easter

It was a rainy, cold Easter but our tummies are full of yummy ham, blue cheese potatoes, baked asparagus, spinach salad and my favorite hummingbird cake. Grandma and Grandpa joined us for dinner and Grandma brought the kid's contraband in the form of sugar cereal and candy. Yesterday after the St John easter egg hunt at the park we took a picnic to Palouse Falls. It was the most beautiful day. The water was roaring and powerful and the falls were incredible. We hiked all the way to the mouth of the falls. My anxiety level was so high Tony had to pry my fingers off of Eliza and Max's wrists after the hike (Marcos was safely in the back pack). The kids seemed to have the most fun jumping the rocks to cross the river and Wilson of all the kids, was truly in his element. So many good things come from hiking: it exhausts the children, they learn to help each other and depend on each other, and it's cheap entertainment. The best part are all of the gospel parallels that gush from our mouths, I'm sure to the kid's disdain. "When we follow the path, we are safe, but if we get off the path we can fall and die!" or "To make it to heaven we have to help each other past the rushing waters of trials, so we reach our destination safely." Someday the kids will mock us for these lessons, but we just can't help ourselves. I would love Palouse Falls to become our family's annual Easter tradition.

mom's retreat

It's great to spend a retreat weekend with friends and when all is said and done, come to the same conclusion: next year we don't shop, we go to Africa. The greatest thing I gained from this weekend of shopping was a great desire to simplify my wardrobe and home to the point that it requires minimal thought and even more minimal shopping. I feel I have already embraced the internet for all our home and clothing needs, but after this weekend, I am more determined than ever to reduce and simplify.

A highlight of the weekend was going to the Salt Lake Temple for the first time. The live session has given me several new insights. Besides letting us stay at the Solitude condo, Chelsea made the whole trip worth it by letting us do the equivalent of thrift store shopping at her Shade store in American Fork. It felt like old times with Andrea and Betsy and brought back a lot of memories of "the hunts" we used to do at the Thrift Center in Spokane. Overall the weekend was really relaxing. It was nice to have a change in routine, rejuvinate, refocus and reconnect. It was equally nice to come home and realize again that my kids do great without me and my husband is wonderful.

The leprechan did remember to come this year for St Patrick's Day and strung our house up with string from top to bottom. I made(OK burned) the traditional corned beef and cabbage, as well as the rainbow parfaits I saw in Family Fun magazine. Note to self for next year: instant pistachio pudding if kept in the cupboard for over 5 years does go rancid and tastes very much like playdoh. Next year I'll use Cool Whip with green food coloring.

Today I had my first official bike ride of the year. I only did 10 miles but since I was pulling a very whiny Max in the trailer through freezing cold wind and hail, I'm counting it as 20 miles.

Cooper got to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa for his birthday while I was in Utah. This is his report:

We went to Zip's for dinner on Friday night. I had a double patty burger and a chocolate fudge milkshake. It is good, I recommend it. I watched Karate Kid with Grandpa that night--it was a funny movie. On Saturday Grandpa made me pancakes with rotten milk. They smelled like fish. Grandpa said I had to finish the pancakes or the milk, so I finished the milk, but it was sick! After breakfast we looked up Cabelas in the phone book, but it wasn't there. We found it at Cabela's on-line and the picture was awesome. At Cabela's we saw a lot of deer and moose heads. There was a gargantuan fish aquarium. There was a lot of shooting games. I bought two pocket knives. Grandpa thought it was one of the best deals in the store, buy one get one free. My Grandma and Grandpa are so nice.

severed deer head

My friend Betina has the most amazing method of making me feel great. She asks my advice. She asks my advice on decorating, on clothing, on parenting. I don't usually have good advice and my opinions and tastes are less than immpecable, but the mere act of asking makes me feel good. My friend Becky, the owner of our local paper, asks me to edit her column. Today she said she really valued my comments, and that compliment lifted my spirits all afternoon. My friend Andrea also suggested that asking advice or opinions was a great way to bridge the generation gap. I think she's right. When I ask my teenage friend Callie for clothing advice, she feels valued. When I ask my Mom for parenting advice, she feels helpful.

