Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Hello Everyone!
I haven’t written a post since before Christmas, and I don’t want the happenings of the last few months to totally fade from my fuzzy memory. So here goes, for your sake if you want to read, but mostly for our sake, as a record of our family.
It has been an interesting several months for me since I last wrote. After breathing a guilty sigh of relief that Hugh was not called to serve in the newly reorganized bishopric at the end of last year, I had convinced myself that our collective plate was full enough, and that it was not our season to serve in a large leadership role in the Church. Needless to say, I was shocked when, during what I had anticipated to be primarily a social visit with the bishop, I was called to serve as the new Relief Society President. Looking back at my interest the couple months prior in improving my people skills and overcoming my fears, I felt as though I had been perched on the edge of a diving board, looking out over the water for a long time wavering between, “You know, I really should learn how to swim…” and “But I’m really scared. I don’t know if I can do it…” when suddenly Heavenly Father pushed me off the edge and into the water. Those two weeks after I was called were very difficult emotionally and spiritually as I felt like I was drowning. I felt completely inadequate. My feelings of humiliation (I’m not good enough) turned to humility (I’m not good enough, but that’s okay. If I do what He has asked me to do, He will make me enough.) I hope I can remember that and apply it to my roles as wife, mom, sister, daughter, friend. As luck would have it, our family had been asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting the same day that I was sustained in my new calling, and it was after that initiation I began to feel like I had broken the surface of the water again, and though sometimes waves of uncertainty wash over me, there is hope that I can learn to swim. People in the ward have been so kind and accepting of me, and beyond that, they are good people who understand what it means to be Christian - to teach and support and serve one another. I have continued to immerse myself in thought-provoking talks and books as I did in that two week period when I was struggling to make sense of the situation and prepare my talk, and I realize how important it is to continually surround ourselves with good influences that buoy us up and keep our thoughts always on the things that really matter.
Our lives are busy, but good. Hugh is working hard at collecting information and preparing tax returns before the great and dreadful April 15th deadline. He never complains about the long hours of work and travel, the sometimes stressful kid interactions and never-ending housework at home, or the time I put into my church and school responsibilities. He has enjoyed watching the relatively successful BYU football and basketball teams in action this year both at numerous home games (with his BYU sports buddies Julia, Michael, and Alyssa or Natalie or Matthew,) as well as on TV and the internet. He studies hard for the adult Sunday School class he teaches every other week.
Steven, on the other hand, is not studying so hard! Unfortunately, he does not see the importance of grades; he argues that they are not a good measure of intelligence. This may be true to a certain extent, but they can be a good indicator of discipline, and that is where he is currently lacking! I am grateful that he is overall a really good kid, and I’m trying to help him understand that a little pain and hard work now could prevent a lot of heartache later! Steven has enjoyed playing soccer for the high school team. He arranged his class schedule so that he participates in a Sports Conditioning class last period every day in addition to the daily practices after school. He doesn’t enjoy the pressure of playing in the more competitive Varsity games, and instead has asked to play more time in the JV games. Steven enjoys driving when he gets the opportunity, even though I have become more critical as I realize the time of my greatest influence over his driving is growing short.
Daniel has been leisurely working to learn Adobe Flash Animating software since he bought an Actionscript manual at about Christmastime. A friend of ours in the neighborhood recently approached Daniel with a possible job of animating medical diagrams for a new business he is starting. Whether or not it ends up being lucrative, I hope it will help Daniel discover something he enjoys and does well. He is begging once again to get a pet dog, and maybe because he has been so sweet and willing to help take care of Katelyn, I have pretty much committed to at least giving it a chance this summer. I hope I won’t regret it!
Julia is looking forward to 8th grade next year, and plans to learn to play the guitar in addition to piano and violin. She is very musically gifted, so I know she could do well if she practices. She has enjoyed participating in a couple of regular activities which her cousin, Jamie, organized. Once a week, they (with a couple other girls) go to the local nursing home to play songs for the residents and then to play games with them. The girls also have a scripture reading club, for which they meet every other Friday to talk about the Book of Mormon assignments they have read over the previous two weeks and then have dessert and play games together. It has been really nice for her. Julia had braces put on January 3rd, and so far hasn’t suffered too much discomfort.
We celebrated Michael’s 11th birthday less than a week ago. He likes to spend time emailing his friend, Maddie (Madelyn) and playing games on the computer. He knows how I feel about him wasting his time and brain on mindless entertainment, so when he sneaks computer time, it is often with Boggle or some other “brainy” game. I have been trying to get him interested in reading something other than Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Charlie Bone, and Percy Jackson. I finally succeeded in persuading him to read the Hunger Games trilogy, which he did, but he hasn’t picked up anything else since. He also likes to “shoot hoops” with Matthew in the mini basketball hoop in the basement. Matthew is quite impressed with Michael’s prowess and can’t wait until he’s big enough to play actual basketball. Michael and Daniel are participating in community soccer right now (the girls wanted to, but I somewhat unsuccessfully defended my refusal by explaining that I can’t get them all to their simultaneous games and practices by myself when their dad has to work long hours)
Alyssa excels at school, but she says that she hates math. As we approach the end of her final year of music classes (Let’s Play Music) she insists that she hates piano and will not take lessons. I think she sees these two areas where her older siblings have shined, and she doesn’t want to compete with them. She is very graceful and agile, so we are going to start her in a tumbling class next week Hopefully this will channel her energies into something that will help her feel accomplished in something that is uniquely her own. She spends a lot of time experimenting with fixing her hair in different ways, and does an amazing job, but I hope she knows that how she looks is much less important than how she acts.
Natalie loves math and does well at reading and music, too. Her attitude is improving, but she is still a little Jekyll/Hyde. I have observed Natalie’s growing awareness of girl-boy tension, as there is a flirtatious little boy in her class who teases the girls about who he is going to kiss at school the next day. (Just to reassure you, he has gotten in trouble for threatening and following through with this a couple of times…) Thanks to my mom who comes to watch the three little kids, I have been able to help in Natalie’s class every Friday since mid-January. When it works out with our schedules, I have also tried to take Natalie or Alyssa, and then Julia or Daniel out to lunch after helping in Natalie’s class. (Steven and Michael treasure their social time at lunch, so I have to work in my “dates” with them at other times.)
We now include Matthew in the rotation of who will say the family prayer at night, and it is cute to hear his deepest concerns voiced – “please bless the toys not to break” or “please bless the mean people to be nice”. He and Emily are generally so good to Katelyn, and vice-versa. Matthew told me, “I’m in love with Sweet Katelyn!” Both he and Emily go to Katelyn for a hug of comfort when they are hurt or sad, and she is generally obliging and sometimes even looks for them expectantly when she hears them cry. Matthew was having some behavioral problems at preschool until we instituted a report card with incentives (incentives being Hot Wheels cars) program, and he is now a model student. He likes to play card games, his current favorites being “Hong Kong Phooey” (so named by Hugh) and The Memory Game (at which he does amazingly well.)
Emily also loves playing card games and watching TV whenever I’m too busy to make sure she is doing something else. She attended her Primary class at church the first two weeks of the year and now refuses, even though when she comes to the adult class with us we don’t let her look at books or eat snacks or do anything but sit there and listen. She subsists mainly on hot chocolate (which is not as bad as it sounds because I make it with milk) and would have it with meals as well as several times in between if we let her. She is a funny little person, or “character” as she has come to call herself. Following Matthew’s example, she often points things out that she would like for her birthday, which is still over three months from now. She and Matthew generally get along so well, in concert in their pretend play and in their conspiring to quietly sneak time to watch TV or play on the computer or raid their siblings’ bedrooms while the kids are at school.
Katelyn , nearly eighteen months old now and not really a baby anymore, remains much adored as the baby of the family. She is stone-faced and shy around just about everyone outside our immediate family (even poor Grandma Dosdall, who takes care of her weekly!) It makes me so happy to watch her siblings take care of her and to see how she loves them in return. Katelyn is a resourceful troublemaker, always finding ways to get into things she shouldn’t. I found that she had pulled out the bottom drawer of a dresser in order to climb inside it to reach something on top of the dresser. She is developing the will and opinions of a two year old (so hopefully she will get through the “Terrible Two’s” sooner?) She babbles in a language of her own that almost sounds like a real language, and is slowly picking up words we can understand.
I’m just tying off the loose ends of the silent auction I co-chaired for the kids’ school early this month, and looking forward to getting to some of the other things I have had to put off in the meantime. Everything is good – we’re looking forward to spring and summer and doing more fun things together.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Christmas 2010
Christmas Greetings for 2010, Friends and Family!
We hope you are well and happy. We have lived in Spanish Fork for twelve years now, and we are grateful for the natural beauty of this place and for the goodness of the people that surround us. Some of the highlights of this year include:
• Visits from siblings from all around the country (thank you for making us a priority; we appreciate your sacrifices for us!)
• The return of my parents from their 1½ year mission to India in April
• A welcome addition to the Utah Dosdall contingent: Derek & Alyson and their family, who moved to Centerville (north of Salt Lake City) in August
• A trip to Disneyland, California in October
Hugh marked nine years of working for the LDS Church in the Finance Department. He still doesn’t love the 1½ hour commute, but he works with and for great people, and generally enjoys the work. We appreciate it that he is willing to wake up at 4:30 every morning so that he can work all day long and still have time to be with us in the evenings. He takes good care of us! He has faithfully studied and prepared lessons to teach the adult Sunday School class for the past three years. He attends BYU home football games with his dad and several of our kids, and I guess they enjoy it because the kids always come home with full tummies and Hugh with a hoarse voice! Hugh also takes the kids to concerts on Temple Square at least a couple times each year. Hugh spent several weeks away this summer on business in Germany and Las Vegas.
Ann: My life is busy with nine kiddos to take care of, but it is certainly easier than sometimes in the past since our older kids are helpful and I don’t have to pack up all the little ones every time I need to shuttle kids from one place to another. I love watching my kids learn new things, especially how to love and take care of each other. I don’t love the messes and the fighting, but that’s okay – it’s all part of the learning experience. I finally figured out that I can listen to talks and books on tapes and CD’s, so I utilize those many hours I spend tidying, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. and I love it that I no longer think of those activities as just necessary evils but opportunities to learn something or listen to a good book! I have happily faded mostly into the background this year within the parent organization at the charter school our kids attend. I still help in the classroom and will be co-chairing a silent auction in the spring, but I am so glad to have some responsibility off my shoulders.
Steven, 15, is a sophomore in high school. He enjoys friends, music (playing and listening), school and seminary, soccer, crossword puzzles, and driving…me crazy (no, not really – but I will say being the parent of a teenager learning to drive is a new and unpleasant experience.) He had a fun summer going with the church youth group on a river rafting trip and attending EFY, a summer camp where LDS youth hear motivational talks and socialize with like-minded kids. Steven is breaking us into the teenage years gently – he is generally pleasant, usually respectful to us, and kind to his siblings.
