Fishertales

I LOVE this Photography blog!!!

2011-06-20T15:08:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure where I found it - but this lady's blog has a lot of great photography tips - not to mention to-die-for photo eyecandy! I love her style. The photos are gorgeous! I'm so excited about her Summer Giveaway too. Check her blog out!

http://www.soulographer.com/

Profile Me

2011-02-11T16:50:00.003-05:00

When trying to choose a "profile picture" for my Facebook page, I have a pretty hard time. For one, there aren't that many photos of me to choose from, simply because I am usually on the other side of the camera. Photos of me are usually 1) Christmas morning in pajamas, crazy hair, and dog tired form the nights' "festivities" - (ie. making sure Santa shows up and rummaging through all of our secret spaces hoping not to miss anything), or B). the 'hands' lighting the birthday candles during all the birthday parties we photograph. So, many times I just rely on a cartoon character, or a meaningful object to represent me..

And then there are all those shots of me from the side view - and face it, what woman, after bearing 5 kids, wants to be remembered by her actual profile??? I don't know what possesses my dear husband to take these photos from the side view!!!

I just stumbled upon this one in the remnants of some of last year's beach photos. I had never seen it before. (I take so many at the beach, that it's easy to miss a few!) I'm guessing Big T took it with his phone.

At any rate, this is the photo I think my kids would choose as representing "the real me": always bugging them to "smile" or "stay still" or "do that again". And since I've started photography classes, I can't just point, shoot, and depend on Photoshop to make my pictures look good.

So I'll be holding that camera in front of my face a lot more!!! These days, even if I can't always be at the beach, THIS is me.

Every House Deserves to be Loved

2011-02-11T16:15:00.002-05:00

There she is, weeding away in the front yard of some miscellaneous house that we looked at last year when we assumed (wrongly) ours would be sold. It was a foreclosed house, and had sat empty for some time. The yard was overgrown and the place was a vision of neglect. Sweet Orca picked up on the sadness of the abandoned house and began weeding.

"Whatcha' doin' O?" asked dad. No response. When pressed, her response was: "Every House deserves to be loved."

Yes, sweetheart, it does.

Leftover Mom

2011-01-24T13:05:00.001-05:00

I would venture to say that this post is actual proof of what I've been saying: "When it comes to being frugal, I have no pride". When I was growing up, I cannot say our family was poor. In fact, we enjoyed a lot of luxuries other families didn't, like one of the first Apple Computers on the market (a pain in the butt to use) and a big- screen projection TV. So I don't really know where my obsession with thriftiness came from. But, I do remember that one of my fathers big issues was not wasting food. Growing up in the depression-era, it's easy to figure out why he would have this hangup.

So here's the rundown of my culinary delights of the day (...or more precisely: "what I ate today shows exactly how we can afford piano and cello lessons, birthday parties, and new camping equipment"):

Breakfast:

leftover peanut butter and jelly sandwich from Halibut's lunch on Friday (it sat in his lunchbox over the weekend)
Herbal tea

Snack

last bit of microwave popcorn left from yesterday's afternoon movie
handful of 'Cap'n Crunch" that was left in the bottom of the box this morning
remainder of Starfish's bottled water that she took out of her lunchbox this morning

Lunch

Cream of Wheat cereal with leftover blackberry juice (someone ate all the berries and put the container back inthe fridge) and cream
smoothie made from the last bit of orange juice and the banana from Halibut's lunchbox on Friday (it sat in there over the weekend and got overripe)
remainder of apple the kids didn't take in their lunches

Snack

glob of cookie dough from the cookies we made for this week's Great Cookie Project run

Dinner

Ok, I actually had my own food for dinner - not the remains of someone else's. BUT, I did use some leftover rice from the fridge!

Thankful

2011-01-08T23:21:00.002-05:00

We got an unexpected surprise this Thanksgiving. While we were up visiting Grandma and Grampa, we were able to visit with cousins Jessie and Kelly, who we haven't seen in a very long time! Kelly just graduated from college in Utah and Jessie is in college in Boston. It wasn't very long, but it was a nice visit. We are happy that they are doing so well and hope we will get to see them again soon!

Snaggle

2011-01-08T23:08:00.001-05:00

Well, it took forever, but Halibut has finally lost a front tooth! It looks like the new one was already coming in before the old one came out. It just wouldn't give up! It is such a milestone in my little guys life - he is GROWING UP! But I have to say, I'm a little sad to see these changes - I will miss his baby-teeth smile!

BRAVO!

2011-01-08T23:00:00.001-05:00

Gigi's first orchestra concert was a huge success! After just a few short months of playing the cello, she wasn't even as nervous as I thought she'd be! The whole production was very professional and we were able to see the huge difference between the first year players and those who have been playing longer. Gigi did a wonderful job and we are so proud of her for trying her hand at a new instrument and working so hard to develop her talents!

Morning Walk

2010-11-20T03:44:00.001-05:00

YES, I took these! These were just a few things that caught my eye on a gorgeous fall morning. I am so glad I ran back in the house to grab my camera before going on this walk! It seemed like every time I would take a few steps on my walking path, I'd see something else that I had to catch with the camera. These images are now filed under the heading "More reasons why I love living here".

I think it really is often the case that we really stop 'seeing' those things that surround us every day, simply because they are so familiar. Fall gives us the chance to notice everything again. Familiar places become riots of color. We take off our blinders and notice once a gain what a glorious world our Father in Heaven gave us to live in and how blessed we are!

Only now I am faced with a pretty serious dilemma: Do love North Carolina more in the Fall or in the Springtime? Tough one...

You're Somethin' Else

2010-10-31T02:11:00.002-04:00

We had an excellent time at the 2010 Ward Halloween Party! I wonder what the chances are that next year we can get dad to dress up?

Bullseye!

2010-10-31T00:30:00.002-04:00

Halibut has been working very hard at school. I always get really good reports from his teacher, but hitting the highest rung of the 'behavior chart' has proven a little difficult. On this day, October 4, 2010, he decided to memorialize the fact that he made it to "Exceptional" by writing it in a card (he "exed" out the other half of the card that was his birthday message from Grandma & Grandpa).

A while later, he decided that we needed to have a behavior chart here at home. So he made one up himself for our family with everyone's name on it and posted it on the bulletin board. He is doing great around here now that his performance is tangibly recorded where it can be seen. We are very proud of him.

Today, he even moved me to 'Super'! I feel pretty good about that...

Pot Pie, oh my!

2010-10-31T00:09:00.000-04:00

We love pot pie around here! The turkey leftovers were getting a bit tiresome after a week, but, it semed like they were always scarfed up when I put them in a pie. This one turned out especially pretty... so I had to show it off!

Wingnut!

2010-10-30T23:58:00.002-04:00

There is nothing in the world I can think of that Gigi loves more that Wings! Looks like she's sure enjoying these, Wouldn't you agree?

Happy Birthday Princess G!

2010-10-22T23:27:00.010-04:00

I love this funny, Amazing, Beautiful girl so much! But can somebody please tell me how she can already be 12 YEARS OLD!!!!

It is not possible!

It seems like just yesterday she was playing dress up and carrying all of her toys around in various bags and backpacks.

Gigi is such a joy to have in our family! her sweet spirit and loving personality is truly remarkable.

Happy Birthday sweet girl!

So Excited for Scouts!

2010-10-06T16:05:00.002-04:00

Halibut just can't wait until he is able to go to Scouts! Even though he has several months let before he can start, he decided to wear his Scout shirt to school yesterday and proudly showed it off to his teacher. He had a fantastic day and came home with a note saying he'd been "Exceptional". He told me that wearing his uniform was what helped him be exceptional. Maybe what we wear does matter...

Going Green

2010-08-23T11:15:00.020-04:00

'Going green' in the summertime around here means fingers, toes, and hair (!) colored in the official colors of the Heritage Hills Hurricanes.

Halibut was half-way to neon-green hair when he decided he liked his 'beach-bum' bleached blond locks well enough to stop right there.

That's what the Psyche -up party is all about. Well, that and throwing pies at the coaches!

The Butterfly

2010-08-23T10:32:00.016-04:00

I'm still giggling over the phone conversation I had with Marlan a few weeks ago. If you know Marlan, you'll know why.

She was lamenting the fact that she had promised to drive a friend to an appointment and back the next morning. The commitment would last about 4 hours. None of her other friends were in a position to extend this help to the girl for one reason or another. She was just realizing that this meant that she could not take off to her boyfriend's house right now like she really wanted to.

I specifically remember her asking: "I mean, when did I become 'The Responsible One'?" When indeed?

Our adventurous, fun-loving, dramatic Marlan has travelled a long, windy road of less-than-logical decisions and their consequences. We finally learned that a lot of her erratic behavior was being caused by MS. Unfortunately, her self-perception suffered as well as just about everything else.

She has worked really hard and overcome tremendous obstacles and struggles during the past few years. She has made a lot of progress towards creating a stable, productive, and meaningful life. Which is what we all strive for in this life, isn't it?

Marlan has always been smart. Sometimes too smart (for her parents!). But now she is able to harness all that brain power and focus it on her goals. MS had been robbing her of that. Our most recent conversation involved how she is working on tackling calculus and juggling a full load of classes and a part time job. Calculus?, yes, of course you have to pass calulus when you're majoring in Chemistry. What? Isn't that just about the hardest major in the college catalog?

Marlan recently started a new medication which seems to be a game-changer for her. She feels better and seems to have more stamina than she has in the past. Such a blessing!

Reclaiming faith in herself and in her Divine Nature as a daughter of God has been challenging. I want her to know how very proud her family is of her and how important she is to us. And I know His love for her dwarfs even ours.

One of the most amazing things to watch in nature is the butterfly emerging from her cocoon. We are in awe...

Funny Little Things He Says

2010-08-11T11:10:00.011-04:00

It was blissful this morning as I lay in bed, lazily contemplating getting up at 9 am. (Just a few more weeks until school's in session and these kinds of mornings will just be a distant memory...)

Now, I don't normally consider myself a cranky person in the morning. Then why, I wondered was this the first thing I heard:

"Mommy, I'm going to play Wii, so if you hear something can you not mind?"

hmmm...now, for the rest of the day I will be wondering how, exactly, my children see me.

**********

Last night I found an unwelcome visitor dining on some sort of goo that had spilled near the trash can in the kitchen. Apparently somehow it had squeezed under the door and come inside. It was about four inches long- HUGE in 'girls&bug' terms - and at first I thought it was plastic 'fishing bait'....until I touched it and...it curled up into a ball.

Amidst the 'eew-ing" and "ahh-ing" of girls and Dad, we heard a quiet and very serious plea:

"Dad, I very, very want to collect that."

sadly for him, the animal was released back into the wild...

Compliments

2010-08-10T20:10:00.010-04:00

The other day as I was swimming laps in the pool a woman in the next lane asked me, "are you Starfish's mom" (Starfish was at home). "Yes, I am," I replied.

"I thought so," she said, "you look just like her".

Now, I've heard this comment many times from friends. This was a first coming from a complete stranger. And also the first time that I was soaking wet! I've even been told we are "twins" before.

To me, this is the best compliment, ever!

While I think there's a resemblance, I don't think we look that much alike...she gets her good looks from her dad, but she is even more beautiful on the inside!

I have to admit that I am totally flattered and never get tired of hearing it!

Trouble Sleeping

2010-08-01T01:56:00.011-04:00

Dear Heavenly Father,
please help me not see stuff that isn't there,
not have bad dreams,
and not be scared of the dark...

...oh, how simple and heartfelt are the prayers of a little boy who has faith.
(these are his actual words, not mine)

Ya got Trouble

2010-07-26T23:59:00.012-04:00

Ya got trouble,
Right here in River city!
With a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "P"
And that stands for POOL.
We've surely got trouble!

I had a fun evening with Gigi tonight. We watched a Monty Python movie and listened to Broadway show-tunes on Pandora - noting the next classic musicals that we need to add to our DVD collection: The Music Man, Fiddler on The Roof.

A few weeks ago we borrowed The Music Man from the library. It was quite a hit - but nobody took to it quite like my Gigi. She says that she watched it 5 times. I think it was more.

Tonight was like being in a place where there is usually a constant noise in the background, like music in a store or traffic near a busy street, noise I've become used to, but then having that noise stop, and realizing that there's something really wonderful going on that I haven't noticed before because it's been drowned out by the noise.

