Fresh Wind in Sails

After a month of sick on and off everyone I am surprised at how well the day has gone. I am not standing by the door anxiously waiting for Nathan, or hiding in my room with the door shut while 3 angry babies cry without and stick their fat fingers under the door but I am playing happily on the floor with everyone, truly this is my bit of heaven.

Sickness can really take the wind out of your sails. James has been my "Helen Keller" baby for the last 3 weeks. Banging his head on the floor at the least provocation. It has gotten so bad that I would dread looking at him for fear he would throw a screaming match and injure himself or others. He didn't want to be held, he didn't want to be put down, he didn't want a bottle or a toy or food. It tell you I was barking mad last week. I climbed onto the roof and started howling when Nate didn't get home on time. Over the weekend was no better and I begged Nate not to leave me with the "crazy people". He offered his apology and skipped off to work -mind as empty of worries as a tin can. (That's how it felt anyway) Heart heavy, I turned to my crew. Dark circles lined their red watery eyes, coughing, and drippy nosed they balled their fists and zombie-like started after me. I ran.

The Learning Robots Evolve Too Fast!

These babies are learning too fast and growing too big. I can't even keep the important documents and sharp knives far enough out of their reach on the counter. When you come over, don't forget to put the chair back in front of the door when you use the facilities, or Wilson will get in there and have a tea party with the toilet. When that happens, I have trouble looking at him or kissing him for a few days so please remember to close the seat and bar the door with the chair.

You have to keep the garbage on top of the oven, I know it makes it a little awkward when you want to cook, but trust me its better this way, unless you prefer cleaning up over and over.

Just because you put it up high doesn't mean it's safe. Zip it, lock it, whatever you gotta do.

After you feed the babies, it is advisable to leave them in their highchairs for a bit so you can clean up the floor. If you pull the babies out of their chairs first, then try to wash the floor they come walking through it and track rice, green beans, oatmeal everywhere. So, while they sit in their chairs looking down on you  and while you are on hands and knees scrubbing up their mess, they will start to throw their food at you, just remember Jesus had it worse. It's only humiliating if you let it be...

James fancies himself your best dishes helper. By helper I mean, he throws a fit if he can't push his stool up next to you and dump cupfuls of water down your legs while you wash all the dishes. Oh sure, he'll find a knife or two to wave around, maybe a glass to drop, but mostly you are doing all the work.

Keep the front door and the water dispenser locked. Wilson finds the water dispenser on the fridge indispensable. He fills his cup up, pours it out on the floor, admires his new skating rink and determines that it needs more water. I beg you, don't forget to lock it, I hate the sound of that dispenser on because it's either Wilson, or someone that is going to forget to lock it, then it will be Wilson!

The Weakest Link

I imagined, when I first went to feed ducks with my children that it would be a relaxing, pleasant way to spend an afternoon. In jaw clenching frustration, I watched the popular ducks picking on a lonely goth looking duck til he bled.

I never enjoy feeding ducks, great way to get rid of stale bread but don't enjoy it.  They pick on each other, act territorial, bite and pull each others feathers out. The justice-o-meter in my soul wants to make it fair and safe for every duck in the pond. Oh yuck, them ducks ain't no better than us humans, what was I hoping for!

Since having the triplets, who are 20 months by the way, I find I have my own pond at home. Well, its more like a shark pool. As soon as the sharks see weakness they circle. Blocks, sippy cups or toy car in hand to clobber the weak member.
Today Claire, as she prefers now to be called, was giving Quinn a ride on the floor, bouncing her on her tummy. In walks Wilson, with a bucket over his head. (This is a 1 gallon bucket given to James because of his fetish with containers but beloved by all the babies. You can put stuff in it, it has a nice carrying handle and you can wear it as a head shield!) So Wilson takes the bucket off and accidentally drops it on CC, oops Claire, while she's laying on the floor. Claires crying, is the first proverbial drop of blood and the sharks need no more enticement than that to start circling, Wilson hits her again, all smiles, (where's your humanity?) James grabs a sippy cup and hits her and Quinny (who has just given her kisses) starts clocking her with a shoe. If I hadn't rescued Claires limp form from the floor she would be a bruised, unconscious mass even now.