Daniel, 14, is in 8th grade. He is a jokester; he enjoys puzzles (like Rubik’s cubes) as well as logic puzzles. He rarely hangs out with friends, but is nevertheless well-liked at school and church (and at home, except when he is bugging his siblings!) He talked us into buying Adobe Flash and he has spent some time experimenting with creating animations and writing basic programs. He has pushed himself out of his comfort zone by participating in student government, which requires him to help plan and run activities.
Julia, 12, is in 7th grade. She is smart and keeps on top of her assignments and tests without being prodded, which makes our job as parents easier. She enjoys friends, reading, music (piano and violin), baking, fixing things, and understanding how things work. She is one of Hugh’s football buddies and concert companions. She sometimes butts heads with Matthew, but otherwise is helpful and gets along with everyone.
Michael, 10, is in 6th grade. He is smart, musically talented, and introverted (like his dad) so most of the time I can only guess at the details of his daily life. He enjoys friends, school, and sports (especially soccer and futsal.) Until recently, Michael spent lots of time practicing the piano, especially showy, upbeat pieces by Jon Schmidt. He spends a lot less time playing the piano since he discovered popular music, and now spends lots of time listening to the radio or MP3 player. He likes to play computer and video games, and will often do extra chores to earn playing time. His motto could be: “Will work for electronics time.”
Alyssa, 8, is doing great in 3rd grade. She is generally cheerful, and she acts as advocate for her younger siblings, especially when their older siblings have lost patience with them. She LOVES her school teacher and has plenty of friends and boys who tease her and chase her around. She still gets frequent headaches, an ailment which has plagued her for a couple of years now. She likes to write and draw and make things. She has a talent for making things pretty; she fixes her hair in all different ways without help. She loves candy and sweets. Her motto could be: “Will work for candy.”
Natalie, who just turned 7, is in 1st grade. She is a great little reader, she is in an advanced math class, and she is doing so well in her music class. But she is not enjoying school this year, and seems angry most of the time at home. I haven’t yet figured out where this 7 year-old angst is coming from, but hopefully we can help her get through it and she can be the happy, pleasant little person she used to be.
Matthew, who just turned 5, loves preschool. He has a never-ending list of things he would like to get. He loves trucks, cars, trains, action figures, etc. He likes to pull assorted containers and boxes out of the recycling pile to make robots and monsters and various creations. He loves to play with friends and with his best playmate and little sister, Emily. He is demanding and loud and melodramatic, and yet you have to love him because of his unabashed affection and enthusiasm.
Emily, 3, is (as she proudly proclaims) “a character”. She is happy to play noisy trucks and cars with Matthew, or dress-up and dolls with her sisters or friend, Lydia. She learned how to use the potty a couple months ago, so amazingly, we have only one in diapers! She loves hot chocolate, PBS and Qubo channel, and her siblings. She dresses herself in the most interesting combinations of colors and patterns. She sometimes regresses back into “Terrible Two” but is pleasant most of the time.
Katelyn, our baby, turned 1 in October. Like many of our children, she has red hair, but unlike the rest of us, she has blue-gray eyes. Also like her siblings, she is stoic and shy around people she doesn’t know well. She doesn’t talk much, but she loves to “sing” and dance and climb. She loves to clean out drawers and cupboards (empty them of their contents, not organize them, unfortunately for me…) She cleverly avoids a stern reprimand by doing something cute – dancing, shaking her head “no”, or flashing her chubby-cheeked, four-toothed grin. We all enjoy her immensely, and all the kids (especially Daniel, Julia, and Alyssa) are willing to help with her.
We are so blessed! Our biggest struggle is trying to keep the proper perspective and balance in our lives, which comes only when we keep our focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope that you carry the peace that He brings in your hearts at Christmastime and every day of the year.
We hope you are well and happy. We have lived in Spanish Fork for twelve years now, and we are grateful for the natural beauty of this place and for the goodness of the people that surround us. Some of the highlights of this year include:
• Visits from siblings from all around the country (thank you for making us a priority; we appreciate your sacrifices for us!)
• The return of my parents from their 1½ year mission to India in April
• A welcome addition to the Utah Dosdall contingent: Derek & Alyson and their family, who moved to Centerville (north of Salt Lake City) in August
• A trip to Disneyland, California in October
Hugh marked nine years of working for the LDS Church in the Finance Department. He still doesn’t love the 1½ hour commute, but he works with and for great people, and generally enjoys the work. We appreciate it that he is willing to wake up at 4:30 every morning so that he can work all day long and still have time to be with us in the evenings. He takes good care of us! He has faithfully studied and prepared lessons to teach the adult Sunday School class for the past three years. He attends BYU home football games with his dad and several of our kids, and I guess they enjoy it because the kids always come home with full tummies and Hugh with a hoarse voice! Hugh also takes the kids to concerts on Temple Square at least a couple times each year. Hugh spent several weeks away this summer on business in Germany and Las Vegas.
Ann: My life is busy with nine kiddos to take care of, but it is certainly easier than sometimes in the past since our older kids are helpful and I don’t have to pack up all the little ones every time I need to shuttle kids from one place to another. I love watching my kids learn new things, especially how to love and take care of each other. I don’t love the messes and the fighting, but that’s okay – it’s all part of the learning experience. I finally figured out that I can listen to talks and books on tapes and CD’s, so I utilize those many hours I spend tidying, washing dishes, doing laundry, etc. and I love it that I no longer think of those activities as just necessary evils but opportunities to learn something or listen to a good book! I have happily faded mostly into the background this year within the parent organization at the charter school our kids attend. I still help in the classroom and will be co-chairing a silent auction in the spring, but I am so glad to have some responsibility off my shoulders.
Steven, 15, is a sophomore in high school. He enjoys friends, music (playing and listening), school and seminary, soccer, crossword puzzles, and driving…me crazy (no, not really – but I will say being the parent of a teenager learning to drive is a new and unpleasant experience.) He had a fun summer going with the church youth group on a river rafting trip and attending EFY, a summer camp where LDS youth hear motivational talks and socialize with like-minded kids. Steven is breaking us into the teenage years gently – he is generally pleasant, usually respectful to us, and kind to his siblings.
Daniel, 14, is in 8th grade. He is a jokester; he enjoys puzzles (like Rubik’s cubes) as well as logic puzzles. He rarely hangs out with friends, but is nevertheless well-liked at school and church (and at home, except when he is bugging his siblings!) He talked us into buying Adobe Flash and he has spent some time experimenting with creating animations and writing basic programs. He has pushed himself out of his comfort zone by participating in student government, which requires him to help plan and run activities.
Julia, 12, is in 7th grade. She is smart and keeps on top of her assignments and tests without being prodded, which makes our job as parents easier. She enjoys friends, reading, music (piano and violin), baking, fixing things, and understanding how things work. She is one of Hugh’s football buddies and concert companions. She sometimes butts heads with Matthew, but otherwise is helpful and gets along with everyone.
Michael, 10, is in 6th grade. He is smart, musically talented, and introverted (like his dad) so most of the time I can only guess at the details of his daily life. He enjoys friends, school, and sports (especially soccer and futsal.) Until recently, Michael spent lots of time practicing the piano, especially showy, upbeat pieces by Jon Schmidt. He spends a lot less time playing the piano since he discovered popular music, and now spends lots of time listening to the radio or MP3 player. He likes to play computer and video games, and will often do extra chores to earn playing time. His motto could be: “Will work for electronics time.”
Alyssa, 8, is doing great in 3rd grade. She is generally cheerful, and she acts as advocate for her younger siblings, especially when their older siblings have lost patience with them. She LOVES her school teacher and has plenty of friends and boys who tease her and chase her around. She still gets frequent headaches, an ailment which has plagued her for a couple of years now. She likes to write and draw and make things. She has a talent for making things pretty; she fixes her hair in all different ways without help. She loves candy and sweets. Her motto could be: “Will work for candy.”
Natalie, who just turned 7, is in 1st grade. She is a great little reader, she is in an advanced math class, and she is doing so well in her music class. But she is not enjoying school this year, and seems angry most of the time at home. I haven’t yet figured out where this 7 year-old angst is coming from, but hopefully we can help her get through it and she can be the happy, pleasant little person she used to be.
Matthew, who just turned 5, loves preschool. He has a never-ending list of things he would like to get. He loves trucks, cars, trains, action figures, etc. He likes to pull assorted containers and boxes out of the recycling pile to make robots and monsters and various creations. He loves to play with friends and with his best playmate and little sister, Emily. He is demanding and loud and melodramatic, and yet you have to love him because of his unabashed affection and enthusiasm.
Emily, 3, is (as she proudly proclaims) “a character”. She is happy to play noisy trucks and cars with Matthew, or dress-up and dolls with her sisters or friend, Lydia. She learned how to use the potty a couple months ago, so amazingly, we have only one in diapers! She loves hot chocolate, PBS and Qubo channel, and her siblings. She dresses herself in the most interesting combinations of colors and patterns. She sometimes regresses back into “Terrible Two” but is pleasant most of the time.
Katelyn, our baby, turned 1 in October. Like many of our children, she has red hair, but unlike the rest of us, she has blue-gray eyes. Also like her siblings, she is stoic and shy around people she doesn’t know well. She doesn’t talk much, but she loves to “sing” and dance and climb. She loves to clean out drawers and cupboards (empty them of their contents, not organize them, unfortunately for me…) She cleverly avoids a stern reprimand by doing something cute – dancing, shaking her head “no”, or flashing her chubby-cheeked, four-toothed grin. We all enjoy her immensely, and all the kids (especially Daniel, Julia, and Alyssa) are willing to help with her.
We are so blessed! Our biggest struggle is trying to keep the proper perspective and balance in our lives, which comes only when we keep our focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope that you carry the peace that He brings in your hearts at Christmastime and every day of the year.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
November 2010 Update
Happy Fall! I am constantly struck by how beautiful a place Utah is. We have watched the mountains turn from summer greens to fall yellows and reds, and just barely, winter white with snow. I don't think I'm quite ready for the cold weather, but I suppose the seasons are a constant reminder to me of the passing of time and the need to cherish each season of life as we experience it.
Hugh spent a couple weeks in Germany taking care of Church business. He doesn't enjoy traveling alone, so he would have liked to have had me or one of the older kids along to see the sights and help navigate planes/trains/schedules. He happened to have training in Las Vegas a day after he returned from Germany, so he missed the end of the kids' summer vacation and the first couple weeks of school and soccer practices/games over the course of the two trips. I figured he would enjoy being away from us, but he said it was too quiet. Apparently he really meant it, because he chose to spend a big chunk of time and hard-earned money taking the family to Disneyland a couple of weeks ago. This, our second trip to Disneyland, was different in a couple of ways: the first time, we had gone with my sister, Kristen's family, and that was so much fun. We had hoped my parents and my sister Jeannie could come along, but Jeannie's health has been unstable enough that they just couldn't do it. On the plus side, we are looking forward to visits from several of our far-away siblings over the next week. Our three older boys spent most of the time at Disneyland separate from the rest of the group, taking advantage of a much faster pace and selection of rides without the younger siblings to slow them down. Some of the younger ones were grumpy enough that we had to cut our afternoons short just to get them back to the hotel room to nap and calm down. We enjoyed the four days at the park despite ill-tempered kids, and our one day at the beach even though it was overcast and chilly.
