November Chronicles
Washers really do Eat Socks
My washer stopped working one Friday this month. That kind of thing threatens national disaster in a household like ours. Luckily Aaron was home for the weekend and he spent all Saturday morning disecting it to find out the problem. It wasn't the motor. It wasn't the pump. I told him my gut feeling was that it was clogged somewhere. He was skeptical, but I kept picturing the kind of laundry I run through that machine. Yikes! He dug a little deeper and sure enough, deep in the workings of the drainage pipe he found one of Enoch's socks. It had been sucked all the way through the pump even! I looked like it had been chewed to shreds.
Black Eye
Addie came home on Friday and I asked in alarm how she got a black eye. She didn't know what I was talking about. I said she would have had to get hit pretty hard to get a black eye like that, couldn't she remember? But no.
It kept getting worse and worse and by Sat. morning she couldn't even open it. That night her friend Sarah came over. Everyone was shocked by her appearance. Aaron asked Sarah if she knew how Addie got that black eye. She looked at him and pointed to her forehead and said, "yea". At a closer look we realized she had a huge black goose egg (still, after 24 hrs) on her forehead. She said one was going in the door and one was going out and they collided. Apparently Addie was focused on other things and brushed it off. But she definitely got the bum end of the deal!
Other notable memories from the month:
A sleepover with our friends so their parents could escape for a 10th anniversary. I must be making progress because 6 months ago the thought of sitting through Sacrament Meeting alone with 3 kids was daunting, but getting these 6 kids ready for church by myself and sitting through sacrament meeting with all 6 was no sweat. I like to say that for shock value, but in reality pop tarts for breakfast, letting the girls do their own hair, and having extra entertainment for Enoch all lend credit to circumstance and not an expert me.
Everyone is excited for a baby sister. It might be different if Enoch was old enough to know better and voice an opinion.
An 11 day trip to Puerto Vallarta. Ahhhhh.
Our favorite Enoch phrases: "no way. noway, noway, noway." "Addie, Addie, Addie Gemme outta here!" (every morning until he wakes her up). "a Twain! choo choo!"
Special Edition: Back to the Beach
Our Favorite Things about Thanksgiving in Puerto Vallarta
Aaron:
kayaking, surfing and boogie boarding
fresh limes (& Todd's limeade special)
being barefoot all day
catching Enoch jumping into the pool
digging in the sand with the kids
Tiffany:
riding bikes
watching dolphins from the deck
lime-flavored Bonafont water
swimming w/ my kids
low tide
Addie:
swimming w/o a life jacket
jumping waves
taking warm showers
shopping on the Malecon
Kinder Eggs
playing Uno
boogie boarding in the waves
Quinn:
collecting shells
playing with the inflatable crab
taking warm showers
Kinder Eggs
....more shell collecting
Enoch:
the elevator (pushing buttons & jumping while it was going)
gathering coconuts (& throwing them in the pool)
the sand showers
swimming (false sense of confidence)
watching the pelicans skim the waves
October Chronicles
We had another year of 31+ days of decked out Halloween at our house. The highlight this year being a battery operated witch that hung outside our front door and cackled at every noise activation. Most kids were scared of it. One attacked it out of fear and broke part of the motion half way through the month. By the end of the month her cackler was breaking down and she settled for a stinted but loud and sharp "Ha!" at every loud noise. This was particularly funny when Aaron was chopping wood and got repeatedly laughed at with each swing.
Half way through the month Dad had a recruiting and interviewing trip to BYU and I put in for a ride up so we could get away for a few days and see family. The girls had fun carving pumpkins with McKay and decorating cookies with grandma, among other fun with family.
Addie was excited to be star of the week at kindergarten. She loves school. They studied the rainforest and she took in an album of pictures that grandma sent from her trip to the Amazon. That was a hit. Then they studied bats and now, dinosaurs! All our friends and family agree her school picture is "so Addie." She especially reveled in a very scary costume this year. She made most of her friends nervous. She has been planning that since last year; and though I am not at liberty to disclose it, she already has a plan for next year. Quinn informed me, "Enoch wants to be a box next year."
Quinn and Enoch both started a Kindermusik class this month. I was hesitant about it, but they absolutely love it. Enoch steals the show with his enthusiasm and cheerfulness; to say nothing of his cheesy grin. In fact, that is kind of the name of his game wherever we go.
If people don't fawn over him at the store he repeatedly calls out, "hi! Hi! HI!" until they acknowledge him. When they do fawn, he gives them an unemotional stare for a few minutes driving them to increase the level of gushing until it is at a truly humiliating level for public display. Then just when he has them where he wants them, he flashes that cheesy grin as if to say, 'jokes on you fool!"
