swimmin' whole

The big kids are finishing up swim lessons this week, and I count this year as our biggest success so far. Linus has come a long way. He's a five-year-old inside the body of a seven-year-old, so he still has some trouble controlling his mass. Even in the water, he flails his limbs around, but he is definitely more coordinated. If a parent (or teacher) holds onto him, he moves his arms and legs just as he is supposed to, but the minute you let go of him, he freezes up and sinks to the bottom. I think a few more trips to the pool and he'll have it. His first-ever jumps off the diving board occurred this week, and he's been very proud of himself.

I think that next year we'll put Gwendolyn on the swim team. She's really a pro now -- solid forward and back strokes, treading water, swimming laps, and diving for rings. She's always loved the water and done well in lessons. She has a small class this year and the one-on-one instruction has helped her. I think she would live at the pool if I would let her, but the pool is not my favorite outing. Sorry, kiddo.

big boyler

I think I can safely say that Casper is completely potty trained and I love it. This is the first time in more than 7 1/2 years that I haven't spent my days changing diapers. It's awesome, though I will admit to bribing him with candy along the way. Here are some of the funny comments I got during this journey.

Casper, after waking from a nap and finding himself with a wet pull-up: Mama! I command you to change me!

Casper: I just pee-peed in the potty yesterday.
Mama: I know. I'm very proud of you.
Casper: I'm proud of you for giving me candy.

Mama: If you poo-poo or pee-pee in the potty, you will get a candy.
Casper, after thinking this over for a moment: If you give me a candy, then the poo-poo will come.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• Todd's successful trip to Philadelphia and his safe return to Texas. I'm thankful for the research he got done, the interesting conference he attended -- and that the university pays for him to fly directly into our little town so I didn't have to drive to the big city to drop him off and pick him up.
  
• Our safety and sanity in Todd's absence. Swim lessons, lots of play dates, and a busy schedule helped make the bedtime routine smooth (people were too exhausted to fight me on anything).
  
• The police officer who broke into my house on Wednesday afternoon. We arrived home from piano lessons on Wednesday to find that the doorknob part of our door was locked (I don't carry a key for that part of the door). The knob can easily be locked from the inside and the door pulled shut, so I imagine that one of my helpers did this by mistake. I felt prompted to drive over to the home of my friend and visiting teacher. She welcomed me and before I could even look for a locksmith's number in the phone book, her police officer husband arrived home for a brief stop (I later learned that he was impressed to go home instead of continuing to where he had been headed). He offered to bring a couple of tools, follow us to the house, and see what he could do. He opened the bottom lock with a credit card in less than a minute! It's not everyday that a uniformed officer breaks into your house. I'm so thankful for his willingness to help me, that he didn't get a call and have to rush off before we arrived at my house, for his sweet wife who watched my kids while all this went on, and that I didn't have to pay a locksmith. I'm thankful that I am worthy to receive helpful inspiration from heaven and that I was smart enough to listen to it this time around. I'm thankful for tender mercies and answered prayers.
• For Casper's health. He's had a nasty case of croup this weekend (and by nasty, I mean that at 2 am Friday night I was sitting with my baby in a steam filled bathroom with the hot shower on full force while Todd looked up the fastest routes to the ER). I'm thankful for Todd's worthiness and willingness to use the Priesthood and for the blessing he gave our sweet boy, who seems markedly improved today.
  
• The safety of my niece, Phoebe. She took a nasty fall this week that resulted in 7 stitches above her left eye. Poor baby.
  

(paper) engineering

Todd returned from a recent business trip on Friday night and then spent much of this morning reconnecting with the kids over paper. They all made pop-up cards and were thrilled with the results.

Man of the House

Todd's been in Philadelphia all week, but thankfully I haven't been without a man of the house. Linus (seen here donning 3 hammers, a wrench and a screwdriver in a make-shift tool belt) has been very willing to lend a helping hand (or hammer) when needed.

Giant Squid!

Gwennie was beyond excited about this drawing of a giant squid. I'm more impressed by the giant cat, which, in proportion to the squid, is dang big. I'm also currently in love with the way she spells things.

summertime

sock puppeteer

While the big kids were busy being cowboys, Casper helped me fold laundry as one of his many alter-egos. This time he was "Fluff Paw", a dog with Daddy's sock as the paw. This little pup would hide under the laundry on the couch only to spring up again and fly his space ship (the couch) onto the roof. I didn't quite follow the whole narrative, but Casper, er, Fluff Paw was having a great time.

cowpokes

Gwendolyn and Linus spent much of one morning dressed as cowboys. They rode horses (first photo, notice the stirrups) and went looking for, "craft supplies in the Safari Desert." Kids are awesome.

paterfamilias

Today I am thankful for:

• the dads in my life. My father, who has always been a wonderful example of hard work and dedication, my father-in-law, who is a great example of unselfish love and creativity, and most especially, my sweet Todd. He is such a good father -- so patient and playful and loving and creative. Each and every day he teaches me how to be a better parent and our kids could not be more in love with him.
• Todd's family, all of whom I dearly love and missed this week while they were reunioning. How thankful I am to be a part of that family.
  
• the down time we've had as a family this week. We don't get much, but I'll take what I can get.
• Casper's potty skills. More on this in another post, but this is exciting news around here.
  
• our sweet kitties. I like the fact that we have these animals around to cuddle.
  

gentlewoman farmer

Gwendolyn has been excited about the progress of her garden since planting carrot seeds in the Spring. She just harvested a couple to share for dinner. "They're so sweet and peppery!" she announced.

reunion

Our family in Idaho is celebrating a family reunion this weekend (does it count as a reunion if we aren't there?) and they made these fabulous t-shirts to commemorate the occasion. We'll be wearing ours tomorrow (even Todd, while at work). Thumbs up for the family!

first inning

Our local minor league baseball team offers "Free Ticket Tuesday," so we went over and caught a little bit of the game. We only stayed for the first inning (Mama had a meeting to go to, Casper really needed to go to bed, and it's hot here), but had a fun time. The older two kids were especially interested in the game, though still unsure of the rules. We'll definitely go again.