The kids have been back in school for a couple of months now. Overall, they are enjoying it and doing well. Since the Parent Council (PTA) at the school was restructured, the position in which I served was done away with and the responsibilities split up among several people. I volunteer regularly in Natalie's class and will be co-chairing the silent auction in the spring. While I miss knowing what is going on, it has been such a relief to not have so much responsibility on my shoulders.
Steven is enjoying his sophomore year of high school. Since he is taking just one math class this year, he is much more able to stay on top of things. He sure seems to spend much less time on homework than I ever did! He attends an early morning seminary class on alternating days so that he could make room in his schedule for a P.E. Conditioning class every day in preparation for soccer in the spring. He sometimes jogs the four miles down to school and attends extra seminary classes because he enjoys the class discussion. He has gone hiking several times with a good friend and some of her family. Until recently, I somehow managed to avoid the whole popular music scene, something for which I was very grateful since I don't approve of the language used in and the feelings evoked by a lot of the current music. But now the kids are constantly turning on the radio or listening to MP3's on the computer or on the MP3 players they recently purchased. They have been very conscientious about not listening to songs with questionable lyrics, and most of the stuff they like is pretty mellow. It is interesting that some of the stuff on the radio is from my time and before, and my kids aren't automatically turned off to it just because it's old! Steven spends a lot of time listening to music while working on a crossword or logic puzzle, reading a book, or occasionally talking on the phone (we won't let him chat online so that he will not forget how to carry on a conversation, a skill I hear is quickly disappearing with this generation of emailers and texters.) Though Steven finished Driver's Ed in June, I have taken him driving only once, and that was just at the church parking lot. My dad very generously offered to fix up a minivan we found in an online classifieds, so once that is ready to go we will get it licensed and insured and at least temporarily retire our stick-shift Escort so that Steven can learn to drive something a little more manageable.
We celebrated Daniel's 14th birthday on October 18th. It has been interesting to watch Daniel push himself out of his comfort zone as he participates in student government and the things that come with that: planning activities, leading the school in the pledge over the loudspeaker, helping with decorations, food, clean-up for dances. He tends to stay to himself at school despite his fun sense of humor and his kind and easy-going personality, so I hope this will help him to be more social. Like Steven, Daniel sometimes jogs four miles to or from school, which is great for the exercise but makes me (a paranoid mom) worry for his safety. Daniel decided to quit piano lessons since he reached the appointed 14 years of age, and I'm not too crushed about it since he has to keep practicing for a piano performance class he is taking. I told him he will melt the girls' hearts if he keeps playing songs like “River Flows in You” and “Comptine D'Un Autre Ete”, which was meant to encourage him to continue, but which I'm afraid had the opposite effect! He is so cute with Katelyn, and is willing to take care of her when I attend music class with Alyssa and Natalie or run quick errands. Daniel solved the 5x5 Rubik's cube he received for his birthday within one day. It is amazing to me that this kid, who doesn't hear me asking him a question because he's focused on something right in front of him even though I'm standing five feet away from him, can keep track of 150 different pieces on a cube and understand how the movements of one affect another. Really, it's mind boggling! Daniel enjoyed his Halloween hijinks just a little too much this year. He dressed himself to look like a stuffed dummy and sat very still on a chair on the front porch until the moment the trick-or-treaters reached down to take a treat from the bowl in front of him, at which point he would growl and move. Daniel and I must have the same sadistic tendencies, because I somehow couldn't stop laughing when I heard screams of surprise from inside the house where I was washing dishes. I hope he didn't permanently scar any little kids; after I was done laughing at the expense of someone else, I decided that Daniel and I deserve a taste of our own medicine and we're planning to watch “The Sixth Sense” next weekend, which I haven't dared to watch again since I first saw it ten years ago because I'm such a scaredy-cat.
Julia is enjoying her first year in the Jr. High as a 7th grader. She is so conscientious, and understands what she is being taught – she makes it so easy for us! She turned 12 in July and graduated from the Primary organization and into Young Women at church. Her skeletal age is about 1 ½ years behind her actual age, so she is tiny compared to most people her age. She will probably hit a growth spurt at some point, but it hasn't slowed her down a bit. She (as well as four others of the older kids) played fall soccer and loved it. She is enjoying taking a cooking class from someone here in our neighborhood, and I'm hoping she can teach us all the things she is learning! She is back in Orchestra this semester. I hope she will decide to make practicing a priority, because she is extraordinarily talented.
Michael is not as excited about piano since he discovered the radio and MP3 player, but I love to hear him play a new David Lanz piece (“Vesuvius”) he found. Michael is doing well academically and seems to enjoy his class and male teacher (who is big into athletics, a plus for Michael) though I never really know since he doesn't volunteer much information (like some of the other males in this family!) Michael finished out the soccer season undefeated with his Uncle James and dad as coaches. Michael has expressed an interest in playing competitive league soccer, but I won't consider it seriously until I see more commitment on his part to work hard at it while still doing his part to help around the house, and until I figure out how to make it work.
For the first time in her school career, Alyssa loves school. More specifically, she loves her teacher, Miss Seely. Alyssa is happier, and complains less often of stomachaches and headaches. Miss Seely is bright and organized and loving, and Alyssa constantly comes home with stories that the teacher tells her class. Alyssa can be very helpful about doing extra chores around the house. Her preferred form of payment is candy; I should make her a sign that says “Will work for candy”. She is also helpful with Katelyn and will play with her or take her outside to distract her while I work on dishes or dinner. She loves to draw and color and make creative things.
First I'll say the good things about Natalie. She is cute; she has such a pretty china doll face and soft features. She's very smart; as a first grader, she was initially placed in the highest 2nd grade math class, reads at a 3-4th grade competency level, and her teacher suggested she skip 1st grade. She is very responsible about doing her homework each day. Now the bad: she hates school, and has a lot of anxiety about friends (which never happened last year.) She throws fits almost daily about the smallest, silliest things despite my efforts to get to the source of the anxiety and bad behavior. Daniel thinks she needs some anger management courses. All I can say is that we have been through similar rough times with our other children, so hopefully she'll get through this soon.
Matthew will be turning five years old this month. He started preschool a couple months ago, and he loves it. One night he was so anxious for preschool to start that he went to bed with his backpack on, and woke at 7 am asking how much longer 'til preshool (five hours). He asked again at 9, and wanted me to set a timer so he could keep track of the time. Frustrated with how slowly the time was going, he exclaimed, “This timer is doing NOTHING for me!” One day after I gave him a piece of chocolate, he (knowing that I try to be health conscious) very seriously and generously offered, “If there's something that's bad for you that you don't want, just give it to me.” When the kids ask their dad how work was that day, he will usually respond, “Work-ish.” Sometimes Matthew will ask me when I get him from preschool, “How was home? Was Emily nice? How was Katelyn?” The other day when Hugh asked Matthew how preschool was, he said, “Preschool-ish.” Matthew has his own 4 year-old way of saying things, just like the main character in the book “Hooway for Wodney Wat”. When I gently tried to correct him after he asked “Who wants to go outside and wake the weaves?” He snapped back with,”I don't care if I say it wong!” Despite his intense personality and tendency toward melodrama in all things, he is a cute boy and I have to like him anyway.
After a last minute push before our Disneyland trip, Emily is potty-trained. Woo-hoo! Can you believe we're down to just one in diapers? Emily had a good time at Disneyland (when she wasn't tired and grumpy or lost.. I think we'll wait until all the kids are a bit older before we go back to Disneyland again.) Emily spends most of her time playing with Matthew or with her best friend, Lydia. Emily will not go to the nursery at church without Hugh or me even though Lydia is there with her, which makes me wonder what will happen in January when she is supposed to start attending Primary, the children's class. She has developed this peculiar habit of pronouncing “the” with a long e sound, no matter what it precedes. “Mom, are we going to thee library and thee store now?” Emily and some of the other kids love to go outside to play with a neighbor's cat which has made our yard a frequent stop. (Which reminds me... Daniel is working hard again at trying to talk me into getting a pet dog,which all the kids would love.)
Katelyn is one year old already, as of October 20th. We all enjoy our baby so much. When Katelyn wakes up, the kids gather around her to play with her and hug and greet her. She has no idea how popular she is! She started crawling at about 7½ – 8 months and figured out how to go up and down the stairs about a month later, thank goodness. Though she started walking a couple months ago, she hadn't taken off with it until right around her birthday. She still has the endearingly tentative, stiff gait of a new toddler. She is more animated and curious than she used to be, which translates into a more interesting personality and lots more messes. Multiple times every day I find drawers and cabinets emptied of their contents, which are strewn around on the floor. She delights us with waves of greeting or goodnight, and she babbles and sings as if she has lots to say, but so far doesn't say much that is understandable beyond “cuckoo” (she has a fascination with the cuckoo clock) and a barking sound. She generally goes to sleep in her crib very nicely and sleeps through the night, for which I am very grateful. I miss cuddling with her like I did when she was a smaller, more needy, nursing baby. But it is also fun to discover her personality and watch her learning new things.
We hope you are all doing well and that the upcoming holidays are a happy time for you.
Hugh spent a couple weeks in Germany taking care of Church business. He doesn't enjoy traveling alone, so he would have liked to have had me or one of the older kids along to see the sights and help navigate planes/trains/schedules. He happened to have training in Las Vegas a day after he returned from Germany, so he missed the end of the kids' summer vacation and the first couple weeks of school and soccer practices/games over the course of the two trips. I figured he would enjoy being away from us, but he said it was too quiet. Apparently he really meant it, because he chose to spend a big chunk of time and hard-earned money taking the family to Disneyland a couple of weeks ago. This, our second trip to Disneyland, was different in a couple of ways: the first time, we had gone with my sister, Kristen's family, and that was so much fun. We had hoped my parents and my sister Jeannie could come along, but Jeannie's health has been unstable enough that they just couldn't do it. On the plus side, we are looking forward to visits from several of our far-away siblings over the next week. Our three older boys spent most of the time at Disneyland separate from the rest of the group, taking advantage of a much faster pace and selection of rides without the younger siblings to slow them down. Some of the younger ones were grumpy enough that we had to cut our afternoons short just to get them back to the hotel room to nap and calm down. We enjoyed the four days at the park despite ill-tempered kids, and our one day at the beach even though it was overcast and chilly.
