Holidays

For school, I get kids up and dressed
They're never fast, but do their best

They read their scriptures, eat at eight
Run off to school. They're never late.

On holidays, why is it then,
That no one's even dressed till ten?

Just Checking

Rebecca: "Mommy, we don't have a dog, right?"
"No."
Rebecca: "But after we go to the airport five times" (holding up fingers) "will we have a dog?"

Addresses

I just went through my address list and saw Hulterstrom, the address for my grandparents who passed away this spring. I'm so glad there's still family living at that house, so I don't have to delete the address entirely.

Distracted

How on earth did I let my son talk me into math problems, times tables, and crosswords tonight to the neglect of piano and homework? I was determined we'd clean up the toyroom together, but instead ended up filling in square with words like ZOOT and ELSA as Alex urged me on.

Bumper Bikes

A game in which Alex stops his bike ahead of Rebecca, and she slows her bike to tap her wheel against his. Involves lots of giggles.

The Right Guy

If there was any doubt that my husband was a perfect match for me, he dispelled it a few nights ago when, for my benefit, he invented, conducted, and recorded a new science experiment. Who else would start vacuum-packing steaks for Sous Vide cooking (the do-it-yourself way, with a hot water poured into a cooler and carefully monitored) and realize he could use the vacuum pump to degas a glass of club soda on film?

In Her Dreams

"Mama!" Rebecca cries out late at night. "Mama!"

I run into her room to find her half hanging out of bed, head down, legs twisted into the blanket holding her to the mattress. As I stuff her back into bed, she whines, "Mommy, I can't do it."

"Do what?"

"A backwards flip-over."

Is she doing gymnastics in her sleep?

How to Stop Rebecca From Speeding Away on her Bike

Me (yelling): "Rebecca, slow down! Slow DOWN!"
Ineffective.

Me: "Alex, go behind Rebecca and tell her to slow down. But don't pass her!"
Ineffective.

Alex: pulls ahead of Rebecca and slams his bike into a full-on body block.
Complete stop.

Words I Never Thought I'd Hear (from my two oldest)

"Mmm...kale! Can I finish all the kale, Mommy?"
"No, that's not fair! I want some too!"

(Bacon helps.)

Unpardonable

Rebecca has been crying for the last twenty minutes because I chose and opened a peach yogurt for her, when she wanted blueberry.

Prayer

Rebecca: "...And thank you I could throw dollies down the stairs, which Mommy and Daddy don't like, but Katherine and Alex do."

What Rebecca Takes to Bed

One day it's books.






A few weeks later, she's transferred her affections to puzzles.

Grocery Store Cake Walk

The cake my children were given as a consolation prize for not winning a cake.

Sleep aid

Alex: "I can't sleep!"
Me: "Ok. Lie in bed and stare at the ceiling."
Alex: "I can't. It's dark."
Me: "You could try counting. Lots of people do that to go to sleep. Try counting to 1000 and see how far you get."

A half hour later, after I catch Alex mumbling in bed:
Alex: "I'm counting to 1000 in strawberries."

Vexing question

Rebecca: "Where is tomorrow?"

Music to my ears

Laramie emptying, filling, and running the dishwasher last night when I was too tired.

Pie Clinic

On Cooking With More Cooks than Knives

My knife it's gone awalking
And I don't know where it goes
Utensils in this kitchen
Where are they? No one knows.

'Cause that one gets moved this way
And this one gets moved that
So pretty soon there's nothing
That you know where it's at

Backyard Dutch Oven

Saturday was a cool winter morning, so what better than to fire up the dutch oven in the backyard?

Christmas Came Early Cookies

Every year when the weather turns a little cooler, when snow threatens our normally mild climate, when the candy canes begin to appear on store shelves, and when the sun sets by 5 pm, we turn to chocolate for a bit of solace.

Here is one of our favorite chocolate cookie recipies. (Adapted from "Chewy Chocolate Cookies," Cook's Illustrated Jan/Feb 2009).

Ingredients
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks (or other chocolate pieces)
• 4 candy canes, chopped into small pieces

Directions
1. Spread 1/3 cup sugar on plate or pie dish and set aside.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
3. Melt half of the butter and mix with cocoa powder.
4. Whisk corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla in small bowl.
5. Using an electric mixer, beat remaining butter, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar.
6. Add cocoa mixture.
7. Add corn syrup mixture.
8. Add flour mixture.
9. Add chocolate and candy cane.
10. Chill dough 30 minutes and preheat oven to 375.
11. Roll balls of cookie dough, coat in sugar, and place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
12. Bake until cookies look puffed and cracked, but the centers are still soft (10 to 11 minutes).

Mmm, Grape!

I had to break into my stash of children's Benadryl last night to help me sleep through this cold I've got. Tastes way better than the grownup stuff!

A Tip for Mom

In which my daughter teaches me a valuable photography lesson:

On the Same Path

There's only one sidewalk on the way home from school. There's only one direction to ride. So why is Alex getting so mad that "Rebecca's chasing me?"

