Like, No Like, Lah Dat

The kids (and I) have two weeks off from school (and childcare).

I like it because:

1. I can sleep in until 8:00am instead of waking up at 6:15am.
2. No one needs to scurry around gathering their school stuff before heading out the door.
3. RO, JO, and SO generate much less laundry. When they aren't in school I don't follow standard societal protocol which suggests new outfits must be worn daily. (CO generates plenty of laundry on her own though because she is in the midst of potty training. And she strips down every time she needs to tinkle.)
4. The kids have loads of time to learn new responsibilities. I have this program I follow that breaks down into age groups all the practical things a child needs to learn before they hit 18. They have one-on-one training sessions with me before the task lands on their growing arsenal of mastered jobs that I can then make them do whenever the mood strikes.
5. The kids got some new games for Christmas that we've been playing and playing. Perfection and Hungry Hungry Hippos are my favorites, Yahtzee is stressful, and Wheel of Fortune is nifty, but loud. See #3 below.

I don't like it because:

1. CO won't take naps. And she still needs a daily nap. Now instead of noticing that she's "sweepie," sucking her thumb, and falling asleep, she routinely screams and throws a fit at 11:00am.
2. Toys are everywhere. If it wasn't for RO and JO's love for turning on their beloved Roomba (which belongs to the kids, we'reevilgeniuses!) nobody would ever pick anything up.
3. It's loud downstairs. There's a lot of playing and running around. They do go outside to play, but I don't make anyone go outside. It's cold out there.
4. RO is always telling me he's hungry.
5. I'm feeling lots of guilt because my grant deadline is only two weeks away. I'm writing a 35K federal grant for the high school (cuz I'm nice lah dat) which will help fund a farm to school program. It'll be cool because K-12 will learn about agri-science, 9-12 will maintain a garden in the now-empty space between the high school and the middle school, and eventually, hopefully they'll all eat lots of home-grown food in their school lunches. They also have plans to both sell produce to community members (in lieu of door-to-door fundraisers) and donate excess produce to charity. Cool program, long grant-writing process. I keep telling myself it's not nearly as bad as the successful 50K grant that my friend, Eva, and I wrote in '99. Maybe it's not as bad because now I know what I'm doing. . . I hope! ;)

Babies!

I'm blogging less these days because of these guys:

I'm providing childcare for Ben's co-worker's twins. It's a sweet gig. Along with the four month-old twins, I've been enjoying the adorable new babies in our ward. And this morning I got to see a photo shoot slideshow of my brand new niece (Steve's) who is a tiny miracle. I never did a professional photo shoot of my newborns, no, Sears does NOT count ;), but this makes me wish I had: http://amylynnsmith.com/photocart/slide_show.php?viewGallery=1035 (this link also takes you to my sister in-law's cool photography website). Yay for babies!

Talk About It

When I was student teaching sixth graders, my cooperating teacher told me to be very careful not to say negative things about a student during parent-teacher conferences because she had an experience where a child came to school with bruises the day after parent-teacher conferences. She felt sorrowful knowing that her words prompted someone to harm a child.

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea" ~St. Matthew 18:6

Growing up, remember listening to my peers talk to each other about getting "lickings" from their parents. I know parenting is hard. I know children can be exasperating. I think we all spent some time being exasperating as a children. Physically and/or verbally harming children is wrong. Have you been witness to child abuse? Have you said something that caused a parent to angrily react toward their child and even hurt him or her? As a mom and as a Christian, I feel like staying silent when I know a child is being hurt is wrong. I do empathize with my cooperating teacher's experience. But what can I do or say that may help someone's child in this situation?

Knapsack on My Back

I am reading a story about a child who ran away from home. She packed her pillowcase full of clothes and food then took off down the street.

Growing up, I never ran away. I never thought about trying to run away. My husband did. I have heard his story and his mother's version as well. (Too cute!) I have never had a child of mine run away or even tell me he/she wanted to run away. What makes a child want to run away? What makes that child turn that inkling into action--make the decision to pack up, then set out to officially run away? What is my role as a mom when my child runs away from home?

Where Have You Been All My Life?

I exchanged babysitting with a friend so we could each grocery shop alone. I dropped off my girls and on my way out the door, she told me about this amazing kitchen gadget she'd seen at her friend's house. She then excitedly described a gadget that cores and cuts apples into slices--in one quick, easy step. When she asked if I'd ever heard of such a thing, I had to laugh because I am indeed familiar with this amazing gadget. I told her I'd used an apple slicer for all the apples I'd sliced growing up and all the apples I slice for my kiddos. I couldn't believe she'd lived without one, and she couldn't believe I had one! What a highbrow life I've lived. It's interesting how you can go without something for so long and not know how desperately you need it. The past few weeks of having four bedrooms and two bathrooms is kind of like that. How did our family live for so long with just two bedrooms and one bathroom? Thank you to many friends and family for bringing us to where we are today--living the good life!

Oh, and at the grocery store, I couldn't help myself--I bought my friend an apple slicer. Did you know it cores and slices in one quick, easy step?!?

Once Upon a Time

Happy Halloween!

Another Home Improvement Post

I haven't taken many picture of the basement yet because the trim work isn't up so it's not 100% "finished" but here's the boys' room. This is the carpet we put in the whole basement. That and paint really make a huge difference.

If you're annoyed by my basement-finishing blog posts, be of good cheer. Today's post isn't just about the basement. It's about the upstairs bedrooms, too! We're switching rooms upstairs and getting new carpet in the upstairs bedrooms so I painted over the wall art in the kids' old room. I was sad to see it go, so I took some pictures. They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. This next one speaks volumes about why projects take so long to to finish around here. Isn't potty training joyful?