The kids have been back in school for a couple of months now. Overall, they are enjoying it and doing well. Since the Parent Council (PTA) at the school was restructured, the position in which I served was done away with and the responsibilities split up among several people. I volunteer regularly in Natalie's class and will be co-chairing the silent auction in the spring. While I miss knowing what is going on, it has been such a relief to not have so much responsibility on my shoulders.
Steven is enjoying his sophomore year of high school. Since he is taking just one math class this year, he is much more able to stay on top of things. He sure seems to spend much less time on homework than I ever did! He attends an early morning seminary class on alternating days so that he could make room in his schedule for a P.E. Conditioning class every day in preparation for soccer in the spring. He sometimes jogs the four miles down to school and attends extra seminary classes because he enjoys the class discussion. He has gone hiking several times with a good friend and some of her family. Until recently, I somehow managed to avoid the whole popular music scene, something for which I was very grateful since I don't approve of the language used in and the feelings evoked by a lot of the current music. But now the kids are constantly turning on the radio or listening to MP3's on the computer or on the MP3 players they recently purchased. They have been very conscientious about not listening to songs with questionable lyrics, and most of the stuff they like is pretty mellow. It is interesting that some of the stuff on the radio is from my time and before, and my kids aren't automatically turned off to it just because it's old! Steven spends a lot of time listening to music while working on a crossword or logic puzzle, reading a book, or occasionally talking on the phone (we won't let him chat online so that he will not forget how to carry on a conversation, a skill I hear is quickly disappearing with this generation of emailers and texters.) Though Steven finished Driver's Ed in June, I have taken him driving only once, and that was just at the church parking lot. My dad very generously offered to fix up a minivan we found in an online classifieds, so once that is ready to go we will get it licensed and insured and at least temporarily retire our stick-shift Escort so that Steven can learn to drive something a little more manageable.
We celebrated Daniel's 14th birthday on October 18th. It has been interesting to watch Daniel push himself out of his comfort zone as he participates in student government and the things that come with that: planning activities, leading the school in the pledge over the loudspeaker, helping with decorations, food, clean-up for dances. He tends to stay to himself at school despite his fun sense of humor and his kind and easy-going personality, so I hope this will help him to be more social. Like Steven, Daniel sometimes jogs four miles to or from school, which is great for the exercise but makes me (a paranoid mom) worry for his safety. Daniel decided to quit piano lessons since he reached the appointed 14 years of age, and I'm not too crushed about it since he has to keep practicing for a piano performance class he is taking. I told him he will melt the girls' hearts if he keeps playing songs like “River Flows in You” and “Comptine D'Un Autre Ete”, which was meant to encourage him to continue, but which I'm afraid had the opposite effect! He is so cute with Katelyn, and is willing to take care of her when I attend music class with Alyssa and Natalie or run quick errands. Daniel solved the 5x5 Rubik's cube he received for his birthday within one day. It is amazing to me that this kid, who doesn't hear me asking him a question because he's focused on something right in front of him even though I'm standing five feet away from him, can keep track of 150 different pieces on a cube and understand how the movements of one affect another. Really, it's mind boggling! Daniel enjoyed his Halloween hijinks just a little too much this year. He dressed himself to look like a stuffed dummy and sat very still on a chair on the front porch until the moment the trick-or-treaters reached down to take a treat from the bowl in front of him, at which point he would growl and move. Daniel and I must have the same sadistic tendencies, because I somehow couldn't stop laughing when I heard screams of surprise from inside the house where I was washing dishes. I hope he didn't permanently scar any little kids; after I was done laughing at the expense of someone else, I decided that Daniel and I deserve a taste of our own medicine and we're planning to watch “The Sixth Sense” next weekend, which I haven't dared to watch again since I first saw it ten years ago because I'm such a scaredy-cat.
Julia is enjoying her first year in the Jr. High as a 7th grader. She is so conscientious, and understands what she is being taught – she makes it so easy for us! She turned 12 in July and graduated from the Primary organization and into Young Women at church. Her skeletal age is about 1 ½ years behind her actual age, so she is tiny compared to most people her age. She will probably hit a growth spurt at some point, but it hasn't slowed her down a bit. She (as well as four others of the older kids) played fall soccer and loved it. She is enjoying taking a cooking class from someone here in our neighborhood, and I'm hoping she can teach us all the things she is learning! She is back in Orchestra this semester. I hope she will decide to make practicing a priority, because she is extraordinarily talented.
Michael is not as excited about piano since he discovered the radio and MP3 player, but I love to hear him play a new David Lanz piece (“Vesuvius”) he found. Michael is doing well academically and seems to enjoy his class and male teacher (who is big into athletics, a plus for Michael) though I never really know since he doesn't volunteer much information (like some of the other males in this family!) Michael finished out the soccer season undefeated with his Uncle James and dad as coaches. Michael has expressed an interest in playing competitive league soccer, but I won't consider it seriously until I see more commitment on his part to work hard at it while still doing his part to help around the house, and until I figure out how to make it work.
For the first time in her school career, Alyssa loves school. More specifically, she loves her teacher, Miss Seely. Alyssa is happier, and complains less often of stomachaches and headaches. Miss Seely is bright and organized and loving, and Alyssa constantly comes home with stories that the teacher tells her class. Alyssa can be very helpful about doing extra chores around the house. Her preferred form of payment is candy; I should make her a sign that says “Will work for candy”. She is also helpful with Katelyn and will play with her or take her outside to distract her while I work on dishes or dinner. She loves to draw and color and make creative things.
First I'll say the good things about Natalie. She is cute; she has such a pretty china doll face and soft features. She's very smart; as a first grader, she was initially placed in the highest 2nd grade math class, reads at a 3-4th grade competency level, and her teacher suggested she skip 1st grade. She is very responsible about doing her homework each day. Now the bad: she hates school, and has a lot of anxiety about friends (which never happened last year.) She throws fits almost daily about the smallest, silliest things despite my efforts to get to the source of the anxiety and bad behavior. Daniel thinks she needs some anger management courses. All I can say is that we have been through similar rough times with our other children, so hopefully she'll get through this soon.
Matthew will be turning five years old this month. He started preschool a couple months ago, and he loves it. One night he was so anxious for preschool to start that he went to bed with his backpack on, and woke at 7 am asking how much longer 'til preshool (five hours). He asked again at 9, and wanted me to set a timer so he could keep track of the time. Frustrated with how slowly the time was going, he exclaimed, “This timer is doing NOTHING for me!” One day after I gave him a piece of chocolate, he (knowing that I try to be health conscious) very seriously and generously offered, “If there's something that's bad for you that you don't want, just give it to me.” When the kids ask their dad how work was that day, he will usually respond, “Work-ish.” Sometimes Matthew will ask me when I get him from preschool, “How was home? Was Emily nice? How was Katelyn?” The other day when Hugh asked Matthew how preschool was, he said, “Preschool-ish.” Matthew has his own 4 year-old way of saying things, just like the main character in the book “Hooway for Wodney Wat”. When I gently tried to correct him after he asked “Who wants to go outside and wake the weaves?” He snapped back with,”I don't care if I say it wong!” Despite his intense personality and tendency toward melodrama in all things, he is a cute boy and I have to like him anyway.
After a last minute push before our Disneyland trip, Emily is potty-trained. Woo-hoo! Can you believe we're down to just one in diapers? Emily had a good time at Disneyland (when she wasn't tired and grumpy or lost.. I think we'll wait until all the kids are a bit older before we go back to Disneyland again.) Emily spends most of her time playing with Matthew or with her best friend, Lydia. Emily will not go to the nursery at church without Hugh or me even though Lydia is there with her, which makes me wonder what will happen in January when she is supposed to start attending Primary, the children's class. She has developed this peculiar habit of pronouncing “the” with a long e sound, no matter what it precedes. “Mom, are we going to thee library and thee store now?” Emily and some of the other kids love to go outside to play with a neighbor's cat which has made our yard a frequent stop. (Which reminds me... Daniel is working hard again at trying to talk me into getting a pet dog,which all the kids would love.)
Katelyn is one year old already, as of October 20th. We all enjoy our baby so much. When Katelyn wakes up, the kids gather around her to play with her and hug and greet her. She has no idea how popular she is! She started crawling at about 7½ – 8 months and figured out how to go up and down the stairs about a month later, thank goodness. Though she started walking a couple months ago, she hadn't taken off with it until right around her birthday. She still has the endearingly tentative, stiff gait of a new toddler. She is more animated and curious than she used to be, which translates into a more interesting personality and lots more messes. Multiple times every day I find drawers and cabinets emptied of their contents, which are strewn around on the floor. She delights us with waves of greeting or goodnight, and she babbles and sings as if she has lots to say, but so far doesn't say much that is understandable beyond “cuckoo” (she has a fascination with the cuckoo clock) and a barking sound. She generally goes to sleep in her crib very nicely and sleeps through the night, for which I am very grateful. I miss cuddling with her like I did when she was a smaller, more needy, nursing baby. But it is also fun to discover her personality and watch her learning new things.
We hope you are all doing well and that the upcoming holidays are a happy time for you.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
July 2010 update
Summer is just zipping by – I can’t believe we are already past the half-way point! I keep thinking that I need to write, because I’m going to forget things that we’ll want to remember someday. Instead, I’ve indulged in lots of reading, and while it doesn’t get the house clean or accomplish much for anyone else, I have enjoyed it!
My parents returned from their 18-month mission in India at the beginning of April. What an experience that was for them, and what an example they are to us! Conditions were tough – the temperature never dipped below about 75-80, and more often hovered around 100; India is where America was about 50 years ago in terms of industry and the technology and conveniences available to the masses; it is a dirty, crowded place. And yet my parents enjoyed their experience there and loved the people and especially the children at the orphanage school in which they served. It has been amazing to me to see how our children have picked up so quickly where they left off a year and a half ago – and even the ones who were too young to really remember excitedly greet Grandpa and Grandma with cheers and hugs and ask often when the next get-together or sleepover will be.
Since they had a week off in April for Spring Break, my brave sister, Sharon, and two of her children (Brett and Brooke) drove out to Utah to welcome my parents back. It is always chaotic but also lots of fun when we get together, and we are always grateful for the time, money, and effort our extended family puts out which shows that we are a priority to each other. We have also seen Derek several times as he has flown in to Salt Lake City for various conferences and for meetings at the University of Utah – and we are so excited that he secured a research position at the U of U and that he and his family will be moving here within the next month!
Our three older boys played soccer in March, April and the beginning of May. The girls had wanted to play too, but after last Tax Season when I had six kids playing soccer and I nearly lost my mind trying to stay on top of the schedule and chauffeuring by myself, I talked them into playing only Fall Soccer when Hugh is around to help. The school year finished at the end of May, but it has begun to really feel like summer only the last few weeks. We really enjoy the more relaxed schedule - more time to sleep in, play games, read, just to do things together (all of us except Hugh, who still faithfully wakes up at 4:30 and goes to work every day!) These are some of the fun things we have done over the last few months: Jon Schmidt Concert in Roosevelt, Utah, Hope of America Program at BYU, End of the School Year Party, Discovery Park in Pleasant Grove, Handbell Concert at Temple Square, Chuck E. Cheese’s, Jon Schmidt Concert in Nibley, Utah, Seven Peaks Water Park, Hot Air Balloons, Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, SLC Airport La Quinta, Wilkins Family BBQ in Logan, Utah, and the Stadium of Fire Fireworks show in Provo. We are planning our second trip to Disneyland in mid-October, which surprisingly, Hugh insisted on.
