My Mother Makes Marvelous Muffins

Matchbox Cars and Building Blocks

2011-06-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

We have a new favorite toy in the house. Actually, it's an old toy we just got off the shelf again: building blocks. Sterling had some quiet building time in his room. Pictured is our house, fully fenced, with as many matchbox vehicles as could fit in it. He had to build a separate store so he could park his little semi-truck. Then work, so Daddy's pick-up truck could go somewhere.

Last Day of School, 2011

2011-06-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

June 3, 2011: the last day of 2nd grade, 1st grade, and preschool, respectively.

Here, Trevor shows off his reading score: 99% on the MAP test. Apparently that earned him a free kids meal at Raising Cane's. I was more impressed with his report card that was full of 3s (3=A or Outstanding, in this district). Didn't see that coming, did you?

They do gifted testing in the fall of second grade. I vote Trevor Most Likely to Qualify.
Kaith (not pictured, sorry) is Most Excited to Promote. This means moving from the Primary (K-2) School to the Intermediate (3-5) School. It's a big kid thing.

Below, we have Miriam with a fever of 101*. That's right. Her teachers begged us to bring her in, sick or not, for the last day of school. She wins Little Miss Popularity. We came for the last hour and took pictures with people-who-used-to-be-little-last-fall.
Notice how Sterling (holding the end of a long train he built) is nearly as tall as the preschoolers two years older than him. I'll miss this class. I could drop in any time and Sterling would just play at the centers with all the other kids. Sterling is Most Hyper to Have all the Siblings Home.

Trevor's Birthday

2011-06-01T07:39:00.001-07:00

Trevor turned 7 this May. He got his own birthday cake a week early, at his Bakugan Birthday Party. Then, the night before his birthday, we had cheesecake for Cory's birthday. I told Trevor we could make a breakfast ("coffee") cake the morning of his birthday, then he could open his presents that morning (Dad was Night Duty Instructor that evening anyway). I was sick and sleeping in, so Cory made chocolate waffle brownies, instead. Trevor loved all his birthday presents, but we got the best photo of him putting together the k'nex rollercoaster.

(Grand) Mothers' Day

2011-05-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

For the grandmas: here's a recent photo of your peas-in-a-pod.

"I really miss you." ~Kaith

"Happy Mother's Day and be a pea in a pod." ~Trevor

"I love you." ~Miriam

"I love you. Bye-bye. ~Sterling

See y'all in a couple months!

Cleaning the Church

2011-04-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

Cleaning the Church as a family used to be a losing battle. This time, the kids were able to accept simple assignments: erase the chalkboards, dust the chair rail, etc.

Okay, so it worked for a few minutes.

Then they found the stack of rugs in the nursery, and industriously spent about an hour making a path down the hall for Sterling to drive his new train on.

It was so worth needing a second vacuum.

Creative Watering Methods

2011-04-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

When it was getting a little warm in March for the ornamental kale to continue thriving under neglect, I asked Miriam to water it. It had never occurred to me to use pieces from the marble set to do so.

Back to School

2010-08-17T04:20:00.000-07:00

6:45 am Sneakers velcroed. Backpacks on. Lunchbags packed. Bubbling Excitement. Board the bus!

Miriam grabbed a window seat, looked out at me with the biggest, most excited smile I've ever seen on her, and waved good-bye. It's just Sterling and me.

Sterling Speaks

2010-07-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

Sterling was playing with a race car in his room. He was singing to himself, "the R says rrrr. The R says rrrr. Every letter makes a sound, the R says rrrr. Rrrrr! Rrrrr! Like . . . rrrace car!"

Have I recommended the Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD? You can't have this child. And if you buy the DVD, you will not turn your child into this child. He's mine and I'm keeping him.

Brothers and Babysitting

2010-07-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

We watched a couple kids on Friday night. Kaith read the little girl's shirt, "It's My Brother's Fault."

"Her shirt has a pretty mean compliment on it," says he.

At the Sprinklers

2010-07-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

We made a splash at the county water park over Memorial Weekend.

A Little Piracy

2010-05-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

Arrgh, maybe!

Kaith lost his two front teeth within a few days of Cory having his tooth pulled. We laughed and said he and Dad were matching pirates. Kaith's permanent teeth were growing in fast, so we had to take this picture right away before we forgot about it!

If you haven't been seeing enough of us here, you might want to add my other blog (click here) to your sidebar. I've been working much harder on it, lately.

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

Cory gave me cold cereal in bed. Miriam colored a wooden box with markers. Trevor gave me a card that said, "Dear Mom, please let me be a missionary. From Trevor. I love you." Kaith gave me a hug.

Happy mother's day to the mother of my husband, and the mother of myself--with very different mothering styles, but, hey--we like the results! And in honor of the mother who made up so much of what I am, I remember Books My Mother Gave Me.

Super Germs

2010-04-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Kaith's super powers have been weak the last week. We finally took him to see the our nurse practitioner, not because his temperature was high (most of the day he didn't have any) but because it was lingering. She did a quick lab test and . . . the super germ is Streptococcus. That's right. We're dealing with strep throat. Thanks to the super drug penicillin, he'll be back to school on Thursday.

So, Grandpa W., are you rethinking whose bed you're sleeping in Wednesday night? It's not to late for us to borrow an air mattress.

Trevor's Love Letter

2010-04-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Trevor put sunflower stickers all over a sheet of paper, drew his own lines, and then wrote me a love letter. He wouldn't let me see until he was done. This is what he surprised me with (spelling and punctuation have been standardized):

Mom you are beautiful and you can cuddle. The end. Wait, there's more air. The end.

Trevor informed me that the "more air" section was the joke part.

Miriam School

2010-03-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

'tis the time of year . . . to enroll in next year's preschool.

I have never entrusted the academic instruction of my preschooler to another. Ever.

Imagine you have four young children and enjoy this multiple-choice survey.

Options:

A)the public school.

Pros: It's free. They teach children how to sit at their desks, stand in a line, listen to stories, come in when recess is done, how to talk to their teacher, counting and learning their letters. This preschool prepares them for fewer suspensions and write-ups from kindergarten. The hours align to when Kaith and Trevor have school, so I can drop-off three birds with one stone. I would only have one child with me for eight hours a day on weekdays. Simplified housekeeping. Time for me to read or do hobbies? (I have no idea how Sterling would respond to life-without-sister).

Cons: Miriam is ready for kindergarten math, reading and (almost) writing. Eight hours a day, for 180 days. Getting dressed at 6:30 every morning without hating the mother who is making it happen. Coming home when two big brothers also want to monopolize mother's attention with stories of their day while not walking to the house. One-on-one time with Mom is no longer daily.

B) 3 days of homeschool-preschool, 1 day of dance class, 1 day of library storytime or playgroup

Pros: It's nearly free. Well, okay, semi-cheap. Plenty of quality time together. She gets some social interaction, and so do I (other moms go to playgroups). I'm sure I'd enjoy coming up with the booklist for the year, and the daily reading time. Also, it would be quite satisfying to see my 4-5 year old bearing fruits in kindergarten math (I'm looking at Singapore) and early reading and writing. Remember, I was a kindergarten learning coach for WAVA. I have a pretty good idea what a balanced curriculum is like now.

Cons: will she fail to learn to stand in a line? Will she fail to adjust to the sudden full-day-ness of kindergarten? Will she cry when recess gets over, come kindergarten? Will she wander around the classroom during storytime in kindergarten? (None of this would matter if we were dealing with half-day Washington).

C) Send her to the Lutheran preschool 2 days a week, for $130 a month.

Pros: It's only part-time. Some parents like it. She might learn to stand in line and be social without becoming alien to her mother.

Cons: $130 a month? And I don't get to choose the curriculum?

I see this as extra taxi-driving for me, but I'm quite doubtful I'll see a cleaner house or time to indulge in my talents/fill my calling (RS President).

Naptime

2010-03-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

Need I explain?

In the Snow

2010-03-05T11:06:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago we were surprised to see it snow. The locals tell us that this winter has been colder here than it has been in about 20 years. While Cory was outside getting a photo of the house, a neighbour walked by and said, "You almost have to."

Seriously?

2010-02-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

Between his teacher's behavior tracking sheets and simple at-home rewards (a cookie) Trevor's school behavior has become greatly improved over the last few months. Originally he only got a frowny face if he did something physical, like poking or kicking another student. Once that was under control, his teacher upgraded to tracking whether he was compliant vs. talking back. It is no longer uncommon for him to bring home a behavior sheet showing a day's worth of smiles. This is good, although he can still have a bad day.

Like today.

Call me calloused, but now I mostly roll my eyes (child not present) when he brings home another office referral. Today's offense? Putting his mouth on another child's arm. That's it. No, no biting. What gets me is the tone of the office administrator's comments, which I'll quote "Trevor intentionally put body fluids on another person. That is a serious health issue for both children. Another incident may result in suspension" (emphasis added).

Seriously?

The Magic of Glasses

2010-02-18T07:28:00.000-08:00

Kaith's glasses came in Tuesday. I took him after school to get them fitted. With such a strong prescription, I was expecting a clever comment about how things looked different. He wouldn't even answer questions about how things looked. He was much too busy wrinkling his nose, over and over again.

We drove home. Getting out of the van, he stared at our lawn, then exclaimed "The grass looks a little like pasta with these on!"

All concerns about a difficult few weeks of training him to keep his glasses on has vanished. He put them on first thing this morning, before getting dressed. He doesn't take them off until he goes to bed. It may help that I've been playing up the awesome similarities between himself and Harry Potter: glasses with black frames, yes indeed.

He was so in Harry Potter mode yesterday after school that, after making a k'nex wand, he found book 1 and made a valiant attempt at sounding out the first few pages. He can do it, but it's a huge exercise for him. Here he is photographed with the glasses, wand and Harry Potter book, reading in the kitchen.

Seeing Double

2010-02-08T04:43:00.000-08:00

Cory has had suspicions for years. Perhaps I blew them off too easily. In Kaith's school folder was a paper from the nurse's office, and suddenly, I see clearly: why he can't copy the spelling of words on the board; why he gets in people's faces; why he can't color inside the lines; why he may seem clueless about things right in front of his face: Kaith has 20/70 vision. In both eyes. I think I see glasses in the near future.

Christmas Eve

2010-01-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

Yes, Christmas Eve. I'm catching up.

Grandma M. decided to sew pajamas for each of the kids, then shipped them cross-country. They got to open them Christmas Eve. The Fancy Nancy fabric on Miriam's is not left to its own merits. Nancy would not approve. The ribbons, lace, and gathers quite do her justice.

Sterling was delighted with the trucks on his. Trevor matches and Kaith--oh, his pajama pants are hiding--he has safari trucks. You think they're too excited for bed? Oh, no. It was daddy who was too excited for Christmas to sleep properly.

My Favorite Adopting Parents

2010-01-22T04:39:00.000-08:00

If you know of anyone looking to place a baby for adoption through LDS Family Services, please encourage them to consider Steve and LeeAnn, a fun couple, very active in the Church (currently he's a counselor in a bishopric, always smiling, knows the names of most children in nursery; she's a Mia Maid leader) with lots of interesting hobbies.

