Gracie... cute and almost crawling!

Sisters: Grace and Sarah Smiling Grace







Gracie almost crawling

Equal Opportunity Photo

Just a sunny winter day at the park.

Snow Trip!

Last Monday (the 11th) the school district had teacher meetings or something like that so school was out. Yahoo! With a day off the Young Men and Young Women in our ward planned a snow trip to Leland High Sierra Snowplay (a tubing "resort") just past Strawberry. If you are still not sure where that is, it is near Dodge Ridge ski resort. I was asked to drive so I jumped at the opportunity. The total bonus was that Ben could go with us. Ben and I had the GREATEST time together. We couldn’t have planned a more fun trip to share. We can't wait to go back and hit the slick slopes again. I hope you enjoy a few photos and a couple movie clips.




This is Ben on the rope tow. Much better than walking up the hill!













Ready for the First Run!
















Waiting in line with some of the Young Women from the ward.




















Some of the Youth from the ward demonstrating the initial staging for a "Cluster" or a "Clump". The advantage of a cluster over going down by your self. SPEED!
















A cluster going down the hill






Ben and I enjoying the ride!





Me and Ben after a really fun time together! Love the hat hair!















Ben thanks for a Most Excellent Day!

I want Fish!

About a week ago Nancy came home from the store with some Dover Sole fillets. I prepared a nice Sole Dore that night. If you are not familiar with a Sole Dore, it is prepared by dredging the fillets in seasoned flour, then dipping in egg, then pan frying. It is finished off with a squeeze of lemon or a lemon butter sauce. It actually turned out well. Besides Nancy's favorite fish dish, it turned out to be a surprise favorite for Emma. It was hard to believe with out seeing her shovel down bite after bite and come back for more. I have to admit that I was pleased!

Fast forward to today. Emma came up to me and said "I hungry! I want FISH!" My first thought returned to that wonderful Sole Dore, I figured she loved it the first time so much she was requesting it again. We did not have any sole in the house, so I tried to change her mind by offering her other things. (I really didn't want to cook it anyway, too much effort and too many dirty dishes just to satisfy her desire for fish.) Regardless, I do have to admit I was pleased she was asking for my fish! She took a yogurt and bounced off.

About an hour later she returned and said "I HUNGRY! I... WANT... FISH!" this time she seemed pretty earnest in her desire. As a good father I started to search the freezer for what else? Fish! I found some and figured that even though it was not Sole I could cook it the same manner and it may pass. I grabbed the package and showed it to her seeking her approval.










Her answer when she saw the package of tasty fish was both swift and vehement as she screamed (no kidding she screamed) " NOOOOO!!! THAT NOT FISH!"




She then took me to the cupboard and pointed to the box shown below and reassured me that "That Fish!"







I have to admit I was a tiny bit crushed that she was not interested in My Fish, but I had to laugh at the simple miscommunication I had with my 3 year old. Note to self. Emma really likes fish, but the cracker kind is her favorite.

In the end Emma got her fish and she was finally happy and quit badgering her dumb dad for fish!



By the way Nancy and I had a good laugh over this incident, and for the record she would have gone for the Goldfish the first time.

I guess in the end it is a good lesson on communication that reaches beyond today's 40 year old -vs- 3 year old fish tale. Maybe next time I will listen and try to understand before I decide what Emma (or anyone else) really wants. Lesson learned... again!

Mama Bear

Yesterday, one of my nightmares came true. I have a pretty high-level of anxiety when it comes to the safety of my kids when they are out of the house. I hate it when my fretting is for good reason.

Emma went to preschool like normal yesterday. At normal pick-up time, Scott left to go pick her up and left Grace and I at home. Shortly after I got a call from Scott saying that the road to her school was completely closed. He was able to cut through a neighborhood but as he would quickly learn, there was absolutely no access to her school because construction workers had busted a natural gas pipe right in front of her school. She attends a preschool that is part of a much larger private school to the eighth grade. They are in the middle of a huge construction project building a huge new building for their facility. Apparently, the gas line was broken during the construction.