Weather

Weather this morning: cloudy
Weather this afternoon: cloudy
Weather when Rebecca and I decided to walk to Alex's school: cloudy
Weather as we went down the sidewalk: sprinkling
Weather when we met Alex: pouring
Weather as we returned: sprinkling
Weather when we got in the car to pick up Katherine: cloudy
Weather after we brought Katherine home: sunny

Alex's Prizewinning Costume

Usually Grandma (my mom) spearheads the kids' Halloween costumes. But this year, Grandpa decided to get involved. After Alex decided he wanted to be a fighter pilot, Dad started designing. After several grandpa-grandson construction sessions, a trip to the PVC pipe store where the salesmen donated a marshmallow gun to the cause, and phone consultations about decoration, Dad produced a wearable airplane. With Grandma's addition of a cap from Goodwill, and an old "bomber" jacket that I dug out of Alex's too-small box, he became a very convincing pilot.


Alex in the Martial Arts costume contest, competing against Wolverine, a Blue Angel, Howie Mandell, and an IPOD.



Alex wins first prize in the costume contest--4 movie tickets. A much better prize than the 2nd place birdhouse.

Math confusion

Katherine, working on multiplication problems in the car, suddenly told me: "The only way to get an odd number for an answer is to multiply an odd number by and odd number."

"No," Alex contested, having misheard. "You can only get an odd number if you add an odd number and an even number."

And they were both right!

Costumes

When Rebecca's preschool teacher asked what she was for Halloween, Becca tried to describe her princess outfit:

"I don't know...I think I was Katherine!"

You know you're behind on your laundry

...when your toddler outgrows her dirty clothes faster than you can get around to spot-cleaning them.

Freckles

"I have sparkles on my nose!" Rebecca exclaims, pointing to her freckles. Then she touches one and traces one finger down to the tip of her nose. "I'm moving one here."

Email

My husband gets about 1000 emails a day, but I'm the one who's always checking my email. I never know when I might get something exciting--news from a friend, answers from my editor, candy experiment questions, or someone wanting to put candy experiments on TV! (Hey, it happened once.) So when kids are whining, or I'm dragging around doing chores, or I'm trying to sort through the mail, I check my email, and waste another 30 seconds of my day.

Good thing I never actually get any email. Because that would really slow me down.

Ominous words

"Mommy, I promise I won't draw on the wall any more!"

The Great Pumpkin

We spent a few days this week camping on the lawn, in the rain, in our new tent, which the kids have been calling the great pumpkin.

Extreme Uncouponing

There was an article in Time about extreme couponing, with a demo by a mom who bought $200 worth of groceries for $38 (with 2 hours of shopping and 2 arguments with management). I must be the opposite--I just found a $2 off coupon in my back pocket that I could have used today at Fred Meyer if I'd remembered I had it. Of course it expired today.

A Laugh a Day

I just heard a snippet on the radio about how great laughter is for your health. So, is all the stress and labor of raising, teaching, nagging, disciplining, scrubbing, and chauffeuring children mitigated by the beneficial effects of having your own in-house comedy show?

Parental Dilemmas

Today I scolded my kids for quizzing each other on multiplication because one was supposed to be practicing and one was supposed to be spelling. How messed up is that?

The Fate of the Special Treat

After slipping a chocolate bar into my kids' lunch for a fun surprise, I was excited to hear the lunchtime report. Here's what Alex had to say about it.

Alex: "I didn't get to eat my chocolate bar. Or my apples. I ran out of time."
Me: "So you were saving your chocolate bar for last? That's good! I'm so proud of you."
Alex: "I was going to eat my chocolate bar, then the apples. But I didn't get to!"
Me: "So you were going to eat your chocolate, and then your apples, like I've asked you to? That's really good. Guess what happens if you eat dessert first? I won't pack it for you any more."
Alex: "But I didn't get to eat it."
Me: "That's all right. You can eat it tomorrow."
Alex: "No, I can't! They threw it away."

That's right. After following all the rules, eating the rest of his lunch before dessert (and there was a lot, because I added in applesauce and graham crackers for a backup meal after he complained of a tummyache this morning), Alex had his meal scraps cleaned up by a zealous cafeteria worker. When his time was over, he carried his lunchbox, full of empty baggies, chocolate bar, and apples, over to the garbage can, so he could throw away the trash. He says "some guy" (the janitor?) scooped everything out of the lunchbox to throw away, including his apples and his chocolate bar, leaving only his water bottle.

How can I teach healthy eating with consequences like that?

All about Alex

According to the About Me poster Alex just filled out:

Favorite color: red and pink

Favorite food: pear

Favorite animal: penguin

Wild Waves is my favorite place

When I grow up, I want to be: watear slide maker

My favorite thing to do is: go to the beach

If I had one wish, I would wish for: My very own ultralight

A concert? Not quite

Rebecca: "Mommy, do you want me to sing 'I am a Child of God?'"