Gigi is the classic 'middle child' caught between two remarkable sisters. She is very flexible, easy-going and independent. Of all our kids, she demands the least of my attention, but she always, always has a smile and a hug waiting for me. Well, tonight the other two girls were away. That background noise I'd become accustomed to was strangely absent.

She quotes the movie at random times....like during dinner with the Missionaries the other day.

Are certain words creeping into his conversation?
Words like 'swell?"
And 'so's your old man?"
Well, if so my friends,
Ya got trouble

I never really thought about how funny she can be, how silly, how much she enjoys fun movies and music. She's the first to mimic Tevye's little jig with me: 'If I were a rich man, Daidle deedle daidle daidle daidle deedle daidle dum....' Only Gigi shares my Tim Hawkins addiction.

When she found this song, 'Ya Got Trouble' from The Music Man, on the internet, she just lit up - singing and dancing around. She knows most of the words...I think we just might have a Broadway Star in our future...

This girl already shines!

LEO

2010-07-18T20:00:00.008-04:00

So it seems that Miss Orca has found her true calling...or one of them anyway: entrepreneur! She and her best buddies from the 'hood set up a stand for selling jewelry. they braided (or weaved, not sure) bracelets and rings as they sat under the big tree on the corner. They were quite the salesmen, er, 'saleskids" They actually made quite a haul

They are planning their next event soon!

Heart and Soul,.... and a Little Fishin’

2010-07-15T15:31:00.020-04:00

What do you call it when you realize that you’ve been missing something wonderful that has always been there, seemingly waiting, for you to just shift your focus enough to find it?

It was just by chance that we ended up staying in a house on the Intercoastal Waterway this year at Holden Beach. We had waited until the last minute to book a beach house and happened to luck into one situated just a hop away from the bridge, which made it really easy to get to Provisions...and WINGS, of course. It also had a dock right on the Intercoastal Waterway. We didn’t realize at first what this meant.

Grampa brought fishing poles and gear…and found a bait shop for worms (after bologna and hotdogs didn’t do the trick).

What a wonderful experience it was for the kids to get to fish with cousins or an uncle after a day in the sun, sand, and waves! In the evenings, all three families (Cleggs, Prices, Fishers) and Grandparents would converge at the house for dinner and to visit. After dinner, kids and adults would inevitably drift down to the dock to throw in a line and stand waiting, talking, or not talking. Some nights, just a few croakers and pinfish took the bait, other nights, (once the bait got upgraded to the leftover shrimp...absolutely do NOT mention this around Grandma) they were being reeled in fast and furious.

On the East side of the Island, it’s all about the ocean. The waves, the wind, the sand. The colors are always the same: varying shades of blue and grey sky and water and miles of beige-brown sand. We are lulled by the steady rhythm of the waves and tides that never end, like the steady beating of the heart.

On the West side, it’s peaceful. Quiet except for the occasional boat or jetski, … the splash of a jumping fish, the low murmur of a father and son’s fishing banter . Maybe a cool breeze will arise, maybe not. The colors are dark blues, greys, greens, the sunwashed pastels of weathered beach-house paint, or bright oleander flowers, and everchanging shades of yellow, orange, pinks, purples, and red sunsets. Just being there brings joy to my soul.

After 14 years of focusing purely on “the big show” a few steps to the East that is the Atlantic Ocean, I have finally become aware of the peace, beauty, and fun that has always been there, waiting to be discovered…just on the other side.

A-maze-ing

2010-07-11T04:18:00.013-04:00

After so many years it seems like we've just about done it all at the Beach. Actually, we are totally happy doing the same old things: wave jumping, skimboarding, shell hunting, reading, etc. We never get bored with our comfortable routine, but don't really expect anything different. And that is fine. Everything's fine when you're at the beach!

But lo and behold, this year a little something out of the ordinary popped up.

We had been working on burying Halibut in the sand:

When we noticed that someone had drawn an immense sand maze! The kids had fun trying to work their way through it without crossing any solid lines. FUN!

I was so impressed that the person who created it with painstaking detail had spent so much time doing it, and then left it to entertain strangers...knowing that the waves would eventually come and wash it away.....

It made me think about how we often spend so much time doing (or working to pay for) things that are temporary: decorating a house, gardening, etc. Do they really matter in the long run?

Mothers know that a lot of what we create is temporary: meals, Halloween costumes, science projects, clean laundry, cupcakes for the class, family vacations.....

We do it anyway. Each day mothers create seemingly fleeting moments of comfort or joy, but the memories won't be so easily washed away. When we do the same old things every day, we are investing our time and talents building families, strengthening relationships... those things last forever.

I like looking at it from that perspective!

Oh Say, Can You See?

2010-07-11T03:15:00.015-04:00

This year we had a pretty low-key Fourth of July. No parades or anything. Since we'd just returned from the beach trip, there was a lot to do around the house with unpacking and what-not, but mostly we were somehow exhausted from the driving and unpacking the day before. Plus, it was Fast-Sunday so we basically did the usual Sunday-ish things.

The first special experience of the day came during Sacrament meeting. Brother Beacham shared his testimony, and talked about his father who had fought in WWII and in Korea. After his heartfelt words, Bro. Beacham wanted to end with a tribute by singing The Star Spangled Banner. He began singing without music, and pretty soon everyone was on their feet singing along. It was a really great experience, the Spirit spoke to my heart of His love for this country.

Later that night, after we had rested, we got to break out the Fireworks that we had picked up in South Carolina during the beach trip. We went down to the cul-de-sac at the end of Bennington and were joined by just abut every boy in the neighborhood, I think, plus a few of the girls friends, Lulu and Eliza, plus a lot of men shooting off some BIG fireworks. Some may say that the highlight was when the neighbor's yard caught on fire (!)....we pounded it out with our shoes and dumped water on it.

It wasn't a professional show, but being close to home and with friends make it even better.

At the end of the evening, we came home and read the Declaration of Independence.

What better way to celebrate than with God, Music, Family, Friends, and Fireworks!

Don't Cry About it

2010-07-11T02:21:00.004-04:00

Dad seems to be having a great time at the beach - he's even a bit cooler since carrying on his beach-tradition of shaving his head!

...at some point during the trip, along comes a precocious 7 year old and lays this comment on him:

"Dad, there are some spots where your hair won't grow back, ....but don't cry about it."

....Poor Dad...

Going Backwards

2010-07-11T02:07:00.003-04:00

So, I've taken a sabbatical of sorts from my blog. Not sure how it happened, too much life coming at me at one time, I guess. But I hate to miss out on recording all my memories before they fade away. I treasure these times, watching my kids grow up! But I'm finding it harder and harder to remember things these days. getting old I guess!

This blog platform doesn't let me rearrange my posts in chronological order, so several of my next posts will be out of order. I'll just write posts as quickly as I can remember them - probably going from the present (July 2010) backwards - but I'll try to include an idea of the date of the actual event.

Portrait Practice

2010-04-25T02:32:00.015-04:00

A few of my favorite faces...

Boys will be....Art Critics!

2010-02-10T14:26:00.001-05:00

I am still laughing about a comment Halibut made the other day. He was looking at his sister's drawing of a house, trees, and flowers. I was across the room concentrating on something else. It got quiet, then I hear this, very serious comment from my son:

"Well, if I made that picture, I would put a bat right there, and a vampire over there, and a spider somewhere."

I just laughed and laughed thinking about how differently little boys and girls see the world and express themselves.

Thirteen

2010-02-10T14:08:00.004-05:00

Wow! We have a teenager in the house! It's hard to believe that our Starfish is turning thirteen already. Where did all the time go? It feels like she has always here, and that we haven't had her very long--all at the same time!

We have so many wonderful memories and so many plans for more!

Ahh, to be thirteen! New experiences (babysitting, your first PG-13 movie - yikes!), new opportunities and responsibilities, making your own choices, thinking about what you'd like to be when you grow up. So many exciting possibilities !

You are so fun, so smart, so great!
We love you!

Party in the House!

2010-02-10T13:46:00.000-05:00

Birthday season is in full swing around here - but we were a little partied-out on poor Orca's big day. It's hard to have your birthday right after Christmas! I can't believe she's nine already! Happy Birthday O!

iScream

2010-02-10T13:36:00.001-05:00

Argghh! Couldn't somebody have gotten a different flavor so I could have a taste? I just don't DO Mint Chocolate Chip!

Birds of a Feather

2010-01-11T00:29:00.015-05:00

Here's what we learned at the Busch Garden bird sanctuary: These birds ain't shy--especially when fresh nectar is on the menu! And there's nothing like a bird, (or two!) in the hand, or on the head, to make a kid (and a mom) smile!!

Giva a Little Bit

2010-01-08T22:08:00.006-05:00

Who IS that girl? why it's our very own Gigi - fresh from getting 10 inches of her beautiful hair cut for donating to Locks of Love.

Ever since last year she had been planning on donating her hair as soon as it was long enough, so we had just gone in for a little trim. We thought that the organization that makes wigs for children had a minimum requirement for 12 inches for donation.

When she found out they would take 10 inches, she said "do it!" And she never flinched as all of her hair was bunched up and snipped. Unfortunately we won't be able to find out where it eventually finds its new home...privacy issues.

But being able to contribute something to help another child has been a valuable experience. What more can a person give than a part of themselves (literally!)?

Deck Their Halls

2010-01-06T23:18:00.010-05:00

"Black Friday" is of course known for the biggest shopping day of the year. Those who aren't out shopping are, I imagine, breaking the Boughs of Holly out of mothballs and dutifully decorating in preparation for the upcoming month of Christmas merriment.

I, on the other hand, am usually still recovering from Thanksgiving--either from the cooking of the dinner, or the eating way too much of it! (ideally in my pajamas and fuzzy slippers for as long as possible!)

So, since we were fortunate enough to be spending the weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's in
King, the kiddos got to have a decorating extravaganza!! Never have more decorations been so enthusiastically squeezed into every nook and cranny of a house.

Since Grandma never met a Snowman or Santa she didn't like for her collection,

this process took quite a while!

It was a happy day for all of us: the kids had a grand time assembling the tree, wrapping on the lights, and examining all of the beautiful ornaments and decorations.......and I got to watch (from the couch!)

Ultimately Thankful

2010-01-04T00:33:00.016-05:00

Ultimate (also called ultimate frisbee) is a limited contact team sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to that in American football or rugby.

Most families have football at Thanksgiving. Ours has frisbee!

We have determined that frisbee is the perfect sport for us because:

We look pretty good doing it!

It's great for all ages

We are so grateful for the time that we got to spend together as a family during the Thanksgiving holiday. It is so nice to be able to stop everything and step back and look at the things in our lives that are so valuable and offer special prayers of gratitude to our Father in Heaven for all He has given us.

We are thankful for our family.
We are thankful for each and every member of it.
We are thankful for our health.
We are thankful for our home.
We are thankful for our church.
We are thankful for our Saviour.

no special equipment or uniforms are required
Halftime always involves piggyback rides!

and

being silly is a requirement!

Little Ghouls

2009-12-13T02:43:00.002-05:00

It's about time I finally got these photos posted! Of course they've been on Big Tuna's iphone and getting my hands on that thing is pretty tricky!!!

No matter though 'cause it might as well still be the first week after Halloween 'cause I am STILL finding little stashes of trick or treat goodies that have been hidden all over the house.

I think my kids caught on to the fact that I usually dispose of the majority of their candy as soon as I can secretly dump it, so they came up with their own plan...making me think I've gotten rid of it while hiding secret small stashes all over the place........or maybe they're just part-squirrel.

Spooky!

2009-10-24T21:13:00.004-04:00

I'll just come right out and say it: Halloween is my very least favorite..., um, time of the year (it's not really a holiday is it?). And there are several reasons for this - but I won't go into them now. However, I do have to say that I love the spooky shadows cast by my new lighted twig pumpkin (I need to figure out how to hide that cord though!).

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

2009-10-24T19:40:00.016-04:00

Even though we had a great time on our trip to Connecticut and New York, our travel arrangements were a real pain in the rear! It was a really powerful reminder to me of what can happen when one element of a great plan goes wrong.

I haven't even tried to add up the number of hours that Starfish, Gigi, and I spent waiting in an airport, train, or subway station . Let's just say, that the majority of the photos that we took for the trip were actually taken in one of those three places.

