Does anyone know how old this adorable jelly-faced kid is in this picture?
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Nostalgic Photo of the Week 3
Does anyone know how old this adorable jelly-faced kid is in this picture?
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Eastah Time is da Time for Eggs,
And da time for eggs is Eastah Time!
Wow. I forgot how much I love love, love(!) Easter. We all had a great time decorating eggs in the late evening on Saturday, and I got loads of great pictures. I'll share several on the blog, but just know there are about a hundred more great ones you don't get to see! Don't we love digital?
We boiled exactly 5 dozen eggs, and all but one made it to the decorating table. I am such a genious egg boiler, ain't I? Rebecca, Logan, and Lily were all standing on a chair
watching me from what should have been a safe distance, when Rebecca lost her balance. She didn't get hurt or anything, but she fell forward onto the counter and caught herself with her hand. I told everyone to get down because I would prefer to NOT to go to the hospital as I was really wanting to decorate eggs instead. Rebecca said, "Besides, my face would be ugly and scarred forever if I landed in that pot of water!" Then Logan, without missing a beat said, Yeah, until you was resurrected and then you would be pretty again!" Um, he's seven. Good job, Logan! Needless to say, I'm very proud of him.
For those of you who have been keeping track, March marks the one year anniversary of Sarah being diagnosed with diabetes. It hit me kind of hard when in the middle of our Easter activities she announced she thought she had low blood sugar. She was almost low at 76. We treated it with juice, and shortly after she said she needed to lie down. She left our party for about 15 minutes to lay down until she felt better. On Sunday she told me, "It's not fair. This makes two Easter's that I've had diabetes." I think Easter will always be a little bit of a struggle for her. I know it is for me. I am grateful, however, for modern technology. It wasn't too many years ago that a blood glucose monitor that could be carried around with a diabetic was a pipe dream. Just a few years ago there would have been no
Easter candy for Sarah. As it is now, she had plenty of Peeps, Robin Eggs, and jelly beans, believe me!
Don't you love her new diabetes bracelets? I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but it is embossed with a silver"DIABETIC" with the medical alert symbol. I love them. They are relatively inexpensive and durable, so I'm going to buy her several more in different colors so she can mix and match. The only rule is she has to choose one color that she wears ALL the time. I feel a lot better now that she has them. Her last one broke on the first day,
which was a real bummer.
Back to the fun stuff. I bought an "egg spinner" on clearance last April, (at least I assume it was April. By the way, for those who have been wondering, I learned in church on Sunday that Easter is the first Sunday of the full moon after the vernal equinox. Vernal equinox is when the daylight/nightlight ratio is 12hrs/ 12hrs, (always observed on March 21) and from that day forth will become lighter until Summer soltice (celebrated with a huge party on June 21, as the sun don't go down in Fairbanks!) Phew!
)
ANYWAY...I bought an egg spinner on clearance last April, and it turned out to be really fun. (That was sort of a long paragraph earlier for a not-so-important sentence.) We also did glitter eggs. Did I mention I love clearance shopping?
Easter Sunday was great fun, too. The easter bunny brought the family a Mr. Potato Head AND Mrs. Potato Head easter kit. Each set had two little Spud Buds, Easter clothes, Royal clothes, (Crowns, etc) and of course, bunny ears and teeth! They even included bunny slippers. Very fun.