Other than reading, I have spent a lot of time researching computers and video-editing software. We bought our first computer seven years ago with the hopes of putting all our home video on DVD’s with snazzy title screens and descriptions, but were able to record only a few minutes to the hard drive before it suddenly stopped working – and eventually I ran out of time and patience to figure it out. I ended up going through the tedious process of recording all the home videos with a DVD recorder, adding titles with a keypad, one letter at a time (like texting) and not many creative options. The memories of frustration have faded enough that I decided I was ready to give the computer-captured home videos another shot – so we bought a new computer. I’m not ready to say it was a mistake, but I will say I have a fresh recollection of why I quit trying the first time. (Is it really too much to ask that the time/date stamp on the home videos be preserved as I am transferring them from one media to another?!) Anyway, one new computer, hundreds of dollars, dozens of hours, and four software programs later, Daniel and I are at least figuring out a way to get around the major holes we have found in the software. It’s a good thing we have some extra time to pour into this project while it’s still summer!
For a little while, it looked like we might move to Germany for six months or so while Hugh took care of some Church business throughout Europe, but to my disappointment/relief, that fell through. Instead, Hugh will make a few trips there by himself. We are trying to figure out if there is any practical way we can send a kid or two with him. Steven really can’t miss two weeks of school at this point in high school, and we are finding that flights are most expensive during the summer, so we’ll have to decide how much this experience would be worth to the kids since it will not be cheap, even with hotels being covered by the Church.
Steven breezed through 9th grade, just barely escaping the parent-imposed retake of Pre-Calculus by squeezing out an A- minus (it turns out the rest of the class didn’t do so well either, so grades were figured on a curve.) He managed to get a B in one of his easiest classes, pulling his cumulative GPA down to a 3.7. If he worked a little harder, he could have all A’s every term, but overall I can’t complain because Steven really is a good kid – generally respectful, pleasant, and kind, which is most important to me. He loves being with his school friends – one of his girl friends talked him into trying Irish step dance and attending a Caeli (sort of like a square dance, but Irish style.) Steven finished Driver’s Education a few weeks ago (I know, I can’t believe he could possibly be that old already, or maybe I can’t believe I could possibly be that old already!) He will need to complete the driving requirements with his instructor as well as with his parents, but we are dragging our feet on that one because we can’t decide which is worse for a new driver: a stick-shift car or a full-size automatic van? Anyway, we have until next May 18th when he turns 16 to figure that one out. Steven hasn’t seen his friends this summer as much as he would like, but he has done some fun things. He went whitewater rafting with the youth of our church (Youth Conference) and is at the University of Utah all this week for a youth camp with inspirational speakers and fun evening activities (EFY).
Daniel finished 7th grade with a 3.92 (3.7 cumulative.) It is interesting to watch each of our kids develop their own preferences, talents, interests, etc. independent from each other and from us. Daniel decided he wants to try student government and yearbook next year. Early this summer he found in our closet the old Dosdall flute we had when I was a kid, and he seemed determined to learn how to play it…for about two weeks… so now I’m glad we didn’t put money into reconditioning it. Daniel has been asking us to purchase Adobe Flash (software which allows you to add animation to Web applications) for a long time, so we made a deal. If Daniel will figure out the video editing software and teach me how to use it, he will have proven his tenacity and we will purchase the software he wants. I’ve been told that high school students who are proficient in Adobe can make good money – I have yet to research who will pay that good money, but at least this software has some productive potential, unlike the computer games and video games the kids usually like to play. Daniel and Michael spend a lot of time pulling weeds in the garden to earn extra electronics time, which I thought was a win-win situation until I discovered that they had unwittingly pulled up all the carrots and peas I had planted. It is so cute to watch Daniel with baby Katelyn. He will pick her up and entertain her when she fusses, and when she does something cute, he makes the same adoring noises I do when I’m thinking she’s just so cute I can’t help it. Daniel has been very helpful about watching Matthew and Emily while I take five of the other kids to swimming lessons. My life is so much easier with helpful older children!
Julia will be turned 12 yesterday! She is anxious to have some school friends over for a birthday party which we will be doing a day late because Hugh took some of the older kids (including Julia) to a concert at Temple Square last night. Julia is very conscientious about how she does things – from schoolwork to chores – and I appreciate that I can count on her to do a good job without my prompting. She started out the summer so on fire about teaching her younger siblings new things like cursive and math, but that has fizzled out and she has spent a lot of time reading and playing games with her siblings. She and the other girls would do well with more of the structured learning time I had planned for the summer, but the boys are enjoying the fact that I have let some of that go in lieu of more reading time for me! Like Steven and Daniel, Julia has been really helpful in being responsible for some of her younger siblings while I run errands or take kids to doctor or dentist appointments. Speaking of dentist appointments – Julia has recently had four teeth pulled in preparation for much-needed braces, which will probably be put on within the next year or so.
Michael enjoyed playing futsal and soccer (with Uncle James as coach) and has improved considerably this year. Steven, Julia, and Michael have all been working on essentially the same piano pieces (mostly Jon Schmidt and classical) and so have been taking a group lesson together. (Daniel opted to continue one-on-one lessons every other week, even during the summer – YAY!) They are all impressive in different ways; Michael’s talent seems to be his ability to memorize complicated pieces in few repetitions. For awhile we were struggling with Michael not wanting to do his chores, then not being able to eat dinner (or not liking what we were having), then helping himself to treats, but he’s doing much better now. He doesn’t love doing chores, but he does them, and it really helps the house run smoothly when everyone pitches in. Michael’s favorite things are piano and electronics. And he really likes Katelyn – he saves his most spontaneous and authentic smiles for her. We have had to adjust our electronics policy a couple of times this summer because it seemed that all Michael did all day was play the piano or do extra chores in order to earn more time to play electronics.
Alyssa did well in 2nd grade academically, but even more importantly at this point, socially. Away from home, she is painfully quiet and shy. At home, she is creative, energetic, even boisterous. She is Matthew’s special buddy, and almost every night Matthew and Emily talk her into setting up a bed of pillows and blankets and sleeping next to them. Hugh and I are so appreciative since it gives us a little quiet time to read or even just get ready for bed without having to corral the little two back to their bedroom every thirty seconds. Alyssa enjoys making things and playing with the other kids. Until I grounded them for dirtying so many towels and tracking so much mud and grass into the house, Alyssa and Natalie spent many afternoons playing water games out back (Slip ‘n Slide, sprinklers, etc.) Alyssa likes to catch butterflies when the weather is not too dreadfully hot. She is also very helpful with Katelyn, often volunteering to sit with her on the rocker out front while I work on dinner or laundry.
Natalie was probably our most social kindergartener to date. She seemed totally comfortable with being away from me (should I be offended?), and made lots of friends. She reads well and has taken her share of turns reading to Matthew and Emily during our mandatory summer Reading Time each day. Most of the time, she is easy-going and pleasant. But you’d better watch out if she gets bent out of shape about something, or didn’t get enough sleep the night before, because she turns into a growling, grumbling, cantankerous little snapping turtle. I think I’ve been saying this for awhile, but hopefully soon she will learn to control her actions even if she can’t stop herself from feeling crabby sometimes.
Matthew is done with diapers! He is 4 ½ years old now, so I certainly wouldn’t call him a potty prodigy, but we are so glad! We tried lots of different techniques to try to potty train him, and what it finally came down to was him spending an entire day (literally 10-12 hours) locked naked in the bathroom with only some books to keep him occupied. We, of course, checked on him and brought him food several times, but we explained that we would repeat this every day until he learned. I felt bad for him, but I also felt bad for me having had to change his stinky diapers for the last 4 ½ years, and it took just that one day in the bathroom to convince him he wanted to learn. Matthew is very proud of himself, and is gradually doing more “big kid” things, like doing chores and playing card and board games as well. He is not the most verbally precocious of children, and sometimes has interesting ways of remembering ideas and pronouncing words, like the 24th of July/Pioneer Day “per-wade” (parade) he has been talking about for the last month, or the “pitootie” (bikini) he was surprised to see someone wearing at the children’s museum. He and Emily spend a lot of time playing together, voicing the action and conversations of their objects of play about two octaves higher than normal, which I find enormously amusing as long as we are not on the same floor of the house.
Emily will be turning 3 in a little over a week. She is pretty easy-going (especially for a two year old) except when it comes to going on the potty and attending Nursery at church without me or Hugh. She likes to play outside and ride her trike, though we have to monitor her carefully to be sure she doesn’t wander out without an older kid or parent to keep an eye on her. She has become rather stoic (like Michael was at her age) and works hard not to smile, though fortunately sometimes can’t help herself.
Katelyn is almost 9 months old. I am already mourning the fact that she is outgrowing the baby stage – she is no longer the calm, cuddly, placid little bundle she once was. Even though they are exhausting sometimes, I love having a baby, and I’m not sure I’m ready to be done – maybe I will never feel ready to be done. She is crawling and pulling herself up to stand, round and chubby (but probably not for long since she is now mobile,) curious, active, and lots of fun. She has surprised us by keeping her blue-gray eyes (unlike the rest of us, who have brown eyes.) Not to worry, though, she still fits in with her bright red hair and deep-set eyes. She likes attention and gets lots of it from her adoring family.
We hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and find joy in whatever stage of life you are in.
My parents returned from their 18-month mission in India at the beginning of April. What an experience that was for them, and what an example they are to us! Conditions were tough – the temperature never dipped below about 75-80, and more often hovered around 100; India is where America was about 50 years ago in terms of industry and the technology and conveniences available to the masses; it is a dirty, crowded place. And yet my parents enjoyed their experience there and loved the people and especially the children at the orphanage school in which they served. It has been amazing to me to see how our children have picked up so quickly where they left off a year and a half ago – and even the ones who were too young to really remember excitedly greet Grandpa and Grandma with cheers and hugs and ask often when the next get-together or sleepover will be.
Since they had a week off in April for Spring Break, my brave sister, Sharon, and two of her children (Brett and Brooke) drove out to Utah to welcome my parents back. It is always chaotic but also lots of fun when we get together, and we are always grateful for the time, money, and effort our extended family puts out which shows that we are a priority to each other. We have also seen Derek several times as he has flown in to Salt Lake City for various conferences and for meetings at the University of Utah – and we are so excited that he secured a research position at the U of U and that he and his family will be moving here within the next month!