(When she's a teenager, won't my baby will be glad I don't have her actual name connected with my blog?)

This isn't the girls' room, just a picture of a bed I love. I found plans for making it online. It's our next project, after the upstairs bedroom painting/carpeting. SO is eager for the real bed and keeps asking if it's "coming soon." She can't wait.

Oh, and Halloween is about to crush us like bugs. Bring it on!

Celebrate

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My dad is seventy-seven this week. I haven't joined in on the celebration yet. But that ends now.This is a picture I love of Dad and my Co. taken this April when we were visiting. My dad is a retired professor. He worked in the School of Business at BYUH in marketing then hotel and restaurant management. I was able to take a class from him when I went there and he is a dynamic teacher who encouraged his class to read, and not just the required text for the class. Love that! I have several memories from my childhood that make me smile and remind me of how lucky I am to have a good dad. Whenever I see an insect with a pin in it or a giant fish stuck to a wall I think of my dad. No, my dad didn't work at a museum, but we used to go on campus to visit him and have adventures all the time. The Monte Bean museum is a big part of my childhood memories from BYU Provo.

We'd visit my dad after Saturday matinees. We'd eat at the cafeteria at the wilky Wilkinson center blowing milk bubbles with our straws. But we also met Dad at his office at BYUH where we seemed to always be licking an ice cream cone from the Seasider/Snack Bar. My brothers perfected the "suicide" fountain drink at family dinners there, too.

I remember the kids taking turns riding around with Dad on his moped. I loved when he'd "pedal" the moped. Like it was a bike. Amazing skills.

I also remember that catchy tune, "My Dad," from childhood. I always thought the lyrics were written especially for my dad. The part that goes ". . . he always has money for bubble gum, I haven't figured how he does it yet, but, my dad's the smartest guy. . ." For years Dad always had a Big Red PLENTPAK and we would get a half stick whenever we asked.

My childhood was filled to overflowing with vacations and activities that I took for granted. I wish I were a better writer, so I could adequately explain how lucky my siblings and I are to have such a kind-hearted provider. These days my dad wears the "retired" hat well. He loves watching TV, is a voracious reader, has served several MTC missions with my mom, and even works out at the gym! I love you, Dad. Happy 77th birthday.

Love This!

Sesame Street is turning forty!



(Stay down, doot doot Dora.)

I grew up watching and loving that show. My all-time favorite Sesame Street song is this one:



Six Soccer Socks is also a favorite of mine. And I have to say that Grover and Oscar the Grouch are definitely my favorite monsters and Maria is my favorite human.

Ooh, I just found Six Soccer Socks:


Happy 40th, Sesame Street. And Happy 42nd, Uncle Ryan!

Almost Camping

We almost stayed at another Fire Lookout, this time with Daddy in North Idaho near the Canadian border. Once we got to the park, we drove for about 16 miles up a mountain on Friday along switchbacks for about an hour. We were amused at first by the snowflakes we were seeing and glad that we had some new warm sleeping bags. But the snow got deep fast the higher we went. We decided to turn around the second time the van got stuck. A park ranger in a Rhino reported 6 to 8 inches at the summit.

We ended up staying at a hotel with indoor water park and although I got a great deal at $129.00 for the room and family water park pass, it was the first summer we did not get to have a family camping trip.

Here are a few pictures of the cold kids playing in the snow before we surrendered and headed back down the mountain. JO was making us laugh as he hurried to squeeze as much snow-related fun into the few minutes we were stuck. He made a snow angel, had a snowball fight with RO, ate a big snowball, and wrote in snow with, um, yellow "ink."

Summer School

This mama got schooled.

No, wait. I meant to say:

This summer has been filled with terrific learning opportunities for me.

If I were in fourth grade, this post would be my response to "What did you do this summer?"

1. I learned that it didn't do much good to complain about Ben's work schedule, or pine away for the good ole teaching career of summers off. A bad attitude (mine) didn't shorten our summer days without Ben.


2. I learned that I sometimes saw a little Miss Hannigan (Do I hear. . . happiness!?!) in my parenting (Stop having such loud fun. . . Dad's sleeping!). But many days I succeeded at not having kids who were "bored." This doesn't mean they ignored the siren calls of Spongebob and Patrick. But we had fun at home swinging on the back yard swing (*bragging edit* homemade swing) and hammock, making tents in the bedroom, taking dips in our 12' pool, and injesting two Costco-sized boxes of Otter Pops.


3. I learned that always shopping surrounded by four kids is tedius. Before this summer I'd taken all four children shopping with me, but having to do it this summer anytime I needed to buy anything was somehow way more stressful.


4. I learned that in an effort to compensate for the long working hours, I shouldn't have spoiled the kids rotten by letting them each buy a pound of candy at WINCO. Especially since the sugary indulgence happened to fall on the exact same day that their daddy brought home candy for his little neglect-a-reenos. (Flanders nod.)


5. I learned that free summer movies and summer school are awesome ways to NOT spend money spoiling your kids.


6. Wait, did I just say something about not spending money or spoiling my kids? Oops. I took the kids to the local pizza place about 10 times. The first time we went I talked with the owner about her expensive renovation process after arsons burned it down last year. I learned that when my money goes to a "good cause" my kids eat pizza and play A LOT. Oh, and the kids were always so exhausted after playing there--making it so worth every penny!


