Coloring

Blythe has a terrible tendency to color where she should not color.  She found a contractor pencil and colored on the walls before we had even moved into our new home.  I discovered this lovely masterpiece in the entryway closet.  It is a person, complete with multi-colored outfit.  Also a "big head" above.

Blythe got spanked for this drawing.  When she drew on the wall before (and not the first time), we had a nice little chat (no spanking) about where to draw and where not to draw.  I told her that from that time forward, every time she drew on the walls, I would spank her.  So this time I did.  After she and I had both calmed down, I went into her room to talk to her.  After some discussion, I promised I would get her a large pad of paper that she could write on if she promised she would stop writing on the walls.  She is going to get the pad of paper for Christmas.  We'll see if she keeps her half of the promise.  

Fortunately, practically all of the crayon came off the walls with a bit of Goo Gone.  The colors blended nicely as I wiped them up.

Christmas Decorating

It is December 23rd, and this is all the Christmas decorating I have done.

My wonderful neighbor Ramona gave me this wreath, and I just found the hanger this evening.

Not so festive, but the best I can do at the moment.

I also unearthed the stockings, which I will hang along the mantle tomorrow before Santa comes.

Ho, ho, ho.

I am getting boxes unpacked though.

Eww

The other day, after a morning and early afternoon of lots of work, the children were desperate to go to McDonald's for lunch and to play.  I gave in and we went.  This was on the floor of the play area.  It is a pair of boys underwear.  I asked myself several questions upon stepping over the undies. 

Where did these come from?

Who would leave their underwear lying on the ground?

I can see how a girl might lose her underwear, if she was wearing a dress and decided she didn't want them 

   on anymore, but how does a boy lose his underwear while wearing pants?

Did his pants come off too?

At least two McDonald's employees came into the play area and also stepped over the underwear, and then

   I wondered, how long are these going to lie there?

Who is possibly going to be brave enough to pick these up and throw them away?

Maybe they are still there. 

A Picture of Me, by Blythe

Singing Santa Elves

Brandt has a little Christmas program at school on Friday.  The kindergarten prepared two numbers, one about a helpful elf who makes toys "for the good girls and boys."  Each child had bells on their wrists, which they shook throughout the song, and elf hats.  Brandt has been practicing without bells and without singing out loud, just wandering around shaking his hands.  They also sang "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas."  Each child had painted a hippo.  Brandt sang well and was delighted to perform.

On the way to a practice.  

At the practice.

See how diligently the children are holding their hands so their bells don't ring?

The day of the big performance.

Natalie on one side, Lucy on the other. 

Our handsome elf.

Brandt is the third from the left.

Davin, Natalie, then Brandt, and next to him Lucy and Kelton, those on his purple carpet row.

Isn't that a cute hippo?

Green and black, of course.

We Make A Move

We moved on Wednesday.  Finally.  I calculated that we have owned our home for two months, but we only slept here for the first time two days ago.  It has been a long process getting things ready, and thus far, we have found home ownership and remodeling to be a perilous business.

While the floor was being laid, on a Friday afternoon, the furnace quit working.  Steve (he who was doing the laying) told me the vents were only blowing out cold air, and I was distressed to think we may need to replace the furnace before we had even moved in.  Kent found that the porcelain igniter had died, and purchased a new one at a cost of only $65.  Much better than a whole new furnace.  He brought it home but then inadvertently shattered it while trying to install it.  He had a furnace guy come look at it, and we were told the circuit board had also died, exactly twenty years from the week, perhaps even the day, of manufacturing.  This would be $400 to replace, or we could just get a new furnace.  We debated through the weekend and by Monday had decided that $400 was a lot less than $3200, and opted for the new circuit board.

We have a jetted tub in the master bathroom.  Prior to moving in we were told there was a leak in the jets, and Kent repaired water damage to the living room ceiling before we painted.  The jets had been covered over with first-aid tape and the previous occupants only showered.  But we removed the front panel of the tub and searched for water damage to see where the leak was.  We found nothing under the tub.  There was a spot just outside the tub where there was obvious damage, mold growing and stuff, and when we could see nothing under the tub, we decided they must have been wrong and we should give the tub a thorough cleaning out, including the jets.