Me: "Yes, that would be wonderful."

Rebecca: "I don't want to."

Rebecca asks

"Mommy, can I see in your nose?"

Where did all the footwear go?

Where did Becca's shoes all gone?

They're all missing

Leather boots and hiking shoes

All gone away

Vanished all into thin air

I can't find them anywhere

What will she ever wear?

And does she even care?

Happy Helpers

My 6-year-old is vacuuming one stair at a time, while my 3-year-old stands ready to swap vacuum attachments. "Change!" she yells, as he finishes the step and trades to the long tube to vacuum the back edge.

Finally, the day I've long dreamed would come--my children are actually doing MY work! (They've done three stairs so far.) Wonder when I get to retire from housecleaning?

The (temporary) end!

The manuscript is in. The task is done--until somebody tells me I forgot something.

Dandelion Green Questions

--After two boilings and frying in butter, how can dandelion greens still be so bitter?

--Why does anybody eat these?

--How could my daughter ask for three servings of the stuff when I could barely choke it down? Her philosophy: "I didn't like it, but I didn't hate it either." (To be honest, I did choke down quite a bit of bitterness before I allowed my sensible self to call a halt.)

Health Food

Regarding the chocolate pudding Lar made tonight from a Bon Appetempt recipe that uses only chocolate, cream, eggs, sugar, and salt:

It's all completely natural! How could it not be good for me?

Old Tune, New Words

Alex's variations to the tune of Come Thou Font of Every Blessing (with backup by Rebecca):

Liar, liar

at Fred Meyer

Now you have to leave the fire

or

Liar, liar

pants on fire

take your girlfriend to Fred Meyer

or

Liar, liar,

pants on fire

Sell your girlfriend at Fred Meyer

Only at the Leavitt house

do the grownups start up "Instant Karma" to west-coast swing down the hallway in socks so slippery that the dance evolves into sliding sessions

With Faith

My young daughter is sitting on her bed yelling out the Article of Faith song "Wee beleeeve that a man must be CALLED of God by PROphecy..."

A Miracle of Nature

Just snacked on bits of an apple from last year's box that I found in the garage. Aside from some brown spots (which I avoided), it was still crunchy and sweet. Amazing.

My Daughter the Hobbit

When I ask my daughter to choose some really fun pants for today, she picks out a pair of shorts and her fluffy skort. She holds out the shorts. "I'll wear this one after breakfast." Then she holds out the skort. "And I'll wear this one after second breakfast!"

Skipping a step

Whether it's honest piety or sibling competition, Rebecca often says her prayer, then starts another one as soon as a sibling speaks up. Sometimes we cover her mouth to muffle the sound.

So now what does she do? Covers her own mouth and keeps talking.

Saturday Night Lamb Curry

As a celebration of winter, and in an effort to clean up the freezer a little more, after spending the day helping L, I spent the evening working on curry. I have to say that this is one of the best lamb curries that I've made. This recipe is also pretty mild so that the kiddies will also enjoy it; feel free to spice it up some more.

Saturday Night Lamb Curry (Most ingredients are approximate):
• 5 lbs lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1-2 inch chunks. I find that I like smaller pieces.
• 6 medium onions, sliced.
• 6 cloves garlic.
• 6 T ginger.
• 3 14oz cans tomatoes--crushed works well, diced is ok.
• 1 jalepeno pepper.
• 4 bay leaves.

Spice Mixture:
• 2 t Whole Coriander
• 1/2 t Black peppercorns
• 1-2 t fennel seeds (optional)
• 3 t Garam Masala
• 2 t Salt
• 2 t Cumin
• 1/2 t ground tumeric
• 1/4 t cayenne (optional)

Steps:
1. Add tomatoes & bay leaves to the crock pot (on high heat).
2. Brown the lamb chunks in batches in a skillet or two with vegetable oil. When browned, dump into crock pot.
3. Sautee the onions in batches in the skillet, scraping the lamb fond in the first batches. With each batch add a clove of garlic & about 1 T of ginger & cook until aromatic. Reserve 1/3 of the onion / garlic / ginger mixture in a blender or food processor. Add remaining to the crock pot with the lamb.
4. Thinly slice and sautee the jalepeno pepper. Put in food processor with onion & puree until smooth. Add to crock pot.
5. Add large spices to spice grinder & process. Add remaining spices to mixture.
6. Bloom spice mixture in oil until aromatic & add to crock pot.
7. Crack the lid of the crock pot so some of the moisture may escape (I use a toothpick under the lid), and cook for 4-6 hours.

Overheard

A to R: If I have told you once, I have told you twice...

On Grownups

Rebecca, after her first day at gymnastics, says:

"Right now there are two grownups at gymnastics. But I'm going to grow up. Then there will be three grownups!"