They started the adoption process about a year and a half ago, and are now just waiting for the right person to read their profile. When your cursor goes over their picture, it reads "1+1=3 . . . we'd love it if you'd help us make the math work out." (If you go to their adoption blog, scroll past the "under construction" topics to get to the meat of it).

Miriam's Birthday

2010-01-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

For breakfast, Miriam (and Sterling) had Christmas marshmallows in their oatmeal. That is also when Miriam got to open her card from Grandma and Grandpa M. She loved counting the pearls. I made her cake. I can't recommend piping with reduced sugar frosting. I had intended to put all four of her little princesses on the cake, but could only find Snow White that day. Aurora was sleeping in the barn when I had put it up.

Miriam's favorite gift was a ballerina music box from Grandparents. Her big present from us was a doll highchair. She was excited, sure, "It's a . . . a . . . !" I hadn't realized she didn't know the word highchair, but since we've never had one . . .

Sterling's Nap

2009-12-24T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sterling has his own night time routine. We go into his room together and kneel beside his bed. I help him say his prayers (mostly him repeating my prompts). Then he climbs in bed. I sing "I Am a Child of God." Then he points and says "laundry room." The laundry room is visible from his room. He will calmly fall asleep in his own bed as long as I have not A: gone downstairs or B: entered my bedroom (ensue instant howling).

Sterling wanted to be near me the other day while I was wrapping presents in my bedroom. It was nap time. I put his pillow on a small area rug and told him it was a bed. I started wrapping presents. He laid down on it and babbled to himself. Then I started catching words "(l)ead me, (gu)ide me (w)alk (b)eside me . . ." and realized he was singing "I Am a Child of God" to himself!

Merry Swine Flu to All

2009-12-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

The boys' school offered swine flu vaccines to all the students yesterday. Kaith bravely took his. Trevor declined. Either way, it may have been too late. Trevor was feverish and coughing starting yesterday evening. I've had a cough since Thursday, and Sterling has had a low-grade fever with a cough, so I wasn't overly pampering. This afternoon, with Trevor's temp. at 102.9*, Cory took him to the walk-in clinic. He called to inform me that Trevor had tested positive for swine flu. I asked if he was joking. He wasn't. The doctor prescribed medication for our whole family; Cory stocked up on popsicles and other beverages. Kaith stomached the medicine fine. Trevor and Miriam vomited within 5 minutes. Sterling vomited within about 5 seconds. Cory and I have adult capsules, which hasn't bothered us yet.

Nathan and Rebekah: our best wedding present to you was that we did not attend your wedding today. Have a healthy honeymoon.

Even though I have an extreme excuse for missing Church tomorrow, I feel bad missing my first full Sunday as Relief Society President.

Sustained

2009-12-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Such a friendly bishop. After a few weeks in the ward, we still hadn't met him, so he called us one weekday evening to bring the whole family to come meet with him. We went. He called me to be Ward Relief Society President. Seriously. He insists it was inspiration, not desperation, and we believe him. I got sustained last Sunday. The plethora of sisters who had never met me were very warm in their expressions of support and appreciation, which helped me feel more at ease. I've spent half my free time this week getting oriented in my calling. The other half I've spent putting the house in order. Fortunately that includes at least a little interior design, which I love. If this week is symbolic of the average busyness of my calling, our family can handle it, as long as God keeps helping.

Suspended

2009-12-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

Really, I didn't know they suspended kindergarteners. Leave it to Trevor to find a way. Last Friday he had a one day suspension from riding the bus because he was a repeat offender on spitting (a serious health concern, the school administration noted). Trevor doesn't know how to spit. It's more of a fine mist. And he's sent to time-out when he does it at home. His one day suspension from riding the bus was actually his best day at school: he brought home a behavior sheet with an unprecedented 8 smiley faces. I think he enjoyed having Dad drive him to school, even though Dad was lecturing half the way there.

I'm planning to move his bedtime up significantly, because he's really hard to wake up in the morning, and frequently falls asleep on the bus ride home. On days when he's especially difficult to wake up and we have to really push him to not miss the bus, he seems to have a rougher day at school. Like yesterday. He started by head-butting a friend. Trevor claims the friend thought it was fun-it was just that the teacher thought it was mean. If he had stopped there, he might have been okay. Of course he didn't. Next he kicked, spit upon, and licked another child. When he was reprimanded, he rolled on the floor laughing. While in time-out in the office, he stuck his tongue out at a teacher. I'm not clear which part of this series of events the school took most seriously, but they suspended him from school for today.

After being upset with Trevor, Cory suddenly saw the funny side. How is it Trevor, who is probably half a head shorter than the next shortest kid in class, and probably ten pounds lighter than his peers, ends up as the bully of the class?

Really, I'm renewing my efforts to domesticate my children. Evidence? Kaith has pulled a sticker-a-day in his behavior report (they only get a sticker if there is nothing to report for the day) and told me today how he was going to get a fifth. Now please ignore that my daughter cut her hair this morning for the umpteenth time.

My Sparkley

2009-12-05T19:13:00.000-08:00

My husband-to-be had exquisite taste in choosing my diamond engagement/wedding ring. There wasn't a ghost of a "couldn't this be exchanged" thought to be had. Sometime after our seventh wedding anniversary this spring I had a broad dry patch of eczema on my ring finger. Naturally, I set aside my ring to let the skin heal. The children kept finding my "safe" hiding places, which left me constantly finding new hiding places. Well, sometime around May, I stopped seeing my ring, even when I looked for it. We waited, prayed, searched, waited, prayed, searched, again and again. We packed up and cleaned the house. It never turned up. Threads of hope rapidly unraveled. Three thousand miles later, I feel self-conscious taking my family places with my under dressed finger. It sheds doubt on one's virtue. Not that strangers care, but I do.

Today I was looking for my poinsettia pin, so I could wear it to church tomorrow. I opened the box that held my pearl bracelet, and down fell a lump of gold and diamond. I sat on the closet floor, squeezing it, laughing, crying and praying. I made more fuss over finding it than I did when my husband first gave it to me. I had been sure it was lost forever. So, rejoice with me. My hand looks whole again.

Non sequitor: as if that didn't make the day fabulous enough, while I was gone for a few hours, Cory managed to install our light/ceiling fan in the master bedroom! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Trevor's School

2009-12-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

By the time Trevor began attending his current school, he could read any short-vowel, 3 letter word you threw at him, combined into sentences or short paragraphs. His teacher assigned him to pre-reading group, level 1, because, even though he could read, he didn't pass that "reading readiness test." Fine. She sent me a note today that she'll be testing him tomorrow and expects him to move up. I can't believe Trevor spends 6 hours and 45 minutes at school, and it has taken him a month to pass that far. At this rate he'll be sounding out c-a-t around June. Oh, wait, he was doing that in preschool. Right now I feel like kindergarten is a waste of our time.

The one thing his school does best at is behavior/discipline. His teacher reads books, daily, about appropriate behavior. She made out a personalized behavior plan, and sends home a report, daily, of how he has done. Really, she's trying. Trevor brought home his fourth discipline referral form for the week today. Yes, I know it's only the third day of the week. You do the math. Instead of improving in his behavior, it's more like he's regressing. I partly blame it on the excessively long school day. When he was on half days, at his last school, he adored school, his teacher, and the whole process. I don't think I ever heard a complaint about his behavior. Now it's daily.

His current teacher wants, as soon as possible, to set-up another conference with me. What could I possibly say to her? Certainly not that he would be reading better if he was still homeschooled. It's funny, I waited so long to put my children in school because I didn't want them to experience negative peer pressure, when (what do you know?) my own children are the negative peer pressure at school. Their own worst enemy. Seriously, though. What do I say to Trevor's teacher?

Wet Electronics

2009-12-01T03:31:00.000-08:00

For the minority of planet Earth who have been trying to contact me, you may have noticed my cell phone is off. After being negligently left in a pants pocket, it enjoyed a wet ride with a load of darks, while I spent half a day wondering where it was. There's a slim chance its internal workings survived. I've bee trying to wait for it to dry-out before turning it on.

By the way, what's the market for water-proof electronics?

Thanksgiving Thought

2009-11-26T17:00:00.000-08:00

Trevor was telling me what he learned in school about Native Americans. When he was done, I asked if he knew we had some Native American ancestors. He was all surprise, and said "I haven't met my Native American Aunt-Sisters in a hundred years!"

Gwama's Fishie

2009-11-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

I can't remember when either grandma last had a fish die, but a few days ago, Miriam asked me when "Gwama's fishie" was going to be resurrected. I'm not sure what our doctrine is on animal resurrection, but I tried to explain about spirits and death and resurrection. Today she has had a fever. Tonight she was on my lap while I was reading Old Testament stories when she stopped me to say, "Gwama's fishie sure is taking a long time to be resurrected."

My New World

2009-11-13T05:16:00.001-08:00

We're mostly settled into our new house. The boys have adjusted to their long public school days, and the internet is working. I shall now rejoin the land of blogging. This implies that we are very soon going to replace the missing battery charger for our camera. I've missed so many photographic opportunities.

I am wondering, with my world being so new and all, if I should start a new blog. It's partly the focus, I was thinking about being more education/nurturing child oriented, less personal, and partly the labels-I don't know how to clean them up once they're started. I have a barely used "art" label. I want it to be "arts and crafts." I know some families keep two or more blogs-one for friends, one for a target audience. I think that's what I'll do, although I wonder how regularly I can post on both.

First Swim Lessons

2009-09-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to see the children in swim lessons for years, but didn't dare take all of the kids to the pool by myself (read-before Cory graduated college), so this summer was the first time we were able to put them in lessons. We put Kaith and Trevor in the same class. Their teacher thought Trevor looked a little small, but let him stay anyway. He was a little piranha. At the last lesson, his teacher said he could progress to the next level. Miriam was sick the first week, and her teacher was a boy, so she didn't want to go to lessons. We figured it would be easier to put Sterling in a Mommy-and-Me class than to keep him out of the pool for half an hour, but he hated the first five or so lessons. Then I saw a ball. Once we let him stand on the side of the pool and throw the ball in, he loved the pool. He got very brave about jumping in (more like a big step into the water). With a couple days left, Cory got permission to take her into the Mommy-and-Me class. She loved those last two days.

Trevor's Sprinkle Cake

2009-09-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

The commissary had tubs of sprinkles. I thought Trevor would love that for his FHE treat responsibility. I was right.

Creative Letters

2009-09-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I get around to a "supermom project." This was one of them. I collected pink rose petals for Miriam, and green leaves for Trevor (their favorite colors, respectively). On a sheets of paper, I drew bubble letter initials, then let them fill them in and glue on the nature. The project didn't last long, and I probably valued it more than the children, but it turned out looking good (okay, I helped Miriam a little).

