the perfect day

What a beautiful, memorable day. After a morning filled with last minute tasks before the baptism (including a run to Best Buy to replace the computer monitor that died as Todd was completing the program for the meeting), the rest of the family arrived and we headed to the church.

Gwendolyn, who has been a little apprehensive about being in the font and having people watching her, was beyond excited. Grandma had agreed to act as pianist, and Gwennie's much-loved Primary teacher was chorister. Grandad gave a beautiful opening prayer, then Grandpa gave a wonderful talk about the significance of baptism. The room was silent as all the children listened attentively to Grandpa's story. Gwendolyn was absolutely riveted.

The actual baptism went perfectly (no ponytails floating to the top, as Gwendolyn had been fretting). As soon as it was over, she looked out at everyone through the glass and just glowed. I helped her change as she talked breathlessly on and on about how good she felt, how pure and happy. "I feel so good!" This is what joy feels like, my love.

Granny came and helped us change, and we returned to the Relief Society room where our friends and loved ones were writing messages and testimonies for Gwendolyn on paper we'd folded for the purpose (and which we plan to bind into a book for her). The messages and pictures from friends are all so sweet. I'm really thankful we decided to add this to the program.

My sister Tiffany gave a really sweet (and emotional) talk on the Holy Ghost before Gwendolyn was confirmed. The blessing was just as sweet and tender as she is, and the love her Heavenly Father feels for her was evident.

She was welcomed into the Primary by our dear friend (I'm thankful it worked out this way) and welcomed into the ward by our kind Bishop (the father of one of Gwendolyn's friends). Granny said a few words recalling Gwennie's birth and celebrating their close bond before giving the closing prayer.

After the ceremony, we spent ten minutes watching a slide show that Todd had made of Gwendolyn's life. It's amazing how many memorable moments she's packed into her eight years. She's a remarkable little girl.

matching polyester jumpsuits

Post-baptism, the family went out to dinner at Gwendolyn's choice of restaurants -- the peanut place, aka Texas Roadhouse. Post-dinner, we returned home and ate cake before watching Gwendolyn open her birthday and baptism presents. Since she had decided not to open her gifts until both sets of grandparents had arrived, she had plenty to get through. Two highlights were a handmade wooden box Grandpa had made as a bank, and the new cruiser bike which Granny and Grandad had gotten for her. Mama and Daddy gave her a set of scriptures and her response was, "Finally!"

playdate

Despite the oppressive heat (a continuing theme of our long weekend), we decided to spend part of the morning at a nearby park. One highlight was watching Gwennie follow her Daddy to the roof of an interesting structure at the park, the "Echo Chamber." Just an ordinary day at a favorite play spot. . . .

arrivals

Today, we drove to Houston to collect Grandma and Grandpa. Even though we had discussed the possibility of going to Brazos Bend State Park (so that Grandma could see some gators), the oppressive heat and a tight schedule led us to think better about such an ambitious afternoon. Instead, we took advantage of Houston's open museum day, visiting the MFAH and then (after a fine dinner at our favorite cafe) the Children's Museum for an hour and a half.

Much as we enjoyed our traipse through the Museum District, it was the opportunity to greet and spend time with the grandparents that we all valued.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• My sweet eight-year-old (!!!) and the joy she brings to our home every single day. It's been fun to celebrate her.
  
• My old and new calling(s). Today I was released as 1st counselor in Relief Society and then called as 1st counselor in Relief Society. I'm thankful for all the amazing women I've had the opportunity to serve with the past two and a half years. I have learned and grown and stretched myself in so many ways because of their influence. I'm thankful to have had a front row seat and been able to observe their charity and love and devotion and service. I'm also thankful for the incredible women who were called to the new presidency today. I'm looking forward to working with and learning from women I admire so much. The past month or so, I've been feeling a bit of calling burn-out, but today I felt recharged.
  
