flower portraits

Gwendolyn loves flowers of all sorts and doesn't discriminate against weeds. Pictured are the kids collecting "wildflowers" for my birthday bouquet. Certainly sweeter than any store-bought bouquet.

the meadow

autumn strut

Casper loves to walk around with his hands in his pockets. With these pants, he could only find his back pockets for some reason. Cute.

grateful sunday

This week, I am grateful for:

• The sweet birthday that I had. Todd and the kids made a perfect day for me with sweet, thoughtful presents and cards, a wonderful dinner, fun time spent together playing games and reading books and a nice long nap. All the phone calls, well wishes, emails and facebook notes made me feel so loved. I'm thrilled to be starting this 35th year surrounded by so many amazing friends and family members.
  
• The gymnastics program Gwennie and Linus are in and Gwendolyn's piano lessons. They are having the time of their lives with these things and look forward to them every single day, even though they don't take place every single day. I love watching them bounce around with excitement, make new friends and develop these new skills.
  
• Relief Society. It takes up most of my free time these days, but I have a strong testimony of the work we are doing and I see the blessings in the lives of the sisters I'm privileged to serve. I also loved the General RS Broadcast on Saturday night. I learned so much and my testimony was strengthened.
  
• Cool weather! We had many, many days this past week that brought rain and temperatures in the 60s and 70s. We wore long sleeves and spent days with the windows open! All of this in Texas in September! It was wonderful.
  

playacting

I can’t be the only one who never watched any of the1970s science fiction television shows (either originals or the resuscitations of 1930s serials). Of them, I was never really interested in either the Mormon exodus of Battlestar Galactica or the proto-porno of Flash Gordon (sfw, btw), but I was a little intrigued by the premise of Bruce Rogers in the 25th Century, which I understand to be about a renowned twentieth-century typographer accidentally shuttled into the far future, where he becomes irresistible to women due to his utterly average looks, his correction of everyone’s English usage, and his love of 1470s Venetian typefaces.

Anyway, about nine years ago, we stumbled across some temporary tattoos from a reboot of the Flash Gordon series; I don’t remember how we got them, where they came from, or – most importantly – why we bothered keeping them. Even where our tattoos are concerned (most of which are cheesy, falling on the low end of the clip-art scale), these are notably crappy. Well, yesterday, Gwennie and Linus found the Flash Gordon tattoos, and were immediately drawn to them.

As usual, they were inspired to play a game based on what they know about Flash Gordon, which, also as usual, is centered on wardrobe. Gwendolyn is responsible for Linus’s look (including wetting down and parting his hair, getting him in a red jumpsuit, and affixing yellow “lightning bolts” to his arms) and her own. I didn't really find it funny until I compared what she'd come up with to the stupid illustrations (I mean, a futuristic hero with roller skates built into his costume?), and until I saw that she had laid out brown shorts, knee-high socks, a green shirt, gold-bead necklace, and a orange-and-blue cape for me.

nature spot, september

sibling sayings

While looking at the Halloween pictures we just posted:
Todd: Linus, you look just like Harry.
Linus: And Gwennie looks just like Ron!

Gwendolyn: Mama, Linus ruined my mind and now I can't think straight!

the story of the good samaritan

I have this cute little shopping cart cover, which I love. I bought it when Gwendolyn was a baby and have used it multiple times per week for nearly seven years. It is fabulous. It completely covers all the germy parts of the cart (even the big Costco and Sam's carts), it has a removable pillow for additional back support for smaller babies, it zips up into a neat little bundle with handles long enough for me to swing the thing over my shoulder, it's gender-neutral black and white gingham, it's comfortable for the babe in the cart, and it machine washes beautifully. I would even go so far as to say that I'm I tiny bit emotionally attached to the thing. So imagine my horror and disappointment when I recently discovered that my beloved shopping cart cover was not in the van or in the laundry. I called around to the stores that we shop at and finally located it at Kroger, thankful that some kind and honest person had found it and turned it in.

When I went into Kroger to retrieve my bag from the lost and found, I spoke with the manager and got a slightly different story than the one that had played out in my imagination. Apparently, some kind and honest and paranoid person had seen my shopping cart cover in a shopping cart in the parking lot and had thought that it looked so suspicious that they called 911. So the police came to the Kroger parking lot to make sure the suspicious bag was not a bomb. Of course, they found a cute little shopping cart cover instead. Still, I'm thrilled that I have it back and as a bonus, have this insane story to spice the blog up a bit.

happy Harry Potter birthday, Liam

Notice the magic Gwennie is producing, which can be seen speeding off toward the right of the frame.

The children are now one step closer to their Halloween characters with the addition of a little snowy owl. (Hedwig -- Mr. Hedwig, that is -- was flapping his wings in the above photo.)