Even more great were the Webkinz he brought everyone but Dad. Dad was way bummed he didn't get one. I got a "googles", which is a cute little gal that looks like a duck. I named her Hannah. (Those of you who know why, give yourself a quacker!) Sarah got an elephant she named Skippy, Rebecca got a rabbit (what else?) named Vanilla Ice Cream, and Lily got a monkey I convinced her to name "Tahiti". Logan was the funniest/saddest. Really it was sad, but in my life you either doing a lot of laughing or crying, and I choose laughing. He got a lion, and was trying to decide what to name it. He decided on, "Wiwwy." Now, that's how he says "Lily", just so you know. So I said, "No, we don't want to name the lion 'Lily' because that would be confusing. How about 'Savannah?'" He scowled at me and said, "No, WIW-EE!" Again I said, "That's too confusing. Pick something else. How about 'Sahara'?" He started getting really upset and said, "No
t 'Wiwee', "WIW-WEE!" It occurred to me that he was not saying Lily, so then I had put on my speech brain and try and figure out what he was really saying. Finally, it hit me. "Willy?" I asked. "Yes, Wiwy." My poor brain. I can't help but laugh to myself when I hear Logan and Lily playing with their Webkins together: "Wogan, does Wiwwee want to pway wif 'heedee and Wiwy?" "No, Wiwy, Wiwee is a wion, and wions eat monkeys. Wiwee! Don't eat Heedee! Don't wowwy, Wiwy. Wiwee won't eat Heedee. Wiwee woves Heedee. They pway togeth-o 'cause they's best fwends." "Yeah, 'sides, Wiwee is my fwend, and fwends don't eat they's fwends!" This was an actual converstation they had on Sunday. 'Sides, is it any wonder my brain hurts all the time?
We made quite the mess, but it turned out to be worth it. as of Monday morning we had exactly 4 hard-boiled eggs left in the fridge after eating over 65 eggs on Sunday in a blur of egg salad and egg whites. My kids, (Especially Sarah) don't eat the yolks. Don't judge; there are no carbs in eggs, and she could've gorged on jelly beans, after all!
And now some pictures of the baby. 'Sides, she's super cute!
We boiled exactly 5 dozen eggs, and all but one made it to the decorating table. I am such a genious egg boiler, ain't I? Rebecca, Logan, and Lily were all standing on a chair
watching me from what should have been a safe distance, when Rebecca lost her balance. She didn't get hurt or anything, but she fell forward onto the counter and caught herself with her hand. I told everyone to get down because I would prefer to NOT to go to the hospital as I was really wanting to decorate eggs instead. Rebecca said, "Besides, my face would be ugly and scarred forever if I landed in that pot of water!" Then Logan, without missing a beat said, Yeah, until you was resurrected and then you would be pretty again!" Um, he's seven. Good job, Logan! Needless to say, I'm very proud of him.
For those of you who have been keeping track, March marks the one year anniversary of Sarah being diagnosed with diabetes. It hit me kind of hard when in the middle of our Easter activities she announced she thought she had low blood sugar. She was almost low at 76. We treated it with juice, and shortly after she said she needed to lie down. She left our party for about 15 minutes to lay down until she felt better. On Sunday she told me, "It's not fair. This makes two Easter's that I've had diabetes." I think Easter will always be a little bit of a struggle for her. I know it is for me. I am grateful, however, for modern technology. It wasn't too many years ago that a blood glucose monitor that could be carried around with a diabetic was a pipe dream. Just a few years ago there would have been no
Easter candy for Sarah. As it is now, she had plenty of Peeps, Robin Eggs, and jelly beans, believe me!Don't you love her new diabetes bracelets? I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but it is embossed with a silver"DIABETIC" with the medical alert symbol. I love them. They are relatively inexpensive and durable, so I'm going to buy her several more in different colors so she can mix and match. The only rule is she has to choose one color that she wears ALL the time. I feel a lot better now that she has them. Her last one broke on the first day,
which was a real bummer.Back to the fun stuff. I bought an "egg spinner" on clearance last April, (at least I assume it was April. By the way, for those who have been wondering, I learned in church on Sunday that Easter is the first Sunday of the full moon after the vernal equinox. Vernal equinox is when the daylight/nightlight ratio is 12hrs/ 12hrs, (always observed on March 21) and from that day forth will become lighter until Summer soltice (celebrated with a huge party on June 21, as the sun don't go down in Fairbanks!) Phew!
