He knows when you've been bad or good......

Jace has been a handful lately and this season has not been motivation enough for him to change his ways. Encouragement to show the "elves" that he can obey and even blunt threats about "Santa not bringing presents" has not yielded the expected behavior. He fully understands that he is being naughty but chooses to remain exasperating. For example:

When given the choice to clean his room and be rewarded by opening a Christmas gift early, he chose to skip the gift. (Skipped! Because lazy is obviously better than any toy?!) Even when the girls opened theirs (and BTW, did a great job of playing up the drama) he looked on with bored indifference. Not a tear, not even a grimace.

I'd like to think that deep down he really wants to be better but in the end, chooses to be apathetic. ie. his bedtime prayer: "Dear Heavenly Father, please bless me to be good.....or just not so naughty." And his wish on a star one evening: "I wish bad was good."


At first, I contemplated intervening. A lesson was due! Santa would not be leaving toys for a boy who knew he was on the "naughty list" yet was indifferent. Then, I decided against it. (mostly because one of you talked me out of it. He is only four after all.) So, Christmas morning, there it was. His Hot Wheels Trick Tracks Jurassic Set. Not just the Dino Wing Drop and the Mega Chomp, but the Backbone, Fossil Flip, Smash Tail and the Claw Attack! And what was his response? "Momma, look at all these presents Santa brought me! See, naughty is nice!"


Did I mention he was exasperating?

Thanksgiving

As we sat around the dinner table and each took our turn at sharing what we were thankful for, Lainie proudly stated that she was grateful for knowledge. Wow! That from someone who is starting to spend more time studying the boys in her class than studying for her Spanish test! It was great to hear her express how much she loved her science class and the awesome teacher who has inspired her. (Mr. Alarcon)

From that small expression of gratitude came a week of serious contemplation for me. I have gained a lot of knowledge this year as well. Some lessons have been ones that I thought I had already learned, but obviously I needed a refresher course. Others were new ideas and new ways of doing things that were very exciting! Still, others were hard to understand. Lessons that I wasn't prepared to deal with. Lessons that I didn't have the tools for or the resources to help me manage them. And, unfortunately, the realization that there are millions of life-lessons still out there waiting for me to stumble across. Some to come upon as a delightful surprise, but many more just waiting to ambush me and smack me square in the face!

I have been reading a book by Robert Eaton called Digging Deeper. It's about discovering and applying life-changing doctrine from the Book of Mormon. (It's really good, I highly recommend it.) He made a comment that has been constantly on my mind and is one bit of knowledge that I am truly grateful to have learned. He said, "When we fail to see how Heavenly Father has blessed us already, we lack the gratitude we need to plead successfully for additional heavenly guidance." I need guidance, I need serious guidance! Who knew that gratitude paves the way for revelation? O.K., so you all did. Obviously, I'm slow. This little thought has changed the way I go about my day. I still have a long road ahead of me, but I can see myself slowly morphing into someone who takes a little more time at the end of the day to ponder all of the things that have happened. To consider each blessing and to acknowledge to myself and to HIM that I am grateful for them. Yes, I agree with Lainie! Thank heaven for knowledge.

New Family Photo!

It's been awhile since we had a professional photo taken of our family (long before Jace entered the picture), but this summer we had the chance to meet up with the Birches and have them done. It was a cold, rainy day but all in all they turned out great. Lainie was a little miffed about her curls falling out from the rain, but I think she'll survive. Dustin, on the other hand, never thought his hair looked better! :)

An Avenger and an American Classic

Halloween 2009!

Twizzler

Iron Man

I think this may be Ellie's last year to dress up. She actually skipped Trick-or-Treating this year and has asked to have a party next time. (I heartily agreed, since I can't stand Trick-or-Treating!) As for Jace, we still have a few years before he's ready to give it up. But, that's O.K. since there are plenty of Super Hero's for him to chose from.

The proposal

Jace: Momma.

Me: What's up buddy?

Jace: When I grow up I'm gonna marry you.

Me: Awww, you are?!

Jace: Yep, then we're movin' in with Dramma (grandma) Birch!