So Saturday afternoon, after applying the finish coat to the hardwood floors and working all day to ready the house to move in, we filled the tub, and squatted next to it watching for drips.  Nothing.  We turned on the jets.  Nothing.  We scoffed at the previous owners and said how delighted the children would be to have a bath with the jets going.  We began to let the water out and I went downstairs to clean some light fixtures at the kitchen sink.  I had the water on, but when I turned it off to dry the fixture, I heard the strangest noise.  I couldn't figure out what it was or where it was coming from, and washed a bit more.  When I turned the water off again, I heard the sound again and went to investigate.  You know where this is going, right?  The ceiling was leaking, badly, from a huge bubble of water.  "FLOOD!" I shrieked.  Our tubful of water was dripping onto the newly, just that day, finished wood floors and destroying Kent's fine patch job.  It was a mess.  First thing Monday morning Kent called his plumber friend who promised he could come on Wednesday to fix it.

Our plumber's assistant, Alan, actually came on Tuesday.  He was going to do three things: repair the tub, install a new water line for the refrigerator, and put in a gas line for our new gas stove.  When he went downstairs to see about the fridge line, he discovered that one of our two water heaters was leaking, they were ten years old, and we should probably replace them.  So he did his three tasks, and the day we moved in, the plumber, Paul, came and installed a new water heater.  All that cost $1250, which was money we did not anticipate spending immediately.

Tonight, before I finished cleaning the kitchen, I started a load of laundry.  The first load of laundry in the new house.  The washer hadn't been on a full minute when it began making a horrible metallic clanking noise.  I turned it off and tried to investigate but found nothing amiss.  I started it again and it was fine.  A few minutes later, however, it began making the noise again.  Kent is unsure what it is, but we hope it will finish the cycle because the children are out of clean underwear.

I also started the dishwasher for the first time tonight and it sounded like it was running dry.  It was.  No water at all.  Great.  As the washing machine appeared to be dying, the dishwasher was doing the same.  Turned out the water was off and it is fine.  Phew.

As I said, we moved most everything in on Wednesday.  We recruited the Timpview lacrosse team to help us.  They were fantastic; fast, friendly, careful.  I was able to get the kitchen stuff unpacked and put away yesterday, so we have been able to eat here.  The rest of the main floor is somewhat problematic however, because the baseboards were not in.  Steve came today and got them cut and nailed onto the walls, but he still needs to fill holes and caulk.  All the furniture and bookcases, as well as boxes and boxes have been pushed to the middle of the rooms and needs to be put away.  When Steve finished for the day he said, "So is it okay if I came back Monday to caulk?"

My face fell.  I looked at the living room in complete disarray and couldn't respond.  Monday?  What would I do until then?  Apparently my dismay was written all over my face because he said, "How's tomorrow?"  Tomorrow will be good.

I am super happy to be here.  Although it has been a long process, I am delighted with the way the house has come together.  I love the colors on the walls, I love the carpet, I love that it is ours.  It will be fantastic to get everything in place, put away, things hung on the walls.  The children are happy to be here and excited with the newness.  They shrieked in pleasure as they had their first bath in the jetted tub.

People have been so kind to us too.  Friends helped clean, they have brought food, watched the children, and brought us welcome gifts.  We are incredibly blessed and eagerly anticipate getting settled.  I will include pictures, but I can't find the cord to transfer them from the camera to the computer.  Soon.

Boxes ready to move.

The old house feels so empty (because it is)

and the new house finally feels like a place we can live. 

Blythe "helping" with the packing.

All I need is a bit of tape and we can load her on the trailer.

I managed to get the kitchen boxes unpacked and their contents put away.  It was a big job.  I have too much kitchen stuff--just ask Heidi and Suzan who helped me pack it all.  As I unwrapped dishes and things, I stuffed all the paper in several boxes until I could put it all in garbage bags to go in the recycling bin.  Before the paper made it that far, the children dumped it all out on the floor to play in.  They have been so patient during the whole moving process, I couldn't be mad at them.  I just let them play and gathered it all up later.  

Jetted tub fun.

Christmas Lights

It doesn't look at all like Christmas at our house.  It looks more like a storage unit.  But it is Christmas, and on Tuesday we make a trip to Salt Lake to see the lights on Temple Square.  This is the first time we have taken the children, and they loved it!  We met up with Christopher and Tysen and Eugene and Sharae and all their children, as well as Mikayla and Guy.  Grandma Sue was going to come too, but she got held up at work.  It was bitterly cold, about 24 degrees, but we bundled up with hats and gloves, and spent time inside as well as outside.  The children also ran around wildly, most likely as a self-preservation measure.  The lights were beautiful; we oohed and aahed.  We ended our evening with dinner at JB's, which was somewhat painful as the food was very slow in getting to us and trying to keep ten small and hungry people entertained is always a challenge.  We had a great time.

I love this hat.  It was originally Brandt's, but I think it looks darling on our Blythe.

This may or may not be our Christmas card picture.