Oregon Coast

2009-09-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

What we did for summer vacation . . .
we drove down to visit our wonderful relatives (on my mom's side). We made a large group outing to the beach. When we got there in the morning, it was cloudy, windy, and chilly. Sterling wouldn't let go of me, and I shuffled my feet in the warm sand as I walked. Eventually, he drove a tiny dump truck in the sand, and found food in easy reach. My other children? You'll have to ask someone who knew. Perhaps Alex. Later, the clouds disappeared, Sterling chased waves, and the tops of Cory's feet burned dreadfully. Judging by the end of the day photos, we all got a bit of sun on our faces.

Miriam and Family Home Evening

2009-09-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

We were shopping in the baking aisle shortly before Miriam was responsible for a family night treat. She started hopping up and down shouting "pink cake! Pink cake!" I usually bake from scratch, but she was so excited, we bought a pink cake mix. Then, hoping to build skills, I got a little tube of pink icing, imagining that she would decorate the cupcakes with pink squiggly marks. She didn't. She decorated with pink puddles. The cupcakes with squiggly marks are the ones I did to show her how. She was happy about it, though.

Pioneer Activity

2009-09-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Early this summer our Primary had a Saturday Pioneer activity. They had a handcart replica, and learned how little could be packed (less stuff than I'm packing in the back of our van for our one week road trip, although more food). Afterward, the children made ice cream. The ingredients were put in a sealed glass jar, which was put in a #10 can with ice, then sealed. The children rolled their containers back and forth for about ten minutes, until dessert was chilled and thickened. The most interesting part of the day was watching Miriam "adopt" an older girl, whom she tagged along with most of the activity, like a new-found sister.

An Officer's Wife

2009-08-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting to post until we found our camera again, but it hasn't shown up, so I may be posting without photos for a while.

Yesterday Cory was officially commissioned as an officer (with the rate of an Ensign). We took all the children, clean and dressed-up, to the ceremony. Afterward, we hung around Seattle for lunch (in the Center House) and playing in the fountain.

We returned to Hometown in time to submit Trevor's kindergarten registration. This year they have two full-time kindergartens and two part-time. They will be drawing names today. We should get a phone call today or Monday if Trevor is a "chosen one" for full-day kindergarten. I'm hoping for it, because it would save us an extra trip to the school.

Pending Inspection

2009-08-07T12:05:00.001-07:00

Our house has sold, basically. We got a second offer this week, asking for lower plus full closing costs. We counter-offered so we would pay closing costs, but the sell price would help us almost break even. He countered offered again . . . aiming to leave us $3 grand in the hole. So much for our investment, but we suspected as much when we listed the house. We all slept on it. Our realtor called his realtor and they volunteered to each take $1000 off of their commissions. That way we don't have to pay more than a monthly mortgage would be anyway to clear out. As long as the buyer isn't stingy over the inspection, we close September 10th, right before Cory starts Officer Development School (boot camp). Our new house should be done around November or December.

Drive-In Movie

2009-07-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

As a special family night activity, we went to the drive-in. I hadn't been since I was about Kaith's age. I warned the children in advance that it was kind of a grown-up movie (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, rated PG), but that it might be fun for them because the screen was outside. Miriam obligingly fell asleep for us on the way there (she woke just before the previews). To pass the time while waiting, Cory started us on an alphabet game. He said he's played it with the children before, but I was surprised at how good the boys were at it. For this game, the first person said something that started with the letter A, the second person said something that started with the letter B, and so on. The boys had to sing the alphabet song to figure out which letter came next. I think we got through this game all the way twice before losing interest.

As for the movie, I think we lost some of the nuances of the movie when all the children tried sitting/standing/climbing/squirming up front with us and changing the radio settings, but overall it was a lovely family outing.

We all slept while Cory watched the second feature, Transformers 2. The car needed a jump start to go, but apparently the drive-in comes equipped and trained for that. We were on the road in almost no time.

Adventures With Pizza Dough

2009-07-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

I was stretching pizza dough Monday evening when the children came in, wanting to help. I gave each of them a crust and mat to work with wile I chopped the lunch meat to go on it (yes. lunch meat). Miriam and Trevor got out rolling pins and got to work. Miriam was excited when her dough rolled unevenly and looked like a hop-a-roo. Trevor must have gotten bored after finishing his rectangle, because next it was rolled up, then smooshed into a ball. When I looked again, he told me it was "grown up pizza." He had gotten a leftover packet of crushed red pepper from Little Caesars, opened it by himself, and smothered the bottom of the dough with it. His creativity did not end there, though. He partially flattened it again, then pressed letter cookie cutters on the top. He was very proud of his word pizza, although a little uncertain what it said.

Piano Parking

2009-07-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

After the older children were in bed Sunday evening, I unwound by practicing hymns. I was absorbed in my own actions for a while, and was only vaguely aware of Sterling playing near me and on me. I don't usually allow the children to play with toys on the piano, but when I saw how carefully he had parked his cars on the groups of two white keys, I didn't want to interfere. When he decided he was done, he put his fingers on the keys to play a parking song.

At the River

2009-07-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we went to the Stake Pioneer Activity at Cascade Park. Grandma and Grandpa W. were there, along with the uncles (Nathan at a young single adult activity), including David, excluding Andrew . . . I mean the current Elder West.

We spent most of the time down at the river. The children were enthusiastic about throwing rocks in the river. BIG ROCKS. This would have been more peaceful if it wasn't for all the vulnerable swimmers and waders filling the water. Kaith got in the water the most, doing the Alligator Walk close to shore. Trevor disappeared upstream or farther out in the river depending on this inclinations. Fortunately Grandma had brought cookies, which drew the wandering children back at the end.

The Darth Side

2009-07-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Kaith was acting out Star Wars, playing Darth Vader.

He came up to me with a scowl, and fiercely said,

"I turned to the dark side because I don't like it when people call me Annie."

Staged to Sell

2009-07-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

We've been browsing houses online with interest these past few days. While looking through a newly posted cottage in Marysville, Miriam saw the girl's room and said, "That's a pretty bed." There was a long pause, then she exclaimed excitedly, "Hey! That's my bed!"

By the way, thanks to all the family and friends who have been helping and/or lending furniture to make our house on this end look close to its best.

Mac, Felix, and Ashley

2009-07-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is a post about major additions to our family this year.

Mac was added in late May. With a 24" monitor that has all the hardware built-in, Mac is the perfect study buddy for all my art classes. It's a lot easier to skim the thumbnails when they're big enough to see. While his Victorian cousin is quite a show stopper, I think I prefer his quality and ease of use. Perhaps I'm growing up.

Felix was added recently as a replacement for our last vacuum, which last died about a year ago. This last vacuum had been the second-cheapest model we found, and we did not make that mistake a second time. One of the best things about Felix is that his belt can't ever break--he doesn't have one! Instead, Felix comes with a clutch. The beater bar is easy to remove for cleaning, it has multiple filters to minimize air dust, and easily detaches from its base to become a lightweight canister vacuum. The best part about Felix is his design (perhaps I'm not growing up). We opted for the cream design with a plaid body and chocolate brown accents. That, combined with his shapely body makes him what may be the most stylish vacuum on the planet.

Ashley is a new construction possibility (okay, nothing's possible until after the pre-approval). She has a spacious great room design, with vaulted ceilings over the living-dining-kitchen. There is an optional fourth bedroom, which would bring square footage over 1700 square feet. The currently available model is nearly perfect, but I'm not sure I could live with black appliances and dark gray countertops, even if they are Corian.

Cory's Graduation

2009-07-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

After more than a decade of higher education, Cory has graduated with a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. Having taken this long, he had to go through two graduation ceremonies to feel officially matriculated. It was an exciting day. That one day left behind our degree-less past behind and opened so many doors and so much employment security we never had before. The smaller, department graduation was the most intimate and entertaining. Not only was each graduate named, but a short write-up was read. Cory is going to be a Nuclear Power School Instructor. One of his classmates is going to attend graduate school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Another, who believes that repetition is the best way to learning, is now going to start over from the beginning, by re-attending preschool this summer. I think these were ways of making light of their inability to find employment.

Incidentally, Cory's new job is neither aeronautical nor astronautical. It's just plain nautical. I'd like to thank the Navy right now for a paid three month summer vacation.

Employed and Moving

2009-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

For the few people who missed my mom's blog: Cory is now employed, with the Navy! He called me this afternoon from D.C., his voice dripping with jubilation . . . and the desire to nap. His hotel is on the same block as the Ford Theater, close to the Smithsonian and White House, but it was late enough when he finished up that I'm not sure he'll get to go sight-seeing.

Income is now accumulating, even though "Boot Camp" doesn't start until mid-September, but before you start thinking we don't have to move cross-country until October, let's keep in mind the school age children. It appears that elementary schools in that area start in August (too hot to play?). My biggest let-down is that the public elementary school with a drama program had an application deadline for the end of March. Oh, well. Maybe the next year.

So, house for sale. Hmm . . . I've been de-cluttering for months, could we be staged and ready by next Monday? We're having a little work party Saturday (okay, I haven't officially cleared this with Cory, but my adrenaline is ready).

How Do I Love Thee

2009-05-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

Since I missed most of Church today, I've been getting a spiritual recharge from Mormon Messages on youtube. Elder Holland's message about love is the one that sank the deepest, partly because I'm missing Cory who is still on the other side of the continent, and partly from the discovery of how many different ways family have showed love and support for me, in the days I thought I would be most alone

like when Alex slept over, so we didn't have bring the kids to the shuttle in the middle of the night, then played with the children all Saturday morning, so I could catch up on housework

like the several family members who quickly salvaged a ridiculous situation when I locked my keys in my van . . . some by transporting us, some by unlocking the vehicle--I still can't believe they did it

like when people have talked with us and supported us and fed us and entertained us.

If Cory wasn't gone (until Tuesday), I wouldn't have known how much outpouring of love our families were capable of, nor how much I would miss him. I miss our evening talks about current events and the day's experiences. I miss his assistance in getting the children ready for church and for bed. I miss his interest in what I'm thinking and feeling. I miss his understanding so much before I explain, and how he will keep listening until he does understand, when necessary. I miss how he smooths out and solves tough situations and keeps a spare key in his wallet. I miss who he is, the texture of his spirit when we're working together or being together. I miss him.

Among the Tulips

2009-04-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday had some strong downs and ups. I'm still trying to get past the downs, so I'm only publishing the ups.

We went to the Tulip Festival.

I've been twice before, and have longed to return every April, but knew the toddlers would not find the car ride worth the flowers. Cory's class was canceled Thursday, so he suggested it. Roozengaarde's web site said the tulips weren't to their prime yet, but I doubted we'd get a second chance this year, so we picked Kaith up from school and drove straight up.

There's nothing like three acres of tulips to make one second guess the necessity of grass and dandelions back home. In my defense, our forsythia looks way better than their many hyper-pruned, under flowering specimens. All of the flower beds are labeled. Kaith tried sounding out some of the names, with decent success. "Garden Party" was a well-received name, although Miriam squealed and hopped more over "Pink Diamond." The hyacinths were all blooming, and their scent wafted poetically in the breeze.