It all started when, just as we were boarding our first flight (at 7 am!) we realized that Sophie had forgotten her insulin. So we missed that flight and tried to get on any other flight. I learned never to fly on a Friday! EVERYTHING was booked solid! We ended up not getting to New Haven until 10 o'clock that night! (that's about 15 hours of flying and waiting)

On the way home, we were to catch an 8:05 am flight out of new York. I was pretty nervous about making it there on time, so I gave myself almost 3 hours to go the 60 miles. Well, I've never driven in New York at that time of day, and of course, we missed the flight (just barely!)

This led to the same chain of events - sitting, waiting, and hoping that the next flight would have 3 empty seats. We made it to Baltimore, but couldn't make it all the way to Raleigh until the next morning.

Fortunately Uncle Chad lives nearby and came to our rescue and took us to his house for the night. We enjoyed visiting with him, Laura, and their dogs and cats. (I'm so glad we didn't take the flight connecting in Chicago!)

The ideal caption for this photo would be: "Trying not to be Crabby in Maryland even though we got stuck here overnight with no luggage on poor Gracie's Birthday!!" but that's just a little too long, don't ya think?

We finally made it home, about 30 hours after we first set out on our journey. We learned that airport seating, when you can find it, is NOT that comfortable, and that moving walkways can provide a good hour of entertainment for 2 bored girls!

People Should Smile More

2009-10-24T06:14:00.009-04:00

One thing that struck me while riding miles and miles on trains and subways in New York was how people could be riding packed together at high speeds on these mass transit systems, yet insist on avoiding eye contact! I did an experiment to see how many people I could get to look me in the eye. Not many!

Also, and I know I am a bad example of this - but people really should smile more!! During our trip to the crowded Northeast, I realized how few of the thousands of people I saw were actually smiling. And I noticed that those who did smile, seemed so much nicer to be around than the rest.

I have to mention 'Oma', our new adopted Grandma from Germany. (Her real name is Doris, but she says "Call me Oma (that's what they call the grandmas in Germany). Now, we met Oma on our first full day at the Ronald McDonald House. She had been there 5 weeks with her great grandson Aiden, who was having heart surgery. Even though we were basically 'just passing each other' since she was leaving soon and we were just there for a very short stay, she took the time to talk to us, learn our names, and was just generally a joy to be around, and with her German accent, so fun to talk to!

The girls and I agreed that she looked a whole lot like their own 'Nannie', and she was so thrilled to hear that! She treated us like long lost family, and even though we spent very little time with her, the girls plan to keep in touch, and I am sure they will remember her.

Oma was such an example to me of the power of a smile, a happy countenance, and loving spirit that I decided that I would try really hard to be more like her....and smile more. : )

Art, Science, History, and a Little Home-Ec

2009-10-19T21:11:00.039-04:00

This was a really educational trip for us: Mom, Starfish, and Gigi. Usually Starfish and I go to her appointments at Yale alone. But this time we took Gigi for a little birthday trip. It sure was fun to have a sister along for the ride!

Along with some amazing sightseeing, shopping, and culinary experiences (Vietnamese anyone?) we got some educational opportunities that would make any private-school-tuition-paying parent positively green with envy. (Thus I had absolutely NO guilt whatsoever about the 3 days lost from school!) And we accomplished all this in a VERY short time and managed a big 6-hour doctor's visit plus a little relaxation too! Here are the highlights:

BODIES REVEALED exhibit at the South Street Seaport - perfect for my aspiring doctor, (above).

What a piece of work is man! How like an angel, how like a god. The beauty of the world! ~William Shakespeare

This was the most amazing museum exhibit I have ever seen. I can't even describe the feelings I had as I was able to see, up close, and in such extraordinary detail, how our bodies were created and function.

The specimens were real human bodies. It was hard not to think about the fact that these were real people, just like us. We all learned so much!

I am humbled and in awe of this gift of a body that we have been given while we spend our time on Earth. It is truly wondrous and magnificent!

MRS. DELANEY'S FLOWERS at the Yale Art Gallery - perfect for my little artist.

The Yale Art Gallery has lots of wonderful things to see. But Mrs. Delaney's Flowers was the headlining exhibit while we were there. Apparently Mrs. Delaney was a very artistic woman who had mastered all of the "leisure arts". Some of these beautiful flowers were created by cutting and arranging tiny paper pieces. Others were embroidered onto a black velvet background and used for dresses or in screens. She took here inspiration directly from nature. I was amazed at what she created without any patterns or color charts.

While we couldn't take photos inside the gallery, I took this at the entrance. This is a massive display of greenery and dried flowers that seem to float in the air to soaring heights. The picture doesn't really do it justice. I walked away wondering how I could duplicate the floating flower effect in my house...

GROUND ZERO at the World Trade Center Site.

We were blown here!

This was not on our list of places to visit, simply because I didn't think we would have time. But when we were trying to figure out the right direction to get to the Bodies exhibit, the wind was so strong and cold that we couldn't really wank in any other direction than the one that brought us here.

I didn't even know we were that close to it!

Unfortunately, we weren't able to see much because the area is all fenced off. But we saw the pictures of what the final monument will look like one day and see the cranes and all the work going on to create it..

Most importantly, I was able to feel that this was indeed a very special place. And feel the hope that comes from seeing the people going on with their lives yet never forgetting...

YALE & The RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE - New Haven, CT

We finally got the chance to explore around Yale and had a good time even though the weather was bad.

A Yale sorority brought cake decorating supplies over to the Ronald McDonald House and the girls had fun decorating a cake--and probably ate way too much frosting in the process!

Sporty

2009-10-12T23:19:00.009-04:00

Starfish decided to run Cross Country during seventh grade way back at the beginning of sixth grade. I don't know what caused her to make this decision...our family isn't the most sport-oriented. It occurred to me that our kids might turn out a little weird - not having had the exposure to sports the way other kids are. No ball games dominate our TV - We don't really go to sporting events-although I am thinking we should.... And neither Big T or I played serious sports growing up--both being raised by cerebral "sciency" type fathers.

Wherever she got the notion, I am really proud of her for taking on the challenge. Of course there was the initial "self-conscious in the uniform" thing - I don't think she's ever worn shorts that short or a tank top before. Then there was the "I'll be embarrassed if I can't finish the race or come in last" thing. I sometimes forget that little things like that can seem like really big things to a quickly growing ,"all knees and elbows," preteen.

But it's more of a challenge for her than for other kids. She has to be aware of how she feels before, during, and after a practice or race. What's her blood sugar? When did she eat last? When and how much insulin has she had? Does she need to eat now before she runs? Does she have a snack nearby? Is someone there to help her if she needs it?...It's a little much for a 12 year old.

Well, she wasn't able to finish her first race, and she did come in last once, but she has been able to take it all in stride. Each race gets a little easier. She had decided that she wanted to participate in Cross Country before she had diabetes. I am so glad she didn't let it stop her, and hope it never will.

Cleaning Up

2009-10-12T16:07:00.009-04:00

Total: $38.79

OK, it's another bargain bragging blog post, but this time I'm really proud--and I'm DONE shopping for the week!

It's been a while since I seriously used coupons to try to get our food budget down. But while combing through our September bank statement I added up how much I'd spent on groceries and household goods. It wasn't pretty. Way more than I thought.

I researched how much couponers claim they can feed a family on and tried to emulate their numbers: shooting for $300/month or less for our family of 6. That seemed a little tough, but I decided to take on the challenge - our Christmas trip is just around the corner...

I can't believe I finally did it...actually bought a week's worth of groceries (and a bunch of cleaning stuff) for our big family (plus 2 cats) for less than $50. I've gotten great deals on a couple of things to stash away for later - but never a whole week's-worth of things we'll use immediately.
I posted this photo because everything in it cost me only 39 cents at CVS. Yup, six 2-packs of razors was what I bought. The other stuff--halloween candies, lotion, a pill-counter, and a book of coupons was in a gift-pack that the cashier gave me...she said "here's your prize!" I don't know what it was for - I didn't see her give anyone else a "prize" - maybe it was for being the biggest cheapskate of the day.

l तत् त्वम् असि --That Thou Art

2009-08-27T10:47:00.009-04:00

To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist. ~Schumann

तत् त्वम् असि or तत्त्वमसि or "Tat Tvam Asi" (That Thou Art) is a saying used in one form of Hinduism's discussion of the divinity within oneself.

I just thought it was a good phrase to describe our Grouper (now Gigi), because Art is such a part of this girl, that if it somehow left her - she would cease to be the same person.

A lot of people have artistic abilities and talents, but Gigi is a little different in that she sees the world in a different way than most people. I can't remember a time when she wasn't trying to create something beautiful. She was able to work out these designs in just a few minutes!

Recently she's taken to turning away from the camera when I try to capture her work. Not sure why. I had to work hard to get these photos! It's almost like she's embarrassed by her talent.

I can now say that the cliche about artists being "sensitive" is absolutely true - but not in a negative way. She is gentler than most people. More aware of people's feelings. Always trying to make those around her feel loved. Maybe it's her artistic ability that helps her find and use the divinity that's within her...maybe it's her divine nature that gives her her talent. I just love her to pieces!

Gigi - Thou Art Amazing!!

COW Do We Love Thee?

2009-08-09T19:56:00.003-04:00

Whoever at Chick-fil-A came up with having cow mascots is a genius. Whoever came up with giving away free food once a year to people willing to dress up like a cow is even 'genius-er'.

Now, I'm not proud...I'll bend over to pick up a penny on the ground. But when I found out about the dress-up promotion, I was really thinking it would be a fun activity to do with the kids--the free food would just be a side-benefit.

It was Starfish who took the lead. Like most projects, I got sidetracked with all the everyday stuff that needs to be done (errands, bills, messes, etc). Starfish went and found old white t-shirts and some black cloth napkins that I had left over from something, cut the cow-spots, and got them ironed on. All I really did was buy the fusible webbing and show her how to iron it on.

The kids had fun designing and wearing their shirts. We got to eat out for "no good reason".
And I had fun not cooking dinner than night!

I have to say, they've won us over at CFA!

Daytrip Believer

2009-07-10T05:38:00.011-04:00

We had been talking for a long time about all the places we wanted to go this summer and all the things we wanted to do. The list was long. So as the the long 4th of July holiday weekend rapidly approached, we started making our way down that list, trying to choose something that would fit our time and budget constraints.

We found that our constraints were too constraining for anything on that list.

So Big T ultimately made the call to drive up to Blowing Rock and Boone to enjoy the mountains. We left the house at about 8:30 am, made a stop for gas, stopped at Cracker Barrel to rent a book on tape, and we were off.

With very limited directions, and no solid idea of where we were going to end up, we were able to enjoy the whole trip - not just the destination part. Big T is fond of reminding us that the vacation starts when we leave the driveway, not when we get to our destination.

Since we really didn't have a set destination, there wasn't a whole lot of "are we there yet?" thankfully!! Ok, maybe a little, but that was only after many hours of driving.

We found a fun old-time general store and explored blowing rock. Then a picnic and a beautiful mountain hike along a stream lined with ferns and blooming mountain laurel.

No. This trip was all about beautiful scenery, waterfalls, perfect weather, and being together. What else could we possibly need?

ps: that's my hair in the top picture, being blown all over by the 'blowing' part of "Blowing Rock". Although it looks like I'm wearing some type of funky cowboy hat, I wasn't! just a visor.

Confessions

2009-07-10T02:30:00.006-04:00

I'm trying hard not to read anything into this, but my husband emailed me a story about a low-calorie-diet monkey study today.

There are five containers of ice cream and some three-day old chocolate chip cookies calling to me from my kitchen. I'm not hungry. But I know they are there. And I tell myself "TONIGHT you will not give in!" ...recalling last night's four-scoop shame. I woke to a pile of ants on the floor this morning because I was such a glutton that I just deposited my ice-cream dish beside the bed.

Who is this person? I had hardly gotten any of my summer clothes out of storage this year because I was so sure they would all be too big for me soon. I remember being so so motivated when the weather turned warm to "get out there and get in shape!"

It's not necessarily the weight. I've lost a few pounds...(but it always seems to come from the wrong places) I wanted fewer lumps and more curves. What I got was less of what gave me the curves, thus emphasizing the still-there lumps around my waist, and (my pet peeve): back-rolls.

It's the muscle tone. I haven't got any. I have no muscles to hold me in and up. I'm built roughly like a Twinkie.