Our three older boys played soccer in March, April and the beginning of May. The girls had wanted to play too, but after last Tax Season when I had six kids playing soccer and I nearly lost my mind trying to stay on top of the schedule and chauffeuring by myself, I talked them into playing only Fall Soccer when Hugh is around to help. The school year finished at the end of May, but it has begun to really feel like summer only the last few weeks. We really enjoy the more relaxed schedule - more time to sleep in, play games, read, just to do things together (all of us except Hugh, who still faithfully wakes up at 4:30 and goes to work every day!) These are some of the fun things we have done over the last few months: Jon Schmidt Concert in Roosevelt, Utah, Hope of America Program at BYU, End of the School Year Party, Discovery Park in Pleasant Grove, Handbell Concert at Temple Square, Chuck E. Cheese’s, Jon Schmidt Concert in Nibley, Utah, Seven Peaks Water Park, Hot Air Balloons, Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, SLC Airport La Quinta, Wilkins Family BBQ in Logan, Utah, and the Stadium of Fire Fireworks show in Provo. We are planning our second trip to Disneyland in mid-October, which surprisingly, Hugh insisted on.
Other than reading, I have spent a lot of time researching computers and video-editing software. We bought our first computer seven years ago with the hopes of putting all our home video on DVD’s with snazzy title screens and descriptions, but were able to record only a few minutes to the hard drive before it suddenly stopped working – and eventually I ran out of time and patience to figure it out. I ended up going through the tedious process of recording all the home videos with a DVD recorder, adding titles with a keypad, one letter at a time (like texting) and not many creative options. The memories of frustration have faded enough that I decided I was ready to give the computer-captured home videos another shot – so we bought a new computer. I’m not ready to say it was a mistake, but I will say I have a fresh recollection of why I quit trying the first time. (Is it really too much to ask that the time/date stamp on the home videos be preserved as I am transferring them from one media to another?!) Anyway, one new computer, hundreds of dollars, dozens of hours, and four software programs later, Daniel and I are at least figuring out a way to get around the major holes we have found in the software. It’s a good thing we have some extra time to pour into this project while it’s still summer!
For a little while, it looked like we might move to Germany for six months or so while Hugh took care of some Church business throughout Europe, but to my disappointment/relief, that fell through. Instead, Hugh will make a few trips there by himself. We are trying to figure out if there is any practical way we can send a kid or two with him. Steven really can’t miss two weeks of school at this point in high school, and we are finding that flights are most expensive during the summer, so we’ll have to decide how much this experience would be worth to the kids since it will not be cheap, even with hotels being covered by the Church.
Steven breezed through 9th grade, just barely escaping the parent-imposed retake of Pre-Calculus by squeezing out an A- minus (it turns out the rest of the class didn’t do so well either, so grades were figured on a curve.) He managed to get a B in one of his easiest classes, pulling his cumulative GPA down to a 3.7. If he worked a little harder, he could have all A’s every term, but overall I can’t complain because Steven really is a good kid – generally respectful, pleasant, and kind, which is most important to me. He loves being with his school friends – one of his girl friends talked him into trying Irish step dance and attending a Caeli (sort of like a square dance, but Irish style.) Steven finished Driver’s Education a few weeks ago (I know, I can’t believe he could possibly be that old already, or maybe I can’t believe I could possibly be that old already!) He will need to complete the driving requirements with his instructor as well as with his parents, but we are dragging our feet on that one because we can’t decide which is worse for a new driver: a stick-shift car or a full-size automatic van? Anyway, we have until next May 18th when he turns 16 to figure that one out. Steven hasn’t seen his friends this summer as much as he would like, but he has done some fun things. He went whitewater rafting with the youth of our church (Youth Conference) and is at the University of Utah all this week for a youth camp with inspirational speakers and fun evening activities (EFY).
Daniel finished 7th grade with a 3.92 (3.7 cumulative.) It is interesting to watch each of our kids develop their own preferences, talents, interests, etc. independent from each other and from us. Daniel decided he wants to try student government and yearbook next year. Early this summer he found in our closet the old Dosdall flute we had when I was a kid, and he seemed determined to learn how to play it…for about two weeks… so now I’m glad we didn’t put money into reconditioning it. Daniel has been asking us to purchase Adobe Flash (software which allows you to add animation to Web applications) for a long time, so we made a deal. If Daniel will figure out the video editing software and teach me how to use it, he will have proven his tenacity and we will purchase the software he wants. I’ve been told that high school students who are proficient in Adobe can make good money – I have yet to research who will pay that good money, but at least this software has some productive potential, unlike the computer games and video games the kids usually like to play. Daniel and Michael spend a lot of time pulling weeds in the garden to earn extra electronics time, which I thought was a win-win situation until I discovered that they had unwittingly pulled up all the carrots and peas I had planted. It is so cute to watch Daniel with baby Katelyn. He will pick her up and entertain her when she fusses, and when she does something cute, he makes the same adoring noises I do when I’m thinking she’s just so cute I can’t help it. Daniel has been very helpful about watching Matthew and Emily while I take five of the other kids to swimming lessons. My life is so much easier with helpful older children!
Julia will be turned 12 yesterday! She is anxious to have some school friends over for a birthday party which we will be doing a day late because Hugh took some of the older kids (including Julia) to a concert at Temple Square last night. Julia is very conscientious about how she does things – from schoolwork to chores – and I appreciate that I can count on her to do a good job without my prompting. She started out the summer so on fire about teaching her younger siblings new things like cursive and math, but that has fizzled out and she has spent a lot of time reading and playing games with her siblings. She and the other girls would do well with more of the structured learning time I had planned for the summer, but the boys are enjoying the fact that I have let some of that go in lieu of more reading time for me! Like Steven and Daniel, Julia has been really helpful in being responsible for some of her younger siblings while I run errands or take kids to doctor or dentist appointments. Speaking of dentist appointments – Julia has recently had four teeth pulled in preparation for much-needed braces, which will probably be put on within the next year or so.
Michael enjoyed playing futsal and soccer (with Uncle James as coach) and has improved considerably this year. Steven, Julia, and Michael have all been working on essentially the same piano pieces (mostly Jon Schmidt and classical) and so have been taking a group lesson together. (Daniel opted to continue one-on-one lessons every other week, even during the summer – YAY!) They are all impressive in different ways; Michael’s talent seems to be his ability to memorize complicated pieces in few repetitions. For awhile we were struggling with Michael not wanting to do his chores, then not being able to eat dinner (or not liking what we were having), then helping himself to treats, but he’s doing much better now. He doesn’t love doing chores, but he does them, and it really helps the house run smoothly when everyone pitches in. Michael’s favorite things are piano and electronics. And he really likes Katelyn – he saves his most spontaneous and authentic smiles for her. We have had to adjust our electronics policy a couple of times this summer because it seemed that all Michael did all day was play the piano or do extra chores in order to earn more time to play electronics.
Alyssa did well in 2nd grade academically, but even more importantly at this point, socially. Away from home, she is painfully quiet and shy. At home, she is creative, energetic, even boisterous. She is Matthew’s special buddy, and almost every night Matthew and Emily talk her into setting up a bed of pillows and blankets and sleeping next to them. Hugh and I are so appreciative since it gives us a little quiet time to read or even just get ready for bed without having to corral the little two back to their bedroom every thirty seconds. Alyssa enjoys making things and playing with the other kids. Until I grounded them for dirtying so many towels and tracking so much mud and grass into the house, Alyssa and Natalie spent many afternoons playing water games out back (Slip ‘n Slide, sprinklers, etc.) Alyssa likes to catch butterflies when the weather is not too dreadfully hot. She is also very helpful with Katelyn, often volunteering to sit with her on the rocker out front while I work on dinner or laundry.
Natalie was probably our most social kindergartener to date. She seemed totally comfortable with being away from me (should I be offended?), and made lots of friends. She reads well and has taken her share of turns reading to Matthew and Emily during our mandatory summer Reading Time each day. Most of the time, she is easy-going and pleasant. But you’d better watch out if she gets bent out of shape about something, or didn’t get enough sleep the night before, because she turns into a growling, grumbling, cantankerous little snapping turtle. I think I’ve been saying this for awhile, but hopefully soon she will learn to control her actions even if she can’t stop herself from feeling crabby sometimes.
Matthew is done with diapers! He is 4 ½ years old now, so I certainly wouldn’t call him a potty prodigy, but we are so glad! We tried lots of different techniques to try to potty train him, and what it finally came down to was him spending an entire day (literally 10-12 hours) locked naked in the bathroom with only some books to keep him occupied. We, of course, checked on him and brought him food several times, but we explained that we would repeat this every day until he learned. I felt bad for him, but I also felt bad for me having had to change his stinky diapers for the last 4 ½ years, and it took just that one day in the bathroom to convince him he wanted to learn. Matthew is very proud of himself, and is gradually doing more “big kid” things, like doing chores and playing card and board games as well. He is not the most verbally precocious of children, and sometimes has interesting ways of remembering ideas and pronouncing words, like the 24th of July/Pioneer Day “per-wade” (parade) he has been talking about for the last month, or the “pitootie” (bikini) he was surprised to see someone wearing at the children’s museum. He and Emily spend a lot of time playing together, voicing the action and conversations of their objects of play about two octaves higher than normal, which I find enormously amusing as long as we are not on the same floor of the house.
Emily will be turning 3 in a little over a week. She is pretty easy-going (especially for a two year old) except when it comes to going on the potty and attending Nursery at church without me or Hugh. She likes to play outside and ride her trike, though we have to monitor her carefully to be sure she doesn’t wander out without an older kid or parent to keep an eye on her. She has become rather stoic (like Michael was at her age) and works hard not to smile, though fortunately sometimes can’t help herself.
Katelyn is almost 9 months old. I am already mourning the fact that she is outgrowing the baby stage – she is no longer the calm, cuddly, placid little bundle she once was. Even though they are exhausting sometimes, I love having a baby, and I’m not sure I’m ready to be done – maybe I will never feel ready to be done. She is crawling and pulling herself up to stand, round and chubby (but probably not for long since she is now mobile,) curious, active, and lots of fun. She has surprised us by keeping her blue-gray eyes (unlike the rest of us, who have brown eyes.) Not to worry, though, she still fits in with her bright red hair and deep-set eyes. She likes attention and gets lots of it from her adoring family.
We hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and find joy in whatever stage of life you are in.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Hello All!
I haven’t written an update in four months! Recounting in my mind why it has taken me so long to write again, I realize that my life lately has become a series of crazy-busy times. I keep thinking that once I get through this “next thing”, my life will slow down - and it just never happens. There will always be more to do than I can possibly get done. I just have to figure out what are the most important things, and make sure I give my attention first to them, and then let that be enough. My memory is not what I wish it were, so I know I need to write things down or they will be lost not only to me but to our children as well.