Could either of these two picture have anything to do with this plan?

A few things every kid should know how to do!

Look at what Ellie learned to do at Sydney's house! I'm so excited for her! I remember learning how to do a back-flip at my best friend Trudee's house. Oh boy, was I proud of myself. I felt like I could do anything after that. It was a huge confidence booster and I loved it!

Are there things from your childhood that made you feel proud? There seem to be a number of activities or lessons-learned that make up an "ideal childhood". Things that every kid should know how to do. Lessons that every child should learn. Here are just a few that I deem important. What would you add?

1. Spend at least one installment of allowance on anything your heart desires.

2. Run through the sprinklers, preferably with one of your parents.

3. Ride a roller coaster.

4. Play tag in the rain or Blind Man’s Bluff late at night.

5. Play Truth or Dare and enjoy choosing “DARE”.

6. Learn to do a cartwheel without “froggy-legs”.

7. Catch and eat your own fish.

8. Learn a bit about astronomy and stay up late watching for that one special comet that will never again be seen in your lifetime.

9. Go to one (or more) major-league ball games.

10. Read an entire series of your favorite books.

11. Learn how to do a back-flip on the trampoline.

12. Suffer a major disappointment and learn to live with it.

13. Go camping.

14. Get exactly the haircut you want -- not the one your mom wants you to have.

15. earnLay igPay atinLay.

16. Make up a recipe, cook it, and name it. (but don’t insist that your parents eat it!)

17. Learn to walk on your hands.

18. Write a song, and don’t be afraid to sing it.

19. Raise money for something or someone you care about.

20. Befriend a kid whom others are making fun of.

21. Realize that you can't ever outgrow hugging your parents.

22. Figure out how to tell a joke that doesn't involve poo, pee, or butts.

23. Rejoice in the knowledge that a bloody knee usually signals the beginning of an amazing summer.

24. Learn to give a good handshake. No bone crushers or limp fish.

25. Hold the door for someone you don’t know.

26. Clean up your own room without hiding things under the bed or in the closet.

27. Learn how to make lemonade -- from real lemons.

28. Find the perfect hiding place in your bedroom for a secret object.

29. Keep a diary. (thus the need for the hiding place)

30. Spend some time alone with your grandparents, only you, no siblings.

31. Start a collection.

32. Try at least five different types of food – (Chinese, Greek, Mexican, Thai and Italian would make this momma happy).

33. Learn how to make a proper airplane, one that actually flies.

34. Look at your own earwax through a microscope.

35. Help serve or deliver food to the needy on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

36. Hand-write thank-you notes for birthday and holiday gifts.

37. Open a savings account.

38. When greeting an adult, learn to look them in the eye and introduce yourself.

39. Make sure you've had enough piggy-back rides.

40. Float the river and insist that a water, mud or seaweed fight is included.

(borrowed a few of these from an article in a magazine I recently read, can't remember which one)

Oh, Sweet Cinnamon!

For some time now, Jace has eaten nothing but cinnamon toast. He has it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He eats it sitting on his stool at the bar, kneeling on his chair up to the table and on occasion, strapped in his car seat on the way to school. So, it came as no surprise to me, when he demanded that he have it while seated in a pew at church. As the deacons were passing the Sacrament, my little hooligan emphatically declared "I want those boys to put cinnamon on my bread!"

And why not? Cinnamon has been around since Old Testament times ie. Moses was commanded to use sweet cinnamon in the holy anointing oil. In fact, cinnamon was so highly prized among ancient nations, that it was regarded as a gift fit for Gods!

(I’ll keep you posted on how well my petition to the Elders goes over.)

Sweat = Heaven?

I just had the privilege of spending the most beautiful morning in my yard. It's a sunny day, but the light is that pale yellow light of autumn that all the poets write about. The sky is brilliant blue and the air is crisp and cool. I love fall! I know you know that I do, but I just have to repeat it, I love fall!