A sort of sad farewell

Farewell, small green frog boots, patched with gorilla tape spots. Alas, your patches are unpeeling, your cracks are growing, your leakiness is rising, and the tiny feet that slipped so easily into you have moved on to shiny new navy-blues. We put you away, but we will never forget you.

Rebecca's Middle-of-the-Night complaint

"I don't like this dark. I want different dark."

Family Laundry Night

Hooray for children who get really helpful after bedtime!

First Day Ever

Rebecca, enamored of school by watching her brother & sister go to school all last year, will tell you that she also went to school last year.

You're not fooling anybody.

First Day

Just finished first day of school, which meant the first day of walking to two different schools over a mile apart, and also (unfortunately) the first day of gymnastics. Kids all seemed to do well at school, but it was a long, long day!

The Wrong Time to Remember It's Fast Sunday...

...is after you've cooked a breakfast of waffles, peaches, and whipped cream, but before you've eaten it.

Learning Manners from a Three Year Old

I get Rebecca some milk.

Rebecca: "Thank you."

Me (concentrating on something else): nothing

Rebecca: "Are you welcome?"

Let's Fly a Kite

Photos from Pacific Beach.

Sticky

Postpone dinner for an hour because you're FINALLY working on your book, and your hungry children spread MiniWheat crumbs all over the deck. The result? A sticky mess for bare feet.

Turning Up The Heat

Rebecca just figured out how to open the control panel on our thermostat. Wonder if she's reprogrammed it?

Rebecca Sings Follow the Prophet

"Jesus was a prophet,
He did something right!"

Swimming Milestones

Alex and Katherine:
--passed the Kirkland Pool swimming test so they could swim in the deep end and jump off the diving board (Alex has an especially neatly-tucked cannonball)

Mommy:
--cannonballed off the diving board

Rebecca:
--"I can touch the bottom of the pool!"

Summer 2011

The closest thing to summer in Kirkland for 2011 was August 20, 2011. Becca enjoyed it, at least.

Big Salmon Fishing Prize

It's a 5-inch-long bottom-feeding sculpin.

No, actually, the big prize was this:

Swiss Chocolate Cherry in a fresh-made waffle cone from Snow Goose Produce in the Skagit Valley--best ice cream ever!

Semantics

I bring the kids home from a long afternoon of swimming, gymnastics, and meeting friends unexpectedly at the park. Kids collapse onto chairs in the living room, but I know we have to do dinner and pajamas right away. "Kids," I tell them, "either you think of some way to help me or you go get your pajamas on right now." Then I rush off to get Rebecca into pajamas. When I come back, Alex is still sitting in the living room, legs curled under him. "Alex!" I say. "I told you to get your pajamas on or think of some way to help."

"Mom," he says. "I'm still thinking."

Chewing Gum

R: Chew, chew, chew.
Me: "What are you eating?"
R: "Bubble gum."
Me: pry open R's mouth. Empty. "Where's the gum?"
R: "I ate it! It's in my tummy!"

Not a Seamstress

Here's how you know that sewing is not my natural inclination: when my daughter needs a blackout curtain, I pile boxes on her windowsill instead of pulling out the sewing machine.

Rebecca Sings Dixie Chicks

She needs...Wide open spaces
Room to make the big moustache

On the Virtues of Riding Bikes on the Trail in the Park

By Rebecca and Loralee

This is not a road
There are no cars here
There's no sidewalk now
So you ride free and clear

Time

The time I'm most productive is any time I'm supposed to be doing something else.

On Reading the Book Of Mormon

The task of getting my kids to read Book of Mormon (it often takes a whole car ride before one of them will manage to finish one verse) has become much easier since Katherine purchased colored scripture marking pencils. Now, if the stars have all aligned and we sit down together to read with the pack of pencils, they often beg to read longer so they can find more to mark! (Indiscriminate marking has been known to occur.)

So much for generosity

I was so focused on magnamimously sharing out bits of my post-Seattle-Art-Museum waffle cone with my children that I didn't realize ice cream was dripping out the bottom of the cone all over my pant leg. Lucky I was wearing washable travel pants!

Mystery of Childhood

Why, when one sibling is whaling on another, does the victim just sit there and yell instead of MOVING AWAY?

A Great Souvenir

Sweet memories of Leavenworth: the exotic flavors of taffy my husband bought in sets of 5. The only problem? You can't sneak one when the kids are asleep because you'll break up the set. Unless you eat all 5...hm...

Noun or Verb?

Becca says: "I want to watch the merry go around."

Rebecca Sings Yankee Doodle

Yankee Doodle went to town
Riding on a bumblebee
...

Behind the music and the steps...


Father and I went down to camp
Along with Captain Goodin
And there we saw the men and girls
As thick as Harry Potter

A New Definition of Awkward

Dragging around a three year old AND a double inflated innertube

On Sleep Schedules

Look at it this way--we're early risers by Hawaii time.

Scout Lake Again

Another weekend, another trip to Scout Lake. When we saw the other car at the trailhead we were worried, but soon the other group passed us going the opposite direction. It's amazing to have a lake to yourself around Seattle in the summer.