If I do Christmas cards this year.

The really little cousins, Collin and Lyla.  

I'm not sure either of them had a good time.

The newlyweds.  It has now been two whole months.

Makenna, Ava, and Griffin

Blythe, with hat head.

The children fell asleep on the way home.

How could anyone possibly sleep in this position?

Death

My mom shared this quote with us Thanksgiving weekend.  We were all having a hard time missing Dad, and I appreciated this thought.

The death of a dear friend . . . which seemed nothing but privation, somewhat later assumes the aspect of a guide or genius; for it commonly operates revolutions in our way of life, terminates an epoch of infancy or of youth which was waiting to be closed, breaks up a wonted occupation, or a household, or style of living, and allows the formation of new ones more friendly to the growth of character . . . And the man or woman who would have remained a sunny garden flower, with no room for its roots and too much sunshine for its head, by the falling of the walls and the neglect of the gardener, is made the banyan of the forest yielding shade and fruit to wide neighborhoods of men.      Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dad's death still feels like a privation, but I am hopeful that, as a family, we can grow and blossom in new ways.

Wood

It has taken two weeks for Steve, the wood guy, to lay our floor.  We did have Thanksgiving in there, but it seems like it has taken a long time.  And now it needs to be sanded, filled, sanded again, and then finished.  I had hoped to have it all done so we could move on Saturday, but it won't be.  I hope we'll be there by Christmas.  It is looking fantastic, though, so I can't really complain.

The wood has been a fun for the children.  They have used it to make a track for cars.  Alternately it has been a boat.  And as you see, Steve has had to work around Brandt.  Literally.

Raking Leaves

I am super excited about being a new homeowner.  A new homeowner with trees.  Lots of trees with lots of leaves.  I have raked twice and still have leaves on trees.  The weather report said we were going to have 70 mile an hour winds last week and I sincerely hoped all the leaves would blow off the trees and down the road to someone else's yard (sorry someone else), but nothing happened here in Provo.  No wind, and still lots of leaves, falling straight down in my yard.  I took pictures with the phone, but only two ended up saved.

I used the children as compactors, and then I couldn't get them out of the bin.  I had to wheel them around the yard, dumping leaves on them and around them.  Two days later you would have never known I had raked and I had to start all over again.  Ah! The joys of home ownership.

Gratitude

Thanksgiving came and went last week, and while I felt a tremendous sense of gratitude, I was also feeling a tremendous sadness.  I really miss my dad.  I find myself crying at odd moments as I remember him.  Twice last week I woke up from a dream about him crying real tears.  And Christmas is coming and I can hardly think about celebrating without my Santa.

I am so grateful for all the good things in my life, and I need to do a better job of remembering those and expressing thanks to God and to people who bless me in so many ways.  In that vein, here is a list of the goodnesses with which I have been blessed.

Kent, husband extraordinaire, who loves me, serves me, and keeps me in line.
Brandt, number one son, who makes me laugh, snuggles with me, and reminds me to kind.
Blythe, number one daughter, who also makes me laugh and cry, and who is teaching me patience and a
  greater reliance on the Lord for direction because I don't always know what to do with her.
Extended family; our parents, our siblings, and their children.  I am so happy to be near most of family members
  and to have our children know and enjoy being with their cousins.
Our new house.  Although it has been so much work getting it put together and we still haven't moved in
   (resulting in little blogging of late), I am happy to be a home owner.
A healthy body.  Although not perfect, I'm grateful for my body.  I have energy to do all I want to do.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Especially during challenging moments, I am grateful to know that God knows me
   and loves me and has a plan for me.  I'm glad to know that we lived before we came to Earth, and that we
   live on after this life.
Tasty food.  Enough said.
Music.
Friendship.
Opportunities to serve.
And slippers on chilly evenings when my toes are cold.

Phone Camera

A month ago the camera was dropped.  The lens was out, it got tweaked, and after several attempts to fix it, Kent yesterday declared it an x-camera.  Dang.  Sort of.  I haven't really been in love with this camera, but I only got it at my birthday (May), and I didn't really feel like I could say to Kent, "I don't want this camera anymore."

I have discovered, however, that a camera I don't like is better than no camera at all.  Kent suggested I use my phone camera, but I didn't really think it would take a decent photo.  Turns out I was wrong.  The images aren't terrible, but I find that not all the pictures I take are actually getting to the album, which I only discovered how to access last week.  (I'm pathetic.)  It's sort of hit and miss.

Not only did I not think the phone would take a decent picture, I had a very hard time figuring out how to get to the camera.  I was going to menu, then to tools, then to album, then to camera, then taking the picture.  Complicated.  The other day Brandt said to me, "Mom, I want to take a picture with your phone."