I have to acknowledge that we are making progress with him and shopping though. The girls were always great shoppers and I foolishly thought it was because I was such a great mom! HA! Then along came Enoch.
He obviously couldn't walk the aisles freely: too much independence fostered in the unsupervised 3rd child.
He couldn't ride in the designated child seat because he can houdini out of the straps then dramatically stands up slowly saying, "whoa! whoa! whoa!" louder and louder as he slowly stands up with arms spread wide. It's totally a show and all the passing by shoppers think I am such an irresponsible mom.
The last resort was in the basket. The problem here was threefold:
1. he sat, stamped and squashed everything. Including bouncing on the bag of chips.
2. he opened things I didn't know he could open and proceeded to feast. or
3. He 'unloaded' everything over the sides of the cart faster than I could pick them back up.
His latest shopping skill is a bit more manageable, but is still heading me for disaster: he uses everything in the cart to build the highest possible tower. I'm getting really creative about getting to the store without him.
Aaron's adventure this month was a successful hike from rim to river to rim. Our friends Aaron and Annika Lovell paid us a visit and the boys hiked South Kaibab - Bright Angel on Saturday. Meanwhile the girls had a party the way only girls can. We went especially out of control making flower hair clips. I'm pretty sure Addie had about 30 lined up for us to glue. We cut her off after about 20.
She meticulously does her hair by herself every morning. We were running late the other morning (wait, that is every morning for us), and her dad called her down to breakfast. She said she would be right down after she fixed her hair. When she had used up 13 of the only 15 minutes she had I went up to 'help out' and speed things along. Instead I was told, "stop! mom! everywhere you touch you are messing it up!" I couldn't believe this was my 5 year old and not a 15 year old. So I retreated, concluding it probably wasn't a big deal to be late....again.
Mommy Anecdote: make what you will of my day by this summary of our family's debut at the ward trunk or treat: I don't sign up or bring anything for the dinner, I forgot a can for the food drive, I didn't wear a costume myself, and we parked on the back side of the church and snuck over to the trunk or treat without contributing; then we left early. Life is full of give and take. Maybe next time. (sorry to any ward members who read this and realize how much we took advantage of them!)
September Chronicles
The two most exciting events of the month were a new trampoline in the back yard!
and a visit from Nana and Papa. The kids loved making caramel apples with Nana.
more to come....
August Chronicles
A month of Firsts:
I ran my 1st 5k in... a long time. But, I surprised everyone (my kids, my friends, my husband, myself) by placing (3rd not 1st) in my age division. I'm still in the 19-29yrs. category so I thought I'd barely make it over the finish line compared to all the college kids in town. Aaron pointed out that my 'success' was a result of all the runners in my division running the 10k instead. He asked if I was going to enter that next year. I said, 'no way! The 5K is where the hardware is at!" So to all my high school-turned-mom pals, I'm still "bringin' home the hardware" too, just not as fast as the rest of you. No, I deliberately did not post my time and won't. Dad and the kids did the 1 mile race together while I was running the longer loop. I also did a 7 mile Climb for a Cure Cancer Walk with Angie. Such a fun experience. No medals for that, just a bright blue t-shirt and an Outback Steak House lunch....served at 9am to all finishers...I guess that counts as another first too!
Addie started her first day of kindergarten this month. We did a little 'school shopping' (literally, but that is a longer story than this blog) and she is now a happy member of Mrs. Bryson's kindergarten class at Knoles Elementary. We are NOT the firt ones there every day. School starts at 8:30 every day, and that's when we leave the house to walk all 4 of us up there. Most days we get there before attendance is turned in. Some habits never change, as my mom pointed out.
The girls and I entered the county fair for the first time. Addie and Quinn both got first place blue ribbons for their cookies and watercolor paintings. Aaron hates fairs to the point that he wouldn't even go to show support for his girls. He went canyoneering instead. So we recruited my mom to come down for a visit over labor day and spend a memorable day at the fair with us. The most comical irony of the whole experience was that I recruited friends and their kids to enter with us and every single person who entered because of my influence (a total of 10!) earned a ribbon...except me. And I had 3 entries. One of which was a jar of the jam that Angie and I made together, hers got a blue ribbon. Another was whole wheat bread, and as far as I could tell I was the only entry in that category and I still didn't get a ribbon by default! I consoled myself by remembering that at least my family likes my homemade bread and jam.
Special Edition: The Messes We Make
Here is a 'reality' post for all those out there who are getting a little disillusioned by all the glossy posts on these blogs of ours.
Warning: some of these photos are extremely graphic and if you don't live with a pack of little kids you should use viewer discretion.
It is really tempting to explain and rationalize some of these pictures, or post the 'opposite' versions so you wouldn't think less of me. But that's not what it's about.