I soon received a phonecall at home alerting me that Emma was part of a "shelter-in-place" emergency. There would be no access in or out of the school for who knew how long. Scott, meanwhile, had planted himself at an access street across the intersection from the school. We were in contact by phone, of course. I was giving him all sorts of instruction including storm the place and GET MY DAUGHTER OUT OF THERE! I didn't care how he was going to do it, but I was freaked that my little girl was stuck and we couldn't reach her. The mama bear in me had emerged and was growling! I was thinking of fences he could scale, anything. I was desperate. The school had suggested that the parents go home and await a phonecall as to when their children could be picked up. Can you imagine? "Oh great, free daycare, I'll be at Nordstroms. Hope that gas leak works out alright." I don't think so!

Leave it to Scott's ability to work the crowd. With some patience, he stuck around and then was finally able to learn from a police officer that if drivers would keep their windows and vents closed, they were going to allow cars through to pick up the little ones. Scott was second in line! That's my boy! Emma was the first in her class to be picked up.

I can't explain the emotions of knowing I can't get to my kid and then the absolute joy of knowing she was safe and sound with Scott. She was a bit nervous (she was probably at school an extra 45 minutes) but of course just fine. I'm very grateful for a good ending. Homeschooling is sounding better and better. All my kids could be safe and sound in the nest and never go out. Of course, no kind of a disaster would ever happen at home on my watch!

My Own Thoughts

If possible to have a "favorite" prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley would most definitely be mine. I have a testimony of prophets. The belief in a modern-day living prophet is integral in a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I join the ranks of millions who loved this man both as a mouthpiece of the Lord as well as a person who has lived an extraordinary life. His biography written by Shari Dew describes so well this extraordinary life.

I have to share one of my most treasured memories of President Hinckley. I could actually share thousands of experiences where his words has taught me/changed me so much! However, at this time I want to share just one...

I have never met a general authority in person, let alone the prophet. I have never attended General Conference in person. On occasion, I have attended a regional meeting, devotionals in my BYU days where I would have been in the large presence of a general authority but never had I actually been face to face with one.

Scott's parents were being set apart as the temple president and matron of the Denmark Temple in 2004 by President Hinckley in Salt Lake. I was just a couple of weeks from delivering Emma. Dee and Kay's children were invited to attend this setting apart. With written permission from my doctor to board a plane, Scott and I left the kids behind (a huge hurdle for me) and set off for Salt Lake for the day.

This was just days after Sister Hinckley had passed away. Before President Hinckley's assistant led us into the large conference room he schooled us on what would happen. He mentioned that we should not expect him to shake each person's hand, that he was tired and weary. We entered in through a main door and took our seats. A few minutes later, a side door opened and in walked President Hinckley. It's impossible to recreate with words the spirit that overtook that room. We each stood at his presence. He then proceeded around the entire room and shook the hands of each person there, including mine looking me straight in the eye. I will never forget the power and witness I felt at his presence. The look of the Prophet's eyes will forever be imprinted in my mind. This is an experience I will forever treasure. I didn't need to see the prophet in person to have a testimony of his truthfulness. It was just an exquisite treat to do so.

This picture was taken inside the Church Office Building on the day of Dee and Kay's setting apart.

Here's a quote just for fun that I just read in the Ensign...

"I want to plead with you to keep balance in your lives. Do not become obsessed with what may be called 'a gospel hobby.' A good meal always includes more than one course. You ought to have great strength in your chosen . . . field of expertise. But I warn you against making that your only interest . . .

" . . . Beware of obsession. Beware of narrowness. Let your interests range over many good fields while working with growing strength in the field of your own profession."

An amazing man. Just as amazing will be the day to sustain a new prophet. It's so exciting the church will never be in chaos. We'll have a new prophet to love and listen to. We won't be led astray. This is awesome!

I Love This Baby!

Can baby number four really be this fun? Grace is the human doll at our house. Sarah plays with her like she might as well be her latest Corolle or American Girl doll. Most of the time I feel like Grace is my dolly too!