After taking photos of the two children not in the stroller (Kaith and Miriam), I coaxed Trevor out of the stroller with the offer to let him photograph Cory and myself. At least one person stopped to gape at our family arrangements, with the four-year old taking photos at the adult-determined locations. Unfortunately, the best shot he got of me was when he zoomed in so much that he cut off all of Cory's head. We never did get a photo of Trevor. He only wanted to hold the camera. Once Sterling was out of the stroller, he wasn't going back, and waddled proudly in his over-sized shoes all over grass, gravel, and woodchips, around the beds.

Goal Revision

2009-03-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

Mothers who know do less.

from 2007 Relief Society Broadcast

Before getting laid-off, Cory angelically installed a dishwasher to buy me an hour a day. He was right, I don't feel as perpetually distressed as before, but experimentation has proven that I have at least one too many things still on my plate right now.

One major item has been my schooling. I transferred to the Academy of Art University almost eighteen months ago, intending to get my BFA in Traditional Illustration online, very slowly. It's funny. Before I had children, I finished my two-year degree in two years. Two school years-so less than two calendar years. As a mother, I've just chipped into my classes. I e-mailed my counselor this week, and discovered that the first two years for a BFA are identical to the requirements for the AA, and I would not (according to her) be penalized for taking a break after finishing the AA and before moving onto the BFA.

New goal: Get an AA in Traditional Illustration. Continuing at my current rate of 4 classes a year, I would graduate three years from August, just before Miriam begins Kindergarten. Then Illustration could take backseat as a hobby/service ability, until I went back for my BFA, which would probably be when my children were in high school or beyond.

Other issue: I love, love the K12 curriculum. I love, love the idea of homeschooling. But I'm so busy with Kaith's curriculum, even when I short-cut lessons, that I don't give Miriam and Sterling the kind of nurturing they deserve. Or have time for my school. So today I asked Kaith (before explaining alternatives) if he wanted Mom to be his teacher next year. He said, "No. I want to go away to school, like Dad does." Hmmm. I asked Trevor about it, too. Trevor said he wants to be in a classroom full of other five year olds. I felt pretty tender. I'm not sure if it was more the idea of having my children leave daily, or the loss of the K12 history, art, and phonics lessons we won't get to do next year.

New goal (practical, if still a little painful): let Kaith and Trevor go brick-and-mortar while I finish my AA. Perhaps by the time I'm done, they'll be ready to come back home and have Mom be their teacher again.

Fine Art

2009-03-03T00:02:00.000-08:00

5 hour drawing, 5 minute photograph. Guess which got the A.If you guessed the 5 minute photograph, you're right! The 5 hour (give or take) drawing was another addition to my growing collection of Cs. Now, before you scoff at the photograph, please notice that I used exposure compensation to capture the "real" whiteness of the appliance and sugar, and that I thoughtfully used a 2/3-1/3 rule of proportion. My digital photography teacher was quite pleased. This almost beats my fridge magnet submission: an A-. Again, notice the thoughtful composition, as well as the subtle texture of the fridge.

Oh, why don't I want to be a photography major?!

Cory's Blog

2009-02-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

The peer pressure has sunk in . . . or maybe it's just having a little more down time . . . Cory has a blog. He asked me to wait until he had a couple posts before announcing to the world. He now does. All mathmaticians will think his joke is hilarious. It took me a moment to grasp it.
For those who may be in ignorance, the prominently featured airplane is a P-38 (which of course I recognize by now, ha ha).
The title of his blog?

Flying High on Life

So, job update (accurate as-of last night): six applications (different jobs) still pending at Boeing, the small helicopter company in Kent that sounded so positive hasn't re-contacted, the government aerospace jobs didn't reject his applications, but that might have been less insulting than what they did say.
It's trickier than one might think. Aerospace companies reject him because his engineering experience is more mechanical/production, while he's denied mechanical engineering jobs because his engineering degree is in aerospace. I'm starting to see why people take unpaid internships.
Meanwhile, I'm preparing for the possibility of selling the house this Spring. I spent hours with baking-soda water cleaning the walls, trim, and baseboard heater in the dining room. I have lots of little ideas that involve spending little or no money of things I can do to stage the house.

Rambling Victorian

2009-02-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

We're obviously not in the market to build our own house, but I was poking around at house plans online anway. Cory has mentioned before, and I agree, that it's actually nicer living on one floor, but that two stories have more character than ramblers. . . until now.

This is a picture of a Victorian-inspired rambler. It's 1446 sq. feet, 3 bed, 2 bath, and it has character.

Merry Mayhem

2009-02-01T22:35:00.000-08:00

After spending the afternoon shooing children away so we could muse about our job and financial future, we refocused to spend the evening with them. Lunch is always so late on Sundays that dinner is usually an afterthought. Cory got out the air popper and said "Let's have a popcorn party." The kids got really excited. "Let's put up crepe paper!" they cried. I wasn't about to do that, but Cory got a picnic tablecloth out, and laid it on the living room floor. It was an instant success. Then he got out our electric lantern, so we were "camping." The event was over in just a few minutes (Sterling immediately turned over the big bowls of popcorn), but we all had a great time. Then Cory made "milkshakes" with this and that. Those were really good, too. I should let him cook dinner more often. It's way more fun when I'm not thinking about it.

This and That: sorry to Mom W., we think of your crippled state often and cringe. Very glad you got a substitute for seminary. I wouldn't have let you go, anyway.
Elder West's happy birthday letter should be in the mail tomorrow, and get to Japan a week late.
Cory installed a dishwasher right before he got laid off. No, we wouldn't have bought it if we'd known in advance, but we didn't and it's too late to return it, so we just enjoy using it.
Cory filed our taxes yesterday, since that "income" is more sure than any particular job application. Right now it's a hirer's market, since there are more unemployed people to choose from; not a job-seeker's market, since there is so much built-in competition and so many hiring freezes. That said, of course he's been applying for several jobs a week.
I added Digital Photography to my college load for this semester. The extra credits made me eligible for enough financial aid to cover tuition, and the extra class will put me back on my graduation class. I just hope I can stay focused enough to learn in both, and be a good mother/learning coach.

Cobra Stings

2009-01-23T18:42:00.001-08:00

Cobra would allow us to continue our current medical coverage (minus dental) for $1,048.33 a month. We're guessing unemployment (if we get it, some think they don't give it to students) might be $900 a month.
How optional is medical insurance?

Laid Off . . .

2009-01-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

over the phone!
There was another batch of lay-offs at Cory's work yesterday. He missed a bus and showed up an hour late to work yesterday, after the usual daytime officegroup had gone. He didn't hear anything about lay-offs then, but he stumbled across something that had "lay off" under his name, putting him on his guard. Thinking quickly, he printed off a phone list, so he would have the correct name spelling of any co-workers he might use as references, and forwarded a useful e-mail to an email acount he'll have access to outside of work.
They called him on his cell-phone this morning while he was at school to officially inform him.

I'm actually pretty cheerful about this. Why? Well, let me list some ways:
he'll have more time to focus on his school work, allowing him to master important material and raise his GPA
he may have more time to rest and to spend with the family, which will make everyone happy
he might be able to catch my back a little more so I have time to do my school work (beginning Monday)
there's a job fair at school today, anyway
we'll get our income tax return soon, so as long as he gets a new job for right after he graduates, we shouldn't get into too much trouble, even if we use-up our savings and have to fall back on an emergency credit card
he'll have extra time and incentive to hunt for a really cool job (can we say rocket scientist?)

A Livable Life

2009-01-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

"How do I know he loves me?"

Cory shopped around online to find an attractive basket to hang on the wall near our computer (where we pay bills) to hold the bills in waiting. He also found an attractive magnet grocery pad that I've hung on the fridge. He may be able to help with the shopping as long as I have an active, up-to-date list. I think he's getting really good at guessing what I will think will look good, while still being functional.

The hope is that streamlining my life will make it more . . . well, livable. I will not live through last fall again. No time to exercise, not enough time to sleep, too much time sick, not enough down time by myself or with my family. Something has to give. I refuse to let it be my art school (I'll send my kids brick-and-mortar first, I will!), yet we're both unwilling to give up the children's virtual schooling, so we talked it out for an hour and came up with a few ideas to try before shipping the kids to the brick-and-mortar school two blocks away (if it wasn't for all the neighborhood halfway houses, it would be really easy to let Kaith walk himself to school by himself).

The dishwasher comes next week!

Froggy Phonics; Art Activity

2009-01-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Every end of unit (fifth lesson) in Kindergarten Phonics has an optional review activity. Up until recently I had been skipping them with hardly a glance. Last week, though, the activity was too good to pass up. There were about 8-10 sheets of paper, each with a letter or digraph (two letters that make one sound, like sh, ch, th, wh, etc.). These were to be taped to the floor. Then there were about a dozen slips of paper, with one word per slip. Kaith and I took turns, each reading a word, then jumping on the papers to spell it out. I don't know when the last time was he was so excited about phonics! The next unit finished with a Bingo game, which he enjoyed as well, but is looking forward to another episode of "Froggy Phonics" later this week, which will challenge his skills acquired this week--ending words with the trigraph tch or the digraph ck. Maybe this time I'll do it before Sterling wakes up. He was so determined to rip those papers off the floor.

We also pulled another activity out of Art for the Very Young. I got out the Crayola washable fingerpaints and a few washable toys. The children were instructed to dip the ends of the toys in the paints, then make lines on their paper, which could be straight, wavy, zigzag, etc. Trevor enthusiastically went through a large quantity of paper as he experimented with the physical properties of his available tools. Miriam, however, stayed with it the longest. I think Kaith had long left the table when she placed the finishing touches on her first piece. I have great hopes that she will make a charming artistic companion for me, once she matures a little more. Ah, working side-by-side with various mediums, subtly inspiring each other . . .

Trevor's Prayer

2009-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:00

While Trevor was dodging Sharing Time yesterday, Sister H. consoled me by saying that any Sunbeam (well, now he's CTR 5) who can say an independent prayer is going to be fine. This morning he said an adorable one:

"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank thee that it's going to be summer, but please bless it to be Christmas again. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

Post-Christmas Construction

2009-01-03T23:46:00.000-08:00

The children got lots of building toys for Christmas, which they have been using. Cory had a week of unpaid, forced, leave from work, which he spent very industriously. First he took out a dead heater and put fresh wallboard in a deteriorating problem spot. Next he took down a very old light fixture. The wiring was no longer effective, and only one lightbulb would reliably turn on--not adequate in a 20' long room. He replaced it with THREE dome lights, evenly spaced down the length of the room. The effect is much fresher, and more elegant. Oh, yeah . . . it gives off a LOT more light. Then he turned to project 3 (or 4, if you count clearing out the filing cabinet). There was a small "dead" space in our house we've been transforming into a tv/living nook. We "extended" a wall and painted for the tv area, but seating has been very eclectic and inefficient. Cory has been building an approx. 7' long built-in window seat, hinged for storage, with lower back support, and comfort curves for the legs. It's all done except for cutting the memory foam (already purchased) and upholstering. Too bad he starts school Monday. We could have finished with just a few more hours. Oh! By the way, this is Cory's idea of a "sloppy" construction project.
Moi? Well, Carter, I heard you were sick, so you might like that I included an online photo: I finished the drawing of you dressed like Indiana Jones. Not fine art, but not too bad, either.
Poor Kaith, I've had him do some phonics through the break. I really hope to make the Spring cut-off to move up to 1st Grade Phonics. He's doing quite well, though. He's pretty confident with the digraphs sh and th, and just met wh.
Sterling has practiced walking, daily. He can get halfway across a room, now.