Oddly, throughout the day the babies can tell who I am annoyed with, even if I am trying to hid it, who is getting sick, and who is being too whiney and they know to go after them, it's the strangest thing and it happens all the time. You cannot show weakness in this home. You cannot have a "tell". They will get you and drag you down to their same level of baby weirdness. Even now, I myself have a fat lip from a bungled pony ride attempt, but I was quick enough to climb onto the table with a broken broom handle for protection. I'm kidding. Well, I do have a fat lip...

Thankful for a Beater Limo that Runs Well

I hit a truck in the limo and smashed in the side a little. My pride was totally injured and the truck was fine. A friend was closing the trunk of the limo and broke off the fin. The limo is starting to look so beat up I am devastated. It is one thing to drive a 90's limo because it is the best choice for your family, it is an entirely different thing to drive a ghetto beat up limo. I'm gonna have to figure out how to do something about it. I take pride in my ride, even if it is somewhat unorthodox.

For Thanksgiving, we drove to Boise. On our way through Ogden something sharp hit and gashed the front tire. We pulled into a parking lot on a total flat and called Les Schwab. (We had taken out the spare tire to fit all the luggage. Argh!) It took about an hour and half playing in a parking lot before we got back on the road. It was fun throwing rocks down into the sewer and hearing a delicious plop! Chasing and being chased around the parking lot and singing. Actually, in years to come, it will be a favorite memory of mine. The kids and I- with nothing but time to play. Nate, calling around and working on our tire.

Serving time on the side of the road because we made room for swim gear, a crock pot, extra blankets and winter gear. All my kids are pictured, can you find them?

Doing all he can to keep his temper in check waiting for the man

Fighting the bag of potato chips from CC was one of our favorite past times while waiting for a new tire

 We usually always stay at Grammy and Grumpys while in Boise even though we have several sisters and brothers in the area. Grammy and Grumpy have 3 cribs and 3 highchairs, a stocked pantry and a well maintained hot tub, why stay anywhere else? My sister Leah went out of her way to invite us for Thanksgiving, collecting highchairs and playpens. Her reasoning was that we always leave family functions early to put children to bed and we never get to talk during festivities because we are always chasing babies! So True! Staying at her home was wonderful, late night chats, early morning bottles, yoga and all. We had a marvelous time eating and swimming with all the cousins at the YMCA and then going to the movies. My little sisters Natalie and Amy with their families were in Boise too, it was wonderful to be together. Spencer and Mikell were the absentees this time, even Mom and Dad made it for a little while. While in Boise we also met 2 new nieces and a nephew on Nathans side of the family- so precious. Who knew life could be so sweet?

If you know our family, there are 2 of Amys girls, 1 is Natalies, 1 is Leahs and 2 are mine.  Families are so amazing.  The rat pack of girls cousins all about the same age.

I have been feeling like I need to work on family history. I brought my computer to Boise and spent some time with Amy learning the ropes of www.new.familysearch.org. She and my mother have been working on our history for a while. As she taught me, I felt like I had scads of ancestors standing around the bed and in the room cheering us on and wanting to be found. Most of the low hanging fruit has been picked in our family history so it will take sometime for me to actually find a real ancestor on my own but I can fumble around in the program for a while on my own and I think I will really enjoy it!

These were the game players, there were also the older cousins, trampoline jumpers and video gamers. And babies of course.

My Dad is retiring in February from the Church Education System. They have been living in Beaumont, Texas for the last six years. They will be moving back to the good old West and we are thrilled to have them closer. We are grateful to have such fine parents in our lives.

Some Things Just Take Time

Sometimes when I pray, the prayer is answered right away and sometimes it takes time.

When Nathan and I were first married, I was so lonely. It wasn't Nathan's fault. I was someone that was used to a lot of people. People had always surrounded me, I lived with family or friends and then served a mission with a companion that never left my side, it had been given me a cushion, a protection from loneliness I didn't know existed. Now I had Nathan. He was great and I longed for his companionship but he wasn't around much. He worked a few jobs, served heavily in the youth program of our church and went to school.

Even though I worked and went to school, I found myself alone for long stretches, hours sometimes days. I wasn't ready for it. As much as I loved having a buddy, I felt like I just signed up for a lifetime of solitude.