I say BOO!

Yesterday I was home and I went to pick up the kids from school. Emma stayed home with Mama and Gracie. As I was walking out the door Emma yelled "I say BOO!" I asked "What?" "I SAY BOO!" She said this as she was climbing behind the couch. Then it dawned on me what she meant. She was going into hiding so that she could jump out from behind the couch and say "BOO" and scare Ben and Sarah when they got home from school. I thought it was cute and added "you don't have to hide yet, I'll be home with the kids in a bit."

I picked up the kids and on my way home Nancy called and asked if Emma was with me. "No!" She said that she could not find Emma anywhere, and Nancy called for her while I was on the phone. (If she were next door she would have heard.) I asked if the front door was unlocked. (One of Emma's new skills is unlocking and opening the front door. She is quite pleased with her self, I am not so much. Oh well I guess it was bound to happen.) I just hate the feeling when you realize a child is missing or at least unaccounted for. Suppress the panic, suppress the panic, she has to be somewhere! At least the front door was locked. I then cycled through some of her favorite hiding places, and then it clicked. I asked if she looked behind the couch. She looked and the picture shows what she found. We both laughed. Emma is such a funny girl. Panic relieved in a millisecond! Whew!

I guess she just got tired waiting for her moment to jump and say BOO! The funny thing is after Ben and Sarah got home Emma walked in and said "BOO!" It did not have quite the impact I think she was hoping for, however she followed through with her plan.



















Reviewing this little incident I find it interesting that we have an automatic parental panic button that seems to trigger so fast when the whereabouts of our child/children are not known at all times. It seems like we mirror the homeland security warning. We are always on orange alert. You know the one just under RED ALERT!

I can not help but think that my parents were mostly at level green. (I know that they have been at full tilt RED ALERT a few times like the time I got "lost" at 6 or 7 yrs old at the Roadway Inn in Indianapolis as we traveled across country in our brown Ford LTD wood paneled station wagon. (Ah memories of the 70's) The Roadway Inn was pretty nice but it was full of truckers and other desirable folks. (It was right next to the interstate) I was "lost" for about a half hour or so. My parents did not know that I was perfectly fine watching TV in the lobby. I knew where I was the whole time, I did not understand what the big deal was. Oh well to be a naive kid again.)

Well having illuminated the red alert a few times in my day, the green light was on most of the time. I can remember my mom instructing us kids to have fun and come home for dinner. Ah those wonderful summer days! My mom usually had a general idea where we were, but there were times she did not have a CLUE where I was for hours at a time! The truth is that we always came home, and there was really no need to be that worried. We were always among friends and were considered safe.

I guess we live in a different world where we have to always be at high alert and have a need to know where our little ones are all the time. I guess the good thing is our kids will never know anything different.

Sadly we do... and what fun it was while it lasted.

Christmas 2007 Memories

It is already the 2nd week of January 2008, however we were so busy this last Christmas we never blogged about it. Well we have some great shots I thought I would share under the guise of Christmas Memories. Enjoy and Happy New Year ... again!

We started out our Christmas Season by inviting our neighbors for a Christmas carol sing along on December 10th. We all had such a fun time singing together so we decided that it may become a tradition. It was a great way to invite the spirit of Christmas into our home.
Pictured are a few of our neighbors and friends that came to "sing in" the Season.




It was also the first time we used Papa's chocolate fountain. We are glad we set it up in the kitchen. Chocolate dripped all over the tile floor which made for an easy clean up. I think the kids were much more excited about the dessert than the singing. Alas sorry no pictures of our treats. I guess I was not thinking of blogging.


On the 15th of the month we had our Ward Christmas party. The kiddos first got to see Santa and then we enjoyed a great roast beef dinner with Ward talent sharing music and fun.


Sarah wins the best photo with Santa this year so she has earned the BIGGEST Santa picture this year! Yea Sarah, good smile!




Emma and Grace were not too sure about the big guy in the red suit.






