Monday, October 3, 2016
A prophet at six
Teig and I were discussing his part for the primary program that's coming up. His part talks about prophets. I asked him what do you think of prophet? He replied "I believe in prophets because I am one. I I'm starting to become one."
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
3/25/16
"Bacon pack pack in case you want a snack." Eirik Yosemite
"I not want a bunny in my hutah. Cause I not like it.
In de trees. And climb and climb like this, like a fox."
You're adorable. "No I not!"
"I yike haw gaws and yike meat and cheese anymore. I just yike food. Taberries, buberries, eggs and ham and meat and meat aaaand meat and haw gaws."
"You're argumentative." "No I not!"
Thursday, September 15, 2016
You're fired
Juni was so mad at me on the way home because I wouldn't give her her succer until she put her seatbelt on. Through here tears she yelled "you're fired."
Monday, September 12, 2016
School year 2016-17
On Teig's second day of kindergarten I got a call from the office. Gretchen told me that Teig did not have a fever but he said he was not feeling well and wanted to come home. In his tiny voice, he told me that he felt like he had needles in his neck from the inside. I said, "your throat hurts honey?" He said, "yes, can I come home?" I told him that I could come and be in his classroom with him for the last hour of school and that we could find him a nice place to rest in the classroom while I read him a book or something. He thought about that for a minute and then said, "so I can't come home?" I said, "sorry kiddo, you're in kindergarten now and you need to stay until class is over. Then I asked again if he wanted me to come in and hang out with him. He said, "fine, I'll just go back to class."
On the fourth day of school (Friday) Joren was exhausted. He came downstairs yelling at everyone and crying. He's never like that. I helped him get breakfast and carried/ drug him to school. He told me the whole way that he was not going to school. I took him into the assembly. As I dropped off Teig, Joren went to hide in the hall. I found Joren's teacher and told her the situation. She found him and told him to come to class when he was ready. Instead, he walked home. It caused quite a stir at the school with search parties looking for him within 10 minutes. By the time he was home and I had put him to bed, the school was calling me. We had a 30 minute talk with the principle and school counselor that afternoon. So, we did not make it through the first week without visiting the principle! We are off too a good start!
On the fourth day of school (Friday) Joren was exhausted. He came downstairs yelling at everyone and crying. He's never like that. I helped him get breakfast and carried/ drug him to school. He told me the whole way that he was not going to school. I took him into the assembly. As I dropped off Teig, Joren went to hide in the hall. I found Joren's teacher and told her the situation. She found him and told him to come to class when he was ready. Instead, he walked home. It caused quite a stir at the school with search parties looking for him within 10 minutes. By the time he was home and I had put him to bed, the school was calling me. We had a 30 minute talk with the principle and school counselor that afternoon. So, we did not make it through the first week without visiting the principle! We are off too a good start!
Friday, June 3, 2016
2 year old essentials
There is an awkward stage from about 2-3 years old when a nap is still an essential part of the day, but getting a nap will ensure a late bedtime. I usually stay up late, but the intent is to get a few hours to myself during the day. When a certain 2 year old is awake until 10:30 or later every night, that time quickly disappears. Sometimes, when I get tired of so much vigilant duty, I get lazy, and that's when it happens. 2 year old boredom strikes. It's almost as if there is something inside Juniper that commands her to smear, squish, stab, destroy, cut, spill, break and color when she gets bored. Today I cracked open a Diet Dr. Pepper and for the rest of the afternoon could not figure out where I put it. Well, Juni knew where it was; she was sipping it and hiding it behind her potty chair. No wonder she got up after I thought she was sleeping and got into my make up again! For the 4th time this week! You may think that we are being to easy on her or not consistent with her about rules or that we are soft parents. Let me assure you, she is not getting of easy, and yet, why?? What motivates a 2 year old to paint herself in bright red lipstick head to toe, day after day even after spankings and time outs and lost privileges? Really, I'm to blame for, once again, leaving it in reach. I can't make any mistakes around here. Yesterday she dumped out the whole bag of trailmix to pick out the M & M's. Really, who doesn't want to do that though? Tonight, before the make up she took all her clothes out of her drawers and stacked them in the hamper. Earlier today she stole and ate all of Teigs gum. I have to fight with her every time we leave the house to get clothes on her. She wears a swimsuit every single day. When I hide them, she will go naked instead. She will not let me comb her hair without holding her down. If I am lucky enough to get ponytails or a headband in her hair, it is on the floor in 2 minutes. Last night when she sneaked out of bed she stood at the top of the stairs peeking around the corner batting her maskared eyes at us with a little mischievous look. How does she instinctively know to do that?! If she knows she is doing something she shouldn't, she says, "Shhh"
She is "cared" to ride in the car. She says that there will be rocks and she will fall down. She is not afraid if she does not have to ride in her carseat, but as soon as I have wrestled her into her carseat (a major task!), she insists that someone has to hold her hand or she needs her pink teddybear or Roxy. When Roxy rides with us, she gets a fierce embrace wherever we are going.