)ANYWAY...I bought an egg spinner on clearance last April, and it turned out to be really fun. (That was sort of a long paragraph earlier for a not-so-important sentence.) We also did glitter eggs. Did I mention I love clearance shopping?
Easter Sunday was great fun, too. The easter bunny brought the family a Mr. Potato Head AND Mrs. Potato Head easter kit. Each set had two little Spud Buds, Easter clothes, Royal clothes, (Crowns, etc) and of course, bunny ears and teeth! They even included bunny slippers. Very fun.
Even more great were the Webkinz he brought everyone but Dad. Dad was way bummed he didn't get one. I got a "googles", which is a cute little gal that looks like a duck. I named her Hannah. (Those of you who know why, give yourself a quacker!) Sarah got an elephant she named Skippy, Rebecca got a rabbit (what else?) named Vanilla Ice Cream, and Lily got a monkey I convinced her to name "Tahiti". Logan was the funniest/saddest. Really it was sad, but in my life you either doing a lot of laughing or crying, and I choose laughing. He got a lion, and was trying to decide what to name it. He decided on, "Wiwwy." Now, that's how he says "Lily", just so you know. So I said, "No, we don't want to name the lion 'Lily' because that would be confusing. How about 'Savannah?'" He scowled at me and said, "No, WIW-EE!" Again I said, "That's too confusing. Pick something else. How about 'Sahara'?" He started getting really upset and said, "No
t 'Wiwee', "WIW-WEE!" It occurred to me that he was not saying Lily, so then I had put on my speech brain and try and figure out what he was really saying. Finally, it hit me. "Willy?" I asked. "Yes, Wiwy." My poor brain. I can't help but laugh to myself when I hear Logan and Lily playing with their Webkins together: "Wogan, does Wiwwee want to pway wif 'heedee and Wiwy?" "No, Wiwy, Wiwee is a wion, and wions eat monkeys. Wiwee! Don't eat Heedee! Don't wowwy, Wiwy. Wiwee won't eat Heedee. Wiwee woves Heedee. They pway togeth-o 'cause they's best fwends." "Yeah, 'sides, Wiwee is my fwend, and fwends don't eat they's fwends!" This was an actual converstation they had on Sunday. 'Sides, is it any wonder my brain hurts all the time?
We made quite the mess, but it turned out to be worth it. as of Monday morning we had exactly 4 hard-boiled eggs left in the fridge after eating over 65 eggs on Sunday in a blur of egg salad and egg whites. My kids, (Especially Sarah) don't eat the yolks. Don't judge; there are no carbs in eggs, and she could've gorged on jelly beans, after all!
And now some pictures of the baby. 'Sides, she's super cute!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
How was the dance?
The dance was awesome!! Sorry about the delay on the update; my card reader was acting up. It's working now, though, so either it's broken sometimes or I am.
Anyway, the dance. We had 94 youth from our stake show up. The highest attendance ever was 97 youth, and that was a bi-stake dance! People must have known the Campbell Park ward was in charge and told all their friends! ;)
Refreshments included Lucky Charms, green suckers, homemade marshmallows, (green of course), rainbow punch, and crackers and green cream cheese. The favorite were the crackers and cheese. Those daring enough to try the marshmallows seemed to like them a lot!
The decorations were awesome. I didn't get great pictures, but the YM/YW made an awesome crepe paper rainbow over the refreshments table. There were shamrocks and green everywhere. Abby had the great idea to hang butcher paper on the wall so everyone could sign it. It was awesome! Everyone had a great time. Except the beehives; they had to stay home. :(
Here are some pics--there are more on !Quack Attack!--or will be as soon as I get them uploaded!
Monday, March 17, 2008
It's not easy being green!
But I'm sure glad you are.
This is Dale's oldest younger bro, Jessie. He is currently stationed in Qatar. Here are some excerpts from one of his recent emails:
"If you have not heard yet, The Air force is deploying
me again. I am headed to Qatar in January for six
months. We used to go for just four months, but
changed our tour lengths to six months. After each
deployment I should have twelve months at home. They
changed how they deploy my career field for the mean
time. Susannah and the kids are going to go to Texas
with her family while I am gone. We will then come
back
to good old Pope AFB for the mean time."