What Rebecca Says in the Middle of the NIght

"I don't want to go downstairs in the dark."

"I don't like the children's version."

"I don't like the people flying in the air."

Better Not to Ask part II

Of course, now there's sugar water dripping all over my kitchen floor. Maybe more oversight is necessary. (Also a piece of broken glass--where did that come from?)

But at least she is getting a rag to clean up the mess. As much as a 3-year-old can, anyway.

Better Not to Ask

Why is my three-year-old gingerly mincing down the hall, her back towards me, hands in front of her?

Because she's just come out of the bathroom, obviously hiding a cup of water she plans to use for candy experiments or something. If I call her on it, I'll have to scold her for maybe making a mess or something equally applicable. Best to just let her tortoise into the kitchen and continue on with whatever she's doing.

Fava Bean Follow-up

And another fava bean question. I posted my difficulties with fava beans on facebook, and all sorts of friends have chosen to weigh in with helpful advice. I have not heard from (or gotten comments from) some of these people for years! Why are fava beans such a hot topic?

I have gotten lots of good advice from said friends, however, which makes me more hopeful about trying them again if we get a batch next year. Best advice: cook beans, pods and all, until pods are caramelized, then eat the whole thing. No peeling stringy white membranes off each individual bean. Sounds worth a try!

Fava Beans?

We get a bag every year from the CSA. Every year I dutifully make them, enjoy eating them, but wonder how anybody could possibly stand to peel each individual bean more than once a year.

Pretend it's Summer

Even though it's 62 outside, we know that the rest of the country is baking, so we'll pretend it's summer with a lovely iced chocolate. Enjoy!

• 3/4 cup (180ml) whole or lowfat milk
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
• 4 ounces (115g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces, 175g) ice cubes
• 2 to 3 scoops chocolate ice cream or chocolate sherbet
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for serving

1. In a small saucepan, heat two-thirds of the milk with cocoa powder, just until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and drop in the chocolates, stirring until the chocolates are melted and smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature.
2. Using a blender, mix the chocolate mixture and the rest of the milk with the ice cubes and ice cream or sorbet until completely smooth.
3. Divide into two glasses, top each with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Scout Lake

From 2011 July Scout Lake Campout


K and I had a great time hiking & camping at scout lake, though the trail could use a little work. Yes, snow still reaches down to the lake in places.

Junk

Just spent the last hour stuffing down junk food. It never really helps, but for a little while you can pretend it's going to.

Rebecca Dresses for Summer in Seattle

Yesterday: shorts and mittens
Today: short sleeves, fleece hat, and scarf

Thank You

Pickpocket school?

This morning over breakfast, Alex confided that he was really excited for today's lesson at camp--on stealing.

Of course, he meant stealing basketballs.

The girl who won't take "no" for an answer

After Mommy refuses to sharpen both ends of her blue colored pencil, Rebecca asks for a plate for shavings, gets out her pencil sharpener, and busily begins double-sharpening the entire pack.

Quick Fix

For good days. For bad days. And for really bad days.

A Long Trip

Amazing views on a 25m rappell--a quick refresher for our more difficult trip.

On vacation we hiked and rappelled the Zion NP Subway, one of the jewels of the park. (Also a technical Class III/B canyon).

More photos on the Skeedattle blog.

Rebecca's New Travel Activity

"Look, Mommy! I'm sticking up my big toe!"

Words of Wisdom

As Alex pointed out at dinner tonight, "You can't have a taco without a tortilla."

In Hotels

Why is it that children, even when they haven't gone to sleep until 10 or 11 the night before, always wake up at 6 or 7 when they're sleeping in hotels?

Shut-eye

After extending our car trip several days and several hundred miles, I was getting sleepy, and leaned back to take a nap as we entered South Dakota. Laramie poked me awake to point out rock formations. "Don't go to sleep now," he said. "This is what you came to see. You can sleep in Montana."

Upgrade

Rebecca isn't satisfied with a mere four-wheeler. At first she thought she was riding a "five wheeler truck," but even that wasn't big enough. Now it's a "four hundred truck."

Packing

So easy to forget, when you're packing, how long it actually takes to clean up the kitchen, make sandwiches, clean up the mess, and (on rare occasion) cut out cloth travel pillow templates for ambitious children's projects

The three-year-old who hasn't learned "Rascal"

is singing "Little Jackie Paper loved that recycled Puff"

Hair

What was the clump of hair I found yesterday on the bathroom floor? Leftovers from when I trimmed Rebecca's bangs? No, it was from Rebecca's first solo haircut.

Luckily, she left a fringe of bangs beneath the half-inch stubble.

The first thing you ask

Me: "Rebecca, we're going to Utah next week. Maybe we'll have playdates with cousins!"

Rebecca: "Do they have teeny tiny bandaids?"

High Adventure

Hyas Lake (Larger)
wta.org lake hyas trip report.