• The copious amounts of rain we got this week. Also, that the tornado which was sighted a couple of miles away didn't come and gobble up our house. Also, that the playroom has no windows. I'm usually not thankful for that, but it does make a nice storm shelter.
• The exciting week we have ahead of us, complete with visits from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and Gwendolyn's baptism on Saturday!
  

enchantment under the sea

Gwendolyn requested an "Enchantment Under the Sea" party for her eighth birthday. (Well, she asked for a water party, and we added the Back to the Future allusion.) Twelve children joined our three for a couple of hours of sea-related crafts and treats, chocolate cake with sprinkles, and waterplay in the back yard. If you can think of a game involving buckets, playpools, hoses, slip-n-slides, sprinklers, or water balloons, chances are we played it.

We also had a good time with our pinata and treasure hunt. After a rousing rendition of the pinata song, the children took turns whacking a flimsy fish pinata.

They children noticed that there was less candy in the pinata than they'd expected, and only once they'd broken it entirely did they realize why: hidden in the fish (I mean, "sewn into the bellies of the fish!") there was a rather provocative parchment message from the pirates who had stolen most of the booty from the pinata. With the letter was a compass and some directions, and after some searching, the children found their way to another few clues -- a rebus, a visual puzzle, and finally a poem about pirates which led them to their buried treasure.

The treasure chest contained the pirates' booty: (chocolate) coins, a jeweled ring (pop) or two, and (candy) necklaces which were missing from the pinata:

I think that they all (the older children especially) had a good time with the hunt. Here is the opening of the comic poem about pirates which eventually led the children to the spot where the sea dogs had hidden their treasure:

Not long ago, the greatest fear
of sailors sailing everywhere
was pirates, those ferocious men
who'd make you walk the plank and then
would scuttle your ship to the floor
of deepest oceans, and what's more,
would steal the swag they'd find aboard.
To do crime was its own reward.

Let us know if you'd like to see the rest of the verse.

eight!

Our baby girl turned eight today. Eight! I can hardly believe she's so old and grown up. She really is an angel of a girl. She is so eager to learn and is rarely without a book in hand. She's a hard worker (even if she does complain about certain responsibilities) and has such a giving spirit. She wants to help and nurture every living thing. I'm so proud of her budding testimony, her desire to do good in this world, and her sensitive nature. Happy Birthday, my sweet girl.

announcing . . .

Gwendolyn and I have been collaborating on a letterpress project, an announcement card for her upcoming baptism. Over the past few weeks, I've labored to design and cut the block, finishing a first proof earlier this week. For the past couple of days, Gwennie and I have worked in my pressroom to produce the text for the card; she set the type entirely (though I held the composing stick for her). She says that she found the process exciting, and we're both pleased with the way that the finished card came out.

Four Star Playhouse

Casper's Day

Hard to believe that this boy is now three. He remains pretty irresistible. One of the great things about a three year old (or maybe just this one) is that he is happy to do anything we suggest, as long as he gets to be the center of attention on occasion. He wanted to go out for lunch, and chose the local hot dog emporium where he and his siblings had coupons (did I mention that he can be a pretty cheap date?). For dinner we had a local favorite, fettuccine alfredo (aka cheesy noodles) with chicken, then chocolate cake (aka rocket cake). That, plus a few presents, combined to make the best day ever.

brotherly rivalry

These two are either the best of friends or the most devious and underhanded antagonists I've ever seen. When left to their own devices, they can play sweetly for hours. At times, however, they are guilty of the cheapest sucker punches and nasty tricks imaginable (and that goes both ways -- Casper is more often direct in his attacks, and Linus tends to be passive-aggressive until he snaps and slugs his brother). There's no doubt that part of what makes a brother is the ability to get a reaction at will. But it's also a joy to see that they are growing to rely on each other, to be able to interact as equals.

Big Book of Historical Events

Mama: Children, do you know what revelation is?
Gwennie (thinking for a minute): "You mean, like the Revelationary War?"