Linus: Talantareggla!
Gwennie: No, Linus, it's Tarantallegra.
Linus: Talantareggla!

the boy

Linus (to Granny, who has seven cats in her house): Would you like a kitten? They’re very cuddly, but sometimes they’re grouchy. If you’re mean to them or throw them in the bath, they won’t like you any more.
Mama: Who threw a kitten in the bath, Linus?
Linus: I accidentally threw a kitten in the bathtub.
Mama: Was that really an accident?
Linus: I accidentally did that. I did it on accident.

Linus: Is today fast Sunday?

Daddy: Yes it is.

Linus: OK – we gotta get there fast!

Linee is making transformers from bristleblocks.

L: Daddy, do you know if this transformer is a boy or a girl?

D: I think it’s a girl.

L: Wrong, it’s a boy. [beat] Just kidding, it’s a girl. It doesn’t show the nurses in this version, though.

grateful sunday

This week I'm grateful for:

• The time we got to spend with family in Dallas this past weekend. We love playing with Granny and Grandad and cousins and aunties and uncle BJ.
• The blessings of the temple. We spent much of Saturday in the temple as part of Granny and Grandad's anniversary celebrations. For me, this was the highlight of the trip.
• Our modest little house. It really is perfect for our family right now and we were all very happy to be home this evening (even though the house is now strewn with half-unpacked luggage and toys that have been dragged out from the playroom).

31

Today is Granny and Grandad's thirty-first wedding anniversary, and the family was able to get together to celebrate. Here's to another thirty one years!

generation

I took this nearly adult-looking picture of Gwendolyn this morning. To my mind, it is really reminiscent of a photograph of my Mother when she was young, also wearing a choker -- you can really see the resemblance in the jaw and mouth, and maybe the eyes. (Incidentally, if anyone has a copy of this photo, I'd love to post it as a comparison.)

voyages

Last night we drove to Granny and Grandad's house. Today we met up with cousins and went bonkers.

all grown up

Imagine our excitement when, after the recent rain, we discovered a small frog on our lawn. Unlike most of the frogs we see (which are very fat and live in the hideyhole under the driveway, where they lurk in wait for the bugs that come to the light), this agile little fellow was black with a stipple pattern. He was also the very image of the tree frogs we released after they matured from the tadpoles we found in the canal and raised in our tank. It was great to see an old friend (especially one who had flourished through the difficulties of the summer).

starting the season

Yesterday, as a prank, Linus ran into Mama's room and announced, "Football season starts today, Mama!" Maybe we'll get to go to another football show.

grateful sunday

This week I'm thankful for:

• My sweet little girl. We've had such a good time celebrating her this past week. I'm proud to be the mother of such a sweet 7-year-old (though I still can't believe that I'm the mother of a 7-year-old).
  
• Rain! It rained on Friday and rained all day long on Saturday and on Sunday, the entire family woke up at 6.30 in the morning because the rain and thunder were so loud. It was awesome.
• Homeschooling and the freedom it affords our family. We started school this week and already we've had some great days and some not so stellar days, but I'm so thankful that we're having those days together.

character exercise

It's not unusual around our house for the children to find stories and assign each other roles when they need new scenarios for their games. Often, they base the stories on books or shows, even when they know next to nothing about the original subject of their play. They've made games based on The Last Unicorn (a movie none of them have seen), for example.

This weekend, after Linus found a G I Joe promotion in our new Transformers dvd case, they decided to dress as the characters (Gwennie as Scarlett and Linus as Duke). Then they set up an obstacle course to exercise their legs. Their costumes were surprisingly accurate, though we're not sure that we're going to be running out to get the original episodes anytime soon.

hula girl

Tonight at church we had a ward social and talent show. Gwendolyn decided that she wanted to share her talents with the hula hoop, and wowed the crowd with her skills. She really is pretty amazing. Her routine included hula hooping fast and slow, hula hooping while getting down on her knees and then up again, and hula hooping while jumping. (She also gave a final bow, while still hula hooping, then walked off the stage.) I wish you could all see her in action. She says she was the only performer to get calls of "encore!" (which I don't doubt.)

Todd also participated in the festivities, playing his bass as part of a country-western band. (He joined as the substitute for the band's earlier bassist, who was unable to join the group, and did his best after picking up the songs the night before the performance and his bass for the first time in a couple of years.)

seven (!!!)

Today Gwendolyn turned seven. Seven! I really can hardly wrap my head around that. When she was born, I felt like I would be the mother of a baby forever. She is such a sweet, sensitive little thing and we love her to death. We spent the day eating her favorite foods (for breakfast, fried eggs; her first choice for dinner, salad. We'll continue with other favorites this weekend -- bean dip, pigs in blankets, and waffles), reading lots of Harry Potter, bowling (she won, by the way), and playing with her new presents. It was a fun day spent celebrating a fun little girl.

birthday eve

Gwendolyn, after finding some gifts left by Lilac, our house fairy: "I can’t believe we didn’t find what Lilac left until after lunch! We had too much on our plates."
Linus: "No, she left it on our desks."

