applied at our house, too.  After a two-week grace period, he is now working off the cost of a new helmet for Gavin.  His mean parents pay a pittance for household chores, so earning twenty bucks is taking a while.  Zach also killed Lexi's goldfish today when he chose to handle it with his bare hands.  Anyone who can come up with a good consequence for that one is welcome to offer advice.  In other news, Zach is re-learning the traditional method of multi-digit multiplication this week.  Between the onset of consequence chores, piano lessons, journal assignments, and summer math homework, Zach is struggling to remain cheerful.  Life is tough when you are nine!

Lexi is thrilled to have her brothers home for the summer.  She loves spending time with them.  Tyler is usually happy to push her in the swing or read her a story, much to her delight.  Lexi is still obsessed with water, especially the water that comes from the bathroom sink and the refrigerator door.  Doorknob covers have foiled her escapades a little bit, but she still needs a few clothing changes a day after getting soaked.  (Gavin's discovery of the garden hose contributes to this problem.)  Lexi is still climbing out of her crib, but only after waking up in the morning or after her nap.  It's actually pretty nice!  I'm glad I held off on buying a crib tent....at least for now.

Garry had Friday through Tuesday off from work, which has been lovely!  He succumbed to the stomach flu on Saturday but has otherwise been busy catching up on unfinished projects.  The bookshelf has proven to be an ugly beast, full of unexpected delays, but the end is finally in sight.  Likewise, a new set of shelves in the garage have taken a while to construct, but they are finally hung.  He has also made some wonderful dinners for the family during his so-called "vacation."  I think Garry will be relieved to get back to his desk tomorrow morning, but it has been nice having him around.

 {insert non-existent picture of me}

I am adjusting to a new routine with all of the kids at home.  It has been nice to have some focused one-on-one time with Zach and Tyler as we have worked on piano lessons and their school assignments.  Balancing Gavin and Lexi's needs during those times is tough, though.  It would sure be nice if there were two of me!  I hope my health holds out this summer so we can do fun things outside the house as a family.  We are looking forward to park days, a "mom camp" co-op, swimming lessons in July, and the occasional field trip.  I am happy to have made it to the third trimester, too.  Baby gets bigger (and presumably healthier!) every day!

Memorial Day

I pledge allegiance to the flag

Of the United States of America

And to the republic for which it stands

One nation under God, indivisible

With liberty and justice for all.

...

On this Memorial Day, when we pay tribute to those who have fought, died, and continue to give their lives for our country's freedoms, we say THANK YOU!  We are grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in this magnificent country.

We also remember those close to our hearts who have passed through this life and whose legacy lives on.  We love you!

We also like to stuff our faces with Garry's grilled goodness.

Yum.

Funeral For a Fish, Part Three

I wasn't quite fast enough with this blog post.

On Saturday Garry went to Walmart with a list that included a fish net and fish food for Zachary's newly acquired pet.  When I signed his permission slip, I told him his fish would live in a vase.  I fully expected it to die right away, and that would be that.  No financial or emotional investment.  Just another brief trial and a "win" in Mom's anti-pet column.  (I know, I know...I'm so callous.)

Then Garry came home with food and net, plus a bowl, rocks, fake plant...and three more fish.  He spent less than ten dollars on the lot and the kids were thrilled.  The new goldfish were quickly named: Creamsicle, Yeti, and Bob.  All day Saturday, I expected one of them to go belly-up.  After all, our record with fish is 3 days, and last time Gavin killed two in 24 hours.

Yesterday I thought it was so weird that the little fishies continued to swim.  And then, after the kids went to bed, Bob died.  Bob was Tyler's fish.  We left him in the bowl overnight so Tyler could see him before he got flushed.  It was a tragic scene.

Somehow, "I told you so" doesn't seem like appropriate commentary at a funeral. At least Tyler lost a tooth yesterday and can console himself with the dollar he found under his pillow.