July Chronicles
We spent the 4th of July with my Aunt and Uncle, Marie and Jerry (& awesome Erik) in Montrose, CO. Aaron and I tried our hardest to win something, anything by entering every contest from the tricycle riding to hop ball, but alas we always came in the first place losers: 4th. But it was a fun carnival and the Thuns showed us a good time making homemade ice cream and doing fireworks. Erik and I even ran our very own "Four mile Fourth of July" fun run. I forgot my running shoes so I had to wear Chacos. Whoops. Erik is a good sport.
The rest of the month we relaxed and caught our breath after the busy months before. We did a little camping, a little grilling, and a little canning. My friend and partner in reviving traditional homemaking skills writes a much more eloquent narrative on our canning adventures: http://majjcshow.blogspot.com/2008/08/if-you-want-best-jam-in-land-you-gotta.html
Aaron was inspired by Thun's beautiful, plentiful garden so he came home and built me a fancy designer garden with boxes and the whole 'square foot gardener' set up. We only planted a box of lettuce though because we figured we only had about 6 more weeks in the season. It's hard to garden at 7000 ft when it snows on Memorial Day and starts freezings on Labor Day. We were so proud we got one green pepper, one yellow squash and about 15 tomotoes. That was our real success.
I got to do the flowers for another wedding this month. That was a fun diversion, as usual. It was my first silk flower wedding and it turned out nicer than I expected.
Addie learned to ride a two-wheeler. Aaron and I would have never put her up to that but she asked so we thought she deserved a shot. She got it in about 3 sessions. Don't underestimate your children!
Enoch has started using words with gusto. He picks up about 3 a day. The most common words are "shoe" and he'll retrieve everyone's and deliver them personally to you any time we get ready to go; "cookie" which he uses for anything edible and yells with increasing intensity if you don't listen. He's the most famous for this word because he stands up and yells "cookie!" every week in the middle of the sacrament. It gets his dad's attention and chuckle from up on the stand. And lastly he repeatedly shouts "car" with unmatched enthusiasm, over and over and over whenever we drive anywhere. He measured in at the 10% for height and weight at his 18 mo check. That good old 'Hopkinson Head' measured in at the 70%! Right in line with our other kids...and their dad.
Chamonix, France
After our alps hike we spent a couple of days in a little French resort town called, Chamonix. We fell in love with this place and spent an extra night here. Le Hotel Chamonix is a quintessential little french hotel with the cast iron railed balcony and geranium pots... but we were WAY UP in the attic on the 5th floor. No provincial balcony but a stunning view. Adding to the quaintness and the irony of being on the 5th floor, there was NO elevator. We had just finished 2 back-to-back days of hiking and were, admittedly, sore. I'm sure they always knew when we were coming or going during the day by our murmuring ascents and descents!
The gondola across the glaciers goes all the way to the Italian side of the Alps. One section is 3km of unsupported cable!
Silly Swiss Alps Video Clips
I am not kidding, when I opened the car door at the trailhead in Col de Forclaz, my first steps in the alps, this is what I heard...
Tour du Mont Blanc hike
We didn't have time for the classic 10 day Tour du Mont Blanc so we hiked a 21 mile loop at the very top of the route.
Monday we hiked 11 miles over the pass of the Fenetre d'Arpette and stayed the night at Champex Lac.
Tuesday we hiked 10 miles back around to Col de Forclaz on the Bovine trail.
The wildflowers were everything I had hoped for and more.
The glacier was mesmerizing. We even saw a huge section crash off the bottom.
France and Switzerland: the beginning and end
Aaron and I got away for an anniversary (8yrs) adventure in the French and Swiss Alps this month. We started in the costal resort town of Nice, drove through Italy to Switzerland, came back down to the French Alps, then spent the last few days above Interlaken, Switzerland. We drove through Bern and went to the temple on our way to Geneve to fly home. An absolutely fantastic 10 days. Thanks to all the family, especially Mom & Camille, for keeping our kids alive and happy while we were away.
June Chronicles
Youth Conference Aaron and I took the youth in our ward Canyoneering and drew life parallels to our theme "Find Your Way"
Anniversary 8 years!
Utah to drop the kids off
France for a little adventure!
Special Edition: Addie's Talk
Addie gave her first talk in Primary on her 5th Birthday. She wrote and illustrated it herself, then she stood up there and presented it all on her own. It is titled:
Everyone in My Family has an Important Role
May Chronicles
Addie turned 5 on Mother's Day. Most of this month's slide show documents the event. It was pretty much an instant replay on Quinn's birthday party but I called it a different name. The trick worked pretty slick, there were no complaints.
Aaron and I spent most of the month working on youth conference and talking and planning, and meetings, and driving out to scout it out, etc. etc. We really have fun putting big events like this together. I overheard Quinn playing dolls the other day. She was explaining that she had to get a babysitter so she could work on Youth Conference. I wonder where she learned that.