7. I stand by my decision to not take four children to any major amusement parks or water slides. I'd go bonkers doing head counts and chasing CO.


8. I learned that there's only one thing worse than mowing the grass hopped up allergy meds. Weedwhacking the grass along a chain-link fence! Hate that tiring combination of allergen exposure, drugs in my system, and ricocheting powertools. Hate. Thanks, K2, for stepping in to mow the yard. I should have given you a call in June, not September.


9. I learned that I am not capable of keeping a 12' swimming pool properly chlorinated for a whole summer.


10. I learned that having Costco muffins for dinner won't kill anybody. (I did this only once, I swear!)


11. Ditto that for Saimin, a.k.a. Top Ramen for dinner. (I did this lots, I swear!)


12. RO learned to make Saimin.
13. When cleaning along the bay window one day, I successfully identified a weird brown spot as a Saimin powder packet spilled on the carpet. I did not successfully identify the culprit. I learned that nobody did it.


14. I am struggling to learn that it's important to get a good night's sleep when you're the only parent your kids interact with all day long.


15. I learned that two year-old CO is not funny when she wakes up one hour after going to bed at night; hands on hips, nodding, and declaring "Is is morning now, Mom."


16. I learned that watching someone paint a room on HGTV is more entertaining than painting a whole basement. . . 18 gallons and counting (bathroom still needs paint).


17. I learned that my boys are awesome. They've decided to play indoor soccer in the spring. A little wiggle-room in their fall schedules will be almost as much fun as their first day of school was. And they still have scouts, piano, and RO is learning cello at school.


18. I learned that potty-training my fourth child is a much smoother process than when I first starting potty-training years ago. The accidents are no big deal and the gummy bear rewards are still as sweet.


19. I learned that showing up late to sacrament meeting (3x this summer!) isn't as inconspicuous as it was before we had kids.


20. Way too many well-intentioned folks at church asked me about Ben with a look of deep "concern" on their faces. Ben suggested I start a few rumors by answering with a sniffle, twirling my wedding ring aimlessly, or turning on the waterworks. If I was a better actor/liar, I'd have totally tried it! I learned that I'm okay with people wanting to know where my hubby is, but I'm not okay with people who kept on asking over and over. And over. Okay, it was one person. No two people. No. One person asking over and over and one person wanting to know how Ben was enjoying his tropical holiday. ehh, heh, hah, ha, hmm


21. I learned that this summer was a big trial in my life. I can live through life's trials and even grow. I know God loves me and my summertime-dysfunctional family and He has blessed my life in so many ways, even this summer.
22. I learned that my four babies were so sweet to run to hug and kiss Daddy. They missed him so much. Not as much as I missed my sweetie WELCOME BACK TO FORTY-HOUR WEEKS AND THE DAY SHIFT, BEN. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE YOU HOME.

This is my sister, Sh-M-A-R-E-N

It's weird to know somebody for their whole life and not know their name. My sister was visiting us this past weekend and I think I know her name now. It's Maren. It always has been. But growing up she went by "Shelley." I love her dearly, but she's gone back to using her given name. It was weird introducing her to people as "my sister [pause] Maren." Folks were probably wondering why I didn't know my sister's name. She did a great job taking pictures of her nieces and nephews and blogs at www.hawaiianshells.net/ take a look at her blog for more photos of my babies.

Keep coming back to visit, Maren. And I'll keep remembering your name.

We Watch It

The Huffington Post called Ted Kennedy's dying "his final act of public service. " Kennedy's death has turned attention away from Michael Jackson.

FINALLY!

I'm indifferent about Kennedy and his legacy but I'm happy to get rid of Michael Jackson news. Why are so many actual current events brushed aside when something newsworthy/gossip-worthy happens to celebrities? People seem so eager to drink in the details of Michael Jackson's life and death (or gossip about Jon and Kate Plus Eight). Maybe it's just me being grumpy, but when I see ads for E! or Extra I think I can't believe they're still talking about Michael Jackson. If people didn't watch it, the press coverage would stop, right? I wonder why we watch.

I'm Not the Only One

I came across a blog post I thought was very brave. It featured a real home. Here's the link:

Y

Earlier this year RO took some cute pictures of CO.

Costco groceries on the table, so she helped herself to

a peanut butter chair.

CO saw the uploaded pictures and cooed;

"I sit down on it!"

I thought "Too bad the table and floor are a mess. . ."

As a salute to real homes, I think I'll look past the mess.

Twenty-four

There are days in my life I know I’ll always remember. Thursday August 13, 2009 turned out to be one of those days. I began my day in the emergency room and ended it perched on a mountain top. What a memorable 24 hours for me and my family!

My mother-in-law, Kathy, and I have been planning a family hike to the Quartz Mountain Fire Lookout. I had made an overnight reservation with the parks department for August 13th. Ben wouldn’t be able to come because of his work schedule, and CO was too young for an overnight hike, but the rest of us were looking forward to a unique and much-needed summer diversion. On Wednesday we were packing hiking backpacks for ourselves and RO, JO and SO. We made a list of last-minute supplies we’d need. I went shopping about an hour before Ben woke up for work, and Kathy made dinner.