My goal for the month: to improve relationships: ask for advice.

Tony was hilarious tonight. He spent an hour and a half on the phone with Verizon arguing over an $85.00 phone bill. Guess who emerged triumphant? That's my man-- Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard would have been so proud.

Reason 1,180 why I love St John: Yesterday when I took Max to the park we discovered a deer head in the garbage can; the whole head, antlers and all with it's eyes missing from the sockets and the tongue lolling out of it's head. It has been the focal point of every conversation Max has had for two days straight. I never found a severed deer head in the trash bin at the parks where I grew up. My kids are so lucky.

pooped parent

Parenting this week pooped me out. I mean physically and emotionally. I babysat for friends four out of five days. They were great kids, but they tired me out. By the end of the week I was living my greatest fear. I was one of the women who attend HFP Enrichment for the social interaction and to fulfill their needs rather than out of a sense of duty. Yikes.

This was week one of part-time homeschooling Wilson. It has reduced my stress by half and 4 out of 5 days were big successes. We studied nosebleeds, chocolate and the properties of concrete. It is hard work and is challenging me to be organized and routine. Marcos has benefited from consistent naps. The experience has clearly demonstrated that I have absolutely got to block out a chunk of time for my other kids too. It still feels like the right thing to do.

The other night I reminded Wilson that he needed to remember the name of the book he was reading. He looked up at me and in all sincerity said, "Mom, do you know how many things I have to remember every day? I have to remember my shoes, my clothes, brushing my teeth, making my bed. I'm overwhelmed." It was very insightful and I realized that nothing is automatic for Wilson. Even Max doesn't have to put a lot of energy into remembering things. Wilson, for whatever physiological reason, has to make an effort to remember things that are automatic for the rest of us. With that realization I decided to pick three things I want him to remember and the rest I have to let go. I'm hoping I can talk his teacher into the same.

Eliza told the dentist the other day that her favorite thing to do at school was "make babies." (We are sure she meant draw or color babies, but it didn't sound too good). The neighbor told Cooper that babies were made by someone peeing in a bumhole. Cooper was very grossed out. I also spent several hours on Friday with an acquaintance whose brother in law was involved in child pornography just 30 miles from my home. Needless to say, we have ramped up the frequency of our sex talks, which seem to happen most often over breakfast. I know our discussions are going well when Eliza says to me, "If someone touches my privates I punch them until they bleed, right Mommy?" That's right my girl!

Cooper James is an official 9 year old. I couldn't resist making the most obnoxious candybar cake to take to him at school. I spent a silly amount of money on pure junkfood sugar crap, and it was worth everything to see his smile when I walked into the classroom. He was thrilled with his Nerf guns and water guns and money from Grandmas and Grandpas. His birthday breakfast request was ebelskeivers, and just the smell brings back so many childhood memories. Poor Cooper was really under the weather, but seemed to enjoy his day anyway.

Today was the final basketball game in Colton, a mere hour and 15 minutes away (unbelievable!) Tony was on call this weekend so we made a day of it and spent the afternoon flying kites in a beautiful park in Lewiston. I even fed the kids hotdogs and soda from Costco for lunch. I vowed if one more person in that store from Hell said to me, "Wow, you really have your hands full!" I was going to scream. I need to hear how adorable and well-behaved my children are, not that they are a handfull, or the implied message that I am frazzled. I hope I remember this when Tony and I are old and go to Costco for two items and feel compelled to comment to mothers of multiple children.

We are fasting right now for Debbie and Rand's little boy Adam. He is three months old and has menengitis. As of yesterday they were having a hard time controlling his seizures. My heart is breaking for them.

Tomorrow is Mom's birthday. I wish more than anything she could have one normal day with normal energy and normal aches and pains. 61 is too young to feel the way she does. We are having family home evening together which I think she'll enjoy.

Time for this pooped Mom to curl up with a good book and gear up for tomorrow's ironically named "Day of Rest."