Juni and I talked about the rules. She is very good at rehearsing all the rules. She says, "you have to ask first." in the cutest little way. But she does not keep them!
She is very tough. She will tell her brothers in no uncertain terms when she wants her way. she is fearless (except of cars, shopping carts, and bikes). She loves sports and slaying monsters and everything pink and purple.
We painted this morning on a giant canvas. She did one side while I did the other. We listened to country ballads and mixed paints together. She kept saying, "I wike dis song. or Dis is so pretty. I wike dis color." I was thinking, "This is the start of a beautiful partnership, but then she kept breaking the rules and painting on herself and dipping into the paint cans instead of the palette and using her fingers instead of the brushes, so finally I had to put her in the bath. When she came back down, I had proceeded with the painting and had turned some of her work into meadow (using her colors, but not her marks). She looked for a long time, then said, "well, you ruined it!" What a terrible mom move. I got her her own canvas, but it wasn't the same. I have to make it up to her tomorrow.
Last night at the farmers market, I let her get her face painted like a pink kitty cat. She was so proud! No wonder she wanted to get into the make-up again today. When I asked her why she did it again, she said, because I wike being pink and sparkwy. Really, how can you blame the girl? I like to paint with my hands and be pink and sparkly too. It must be terribly hard to be 3.
She is "cared" to ride in the car. She says that there will be rocks and she will fall down. She is not afraid if she does not have to ride in her carseat, but as soon as I have wrestled her into her carseat (a major task!), she insists that someone has to hold her hand or she needs her pink teddybear or Roxy. When Roxy rides with us, she gets a fierce embrace wherever we are going.
Juni and I talked about the rules. She is very good at rehearsing all the rules. She says, "you have to ask first." in the cutest little way. But she does not keep them!
She is very tough. She will tell her brothers in no uncertain terms when she wants her way. she is fearless (except of cars, shopping carts, and bikes). She loves sports and slaying monsters and everything pink and purple.
We painted this morning on a giant canvas. She did one side while I did the other. We listened to country ballads and mixed paints together. She kept saying, "I wike dis song. or Dis is so pretty. I wike dis color." I was thinking, "This is the start of a beautiful partnership, but then she kept breaking the rules and painting on herself and dipping into the paint cans instead of the palette and using her fingers instead of the brushes, so finally I had to put her in the bath. When she came back down, I had proceeded with the painting and had turned some of her work into meadow (using her colors, but not her marks). She looked for a long time, then said, "well, you ruined it!" What a terrible mom move. I got her her own canvas, but it wasn't the same. I have to make it up to her tomorrow.
Last night at the farmers market, I let her get her face painted like a pink kitty cat. She was so proud! No wonder she wanted to get into the make-up again today. When I asked her why she did it again, she said, because I wike being pink and sparkwy. Really, how can you blame the girl? I like to paint with my hands and be pink and sparkly too. It must be terribly hard to be 3.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Tropical Glow
Sunday, May 22, 2016
"The ladies are all over me"
We are watching Gigi for the week. Gigi and Roxy love to play with Juni and Teig. Teig is really good at getting them worked up and having fun with them. I loved when Teig said through peels of laughter: "Mom, The ladies are all over me!"
Teig age 5 1/2
Teig age 5 1/2
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Eirik in primary
In primary sharing time this week a member of the bishopric was teaching about the sacrament. Eirik seriously raised his hand and offered the comment that he believed that it would be more symbolic if we ate gingerbread men cookies and ketchup for sacrament to more closely represent Christs' body and blood. I don't think anyone knew what to say. There was an akward pause and then a swift subject change.