A few minutes before Ben left for work he heard SO choking in her room. She was sucking on a heart-shaped plastic piece from an earring and accidentally swallowed it. I got home and found my girls crying on their daddy’s lap. (CO had fallen off a chair, but was soon fine.) SO was looking very sad, pointing to her neck. I could tell she was in a lot of pain. I called the pediatrician to talk to a nurse and gave her some ibuprofen to keep her scratched throat from swelling. As I was talking to the nurse, we decided to try feeding SO a bite of pasta noodles coated in olive-oil (the theory was “coat her throat with oil and it might slip down"). She promptly threw up. But then she looked a little better and the nurse guessed this meant she had indeed swallowed the plastic heart and her throat was now feeling the effects of being scratched. We were all eager to agree with this theory, especially SO. Ben left for work. The rest of us sat down to watch a movie after dinner. SO napped on the couch.

At bedtime I decided SO could recover next to me in my bedroom. By about 10:00pm she had thrown up two more times. We slept for a few hours, but SO woke up moaning at about 2:30am. I was troubled by the fact that she had thrown up two more times. I knew that this amazing family hike was on the calendar for that day, but I couldn’t take a girl who wasn’t keeping any food or water down. I called Ben at work and he encouraged me to make sure there was nothing in her throat. I left a note for those soundly sleeping and took SO to the ER, just in case!

In an effort to make a long story slightly shorter there were two x-rays taken, a chest x-ray and a soft-tissue x-ray. Plastic is hard to see in an x-ray, there was one dark area that registered a “maybe,” but because she was vomiting the doctor made the decision to schedule a scope with an Ear Nose and Throat surgeon that morning. SO threw up once more in the ER before she was admitted. Ben got off work at 7:00am and came to the hospital so I could go home to the kids and Kathy when they woke up. At 8:00am SO went into surgery. They found the heart-shaped plastic stuck in her esophagus and promptly fished it out. Ben called home with the good news. I went back to the hospital so Ben could head to bed. The girl I saw in the hospital room was 100% different from the one I had left only two hours before. She was smiling, talking to EVERYBODY, and eating an orange Popsicle. What a relief! I brought her a few little flowers, some playing cards (to keep me awake), and a purple pen. I was reminded of Andrew and Amy's ER experience when the nurses soon gave her a big activity book. SO turned to me and said "Mom, aren't you sad you didn't swallow anything?" The nurse who discharged her at 1:00pm also gave her a stuffed animal. She came home to find little notes and chocolate chips from her brothers and hugs and kisses from Kathy and CO.

An hour and a half later, the van was packed with our hiking gear. We dropped off CO and her overnight Dora the Explorer backpack (thanks, Lindsay!) and headed north to the Quartz Mountain Fire Lookout. We started our hike in a bit later than planned but took a leisurely pace. We did a dance of joy when we found the lookout and marveled at the 360 degree view (of Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Canada). I also marveled as I saw my spunky 5 year-old collect rocks and flowers to show me and Kathy. It was so hard to believe she was in the hospital earlier that day. We played cards and enjoyed a Mountain Lodge freeze-dried dinner and dessert before turning in for the night. I slept soundly after my long day 5,129 feet above sea level.

Kathy will send me the pictures she took, but are photos of the lookout we stayed in and the view.

[I apologize if you disagree with the following, and by all means, feel free to look the other way in utter disgust and horror if you must, but the following 24 points are fitting considering the 24 hours I recently experienced. Health care affects everyone and shouldn't be ignored. Our out-of pocket plastic heart fishing expedition costs are $200.00 so far and will increase with each bill we'll soon get from the ER, ER physician, radiology, inpatient care, surgery center, and surgeon. Whether or not you agree with every detail of the “fix” all sides acknowledging that a “fix” is long overdue is child's play.]

8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage:
1. Ends Discrimination for Pre-Existing Conditions: Insurance companies will be prohibited from refusing you coverage because of your medical history.
2. Ends Exorbitant Out-of-Pocket Expenses, Deductibles or Co-Pays: Insurance companies will have to abide by yearly caps on how much they can charge for out-of-pocket expenses.
3. Ends Cost-Sharing for Preventive Care: Insurance companies must fully cover, without charge, regular checkups and tests that help you prevent illness, such as mammograms or eye and foot exams for diabetics.
4. Ends Dropping of Coverage for Seriously Ill: Insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping or watering down insurance coverage for those who become seriously ill.
5. Ends Gender Discrimination: Insurance companies will be prohibited from charging you more because of your gender.
6. Ends Annual or Lifetime Caps on Coverage: Insurance companies will be prevented from placing annual or lifetime caps on the coverage you receive.
7. Extends Coverage for Young Adults: Children would continue to be eligible for family coverage through the age of 26.
8. Guarantees Insurance Renewal: Insurance companies will be required to renew any policy as long as the policyholder pays their premium in full. Insurance companies won't be allowed to refuse renewal because someone became sick. http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/health-insurance-consumer-protections/