'Tis Which Season?!

2008-12-24T12:07:00.000-08:00

I haven't seen Kaith much today. I've seen a knight, Darth Vader (tragically unable to find his mysterious black gloves) and Buzz Lightyear . . . all before lunch! It's Halloween every day for this child. So, what did he want for Christmas? The costume of the Evil Emperor Zurg, sworn enemy of the Galactic Alliance. That was his only Christmas wish for a month. Since that costume is no longer being produced, it is only available through resale. $60 on e-bay? I don't think so. We had a little talk about availability and Daddy Santa's budget. With a little prompting, he came up with a new wish for Christmas: a Storm Trooper costume (like what cousin Gavin looked so snazzy in on Halloween). I had tried to redirect him to a good guy, like C-3PO (Cory quickly exclaimed, "C-3POs a wimp!" in Kaith's hearing). Kaith said, no, he would rather be a Storm Trooper, because they're more evil.
I worry about that child.
Anyway, as he parades through the house in power black, a nice new storm trooper costume is hidden in Mom and Dad's bedroom--along with a child-sized light saber, purple, like Mace What's-his-name, and two Star Wars early readers, level one (yes, my idea).

Christmas Eve Snow

2008-12-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

Trevor woke up one morning to see snow covering the ground. "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" he informed us. We told him it was not. "It's Christmas Eve! It's Christmas Eve!" he modified. "Call Grandma. We can go over to her house and open presents!" It has been Christmas Eve in our home for a week.

Big 3 Bailout?

2008-11-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

It was a great comfort, when we were dating, to discover Cory and I shared similar patriotism and political views. Although I tend to avoid listening to talk radio (I despise arguing), we do have stimulating discussions about current events and American ideals. Late last night and not-so-early this morning we were having another series, mostly prompted by Prop. 8 whiplash (my art school is based in San Francisco. I have to take some shrapnel when I stand up for family values). After a while we fell to the current event of the Senate considering to give the failing Big Three billions of dollars to "rescue" them.
My thought: In facing a potential bankruptcy for the all-American Detroit carmakers, it is easy to become sentimental. After all, aren't these the cars that were driving down the all-American Route 66 in its days of glory? Why would such a national legacy be on the verge of catastrophe?

It appears that Americans simply didn't want to buy the cars the companies were making in the first place. If the Senate did throw them the billions of dollars in question, it would be forcing American taxpayers to pay for the very cars that they had chosen not to buy.

Perhaps, if the manufacturers are willing to start over again, they can begin by finding out what it is their modern American customers want in a car.

Proposition 8

2008-11-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

Even after the votes have been counted, the heat is still on about California's Proposition 8. I have a lot of thoughts on the issue. I only put a few in a letter I sent to an editor. In case the letter doesn't get published, or those interested don't get that newspaper, I'll publish it here as well.

What Rights Do Gays Have?

I noticed that Molly Metz said California’s Proposition 8 "gives the entire country the right to call us second class citizens," and I wondered, had her voting rights been removed? Was her social security reduced? Was her right to bear arms removed? Was she imprisoned? Our nation has a long, proud history of granting people the right to believe what they will believe.

Often gay rights are called a civil right, and compared to the wonderful revolution that ended limiting citizen’s rights based on their genetic history or national origin. Some psychologists suggest that there may be a gene that dictates homosexual inclinations. If this Proposition 8 called for brain scans that would determine which parts of society would have their rights stripped, it would have been a civil rights issue.

Our founding fathers fled from the social trends of Europe to found a country of religious freedom. When a few of these religions supported values traditional to America, and rejected following a modern European and media trend, the majority of the citizens voted to support them. Should gay rights supercede religious freedom or voters’ choices?

Do I hate gays? No. I love the people. I just don’t sanction their actions.

Spotlight on Kaith

2008-11-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

Someone caught Cory after Church today to rave about how bright Kaith is. It seems that in Primary they were appreciating people all over the world, and there were guests invited who could speak different languages. Brother K. said "Je suis enfant de Dieu," then asked the junior primary if anyone knew what that meant. Kaith raised his hand (that's the only part of this that surprises me) and said, "I am a child of God."
Last Sunday was the annual Sacrament Meeting program done by the children. Only five of the about fifty children had an individual speaking part at the microphone. Kaith (age 5) was the only one under the age of eight. Since he can barely read, he had to memorize his talk, which we had gone over dozens of times in the prior few weeks. My favorite was when we took turns in the backyard standing on the play tower and reciting it. Even two-year old Miriam took a turn and was able to say part of it.
On the actual day, Kaith was so burned out from memorizing that he had long pauses between sentences, which his teacher needed to prompt him out of. Even so, he was the most memorable part of the program.

Jesus Is My Rescue Hero

(Kaith's Talk)

I love rescue heroes! I love fire fighters, because they rescue us from fire. I love police officers, because they rescue us from villains.
But my favorite rescue hero of all is Jesus Christ.
We call him our Savior, because he saves us from death and the power of Satan.
Jesus saves us from the power of Satan by providing the atonement. He prayed for us in the Garden of Gethsemane and died on the cross, so our spirits can go back to heaven.
Jesus saves us from death by providing the resurrection. That means that after we die, our spirits can go back into our bodies, and we can go to heaven with them.
I bear my testimony that Jesus loves me, and he loves you!
I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Family Art

2008-11-09T18:20:00.001-08:00

I'm still plugging away at my art classes. I suppose I'm improving in my personal skill, but it is painful to be classed as entirely unexceptional in my artistic endeavors. Most recently, I attempted a charcoal imitation of a sketch by Raphael for homework (no, I don't know what the picture is about). I thought I had done better than I usually do. My teacher graded it "C" and told me I need to draw with straight and curved lines. Please forgive me, but if I'm not drawing with straight lines, and not drawing with curved lines, what am I possibly drawing?

On a more positive note, I've acquired the inexpensive treasure: Art for the Very Young; Ages 3-6. I think we'll do an art lesson or two from it every Friday. The first section of the book is a study of line. It recommends showing the children black and white line art from Franz Kline. I laughed when I saw it. Think of a preschooler attempting Chinese calligraphy with a thick paintbrush. Well, I showed the children a few images (my favorite has the unlikely title Painting Number 2). Then they took handfuls of pre-cut black lines and dropped them onto construction paper (it was supposed to be white, but I didn't have enough). They needed a bit of help gluing. Miriam was the most focused, and was very proud of her composition, which now hangs above her bed. Kaith named his (the red one) Letter X on a Horse and Letter Z on a Jet.

We all had fun with it, and if people can call what Franz Kline did art, maybe my talent isn't completely a lost cause.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-09T18:12:00.000-08:00

Trick-or-Treat! Candy's sweet!

Please may we have some to eat?

Chocolates, candy corn or gum:

our bags have lots of room for some!

Kaith was an alien-astronaut (thanks Grandma W. for the alien mask), Trevor was a turtle, Miriam was a butterfly (I think I tried to encourage color-coordinating pants. Oh well), and Sterling, who had no say in the matter, was Nemo, and didn't know why. It was fun to watch him try to crawl in that costume. Cory was a Jedi again, using his light-saber to herd the children around the block. And, of course, we visited both sets of grandparents, which is where the best candy always is. These pictures were taken at the maternal grandparents'.

Sterling Takes His First Cake

2008-10-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

Sterling had his first birthday on Sunday, October 19th. At birth he weighed 8 1/2 pounds (I could hold, but not lift him, at first). Now I estimate he weighs 24 pounds. Since we were spending Sunday with his paternal grandparents, we celebrated a day early. First Cory turned his car seat forward, then we went to a pumpkin farm, where we took a hay ride and chose a pumpkin about as heavy as him. There were domestic animals in cages. He seemed vaguely interested in board book words (pig, sheep, chicken, etc.) announced in front of wiggly animals. At home, again, Cory fixed our old electronic toddler toys for Sterling. The highly assertive older siblings left him a small empty box, and would have taken over the new noisy toys entirely, if it hadn't been for adult intervention.

For his official birthday, his Aunt T. had made him his own chocolate duck cake. As you can see, he appreciated the honor and made the most of it.

Our Haunted Home

2008-10-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

We recently visited the paternal grandparents, whose house was elaborately decked-out for Halloween. Kaith and Trevor were very excited to see all of the "haunted decorations," as they called them. Then, for family night treat, Kaith chose to make haunted cupcakes with ghosts on them. Friday, I finally got out our little box of Halloween things, where I had stored the garland we bought last year. Today, in Language Arts, Kaith and I reread a poem called "Theme in Yellow," by Carl Sandberg. Then Kaith got to write his own poem:

Theme in White

I "boo" in the dark on Halloween.

I am called Ghosts.

I talk by magic, saying bats are coming to steal me.

I am called Paper.

I turn into dragons and scare the jets away.

I am called Clouds.

Sunday Groceries?

2008-09-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

Wherefore, it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

St Matthew 12:12

On this warm, summer-like autumn afternoon, we opened the backdoor . . . and saw a bag of food: 3 boxes of soup mix and 24 cans of various food items.

I don't know whether we were laughing more at the surprise of it or at the sight of Trevor trying to carry the bag to the kitchen by himself. The children excitedly wanted to go through the whole bag all at once. "Look, Mommy: corn!" or "What are kidney beans?" They were so excited.

Then Cory looked a little further outside and saw that we had missed a couple things: 30 jumbo rolls of toilet paper, 19 apples, 24 packages of Ramen (don't laugh. The kids are so excited to make that lunch for the week). Our amazement was then peaked at the sight of a loaded Costco Cash Card tucked into the Ramen.

Since our guardian angels desire to bland with the multitude, we are now uploading our gratitude to the multitude, and hope they know it.

Super Doughnut Saturday

2008-09-27T08:39:00.000-07:00

A mouthful of sugar helps the Saturday begin . . .

Cory was leaving for a Saturday at work with the children howling at the door. Then he said, "We'll be back," and strode to the van with barefoot Trevor tucked under his arm. Well, Miriam and Kaith continued to cling and cry in their absence. The van returned, and with it a thin pink box that could only mean roses . . . or doughnuts! (Ah, pay day, glorious pay day. Mommy would buy produce, Daddy supplies the treats.) "Breakfast!" I cried before the door opened, and Trevor proudly cared the box inside. Peering through the viewing window, Miriam promptly claimed the pink doughnut. Then Cory returned with two gallons of sugary beverage with juice-like names, and happiness prevailed around the dining table, in spite of the speedy exit of Daddy (who took two doughnuts with him).

Miriam, who relished her pink doughnut, was nonetheless curious about the "naked brown sugar" one. Kaith, who loves black, readily identified with the "black" chocolate doughnut, and I feigned nutrition between a "fruit" jelly doughnut and apple fritter. Sterling was not impressed with the sugary bread, and whimpered until I got him down, but perhaps his sickness makes new foods unpalatable. Kaith himself gave the title for this block.