It just shows the sad state I'm in that my work-out of choice is with senior citizens (water aerobics)...partly because I can actually survive the whole workout, partly because my vanity prevents me from walking into a real gym (they have MIRRORS in there!), and the worst part, I admit, is that my self esteem gets a boost because I'm not the saggiest one there!!!

Sharp Dressed Man

2009-07-09T09:36:00.002-04:00

I bought this outfit for Halibut a long time ago. I think he must have been 2 or 3. It was HUGE on him. But I liked it because it was different. The print on the vest is little rocket ships. So it went into the box of 'someday clothes'.

Well, a few weeks ago, his drawers were getting bare. The 'too small' clothes had been going out (to the huge pile in the living room waiting for my attention), but not much had been coming in. Down came the 'someday clothes' box. I was sure everything in there would still be too big. It wasn't.

He LOVES this outfit. Wants to sleep in it sometimes. I think it looks better with a white oxford shirt and black Sunday shoes--as I intended...but this kid has his own ideas: white T-shirt and Vans.

I laugh, thinking he looks like belongs in an old Backstreet Boy Video. He's already won a dance contest (at Big T's recent company picnic). Maybe I should start looking for an agent...

Park It!

2009-07-06T07:59:00.010-04:00

We were tired from a long hike..and hungry. It was going to be a long ride home, so, as we trekked back to the parking area, I suggested we take a few minutes to make some sandwiches and eat before we started driving home. As we rounded the corner I spied a little park out of the corner of my eye and thought I would be so much nicer to have a picnic there instead of eating out of the back of the car.

The kids were off like a shot - forgetting about food altogether. I thought they were getting too old to get excited by a swing-set.... I thought.

I haven't been so impressed with a public park since ...well, ever! Don't get me wrong, we have some really nice parks where we live, but the little community park in Blowing Rock, NC really was something to write about.

It wasn't brand new - in fact, since it was in the middle of town, I think it has probably been there a long time. But it was updated and well maintained, with a climbing wall, 'fort' type structure with slides and lots of swings, a big sandbox. Tennis and basketball courts.

There were picnic tables and a gazebo, big trees for shade and plenty of benches to sit on, but no one was using them, even though it was packed with people.

Pretty standard park, right? But it wasn't. In the middle of all this activity sat a small shed. Inside the shed was a man handing out equipment: basketballs, tennis racquets, tennis balls, volleyballs, horseshoes (yes, we played a few rounds) Nice, new equipment. Not old flat balls and broken stuff.

There was no sign-in or out sheet, no ID or deposit required.

The smell of fresh baked waffle cones wafted over from the fudge and ice cream shop across the street.

At one point I looked around and marveled that such a place still existed. On the way home I lamented that I should have cause for such wonder.

I wish I had gotten more pictures, but I was too busy playing.

Smarty Pants!

2009-07-05T18:50:00.005-04:00

Well, the letter finally came in the mail late Thursday. This time he pulled off the nearly impossible feat of passing all four CPA exams on his first try, something we've heard just doesn't usually happen.

He accomplished this even as he took on extra responsibilities at work and was still a great dad.

It was a long six months - we didn't get to see much of him, and we missed him a lot. Most days he went off to work in the morning and didn't come home until after midnight. Weekends found him studying 8 or 10 hours at the UNC law library. The kids and I would take him a sandwich or pizza for lunch and dinner.

I got used to calling all the shots about just about every detail of our lives and being the one where the buck stopped...although it was exhausting(!) and I'm glad to have my partner back by my side.

I just can't help but be filled with pride for him.

Old Ladies' Hearts are all Wrinkly

2009-07-01T23:55:00.014-04:00

The scene was like something out of a Hallmark commercial. Halibut had been having a hard time falling asleep. Every fifteen minutes or so, he would call me or Big T into his room for some reason: another hug, more water, etc...."please stay with me", "draw on my back", "just a few minutes"... . It was difficult...the getting up to go in to him part, then the leaving him part. Over and over.

After about the fifth call, I grabbed a smooth heart-shaped rock inscribed with the word "Love' on it, which sat near my bedside table. I gave it to him to hold and told him, "you can have my heart to hold and it will help you fall asleep".

A similar tactic had worked with Marlin, but there wasn't a heart-shaped rock involved. When she was little, I always had to study at night. I would usually lie down with her for a few minutes at bedtime, then I would plant a kiss on each of her palms, curl up her fists, and tell her to hold on to them tight. This always helped her go right to sleep. It also seemed to go on for years... .

So I fully expected it to work with my son. But he threw me a curve-ball. "Old ladies' hearts are all wrinkly," he stated, matter-of-factly.

Now, do you think I could just walk out of the room at that point? I'll admit, my vanity got the best of me. Instead, I ended up snuggling with him a while longer to gently probe: exactly who did he consider to be an 'old lady' and thus, "wrinkly hearted".

I learned that 'grandmas have wrinkly hearts because they have wrinkly faces,' and that mine (bless his...heart) did not fit into that category. I went to bed relieved - but not before applying an extra layer of eye cream.

Candyland

2009-04-14T00:32:00.013-04:00

Here's a sample of what we saw on our Sunday family walk around our neighborhood (besides the clover fields!)

The older I get, the more I appreciate the world we I live in. With all my gushing about springtime these days, it may seem as if I live to channel Henry David Thoreau. Not even close! In fact, I couldn't stand reading his "namby pamby drivel" in college. "Why waste time reading about it when you can go outside and see it!," I always thought.
Talk about eye candy!

It's too bad that we celebrate Christmas in the winter instead of spring, because strung-up lights, while pretty, don't hold a candle to this.

Pictures can show so much that mere words cannot begin to adequately describe, unfortunately for Thoreau. Gotta hand it to him though, I'd be hard pressed to even try... that's why I love my camera!

Eggstraodinary People

2009-04-13T22:32:00.013-04:00

I was not in the mood for boiling, dying, filling, hiding, or seeking eggs. Or for trying to keep track of the number of pounds of sugar my kids ingested in one day. Or for cooking up a special meal. In short - this year I was feeling decidedly Anti-Easter.

I won't go into all of the reasons why... probably had to do with being a virtual single parent for the past 3 months and tryingto solve too many big problems...at any rate, I couldn't muster the enthusiasm that Easter deserves.

Fortunately we have a couple of angels in our family who go by the names of Grandpa and Grandma Fisher. We accepted the invitation to come to their house to celebrate the day (even though I dreaded packing up the car and driving the 2 hours without Big-T). But we made it and actually had a good time in the car--snacks from Sonic helped...

I was able to help the kids decorate eggs without destroying my house (flashbacks of a past Easter's 6 egg dye cups spilled on a white carpet still haunt me). I was immediately grateful to avert a catastrophe. Plastic eggs were filled with pistachios, mini Ritz, and pretzles instead of candy.

The Sunday morning Sacrament program consisted of a beautiful aria by the choir and our Grandpa's thoughts on the Atonement. Reflection on the first Easter brought back the feelings that had been missing, and of course adjusted my perspective.

Annoyance at the additional work, mess, and expense turned to appreciation for this beautiful day to spend with these extraordinary people.

And gratitude (is there a word for 'beyond gratitude'?) for that momentous day so long ago that changed the world.

Luck of the Irish

2009-04-13T11:51:00.009-04:00

May good luck be your friend whatever you do

and may trouble be always a stranger to you.

~ Irish blessing

On our family walks in Texas there was one house that had the most beautiful rose garden. It was always an important stopping point. We smelled and compared each of the diffferent colors and varieties. Sure enough, not all roses smell alike. It was a place to linger, to forget for a moment about the journey 'from home and back' -or -here to there- and savor the beauty that surrounded us.

Our North Carolina neighborhood is georgeous this time of year. Lots to look at. But now my kids are bigger and on bikes and scooters. I'm not pushing one or two of them in the stroller any more. And it seems like these days our walks go by so fast! Usually with me yelling up ahead that a car is coming! They don't stop for just any pretty little flower any more!

Well, yesterday we found a new attraction worth stopping for. It was this yard just full of clover! So we had to stop and have a hunt. (OK, it was the second hunt of the day, since it was Easter...but who's counting!) And yes, I do wish I had thought of this on St. Patrick's Day--

I have no idea who's yard it was--they were probably looking out their window laughing at us!

It reminded me of the endless summer hours I used to spend hunting for four leaf clovers. A piece of my own childhood I had completely forgotten about...

My lucky day.

The Very Best

2009-04-10T20:56:00.006-04:00

These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. I used to make these about once a week. It's a little less frequent now...maybe once a month. They are pretty much a requirement for any road trip! This recipe came from Big T's sister and, true to its name, it never fails me--unless I try to substitute anything!

(Amy's) No Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 c Butter flavor Crisco

3/4 c brown sugar

1 1/2 c sugar

3 eggs

1 Tbs. Vanilla

3 c flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 c chocolate chips

Cream sugars and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to shortening mixture. Add chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on hot baking sheet for a few minutes to continue cooking. Remove to a flattened paper bag to blot extra oil.

Being There

2009-03-21T21:32:00.009-04:00

At least once a day I wonder what happened to the life I had once planned. This usually happens when I am sweeping floors or cleaning toilets. These rote household chores that require little brain power, allow my mind to wander back to a time that once was, and will never be again....

Once upon a time, I graduated Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Eta Sigma, won a scholarship to law school, rubbed shoulders with judges, practiced law at a prestigious law firm, and negotiated important contracts and million dollar settlements, and, in my spare time, I advocated and represented abused children and others in need.

That was back when I felt accomplished, confident, .... in control. That was a really long time ago, but I still occasionally have the guilty fantasies of having lunch out, manicured nails, and, sshhh, my own office.

There is no question that I love being able to be home with my children. I love being the one they come to when they've had a bad day, or need help with homework, or, any of the thousands of things they need from me.

I am a problem solver. And I'm glad I can be here to help my kids with theirs.

But these last few months have taught me a lot:

Sometimes things go wrong that I just can't fix., problems that can't be solved. Sometimes I have to let go of being in control.

From Diabetes, Biliary Atresia, and Multiple Sclerosis, to stitches, fevers, stomache aches, and colds. Our family has had a lot to deal with lately.

I know I can't always keep my kids from getting sick. And I can't always make things all better.
Sometimes, the only thing I can do...the BEST thing I can do, is just BE THERE.
And that's enough.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-12T14:50:00.010-04:00

A few of my favorite things about our North Carolina yard in March

~A Photo Essay

Crocuses - one of the first blooms of the year!

New Hydrangea leaves popping out from sad looking brown sticks- I LOVE my Hydrangea bushes and want a whole yard full of them(!) and I get so excited to see them come back to life..

Tulips - who doesn't love tulips?

New leaves on my Clematis vine that I bought super cheap and thought had died

Strawberry plants that I thought were a one shot deal - they came back... bonus!

Azalea buds - blooming azaleas make up for their straggliness the rest of the year!

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, I just couldn't help but get out there in the yard and get my hands dirty. I was just trying to clean up some of the winter-mess that happens during the cold yard-neglecting months--pine cones all over the place, fallen tree branches, various household debris, and mountains of pine straw.

So I grabbed the rake to remove the winter blanket of pine straw off the beds and was surprised to see all manner of life hiding under there. - So excited I had to grab the camera...

Last night the weather started getting cold again and I had to go around and shut all the windows, dang....but very early this morning I was awakened by a little girl concerned about her meowing cat - it wasn't too long before we had three new tiny kittens.

Spring is here!

Bless His Little Preoccupied Heart

2009-03-03T22:21:00.012-05:00

February flashback:

I had told him about it on the day it was first announced.

"Ok, sounds good, let's do that."
I brought it up several times in conversations about upcoming events over the next week and a half.
"Uh, huh."

That morning I reminded him, "Remember, be home by six, tonight's the night." "

Oh, yeah ok."

I sent a reminder email around mid-day.

no reply.

It was 5:30. I called his office, "Haven't you left yet?"

By the time he got home he was stressed and grouchy:

"I just don't like things sprung on me at the last minute!"

"Uh, huh."

I steered him to the front door and handed him our contribution to the evening's refreshments.

Then he saw these beauties:

The Valentines Day Daddy Daughter Dance...

I don't know exactly happened there while H-man and I were hangin' together at Chick-fil-a, but judging from the photos, I'm pretty sure the rest of the world melted away, and he just focused on his girls.