8 common myths about health insurance reform:
1. Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.
2. We can’t afford reform: It's the status quo we can't afford. It’s a myth that reform will bust the budget. To the contrary, the President has identified ways to pay for the vast majority of the up-front costs by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse within existing government health programs; ending big subsidies to insurance companies; and increasing efficiency with such steps as coordinating care and streamlining paperwork. In the long term, reform can help bring down costs that will otherwise lead to a fiscal crisis.
3. Reform would encourage "euthanasia": It does not. It’s a malicious myth that reform would encourage or even require euthanasia for seniors. For seniors who want to consult with their family and physicians about end-of life decisions, reform will help to cover these voluntary, private consultations for those who want help with these personal and difficult family decisions.
4. Vets' health care is safe and sound: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will affect veterans' access to the care they get now. To the contrary, the President's budget significantly expands coverage under the VA, extending care to 500,000 more veterans who were previously excluded. The VA Healthcare system will continue to be available for all eligible veterans.
5. Reform will benefit small business - not burden it: It’s a myth that health insurance reform will hurt small businesses. To the contrary, reform will ease the burdens on small businesses, provide tax credits to help them pay for employee coverage and help level the playing field with big firms who pay much less to cover their employees on average.
6. Your Medicare is safe, and stronger with reform: It’s myth that Health Insurance Reform would be financed by cutting Medicare benefits. To the contrary, reform will improve the long-term financial health of Medicare, ensure better coordination, eliminate waste and unnecessary subsidies to insurance companies, and help to close the Medicare "doughnut" hole to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors.
7. You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.
8. No, government will not do anything with your bank account: It is an absurd myth that government will be in charge of your bank accounts. Health insurance reform will simplify administration, making it easier and more convenient for you to pay bills in a method that you choose. Just like paying a phone bill or a utility bill, you can pay by traditional check, or by a direct electronic payment. And forms will be standardized so they will be easier to understand. The choice is up to you – and the same rules of privacy will apply as they do for all other electronic payments that people make. http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/realitycheck

8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now:
1. Coverage Denied to Millions: A recent national survey estimated that 12.6 million non-elderly adults – 36 percent of those who tried to purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company in the individual insurance market – were in fact discriminated against because of a pre-existing condition in the previous three years or dropped from coverage when they became seriously ill. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/denied_coverage/index.html
2. Less Care for More Costs: With each passing year, Americans are paying more for health care coverage. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have nearly doubled since 2000, a rate three times faster than wages. In 2008, the average premium for a family plan purchased through an employer was $12,680, nearly the annual earnings of a full-time minimum wage job. Americans pay more than ever for health insurance, but get less coverage. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hiddencosts/index.html
3. Roadblocks to Care for Women: Women’s reproductive health requires more regular contact with health care providers, including yearly pap smears, mammograms, and obstetric care. Women are also more likely to report fair or poor health than men (9.5% versus 9.0%). While rates of chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are similar to men, women are twice as likely to suffer from headaches and are more likely to experience joint, back or neck pain. These chronic conditions often require regular and frequent treatment and follow-up care. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/women/index.html
4. Hard Times in the Heartland: Throughout rural America, there are nearly 50 million people who face challenges in accessing health care. The past several decades have consistently shown higher rates of poverty, mortality, uninsurance, and limited access to a primary health care provider in rural areas. With the recent economic downturn, there is potential for an increase in many of the health disparities and access concerns that are already elevated in rural communities. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/hardtimes
5. Small Businesses Struggle to Provide Health Coverage: Nearly one-third of the uninsured – 13 million people – are employees of firms with less than 100 workers. From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. Much of this decline stems from small business. The percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable at 99%. About a third of such workers in firms with fewer than 50 employees obtain insurance through a spouse. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/helpbottomline
6. The Tragedies are Personal: Half of all personal bankruptcies are at least partly the result of medical expenses. The typical elderly couple may have to save nearly $300,000 to pay for health costs not covered by Medicare alone. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction
7. Diminishing Access to Care: From 2000 to 2007, the proportion of non-elderly Americans covered by employer-based health insurance fell from 66% to 61%. An estimated 87 million people - one in every three Americans under the age of 65 - were uninsured at some point in 2007 and 2008. More than 80% of the uninsured are in working families. Learn more: http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/inaction/diminishing/index.html
8. The Trends are Troubling: Without reform, health care costs will continue to skyrocket unabated, putting unbearable strain on families, businesses, and state and federal government budgets. Perhaps the most visible sign of the need for health care reform is the 46 million Americans currently without health insurance - projections suggest that this number will rise to about 72 million in 2040 in the absence of reform. Learn more: http://www.WhiteHouse.gov/assets/documents/CEA_Health_Care_Report.pdf

Somebody Call Hollywood, Quick!

SO is the primary spotlight this week. This means she gets to bring pictures to church as well as items that represent her talents and interests. And she gets to talk about herself during Primary sharing time. More exciting news could not have come into the life of our little girl. Every day this week while the boys have been away at Cub Scout Day Camp, SO has been working tirelessly to find photos of herself, make "projects" to show off, and decide which of her favorite toys she'll bring. She's even talked to me about "princess dresses" and what it means to "break a leg." Spotlight Diva! Whoever is in charge of sharing time this week, don't worry about preparing anything, you won't have any time left.

2000 miles. Exactly.

Yay:

1. Drove 2000 miles with four children and a laptop for playing DVDs.
2. We went to the Titanic exhibit at the Museum of Idaho.
3. Saw Steve and Crystal’s gorgeous house. I did catch the subtle irony that I envy their green paint color (and pretty much everything else too).
4. L&L's.
5. Did family togetherness excursions like a temple open house, Jump On It, BYU’s legacy hall and Hogi Yogi.
6. JO was the youngest to make it to the top of the climb at The City of Rocks AND (thank you, Scott!) was brought back down safely.
7. Jamie and Andy and Scott helped me with my spare and the Les Schwab dude fixed my flat tire for free.
8. Got to see my parents, all five of my siblings, and 42 other relatives.
9. Went home via Leavenworth to meet up with Ben and see 23 more relatives.
10. Collected compliments on the kids’ behavior from relatives, friends, and strangers.
    