This month's ironic life story is about me and my quest for homemaking skills. I set out to hem Aaron's new suit myself. My visiting teacher made a special visit to teach me how, then I spent the rest of the day working on it; well, acutally just ironing it in place. I'm not sure how that took me all day, but it did. Aaron's comment when he got home was, "does the house look like this because you worked on my pants all day? It might have just been worth the $14 to take it to the tailor." That was only reinforced when he tried them on for a fitting and one leg was 2 inches too short and the other was 4 inches too long. HOW? did I spend that much time ironing and end up so far off? Good thing I hadn't sewn or cut yet!
Well, I could clearly see there was good reason for seeking out a professional, but I couldn't let something that logically seemed like it should be so simple get the best of me. So the ironing board and related heap sat in the corner for a week while I let my wounded pride heal. Then one night I gave it one more shot and after only 4 hours I had the job done! And now that I've proved I can do it, next time I plan on just using the tailor. I think this experience might also give me good evidence for outsourcing my ironing as well.
April Chronicles
My month started with a lukewarm shower. I was grumpy about that, so like a dutiful husband does, Aaron went out to check the water heater. It had rusted out and flooded the area.
Quinn turned 3. Do you think I overcompensated for not making Enoch a cake at all?
She also potty trained! I decided I was at a point where I'd rather wash poopy panties and feel like we were on the road to progress, than keep changing diapers. It only took her a week. Candy is a wonderful motivator.
Her quote for the month: "You know what love is? Love is when you poop on the toilet and you get a big chocolate candy bar."
I thought I deserved sympathy when I posted our illness record in March. Unfortunately I didn't realize what more I was in for.
Enoch fought rotavirus for 3 weeks (which he WAS vaccinated for...what went wrong there?). That involved throwing up every night and incessant diarrhea. He was just coming out of that when a mysterious rash showed up over EVERY inch of his body. The Dr. wasn't sure what that was, but he did discover the rest of the clan had strep throat. So they all went on antibiotics for 10 days and thankfully finished that up the day we left for Grandma's. I thought that meant we'd be in the clear for a healthy vacation, but once again I overanticipated a healthy future. Within 2 days his throat had swelled with croup. After a series of visits to the Urgent Care, including one in the middle of the night, they sent us to Primary Children's Hospital. Some vacation! This time luck came through for us and we didn't have to admit him. And to top it all off, he cut two I-teeth that next weekend just as the croup was clearing up. There goes another bottle of Children's Motrin. I'm making no optimistic forcasts for the future; now I just take it as it comes.
Lucky for me, I got a trip to Women's Conference amidst all of this and BELIEVE ME, it was just the 'shot-in-the-arm' I needed!
Good old Aaron hit the 30 year old mark at the end of the month. He took it with style. His only remorse was, "you know you're getting older when you get a new suit instead of recreation gear for your birthday."
March Chronicles
We finally started getting outside more! Riding bikes, hiking Sedona, days at the park, etc.
We discovered Cinnamon Twists and made them no less than 3 times in 10 days. Yum!
Our family venture to the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant comprised a 3.5 hr. wait on the lawn only to have all 3 kids fall asleep within 10 minutes and Aaron and I didn't have a good view of the stage anyway!
Enoch still can't walk, but he has managed to figure out how to climb up on chairs, the dishwasher, the stairs, the bed, and his favorite...the dryer. Like father like son I guess.
Quinn managed to land a new face wound every week of the month including a gash to her eye on Easter which we decided not to stitch up.
Addie's funniest moment was rolling down the aisle of the Easter Pagent oblivious to all the people walking in them.
Happy 28th birthday to me! It was a whole week of celebration culminating with a huge luncheon put on by my friends. It is also getting light enough in the morning that my girl friends and I started up our 6am hiking and mt. biking adventures.
Aaron got called as the 2nd counselor to the bishop and still managed to make time to replace my countertops and put in a shiny new sink for me. What a hunk.
January and February Chronicles
Enoch's Birthday- he went to the Dr. for a party, got an ear infection, opened the antibiotics for a gift, and with all that going on I didn't get a cake made, so we had ice cream while he watched (milk protien intolerance so he didn't get any). He loved it!
We were sick 5 out of 7 weeks this winter. Luckily they weren't the two weeks we were on vacation. We've already been through a bottle of children's Tylenol and Children's Ibuprofin this year. We used to average one bottle of Tylenol a year.
My family came to visit in February...we all got sick. But it was fun and we pushed through and went to the Phoenix zoo anyway.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Rescuing Sea Turtles
Playing in the Waves
Ziplines through the rain forest canopy
Bullfights
All of Aaron's siblings
Hair braids from street vendors