...getting him to email me the photos, however, took lots more nagging!

Pantsfight

2009-03-02T11:00:00.007-05:00

Ok, it wasn't immediately apparent that we would have this situation on that day when Big T and I were shopping at Target and decided that the girls needed these sport-pants. Well, actually it was more him than me - since he has more fashion savvy than I do. They were big and comfy - like sweats, but semi-waterproof and make that unmistakable "swish" when you walk...however, there was only one color available. He insisted - they needed them.

So we purchased one pair for each of our girls...in the same color. And, of course they became each girls' favorite article of clothing.

Enter SNOW DAY.

'Swishy Pants" are the perfect pants for playing in the snow. When Grouper couldn't find her pair of swishy pants, she just threw on the first available pair - and being the same ccolor - who would know? Until Orca found out that hers were being worn by her sister and a giant PANTS-FIGHT broke out.

Wow.

I hope I never see the day when the teenage versions of these two are sweet on the same boy.

Finally, I guess they realized how much time they were wasting. someone compromised, and the two of them headed out to enjoy a

wintry-white no-school day... together.

I don't know where the Prophet is going

2009-02-24T19:02:00.003-05:00

This guy has given me a few things to think about lately.

The other night while I was laying down with him at bedtime, (he still cons me into laying down "just for a few minutes" almost every night - and it's my favorite few minutes of the day), we were listening to the Primary songs and "Follow the Prophet" was playing.

He said, "I don't know where the Prophet is going."

Well, I thought that was pretty funny and laughed. But he was serious.

He knows this song. He's heard it and sang it a hundred times. It struck me that he was really listening to and thinking about the words of this song. It's a profound moment when you realize that your baby is no longer just an extension of yourself, with independent thoughts and points of view.

It's also eye-opening when you finally understand that kids really do hear things differently than adults do.

So in a few days, we will sit down and talk a little more specifically, in 'five-year-old-ese', about where exactly the Prophet is going, and why we follow him ...

Kindergarden Nutrition 101

2009-02-22T21:55:00.012-05:00

I recently had a lesson in what my kindergardener considers to be the ultimate lunch. It was so cute seeing that he had put together his own lunch when I wasn't looking, and then labeled it just like he had seen his sister do. . . (as if the Speed Racer lunch box didn't give it away). I was just going to snap this photo and move on, but then I got curious:

What did he put in there?

Apparently, my son believes that a Caprisun, a jello, a pudding, and half a pack of saltines will get his little body through the day's demands.

To be honest, if I was five, I'd think this was a pretty rockin' lunch, too....

Of course, I had to do a little 'food-editing' and I'm sure he was disappointed when he found the carrot sticks and apple in there instead of jello and crackers (the pudding stayed, ... what kind of mom would I be...)

Moving on, I relished a brief moment of pride on seeing evidence that my nutrition attempts have not been completely lost on my kids.

Orca put together this lovely lunch ensemble - waitng for its companion sandwich (on wheat bread) (sandwiches aren't added until the morning so they don't get stale or soggy). Not bad. Granola bars count as whole grains, right?

Now, if I could just figure out how to sneak a vegetable in there...

Carolina Kids

2009-02-06T17:19:00.031-05:00

I used to come to this track to work off stress after long hours at work or studying. Later, I walked miles and miles around it and up and down these steps to try to get rid of that baby-Sophie weight. I especially loved being here in the spring and fall.

But I don't remember it being this much fun.

Why are we here?

I've asked myself this question many times over the past 2 years.

It really was a fluke that we ended up moving to North Carolina. Back to Chapel Hill, which we had left years ago after grad school.

It wasn't in The Plan.

After all, who in their right mind moves back to the place that they were so glad to leave?

Not that it wasn't a nice place to live back then.

It was. We loved it and have wonderful memories. But we thought it was behind us.

But back then was a different time.

It was a time of being newlyweds.
Of learning who we were and how we fit together. Of being a poor little student family.
Of taking on student debt

Of uncertainty about the future.
Of memories...

When we left Chapel Hill, it was to embark on a new and bright future, full of promise and excitement...

a new job, a new state, a new baby on the way, buying a home, . . . so many possibilities.

Life was good. Things changed. Our family grew. More happy memories.

Then all at once, several different events aligned to bring us back to Chapel Hill.

Back to the beginning.

I resisted, procrastinated, made excuses, gave in:

"OK, but no longer than necessary."

It felt like starting over.
A weird kind of deja vu.
The same, but not.
Our old friends were gone.
We were different.

The places we had lived and visited looked odd...not quite as I remembered them. It's only temporary, I thought.

Two years later, I watched my kids playing together in the sand, racing each other around the track and thought about our lives here. They are happy here. They have friends, good schools, a safe, quiet neighborhood with wildlife to study, an awesome pool, and trails to roam, and grandparents nearby. This is a good place to grow up.

Mat has a good job. Our house is too small and older than I would like. It keeps us warm and dry, and it's almost paid for...

For many reasons, including new, difficult challenges that He knew we would face, and also for days like this one, I know, without a doubt, that the Lord, in his wisdom and love for us, has led us to the place we need to be. At the time we need to be here. We're home.

Grown-up kind of Party

2009-01-29T13:29:00.007-05:00

We are well into 'Birthday Season', at the Fisher house. All of our birthdays are in the fall and winter months, one after another in rapid succession. So, in a six month period, we celebrate seven birthdays!

This coupled with the compaction of family holidays during those months makes it feel like wave after wave of 'celebration' around here!

Starfish decided that, this year for her birthday she just wanted to have a few friends go to a movie and have pizza afterward. "Perfect", I thought.

Last year, she had a big 'Nancy Drew" themed mystery party, complete with a crime scene and clues. I say it was last year, but it was really only about 6 months ago. Two parties a year? Lucky kid, right?

Well, since all our kids' birthdays are in the winter, (and also since our house is the size of a walnut) we decided to have 'half-birthday' parties at the pool. Worked great--until, it's six months later and I'm faced with another round of birthdays to celebrate...(hmm, didn't see that coming!)

So the movie idea was great, except the movie that she wanted to see wouldn't be opening until the night before the party and I couldn't find showtimes. So I guessed. Then it snowed, closing school for two days and she wasn't able to get her invitations out to all of her friends in a "timely fashion".

"What if no one can come?" she asked

"well, just have it next week." said I.

Apparently that was out of the question.

In the end, she ended up calling her friends on the phone rather than handing out invitations. Most already had plans, and so she relented and 'allowed' her siblings to be part of the party. Very mature, I think.

Not an Ordinary day.

2009-01-29T13:00:00.006-05:00

Since she had finally turned eight, Orca was so excited to be able to join her big sisters at Achievement Night at the church. She had been waiting patiently, while her sisters participated in fun activities every other Wednesday night. Now, she would join that big group of giggling girls.

I just love seeing these sisters doing things together!

Then I realized that there were only two Wednesdays in their whole lives that they woul be doing this particular activity together. Only two, because Starfish would soon be turning twelve - and leaving primary behind (she can't wait!)

They think I'm corney for making a big deal out of it. Maybe one day they'll realize how fleeting these precious moments are. I am.

And so I grabbed my camera....

Congrats Mal

2009-01-24T23:52:00.003-05:00

Congratulations, you did it!

We are very proud of Marlan for finishing her CNA program in December.

It wasn't easy, but you stuck it out. Way to go!

Next up: Licensing Exam...

PS. she's NOT holding up her certificate in this photo--that photo didn't turn out, unfortunatly (bad auditorium light)--but why she is displaying the menu from the celebratory dinner, I have no idea . . . I also have no idea why I took a photo of a fish menu . . .

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T15:25:00.000-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Recital Balls

2008-12-27T09:41:00.012-05:00

It was a wonderful evening watching the culmination of all of the girls' lessons and practicing, (and my nagging).

When we walked in to the building, awonderful smell was coming from the kitchen. We hadn't had dinner yet (the recital started at 6:30, and I think my stomach growled through the whole thing!). The amazing smell came from the sausage balls that Mrs. West had warming in the oven.

These are wonderful--all the kids loved them. They are really easy to make. They are great for breakfast, appetizers, with soups, or as a quick snack. Better yet, they are virtually 'free' in diabetes-ese--or, made of mostly meat and cheese, which Sophie doesn't have to 'count' when figuring out her insulin (so she can have as many as she wants without my interferance!) I store a bunch in a ziplock bag in the fridge for quick snacks.

The recipe for Sausage Balls:

1 lb sausage

3 c Bisquick

3 1/2 c cheese

1/2 c milk

optional:

1/2 tsp ground rosemary

1/2 c parmesan cheese

Throw all the ingredients in a big bowl, take off your rings, and knead it all together with your hands. form into balls, place on greased baking sheet, bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Legoland

2008-12-22T10:26:00.015-05:00

For the past few years, a certain red plastic bucket has been conspicuously perched in the center or off to the side during most of our family gatherings. I've moved it about a thousand times. It's there during Saturday morning cartoons, scripture reading, home-teacher and grandparent visits, and it invariably comes out during 'quiet time' on Sunday afternoons. Did I mention that I've moved it a thousand times?

But I don't complain. You see, I have a deep respect for the humble Lego--those stackable, snapable, bricks of plastic that have captured my children's imagination and povided hours of (mostly quiet) creativity for all of them. I would say that Legos have been the best value of all the toys we've ever bought. I know families that have passed down their Legos through generations without letting them go.

So, I'm glad that I remembered someone telling me about a Lego store in Orlando. I had heard that you could buy just the pieces you wanted, and be free from the confines of the ubiquitous "set", which is just about the only way you can buy Legos these days.

With Christmas just around the corner, I suggested that we might make a "quick stop" before beginning our treck home from Florida, and possibly score a bag of wheels (very valuable parts). Silly me.

The store was set in a lovely shopping area in Downtown Disney, filled with plenty of venues designed to relieve vacationers of their money. But it quickly became clear that the Lego store was everyone's favorite. Kids and their families would hang out there for hours - just as we did, maybe even bring a lunch over (we didn't).

I trooped my girls over to the Disney souvenier emporium next door to find an 'official' souvenier but they didn't last ten minutes. No one over there seemed to be having any fun. I smiled secretly to myself as we made our way back. Big business marketing tactics have always bugged me. Aparently they bug my kids too.

I sat and watched my happy kids and made a few observations about the Lego place:

It was set up for kids to play, get creative, and have fun!
There were amazing things to look at.

There were tons of pieces to tinker with.

It wasn't geared toward one gender or the other.

I didn't notice any blaring or otherwise annoying music.

There were no annoying sales 'gimmicks' or pressure.

The sales people really seemed to enjoy being there.

My kids would have been happy to stay there all day.

We didn't spend much money, but left feeling really satisfied.

I think Santa would approve.

Be Still

2008-12-09T13:35:00.009-05:00

So, it's been a little while since I've felt like writing anything. I've been feeling like things around me are moving so fast, while I'm somehow standing still, either observing, or just not being able to keep up with it all. Not being able to process it all fast enough, I am like a deer in the headlights, and I freeze.

When I realized how much 'stuff' I needed to do today, not to make any great strides foreward, but just to acheive "not falling behind", I felt overwhelmed. Kind of like someone being dragged out in the tide, struggling and treading water fiercely in order to be able to remain in the same spot she was before.

And I got ready to write about being on a merry go round. And then I heard the words:

Be still, and know that I am God.

I found this tree outside of the Hinckley Visitor's Center on BYU campus last spring. It spoke to me, for some reason. I didn't know why. And I took photos from several angles before I found the right one. Look how old and gnarly it looks. Even though winter was ending and other trees and vegetation were greening up, this tree remained unchanged--standing there, looking so lonely and out of place. Sort of how I've been feeling lately.

Yet I saw the little buds on the branches. Still closed tight. Waiting...

So, I'm asking myself, in 'being still', do I just stop what I'm doing? Stop rushing around, taking care of this mess, that problem, this meal,, etc... As much as I might like to, I'm pretty sure that's not what it means.

No, I looked it up. The command to "be still" comes from the Hiphil stem of the verb "rapha", meaning "to be weak, to let go, to surrender". I'm thinking about this in terms of that old tree, and wondering if the tree is feeling frustrated at being the last to morph into full summer loveliness.

To be still is to give up trusting in our own power and turning over our concerns and worries to Him. Not in fear, but in full confidence of His love and power and goodness.