Yuck:

1. Ben couldn’t come with us and, like JO said, we all missed him "the same amount!"
2. JO and RO got stung by wasps at their Unkie Dave's condo.
3. I didn't see relatives on my mom’s side--except for my Grandma Palmer.
4. JO ate so many malasadas he threw up.
5. Monte Bean museum was closed.
6. "I'm blooding!" (CO) drama, not life threatening, but a remarkable amount of blood.
7. Got a flat tire in the middle the reunion in the middle of nowhere.
8. The windy mountain road travel at the reunion made SO hurl. In the van.
9. RO’s nosebleeds came back (quite a bloody vacation when you think about it).
10. RO also spent over 7 hours of his 9th birthday traveling.
11. I got snookered at a WA speed trap.
12. There were two family reunions on the same weekend and this year we missed Ben’s family reunion.
13. The van smelled like death by the time we hit mile #1723. Seriously stenchy. I found the culprit but can't bring myself to blog about it.
14. Drove 2000 miles.

You are hereby invited to vote. Do the "yuck" things outweigh the "yay"s on this vacation? I can't decide.

And while you’re voting, help me categorize this one: “Missed the Barn Dance at Ben’s family reunion.” Tee hee!

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Ben called to tell me he's got a boyfriend. Ben and a (happily-married male) co-worker were talking on the phone at work tonight when, at the end of their conversation, his co-worker said "Love you, bye!" and hung up. Funny! I'm pretty sure his co-worker was embarrassed when he realized what just escaped his mouth.

My sister once told me about a radio deejay in Utah who ended her traffic report with "in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." The hilarious Brian Regan also has a joke about getting out of a cab at the airport and telling the cab driver "You too!" when the cabbie said "Have a good flight!" Don't you hate that feeling of desperately wanting to take back something you've said?

Our Photographer

RO took the first two photos. CO is in nursery with her messy curly hair.

Two tired fellas.

This bin of legos are the only toys left in the house. We completely cleaned out the kids room before our friends came to visit on the 3rd and 4th of July. The kids had fun with legos, swimming, playing baseball at the park, camping in the yard (older ones), and having a princess party (four younger girls). The grown-ups had fun catching up and laughing.

Can't wait! Getting closer to a finished basement. Drywall's all done! Need to paint, carpet, and trim. (Then their toys will come in from the garage.) This is the boys' closet with a secret passageway under-stairs toy room that opens into the family room.

Don't have any photos, but the three older kids are taking art classes this summer through our district. They've been making coil pots, paper mache masks, and mosaic tiles. And RO and JO are saving up all of their money to buy model airplanes. We were in the audience for their new hero John Carter's 4th of July flight and crash. I think seeing the model plane crash was a big part of what got them interested!

All Because Two Faculty Brats Fell In Love

Today is the 14th anniversary of our quazi-arranged marriage. Almost 16 years ago, in college, which is an amazing adventure--if you leave home--two faculty brats met in an Honors Humanities class. My next-door neighbor slash academic advisor convinced me taking this class was a good idea(that's how it works when you're a faculty brat--your advisors and professors are your neighbors). And Ben enrolled in the same class because his mom directed the Honors Program. The storybook beginning was that we first held hands on the way home from a Friday evening class trip to the Honolulu Academy of the Arts. When he asked me out on our first real date, he laughed when I told him my address. His family lived in our house years before our family did. We'd been dating for all of two weeks when we started hearing variations on this theme: "You? With you? Cute! It's not often that faculty brats marry each other, ya know. Your parents must be proud." I loved talking to him, loved his smile, and was blown away by his genius. (I remember quizzing him before tests and he'd repeat full paragraphs word-for-word from the textbook.) He owned a pick-up and willingly offered to help people in his ward.

We dated for a year and were engaged for eight months. We were married in the Hawaii LDS Temple. Life these days is as near bliss as it can be when you're raising four young children. Ben patiently endures my inability to consistently rid the kitchen sink of dirty dishes. I look past his construction zone perfectionism. We honestly like each other. We work, play, and pray together.

This summer Ben has little free time with 13 hours on plus 8 hours (his goal) of sleep. He has three hours a day of discretionary time, much of which is spent eating, getting ready, and commuting to work. With that schedule in mind, I was truly surprised to wake up to breakfast in bed of grilled steak and eggs. What a sweetheart! And he showed up this morning with chocolates. I retaliated with Oreos when he woke up today. We're celebrating our anniversary this weekend--a babysitter is lined up and Ben got the whole night off (for a while is boss was only going to let him take a few hours off!) and we're going to dinner and to see comedian Brian Regan perform live. (Google him or look him up on youtube if you haven't heard of him.)

Spoiled

Look how quiet my girls are being! And baby just fell asleep. And she slept for 12 hours last night. AND I'm so spoiled rotten.

Remember?

When I was a young whipper snapper we added "--n't" to words. And it was funny! So if someone said; "That's cool!" you would reply; "Cool---n't!" meaning that you didn't agree. I wonder if such cleverness can be attributed to the same people who came up with "You stink!"

It seems like the end of the school year prompts a lot of "Remember when. . ." conversations. R. is finishing up third grade next week. At the end of third grade I thought I was pretty old. That was the summer we moved to Hawaii. I have a son that old!?!

S. "graduated" from preschool tonight (seriously, there was an evening program where S. and another girl were masters of ceremony, and the school's principal even handed out diplomas in her cap and gown). One of the songs the children sang I remember R. sang when he was in preschool. Having a preschooler is such amazing fun. I remember when my boys were in preschool and how adorable they were.

I think I do a decent job holding onto these memories. Until J. asks me a "remember when. . ?" question. Oh, sure, I remember---n't!

