The BS Club

I think book orders are wonderful.

I think school library book fairs are divine.

There's just something about new children's books--the beautiful illustrations, the untouched pages, the colorful covers.

I just can't get enough of them!!!

My sons' book orders are always returned, filled out, money attached.

Our school's book fairs are always attended, books purchased, checks written.

My love affair with buying childrens books started when I was in the 4th grade.

Because that was the year my addiction began.

An addiction to the B.S.C.

(For all of you who weren't faithful followers like me, the B.S.C. means "the Baby-Sitters Club".)

After checking out the first dozen B.S.C. books from the school library, I was hooked.

For 2 years, I spent every possible dime I could purchasing B.S.C. books from book orders and book fairs.

I was involved in the lives of those baby-sitters, I was inspired by their stories, and I learned how to be a good baby-sitter and friend from them.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on each new book in the series written by Ann M. Martin, especially the "Super Special" adventure ones, they were my favorite!

I have loved these books. I feel bonded to them. They are a part of my childhood, my history, my life. I have held onto them for 20 years, thinking that some day I would have a daughter who would treasure them as much as I did.

But you all know that's not going to happen.

My mother once shared her love of "Nancy Drew" stories from her childhood with me, hoping that I would inherit her same youthful passion for those books. Unfortunately, I hate reading mysteries, which meant I disliked reading Nancy Drew.

In comparison, I doubt any of my boys will ever be interested in reading about young girls who liked babysitting, so now I know the disappointment my mother must have felt!

It is time for me to free up some space in my shed and my soul, and part ways with the B.S.C. books.

I tried to donate them to the school library, but the librarian refused them. She said, "the young girls aren't interested in those types of books anymore". I wanted to cry. But deep inside, I already knew 10-year-old girls nowadays aren't into babysitting anymore.

Times have changed since I was a 4th grader. My son is a 4th grader now, and I can see many differences...

When I was in 4th grade our family didn't even have cable TV or a VCR--now it seems everyone has Dish DVR or Digital Cable on Demand. In the 4th grade, I listened to my Walkman tape/radio--not an iPod or MP3. Our school had large ancient computers, where the screen only showed two colors and the only game on it was "the Oregon Trail"--now laptops have mega pixel screens and large GB storage and are filled with hundreds of programs. We played dodgeball and 4-square and MASH and Chinese Jumprope at recess. Back then, we didn't have wii or cell phones or internet. In the 4th grade, I had hopes of someday inventing a "tv-watch", where you could view TV on a monitor attached to your wrist--and now the iPhone makes my dream possible.

The differences are numerous between my life in 4th grade in 1989 and my son's life in 4th grade in 2009.

But, at least there is ONE great thing that hasn't changed: monthly book orders and school library book fairs.

And I'm still addicted to them!!

Scouting for Speed!

Ammon is a good-looking Webelo Scout. He participated in his 3rd and final Pinewood Derby in January. His car was flaming hot!There were 10 entries in the derby this year, representing scounts from two local troops. He won the award of "most colorful paint job". The derby is such a fun and exciting event for the boys! They anticipate it for weeks! They are all friends...which makes the race against each other even more competitive! Ammon's car did fairly well, but he couldn't beat the cars made by either set of twins; he even tried running it backwards down the track to see if that would make a difference.
He was sad when the activity ended, because he knew his derby days were done. After we got home, he said he wants to keep making the cars every year even if he's no longer in cub scouts! He has loved building and racing the cars! He's always chosen the car's design and the paint colors and pattern. He likes seeing his mental image of the car become real! And he loves racing against his friends; it is so thrilling to watch the cars speed down the short track! The Pinewood Derby has been his favorite scouting activity! (retired derby cars of '08, '09, and '10)

On the Ice

At school last month, the 100% attendance reward was a trip to the Ice Skating Rink. The twins had a blast with their kindergarten class! But without skates, for them it was less ice skating and more:

Ice Racing,

Ice Train-Pulling,

and Ice Chair-Pushing!

silence of the cows

When I was a teenager, I fell in love with cows. Well, to be more specific--cows of the fake kind. I thought they were so adorable! During my high school years, I started my collection of them. I bought cows, I crafted some cows, and my friends gave me several cows. My good friend Heather gave me a shirt with this on it:I loved it! I wore that T-shirt until the armpits were yellow and there were holes in it. After I got married (to a dairy farmer's son of all people!), I knew that I wanted to display my cows, so I chose to have a cow-kitchen. I cut that T-shirt and framed it, and it's been in my kitchen ever since. I have had cows adorning my kitchen for 12 years!

After my collection became too big to fit in just the kitchen, I decided to have a cow bathroom as well. This phase lasted about 2 years, when I figured I needed to down-size. I got rid of older ones and dirty ones and not-cute-anymore ones. After the purge, the remainder of the cows all fit back into my kitchen again. As time went on, whenever I added a new cow to my collection, I immediately got rid of an old one (since we live in a small house, I'm very strict with the rule of "bring something in, take something out").