As a newly returned missionary and freshly married young lady, I started taking classes at UVU (UVSC back in the day). I felt so incredibly lonely. In every class, I looked for someone that I might make friends with, possibly someone lonelier than me. I tried time and again only to be rebuffed, everyone was established in school and content in life and didn't need or want new a friend.

I was so low. I only knew to turn to God. I told him how lonely I was and how much I longed for a friend at school. The miracle didn't happen until the next semester. During the first week of the following semester, God had prepared for me a friend in every class. Someone that sought me out and made an effort to befriend me! One of my dearest friends, I took accounting and corporate management with was also a manager at Jamba Juice and would bring me a Jamba before class. Go Mango Madness! I can never repay her kindness.

I have had many prayers answered because I took the time to ask and talk it out with Heavenly Father. Questions about my family, about personal fitness or health, about people I care for and about money concerns and forgiveness. I feel as though he knows me and knows that I am trying to come to him.

Because I have seen these prayers answered even if they are not "my miracle" I feel like I shared in the joy of it. Like when Joey Butcher decided to serve a mission, our family had prayed for him for years as many others that knew and admired him had also done. When he was called to serve, I felt like we had shared our faith unto becoming part of his miracle.  I know God cares about us. I know He has a vested interest in our families. Nate and I are not doing this alone. If we look to him, he gives us answers. But it just take time.

Our minor miracle of the week is that Wilson finally started walking! He is 19months old. This is something we have been praying and working for for many months. I also know about praying for years. As a child, we prayed for Aunt Marcy for years, it drew us close to her even though she lived so far away and we never saw her. In the Book of Mormon, in Ether it talks about praying with an "eye of faith", seeing things as they can be through faith and not as they are now. I know God listens when we reach out to him.

I shared personal stuff this week, more than usual. But I have had so many gifts and prayers answered given to me lately I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I am doing some free advertising for him, even though I know I can never pay him back!

Recent Photos

This picture is a little graphic and does no service to Wilson, who is usually delightful and happy. This is how we ended our summer days, taking baths in the backyard to cool off and clean up from the sandbox.

With this photo, I pay tribute and bid farewell to Nathans favorite old beater of truck. And to tell you the truth, I thought it made a better dehydrator than a truck. We used to roll up the windows and make fruit leather during the summer heat. Cooked it to a crisp, but we had to convince N8 not to use his truck for a few days.

We also tried making fruit snacks with our zucchini surplus and koolaid this summer. Totally works. Google the recipe.

These babies can make a mess in no time flat. Wilson climbed out of his crib today, fell and bumped his lip, while we were comforting him, Quinn slipped her hand into a "locked" cupboard and pulled out 3 lbs of granola, hid in the living room, tore open the bag and started eating. James pulled out his favorite rice cooker, blender and Bosch mixer. We start and end the day with a tidy home, but it gets ugly somewhere during the middle.

They all look like this after cottage cheese and they refuse to be spoon fed! Tell me it gets easier!

Hazel, Mom and CC

We got a surprise gift of a box of tails. Best gift ever! These girls are pretending all day

Applesauce day. I had a chance to pick the apples on a tree in front of a nearby apartment. 25 quarts.
Girls helped, sort of. 

Going to school, these girls look forward to the bus ride everyday. Man, it's gonna stink next year when I have to actually take the girls to school on my own. I'm spoiled.

Thoughts on Homeschool

I had given a lot of thought to homeschooling my girls. Among many of my dear friends,  it seems like the REAL moms homeschool. I love my children. I want the best for them but I struggled with the decision to homeschool. During my confusion, I examined my reasons for wanting to homeschool.

Wanting to keep my children pure from the world and worrying they will learn bad habits at school is not a reason for me to homeschool. Bullies, trouble in school, feeling like I am losing them, falling behind and poor teaching ARE reasons for me to homeschool and that hasn't happened yet. I wouldn't be doing them any favors by keeping them home at this point. I do want to raise children that are pure, but I am also raising my children to fight evil. So I send them off to be battered by the wind and waves then come home to safety. This is my reasoning and every family must do as they feel inspired.