Amusing anecdotes

Tonight Tyler was rooting around in the hall closet for cotton balls, which Garry needed for our Family Home Evening lesson.  I explained where to find them, and that he'd need to move a few of the labeled plastic bins in order to reach what he needed.  Tyler ignored my advice, and in his shuffling, knocked several cans of hair mousse off the shelf.  One can became punctured and started spraying all over the place with a loud hissing sound.  Tyler yelled out a rather alarmed, "MOM!"  I was sitting in the room across the hall and could see what was happening.  He was pretty traumatized until I started laughing.  The can is currently emptying itself in the bathroom sink.

...

I have developed a painful kink in my lower back that is exacerbated by physical activity.  I know it will flare when I take the stairs, vacuum, sweep, mop, bend, lift, or sit on a hard surface, but sometimes it chooses to appear at random times.  Last night I was folding laundry and suddenly cried out in pain.  The shooting pain took my breath away and I crumbled to the floor.  Once in the fetal position it went away and I started laughing at my pathetic state.  Tyler happened upon me and clearly couldn't tell if I was laughing or crying.  I explained what was happening, and he mused, "I don't understand why your back hurts when it's your front that's getting so fat."

...

In a related scene, Garry took the mop from me while I was trying to clean the floor.  He was attempting to save my back, but I objected since he had been throwing up the night before.  He simply said, "If I barf, I'll mop it up."  How tragic are we?

...

While Garry was helping Zach with the dishes the other night, Zach noticed the pile of tulip bulbs we had dug from the ground and split that afternoon.  That sparked a funny conversation.

Zach: "Those kind of look like food!"

Garry :"You may not realize this, but a significant portion of the food you eat grows out of the ground just like those tulips."

Zach: "It does? GROSS!!"

Zach was horrified as Garry explained which common household foods grow on plants in or near the dirt, and then resolved to never eat something that had touched dirt.

Zach:  Well, mac and cheese doesn't grow out of the ground, does it?

Garry: No...but the wheat that makes the noodles does.

Zach: Gross!  I'm not eating mac and cheese any more.

[pause]

Zach: Wait!  What is flour made out of?

Garry: Wheat!

Zach: Gross!  Now I can't eat burritos or tortillas now either?  How about beans?

[Garry pauses, unsure of exactly where/how pinto beans grow.]

Zach [grinning hugely]: Chocolate!  What is chocolate made of?

Garry: From the bean of the cacao tree, which produces pods with seeds called cocoa beans.

Zach: So the beans are in a pod, way up in the air, away from the dirt?

Garry: There might be other ingredients in chocolate that are grown in the ground.

Zach: Hmph.  But I thought chocolate was just made from mushed up cocoa beans and sugar.

Garry [laughing]: Where do you think sugar grows?

Zach [moaning in frustration]: I'm never eating any of that stuff again!

Garry: [explanation of washing and sanitation of food prior to it landing in our kitchen]

Zach: I'm not eating any more DIRT!

Garry: You can't be so picky.  Almost all of what you eat either grows out of the ground or is some animal chopped up into bits.  You can't survive on what doesn't fit into those two categories.

Zach: I'm also boycotting canned foods.

Garry: What?  Why?

Zach: I was listening to the radio and heard someone talking about how there are all kinds of gross things in canned food, like fly eggs and bugs and stuff.

Garry: You can't be so paranoid.  By the way, how old are you?

Zach: Nine.

Garry:  Do you ever remember being sick because of something you have eaten?

Zach: Yes!  That's why I get sick sometimes!  It must be fly eggs or dirt or something gross like that!

Garry: The reason you get sick after eating sometimes is that you either eat way too much or just too many sweets.

[Silent pondering]

Zach: Where does paper come from?

Garry: Trees.  Basically peper is like a very, very thin board.  It's really just like wood.

Zach [moaning]: Ohhhhh......I have trees in my stomach!

...

While at Tyler's baseball practice the other night, Gavin was in park heaven.  He ran around the playground, barefoot, enjoying every minute of freedom.  At one point he made a friend in a little girl, probably five years old, who was riding her bike on the path around the baseball fields.  Gavin didn't have a bike but clearly wished he could ride hers.  The next best thing was running next to her while she rode.  And so, without shoes, Gavin completed three full laps around the park next to the girl on the bike.  The girl's grandma couldn't believe his energy.  It's true; Gavin is like one of those cartoon characters who just lean forward and their legs are a blur of motion while they zip around the world.