I say "privilege" because that's what it was. It's a source of pleasure granted to me. The pleasure of being outside and working in my own little plot of earth. I never felt that as a child. In fact, I hated to be outside and hated even more the thought of yard work. But now, I derive a sort of gratification from digging in the dirt. Pulling weeds, trimming shrubs and sweeping the walks somehow makes me feel better about myself. Maybe it feels more pleasurable because the snow will soon be here and I won't be able to enjoy the trees with their leaves or the flowers with their petals for a long, long time. Maybe it's that work is a divine principle one that is made to boost our self-esteem and garner blessings. I recently read this quote about Wilford Woodruff and I think of it when I'm working up a sweat in the garden.

A contemporary said of him "Pres. Woodruff felt that....to sweat, was a divine command as much so as to pray; and in his life he exemplified in the highest degree that simple Christian life that makes for the physical, mental, and moral well-being of man. He believed sincerely in the moral supremacy of manual toil. He loved it and enjoyed it."

The "moral supremacy of manual toil"? Wow! What would this world be like if everyone felt the same way? What would it look like? I'm betting a lot like heaven!

Selfish?

Yes, that last post sounded astoundingly selfish (as have many in the past) and I feel the need to explain myself. It's not that I'm not sentimental and that I don't love my children, I am and I do! It's just my way of protecting my soul, it's far too raw for just anyone to view.

Honestly, I am in love with my kids! I am smitten by every little thing they engage in and the brilliant people they are becoming. If I can get past her angelic face, (which is hard to do) I delight in Lainie's thought process and her reasoning. I am amazed by her writing. It's so clever, yet so personable that it makes you feel that she is speaking to only you and that it's your own intimate conversation with her. She's funny and sweet and I enjoy watching the sparkle in her eyes. Ellie has this dry wit that is both hilarious and mature beyond her years. She sees amusing nuances in conversation and situations that I seem to be completely blind to. It thrills me that she still lets me kiss on her cheeks (my most favorite thing to do when she was tiny) and I can't seem to get over her perfect cherubic mouth. Jace (as much as I complain about him) is my darling. As he is begging me for one more glass of chocolate milk, I am distracted by the compulsion to kiss every last one of his freckles. As he's yelling my name over and over I'm trying to memorize his little lisp so that I won't ever forget. And those baby blues, Oh! He dazzles me every time. My life with these three has been happy and gratifying, sunny and oh, so blessed! But I'm not so good at writing down my heart's secrets. It's a rather reticent organ and is not comfortable sharing it's treasures. You see, every once in awhile they slip out and then you've got a blubbering idiot on your hands. One little drop of emotion and the sentiment explodes leaving a very wet mess! It's just easier to keep them inside, hidden from view and not center stage for everyone to judge and critique.

A friend once said something about her kids that has resounded with me, she said "I feel time washing over me. And the bitterly sweet feeling of opening my arms to let go." Not bittersweet, but bitterly sweet. That seems to be a huge difference to me. You see, since the day of their birth, it has been my one and only job to put myself out of business. With every bit of growth or advancement, with every new feat accomplished there is satisfaction and commemoration. Yes, it hurts to see them growing, to realize that you'll never have the chance to rock them to sleep again, to hear their first word or see them take their first step. Those are my most tender feelings and so I must protect them and I realize that in sheltering them, it comes across as selfish and less than flattering, but really, it's a celebration that I'm doing my job. The sweet acknowledgement that my goals are being met and that my kids are becoming the independent, free-thinking, contributing members of society that is my job to produce. These four hours of freedom each week is a higher wrung on the ladder that I've been working toward for four years now. A step up from where we were, a promotion in a sense. I'm glad that I've got "me" time, it shows that my job is progressing quite nicely. But, I see that I need to change, (part of learning to do my job better) so from now on, I'll try to make it sound less selfish and focus more on celebrating the sweet autonomy of my children.

Dawning (noun- the beginning or rise of anything!)

(Jace is off to pre-school!)

This photo signals the beginning of something wonderful! Yes, life-long learning and exciting experiences for Jace, but that's not really what I'm referring to. (I'm not that good of a mom.) I mean FREEDOM FOR ME! Four whole hours a week in which I can do whatever I want without a little one hanging on me or using me as a jungle gym. 240 minutes of peace and quiet where no one will be calling my name over and over and over again! No whining for more chocolate milk, no begging for Sponge Bob!