Later I had adults come up to tell me how much they love Eirik's way of thinking. I admire him for his mature observations!
Monday, April 18, 2016
Not your style mom.
"Mom, those pants and shoes aren't really your style. I thought you were just going to wear them to bed. Are you going to wear them all day?"
Teig
Monday, April 11, 2016
Oregon beauty
We went on a walk through Mary S. Young tonight and enjoyed all the gorgeous trillium and hellebores, not to mention the millions of kinds of leaves unfolding. Wow, it's stunning. Oregon amazes me daily. The kids found a dragons nest, peed in the woods, played tag, found fairy houses, took pictures of flowers with me, made leaf money, met some dogs, and found out what stinging nettle feels like. Every Oregon hike is a joy. We've had 5 days of straight sunshine. What a blessing after the rainiest season in 40 years!
I instigated the family bank. We've been building up to this, but I put into full effect Linda and Richard Eye's family bank plan a month ago. It is working wonderfully. It is brilliance. I can already see our kids responding very positively to the principles it teaches.
4th grade overnight field trip
Eirik came home from school so excited today. Tomorrow is the 4th grade overnight field trip. He loves camping, loves packing gear, loves adventure and this one includes a campfire and all his friends. In addition, they will be doing a barn dance called the Virginia Reel (a square dance) where he will dance with girls! His extra time grooming tonight, including the dreaded clipping of his nails, clues me in that it's a pretty big deal. He was excited to show me all the moves to the dance today and practice with me in the back alley after school. I love to square dance. He's got my number.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Juni Feb 2016
Today Juni courageously climbed the climbing wall structure at the park. As she stood triumphantly at the top Teig said, "Can you get her down from here? She's freakin' me out!" Juni said, "I not scared, (kared). I not kared of anyfing!" She flexed her muscles and made a fierce tiger face to go with her growl.
Juni's "spirit animal" is a pink dragon.
I fell asleep reading to Juni. It was quiet 10 min. later when I woke up and I knew I was in trouble. I heard her coming up the stairs. When she appeared in the doorway she looked like she sparkled all over. Upon further investigation, I discovered she had found the container of brown sugar far too appealing to leave alone. She dumped it all out by the handfuls on the ground, then laid down in it, got it in her hair and tracked it through the whole house!
Juni is obsessed with lipstick. I have to put all my make up and and nail polish in the top of my closet or she is sure to take it to a closet or behind a chair and play with it. Paul bought her bright pink lipstick as a bribe. She hid in the closet and drew all over the walls and her arms and face with it. When she got a long time out she said, "I pomise, I never do dat again.! I pomis!" Like a sucker, I gave her another chance the next day only to find it all over my sheets, her sheets, and the bean bag.
If she is doing something sneaky she will be hiding. I say, "Juni, what cha doing'? or "what do you have?" She'll look at me suspiciously and say, "shhh..." with her little fingers over her lips. She hid in Teigs closet and drew a whole detailed blue and green scribble mural on the wall. . It's hard to be mad when I love drawing on the walls too, and I love lipstick too.
Cousin Emily was in my care. We were getting ready for Grandma Law's funeral. I had Juni and Teig and Emily. Amy had the other kids and were going to meet there. As I was getting shoes on kids, Emily came out with a large, bright pink streak in her bangs. It looked awesome, but I knew Amy would not like it if I left it. I learned she did it with hot pink chalk. Juni had bean carrying it around all weekend eating a little in between using it as lipstick. We washed it out. (It almost all came out. I was sort of sad to see it go). Amy still noticed and was not happy!
I bought Juni a pack of squeezy fruit and gave it to Juni to eat on the way home from the grocery store. She ate some, then looked at me and said, Look mom, I spill it." then she proceeded to squeeze it out onto the floor of the car, her lap and hands, then smear it. Of course I grabbed it and scolded her. She said, "make me happy." I said, "Does it make you happy to make mommy upset." she said, "Uh huh."
Every time you give Juni a carrot or an apple with skin, she bites it, chews it and spits it out until she's surrounded by small bits of carrot or skin all around her.
Famous phrase, "I not do it anymore!"