I wish I had a picture of that tree in its full splendor. Hopefully, one day Ill get one. But I see it in my mind as the "Sweetheart Tree" on Temple Square that was the gorgeous backdrop for my favorite wedding day picture. (Unfortunately taken before digital cameras!). And I hope that somehow I can have the patience and faith to let go and truly be still, and one day become something as beautiful.

He Did it!

2008-11-13T10:03:00.014-05:00

So, finally, we just couldn't wait any longer for 'Alexis' to be fixed (Grouper named her by accident). We decided to bite-the-bullet and charge the repairs on a credit card - yuck!, right? But there was no other option. I called AAA on this rainy day (the same one I declared "Pajama Day") to come and take her to the shop. (Yay for Triple A - the tow was free).
It was entertaining to watch the guy hoist this 3 tonner up on the flatbed when he couldn't even back it into our driveway (the pine tree roots have raised our driveway about 2 feet up from the street - making it hard for some cars to get in or out without bottoming out...
We were lucky to get a great car repair reference from our last Home Teacher - (he's the best car-guy!)--the same one who advised my husband NOT to try to fix our car himself.

I expected to be waiting a few days to get an estimate and another couple for the car to actually be fixed (not to mention the several months of paying for it!). But about mid-afternoon, I got a call saying the car was done. And the total?
About $36!
Well, it turns out that my husband can now add 'mechanic' to his long list of accomplishments. He had it fixed right, there was just one broken electrical wire to be replaced. Ta Daa!

We're so proud of him!!!

Pajama Day

2008-11-04T23:34:00.008-05:00

I hear the rain as soon as I wake up. It is Tuesday, election day, and my kids are out of school, curled up on the couch and happy for the chance to watch early morning cartoons. Big T gets himself out the door without my help--"I'll just go out for lunch today, hon". Sounds good to me.

I realize that I have nowhere that I have to be, no bus to get my kids to, no one to get breakfast for (I splurged on boxed cereal), no lunches to make, notes to write, homework to find, etc. And one *** of a week behind me to recover from.

There are a baziliion things I should be doing (seriously), but today, I just can't. One look at my bedside table and its stack of patiently waiting, delicious books clinches it.

I let the kids watch as much TV and play as many video games as they want. No one has to get dressed. Meals? self serve-- whatever, and whenever they want (within reason, of course).

At the end of the day, there is, actually one thing I need to do. And I wait until almost the very last minute to do it--and at 6:45 I go in my pajamas, and turn in my ballot. I refuse to watch the results-just can't do it, just don't want to. And on the way home I wonder if I will not need a lot more of these days over the next four years...

Backyard Cookout

2008-11-04T22:23:00.011-05:00

The tent was still up from Friday night's slumber party. It needed time to dry out after the rain that night.

Big T got a dutch oven for his birthday. I didn't feel like cooking dinner on this Sunday afternoon but I had planned tacos, and had everything ready for them. But I didn't get going fast enough apparently. Seems like the conditions were just right for a Backyard Cookout.

I had stumbled into the kitchen after my pseudo-nap (the one where you really wish you could sleep, but just lay there with your mind racing instead) to find my husband and kids busily preparing ...something. "I am not getting involved..." thought I.

A little later as I drove home after a meeting, I noticed that my house and front yard were shrouded in a thick white and grey smoke--no worries, this was just the result of my kids adding pine straw to the camp-fire.

I think the marshmallows actually got roasted and eaten before anything that was NOT made of approximately 100% sugar - but, of course what fun would waiting be? Especially when you could light the things up like a torch and watch the blazing sugar turn to a charcoal-ly ash and sometimes float away in the air. Maybe even try a little flame-throwing. When the marshmallows ran out, my kids had no qualms about roasting pine-cones. They were, after all, being allowed to play around FIRE on a Sunday afternoon.

The dutch-oven dinner took longer than expected, of course. Isn't that the rule?

They called it Washington Stew. (Grouper's idea, since George Washington was a pioneer, right? it was also her idea to don swimming goggles during this event) And they ate all of it. I called it unseasoned potatoes and carrots cooked in hamburger grease. If I had made something like that in my kitchen, no one would have touched it...willingly.

And then, what to do with my plate-ful? Risk squashing their enthusiasm, and any chances of another night "off" from dinner duty? Nope, I sneak in some salt, pepper, and Worchester sauce, ignore my rising cholesterol level, and join the clean plate club.

Still the Same Star

2008-10-28T07:53:00.003-04:00

Here she is - those beautiful sparking blue eyes and silly grin. She's wearing her favorite beach hat from the kite shop at Jockey's Ridge and her favorite t-shirt that says "Sophie's Beauty Hut" on the back.
And I LOVE this girl soo much.

She is still the same sweet girl she was before being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes yesterday.

But I am different. And the choices we'll make as a family are different; from what to eat, to where to live. I am amazed how quickly all of the things I used to concern myself with have dissappeared in an instant. And how issues that didn't concern me yesterday have parked themselves right smack in the middle of my world. I find my ignorance of this disease and ambivalence toward stem cell research embarrassing now. Amazed at what I took for granted just yesterday. More grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ than ever.

I finally fell asleep last night after forcing myself not to think of all the ways our lives have been changed, literally overnight. Or asking the inevitable questions, "Why?", 'why her?", 'why our family?', "why now with all of the changes she is already dealing with by virtue of her tender age?" 'was it because she inherited my screwy overactive immune system that turned on her own beta cells?" "Could we have done anything differently?" These questions don't help.
I have to remember that Heavenly Father has a plan for us, and for her, and, whether we like it or not, this is part of it.

My stomach is still churning and my hands tremble as I write this, but I do it in hopes that it will be like therapy for me - as writing my thoughts often has been a comfort for me. Potential titles to this post floated in my brain as I sat inthe ER yesterday with my girl: 'This changes Everything', 'What a difference a day makes,' etc.

But ultimately this is the right one. She is still the same smart, shy, silly, fun loving, Nancy Drew obsessed girl. She is still a star on the stage of our family's lives.

Feeling Squirrelish

2008-10-15T16:11:00.006-04:00

Well, looks like the time has come. I can no longer ignore the need to organize, categorize, and inventory our food storage. Actually, we have been dipping into our food storage for quite some time now. We use the powdered milk, the oats, the sugar, the flour, the rice pretty much on a regular basis.

I just haven't really been thinking about restocking it as much as I should have been.

Until now, I haven't really been thinking about taking inventory to see just exactly what and how much we have left. We just added to it as the opportunity arose.

In fact, I was feeling pretty good about the fact that the space beneath my bed and my unusable shower was full of food storage. I felt like I could lay my hands on pretty much any staple I needed at any time. I've been a little laxidaisical about it because we've been in "temporary" mode for so long. My thinking was, why store all that food when we'll just have to move it sometime soon?

Last week, I gathered up all the food from its various hiding places and put it all together to see what we had in comparison to what is recommended.

Well, I'm not feeling comfortable any more. It seemed like so much more when it was scattered out all around the house.

So, now I'm feeling the need (not necessarily the desire) to fill every extra nook and cranny in my house with food storage. I'm dehydrating carrots raiding our savings to buy extra bags of flour and sugar. I'm really hoping that I'm not too late to be taking an intense interest in this.

Is it just me, or do my cheeks look puffy?

A Little Bit of Birthday

2008-10-10T11:51:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was Big T's 37th birthday! We have been so busy around here that I didn't get a chance to plan as much as I would have liked. I know what a bummer it is to wake up on your birthday and realizing that no one made much of an effort. He says it's no big deal, but that we should let the kids enjoy it.

It was just a little family party. The kids were excited about pizza and the "fancy" cake--although, as usual I think it looked better than it tasted. the kids had fun decorating and making cards. It was fun watching them scurry around, planning their daddy's party. They planned games, but by the time we slogged though traffic and back home again, we were all tired and Big T decided watching a video would be just fine.

H-man made a special Lego creation to give to his dad--which was very touching considering his Legos are pretty much his most prized possessions.

All in all, a pretty low-key birthday. I worried that he'd be disappointed. But I don't think so... when they told him to make a wish, he hugged his kids and replied "all my wishes already came true".

Dude, Where's My Car?

2008-10-07T12:48:00.007-04:00

My dear husband has amazing skills, and I'm not talking about bowstaff and numchuck skills, Kip. He grew an impressive vegetable garden this year and keeps the yard under control, he does most of our car maintenance, as well as plumbing, electrical work, drywalling, and pretty much any household repair--in fact, he's turned several ramshackle old houses into valuable income producing properties in his spare time. At his day-job as an accountant, he analyzes spreadsheets with the best of them and files a mean itemized tax return, and then, of course the best part:
he's a loving, patient and kind husband and father.
I tell ya - the man practically does it all !
Unfortunately for me, however, he wants to be able to do everything and he tries to do it all, and that recently translated to his attempt to fix my car--
about a month ago!
Probably not his best idea...To his credit he got good instructions and methodically followed them, got all the right tools and so forth, and tried really hard. But, when we turned the key...alas, nothing happened.
The towing and garage bill to repair my car is going to be more than we have stashed under the mattress. And my guy is working so hard on several fronts, I just don't know when I'll be able to start my baby up again. Greener, yes - but not by choice!
So I'll be carless for a while longer--I wish it was because I'm so thrifty and conscientious about the environment. Not so. It's because I had such faith in Big T to be able to do it, since he can usually fix everything.
And he will...eventually.

Well, Here I go!

2008-09-17T13:23:00.006-04:00

These are actually his own words. My littlest guppy has gone off to kindergarten this year. We were walking down the ramp to his classroom on the very first day and he realized the momentousness of it: "Well," he said, "here I go". I will never forget that moment.

It has taken me a whole month to post this because I still have mixed feelings. It feels like I've had a preschooler in my life forever. Always another little person to schedule my days around, to keep track of, to feed, to drag (reluctantly) along on errands, to play with and talk to... . Then all of a sudden it just...ended.

I didn't cry when I dropped him off, as Big Tuna predicted. Just watched a while through the glass. He was so happy to be starting this new phase of his life and I was happy for him. This is a journey he will be making without me.

Things will be different now. Not better or worse, just... different.

And I'm secretly thrilled when he asks me some mornings,
"Mommy, do I get to stay home today"?

Budget Cuts

2008-09-14T16:42:00.007-04:00

I'm really hoping this isn't the "Perfect" White Water Rafting trip that my husband promised me!

This will have to do for a while though, as it looks like Camp Fisher-Nantahala's budget has been cut by the Fisher Steering Committee. We had planned a second white water trip over Labor Day Weekend since I missed the first one. Alas, as the date approached, it became obvious that our budget would not support such a trip. Plus we are this close to paying off a lingering debt, (which is exciting in itself.) So, with that in mind, we headed off to Grampa's house in King, NC for a quick getaway instead of the rapids.. Thankfully, Grampa had planned to take our kids to Adventure Landing--primarily a putt putt golf and video arcade place--Big T and I tagged along. Lots of fun!

These boats were the highlight, though.

The ride was short, but being able to blast water jets at my husband and kids just for a few minutes was pretty satisfying, I'll admit...

I'm still sneaking that trip into next Fiscal Year's Budget, though!

All Creatures Great and Small

2008-09-14T15:37:00.005-04:00

Today I rescued a chicken. We don't live in the country, but our neighborhood has a stray chicken that wanders around pecking at bugs. I do not know how it got here, but we see it most mornings while waiting for the school bus. There's also a guinea hen that flocks with it occasionally. They roam unencumbered through people's yards eating bugs. Amusing to watch.
In the next neighborhood over there are a few peacocks nesting in the trees. We hear their mating calls sometimes. A small flock of geese decorates the picturesque landscape near us. We pass them very morning on our way to work, school, ...anywhere. We've seen raccoons watching us from trees. And a few times, I have been awoken by the soft "whoo, whoo" of an owl or the drilling of a woodpecker in a tree. I've really enjoyed living in the midst of such wildlife. Much nicer than the traffic and trains I listened to daily prior to moving here!

Well. today I was outside helping Mat fix the car when we heard a really horrendous distress cry. It sounded like a cross between a wounded mountain lion and a large bird. Very strange sound. We didn't know what it was. I headed to the backyard thinking some poor animal was tangled in our electric fence. Hmm, nothing there. Thank goodness. Still heard the cries though. Then I realized there was a lot of barking going on in our neighbor's yard. My neighbor's wire fox terrier "Chopper" can be a niusance at times. He had apparently been "hunting" the chicken and had it cornered. I shooed the dog away and the chicken ran free.