...

With all the puking going around our house (dare I say we might be done?), Gavin said: "So what's puke all about?"  I hope he doesn't have to find out; he's the only family member who avoided this bug!

...

Gavin and Lexi found a sales receipt in the kitchen.  I caught them drawing silly faces on the back with a marker "like they do at Costco."  Darling as they were, I still confiscated the marker.

Last week of school

I think I speak for mothers everywhere when I say that the final weeks of the school year are exhausting.  I'm not even what one might consider a super-involved parent, and my kids don't have lots of commitments outside of home and scholastic life.  But even this mom, who has been dreading summer for quite a while now, was glad to see today arrive. Friday was the last day of school.

Before we get to the photos documenting this monumental day, let's review the last ten or so.


Last week, Zach and Tyler participated in field day at school.  Because Lexi was throwing up on Zach's field day, I didn't get to see Zach in action, but he came home with a pile of award ribbons.  He placed in several events: relay races, dashes, sack races, shot put, and long jump!

Tyler also had a field trip to the zoo that day.  It was a miracle that the weather cooperated two days in a row for these great outdoor activities.  The boys had a terrific time at each of their events.  I attended Tyler's field day and Zach's computer share day last Friday. Watching Tyler was hysterical; he's such a funny kid.  During a break, he stretched out in his classroom chair, put his hat over his face, and said, "This is how old people relax."  








Zach had fun things to show me in several different computer programs he had learned to use, including Word, Power Point, and Excel.  He also posed with his buddy, Gray.

On Sunday, Zach, Lexi, and I woke up sick.  Garry had worked until 1:00 a.m.  Most of us skipped church because Zach and Lexi were throwing up.  We all spent the day lounging in pajamas and recovering from our ailments.  Garry was nice enough to teach my Sunday School lesson for me, and then he had to work for eight hours that evening.

Zach had another bout with the stomach flu on Tuesday and Tyler came down with it on Wednesday.  After a few days of respite, Garry is the current flu victim.


In the middle of all that, I attended an awards assembly for grades K-2.  Tyler received the "best effort" award for his class, which was so fitting this year.  We're sure proud of all he has accomplished.  Tyler got another award in class for being "brave and courageous," which is also appropriate, considering the new challenges he will have next year.  I like this picture of Tyler with Mr. Fabey, the assistant principal who is leaving the school for another opportunity in the fall.  Mr. Fabey has been a great part of our school experience.

On Thursday, Tyler practiced with his baseball team for the first time.  I forgot about the 5:30 practice until 5:27, but we sped to the park and everyone had a great time in the glorious spring weather while Tyler played with his team.  I gave my Women's Conference presentation to a group of women in my old ward that night.


Then, on Friday, I think the boys were just as excited as they were on the first day of school.


First day:





Last day:





My, how they've grown!


After these ceremonial shots, I drove the boys to school and then spent the morning at the lab and the doctor's office.  Garry stayed home with the Littles, ran errands, and worked in the yard (he earned a "PTO-free" day off because of his intense work last weekend) while I had a third-trimester blood screen, glucose test, ultrasound, and OB visit.  A couple new issues cropped up this week, but Baby Girl is just fine and we hope the third trimester (which begins Monday) is uneventful.


Then I attended Tyler's computer share day this afternoon.  He was eager to show me his own technology projects, and when we had a few minutes at the end, he painted a fun little picture of me in the Kid Pix program.  I'm especially fond of my figure on the screen.  Tyler pays attention to details!

Zachary's teacher gave all students who had parent permission a keepsake goldfish.  I mostly can't believe I granted permission, but Zach is ecstatic to be the proud owner of Darkus the fish.  (Apparently this was the fish's name during the school year.)  Only time will tell if Darkus fares better than the neighbor fish we babysat or the fish that came home with us from the Halloween carnival.  We don't have the best track record when it comes to aquatic pets.





And so begins the summer.  I think we are ready.