"It is very difficult to get to the camera on the phone," I replied, to which Brandt said, "No, it's not," then turned, pointed the phone at me, and took my picture.  Turns out there is a little button on the side of the phone that is the "take a picture" button, only I didn't know it.  My five year old son did though.  This five year old son, in a panda bear hat.

Painted Hussy

Blythe is a girl, through and through.  She loves "makeover" (makeup) and will climb on the bathroom sink to watch me put mine on whenever she catches me in the act which isn't often because I hardly ever wear makeup anymore.  She always wants to put on makeover herself, and I do let her put on powder with a tickler (a pouffy brush).

Today I was downstairs working with Brandt and heard very little from upstairs.  When I went up to investigate, I found my makeover spread out across the bathroom floor, and heard Blythe running off to hide somewhere.  When she appeared after a few minutes, this is how she looked.  To her credit, she is getting better at putting on the makeover.  The eye shadow is mostly on her eyes, the blush was where it should be, and the lip treatment is almost only on her lips.

She said to me, "Mom, do I look beautiful?"
Of course she does, but I continue to tell her that she is beautiful with no makeover at all.

In a Mood

I've been grouchy today.  It started when we went over to the new house to begin painting Brandt's room and I discovered that all my careful taping around the door frames, the trim, and the floorboards, had all come up.  Nothing was sticking, even though I had used expensive 3M blue tape.  ARGH!  I went over last night, after putting the children to bed and a full day of activity and additional prep, only to find all my work for naught.  I was frustrated and complaining aloud, and Kent berated me for sounding mad at him and Blythe.  I wasn't mad at him initially, but when he told me to stop complaining, I did get mad and stormed out, hauling Blythe off to pre-school.

I returned almost immediately and apologized, but so the day began.  In the afternoon I took the children over to the new house (which Blythe calls "the boring house") to "help" me paint the kitchen and bathroom floors (using a cool zinc paint Kent manufactures that prevents mold growth), only to have Brandt paint the cabinets and Blythe step in the wet paint.  Later I was frustrated when Blythe pilfered a bag of Pirate Booty from the cupboard and not only ate a whole bunch, but got a whole bunch all over the family room.  Lost a bit more patience when the children ate no dinner (because of booty) and then proceeded to bring hall carpets and the entire toy content of Blythe's bedroom into the kitchen (which is not very large) because they were "going away to college," and then ignored me when I asked them to take it away to another part of the house.

Kent said to me, "Go to a movie.  Do something fun.  You are obviously not enjoying what you are doing today, so do something else.  We'll all be happier if you do."

Maybe I'm hormonal.  I hate being prone to weird mood swings just because I'm a woman.  And I hate feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done and that I want to do, but can't really do because I have two small children who need me.  I want to be needed and I love to help them, but sometimes they make me crazy, like today.

I'll get over it.  Probably tomorrow.  Or maybe the day after.  In the meantime, you may want to avoid crossing paths with me.

On a positive note (yes, I'll make an effort to end this grumpy post positively), we have almost completely finished painting on the main floor of the new house.  We need to do a bit of touch up in the two main areas and paint the ceilings in the entry and laundry rooms, and then the main floor will be done.  Now only bedrooms upstairs, and Kent gave Brandt's bedroom a first coat of his bright green paint today.  We should be completely finished with all the painting by week's end.  Yeah!  I would say I am disappointed that the floor guy can't start the hardwood until next week when in my mind he would start this week, but that would sound grumpy again, so I won't.

Child of God

As I was preparing dinner yesterday, Brandt came into the kitchen, got a chopstick out of the drawer, and said, "Mom, let's listen to some music.  I want to conduct."  I pulled out a BYU Men's Chorus CD entitled Shout With Glory and turned on the song "Child of God."  It is an upbeat, fun song with tambourine and clapping and wonderful piano accompaniment.  It is a song to dance to.  Brandt turned up the volume and conducted from a chair while Blythe and I danced around the kitchen shaking our stuff.  It was fun!

The song ended and Brandt hit the back button so we could listen and dance again.  And again.  Kent came home during our fourth listen and danced around the kitchen too.  All told, Brandt played "Child of God" eight times.  He would have played it a ninth, but Kent and I both felt eight was enough.  For us at least.  Wonderful music.  Here is BYU-I Men's Chorus singing the same song.  It is a lousy recording, probably from someone's phone, but it gives you a general idea of the catchy-ness of the tune.  I have had it running through my head all day.