Ben was just excited to tell Santa what he really wanted for Christmas. In our family tradition they get to ask Santa for one gift. Usually he comes through and delivers, so this was a very important moment. Ben's wish was a Roboquad. I am glad that Santa knows what the heck a Roboquad is because I never heard of it.


One of the musical pieces performed was by Jeff, the Bishop and me (the bishopric). We performed "We three Kings" the Three Tenors we were not, quite impossible in fact seeing that Jeff and the Bishop are basses. We had good practices, but we got off a bit in the beginning of the performance oh well. At least we were able to end on a strong and recognisable note! I think we three were happy when it was done. :)


We spent Christmas Eve with Nancy's sister Susan and her family. We had a wonderful time and loved the prime rib dinner. Yum yum yum. After dinner we had our traditional Christmas story found in Luke 2 read by Uncle Elvin and acted out by our puppeteers. This year with the addition of Emma as a wise man the story took on some funny turns like when the wise men started fighting with each other and then turned on Joesph and Mary. Not the most reverent rendition, but memorable. Thanks to Brian Emily's hubby (playing the angel part) the nativity brawls were kept to a minimum.



After the Christmas story we sang Christmas hymns. This is Sarah with Emily posing in front of the ebony and ivory. Sarah is taking piano and was pleased that Auntie Em (really cousin but Auntie Em sounded more fun.)would let her play a little bit too.








Amy had dish duty after the festivities. You can bet when you can hear water running Emma will be there in a flash. Amy was more than happy to have a helper, however I am not really sure how much help Emma ended up being.












As for me I was just happy Gracie was willing to take a little snooze. There are few things better than a sleeping baby!














The first order of business for the kids when we got home was to jump into their new PJ's. They are really cute jammies. Thanks to Aunt Allison for making matching PJ's! Getting PJ's for Christmas seems to be a tradition for many, we feel privileged to have one of a kind special made PJ's to wear. The kids love them and we appreciate the hard work and love that went into their making!.















Christmas morning... sometime most likely before 7AM... ack. too early, but fair game on such a day. As you can see Santa did come through for Ben. He got his Roboquad, Sarah got her "Wet and Bath Paul" doll and Emma got her (appropriately named) "Wet and Bath Emma" doll.













I hope you had a fun and happy Christmas season like we did.

Skating into the New Year

December 31st was a lazy day around our house. After nearly a month of begging I finally gave in and took the kids ice skating in downtown Walnut Creek. We had a blast, and I enjoyed the 80's music that seemed to be a theme. Ben and Sarah had fun getting their "skate feet" back.

The first half of our adventure with Sarah was pushing her along or helping her with full support. After a while I let go and wouldn't you know that she could skate on her own! Ice skating was something that she did not think she could do on her own. I was really proud of her for trying!

Ben had a lot of fun and was content to skate by him self and was excited to get out his favorite hat. It is a few years old and possibly a size or two too small. Hmmm you be the judge.





I was of course happy to bring out "my" old skates. They are actually my Dad's skates that he purchased in the 50's and brought back from his mission in Sweden and gave to me. He skated on the Baltic Sea one cold winter when it was frozen from Stockholm to Helsinki. I'm sure he didn't go that far, but I am happy to have his leather Swedish hockey skates.

Nancy and the other girls (Emma and Grace) went to a near by park and had a swing while we carved the ice.

We ended 2007 with a kid party. Sounds crazy but it was fun. We invited over a family from our ward and had a little movie night. A movie was the activity but horsing around was the real fun.

Our neighbors had a little firework display around 8 and we settled down around 10 PM. Not too exciting, but we are looking forward towards a new year 2008!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Clean Slate

I love the New Year's holiday. It feels so fresh with a clean slate. In keeping with the perfect day as a start for a perfect year, I'd better get off the computer and read my scriptures followed by a homemade dinner for my family made from ingredients from our year supply followed by a devotional with the kids surrounding the fire in a quilt I made with my own hands from homespun cotton. There will be no unkind word said following which the kids, in their matching leiderhausen, will skip off to their rooms hand-in-hand to have silent reading time. Do you think I can keep this up all year?