Reduced to shreds

Highlights from Gavin's life today:

peed pants five times

covered rug in crushed crackers

soaked Lexi with the back yard hose

dumped three cups of water onto the couch

hit puking brother on the head with a book

destroyed name letters on bedroom wall

Never in the history of our family has one photograph so accurately captured the tone of the day.

The great outdoors

With nicer weather finally upon us (I am choosing to believe that today's rain is an anomaly), the kids have been enjoying more time in the great outdoors.  I have no problem turning the big boys out to play, but the Littles inevitably follow and they need constant supervision.  So, for now, I'm spending part of most afternoons sitting in a lawn chair in the shade of a tree, watching the kids play in the cul-de-sac.

There is lots of climbing in trees, sometimes as a group, and sometimes as a solitary venture.  I'm sure the high branches offer the best reading spots.

Sometimes someone brings out a paper airplane book and the neighbor boys (both of whom are eight and named Tyler) join my kids for some airplane folding fun.  This pack of boys also likes the sand box and the swings in the back yard.  One of them tends to cause a lot of trouble, but we are working on that.

One day I pulled out a new box of sidewalk chalk so the Littles could color on the driveway.  It turned out that they weren't interested in art at all...but Zach and Tyler were!  The colored 2/3 of the driveway.

Gavin is always delighted to play with our neighbor, Jonah.  Because Jonah likes to ride his bike, Gavin has developed an interest in his.  Gavin's bike is a bit big for him, but he is learning to manage it pretty well! Gavin likes to run around with the bigger boys, too.

Lexi is usually my little sidekick, although she can be found riding her scooter and chasing big kids, too.  She is in a bit of a clumsy phase, which, coupled with her utter refusal to wear shoes most of the time, leads to lots of boo-boos and Band-Aids.

I wish that my time in the lawn chair offered a chance to read or write or talk on the phone, but I mostly act as the neighborhood Behavior Enforcement Officer, since other parents don't come out to watch their kids.   I don't love the responsibility, but I really do love the lilac trees and the green leaves and grass springing up all around the neighborhood.

I am just itching to plant flowers and cultivate our lawn now that our sprinklers are fixed.  Maybe I should recruit all the boys in the neighborhood to help me plant a flower garden.

Back stage passes

This afternoon we had the unique opportunity of touring a Chick Fil-A restaurant as a family.

Our 4:00 tour was lots of fun, and even though we weren't allowed to take pictures behind the scenes, I'm sure we won't forget all the cool things we saw!  I enjoyed learning about the fresh produce, name-brand ingredients, and same-day preparation that goes into all the yummy food that Chick Fil-A serves.  Each of us got to take home a fresh lemon (one of three ingredients in the signature lemonade) and make our own Ice Dream cone.

After the tour, since it was only 4:30, the kids played on the indoor playground for about 45 minutes before we ordered dinner.  We ate at a rather leisurely pace, let the kids play again, and then moseyed on home.  Perhaps the best part of the afternoon was having Garry there with us at such an early hour!  On Friday he worked until 1:00 a.m., on Saturday he worked from 1:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., and on Sunday he worked another eight hours, ending at 2:30 a.m.  He was back in the office at 8:30 this morning, so being able to leave the building at 4:00 seemed like a special treat.  Taking a family field trip made the day even better.

Letters

Dear Blurb and Groupon,

I love you both, especially when you work together.  This week I finished and ordered two 150+ page books--one for Tyler and one for Lexi.  I wish I had the time, resources, and financial means to re-do all of my kids' scrapbooks using the Blurb service, and that I could pluck a Blurb Groupon out of thin air whenever I wanted to save money on printing fees.

Since my body doesn't like to move and I have to be satisfied with a sedentary lifestyle, I appreciate you for making me feel productive.

Love,

A faithful customer

...

Dear glorious spring weather,

I am beyond thrilled that you finally showed up.  Ah....it is so lovely to enjoy your sunshine, warm air, and cool breezes.  And tonight, when I picked up Saturday's mail, the distinct smell of a summer thunderstorm was in the air.  That made me very happy indeed.