She says "anymore" in almost all sentences.
She absolutely refuses to wear socks. She loves long hot showers. If she falls, she quickly looks around and says loudly, "I OK!"
After I took Juni's lipstick away again, she found me and said, "Daddy bought me new lipstick and you don't take it! I share with you, but you don't take it! It not yours! I share but it mine. OK?!! And you don't take it!" All the while this little girl is wagging her little finger at me with a stern look on her intense face!
Juni laboriously pushed her rocking chair all the way from her room to my closet. It wasn't high enough, so she got a stool. Again, not high enough, so she came to find me outside to ask me this question: "You please get my lipstick? I use just dab dab dab, witto bit. It's super high. I can't get it. You help me?" I looked into her darling little eyes and trusted her when she said, "I keep it safe in my drawer." A few minutes later she went outside with Paul and the boys to play basketball. It wasn't more than 5 minutes before Paul came in to get rags and soap to scrub a mural of hot pink lipstick off the neighbors garage door.
This week Juni drew with lipstick on our windows, pencil and pink crayon on the walls and cabinets and Joren's art. Pencil all over the walls.
She dumped all the marshmallows on the ground, ate all of Teig's valentine candy, clicked on Animal Jam and somehow bought a bunch of animals, smeared conditioner all over the shower walls and all surrounding areas and demolished a granola bar and then rolled in it at Paul's office in the lobby.
She loves to draw circles around her eyes with pink marker. She says it's her kitty cat face.
She puts her drink in her food at every meal. She unwrapped string and strung herself up in it all over her wrists and neck. Good think I found her before she turned blue.
Her favorite foods are: Hot gogs, pizza, cottage cheese, and apple juice. She also loves the show Octonots. She loves her puppy Roxy.
She is terrified of riding in the cart at the grocery store from a time when Joren jumped on the side and tipped the cart. She is also too scared to ride in a bike seat. She says, "you ride, I walk!"
She hates to sit in her chair and is always climbing on the table. She refuses all food and magically finds sweets anywhere they are hidden. She loves to sneak my phone while I'm asleep. I put a password on it and she now says, "Why you have password! I not know it! I need grown up phone. My phone not have games!"
Juni's "spirit animal" is a pink dragon.
I fell asleep reading to Juni. It was quiet 10 min. later when I woke up and I knew I was in trouble. I heard her coming up the stairs. When she appeared in the doorway she looked like she sparkled all over. Upon further investigation, I discovered she had found the container of brown sugar far too appealing to leave alone. She dumped it all out by the handfuls on the ground, then laid down in it, got it in her hair and tracked it through the whole house!
Juni is obsessed with lipstick. I have to put all my make up and and nail polish in the top of my closet or she is sure to take it to a closet or behind a chair and play with it. Paul bought her bright pink lipstick as a bribe. She hid in the closet and drew all over the walls and her arms and face with it. When she got a long time out she said, "I pomise, I never do dat again.! I pomis!" Like a sucker, I gave her another chance the next day only to find it all over my sheets, her sheets, and the bean bag.
If she is doing something sneaky she will be hiding. I say, "Juni, what cha doing'? or "what do you have?" She'll look at me suspiciously and say, "shhh..." with her little fingers over her lips. She hid in Teigs closet and drew a whole detailed blue and green scribble mural on the wall. . It's hard to be mad when I love drawing on the walls too, and I love lipstick too.
Cousin Emily was in my care. We were getting ready for Grandma Law's funeral. I had Juni and Teig and Emily. Amy had the other kids and were going to meet there. As I was getting shoes on kids, Emily came out with a large, bright pink streak in her bangs. It looked awesome, but I knew Amy would not like it if I left it. I learned she did it with hot pink chalk. Juni had bean carrying it around all weekend eating a little in between using it as lipstick. We washed it out. (It almost all came out. I was sort of sad to see it go). Amy still noticed and was not happy!
I bought Juni a pack of squeezy fruit and gave it to Juni to eat on the way home from the grocery store. She ate some, then looked at me and said, Look mom, I spill it." then she proceeded to squeeze it out onto the floor of the car, her lap and hands, then smear it. Of course I grabbed it and scolded her. She said, "make me happy." I said, "Does it make you happy to make mommy upset." she said, "Uh huh."