Our kids are already three-fourths of the way through the school year – wow! As a 9th grader, Steven is changing in many ways. He is now a good five inches taller than I am. He has fully outgrown the “girls have cooties” stage and now admits to having a crush on one of his girl-friends. That seems to have changed the dynamics of his core group of friends somewhat, though I hope they figure out how to maintain their friendships despite the teenage drama. Steven has a confidence (which is beginning to border on cockiness – but I’m determined to keep that in check) about his intelligence that keeps him from measuring himself by the grades he earns… That’s a great philosophy if you have no intention of going to college, where they make decisions about scholarships and admissions based on grades! If he would exert just a little more effort and discipline, he would have all A’s. He has inspired us to put in place more stringent standards for his younger siblings so that they can learn that underperforming is not acceptable well before it has such big consequences as lost scholarships and other lost opportunities. But otherwise, Steven is a good kid. He treats others respectfully (except maybe his brother, Daniel, since Daniel’s favorite pastime is bugging Steven,) he is pleasant, responsive to my requests for help, and generally a good big brother to his siblings. Our kids would like to invite guests for dinner every weekend, but I’m generally not willing – not because I don’t like to visit with people, but because the bulk of the cleaning and cooking becomes my burden. Steven finally talked me into getting together with his friends’ families, and he made good on his promise to help get the house and food ready. So I might consider it more often than once a year…
Though Daniel was despairing while watching Steven go through his growth spurt less than a year ago, he is now taller than I am. He enjoys being a T.A. (teacher’s aid) for Julia’s teacher (who was his 6th grade teacher last year). Daniel, Julia, and Alyssa are the kids most willing to take care of Katelyn when I need help. Daniel and Steven will be playing soccer on the community league again this spring with a couple boys from the neighborhood. Even though he is progressing well, Daniel looks forward to his 14th birthday, when he can quit taking piano lessons. He much prefers to express his creativity and sense of humor with technology, making movies with Windows Movie Maker or silly sketches with Adobe Flash, or going outside to ride his unicycle. He amuses me with his on-purpose malapropisms, like when he says something is very “confiscated” instead of “complicated”. Since Daniel has been wanting a Rubik’s 4x4 cube for a long time, it finally dawned on me that that might be a good carrot to dangle in front of him – and it worked; he earned all A’s and one A- this last term.
Julia is a very low-maintenance person. She is very responsible about keeping on top of homework and school projects, and conscientious about doing things thoroughly. She is so helpful with the baby; I have left Katelyn in her care for an hour or two at a time at least half a dozen times, and she manages well and seems to enjoy doing it. (She is the only kid who has braved changing a messy diaper.) Sometimes she responds immaturely to the annoying things her little siblings do and is understandably peeved when she finds that someone has eaten her candy or tampered with her things while she was at school, but otherwise she gets along fine. Julia has an inquisitive mind and enjoys learning how things work. We had a full week off school recently because of three scheduled vacation and two furlough days, and since the kids would normally be in school, I suggested that we each pick something to research and about which to teach each other. Julia was the one who made up the schedule and kept us on task on the days we reported to each other.
Michael has been very busy the last couple of months. Including basketball, futsal (indoor soccer) and scouts, Michael had five practices/games/meetings to attend every week. He (and the other three older kids) have been on hiatus from piano lessons on and off since December because their teacher is busy finishing a music degree at BYU. In the meantime, they have discovered the music of Jon Schmidt. (Look him up on YouTube if you’ve never heard him…) Steven and Michael especially have practiced a lot more in the last couple of months because they so enjoy playing his compositions. We attended one of his concerts last month (which was great fun – he is such a showman!) and are looking forward to attending at least a couple throughout the summer. The one drawback to all this is that there is rarely a moment of quiet when the older kids are home; apparently, it is more fun (for them) the faster and more loudly they play. I bite my tongue for as long as I can, but sometimes my head hurts or my stress level is already too high and I have to ban them from playing the acoustic piano for an hour or two. All the boys readily devote time to piano practice in order to earn extra electronics time.
Until recently, Alyssa has done so much better this school year than last emotionally and socially, but lately has complained more of stomachaches and earaches. I always wonder whether her illnesses have a psychosomatic component, but nothing seems like an obvious cause when I have talked to her and pondered it. It is particularly difficult to know how to handle her complaints when her siblings doubt her sicknesses and ask why I let her miss school. She is still shy but has more friends and seems to feel more comfortable at school. At home, she is Matthew’s special friend and advocate, which he really needs at times. We were planning to have Alyssa baptized in early February (after her 8th birthday on January 22nd) until we found out there was a mix-up in dates, and most of our extended family would be unable to attend. We decided to put it off for a couple months until April 10th so that both sets of grandparents can attend and be involved in the program, and she is very excited about that.
Natalie is thoroughly enjoying kindergarten. She is very social there (despite being shy in other settings) and has improved her reading skills to the point that she can read simple chapter books on her own. She has done much better at taming the temper monster lately. I love to hear her animated reports of things that happened at school each day.
I didn’t think potty training could get any worse, and here we are, four months after Matthew’s 4th birthday, with three kids still in diapers. I have learned from past experience that potty training is within the child’s control, and as much as a parent coaxes and coerces or rants and raves, it is still ultimately the child who decides when it will happen. I have been very patient and I have tried not to let potty training affect my relationship with Matthew, but I guess I haven’t done very well, as Matthew’s favorite ammunition to sling at me lately is, “You don’t even like me!” Sometimes I think he is just trying to manipulate me, but other times I fear that too much of our interaction is tainted with my exasperation with the whole thing. So often I wish I could get inside the heads of my children to understand what they are thinking and what motivates them! Matthew developed an interest in drawing and coloring within the last few months, and has really improved his fine motor skills a lot. Most of his time is spent in imaginative play with Emily. I can often hear the falsetto conversations their favorite cars or stuffed animals (Eldon the Elephant and Tiger) have as they go on their daily adventures around the house. I think it is very amusing unless I have a headache or I’m trying to keep Katelyn asleep. Matthew would love to play with friends every day, but I usually use that as a privilege he has to earn by going on the potty. He is slowly learning that asking quietly and kindly for things he wants yields faster and better results than automatically whining and demanding.
Emily, now 2 ½, is still quite a character. (Is it the left-handedness, I wonder? I remember thinking some of the same things about Daniel when he was her age…) She can be charming and sweet, or Terrible Two. It is fun to see things from her perspective; for example, she calls tissues “paper noses” (like paper towels, but for noses.) She makes sweeping declarations like “I don’t like boys!” which can quickly change to “I don’t like girls!” based on who has most recently offended her. She likes to pull the piano bench over to Hugh’s dresser to rifle through his stuff until she finds something she likes (candy, gum, cough drops.) She finally lets me pull her hair back most days, so she doesn’t look quite as ragamuffin as she did for awhile (though she still often picks out her own outfits, and it is not uncommon for her to spend the day wearing combinations like green dinosaur pajamas and a pretty pink dress.) After more than a year of refusing to go in the Nursery at church, Emily has suddenly decided not only that she will survive it, but that she actually likes it.
Katelyn, five months old now, is a bundle of joy. We all love to make her laugh and smile. Though she has gone through phases of being demanding and fussy, overall, she is a happy, easy-going baby. Her red hair is a startling contrast to her soft, round little features. We are still waiting to see if her eyes will turn brown like all our other babies’ did. We have to be careful because she is learning to control her hands and likes to grab whatever gets within her reach (hair, plates full of food, etc.) Katelyn sleeps through the night much of the time, thanks to her ability to get her thumb to her mouth. She has a sweet little voice and rarely gets really mad (unlike some of her siblings!)
Hugh is even more sleep-deprived than usual as he has been working longer hours with the April 15 tax deadline quickly approaching. I have put way too many hours into my Parent Council (PTA) fundraising responsibilities at the charter school over the last couple of months with helping to organize a silent auction, book fair, and reading program, as well as a Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. I need to figure out if there is some way to scale down my part of the work so that I can still be involved at the school, but not be so busy that I am overwhelmed and ignoring my kids – who are the whole reason I volunteer at the school. We are anxious for my parents’ return April 2nd from their 18-month mission in Chennai, India, during which four new grandchildren and their first great-grandchild were born. We are also excited to see Sharon and some of her kids, who will be driving here from Michigan for a visit during their/our Spring Break the day after our parents return.
Though busier than we might like, we are well and happy and grateful to God that we are able to do all these things that keep us so busy! We hope you are doing well.
I haven’t written an update in four months! Recounting in my mind why it has taken me so long to write again, I realize that my life lately has become a series of crazy-busy times. I keep thinking that once I get through this “next thing”, my life will slow down - and it just never happens. There will always be more to do than I can possibly get done. I just have to figure out what are the most important things, and make sure I give my attention first to them, and then let that be enough. My memory is not what I wish it were, so I know I need to write things down or they will be lost not only to me but to our children as well.
Our kids are already three-fourths of the way through the school year – wow! As a 9th grader, Steven is changing in many ways. He is now a good five inches taller than I am. He has fully outgrown the “girls have cooties” stage and now admits to having a crush on one of his girl-friends. That seems to have changed the dynamics of his core group of friends somewhat, though I hope they figure out how to maintain their friendships despite the teenage drama. Steven has a confidence (which is beginning to border on cockiness – but I’m determined to keep that in check) about his intelligence that keeps him from measuring himself by the grades he earns… That’s a great philosophy if you have no intention of going to college, where they make decisions about scholarships and admissions based on grades! If he would exert just a little more effort and discipline, he would have all A’s. He has inspired us to put in place more stringent standards for his younger siblings so that they can learn that underperforming is not acceptable well before it has such big consequences as lost scholarships and other lost opportunities. But otherwise, Steven is a good kid. He treats others respectfully (except maybe his brother, Daniel, since Daniel’s favorite pastime is bugging Steven,) he is pleasant, responsive to my requests for help, and generally a good big brother to his siblings. Our kids would like to invite guests for dinner every weekend, but I’m generally not willing – not because I don’t like to visit with people, but because the bulk of the cleaning and cooking becomes my burden. Steven finally talked me into getting together with his friends’ families, and he made good on his promise to help get the house and food ready. So I might consider it more often than once a year…
Though Daniel was despairing while watching Steven go through his growth spurt less than a year ago, he is now taller than I am. He enjoys being a T.A. (teacher’s aid) for Julia’s teacher (who was his 6th grade teacher last year). Daniel, Julia, and Alyssa are the kids most willing to take care of Katelyn when I need help. Daniel and Steven will be playing soccer on the community league again this spring with a couple boys from the neighborhood. Even though he is progressing well, Daniel looks forward to his 14th birthday, when he can quit taking piano lessons. He much prefers to express his creativity and sense of humor with technology, making movies with Windows Movie Maker or silly sketches with Adobe Flash, or going outside to ride his unicycle. He amuses me with his on-purpose malapropisms, like when he says something is very “confiscated” instead of “complicated”. Since Daniel has been wanting a Rubik’s 4x4 cube for a long time, it finally dawned on me that that might be a good carrot to dangle in front of him – and it worked; he earned all A’s and one A- this last term.