. . . if I had a hammer . . .

I know that I shouldn't have to mention that these boys are fascinated by tools, and would rather play with them than anything else they own. There is a box of wrenches and screwdrivers in my office, and they like nothing better than to slip in when I'm working and line them up (and ransack the study while they're at it).

presswork

I'll have to post some action shots later, but one of the activities of last Saturday was to set and print these posters for the children's bedroom doors. (I think that the older two will add color to the image of the eagle and of the rabbit so that they match the value of the bold wood type.) We all had a great time -- Gwennie, who loves intricate creative projects; Linus, who is fascinated by machinery; and Casper, who loves to be involved in the things that his older siblings get to do. I'll never try this with three children and no assistance again, though: there's simply too much setup and cleanup. (Better to leave unsaid the accident -- in the potty training sense of the word -- which occurred on my pressroom floor).

scene from yesterday

Daddy: Linus, Mama's coming home in fifteen minutes. Would you like to clean the playroom so that she'll be happy she's back?
Linus (very politely): No, thank you.
Daddy: But she hasn't seen you in four days. . . .
Linus: More like thirty days. Feels like one hundred days to me.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• My wonderful trip to Salt Lake for a "girls weekend" with my mother-in-law and four of my amazing sisters-in-law. All the details in another post, but needless to say, it was amazingly fun, exhausting, and worth it.
  
• The incredible people I'm related to. I admire these women so much and feel I came back renewed and a better person/wife/mother. I hope this becomes an annual tradition.
• Todd and the great fun he had with the kids over the weekend. He really is an amazing father.
  
• Safe travels. The drives, the parking, the shuttles, the airplanes, the driving around in the city. I'm home safe and sound and so is everyone else. Hooray!
• Mountains and dry, desert air. Two things that Texas is lacking.
  

soaker

For a couple of dollars each, we were able to get two air-pressure "watersquirters" and a little hot-potato water balloon game. (How this works: Gwennie and I would toss the plastic ball containing a balloon until its timer ended and a built-in needle popped the balloon, drenching one of us.) Combined with our hose fountain, we got pretty cool.

I love the jaunty angle of Casper's fisherman's hat. (Even more than that, I love my confidence that this sentence has never before appeared in the history of the English language.) Linus, on the other hand, had to borrow Gwendolyn's old hat, having lost his own.

Tonight: homemade pizzas -- the customary "puffaroni" and my green pizza with spinach and shallot-laced artichoke hearts, half with leftover pesto and half with marinara.

Do you mind if we park for a while?

Of course, because of the heat, we had the park entirely to ourselves, with the exception of the middle-aged businessman who was sitting across from the play structure making calls on his smartphone. We fit in several favorites, including Monster-Chases-the-Mice and Coordinated Swinging, before going on a surprise trip to the toy store for clearance water equipment.


Tonight was the kids' favorite meal: salads and homemade pigs-in-blankets.

sweaterobics

Unfortunately, our vacation coincided with the third week of consecutive hundred-plus degree days. This didn't keep us from spending plenty of time outside, but our stamina was greatly reduced.

But we had plenty of time between soccer games to make one of our favorite dinners, spaghetti with leek and sausage ragu.

departure

With Mama gone on her vacation to Utah, the children and I decided that we'd have a vacation of our own. After a half day at work, I went to pick up the three from the play date where Jen had deposited them before driving to the airport. We spent some time discussing our options for the next few days: what games we'd play around the house, what places we'd visit, and what favorite foods we'd eat. (These got progressively more involved as the week went on.) Tonight: tacos!

farewell

The day finally came when Linus's much-loved Primary teacher moved away. Linus wasn't exactly sure how to say good-bye, but spent a lot of time making a farewell card the night before and requested a photo with his teacher.

spritely

We try not to be too irreverent in our house, but Casper is hilarious when he prays. For the longest time, he would ask Mama or Daddy to help him pray, but instead of repeating our words, he would just agree:
Mama: We're thankful for today.
Casper: Uh-huh.
Mama: We're thankful for our dinner.
Casper: Okay.
Mama: We ask Thee to bless it.
Casper: Yes.