Every time you give Juni a carrot or an apple with skin, she bites it, chews it and spits it out until she's surrounded by small bits of carrot or skin all around her.
Famous phrase, "I not do it anymore!"
She says "anymore" in almost all sentences.
She absolutely refuses to wear socks. She loves long hot showers. If she falls, she quickly looks around and says loudly, "I OK!"
After I took Juni's lipstick away again, she found me and said, "Daddy bought me new lipstick and you don't take it! I share with you, but you don't take it! It not yours! I share but it mine. OK?!! And you don't take it!" All the while this little girl is wagging her little finger at me with a stern look on her intense face!
Juni laboriously pushed her rocking chair all the way from her room to my closet. It wasn't high enough, so she got a stool. Again, not high enough, so she came to find me outside to ask me this question: "You please get my lipstick? I use just dab dab dab, witto bit. It's super high. I can't get it. You help me?" I looked into her darling little eyes and trusted her when she said, "I keep it safe in my drawer." A few minutes later she went outside with Paul and the boys to play basketball. It wasn't more than 5 minutes before Paul came in to get rags and soap to scrub a mural of hot pink lipstick off the neighbors garage door.
This week Juni drew with lipstick on our windows, pencil and pink crayon on the walls and cabinets and Joren's art. Pencil all over the walls.
She dumped all the marshmallows on the ground, ate all of Teig's valentine candy, clicked on Animal Jam and somehow bought a bunch of animals, smeared conditioner all over the shower walls and all surrounding areas and demolished a granola bar and then rolled in it at Paul's office in the lobby.
She loves to draw circles around her eyes with pink marker. She says it's her kitty cat face.
She puts her drink in her food at every meal. She unwrapped string and strung herself up in it all over her wrists and neck. Good think I found her before she turned blue.
Her favorite foods are: Hot gogs, pizza, cottage cheese, and apple juice. She also loves the show Octonots. She loves her puppy Roxy.
She is terrified of riding in the cart at the grocery store from a time when Joren jumped on the side and tipped the cart. She is also too scared to ride in a bike seat. She says, "you ride, I walk!"
She hates to sit in her chair and is always climbing on the table. She refuses all food and magically finds sweets anywhere they are hidden. She loves to sneak my phone while I'm asleep. I put a password on it and she now says, "Why you have password! I not know it! I need grown up phone. My phone not have games!"
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Roxy joins the family
I went to the pet store on Eirik's birthday for crickets for Joren's gecko. Paul and I knew that more than anything Eirik wanted a dog for his birthday. I knew I was not ready, but Paul and I had talked about it and had decided that we would open ourselves to the idea. Teig asked me to go to Critter Cabana for crickets instead of where I normally go. I don't know how he got that idea, and I don't know why I agreed, but as soon as I walked in and saw the cutest puppy I had ever seen, I wondered immediately if unseen forces were at work. I know Eirik has been praying for a dog for years. What are the chances that I would find the only dog I have ever seen that might steal my heart on his 10th birthday. She fit all our criteria so we went back that night as a surprise to pick her up. I will never forget the joy and excitement in Eirik's eyes when he saw that our name was written on the hold sign. He hugged me for 10 minutes and said "thank you about 50 times."
She is a delightful puppy. It took Eirik about 10 seconds to name her Roxy and we all agreed. Welcome to the family Roxy.
She is a delightful puppy. It took Eirik about 10 seconds to name her Roxy and we all agreed. Welcome to the family Roxy.
feast your eyes
"Make sure you just drop my pants outside the door and look away. Don't feast your eyes when I open the door! Promise?" Teig
Spring Break 2016
Highlights:
We drove south through the redwoods to San Fransisco and then on to a resort "The Majestic" in Yosemite valley, and back home through Bend.
Paul: I thought the kids did amazing in the car. It was great that Grandparents showed up and added a new dynamic right at the right time. I thought Stout Grove and coming into Yosemite Valley were amazing. Tunnel view was awesome.
Eirik: I'll remember that I bought a hatchet kit, and that Grandma and Grandpa gave me a survival knife for my birthday. I saw elk and a coyote up close and a bald eagle. I loved the candy shops like Powell's and seeing Zootopia. I liked the hikes with Grandma and Grandpa and Easter and seeing Alcatraz. It was fun when Jake and I slept in the small room next to each other on the floor and got up for a sunrise hike to the river by ourselves.