Julia is a very low-maintenance person. She is very responsible about keeping on top of homework and school projects, and conscientious about doing things thoroughly. She is so helpful with the baby; I have left Katelyn in her care for an hour or two at a time at least half a dozen times, and she manages well and seems to enjoy doing it. (She is the only kid who has braved changing a messy diaper.) Sometimes she responds immaturely to the annoying things her little siblings do and is understandably peeved when she finds that someone has eaten her candy or tampered with her things while she was at school, but otherwise she gets along fine. Julia has an inquisitive mind and enjoys learning how things work. We had a full week off school recently because of three scheduled vacation and two furlough days, and since the kids would normally be in school, I suggested that we each pick something to research and about which to teach each other. Julia was the one who made up the schedule and kept us on task on the days we reported to each other.
Michael has been very busy the last couple of months. Including basketball, futsal (indoor soccer) and scouts, Michael had five practices/games/meetings to attend every week. He (and the other three older kids) have been on hiatus from piano lessons on and off since December because their teacher is busy finishing a music degree at BYU. In the meantime, they have discovered the music of Jon Schmidt. (Look him up on YouTube if you’ve never heard him…) Steven and Michael especially have practiced a lot more in the last couple of months because they so enjoy playing his compositions. We attended one of his concerts last month (which was great fun – he is such a showman!) and are looking forward to attending at least a couple throughout the summer. The one drawback to all this is that there is rarely a moment of quiet when the older kids are home; apparently, it is more fun (for them) the faster and more loudly they play. I bite my tongue for as long as I can, but sometimes my head hurts or my stress level is already too high and I have to ban them from playing the acoustic piano for an hour or two. All the boys readily devote time to piano practice in order to earn extra electronics time.
Until recently, Alyssa has done so much better this school year than last emotionally and socially, but lately has complained more of stomachaches and earaches. I always wonder whether her illnesses have a psychosomatic component, but nothing seems like an obvious cause when I have talked to her and pondered it. It is particularly difficult to know how to handle her complaints when her siblings doubt her sicknesses and ask why I let her miss school. She is still shy but has more friends and seems to feel more comfortable at school. At home, she is Matthew’s special friend and advocate, which he really needs at times. We were planning to have Alyssa baptized in early February (after her 8th birthday on January 22nd) until we found out there was a mix-up in dates, and most of our extended family would be unable to attend. We decided to put it off for a couple months until April 10th so that both sets of grandparents can attend and be involved in the program, and she is very excited about that.
Natalie is thoroughly enjoying kindergarten. She is very social there (despite being shy in other settings) and has improved her reading skills to the point that she can read simple chapter books on her own. She has done much better at taming the temper monster lately. I love to hear her animated reports of things that happened at school each day.
I didn’t think potty training could get any worse, and here we are, four months after Matthew’s 4th birthday, with three kids still in diapers. I have learned from past experience that potty training is within the child’s control, and as much as a parent coaxes and coerces or rants and raves, it is still ultimately the child who decides when it will happen. I have been very patient and I have tried not to let potty training affect my relationship with Matthew, but I guess I haven’t done very well, as Matthew’s favorite ammunition to sling at me lately is, “You don’t even like me!” Sometimes I think he is just trying to manipulate me, but other times I fear that too much of our interaction is tainted with my exasperation with the whole thing. So often I wish I could get inside the heads of my children to understand what they are thinking and what motivates them! Matthew developed an interest in drawing and coloring within the last few months, and has really improved his fine motor skills a lot. Most of his time is spent in imaginative play with Emily. I can often hear the falsetto conversations their favorite cars or stuffed animals (Eldon the Elephant and Tiger) have as they go on their daily adventures around the house. I think it is very amusing unless I have a headache or I’m trying to keep Katelyn asleep. Matthew would love to play with friends every day, but I usually use that as a privilege he has to earn by going on the potty. He is slowly learning that asking quietly and kindly for things he wants yields faster and better results than automatically whining and demanding.
Emily, now 2 ½, is still quite a character. (Is it the left-handedness, I wonder? I remember thinking some of the same things about Daniel when he was her age…) She can be charming and sweet, or Terrible Two. It is fun to see things from her perspective; for example, she calls tissues “paper noses” (like paper towels, but for noses.) She makes sweeping declarations like “I don’t like boys!” which can quickly change to “I don’t like girls!” based on who has most recently offended her. She likes to pull the piano bench over to Hugh’s dresser to rifle through his stuff until she finds something she likes (candy, gum, cough drops.) She finally lets me pull her hair back most days, so she doesn’t look quite as ragamuffin as she did for awhile (though she still often picks out her own outfits, and it is not uncommon for her to spend the day wearing combinations like green dinosaur pajamas and a pretty pink dress.) After more than a year of refusing to go in the Nursery at church, Emily has suddenly decided not only that she will survive it, but that she actually likes it.
Katelyn, five months old now, is a bundle of joy. We all love to make her laugh and smile. Though she has gone through phases of being demanding and fussy, overall, she is a happy, easy-going baby. Her red hair is a startling contrast to her soft, round little features. We are still waiting to see if her eyes will turn brown like all our other babies’ did. We have to be careful because she is learning to control her hands and likes to grab whatever gets within her reach (hair, plates full of food, etc.) Katelyn sleeps through the night much of the time, thanks to her ability to get her thumb to her mouth. She has a sweet little voice and rarely gets really mad (unlike some of her siblings!)
Hugh is even more sleep-deprived than usual as he has been working longer hours with the April 15 tax deadline quickly approaching. I have put way too many hours into my Parent Council (PTA) fundraising responsibilities at the charter school over the last couple of months with helping to organize a silent auction, book fair, and reading program, as well as a Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. I need to figure out if there is some way to scale down my part of the work so that I can still be involved at the school, but not be so busy that I am overwhelmed and ignoring my kids – who are the whole reason I volunteer at the school. We are anxious for my parents’ return April 2nd from their 18-month mission in Chennai, India, during which four new grandchildren and their first great-grandchild were born. We are also excited to see Sharon and some of her kids, who will be driving here from Michigan for a visit during their/our Spring Break the day after our parents return.
Though busier than we might like, we are well and happy and grateful to God that we are able to do all these things that keep us so busy! We hope you are doing well.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Our new baby
Hello Everyone!
Now that our baby is a month old, I figure it‘s probably time we get an announcement out, and write down all the gory details before I forget them (but please don’t feel obligated to read them – I just know I don’t have enough RAM in my brain to store all this information for very long – anyone know an easy way to upgrade to a better system?)
So, here’s the short story:
Our little Katelyn Nicole was born on Tuesday, October 20th at 6:52 p.m. She weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and was 19 inches long. She has a little bit of dark red peach fuzz on her head, and newborn blue-gray eyes. She is doing well.
Here’s the long story, if you want the details:
October began in a crazy rush, with the new carpet installation I had been both putting off and looking forward to since we first moved into this house and realized what an awful choice green carpet is if you have kids and don’t want to vacuum multiple times every day. That nesting instinct kicks in during the last six weeks or so of a pregnancy, especially when you’ve gone through it once or twice and you know that your newborn will be dictating most of your schedule for the next six to nine months, from how much sleep you will get to what time you will finally get to take that much needed shower. So I had been spending as much time as I could sorting and getting rid of things and repainting baseboards while I could do it without worrying about dripping paint on the carpet. We were also just finishing up soccer season with the six older kids. I was achy and not sleeping well – waking up every 1-2 hours during the night. At the same time, it was quickly becoming apparent that my role of “overseeing” Red Ribbon Week at the kids’ school was changing to that of organizing Red Ribbon Week as I could find no one to step up and take over. About this same time, my blood pressure readings were starting to creep up at my weekly doctor’s appointments. By the time Fall Break came in mid-October, my readings were high enough that I would either need to be induced or put on bed rest. Struggling with trying to balance conflicting desires – wanting to make sure this baby was really ready to be born, wanting to keep Daniel’s birthday his alone (October 18), not wanting to disappoint the kids by cancelling our Fall break get-away plans, and wanting to get a few more things checked off my “to do list” before the baby arrived – I was hoping to put off the impending birth. We ended up taking the kids to the hotel, zoo, aquarium that Friday and Saturday as we had planned, and the following Monday I went to my doctor appointment, when the doctor decided that I would be induced the next day. After having tried to get the H1N1 (Swine flu) shots on Monday afternoon unsuccessfully, we woke up early Tuesday morning and went to the Health Department before school, and after more than an hour of waiting in line were able to get all of us (and my sister, Jeannie) the immunization. We ran the kids to school, I packed my bags and tidied up the house, and we left for the hospital (with the youngest two in my sisters’ care.)
We checked in and the admitting nurse at the hospital promptly forgot about us for a full hour and a half while we waited not-so-patiently. I was finally put in a room, hooked up to monitors and an IV with a Pitocin drip at about 3:15. Everything seemed to be going fine; the contractions were becoming stronger and more frequent, though I was not dilating as much as the contractions led me to think, even after I got an epidural. At one point, the baby moved and the monitor lost her heartbeat. The nurse came in to reposition the monitor. After she tried unsuccessfully to locate the heartbeat, she called in a couple more nurses to try. At first I wasn’t worried, but after about ten minutes, I was beginning to think something more was going on. The nurses called the doctor, and fortunately he had decided to stay at the hospital after having broken my water, so it took him just a couple minutes to come in the room. Though the nurses and doctor were very professional, it soon became apparent that the situation was not perfectly routine as the nurses tried to put a scalp lead on the baby’s head to monitor her heartbeat, and finding that it was down in the 80’s rather than 130 to 180. At the same time, the doctor checked and found that I was dilated only to a 5. His comment, “It’s okay if you do this when you’re dilated to a 10, but not so good when you’re at a 5,” quickly brought me to the realization that this little baby was in distress, and things might not turn out just fine. Miraculously, within five minutes of the time the doctor arrived, I had dilated to a 10, pushed once, and the baby was born. That was also the moment blood gushed out and one reason for the baby’s distress was discovered: the placenta had detached from the uterine wall at some point, depriving the baby of her source of oxygen. She was fairly pink when she came out, which was a good indication that she hadn’t been without oxygen for too long, but she had also inhaled a lot of blood. When the nurses cleaned her up and brought her over to me so they I could see her before they took her up to the NICU, there was blood bubbling out of her mouth. They whisked her away to put her on a CPAP machine, which would inflate her lungs to ensure that they would not collapse while the blood and fluid was being cleared out. After having watched her for an hour on the machine, the nurses were satisfied that the baby was okay. Three hours after she was born, I finally got to hold my little baby. The next day when the doctor came to check on me, he said, “Someone was definitely watching out for you. I couldn’t have gotten you back and ready for a C-section as quickly as you dilated and pushed her out.” So we are especially grateful that everything turned out well, that our little baby is here safe and sound, and that I am healthy and strong, too. We are all enjoying her very much and are so glad she is here and part of our family.
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