I've Had It With You Santa!

Dear Santa,

I'm writing to tell you that I'm ready to line my kids up and come clean on this whole Santa thing. You know, as well as I do, that I do all your shopping and bidding just like for the rest of the family. I'm good-natured enough to let you have all the credit but the stress is going to kill me! Sarah has been changing her mind for the last three weeks on what she is going to ask you for tonight when she sees you at the Ward Christmas Party. My garage is filled with the items she was going to ask for but has changed her mind about.

Sarah is now very set on a Baby Alive Boy & Girl baby. I've researched it and yes the "Boy" baby is anatomically correct. Little does she know, the boy baby is nearly impossible to find and thus when found, it is very expensive. Honestly, Santa, it would be easier for me to conceive a boy baby than to find this Baby Alive Boy doll. (And that's saying a lot seeing as Scott & I have produced 75% girls.) I've tried to talk her out of it stating that I don't think our sweet little girl should have a baby with a "peeny" to which she giggles and laughs hysterically. She tells me she gets to decide what she wants for Christmas from Santa, "and that's final!" We've discussed this at length. Scott wants to know who set up this tradition that you get whatever the heck you asked for anyway! (I have no sympathy for this comment because he doesn't help me either! He is in the same boat as you, Santa. Gets all the credit with no effort at all.)

After yet more research, I've learned that Corolle has a much cuter boy baby, also anatomically correct, and alas it is available. I've convinced Sarah this is the one to ask for. She had me write the exact name down for her: "Corolle Paul Wet and Bath Baby" which she will take with her tonight when she sees you.

Disaster was averted when Ben's first choice item (the i-coaster, out-of-stock everywhere and a very expensive item on the secondhand market) was replaced by the available Roboquad. Emma luckily doesn't fully get it. I have an assortment from which I can attempt to persuade her to choose from.

Frankly, I will sleep much better tonight after the grand meeting is done. I will be penniless (and Scott too) but I will sleep well knowing that I have not been responsible for undoing the magic of Christmas for my children. Even though I am sorely tempted! I just wanted you to know how I am feeling because I believe in open communication.

Until tonight,

Nancy

By Popular Demand

Here's the photo referred to in the previous blog.

Wow! What a kick looking for this picture! Thanks for asking Chelsea! I have discovered that I actually have triplet daughters born in a spread of 6 years. Apparently we have one recipe with minor changes in the ingredients here and there.

10 Tips From a Harried Homemaker

Here's a little diddy I submitted for a ward RS book. Thought it was bloggable so here it is...

• When trying to measure up to the in-laws as a newlywed, offer something you know how to do well to help with the Thanksgiving meal like filling the glasses with ice. This will prevent the “deer-in-the-headlights” look of panic when you are asked to mash the potatoes.



• At the beginning of the year, buy only belated birthday cards and send them at the end of each month to family and friends.
  



• Keep your house messy so that on the occasion it is clean when someone stops by, they will be pleasantly surprised.
  



• Don’t overmix salad dressing in the blender, unless you are trying to make your own mayonnaise.
  



• Whoever scrapbooks gets to re-write family history from her own favorable viewpoint.
  



• The best way to look thinner in a photo is to learn how to use Photoshop.
  



• Don’t forget to turn the car engine off, take the keys out of the ignition and lock the doors before you go into a doctor’s appointment.
  



• Don’t say anything to your husband when you realize he spends time every night rearranging the dishwasher before turning it on. Go ahead and continue to load it in a most inefficient manner and be grateful that he is so helpful in the kitchen.
  



• Always make sure you have your driver’s license with you if you’re speeding down a residential street on the way to school pick-up and your kids have gotten out of their carseats. When you tell your husband about the incident, be positive. Tell him the police officer was really nice and only ticketed you for just one of your infractions.
  



• When your daughter sprinkles cocoa all over her bedroom, scold her firmly but with kindness and then get your camera and photograph it because someday it really will be funny. This is highly recommended for any garden variety messes that take place.

P.S. Note the chin removal...still perfecting that art.