I have loved my cows. I have loved the country feel they add to my home, especially in this house that we've lived in for 7 and 1/2 years. It's been very fitting to have a cow kitchen while living on a dairy farm! To go along with the whole theme, my floor is black and white checkered, my cabinets are white with black knobs, my cupboards are lined with black and white checkered contact paper, my walls have a cow wallpaper border. I have bought cow shelves, cow pictures, cow glasses, cow measuring spoons, cow hand towels, cow magnets, cow souvenirs. I have been given many cow decorations, homemade and store-bought, by family and friends, including this vinyl saying I put above my cupboards: "The family that grazes together stays together".

But the time and the season have come to end the reign of the cows. The cows have lived a very good life, and have served their purpose well, but I needed to bid my mooing friends farewell, including the framed shirt. The kitchen in our new house is very open and doesn't have a lot of display room, so there won't be any place for my cows. The new kitchen is very neutral and has a more antique feel, and the cows just won't belong in there. So, in preparation, I went through and cleaned up all my cows, threw some away, put many in a box to sell at our moving yard sale, and I chose to keep just a few...I couldn't quite bring myself to get rid of ALL of them!!! Some of them have extreme sentimental value, especially ones that were gifted to me by my mother, my aunt Candi, my Grandma Perkins, and some of my friends. In our new home, the cows will now reside in the boys' bathroom.

I'm sad to see the end of the mooing era, but in saying goodbye to my beloved bovines, I'm opening up space within myself and my home for something new to enter! Packing up my cows is the first of many changes to come with getting a new house! It's overwhelming and exciting at the same time!!!

a perfect TEN

Ammon turned 10 in January. To celebrate his special day, he chose to have a sleepover again, and he wanted to invite 4 boys. When I went to the store to get invitations, all they had for boys were pirate invitations. So just 4 days before the party, the "pirate" theme was chosen--an inspiration taken from lack of assorted invitations! And it ended up being so much fun! I bought some balloons, a tablecover, pirate loot bags, and some goodies, and the rest of the decorations and games I came up with on my own, so it was an inexpensive party, too!
The first event of the party was sledding. The boys had a great time on the little hill next to our home, with only minimal injuries resulting from it! After sledding for almost 2 hours, they came in for some hot chocolate, and then we started the indoor games. The first pirate game was "Walk the Plank". I made them cross the long 2x4 three times: once normally, once with their eyes closed, and once with their hands tied behind the back. Each time they had a successful crossing without falling off, they received swedish fish.The next game was "pin the patch" on the skeleton pirate. I painted a pirate skull on a poster, cut out patches from different colors of paper (so that each boy had their own color), and attached glue dots on the backs of the patches. Each boy had to wear a black-out sleeping mask as well as a bandana over it so there would be no peaking and no cheating. The boys loved this game and played it several times. The winner of each round received a handful of swedish fish.
The last pirate game we played was a treasure hunt. They were so excited! It was fun watching them run all over the house to retrieve the clues! There was enough clues for the older boys to each read one aloud. I gave them the first clue in a glass bottle.

Clue #1:
Ahoy there Mate! Are you ready to hunt for the treasure chest?
You’ll find the next clue where reading adventures are put to rest.
(bookshelf in boys room)

Clue #2:
ARRRR! Good job finding the next clue!
You’ll need to go where black & white keys are planked for spot #2!
(on the piano)

Clue #3:
Shiver Me Timbers! You’re already on clue number 3!
You’ll find it where dinner will be cooked for you and me!
(in the oven)

Clue #4:
Aye Aye Captain! You’re finding clues galore!
The next one is under a large resting spot on the floor!
(under Kanyon’s bed)

Clue #5:
X Marks the Spot! You’ve almost completed your quest!
Go to where linens are dried to find the treasure chest!
(in the dryer) In the treasure chest, there was a pirate loot bag for each boy containing whistles, notepads, candies, and confetti. The chest also contained several gold and silver wrapped chocolates for the boys to share. For dinner, we ate corndog sailed ships, string cheese swashbuckler swords, goldfish, and ocean blue jell-o. I tried out a new recipe for Ammon's birthday cake, but unfortunately I overcooked it. But I attempted to make up for it by decorating his cake fashioned for a pirate. It wasn't exactly what I had envisioned, since my cake decorating skills are minimal, but Ammon thought it was awesome, and his opinion is what mattered on that day!!
After cake & ice cream, Ammon opened the gifts from his friends, and then the boys played wii for hours and watched the movie "Little Rascals" in the boys' room, and then they giggled and talked and laughed until they finally fell asleep around 11:30. The boys all had a great time at the party, and it was hard for their energy levels to tire! It's a wonder that they ever even fell asleep, since there was seven boys all sleeping in one room!!
My oldest boy is now 10; he's officially hit the age of double digits. I'm sad that he's growing up, but I'm also very proud of him for the young man that he's becoming. When the party was over and the boys were all gone, Ammon told me that he really loved it all and it was the best birthday party ever. When he told me that, I felt like I scored a perfect 10 for his big 10!!! I was glad that all my efforts were appreciated, and that he truly felt special surrounded by his friends on his special day. I love you Ammon and I'm so grateful you're my son!