Too bad my lawn looks so horrendous.  How did my yard become the sore spot of the neighborhood?  I promise I'm calling a sprinkler repair service in the morning.

Sincerely,

A lover of four seasons

...

Dear piano,

How do you feel about having some company?  I plan to renew my relationship with you this summer, and also plan to introduce you to two of my children.  One is excited about piano lessons and one is NOT.  But I trust you'll do your part to win both of their hearts.

Sorry about the pencil, papers, toy car, and harmonica that the tuner found inside you recently.  I'm sure they've been bugging you.  That harmonica has been missing since Christmas.

Sheepishly,

Your owner

...

Dear neighbor child,

I'm really trying to love you, even though you teach my children naughty things, love secrets and other exclusive behavior, pick on Tyler, and spend way too much time at my house.  I realize that with summer coming, we need to reach an understanding.  How about you stop teaching Gavin to say inappropriate things about my anatomy and I'll give you popsicles?  Deal?

Miss Heidi

...

Dear handyman husband,

I sure love the old bookshelf you are refurbishing.  Its cheapness and flimsiness is going to be a thing of the past with all the bead board and trim you are adding.  Thank you for staying home from work on Saturday morning to make progress on it.  I can't wait for the finished shelf to live in the basement -- but mostly I can't wait for your enormous project at Wells Fargo to be done so you can come home before 1:00 a.m. again.  Thanks for working so hard for us.

Love,

Your wife

...

Dear stomach flu,

You have hit poor Lexi twice in four days and also claimed Zachary and I as victims this week.  You have afflicted us long enough.  Good-bye and good riddance.

Your unwitting hosts

...

Dear Sabbath Day,

What with all the puke and the laundry, our family didn't do a good job of observing you today.  Hopefully next week will be better.

Sinners

...

Dear summer break,

I have been dreading you for a full five months.  Now you are almost here.  Some days I think that I will be able to rise to the challenge of entertaining, educating, and directing my kids all day, every day, despite my limited mental stamina and pressing pregnancy issues.  Other days I'm pretty sure I'll be in a mental asylum by the end of the first week and/or the baby will be born in June.

At least our house is not on the market this year.  I'm pretty sure nothing is harder than that.

With guarded optimism,

The Mom

Body surfing

At noon today, the Littles had eaten lunch and were watching a TV show.  We had about 20 minutes before we needed to get in the car and pick up a babysitter.  I had plans to attend a couple of end-of-year events at the school while the Littles napped.  Since they were clean and full and happily occupied, I figured I had just enough time to post a little ditty about Baby 5 on this here blog.

The post took ten minutes to construct.  I hit "publish" and then went out to collect Gavin and Lexi for our car trip.  I had been listening to them laughing in the living room and had warm fuzzies about how well they played together.

That's when a reality check hit me squarely in the nose.  One step out of the office, the only thing I could smell was bananas.  Another step and the only thing I could see was a boy covered in bananas.  Another step revealed a table covered in bananas.  And then a little girl covered in bananas.

The boy was naked except for Toy Story underpants and navy blue Crocs.  Every inch of his being was smeared with sticky, gooey, yellow bits of banana mush.  He gleefully demonstrated how this skin covering made body surfing on the table possible.  It was true; the slippery surface made for a pretty fun ride!  Even Lexi, though fully clothed, had joined in the fun.

So what did I do?  

Well, first I stood in a dazed stupor.  Then I laughed.  Then I cried a little because I hate being late more than just about anything, and I knew this little incident was going to make me late.  Then I grabbed the camera and took two documentary photos (which don't nearly do justice to the scene), and then I put two naughty monkey children in the bath tub.

Gavin and Lexi didn't really appreciate being stripped and washed off in such a brusque and hurried fashion, but I didn't really appreciate my invitation to that particular party, either.  I guess we're even.

I didn't wash the kids' hair, and I didn't clean up the kitchen.  As quickly as humanly possible I got those kids in the car, plucked the babysitter from her front porch, returned home, and put the kids in bed.  Then I zoomed off to the school, giving the babysitter instructions to ignore the mess.  But you know what?  She cleaned it all up while I was gone.  What an angel.  I should employ her services more often.