A small thing.

But, for a minute, I felt like a wildlife hero!

Camp Fisher-Nantahala

2008-09-11T09:48:00.010-04:00

I have always wanted to go white water rafting. Always. Unfortunately, the opportunity never presented itself. Until this summer. You see, I had been searching for summer camps for our girls, and found out that, since I had waited too long (mid June) to do this, I had apparently 'missed the boat'.

This being the first year we considered our girls old enough for summer camp, I did not know that you have to be willing to pony up your applications and cash early or there would not be any spots left--like April(!) At the time, I was looking forward to spending more time with my kids after school ended, not paying someone to take them off my hands (those feelings surfaced a little later). So we missed that summer camp registration window this year.

The camps that were not full by mid June were also the ones that were terribly expensive. Luckily, I was able to get Orca into a four day sleep-away sailing camp--there was space available in her age group but not the older girls--after all, who sends a seven year old girl to sleep-away camp??? (see "Brave Little Camper") So, my husband and I formulated a plan to take Salmon and Grouper on a little camping excursion of our own, complete with white water rafting, caving, panning for gold, and horseback riding.

Sounded perfect! I was so excited!

....Then came the "distress call". Our oldest, Marlin, who was in college in New Mexico,was in a crisis,... again. Scrap the trip, find that 'white knight' helmet and race to the rescue! (this meant buy a last minute plane ticket, fly across the country and drive her and her "stuff" all the way back here --1700+ miles). It's what moms do.

Thankfully my dear husband is an awesome dad--he did not want to dissappoint those girls, and, as an Eagle Scout, I knew he was even capable of handling

2 giggling preteens.

He packed up everything himself, got a map, completed the reservations I never finished, even remembered the camera and

the marshmallows, too!

He brought back some great photos of what I missed and promised me that this was just a warm-up trip for when we go again, to make sure next time is perfect. I just love that man!

Peaches and Wheat! ...oh, and Cream of course!

2008-08-27T16:26:00.004-04:00

So, if you've ever wondered how to get kids to eat wheat, THIS is IT! I had some fresh peaches to use up and they were delicious with the hot wheat cereal.... and, ...well, yes, some whipped cream seemed to be in order too --(Yes, you can serve whipped cream for breakfast - it fits nicely into the dairy category--I learned that from IHOP).

Mmmm, I think I'll go make some right now!

Fall Fling!

2008-08-27T16:24:00.007-04:00

Let the Flinging Begin!

We have been blessed with 5 children. Each of those children has somehow learned how to multiply their "stuff" when I'm not looking. I don't know how they do it - water it? Keep it in a dark, moist place? (possibly). It just seems to appear out of thin air!!

Unfortunately, right now, our situation dictates that we live in an insanely tiny house (for our large family, that is) And there just isn't enough room for all that stuff. Over the summer, it seems to have gotten out of control, especially since Marlin moved back home (temporarily!!)

Well, the kids are back in school and for the first time I am HOME ALONE(!) for a good part of the day. And my new job is to de-junkify our house. Here is the first of many piles headed for the donation bin. Naturally I'm starting in their bedrooms! Wish me luck!!!

And They're Off!

2008-08-25T10:04:00.015-04:00

It has taken me forever to get this post done. Maybe 'cause I'm still in denial!!! Also maybe 'cause I felt like an avalanche fell on me last week! So much to do! Where to start?! Somehow I got the idea that once that first day of school arrived and they were all safely in their classes, my days would be quiet and contemplative--with bursts of busyness as I methodically work to undo the summer's damage on my house (read: pigsty!) Ha!! that couldn't have been further from the way it actually played out! But this isn't about me--this is the tale of our rituals of getting ready for Back to school!

*********

Before they "Meet the Teacher"

Before their lunchboxes and backpacks are packed and lined up by the door

Before they receive a Father's Blessing

Before they pose for their "First Day of school" photos (I always take too many)

Before all that exciting stuff, there must be preparation. Preparation, preparation, preparation... - well, ...shopping anyway.

The idea of the big "back to school" shopping trip was always tantalizing and filled with anticipation when I was a kid. In the end, though, it seemed we would be exhausted and mildly disappointed, or just glad it was over.
I remember each August my mother would pack all 5 of us up in our beige Buick station wagon and make the hour-long trek to Nashville, Tennessee--which was the closest big town to our hometown in Bowling Green, Kentucky (grades 2 thru 11 for me).

We would head to "The Mall" - well, mainly Sears and JC Penney,--the two stores Mom had credit cards for. I remember shopping for my older sister's stuff, and when we were through with that, she spent the rest of the time huffing and looking bored and put-out, or crying. I would pick out a few things that always seemed to be too hot to wear at the end of August--Jeans, sweaters, etc. But I would wear them anyway, because they were new!

So, with my kids, the concept is the same, but I try to do it in parts, so they seem to enjoy the process a little while longer.

First, the supplies - we watch for the first evidence that stores are stocking school supplies and make a bee line for Walmart & Target. - gotta get there before the the rest of the hordes decend upon the fresh displays, get the best backpacks, lunchboxes, etc.

Yes, I do end up having to hide them in my bedroom for about a month, but just that much more fun when we get to break them out and divvy them up into backpacks just before the big day. Believe me, it's worth it!

Next up, gym

Shoes. In case you never get the opportunity, just know that shoe shopping for 4 kids is an event in itself. And an all day proposition. Period.

Do not think that it can be done at one store. One store will NEVER have all the right sizes in all the right styles you need.

I do not attempt to combine this event with any other errands or shopping tasks. This year was one for the record books. I actually surprised myself and got all 4 pairs plus 8 pairs of socks for under $100!

Finally, there have to be a few new outfits to round out our preparations--followed by a fashion show, of course! I have given up on the whole "outfitting for fall" idea, because you know what? - there is a ton of clothes from last Christmas or after Christmas sales sitting in storage bins that will work just fine. And after the initial first few days of school, my kids don't care if their clothes are brand-spankin' new. In fact, sometimes they prefer their comfy old standbys. So we hit the summer sale racks, pull out a few pieces at bargain basement prices, and call it good. They're happy, I'm happy, and the clothes don't make them sizzle through the last hot days of summer.

Happy Kids, it's going to be a Great Year!

Funny Boy

2008-08-25T10:02:00.010-04:00

I've had several friends tell me lately, that my son "cracks them up"! I never really thought of him as a funny kid, because he doesn't really try to be. I fact, I think he's too serious for being five! However, sometimes he'll say things that are hilarious to me given the situation, and the way he does it in that serious way of his!

to me: I'm so Glad at you! (when I found my swimsuit after telling him I couldn't and would not be swimming with him).

Mommy, does my hair look awesome with this bump right here? (after combing his own hair for the first time on record)

turn it off! (referring to the sunlight coming into his room when I opened the blinds on the first day of school)

Get up lazybones, it's time to go to school! (this was funny because his sisters had been up a long time and were already on the bus by now when he was just rolling out of bed and he was now yelling into an empty room!)

and my favorite: Mommy, when I grow up I'll marry you!

Heaven in a Spoon

2008-08-20T23:28:00.004-04:00

The other day a friend asked how I had lost 10 pounds over the summer. I was explaining that it was mainly through "creative substitution", and I didn't really feel deprived or that I had even really been dieting.

I just made small changes in what I normally eat:

such as:

High fiber cereal or eggs instead of my usual toast w/ butter & jam and herb tea for breakfast.

Whole wheat bread for white

Dreamfields (or whole wheat) pasta for plain

Fruits & vggies instead of crackers, chips, etc. for snacks

Rice or veggie based dishes instead of creamy, cheesy, casseroles

you get the idea...

But then I got to the part where I switched out my usual ice cream indulgence for smoothies (which I adore, byt the way) and it made me start thinking about ice cream.

you know, I kind of did miss my ice cream. Just a little...

So today I bought this:

and tonight I am in heaven - even at 1/2 the fat, it's amazing.

Well, ...maybe not every night,

but sometimes,... if only on the inside,

we all scream for ice cream!

Brave Little Camper

2008-08-20T00:12:00.010-04:00

Tonight Orca had invited a friend for a sleepover, which our girls do on a regular basis. When the lights were out and the last bathroom and drink run had finally been made, my husband and I heard a light tap at the bedroom door. It became apparent that the friend was homesick and wanted to go home. Ok, no biggie. Call the mom, wait a while for the pick up, go back to bed.

It then dawned on me just how brave my little 7 year old is.

I don't believe I ever went to sleepover camp before I was at least 12.

But our Orca was so excited to get the opportunity to go to sailing camp
this summer and had no qualms about being so far away from home (about 3 hours!) with camp counselors she had never met, and in a place she had never been before.

On top of that, I had to make an unexpected trip across the country and she had to catch a ride to camp with another camper's mom. (Yes, I missed my baby's big 'camp send-off'.... and the long worry-laden post drop-off ride home-maybe that was a good thing.)

Meanwhile Big T was virtually incommunicado doing his own camping thing with the other girls. So the potential for disaster was big - growing my worries exponentially.

After all,

This is the girl that I turned over to a surgeon when she was 3 days old.

This is the girl who was given a devastating diagnosis after that surgery.

This is the girl that overcame it and baffled her doctors with her progress.

This is our miracle girl.

She has faced things much scarier than going off to camp.

And it looks like she had a blast!

Allergic to August

2008-07-31T14:59:00.007-04:00

I don't know if it's the hot sticky weather, the slowly browning grass, the overload of "back-to-school" busyness, the staleness of my house after being overloaded with kids and various summer gear for 3 straight months, or the lethargic looking flowers that haven't already pooped out, but my body (and mind) have decided that I am DEFINITELY allergic to August.

The month seeped into my life bringing with it my third headcold of the summer - a doozy, which promptly morphed into a sinus infection of epic proportions. I think that triggered an acute allergic reaction to all places air conditioned.

It seemes that my system has finally said "enough!" to whatever is blowing through the air conditioning vents in my house, car, or any other public building. Maybe it's the chemical freon that cools the air or some microscopic thing growing inside the airvents at this time of year, I don't know. All I know, is that I'm fine outdoors, but indoors, I just can't breathe.

that's not so great when it's 98 degrees and

oh, about 81% humidity

So now you know, not wanting to stay home and clean house is only part of the reason I'm at the pool so much!!!

And He Grew

2008-07-30T14:38:00.009-04:00

...and grew strong as a boy

must grow who does not know

that he is learning any lessons, and

who has nothing in the world to

think of except things to eat.

~Rudyard Kipling

I was just remembering a sweet experience that happened a few weeks ago. One that I made a mental note to write down, and then didn't. I was not feeling well and my son wanted me to do something with him. I think I might have had a headache or something. He responded by offering to give me a blessing. And so he did. I am so grateful to know that, at five, he has learned that he has the potential to offer wonderful priesthood blessings to those he loves.

He has learned this from his father's great example as well as from the hours spent at church each Sunday. Hours spent fidgeting, fussing, flopping, and yes, foraging for food.

I now had tangible proof that my husband and I have been doing something right. What a wonderful feeling when you realize that all of your hard work is actually making a difference!

Remembering these small moments gives me strength to keep plowing through those sluggish scripture sessions, frustrating Family Home Evenings, and sleepy Sunday mornings, when I get discouraged and feel like pulling the covers up over my head.

'Oh, remember my son, and learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God.' ~Alma 37:35

Retail Victory

2008-07-29T13:45:00.007-04:00

gloat: \ˈglōt\ intransitive verb, origin date: 1605
to observe or think about something with triumphant and often malicious satisfaction, gratification, or delight
— gloat·er noun
— gloat·ing·ly adverb

Well, I just couldn't resist posting my latest small triumph. I've read about people who leave a grocery store with a cartful of groceries and more money than they walked in with. You know those occasional articles in newsstand magazines that applaud some woman's knack for getting tons of food absolutely free (a lot of which is overly processed and laden with fat and salt, ... but that's a topic for another day). The ones with the latest diet fads of the rich and famous (or infamous, is more like it).

Yeah, I'll admit, sometimes I go there.