What will I do? I haven't decided yet, but you can bet it's gonna be creative!

“The creative is the place where no one else has ever been.

You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition.

What you’ll discover will be wonderful.

What you’ll discover is yourself.”

Alan Alda

First Day of School for the girls. Go Lions!

(Ellie in 5th grade, Lainie in 7th)

Happy Birthday Ellie!

Ten! Can you believe it? Just one "E" away from "teen"!
You gotta check out the many sweet, sweet faces of my baby girl!

Vacation at Grandma's

Growing up, I lived by both sets of my grandparents. G and G Pete lived directly across the street and G and G Steel lived in a neighboring town, so there was never a "vacation" to grandmas house. I didn't mind though, it was great to see them all the time and to spend nearly every Sunday dinner at one or the others home. At the end of summer however, I would get a pseudo "vacation" with grandma Steel. Back to School week for the teachers was one of my favorite times of the year! It always made me feel special to be asked by her to help get her room set up for the new school year. I loved sorting books and putting them on shelves, hanging up posters and apple covered boarders and making the reading nook in the corner as comfy as could be. She would always pack a lunch for us (usually egg salad sandwiches) and let me be the first one to get my little hands into her stash of Jolley Ranchers. Each year at this time, I get a sad longing to join Grandma Steel in her 3rd grade room at the school and decorate her bulletin boards. I'm glad she gave me that opportunity to spend some time with her and enjoy her delightful company.

I'm so glad that my mom and Susan make opportunities for my kids to spend time with them as well. It's different for my kids, since we live far away, they get the "real" vacation at grandma's house. But, no matter how it happens, it's a special, treasured time that my kids enjoy and I'm sure (just like me) they will always remember. Thanks Grandma's!

Here are a few photos of our most recent trip to grandmas house.

S'mores with the cousins are the best!

(check out Jace, he'd rather play cowboy)

The girls being river monsters!
(Ellie looks thrilled with her seaweed hair)

Jace loves grandpa's blue boat.

A trip to the Spud to see Harry Potter!

Skipping rocks in String Lake

Enjoying the water and the sunshine

String Lake is a blast!


We can't forget grandpas!

(Moose, WY.)

Back at G and G Birch's house

Pioneer Day on Antelope Island

On this holiday, we thought we'd stay home for once and take some time exploring our own little neighborhood. So we all hopped in the car and headed over the causeway to Antelope Island. This place boasts scenic beauty and natural features, we just didn't realize that some of them were of a more creepy character! (check out the spider photos below) It was fun to see the huge Bison herd that calls this place home, but it was so hot and dry that we wondered how people could actually live on this shadeless isle. The water is a temptation, until you actually get down to it, the beach is covered in brine flies which prevent you from enjoying any of the lake shore. And the stench! It's bad enough at our house when the wind is blowing from the west, but when you're actually there (and can't get away from it) it's rather noxious! I'm feeling a bit beastly for giving this place such a bad review, but there seem to be a number of reasons why we've lived in Utah for thirteen years and have never spent one day here. In my opinion, it's better to enjoy this State Park from a distance. (preferably the view from my front door!)

Jackson Hole with the Sordyl's

We dropped the kids off at my moms for the weekend (Thanks Mom!) and met some Michigan friends in Jackson. We took the boat across Jenny Lake and hiked up to Hidden Falls, explored all the shops in the square, went white-water rafter on the Snake River and ate lots of good food! We're so glad that John and Teri were out this way, it was great to have a chance to show them around some of our favorite places.

Summer Compendium

Here are a few pictures of our summer fun. Check out Sarah's blog to see more photos! (she actually takes pictures with her camera, unlike me who leaves the camera in the closet and misses all the good photo ops!)

Jace's Pirate Birthday Party

Lainie getting ready to perform

Celebrating everyones Happy Un-Birthday!

Pie Fight!

Am I brave enough to ride Wicked?
Lainie's cooking lesson Garden vegetable soup with pesto

Ellie's cooking lesson Shrimp salad with avocado, celery and red onion