Brandt, our maestro

Progress

We began painting at the new house this afternoon.  Yeah!!!!  We have been working so hard to clean (with help from friends and family--thank you!) and prep (again with help--thank you!) and I wanted to see new paint.  Kent was able to get all the trim and closets on the main floor tonight.  Monday we will be able to finish prep upstairs, do a second coat on the trim downstairs and the first coat on trim upstairs.  It's progress!

I think we have picked colors, and I really hope they will work.  We will do a blue in the family room/kitchen, green in the living room and library, yellow in the entry and up the stairs, red in the laundry, a lilac in the main floor loo, pink in Blythe's room, green in Brandt's, and something in ours.  I still need to decide what color to paint our room.  Come over next week and see our colors.

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween.  Brandt's class had a party and I went to help.  I was in charge of an outdoor game and came up with some relay games: push a pumpkin with a broom, ride a witch's broom, a spider toss, eyeball bubble gum carry, mummy wrap, and a ghostly spook.  It went reasonably well with only one group of four kids being absolutely wild.

Michelle, Hyrum's mom, and I counting pumpkin seeds. 

There were 518.

518 very slimy pumpkin seeds.

Brandt riding his witch broom.

And tossing spiders with Matthew.

Brandt, Matthew, Lulu, and Morgan.

When I asked Lulu her name, she said, "Lulu.  L-U-L-U."

Morgan was dressed like a fairy princess, but she had orange Dracula teeth to make it scary.

Here is part of the problem group.  

Lucy is the unicorn and Rider is wrapping her up like a mummy.

Earlier, rather than tossing spiders into it, Lucy sat in the basket in the background.

As Rider finished wrapping, Lucy ran off, dragging Rider after her.

They ran all around the playground as I encouraged them to return.

Lucy's arms were tied to her sides, so her hands sort of flapped around as she ran.

Kelton, Kaylee, Kennedy, and Evalyn.

Poor Evalyn.  Her name starts with an E, not a K.

 

Brandt's class.  

I'll see how I do remembering names.

Sitting, from left to right: Anna, Lisa, Oakley, Sofie, Britton, Rei, Lily, Lulu, Joseph, Hyrum, Morgan, Davin, Rider, Lucy, Zach, Evalyn, Natalie, and Kaylee.

Standing, from left to right: Brighton, Matthew, Brandt, Calvin, Kennedy, Kelton.  

Mrs. Bigelow and Mrs. Moffat.  

I know Carter is missing.

After school, Brandt and I went to pick up Blythe who had been playing at Grandma Dawn's house.  Although I gave her the option to come to school, Blythe wanted to go to Grandma's.  She and McKenna played and when Brandt and I arrived, Brandt hauled McKenna around, whether or not she wanted to be hauled. 

Blythe wanted to be a fairy princess fashion girl movie star.  

So she is wearing her princess dress, many bracelets, and sun glasses, just like a movie star.

No wings, but she did carry around a magic wand.

We made another visit in the afternoon to Grandma and Grandpa Barrus.  Grandma had made cookies (which were yummy with orange and black spots inside), and Grandpa wanted to take pictures.  I did too.  Here are our buccaneer and his fairy princess first mate on their pirate ship.  

We made another stop around the corner at Grandma Sue's house and met up with two one-eyed monsters.  Crew and Griffin didn't want to knock on the front door, but they were certainly happy to add candy to their buckets.  The day was positively balmy and so the four of them ran around outside while I visited with my mom.

Miss Lyla the ice cream cone, and her dad, Christopher

In the evening we went over to our new neighborhood and went trick or treating.  Our soon to be across the street neighbors offer hot dogs and nachos to families wandering around.  Another neighbor carves the most amazing pumpkins, big elaborate ones.  This year he carved faces of Pirates of the Caribbean characters that were so realistic Orlando Bloom looked hot with a candle flaming behind his face.  And some other neighbors, new to the ward, set up a haunted forest in their backyard.  It was spooky.  I was glad we went before it got dark because the children were somewhat freaked out even in the light.  

I was thinking, next year, we could make apple cider donuts.  I thought it would be a nice addition to the neighborhood festivities.  Then I spoke to someone who lives in the next cul-de-sac down who told me she gave out about 300 pieces of candy.  I don't want to make 300 apple cider donuts so I may need to come up with some other fun new tradition.

The children were totally into trick-or-treating.  They ran from house to house excited to be getting candy.  I was delighted that on Tuesday, Brandt's homework assignment was to sort his candy any way he chose: by size, type, like/dislike, or color.  Brandt chose color.  He had mostly brown; lots of chocolate.