Linus, playing with his bungee cords: “These spongeys are here for a reason!”

Where's Lowly Worm?

Like the Kids in the Hall sketch where Bruce McCulloch is prompted by his boss to say only four phrases (Good morning fellas; Hand me that thing; Boy, this work's hard; Guys, break's over), Casper has four responses which he uses in all sorts of situations. No matter what the scenario, he delivers them with enthusiasm: I do it! Yeah! Good! No fair!

So if, for example, he wakes up at 6 a.m. and we remind him that he doesn't get up until Daddy's alarm goes off, he may respond (repeatedly), "No fair!" But if we try to help him out of his crib at 7, he will say, "I do it!" When Mama checks on him during quiet time and he hasn't slept but wants to get up, he says, "Daddy's clock beep beep, Mama!" But when Daddy asks him how his nap was, he says, "Good!"

A dialogue on having some La Croix with my dinner:
Gwennie: Can I have some bubbly water?
Casper: Bubbly water, too, Mama!
Mama: You don’t like bubbly water, Casper.
Casper, with much indignation: Bubbly water my favorite, Mama!

Casper: Fireman!
Mama: Casper, what do firemen do?
Casper: Um . . . play!

why we call him "Pudge"

This cat has the shortest, fattest little tail. Instead of gracefully swishing it around like most cats do, he wags it like a dog -- there's just not enough there for a shapely curve. Most hilarious is when he is frightened by something and he fluffs it out like a bottle brush. He's also turned out to be the sweetest, most affectionate little cat with the most resonant purr I've ever heard. I'm glad he's part of our family.

grateful sunday

This week I'm grateful for:

• The good news we received that Todd passed the CA exam. I was never worried, but it sure is nice to have it officially.
• My in-laws. I've had the privilege of speaking with and exchanging emails with Todd's parents and a number of his siblings this past week. I'm so thankful to be related to such amazing, talented, generous people. I think it's a pretty incredible blessing to be called daughter, sister, friend, by such an incredible group.
  
• Testimonies. Mine, my husband's and the sweet developing testimonies of my children. Especially Gwendolyn, who shared hers in Primary today.

inslide

The kids spent yesterday soaking up the last days of summer. Of course, the period of decline may last another few months here, but we'll try to make the most of it.

stats

We went to the doctor today to get the birthday boy and girl their annual checkups. I also got Linus's height and weight since I neglected to take him in for his 4-year check up. {oops.} Here are the sizes of each of the children:

Gwendolyn (7):
Height: 49 1/2 (75th percentile)
Weight: 45.4 (25th percentile)

Linus (4 years, 4 months):
Height: 43 1/2 (90th percentile)
Weight: 41.6 (80th percentile)

Casper (2):
Height: 34 1/2 (60th percentile)
Weight: 27 (40th percentile)

(I couldn't find the stats from Linee's 2-year check up, but for a little context on the difference in stature between Linus and Casper: at 15 months, Linus was the same height as Casper is now, at two years. And at one year, he was 1 ounce heavier.)

oh, bother

Gwendolyn: [criticizing Mama’s phone use in a highly agitated tone]: You hardly ever use it, then suddenly, you find out there’s games on it, and you always use it.

Gwennie, spelling so that Casper won't understand, asks Mama, “Can we have a ‘F - U - J - P - O - P’?”

As we were discussing a book Gwennie had listened to about Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii, Mama mentioned that she had once been to visit Pompeii. “Before the volcano erupted?” asked Gwennie.

temper

Linus spent most of this morning in a leotard, but during quiet time, I checked on him and found him looking pretty tough-guy and reading books in this very suave pose.

Linus is typically a very cheerful and easy-going kid, but lately, we've seen some of that notorious "red-headed temper" come out in amusing ways:

After Linus gets angry at Todd because we are having French toast for breakfast and not pancakes, he goes into his room and pulls everything out onto the floor. Todd tells him he’ll have to clean it, and – surprisingly – he starts cheerfully. After he finishes tidying, he asks if Todd wants to come see it. “It’s very clean,” he says, “as if you’d never been born.”

While Gwendolyn and Linus are working on some watercolor paintings, Gwendolyn begins to offer Linus some advice on his painting, but Linus obviously isn't interested in her tutoring: “You don’t teach me to art!”

When Linus is tired, he gets keyed up easily. Frequently, he starts wailing when things don’t go his way, and he refuses to talk to anyone: “I don’t want anyone near me!” Giving him his space usually calms him down within a minute or two.