So yesterday was my day to leave a store with more dinero than I came in with. Never thought it would happen to me- of course I haven't really tried that hard at it, but I know it's not easy to do.

Nevermind that all I got was a box of bandaids (the good fabric kind, mind you), and that I'll have to spend my $1.93 windfall (after I paid the 7 cents in tax) at that particular store (because it came in the form of store "bucks"). Details, minor details.

But, I can chalk up a new experience now.

It felt good!

Now if I could only figure out how to do that more often...

'Til We 'Meet' Again

2008-07-28T00:20:00.007-04:00

It has been a week since I survived eight hours at the Koury (arriving at 6:45 am) watching my champs swim their hearts out.

Early birds!

The Calm before the Storm

"Swimmers Take Your Mark"

It was a really close (and fierce!) competition!

Exhausting, emotionally draining

for all involved (especially me) .....

We're generally not a sports-minded family. Take-em or leave-em

Then why did my eyes mist over (more than once)? Why did my chest feel so on fire???

(this is just a sporting event, for crying out loud!)

Eeew, that's a lot of wet kids and towels....

It's different when you're watching your own little girls,

and you've been there for

every hour of practice,

every swim meet leading up to this day,

watched as the fractions of a second

were shaved off over time, seen the

lights in their eyes

when awarded their ribbons

or just being part of the team

I just realized that it will be a whole year before I hear this again:

(Push Play)

Soul, Satisfaction, give me some of that action!

Shakee GO GO, Shakee GO GO

So long (coach) Kevin, we'll miss you

Until we 'meet' again...

Let's get this Party Started!

2008-07-20T00:01:00.005-04:00

HHRC Psyche-up Party

Our Hurricanes get ready for CHAMPS!!

How do I love thee? Let me cownt the ways

2008-07-19T22:15:00.011-04:00

How to brighten up an otherwise mundane evening

a little facepaint, a lot of chicken, a dancing cow

I had been in a funk the last few days thinking about big changes coming up for two of the great loves of my life. My sweetheart girl is starting middle school. I was just thinking about how she called herself "Fifi" when she was just two and couldn't pronounce her name. Middle school?

Then there's Halibut, my shadow for the past five years, going off to kindergarten. How many trips to the park, how many stops at 'bageltown' (panera), how many extra things in my grocery cart? Wish I'd counted them now. Wish I'd thought less about how much I wasn't getting done.

They are growing up so fast - and yet, tonight they still love facepaint. They still laugh at the dancing cow and take a balloon. Their eyes still light up when we announce "next stop, Locopops". What a relief!

There's still lots more kid inside each one.

Tonight has been good. I feel so much better, ...for now.
,

Treasure Hunt Surrogate

2008-07-17T09:28:00.008-04:00

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I love finding a bargain. It used to be garage sales when I was a teenager, then my friend Ernie introduced me to the mystique of "dead man shops" (thrift stores). It's amazing what you can find at a great dead man's shop!

One of my favorite things to do is to go "hunting" with my kids to see who can find the best treasure. We had a great time! --especially when I was still building my Beatrix Potter collection.

I love the Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe figurine that I scooped up for $1 from a roadside junk sale which sells for over $65 on ebay (it's in the box with the rest of my Potter collection). I love my antique blue glass canning jars. I love that I found Cole Haan shoes and a Brighton bag (still in the box!) at a fraction of their retail cost--even if I don't use them much. I loved the french coffee table book that I bought for $1 and resold on Amazon for $30. I love giving new life to sad little castoffs (ie, junk)!

But, alas my modest square footage overfloweth! Plus the sticker shock at the gas pump has taken it's toll on such frivolity!

But, isn't there a saying "you can take the dog out of the hunt, but you can't take the hunt out of the dog" ? Or did I just make that up? Well it should be a saying!

So, my treasure hunting time is now spent at the grocery store, which, depending on the growing amounts of non-food items piled in there, sometimes resembles dead-man shops!

I've found that navigating the grocery pricing maze is even more challenging than maneuvering through the most precarius flea market.

It takes a lot of strategy to outwit retailers' myriad of ploys to separate me from my money.

But is all the circular gazing and coupon organizing worth it? Or will I just end up buying stuff I don't really need because it seemed like a good deal? and, I just can't see myself reminiscing about that time I found a great deal on the Cheerios.

Anyway, here's a list of my best loot for the week:

6 boxes of Cheerios @ 1.25/ea

Airwick nightlight oil warmer - free

2 boxes of Curves cereal @ .50/ea

2 bottles Ajax dish soap @ .79/ea

Bayer Heart Advantage aspirin @ .49

2 Suave shampoo & Conditioner @ .47/each

2 suave antiperspirant @ .47/ea

2 suave hairsprays @ .47/ea

3 suave advanced therapy lotion @ .47/ea

cracked up

2008-07-17T08:06:00.004-04:00

"Okay, now tap it a little harder.

A little harder.

Good, now pull the sides apart.

Pull apart.

No, don't squeeze.

Don't squeeze it.

Ok. let go, I'll show you.

let go.

Ugh.

I said don't squeeze.

Here's a paper towel."

Ever wonder at what age a child can actually crack an egg by himself? Well, I can tell you right now it's NOT five! I'm wondering how many times my kitchen has heard this dialogue between me and one of my children over the years. I'm also wondering when 'eggsactly' was the last time I cracked an egg by myself. There's something magical to a young child about cracking an egg. Maybe it's the joy of being allowed to break something. Maybe there's the slightest chance that something different is inside there. I don't know.

For as long as I can remember, my kids have come running to the kitchen when they realize the egg carton is out of the fridge. Probably because it usually means cookie dough or cake batter is in the mixer since we don't generally eat a lot of eggs for meals. Maybe it's because "mom has to pick one of us over the rest to crack the egg, and it could be me, and this will prove once and for all that she loves me most." Hmm.

It took a while but finally I learned a few years ago to break eggs in a separate clear (or at least not white) bowl:

"Ok, now you can't pour it in yet.

Hold on, I have pick the shells out."

Gazpacho!

2008-07-15T16:19:00.008-04:00

The great thing about having extra cucumbers around the kitchen is finding fun new things to do with them beyond the salad! So the other day I whipped up a batch of Gazpacho! I'd never made it before but decided to give it a shot. The whole thing took me about 20 minutes and I just used what I had - no special peppers or anything, and canned tomatoes! It actually turned out pretty good - Probably wouldn't impress Martha Stewart or anything, but I don't see myself inviting her over for lunch anytime soon.

Soup or Salsa? I guess I'm just not used to eating cold chunky soups, because, even without any peppers whatsoever, I couldn't resist eating this by scooping it up on a tortilla chip. Oh well, whatever works!

Hello Jack

2008-07-13T21:49:00.006-04:00

So, I just want to send a big thanks to my niece Kylea and her new husband Eric for introducing me to the music of Jack Johnson. They just started their own blog, "Better Together" (so cute)- in which they promise to chronical newlywed life - I can't wait to read all about their adventures...

Anyway, their blog "Better Together" sports the same title of a song by Jack Johnson and they have the song playing on their playlist. I had never heard it (or of him) before but I fell instantly in love... I don't usually have much reaction to music. I can generally take it or leave it. I own very few CD's. Even in high school there was very little that moved me. When my friends had multiple layers of posters on their walls portraying the latest and greatest MTV heartthrobs, I stuck with my one-and-only, Sting. Finally he (and his brooding) started to get on my nerves. Now his songs all transport me back to those horrible years of teenage angst....ugh.

It's rare, but occasionally I'll hear a song or a particular artist that just speaks to me, and I tend to fall hard. Now, I'm odd when it comes to music and my taste (with the exception of Mr. Sumner) has never been mainstream. I remember trying in vain to find anything by Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole while living in Utah, and the blank looks of Borders employees when I asked for a choral version of Pachelbel's Canon that I'd heard (turned out to be the boys' group Libera, which is AMAZING).

Now, I was surprised to find out that Jack Johnson has 4 albums (do they still call them that?) and is on 6 soundtracks and about 32 music compilations, and the only song I had ever heard of his before was something with a weird title and weirder lyrics: Bubble Toes(?) ..."her feet are infested with tarballs"(?) ... uh, yeah. I was not surprised the trip down Target's CD aisle was fruitless.

But what I heard on Ky and Eric's blog, I liked, alot. So, rather than look like a total idiot and continually log on to their page just to listen to their favorite songs, I went on a quest, and figured out how to make a playlist of my own and added the neat little gatchet here. I'm sure I'm showing my age here - it took me all afternoon to figure the thing out.

I'm sure that I'm my own most frequent visitor.

Teamwork

2008-07-10T12:49:00.016-04:00

A litttle while ago I wrote that I had never canned anything. Well, I'm learning never to say "never"!

We went up to the Fisher's in King, NC for the 4th of July weekend and they had gone up to Virginia and bought a bushel of apples. I didn't even know apples were ripe yet - always associated them with fall. Anyway, we all had a good time making applesauce with them.

About 3/4 of the way through, it started raining.

The kids loved wearing Grandma's aprons.

My mother in law is a veteran canner andknows all the rules and tricks by heart. So she is a great teacher. The whole process went very smoothly and faster than I thought it would. Unfortunately I wasn't able get a photo of her in her cute 4th of July apron.

It's amazing to watch your kids find joy in work. This is always easier when the task is something new and interesting.

It's especially easy to find smiles when the work will most likely be followed by one of Grandpa's famous ice-cream trips!

Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well for most of the time and pooped out midway. I couldn't resist taking a few photos, though.

Thankfully we had a couple of hardworkers who volunteered to do the clean-up part. I think we used every big bowl and pan in the house! They deserve a second scoop! Not bad for a Saturday morning's work!

Angelfish Trivia

2008-07-08T11:42:00.005-04:00

This is one of those e-mail surveys that you get and respond to if you have nothing better to do - or, in my case, you're procrastinating doing anything constructive.

Anyway,

I thought it was a pretty good snapshot of me for posterity.

Today is July 8, 2008
1. What time did you get up this morning? 8:30-ish
2. Diamonds or pearls? diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the movies? Wall-e (at the drive-in!)

4.What is your favorite TV show? Lost
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? cereal

6. What is your middle name? DeNae
7. What food do you dislike? Greek
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Jack Johnson- In Between Dreams
9. What kind of car do you drive? Lexus 470LX

10. Favorite sandwich? anything with avocado, but nothing on rye
11. What characteristic do you despise? manipulativeness
12. Favorite item of clothing? jeans that fit, gap t-shirt (see photo)
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Hawaii

14. Favorite brand of clothing? LonnieQ

15. Where would you retire to if you could? Chapala, Mexico

16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? I forgot

17. Favorite sport to watch? HHRC swimming, diving

18. Where is the farthest place you are sending this? Utah

19. Person you expect to send it back first? mom

20. Three things you need to work on. organization, exercise, procrastination

21. Since you "know what you know now", what would you have done differently? lots
22. Are you a morning person or a night person? in between
23. What is your shoe size? 9
24. Pets? my kids have pets, I have kids

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? I've lost 7 pounds!
26. What did you want to be when you were little? a kid forever

27. How are you today? awake

28. If everyone knew your biggest secret about yourself, would you lose friends? I hope not

29. What is your favorite flower? Passion-flower
30. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? July 19th - swim championships

31. What gets on your last nerve? nagging
32. What is your full name? that's confidential
33. What are you listening to right now? White Sandy Beach of Hawaii - Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole

34. What was the last thing you ate? egg sandwich

35. Do you wish on stars? whenever I can
36. If you were a crayon, what color would you want to be? aqua
37. How is the weather right now? Overcast and 80's, humid

38. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Olivia

39. Favorite drink? any Jamba Juice

40. Favorite restaurants? Panera Bread
41. Hair color? summer-orangey/yellow

42. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies
43. Summer or winter? In between (spring, fall)

44. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

45. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
46. Coffee or tea? herb tea
47. Do you want your friends to email you back? YES!!
48. When was the last time you cried? watching president Hinckley's funeral
49. What is under your bed? food storage

50. What did you do last night? watched BigT & kids light fireworks

51. What are you afraid of? being buried alive
52. Salty or sweet? Sweet
53. How many keys on your key ring? 1

54. How many years at your current job? 23
55. Favorite day of the week? Sunday
56. How many towns have you lived in? 12
57. Do you make friends easily? not really

58. How many people will you send this to? 7
59. How many will respond? don't know
60. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Yes!