Therapy

Today is officially the last day of Kanyon's at-home therapy. He turns 3 tomorrow, which means his therapy services will no longer be provided by the Child Development Center. The CDC works with infants and toddlers until age 3, when they are then evaluated and can become eligible to attend the Pioneer Preschool and receive their services instead.

For 2 years now, Kanyon has had multiple therapists who make weekly visits to our home. He had a SLT (Speech/Language therapist) until she moved away this past summer, he has a Developmental Therapist Amy, and he has an OT (Occupational therapist) Gayle. He loves his therapist friends, and always looks forward to their visits so he can play with them. They have been wonderful, and we've enjoyed having them in our home! Kanyon will miss seeing Gayle and Amy every week! His speech as well as his behaviors have improved dramatically since the therapists' interventions began.

Kanyon is too advanced in his motor skills and his speech is now considered normal for his age, but he still qualifies to go to the preschool due to his head-banging behaviors, his high sensory sensitivity, and his auditory and tactile processing. He will go two mornings a week until the end of the school year.

We are excited for him to go because we know what to expect; all 3 of the older boys went to the same preschool--Ammon because of his poor speech and Jonah & Micah because of their developmental delays. I know the teachers, I'm familiar with the daily schedule, and I am sure that the limited number of children in the class coupled with the positive learning environment will benefit him, just as it did his older brothers. I'm so grateful for these excellent programs that have helped my sons. I'm thankful for the awesome people who have professions that help others who need it, like my own children, and who are influential in their progression.

These photos are of his OT Gayle doing a tactile session with him. He hates having his hands be messy and touching strange textures, so she brought chocolate pudding for him to play in. The photos are evidence that he wasn't too fond of it at first, but by the end he loved it! Doesn't it look like so much fun?!

Who Dat?

Dat Dem Saints...

Goin' to the Superbowl!!!

For as long as I've known Josh, the Saints have been his football team. He loves their underdog spirit, he roots for their players, he sports their fleur de lis logo, and he wears their black & gold colors. He's a Saints Man!!!

When we went to New Orleans last year, we HAD to go see the Saints stadium, the SuperDome. The NFL season had recently ended, and unfortunately, the stadium's store had just closed for the day only 30 minutes before we got there, so we didn't have a chance to go inside. But in seeing the SuperDome, we crossed off his one item on the list of "things to do in New Orleans" and we took photos to remember it by.

He was SO excited when the Saints beat the Vikings 2 weeks ago! At the end of the 4th quarter, when Brett Favre threw an interception insuring that the Saints would pull the victory after a really close game, Josh was jumping up and down so hard that he hurt his foot! He was that ecstatic!!

This is the first time the Saints have ever been to a Superbowl. Drew Brees is going to take them all the way! Go SAINTS!!! We pick you as the 2010 Superbowl winner against Peyton Manning and the Colts!!!

Good Intentions

I had every intention of making me a tall and handsome snowman.
But the snow didn't cooperate.
So my plans changed.
Instead, he became a short and plump penguin-man.I take what I can get...and I think he even turned out kinda cute!

Laws of Attraction?

at⋅tract 
–verb
1.
to draw by a physical force causing or tending to cause to approach, adhere, or unite.
2.
to draw by appealing to the emotions or senses, by stimulating interest, or by exciting admiration.

From this definition, I understand and believe there are two types of attraction: physical and emotional.

From the first moment I saw my husband, I was physically attracted to him. Something inside of me ignited. Even now, over 12 years later, when I sometimes see him unexpectedly, my heart skips a beat. I desire to be near him, and when I am around him, my senses are awakened. Because my physical attraction for him is so deep, I am very emotionally attracted to him as well.

But I am also emotionally attracted to many others, regardless of their gender or race or religion. I think of it as an attraction of minds. I yearn to spend time with certain people because I feel mentally stimulated by them, because I feel understood in their presence, because I feel better about myself around them, and sometimes it's because I just enjoy being with them for no particular reason.

In the physical attraction sense, people say they are attracted to eyes, or butts, or smiles, or legs. But with emotional attraction, it's more about being attracted to someone's personality.

For me, I do not become truly physically attracted to someone unless I am emotionally attracted to them first (except of course for my "love at first sight" attraction to Josh). I can see people on TV or on the street and think "they're good-looking", but physically I feel nothing towards them. But after getting to know someone and becoming emotionally attracted to them, I start seeing the person as more beautiful, and I can become physically attracted to them. This has been rare, but unfortunately has still occurred.

I have given this a LOT of thought. The attractions I feel for others is something I cannot control, but acting upon the physical attractions is something I can. I can't always control my thoughts or feelings, but I can control my impulses and actions. And since I like to feel in control, I choose the latter. But even if I don't act on them, if I acknowledge my physical attraction for another in just my thoughts, is it still wrong?

Sometimes when I think about things too much in my head, I start becoming non-sensical. I'm wondering if any of you readers understand this whole attraction thing that I'm talking about? And if so, what are your thoughts on the subject?

Welcoming February

with...

new blog background

new blog music

new attitude

and

lots of love