We attempted to reach Hyas Lake in the evening... but the road was long, there was snow on the trail after a quarter mile, the rain discouraged us, it was very late, and everyone was tired.

After hiking a bit more than half way we turned back, camped near the car, and tried again in the daylight.

Books for a 6 year old

Rebecca tries to guess Grandma's favorite color

During my grandparents' visit this weekend, Rebecca noticed Grandma's white hair, her white car, and her white napkin. Finally, when Grandma came to see us today, Rebecca saw she had a white sweater.

"Is your favorite color white?"

Mary Poppins apprentice

Why was Alex picking the long grass on the way to Katherine's school and sprinkling grass heads along the sidewalk?

To feed the birds.

How Rebecca chooses her hairstyle

By the number of elastic bands on the counter ("No, Mommy, I want five!")

Up in the Air

Dancing Day

On Finance

I told Alex I was reading an article about saving money.

"I know how to save money," he said. "Just don't buy stuff."

Becca's Offended

because I carried the laundry basket upstairs holding the sides, not the handles

Time for Time

Alex got out a math workbook today, read the instructions, and started filling out pages of clock-reading worksheets. Now apparently he can tell time to a quarter after, a quarter till, and even minute increments. It was hard to check his work at drawing clocks because in addition to hour and minutes he gave each one a second hand, which was kind of a red herring.

Slow

After 8 years of motherhood, you'd think I'd remember that it takes longer to run errands WITH KIDS.

Sunscreen on the brain

Rebecca, seeing Laramie's graying temples:
"Daddy has sunscreen in his hair!"

Soccertime

Alex writes riddles

Q: Why did the firetruck go to the fire?
A: Because the fire was on the wire!

Alex: Why are 100 and 1000 the same?
Kate: I don't know. Why?
Alex: They aren't!

Bad Luck?

Does a broken mirror really mean bad luck?

Not when Alex turns the empty plastic holder into a tennis racket and invents a new ball game.

Summer Camp Paperwork

After enrolling my kids in a 1 week mini camp at the YMCA, I received a packet of paperwork. For each child, I have to fill out five pages, including (I only WISH I were joking) a complete immunization record. I printed the whole thing and started filling out the papers, but they vanished. I printed the whole thing again and filled it out, but they have also vanished. I was ecstatic to find the YMCA packet in my computer bag, but it was the incomplete set. I think the complete set must be in my car which is at the shop. So now, if I want to get the packet in, I might have to fill it all out again.

Makes me think the time I gain by sending my kids to sports camp will be lost completing all this paperwork!

Dad, can you open the curtain...

I just want to find Africa.

Board Breaking

Special Silly Day

Happy Grandparents

One thing you can't do holding a sleeping 3yr old

Open the sealed licorice bottle in the plumbing store for your 5 year old

Katherine's poetry

Pear Hikoo
yummy, juicy pears
juicyer than an apple
very, very sweet


Nanny Nightengale played the flute.
Nanny Nightengale sang "hoot, hoot."
In the night. Nanny played the cazoo.
Now nanny says "no!" to glue on her shoe.


Where whould you like to be?
I don't know about you, but I know about me.
I'd like to be in Texas today,
To visit [my] friend Arren and play.

Memories

Alex & I have a goal of 10 nights out this summer.
We camped out near Ellensburg on the way to visit the Grandparents in Pullman.
Then we camped in Grandpa's backyard.

Way to get started.

Bedtime books

The last few weeks I've stumbled into way too many terrific books that kept me up way too late, including the Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, a Jim Butcher Dresden File book, two surprisingly delightful YA books by Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty, and the NF biography Unbroken (yes, I read something educational! And suspenseful.) So now I've run out of exciting library books for the night, and I pick up a book by one of my previously favorite authors that turns out to be a yawner. I should be pleased--after all, this ought to help me go to bed, but instead I just feel like I'm spinning my wheels. No pleasure in it, so no closure (and sadly, it's not putting me to sleep either).

Time to head back to the library for some more keep-me-up novels.

Success!

1) Just chased down my salad with a handful of Sunchips, without either of the two at-home children catching me because

2) Rebecca is sitting on a washcloth in the bathroom with another washcloth on her head. She still hasn't replaced her pants after a recent mishap, but on the other hand she did just sit on the toilet without prompting and

3) Alex is downstairs practicing the piano like mad, and very excited to be trying out the new timer on the old smartphone. (He now refuses to use the kitchen timer to track his practicing.) For every minute on the piano he's guaranteed a minute of Angry Birds, so he's trying to rack up his time.

New flavor?

This morning I'm munching on a handful of almonds when I notice them start to taste really sweet. Like that maraschino cherry flavor--what do they call that one again?

Oh, yeah. Almond!