That kid remembers everything. C. turned two today and J. told us details about everyone's second birthdays, listing presents, locations, and cake toppers. Cake toppers are pretty much my favorite part of birthdays--I love, love, love putting toys and candy decorations on their cakes. I'd love to just sit J. down and pick his brain. Once information goes in, it sticks. Quick story: a few years ago, he woke up and told me that President Hinckley turned 97 years old that day. Somewhere I guess he'd learned President Hinckley's birthdate and was just keeping track. (He does the same with his grandparents, good friends, and Andrew Jackson--but that's a long story.) I do remember stuff, honest. But since I'm not J., today was a good reminder to write things down so I'll remember. My one-time adorable preschooler is almost a fourth grader. And my baby is two years old.

People tell me "children grow up so fast!"

Could it be true?

My Love/Hate Relationship

I hate my DVR--it stopped recording Wipeout when Didi Wong was within 10 seconds of beating the deadbeat daughter's time. Who won? Don't ask me. I feel bad hating DVR like that, especially because I love it. Ben's been working nights for two and a half weeks, which means no forward progress on the drywall. Now instead of being productive or getting enough sleep, I've become a DVR zombie. I DVR yoga, huge chunks of HGTV, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien a.k.a. "You-twit-face", Law and Order, and even the *yawn-fest* Brian Williams' White House special. Love Obama but "We're buying hamburgers!" Really? And you know it's bad when I DVR for the whole family: movies for Ben, Dora for the baby, America's Funniest Home Videos and Spongebob for my preschooler, and my boys DVR everything from Titanic exploration documentaries to World Cup qualifiers (soccer). Admitting I have a problem is the first step, right? I don't think I could quit cold turkey, but I need to seriously cut back. I've already stopped watching Jon & Kate Plus Eight (Kate's brother and sister-in-law have asked viewers to boycott: http://www.nationalpost.c/ ). An interesting take on reality television and children.

Time to "publish post" and go to sleep (or get back to my DVR).

Ten for Tuesday

1. Basement photos!

2. Missing something? "Yup, my front tooth." Finally! (He wiggled that one forever.)

3. When S. went on a field trip to a plant nursery and grocery store her bus drove past new(ish) Chuck E. Cheese restaurant. It's only seven minutes from our house. She doesn't know I've purposely been avoiding car trips to that part of town for months.

4. I'm loving the warm weather, but our yard doesn't exactly get the attention it needs from me and Ben. I really should teach the boys lawn-mowing skills. I put on a construction mask and mowed some of the lawn the other day with a minimal reaction (I wasn't trying to amuse the neighbors, just very allergic to grass and dandelions). And poor Ben's got no time to mow with his night shift work schedule--on good days he has almost enough time to sleep and eat, though.

5. R. ran in a 3-5th grade race at school and came in 10th! He could have been faster, he says, but someone punched him in the stomach right before the race. I don't know about that, but he enjoyed himself and the whole family was there to cheer him on. Daddy got off in time to watch, then he went home to sleep.

7. I posted about thumb-sucking earlier, but C. has started incorporating a new element: Belly Buttons! She sucks her thumb and puts her finger in her belly button. If I see her walking around like this, I know she's tired.

8. We got a new table. (yard sale $40). Now to update our chairs. . .

9. Ben won his Biggest Loser Finale at work and used some of the money he won to buy an outdoor basketball hoop/stand for their work parking lot.

10. We moved the saw horses out of the basement and the kids turned them into goals. We have become the most popular house on the block. Every kid on the block has been over to play, several of them come every day after school. They play, among other things, "Baby Soccer" a crawling game they made up. I'll have to remember this for the next time my kids beg for an expensive toy.

Excuuuuuuse Me

So I've just been reprimanded by a member of the blogging community because it's May 18th and my only post in May is three words long.

The thing is, I promised basement pictures. But I haven't taken any. You see, the camera is upstairs. The basement is downstairs. And I'm tired.

We aren't putting up much drywall these days anyway.

Ben started his night shift today. He'll work five days a week from 6:00pm to 7:00am. And in an effort to make his weekends family friendly, we decided to tweak our family's bedtime. The plan was to have long daily afternoon siestas and then a midnight bedtime. The plan didn't work for two of us. The baby can't stay asleep longer than an hour in the middle of the day. And J. ended up being late for school. (R. and S. were awake at 7:00am, but I didn't have the heart to wake up poor J.) Come to think of it, the tweaked bedtime didn't work for three of us. When babies wake up, their lucky moms get to wake up too.

So basically, I'm too tired to take pictures of the basement. Not just the basement though. I thought about taking pictures of C. under what she's nicknamed "The Bugga Bugga Tree" (a blossom-covered apple tree humming with "Bugga Bugga" bees). Gorgeous white blossoms, darling, awe-struck baby, but again, no pictures. Probably because we were outside and the camera is inside. Does your picture-taking go in bursts? I'm good about taking lots of pictures sometimes and other times I go weeks without taking any!

I hate drywall.

Today's Etsy Pick

Esty seller GootchieGoo makes these black and white prints. I love it. So now I'm trying to decide which would look better: a print of the word "Family" in, say, a black and white guest bedroom or the boys' names for their bedroom. What other word could I do? Amy--you could do something cool like this with your photography skills!