An Ideal Husband

2008-09-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Blessed art thou, Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done . . .

1 Nephi 2:1

I'm going to take a time-out from maternal obligations and stories to sing the praises of my seldom photographed husband. Of course I love him because he has his priorities straight, because he has integrity with the same standards in his long hours at work and school as in his few hours at home, because of his diligence which gives us the momentum to keep reading almost-daily from Jesus the Christ, to keep pushing through school until it's done, how he easily calms me when I'm under stress, under other traits and habits. That said, I imagine he would rather be praised by the things which he has done. So, let's see . . . his most recent domestic achievement was installing two four-foot wide shelves above the children's reach in our office, to hold our forty-one pounds of school supplies (yes, we got a ten-pound shipment of Teacher's Guides today. Still backordered on the handwriting workbook). Last Monday, knowing I had not finished my homework that was due that evening, he came home early and took over childnurturing and dinner so I could catch up. Oh, and he brought home a bouquet of pink campanulas. For this module, not only did he pose for my figure drawing (okay, I drew from a photo), but on Saturday, hearing that I wanted to submit my figure drawing homework that afternoon, instead of today, he piled the children in the car and took off until I was done, which took three hours. After putting the kids to bed last night, we stayed up reading to each other and laughing over Little Women (I had no idea how funny it was last time I read it, about a decade ago, and it's so much more fun to read with someone who laughs at the right place).

I never did take a picture of the base cupboard and countertop he so painstakingly and perfectly installed in June, but he did that, and before Spring Quarter was over, too. This week officially begins his Senior year studying Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at UW, taking 16 (?) credits and working 25 hours a week. Of course he's incredible, but extra prayers would be appreciated, too.

Kindergarten Began

2008-09-21T22:13:00.000-07:00

I was determined to begin school on Monday morning, September 8, whether our supplies had arrived or not. I was approaching our final morning chore (making my bed) at 9:15 when a large brown UPS truck materialized out front, bringing 31 lbs. of treasures.
Our first week, we read Cinderella, sorted colors, made a cushion-boat like in a poem by Robert Louis Stevens (Trevor is holding a "poison green plum"), and skipped the first nine weeks of phonics (that that is all Kaith skipped is a tribute to the thoroughness of K12's PhonicsWorks program.

Highlights from Last Week

2008-09-07T21:55:00.001-07:00

At the company picnic, Cory told Kaith to go sit down to watch the animal show. Kaith chose a spot right next to some young woman, cuddled up, and put his hand on her knee. We have no idea who she is.

Miriam got a turn choosing and making family night treat. She chose star cookies, and was very proud of the result. Our lesson was on prayer, from the new nursery manual. That worked well, since Trevor was assigned to give a talk in primary on that subject (his teacher, who assigned it, said, "your kids give good talks. I learn from them"). We got our hard copy of Behold Your Little Ones just a few days ago, which was much sooner than I'd been expecting it.

About a month ago, I subscribed our family (under Trevor's name) to a magazine called High Five. It's the preschool cousing to Highlights magazine. We got our first two issues (they sent last April's and this October's) this week. We cut-out the bug dominoes, and played that. They also had a recipe for homemade tortillas. Trevor helped me make those, and wow, they were good.

My school started Thursday. I've had three days to work on things and am only two days behind schedule.

Our ward had a "Corn Ball" on Saturday. We brought dinner rolls, as usual. Silly us, we gave the kids lemonade before lunch. They hardly touched lunch, and that includes the cake. However, they did take frequent trips to the bathroom. I think we totaled seven, in all. I've included a picture of that toilet (sorry if you don't know that story. I think its unbloggable). Sterling, who did not drink lemonade, did eat most of a hot dog bun.

Kaith's school starts tomorrow. K-12 has been changing suppliers, I think, and so we haven't received the supplies we'll be using. We got an automated phone call Friday night saying our box would arrive Monday evening, at the latest. It must be costing them a lot of money to express ship a lot of big boxes. I'm glad I don't have to pay for the shipping fee.

Trevor Is a Child of God

2008-08-31T21:42:00.000-07:00

Brr-Buh-Buh-Burr . . . Trumpet fanfare!!! Unveiling the colorful new manual: Behold Your Little Ones, useful not only for Nursery (this is to the old nursery manual what Preach My Gospel is to the old missionary discussions), but also for use in Primary and in the home. Currently available in seventeen languages, plus Braille. (Not Japanese yet, sorry Elder West) Our marvelous nursery leader has already given the parents a letter with the lesson schedule for the rest of the year. I've ordered my copy. Have you?

Also available online, we used lesson #1 last week: "I Am a Child of God." It had the song, a scripture story and an activity rhyme we used, several days in a row. Forget our old family scripture attempts that Miriam and Trevor wouldn't attend. They loved the presentation of the scripture story in the manual:

Show the illustration of Moses on page 99. Explain that Moses was a great prophet who lived a long time ago. Tell the children that Moses went to a mountain to pray. Invite the children to pretend to climb a mountain; then have them fold their arms as if praying. Open the Pearl of Great Price to Moses 1:4 and say, “God said to Moses, ‘Behold, thou art my son.’ ” Explain that Moses learned that he was a child of God.

Trevor climbed the post of Miriam's bed, of course (what he usually does during scripture study, but this way it was related). Wrapping up our lesson, we announced that Miriam was a child of God, Trevor was a child of God . . .

"No!" said Trevor vehemently. "I'm not a child of God! I'm a pirate!"

I calmly responded, "Even pirates are children of God."

"Oh. Trevor looked thoughtfully at his feet, then said quietly, "I am a child of God."

Fun Storage

2008-08-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

We've been working on our "fun storage:" accumulating a wealth of healthy memories to enjoy in case the weather or our schedules prohibit such indulgences this fall. Kaith's school starts in less than 2 1/2 weeks - that feels so soon!

This week we met friends at a playground.

When I woke up that morning, it was pouring rain. I coaxed the children into personal prayers that morning, and they prayed that it would stop raining so we could go to the park. It did and we did. Trevor rode a two wheeler (with training wheels, of course) for the first time, borrowing one his friend had brought. I suppose that's another improbable possibility for Christmas. We already have helmets.

Three Birds, One Stone

2008-08-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

I have had several elusive desires, my Three Birds:
*spend one-on-one time with each child
*have a good kitchen education
*kids involved in staging family night

A couple weeks ago I had a humble stroke of genius, my Stone:
*Let one child a week choose and assist in making treat for family home evening, rotate so everyone regularly gets an opportunity.

This stone first flew three weeks ago. Trevor chose Chocolate No-Bake Cookies. Last week Miriam chose Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies (from C is for Cooking). Kaith had been anxiously waiting for his week. When his Monday finally arrived, he spent the morning perusing cookbooks. I did not have to entertain him, and he wasn't whining! After musing aloud, "We could make ___" numerous times, he finally settled on Rainbow Sprinklers, which are a soft sugar cookie rolled in colored sugar. He was so proud to be making (or helping to make) such fancy cookies! I think we need to have the children rotate responsibilities on the lesson, now.

As you can see, Sterling enjoyed the forbidden contraband that his sister gave him.

Tag-I'm It

2008-08-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Suzanne.

My Joys
1 Stargazing, looking at pretty pictures, etc.
2 Alone time
3 One-on-one time with Cory or kids

My Fears
1 Baseboard heater fire
2 Not getting a timely epidural during labor (dormant fear)
3 Giving birth all alone in a dirty bathroom (dormant fear)

Current Obsessions/Collections
1 Giving children enough intensive nurturing in the right things at the right time.
2 Succeding, or at least surviving, Kindergarten with Washington Virtual Academies
3 Succeding, or at least surviving, another semester toward my BFA in Traditional Illustration

Surprising Fact
1 I'm trying to read the Book of Mormon in French
2 I daydream about ironing my sheets and scenting them with lavender sachets
3 I actually do like my children

Tag
I'm afraid of guilting others into work, so I think I'll end here (okay, and I'm trying to save time).

Family and a Temple Visit

2008-08-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well could you follow the formula given by the Lord: 'Establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God' (D&C 88:119).

Thomas S. Monson,

"The Spirit of Relief Society," Ensign, May 1992, 101-102

Saturday morning we drove to the tenple, and my heart skipped a beat to see the unexpected scaffolding on that sacred building. The spire was barely visible, but, as we drove closer, I could see the grounds covered with properly dressed people, returning to the temple on the first open Saturday since the summer closure. Cory was watching the kids, so he dropped me off. Just past the front desk I saw that part of the ground flooring had been replaced with beautiful, glossy tile, that magnified the sound of every high-heeled step. I was relieved to reach the next stretch of carpeting. I arrived barely in time for the 9:30 session, with four men and four other women, the smallest session I have ever been in. In the Celestial room I took my time reading and rereading the last page of Proverbs where it describes a virtuous woman, and the spiritual differences between sacrifice and self-indulgence.
Afterwards, I waited for Cory in the shade outside, wondering how they had used the snacks I had made, and if Cory had taken pictures at the park. When he pulled up, I could hear a lively, unfamiliar rendition of "Give Said the Little Stream." He handed me a box with a new quad (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price bound together) to replace my baptism set that is not really bound and often missing. After playing at the park, he had decided to purchase what may be our last set of treasures before Christmas, and milkshakes for the kids.

Freaky Friday

2008-08-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've been determined to master "early to bed, early to rise." I'm getting good at the early to rise, but struggle with early to bed. Well, we were out of milk, didn't have enough cheese for a Friday pizza, etc. I considered initiating my Albertsons online account, but you have to order by 10 pm the night before, and today is payday. Quite proud of myself, I got out of bed while all were asleep, changed into exercise clothes ( a lady does not go shopping in her pajamas), and pulled out of the drive way at 5:59. Traffic was nearly non existent. In 20 minutes I acquired 3 gallons of milk and 8 bags of groceries (most of what we need to enjoy the next two weeks). I was elated. With the children it's been taking about two miserable, humiliating hours. At the check-out stand, I noticed my keys were missing. Yes, I locked them in the van. At 6:33 am, instead of putting the groceries in the van to drive a few blocks home, I called my husband to explain why he might be late to work. He told me to avoid the appearance of homelessness and not push the shopping cart home (I would have returned it, really I would have), and offered to walk over with the children.

Right.

Puppy guarding my van and my groceries, I thought I'd look less silly if I stood there chatting on my self-one, I mean cell phone, so I called my mom. She thought she could get there sooner than my husband.

Fine.

Cory was already getting the children dressed, and had gotten them excited to "save Mom!" The super heroes, especially Kaith, were not happy to find out that Grandma got to be the "cavalry" and they had to stay home and wait. Finally, a little after seven, I got home. Those twenty minute groceries took nearly two hours to put away, since I was then caring for children again.

The milk? They each ate about five bowls of cereal with milk, and weren't done until around ten.

Apple for Baby?

2008-08-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Lord is good to me,

and so I thank the Lord,

for giving me the things I need:

the sun and the rain

and the apple seeds.

The Lord is good to me.