Dear Grandma H

I was the one who asked for your pamphlet by Ardeth Greene Kapp on "All Kinds of Mothers," which I just read. It was as powerful to me tonight as when you received it from your La Mirada bishopric, perhaps as far back as 1979 when it was first printed. (I hope that's why you kept it so long.) I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed Kapp's thoughts on mothers who beat themselves up for their faults, not realizing how many of their good deeds are written in their children's hearts. You must know your own children remember so many of your kind words and acts, which we've heard so much about in the last two months. Thanks again for the book, for your good example, and your own eternal patience. I hope to keep drawing inspiration from it, and from you.

Today as my children sang their primary song in church, I thought that you would have enjoyed hearing it, and that I should call you to have them sing it to you. It was a jolt to realize that we couldn't. Maybe you were already listening.

Happy Mother's Day.

And Other Mothering Examples

I'm finding the example of my grandmother, who keeps an immaculate and welcoming house, really inspiring as I learn that keeping things cleaner makes the house more peaceful. Of course I have a LONG way to go. Thanks for all the examples of good mothers out there.

PS Arren, if you see this, your example has inspired me too! Among other things, I still try to line up the shoes behind the chair when I'm in a cleaning mood.

On Mother's Day Talks

I've always been a little wary of mother's day talks at church, which can sometimes run high on hyperbole. But today's well-chosen talks changed all that. We heard from

--the bishop's daughter, who shared spiritual lessons she uses in her life, which she has learned from her mother. She told a story about how she had turned to prayer during a difficult math class. The word that came to mind after each prayer was "patience," which at first she thought didn't seem very helpful. Then she had a big math test, and again the word came to mind. Though she had finished her test quickly and was eager to turn it in, the inspiration prompted her to go back over her test, where she found several minor mistakes that would have ruined whole math problems. We loved hearing both the lessons she had learned from her mother and the power prayer had in her own life. It was an excellent combination of tribute, doctrine, and personal testimony.
--the first counselor's wife, who spoke to all young mothers. Her assignment, apparently, was "let them know they're not alone." She talked about the great role of motherhood, its challenges, and how turning to the atonement can help mothers get through trying times. Instead of a sappy tribute to an idealized, unattainable role, it was a very useful lesson on how to mothers in the trenches could find strength during motherhood.
--the second counselor's wife, who spoke about the importance of being a grandparent, being an example of service in the church, missionary work, modesty, and many other things. My daughter was impressed to hear her describe videoconference family home evenings with distant grandchildren, and I loved hearing how her children had suggested they stay longer on their senior mission, because the childrens' family was getting so much spiritual benefit by praying and fasting for them.
--the bishop, who reminded mothers guilt-tripping about unattainable ideals ("You don't serve homemade bread every night for dinner? You didn't paint your daughter's room the exact right shade of periwinkle blue while simultaneously helping your eighth-grade son with his Legacy school display? You didn't watch your child's soccer game calling out the exact right praise at the right moments with a plate of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies that stayed warm and dry in the middle of a rainstorm?") that, while we may see ourselves as perfectly flawed, and dwell on our flaws, our family might see us as flawed perfectly, and not even notice what we consider our biggest faults? He advised us to accept the Mother's Day accolades heaped upon us on this day, because our family members really mean them.

What a boost for mothers, not presenting stereotypes we don't fit into or can't live up to, but encouraging us in the work we continue to do. The peace and joy I felt during Sacrament meeting has lasted all day.

Bonus points for the bishopric:
1) notice how all the speakers were bishopric family members?
2) gourmet cheesecake chocolates from a Seattle confectioner. (Though, to be fair, I continue to enjoy the Geslison and Groberg LDS hymn arrangment CDs that were the brainchild of the previous bishopric.)

On Being a Mother on Mother's Day

On Mother's Day:

--strains of "When We're Helping, We're Happy...La, la, la, la, la!" wafted from the kitchen as my children emptied the dishwasher with much clanking
--then came to drag me out of bed to admire their handiwork
--I got to admire the flowers that Katherine had helped my husband choose (Laramie also took a bouquet over to Mom's last night so that she would have a lovely surprise when she walked in the door)
--Katherine cleaned off the top of her dresser and made her bed beautifully (with a little help from Alex on the folding)
--Alex put his church clothes on the hanger right after church, without being asked
--Rebecca stayed dry most of the day
--Rebecca carried dirty dishes into the kitchen at Grandma and Grandpa's (with me running after her to grab anything breakable)
--Alex got ready for bed in less than 10 minutes (so he could then study the new map he inherited from the Hulterstrom house)


My children presented me with
--an "I love you" email from my daughter, probably only the 5th email she's sent
--a drawing from Alex of a butterfly with puffballs glued on
--a mother's day "Have a cup of tea" card Alex made in school
--a purple Mom poster Katherine made in school (because I like purple)
--a handmade beaded bracelet with lots of hearts and purple beads (see above)
--a jewelry box with top, bottom, front, and back made from popsicle sticks (at Activity Days they ran out of time before they could add sides)
--and a card from Activity Days
--primary day surveys with "What does she like to do? Writing on articles or in her book" "What is she best at? Writing" or "What does she like to eat? Saled/sae food" or "What does she work hard at? Keeping the house clean/Tending children"
--little purple paper boxes with Hershey Kisses in them from Rebecca and from Katherine, but not Alex (because Katherine's substitute teacher today was the daughter of the nursery teacher who made the boxes)