Joren: I liked getting Sprite when we stopped at gas stations. I liked being on the ferry boat out around Alcatraz and the hike in the redwoods. I loved Zootopia and riding the trolley. I did not like being sick the whole trip.
Teig: I did not like when dad spanked me. I liked the boat ride and riding the trolley. Easter was fun.
Juni: pink eggs, blue eggs, unicorns, baskets, Easter bunny, lipstick, me. Juni got scared after being in the car for so many hours and started insisting that someone hold her hand or hold her on their lap. I let her get out of her car seat for the slow drives around Yosemite. That was her favorite part of the trip. "Hold my hand, I scared."
Mom: I loved seeing the Golden Gate bridge and the museum next to the Argonaut hotel that tells about the history of San Fransisco. It was very inspiring! I loved celebrating my birthday with my favorite guy in San Fran. I loved the rolling green hills under bright blue skies dotted with trees near Manteca, CA on the way to the breathtaking Yosemite valley. I loved laying in the meadow near swinging bridge, under El Capitan in the sun while the kids played and painted. We all did art in the Yosemite art center for an hour. I loved seeing them bent over their work. Juni did a nice drawing and then somehow found some masking tape and hung her painting on the wall near the other gallery pieces. She was so proud. I was too! I loved the gorgeous lobby of The Majestic. Paul stayed with the kids one night while I sat in the lobby and painted and drew until midnight. The huge ceilings, dark beams, wall sized fireplaces, iron chandeliers and Indian baskets and rugs made it both grand and cozy and exciting. It was a stunning place to be. I loved the night hike with the kids around the resort in the full moon. The kids were delightful and we all grew closer together. It was a great success with loads of good memories.
We drove south through the redwoods to San Fransisco and then on to a resort "The Majestic" in Yosemite valley, and back home through Bend.
Paul: I thought the kids did amazing in the car. It was great that Grandparents showed up and added a new dynamic right at the right time. I thought Stout Grove and coming into Yosemite Valley were amazing. Tunnel view was awesome.
Eirik: I'll remember that I bought a hatchet kit, and that Grandma and Grandpa gave me a survival knife for my birthday. I saw elk and a coyote up close and a bald eagle. I loved the candy shops like Powell's and seeing Zootopia. I liked the hikes with Grandma and Grandpa and Easter and seeing Alcatraz. It was fun when Jake and I slept in the small room next to each other on the floor and got up for a sunrise hike to the river by ourselves.
Joren: I liked getting Sprite when we stopped at gas stations. I liked being on the ferry boat out around Alcatraz and the hike in the redwoods. I loved Zootopia and riding the trolley. I did not like being sick the whole trip.
Teig: I did not like when dad spanked me. I liked the boat ride and riding the trolley. Easter was fun.
Juni: pink eggs, blue eggs, unicorns, baskets, Easter bunny, lipstick, me. Juni got scared after being in the car for so many hours and started insisting that someone hold her hand or hold her on their lap. I let her get out of her car seat for the slow drives around Yosemite. That was her favorite part of the trip. "Hold my hand, I scared."
Mom: I loved seeing the Golden Gate bridge and the museum next to the Argonaut hotel that tells about the history of San Fransisco. It was very inspiring! I loved celebrating my birthday with my favorite guy in San Fran. I loved the rolling green hills under bright blue skies dotted with trees near Manteca, CA on the way to the breathtaking Yosemite valley. I loved laying in the meadow near swinging bridge, under El Capitan in the sun while the kids played and painted. We all did art in the Yosemite art center for an hour. I loved seeing them bent over their work. Juni did a nice drawing and then somehow found some masking tape and hung her painting on the wall near the other gallery pieces. She was so proud. I was too! I loved the gorgeous lobby of The Majestic. Paul stayed with the kids one night while I sat in the lobby and painted and drew until midnight. The huge ceilings, dark beams, wall sized fireplaces, iron chandeliers and Indian baskets and rugs made it both grand and cozy and exciting. It was a stunning place to be. I loved the night hike with the kids around the resort in the full moon. The kids were delightful and we all grew closer together. It was a great success with loads of good memories.
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