Now, when it is his turn to pray, he will softly mumble out a few short sentences on his own, but when someone else is praying, he will usually bellow his own version of the prayer at the same time.

archaisms

Gwennie: I think that Mama wanted to talk with all of us about something, but I dare say she's not in the mood now.
Daddy: Gwennie, did you just say, "I dare say"?
Gwennie: Yes -- I don't know what it means, but I keep reading it in all these books!

somnambulist

At least once a night, Linus gets up to use the bathroom. Really, this is just sleepwalking because the kid often wanders around visiting other rooms and beds and sofas before he realizes where he needs to be. Then, after he's done, he staggers around a bit more before he remembers where his bed is. I often feel some compassion and help him out, but other times, it's just good entertainment.

in one floppy ear and out the other

Each Sunday after church, the children rush over to the Bishop's office for a lollipop (his way of ensuring that they aren't afraid of visiting him). Yesterday, before passing out the sweets, the bishop spoke with Casper about how he needs to be more reverent during Sacrament Meeting (and boy, does he ever!). So later, I asked Casper about this conversation.

Mama: Casper, what did the bishop talk to you about?
Casper: About the possibility that cranes can pick up things.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• My sweet husband who always helps me see the other side of things when I get too worked up or emotional about things. It's been an emotional week and I'm so thankful that I have Todd around to keep me grounded and give me a shoulder to cry on.
• My sweet Gwendolyn. She has grown and matured so much this summer. When she isn't pushing her brothers' buttons, she is a shining example to them and a tremendous help to me.
  
• My loving Linus. He's such a cuddle bug and I love his goofy little smile. He's sensitive, but so easy-going. His loving, affectionate nature is just what I need some days.
• My little Casper. I can already tell that 3 is going to be tough with this assertive, energetic guy. But for now, he's still my baby (just don't tell him that I called him a baby) and he cracks me up.
  
• All of my dear extended family, many of whom I'll get to see in the upcoming weeks due to a trip to Salt Lake and Gwendolyn's upcoming baptism. Sometimes I just sit and marvel at how blessed I am.
  

second loss

Gwennie actually lost a second tooth today. Once again, she wiggled the thing right out of her head. I hadn't thought that it was as loose as it apparently was, but now that she has a front tooth missing, she really does look like a little snaggle-tooth. And so much older!

She loves the tooth fairy and believes whole-heartedly. She even helped Linus clean up his room before bed so that the tooth fairy and our house fairy, Lilac, could meet. Which they apparently did (Lilac left a note explaining that she and "Toofie" are neighbors in fairyland). I love this sweet little girl of mine.

aw, shucks!

While he was working, he kept chanting, "Shucks!" I don't think he got the pun.

grateful sunday

This week I am thankful for:

• My health, which has been questionable lately (and also provides my excuse for the lack of recent blog posts). I've had a few good days recently and I'm so grateful.
• The rain we got this week. It seems I mention being grateful for rain every time we get a drop, but I really am.
• Good neighbors. Our little house is surrounded by some really good people. I'm thankful to know them and for the ways in which they touch my life.
• The wonderful teachers my children have at church. Linus's teacher is moving in a couple of weeks, and he's brokenhearted. (Linus is pretty sad about it, too. He came to Todd at the end of church last week and said, "Daddy, the saddest thing happened today -- Brother Farrer is moving in three weeks!") Casper still talks about and misses his teachers, who moved away weeks ago. I know my kids are loved and cared for in their classes. What a blessing.
• Knitting. I love this craft. I started a new project this weekend and it feels good to get my hands in wool again -- it's been a while. It also reminds me of my awesome Boston friend, TGL. She rocks.
• My sister Tiffany and all the good, happy things going on in her life. She rocks, too.