Photo by Linus.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• Fun times with my family. We had a wonderful weekend down at the coast with my parents. I'm so thankful for the beautiful memories made with my family. I'm so thankful for the good relationships I have with my husband, my parents, my kids. Thanks again, Granny and Grandad!
  
• Safe travels. I'm so very glad that everyone got home safely (except, of course, the crabs).
• A sweet friend who took care of our kitties in our absence. Unbeknownst to me, before we left the house, Casper wrapped the full cat bowls in some play silks and then hid them. Thanks again for coming to their rescue, Erin.
• Working air conditioners. At church, at the grocery store, at the library, but especially at home and in the cars. Dang, it's getting hot here.
  

vacation roundup

We so enjoyed our time at the coast with Granny and Grandad: fishing, crabbing, swimming and hunting for shells. Gwendolyn stayed an extra day and night with her grandparents while we brought the boys home (by way of one of our favorite museums, the Fire Museum). A great weekend all around.

beachview

Though we spent the morning crabbing and fishing, we spent most of the afternoon on the beach. I wasn't sure whether the children would enjoy swimming in the ocean, but they were enthusiastic about playing in the waves, especially when accompanied by a parent to help them leap over the surf. At one point, Jennifer and Gwennie were completely submerged by an enormous wave, complete with swimming fish.


Gwendolyn and Linus also spent time working on their seashell collections. (Linus: "I'm going to take these shells to Nougat so he can give them to his wife for her birthday!") Casper, however, was most interested in building in the sand. The only thing we don't have to record the day is photographs of our varying degrees of sunburn.

rabbing pie

This morning we drove down to the coast to spend time with Granny and Grandad. After our arrival, we drove to a spot under a bridge to help with Grandad's favorite pastime, crabbing. During the hour that we spent, only Gwennie had any luck; we're going to try another location tomorrow. But though we had little success, Gwennie was thrilled with her catch. Hopefully we'll have more to show from our future attempts.

And Casper was Grannie's assistant.

trio

Gwennie

You know what we found in this little chickadee's mouth yesterday? A grown-up tooth coming in behind her baby teeth on the bottom. The baby teeth on the bottom that aren't even loose. The dentist said all is well at this point and the baby teeth should come out on their own, but I'm glad she has her bi-annual check-up scheduled in five weeks. What are the chances that she'll lose her first tooth before her 8th birthday? I should start taking bets.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• The happy return of our sweet kitties and the protection they received in their absence. Pudge did have an nasty infection on his tail which he had to have treated, and they were both a little thin and in need of affection, but everyone is doing well now. Also, all three cats now have NON-breakaway collars with replacement tags, and all have been microchipped, although none seem particularly anxious to spend extended amounts of time outside.
• My parents. They are here for a very brief visit, but it's been nice to have them around for the day.
• The days off that Todd got this past week. I love having him home. In an ideal world, we would both be home all day to play with and teach our children. He's great company and a wonderful father.
  
• Fresh Texas peaches. My parents stopped at a road-side stand and bought a big box of very sweet and juicy peaches! I see homemade jam in our near future. Cobbler? Ice cream?

scrum

Linus

Gwennie plays "here is the church and here is the steeple," then Linus does his version: "Here is the tumbledown old church. Open the windows and see all the wreckage."

Casper, pondering

Mama, handing Casper and empty box: Will you please go put that in recycling for me?
Casper: What was in it?
Mama: Medicines for grown-ups.
Casper: What's a grown-up? Is Linus a grown-up?
Mama: No.
Casper: Is Gwennie a grown-up?
Mama: No.

Casper: Is she a girl?
Mama: Yes.
Casper (with a mischievous grin): Is Linus a girl?
Mama: No, Linus is a little boy, like you
Casper: Linus is big! But I'm little. I have little toes and a little head.

happy returns

Two of our cats disappeared last Monday and we've been sick with worry. We've been trying to have faith and to do what we could to bring them home (fliers, visits to the animal shelter, etc). Last week as Gwendolyn was praying for her pets, she felt prompted that they would return this weekend. When there was no sign of them when she went to bed on Sunday night, she was upset and discouraged. We discussed the fact that she was feeling the opposite of faith, and I told her about my kitty Tonto who went missing for three whole weeks when I was in high school. I reminded her that it was Memorial Day weekend, so the kitties had an extra day.

As reported, Plume showed up at our back door on Sunday night, and through my tears, I made Todd wake Gwendolyn up so she could see the miracle for herself. But still no sign of Pudge.

Last night as Todd and I were finishing up some work, I felt that I should step outside and call for Pudge once again (something we have been doing dozens of times a day for the past week). To my joy and surprise, Pudge came running toward me!

Our prayers were answered, Gwendolyn's prompting was correct, our family was blessed with a minor miracle, and our kitties are safe and sound. I can't put my gratitude into words.

I think both cats are happy to be home, but they may feel differently tomorrow morning when they go to the vet for microchips.


Note: Before coming to our family, I think Plume was strictly an outdoor cat. It is not unheard of for her to spend a night or two away from home, but a week is certainly unusual. Pudge has been with us since kittenhood and is a bit of a scaredy-cat. Two weekends ago, he failed to come in one night when Todd called him. Todd then woke in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of Pudge trying to claw his way into our house through a screened window. Being gone for a full week is not at all like him. I think he was lost, but protected on his journey back home.