Working It

My neighbor and I are both certified teachers, but she babysits. I don't have a job right now, but will babysit twins this fall. We love our children, but staying home does nothing for our slender pocketbooks. We were talking about the quandary of getting a teaching job when you have little kids. Sure, we like kids, but I have a feeling that dealing with kids all day as a profession would be a little. . . redundant. Did I say redundant? I meant noisy. I really should have majored in something that'd get me a job working at a tranquil spa or at a monastery.

Then I came across this on Facebook. Cheesy, but funny. It seems I'm not the only one searching for employment:

My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned because I couldn't concentrate.
Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe.
After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it. Mainly because it was a so-so job.
Next I tried working in a muffler factory but that was exhausting.
I wanted to be a barber, but I just couldn't cut it.
Then I tried to be a chef--figured it would add a little spice to my life but I just didn't have the thyme.
Finally, I attempted to be a deli worker, but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.
My best job was being a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.
I studied a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patients.
Next was a job in a shoe factory; I tried but I just didn't fit in.
I became a professional fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income.
Thought about becoming a witch, so I tried that for a spell.
I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining.
I got a job at a zoo feeding giraffes but I was fired because I wasn't up to it.
So then I got a job in a gymnasium (work-out-center), but they said I wasn't fit for the job.
Next, I found being an electrician interesting, but the work was shocking.
After many years of trying to find steady work I finally got a job as a historian until I realized there was no future in it.
My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.
You have any ideas for a job? Maybe you have something that Works, because I don't.

Simple Joys

The conversation with our five-year-old that ended ". . . you mean I can even flush the potty and wash my hands?!?" actually began yesterday when Ben got home from work. We decided to spend a few minutes before dinner putting up plastic sheeting over our newly-insulated laundry room ceiling. As Ben picked up the long box, the roll of sheeting fell out. On its way to the ground it hit the nozzle at the bottom of the water heater, cracking it off. Let me try to put a positive spin on this next part: our laundry room got a pampering most laundry rooms only dream of--a drenching, actually, in 50 plus gallons of hot water and the pore-refining steam that comes with it. If only laundry rooms had pores! We shut off water and started researching on-demand/tankless water heaters. Then we headed to Lowes and Sears where we found none in stock. After talking with a Home Depot guy for a while we decided trying to fix the nozzle on our water heater was the way to go if we wanted any hot water in the next 21 days (the timeline for a special order and installation).

The next several hours played out like a game of Mouse Trap as we fixed the water heater. The nozzle didn't crack off neatly so we bought a gizmo to insert into the plastic broken threading. The gizmo didn't work, so we got out our dremel to grind out the plastic threading (because apparently dremels aren't just for shaping pinewood derby cars!). That went well, but the replacement nozzle we got wasn't quite long enough to fit into the water heater, so it was back to the store to get some extension pieces. While, there we got some more copper piping and a shut-off valve cold water line above the water heater so we could have running water even if we couldn't get the replacement nozzle part figured out (and because the Home Depot guy tells us it's a smart idea to be able to shut off water to your water heater). Then we came to the conclusion that now is as good a time as any to move the water heater since it was empty and relatively lightweight. So we built a wooden 20" x 20" platform (out of treated lumber) for the water heater to sit on. Then we skootched it up tight next to the drywall so our half wall next to the dryer can run the full length of the wall. I finished the cold water supply about the same time Ben finished putting in the new drain nozzle. What's gonna work? Team work! It was at this point that we prematurely declared ourselves victorious and turned on the water. We found one leak, turned off the water, tightened up a loose fitting, and turned the water back on. Could have been worse, right? We came upstairs to proclaim true victory over our 16-year-old water heater that will probably last another year or two. And that's why S. was so excited about being able to flush and wash her hands! Sometimes it takes 50 plus gallons of hot water on your laundry room floor to really appreciate the simple joys in life. Indoor plumbing is truly lovely. And I'm declaring it right here in this very post: whoever invented being able to flush your business away--TOTAL GENIUS! Did I forget to intertwine into my plumbing play-by-play dinner, taking the boys to scouts, bedtime, Ben calling in late, getting the kids off to school, and S. coming home from preschool? Nobody claimed we work faster than plumbers, just cheaper!


Now where were we? Oh yeah, putting up plastic sheeting. . . maybe that can wait until tomorrow, I need a nap, wait, no, I need a hot shower. My pores could use some refining.


A cute story: On the way out of Sears, Baby C. was walking toward the road. I decided rather than scoop her up I'd teach her to stop at the curb and look both ways. She is 22 months old, after all. So as she approached the curb I called out "Stop!" Without missing a beat she picks up her knees, sticks out her elbows, and with the boogie-woogie rhythm of a toddler, proceeds to "Stomp!" out into the road. Look both ways before you stomp across the street!

May's Book Club

I'm now heading up our ward's R.S. Book Club. The blogging world is cordially invited to read with us. For beautiful blogging friends in our ward, please consider this your invitation to join us on Thursday, May 14th at 7:00pm, location posted in the bulletin.


We're reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.


It's a great Spring read. When Kingsolver and her family move from suburban Arizona to rural Appalachia, they take on a new challenge: to spend a year on a locally produced diet. "Our highest shopping goal was to get our food from so close to home, we'd know the person who grew it. Often that turned out to be ourselves as we learned to produce what we needed, starting with dirt, seeds, and enough knowledge to muddle through. Or starting with baby animals, and enough sense to refrain from naming them."

What an interesting, well-written book! Imagine sustaining oneself the way our ancestors did--without Doritos. Happy Reading! This book inspired my inner gardener and made me hungry for good, healthy food from my local Farmers' Market. Happy Reading.

Post a comment if you've read it and write your own review!