And I'd better not tell you about the chocolate my husband gave me, it would just make you drool

On Mother's day

--I felt like my children were listening to me
--It was easy today to be patient with my children
--I saw their love and their good impulses
--I came up with a new incentive for Rebecca ("Surprise me by going potty and I'll read you a mommy book!" Worked twice)
--Read mommy book with Rebecca and taught her to find the letter Q and recite the Quiet! book. (Yes, my daughter's a genius, and I should definitely not tell you that the only two words in the whole book are "Quack!" and "quiet!")
--We enjoyed dinner with my parents, where I was able to notice my children using good manners (appreciation for dessert being one of them. Alex had four helpings--how can a mother say no to rhubarb cobbler that's practically a vegetable?)
--Everything felt right today
--I wondered how long I can recognize my children being generous, kind, diligent, helpful, and eager to learn, before the humdrum demands of motherhood and fogs of frustration once again cloud my vision?

On My Mom

When I quizzed my siblings for something they appreciated about my mother, I got these off-the-top-of-the head answers:

--"listening to NPR on the way to piano lessons so I learned to love NPR and be interested in current events"
--teaching us to love
--"that she likes drinking pina coladas with me in Costa Rica!"
--"that she includes my wife in important conversations like "so you think you can dance" and the dress that Kate what's-her-name wore to the royal wedding"
--"the crafts we did when we were young, like stationery and marbling--that was just cool!"
--"She's just good--that's underrated."
--"Her eternal belief in me--I think that's one of the best things she does for me, thinking that I would do well...sometimes she's more optimistic about me than I am myself!"

Katherine added t"I like that she helps me with arts and crafts a whole bunch" and "I like that she lets me pick from her garden and go on the playground."

And from me: "Thanks for bringing over your super vacuum in a recent emergency!"

What a range of things our mothers do for us. What a range of memories we all have to draw from.

To my mother, to Laramie's mother (also patient, good, and cheerful), and to mothers everywhere, I say thank you for everything. And happy mother's day!

Why now?

Why, in the course of one week, does the universe contrive to throw at you all this:
--You learn that your grandfather has died
--You're informed you have two days to decide whether to put your daughter in the gifted program.

Top 10 Reasons to Love Lice

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Alex Demonstrates Rocket Stages with Crayola Markers

The other day Alex asked for markers because he wanted to copy a picture out of the firefighting book. When I checked back, he had moved to the floor and hooked the markers together, and was narrating the stages of rocket launch. I pressed "Record" and got this.

A crack in the no-kids-TV stance?

This morning I bought some precious computer time by showing my lap-child the Sesame Street Madrigal Alphabet, as emailed to me by a friend, which led to 15 minutes of other Sesame Street clips while I updated my website and read about all of you on Facebook. So, does showing snippets of classic Sesame Street on Youtube count as letting my child watch TV?

To "Throat"

With a sore throat, I've been hacking and coughing a bit lately. This morning I spat the results of my coughing in the toilet, which Becca promptly noticed and flushed. Her recap? "You did throat in the toilet, Mommy!"

A night of insomnia

I toss and turn coming up with plans I'm subsequently too tired to carry out.

And I never before knew that KPLU runs sleep disorder ads at 1 in the morning. Talk about a captive audience!

An unexpected hazard of potty training

You might fall off your stool, catch on a cupboard handle, and end up hanging upside-down suspended by your underwear.

Late is Good

We'd just finished up a late night game of Settlers, sent our friends home, and were getting ready for bed, yawning as we did, when Katherine ran into the bathroom covered in vomit.

I always love learning I was justified in staying up late.

(And you want to know the real way to tell if your husband's a superstar? Forget flowers, cards, and candlelight dinners--it's when he's scrubbing sick off the rug after midnight.)

Words that bring a mother running

"Mommy, Rebecca's bleed is spilling onto the carpet!"

(See Rebecca's New Hobby, below)

sweeping and scrubbing

Katherine had a birthday party today, which is always a great incentive to take care of the chores that have piled up. Somehow the kids and I managed to tackle it in a good mood and ended up having a great time sweeping and scrubbing. Once one child grabs a broom, they all want a broom.

Each had their specialty, though--Becca collected dust piles with her little dust pan, Alex loved using the long-handled sponge mop (that's always been his favorite), and Katherine kept sweeping until she'd cleared every corner she could find. She was like the If You Give A Mouse A Cookie mouse.

Mail

It's kind of sad when you collect a weeks' worth of mail, and find absolutely nothing you want to read.

No wonder the Post Office is going broke.

Rebecca's new hobby

Picking off scabs and bleeding all over the place

Disneyland