Johnny Appleseed's Prayer

Origin unknown to Me

I have begun Sterling on a word book. It claims to be an alphabet book for babies, so the first picture is an apple. We start at the beginning each time. Familiarity is increasing his stamina, so now we can get about halfway through.

The neighbors have apple trees. They are not pruned. They are not picked. The branches extend several feet into our property, fruit falls thickly in our grass, and one has espaliered itself down our side of the fence. The children joyously pick and eat these apples. I picked and washed a small apple for Sterling, who thought it the funniest, most exciting thing when I called it "apple." He Who Must Now Hold the Feeding Spoon would not accept applesauce this morning, but was vigorously attempting to ingest this fist sized morsel. Okay, so it only lasted for a few minutes.

Now I present my moral dilemma: is it okay to pick the neighbor's apples that grow on our side of the fence? Do I:

A: forbid children from touching and severely prune off the disputable branches?

B: do I look the other way while the children eat all they can reach?

C: do I walk halfway around the block to spend twenty minutes discussing this with said neighbor, while my children run in the street?

D: rejoice in the manna from heaven and make apple betty for Mom's Movie Night?

One Summer Day

2008-08-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

This morning we met another family at Lundeen Park. It has a play structure at one end and a small beach at the other. We started with the playstructure. Trevor and new friend Kaden raced up, raced down, slipped into each other, and laughed. Sterling sat on a blanket in the shade and tried to get his hands on nature. Miriam liked the wiggly slide.

At the beach, everyone waded in. In spite of hiking up shorts, children got wet up to their waists. Miriam was enraptured with the ducks under the dock. No one wanted to go. We had more run aways than I could carry. I informed a certain four year old that if he ran away again, he would get a five minute time out as soon sas we got home. He ran anyway. Thanks to Nicole's help, we all made it back to our van. Trevor was sobbing. Miriam again amazed me with her nurturing instincts (a.k.a. divine nature) by finding a package of pocket tissues, pulling one out announcing, "This is for Twevuh. He's cwying."

I cheerfully administered the time-out. Why am I happy? A month ago we tackled the hitting problem in our family . . . and after a week it was nearly gone, and has stayed that way. Now that I feel we have successfully finished replacing that habit, I think we can move on to our next worst behavior problem of running away. Cory, I propose that if children run away while we are at the park, library, or church, upon getting home we promptly give time outs: 1 minute for Miriam 5 minutes for Trevor, 10 minutes for Kaith (as if he would). I am optimistic that good change can soon occur.

This afternoon I hope to help with cutting workbooks, put away laundry, make dinner, and offer wading pool time.

Renaissance Baby

2008-08-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

If he'd been born in the sixteenth century, he'd make a perfect Renaissance baby: can you imagine all the naked baby angels that would be painted in his image? I'm afraid the baby rolls won't last much longer. This guy can crawl all over the house, and, as you can see, is now pulling himself up to stand. I've been cleaning floors with religious zeal!

School, Past and Future

2008-08-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

My final has been graded and: I got an A! in Art History through the Fifteenth Century! I hope, one day, to teach children's art classes. I've been researching and saving my ideas, including unit study arts. For example, say fourth graders are studying the solar system. After an art lesson on composition, they are introduced to pastels and sketch their own planet, while listening to The Planets.
I registered for two classes for fall: Figure Drawing (stop laughing, Mom) and Art History, Renaissance through the Nineteenth Century.
And, yes, Kaith is still registered with Washington Virtual Academies (where are the supplies?). For Kindergarten, that will be ten hours a week. Let's see if Trevor and Miriam hate me for it.

Nurturing Music in Our Family

2008-08-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've had music on the mind this week. Having gotten a child all the way to the mature age of five, I have plenty of experiments to look back on, and a better idea of what a good children's curriculum is. It's funny how my views have changed and matured so much over the past few years. I have to plan when I'm out of class, because once I'm back in I don't have much time to reassess life, just to move on with the plans I've laid out. I haven't yet used all the books I've listed. Hopefully they live up to my hopes. And I still want to find a good Nursery/Folk song book, and game instructions.

Babies
*They are absorbing the sounds of voices, the rhythm of life, and the family culture.
Toddlers/Preschoolers
*Play Nursery/Folk Song Games regularly (including "Ring Around the Rosie" and "London Bridge")
*At the piano (get it in tune, they're developing an ear for pitch): Children's Folk Songs and Children's Songbook; they can hear the melodies, learn the words, and "play" the piano, but more important, they learn that music comes from people, not electronics, and develop a habit of expressing themselves while making it.
*Talk about the feeling of the sounds. "I think these slow low notes sound spooky. Is this your monster song?" or "The music is so fast. It makes me feel excited."
*Musical Scriptures: whatever pictures you use to represent scripture stories, there is always an appropriate song to go with it. Balance letting your children have their favorites, and introducing new stories. Songs may come from the Children's Songbook again, or Hymns or Folk Songs (like "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho")
*Read Meet the Orchestra or Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, to introduce instruments and their names.
*Have some toy instruments. Encourage marching bands and orchestras.
*Have informal family dances.
*Occasionally attend local Concerts in the Park.
*Use themed Music Playlists in daily routines to expose children to a variety of delightful music (more on these Playlists in a separate blog).
Around Kindergarten, give or take a year
*Use Music for Little Mozarts and listen to related ear-training CDs (If beginning piano lessons now, the series also has kindergarten-age-appropriate piano books).
Read and listen to Carnival of the Animals (it may be best to start with no more than one track per sitting)
*Begin learning sol-fa hand signs, and music vocabulary
Elementary (this outline is more skeletal, as I do not yet have an elementary age child)
*Listen to Classic Kids CDs, like Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery
*Begin piano lessons (or another instrument or choir) and instill the habit of regular practice, about 10-15 minutes a day, depending on the developmental age of the child.
*Go to an instrument petting zoo (I think the Everett Symphony has one)
*Read stories about operas and ballets
*As a special treat go to a children's concert, the Nutcracker Ballet, or more Concerts in the Park.
*Keep using music in everyday life, and stretch their familiarity repertoire by introducing new music.
*As long as it isn't violent, profane, etc., let them choose their favorite style of music. Their own CD player or MP3 player could be a special treat.

Public Riches

2008-08-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

You may have riches and wealth untold,

Caskets of jewels and baskets of gold,

But richer than I you will never be,

For I had a mother who read to me.

Thomas Carlyle

as quoted in The Art of Teaching Children by Daryl V. Hoole/Donette V. Ockey, c. 1964 Deseret Book

I felt quite clever. A few days ago I used that delightful multi-tab internet function: one open to easy browsing at Amazon.com, the other had the search engine for our local library. Through Amazon, I found a plethera of books our family can't live without; with our public library I reserved most of them for free. Right now we're enjoying:

Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin

My Daddy Is a Pretzel (This is yoga for kids. It's geared for elementry school coordination, but I'm encouraging it persistently, anyway.)

The Philharmonic Gets Dressed (I was embarassed to find that the title accurately portrays the activities of the picture book)

. . . with more holds waiting to be filled! I hope Fantasia 2000 is available for this week's movie night. I really didn't prepare for last week, and felt the lack.

Superintendent of Public Instruction, Part 2

2008-08-09T06:44:00.000-07:00

Remember David Blomstrom? One of the candidates invited to this forum, but who neither replied to the invitation, nor was present? Well, I accidentally came across him responding repeatedly and heatedly to a blog that supported Randy Dorn, former chair of the K-12 house education committee (the one in the Legislature). Trying to be thorough and objective in my notes, I've added included the link to that candidate's views.

What strategies would you promote to encourage and support minorities and students who are different?
Randy: recognize differences. Have their parents involved in all the grades. Eliminate roadblocks. In the Math section of the WASL we need to eliminate the essays. We need to follow the guidelines of the National Math Advisory Panel. We’re way off!
Donald Hansler: I am opposed to any discrimination. We need to improve the ESL program. The high drop-out rate is because of the WASL program (kids with test anxiety). We need two levels of HS diplomas: one for those who can pass the WASL, and one for those who can’t.
Dr. Terry B.: (Referenced House Bill 1209). We need high standards in all skills. We have statewide core standards. The achievement gap is because of racism in society. We need respect between communities and school. We need to have resources to support. Native Americans: we recorded Tulalip stories from tribal members to incorporate into the children’s reading curriculum.
Enid Duncan: we all function differently in different parts of the brain. Look at new developments in science.

What is your vision for education for the next 20 years?
Donald Hansler: I’d make a lot of changes. E-mail me for details. We can develop a fair, efficient education system in this state, then the country, then the world.
Dr. Terry B.: All kids in our state will meet state standards. We need to fully fund education for all kids in the state. We need a connection between K12 and higher education.
Enid Duncan: We need to do something now. Don’t wait 20 years! I took my struggling child, labeled “IQ of 59” across the country to Harvard. The man did not use papers, but used his body to learn he is very dyslexic. I didn’t sit idle.
Randy Dorn: Beyond tenth grade, kids choose interests so they can choose a career, not a job. We need more resources. It may take 1-on-1 or 2 or 3 to get struggling kids up. We want education everywhere. Have quality and skilled teachers in every classroom; that will take more resources.

Momma Called the Doctor . . .

2008-08-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

They have a disease around here called elephantitis.

Would you still love me if I came home looking like an elephant?

The Other Side of Heaven

So, Momma called the On-Call Nurse late Saturday evening. That morning, Kaith had a small red mark on his cheek, perhaps a mosquito bite. As the day progressed, the redness increased, and his cheek began to swell. At bedtime, he could no longer open his right eye all the way. After he fell asleep, the swelling around his eye covered his eyelids, and his eyelashes jutted, not down but stark forward. The nurse said that, since he could breathe and didn't have a fever, we could wait until the Walk-In Clinics opened in the morning to get medical attention.

The doctor was 95% sure that Kaith was just reacting to some kind of bug bite. He prescribed steroids to bring the swelling down. The 5% uncertainty was that it could be a bacterial skin infection. Until he lab results tell us otherwise, we have to keep him away from the public and give him two kinds of antibiotics. Kaith was in tears about missing Church, and I'm in awe at the complexity of the dosage schedules. Plus I'm not sure how to get to our follow-up appointment while hauling all the children.

Incidentally, our camera has face-recognition software and red-eye correction. A couple posts ago, the camera recognized the book picture of Molly as a face, but today, we could not use the red-eye correction because the camera could not acknowledge Kaith's face!

Later, the tree which was a Woozle gave me imaginary medicine that he told me to take three hundred times a day. Yes, that was Kaith.

Ward Campout

2008-08-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

What do you do for fun on Saturday nights? Go and throw rocks in the lake?

The Parent Trap (1961)

Our Ward Campout was Friday evening. Unwilling to sleep on rocks, we showed up for the evening only. Our children:
Threw rocks in the river.
Explored the Farstead’s camper

(Miriam) Played run-away from Mom and ran into deep puddles

Threw more rocks in the river

(Kaith and Trevor) Found friends to play with

Watched the Homemade Boats' Race (we came in third)

"Played" softball

Swung on the exciting bucket swings

Used flashlights

Made (with help) and consumed s'mores

Japanese Girl, American Girl

2008-08-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

Last week, for Mom’s Movie Night, we watched the Japanese-animated film Whisper of the Heart. It’s great for the subtle exposure to everyday life for youth in Japan: drying laumdry on the balcony, biking or taking the bus everywhere, popularity of the American "Country Roads," school uniforms, and studying to get into a good high school. If I’d known how much name-calling there was during part of the movie, I might not have shown it to my impressionable preschoolers. It took several days to mostly weed out their new vocabulary. Cory, on the other hand, has been singing “Country Roads” all week.
This week we watched Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front. I got out my precious The American Girls Club & Historical Society Handbook (a disbanded organization) and found the recipe for Victory Popcorn. When Cory walked in, Kaith informed him “Sweets were rationed because of the War.” I think something sank in.

At Fantasy Fortress

2008-07-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we met some other families in our ward at the Fantasy Fortress playground. Because there were adults I knew and trusted present, I was only a little nervous about taking my little ones to the playground. Sterling enjoyed baby swing, and being carried around, Kaith pretended to be an ice cream man selling ice cream, Miriam and Trevor practiced sliding down the fire pole.

To my surprise, Trevor made a friend who is just his size. They spent about an hour together, climbing, sliding, and chattering cheerfully.

After two delightful hours at play, I decided it was time to go home. Sterling was the only one to calmly accept that decision. The others were so beligerent that I wondered if the outing was worth my new reputation as a kill-joy. Then I remembered that Trevor had made a new friend. Yes, it was worth it.

Sterling, who had spent so much time in arms at the park, decided that afternoon to crawl. He picked up and moved his right hand, then his right knee, then sat up.

Little Mother

2008-07-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness . . . Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. -- Proverbs 31:27, 29

After lunch, Miriam curled up for a nap on the piano bench, with my shoe.

As usual, she's had a busy day, trying to walk in my footsteps: she voluntarily lays out the bowls and spoons for breakfast, pointed out that I sat down at the table without having gotten my breakfast (I was feeding Sterling first), got down the bag of chips and handed them out, was the first to the table for worksheet time, and so on. This evening, she put on her apron and stayed with me during dinner preparation, carrying vegetables, finding measuring spoons, measuring and tasting the peanut butter. Later she tried to open the Benadryl for Trevor and tried to feed peanut butter soup to Sterling.

I think she's dreaming of filling Mom's shoes.

Smile Shutter Technology

2008-07-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance --Proverbs 15:13

We replaced the camera that broke. Our new Sony Cyber-shot comes with "Smile Shutter Technology." When in this setting, the camera will take a picture the instant smiles appear. However, it seems to only recognize grins: large smiles with teeth. No Mona Lisa smiles here!

My Happy Childhood

2008-07-23T15:42:00.001-07:00

In response to a previous post about a happy childhood, Mom had to ask if I'd had one. So using the "Twelve elements of a connected childhood," I'm going to list a few events and memories. Mom, this is for you.

Unconditional Love, Family Togetherness We often had Family Home Evening, and sometimes Family Fun Saturdays. We read scriptures together as a family and ATE MEALS TOGETHER. Sometimes, in the Summer, Mom would plan outings for the children. I remember going to Flowing Lake together. Then we ate off the new cafeteria style trays we had. We had enough unstructured, at home time that I think we knew where we most belonged. I remember when I was about ten or eleven, Mom would shut herself in her room to talk on the phone with someone. I would lie on the floor outside the door, listening to her talk (sorry if I was eavesdropping, it didn't occur to me that I might be), just to enjoy being closer to her.
Nature I played in Grandpa West's orchard. I remember Great Grandma Clawson's cottage garden. I wish I had a picture of it. We went on hikes with Granpa Hanna. I loved our Granite Falls property. It had a beautiful view of pasture, forest and trees. The leaves of some of those trees twinkled like glitter. We even had a little orchard. We visited parks, lakes and beaches.
A Pet Grandma had bird feeders and a hummingbird feeder. David briefly had a rat, and I more briefly had a mealworm from Science Alliance. What I remember most, though, are the horses. Two long sides of our Granite Falls property bordered pasture. My bedroom window faced it. I chose a favorite horse and named it Strawberry. We would stand along the electric fence, offering fistfuls of grass to the horses.
Ideas, Information, and Knowledge We assisted our local libraries in maintaining healthy circulation. Mom always introduced me to my favorite books. Once, on a long road trip, I started to read Pride and Prejudice. It just happened to be in the van. I think I was thirteen. Actually, there are a lot of classics I would never have known without Mom. School did not introduce me to Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess, The Secret Garden (unless you count the movies), and others.

Then there was Summer Home School. Some summers, for two or three weeks, Mom would put together short school days for us. As much as I had longed for summer, I often found myself bored stiff--but not the week we had Summer Home School. Lessons were short, about an hour or two, which was just long enough to feel some structure to the day, and some mental stimulus and satisfaction at having accomplished something, but not so long they were burdensome.
Beauty, the Arts I took ballet lessons one Summer. In fourth grade I was a Sugar Plum Fairy in Emerson Elementary's production of the Nutcracker. It was an honor I treasured. In the Spring of fifth grade my parents paid ($40, I believe) for an after school art class. We had a piano, and beginner piano books. Sometimes, right after putting us to bed, Mom would play the piano, and I would lay there, listening to it. At my desire, they bought me a flute, which I played for four years (a long time commitment, when you acknowledge a standard University education. It had been more than a quarter of my life when I stopped). I also sang in several choirs. Then there was interior decorating. Around my teens, Mom often checked-out library books and experimented. It rubbed off. The best thing Granite Falls School District did was their career pathways. At the end of eighth grade we took an aptitude test, which sorted us into about six areas of interest. Once a month, in High School, we met with our peers who shared our area of interest, and an assigned teacher counselor. Once we chose a possible artistic major, then spent an hour learning what was involved in which school to get there. I wish I'd had that every year of high school.
Friends, Neighborhood, Community I had best friends in Provo, and knew several other people on our block. When we moved, I soon had a best friend in Marion Gallagher. We moved a couple more times, and while we often didn't know our next-door neighbors well, I learned the neighborhood pretty well, and sometimes walked to friends houses. Robin Lynn lived next door, in Granite Falls, and we were friends.
Organizations, Institutions I enjoyed Jump Rope Club, Science Alliance, Merry Miss (Mom as leader), Highly Capable Program, band, Young Women, and Church.
Individual's Own Self Having my own room (thanks to Mom's ingenuity, and brotherly sacrifice) helped a lot. I enjoyed thinking things over and reaching my own opinions, conclusions, and tastes. I don't think I could ever have survived daycare. I wouldn't have had an away place to recharge. I also went through a good share of journals.
God, Spirituality I started reading personal scriptures when I was eleven, and have kept it up ever since then. I remember getting pieces of a testimony --feeling the spirit--as young as about five or six. I don't think I've ever not known the Gospel is true.
chores, work,responsibility to contribute
Hobbies and/or Sports I've already mentioned drawing and ballet. I would have done tennis in high school if I could ever have figured out when and where things started. I did some hand embroidery and part of a silk ribbon embroidery project. When I was young enough, I played with Barbies and My Little Ponies. I cut things out of paper and made collages, almost compulsively, for a while. After a long time wanting to, I finally began studying French at my first opportunity: my sophomore year of High School.
A Sense of the Past We began studying history in second grade. Mom and Dad gave me my first American Girl book, Meet Kirsten, that Christmas. Over the next few years I read all the books and some of their suppplementary materials. Grandma and Grandpa West had a large, circular family tree on their wall that I would study when I was there.

A Movie in the Park

2008-07-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

As the sun set Saturday evening, our family arrived at the park. We walked on an unfamiliar paved trail past the exciting play equipment to a large soccer field. We heard the movie before we saw it: the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Grandpa W. and Uncles Alex and Daniel met us (the kids, myself, and even my husband Cory). We had brought our own bowls of maple popcorn. Grandma W. had sent chocolate cupcakes. Sitting on our large quilt, I wished we had brought more blankets; there was little to block the cold air that came off the ocean, over the wetlands, and up into the park. The big screen was to the West, with the last oranges of the sunset behind it. Suddenly, flying above the screen, flew a large bird: an owl! Forgive my excitement. I don't think I had ever seen an owl in the wild before. It was nearly eleven when we left. The children were temperamental at church on Sunday, but the good memories will outlast the sacrifice.

Fancy Car Seat

2008-07-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

"A girl car seat!" exclaimed a child as Cory carried this inside. Miriam got a new car seat so 23 lb. Sterling could get her plain convertible booster. Miriam was so thrilled with her new riches that she asked to be buckled in, right away. Then she didn't want to be unbuckled. I offered a book, which she was happy to receive. Fancy Nancy hit the spot!

Candidates for State Superintendent, Part 1

2008-07-20T23:31:00.000-07:00

All six 2008 candidates for State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) were invited to a public forum at the Marysville YMCA, Saturday, July 19, 2008. Of the public attending, I appeared to be half or less the age of everyone present, who was not a child of someone else there. I felt self-conscious, but was too determined to be informed. Two candidates, John Blair and David Blomstrom, did not reply to the invitation and were not present. The remaining candidates: Randy Dorn, Enid Duncan, Donald Hansler, and incumbent Terry Bergeson were present. I tried to take thorough, objective notes. I will post them as I get them transcribed.
Randy Dorn has served seven years in the State House of Representatives. During part or all of that time, he was the Legislative Member assigned to House Education. He was also there when the House did the Education Reform Bill. He has been a high school principal and is certified to be a superintendent. He recalls one mistake he supported while in the House. Looking back, he sees how foolish it was to require fourth graders to take a two-week test. It took him only a few hours to take the SAT for college. School should be about Hope, Opportunity and Opening Doors, not closing them. We need to look at all opportunities for kids: Military, Technical or University.
Enid Dorn helped the dyslexia pilot program bill. She first came to the US on scholarship. Enid emphasizes brain differences. We think in different ways. She is not about testing.
Donald Hansler is a retired science teacher. He has been involved, off and on since 1951, in scientific research. He has worked with forty different principals. He has spent fourteen years volunteering. He gave out (free) a book, Purls of Wisdom, as well as a hand-out explaining his views. His e-mail address is DonHansler1@aol.com, and he encourages people to e-mail him for his position papers on 18 different topics in education. His book shares his life opinions. He doesn’t believe teaching abstinence in schools is effective at changing teenage behavior, does propose that condoms should be available cheaply in every public restroom in America, the maximum sentence should be five years (ending in either freedom or death) and 92 other ideas.
Terry Bergeson is the incumbent. She has held this position for the last twelve years. She has a Doctorate of Education, and is a former teacher. For the last five years, Washington State has been first in SAT scores (of states where 50% or more of students take the SAT).

What strategies would you promote to incourage and support students who are minorities?
Randy Dorn: recognize differences. Have parents involved in all the grades. We need to get rid of road blocks. We need to eliminate the English essays in the Math section of the WASL (although, of course, essays could remain in the English section). We need to follow the guidelines of the National Math Advisory Panel (NMAP)! We’re way off.