"I decided to send you pictures of some things that I am doing over here. We did an addition to a building, and our customer wanted a window in the wall that is like a ticket booth, and this is what we built them. I made most of the trim my self out of rough cut mahogany. That is what they give us over here. One of or senior NCO's told us that we made the rest of the building look like bad."
Can you spot Jessie in this photo from his last deployment to Afghanastan? Here's what he said back then, in an email titled, "A voice from the dust of the Stan, "Church here is pretty good. We have about ten to twenty five on attendance every week. It just depends on the operations that are going on at the time. We have sacrament meeting that last about a half an hour. And then we have combined priesthood/relief society meeting for a half an hour. That is held in the after noon. We then have Sunday school that is a hour long in the evening that day. Then during the week we have a movie
/FHE night on Wednesdays, and game night on Saturdays. I am not able to go to the activities during the week though, because I work on the night shift. The work that we are doing right now is not too bad. Me and another guy are tying up some rebar to go into some concrete footers for some radar towers. It is decent work. We are waiting for some yellow paint to come in so we can finish painting the lines on the runway. That is what we are really supposed to be doing. But every thing is pretty good. I am going to attach some pictures of me over here. Well I am going to go eat some less than desirable chow.
Our brother-in-law, Jon, is stationed in Hawaii right now, poor guy. These pictures remain my all time favorite military photos. Double Green points for you for saving a turtle, Jon!
Okay, so I scanned it a little crooked. Sorry. I could go back and fix it in Photoshop or rescan, but I'm way too lazy. So as the story goes, a poor helpless, 3 foot 140 lb, female green sea turtle got lost on the beach and wandered 450 feet away from the ocean. Jon and his colleauges (Jon is center in above photo and the guy cut in half on the left side in the second) hauled it back to sea. My favorite Jon quote: "Her front flipper got loose and smacked me in the face. Everybody got a pretty good kick out of seeing that."
Thanks, US Navy, for serving our country and rescuing local wildlife. Thank you, Jon, for taking a flipper in the face for the team.
Thank You, Armed forces, for wearing green and keeping us free!
This is Dale's oldest younger bro, Jessie. He is currently stationed in Qatar. Here are some excerpts from one of his recent emails:
"If you have not heard yet, The Air force is deploying
me again. I am headed to Qatar in January for six
months. We used to go for just four months, but
changed our tour lengths to six months. After each
deployment I should have twelve months at home. They
changed how they deploy my career field for the mean
time. Susannah and the kids are going to go to Texas
with her family while I am gone. We will then come
back
to good old Pope AFB for the mean time.""I decided to send you pictures of some things that I am doing over here. We did an addition to a building, and our customer wanted a window in the wall that is like a ticket booth, and this is what we built them. I made most of the trim my self out of rough cut mahogany. That is what they give us over here. One of or senior NCO's told us that we made the rest of the building look like bad."
Can you spot Jessie in this photo from his last deployment to Afghanastan? Here's what he said back then, in an email titled, "A voice from the dust of the Stan, "Church here is pretty good. We have about ten to twenty five on attendance every week. It just depends on the operations that are going on at the time. We have sacrament meeting that last about a half an hour. And then we have combined priesthood/relief society meeting for a half an hour. That is held in the after noon. We then have Sunday school that is a hour long in the evening that day. Then during the week we have a movie
/FHE night on Wednesdays, and game night on Saturdays. I am not able to go to the activities during the week though, because I work on the night shift. The work that we are doing right now is not too bad. Me and another guy are tying up some rebar to go into some concrete footers for some radar towers. It is decent work. We are waiting for some yellow paint to come in so we can finish painting the lines on the runway. That is what we are really supposed to be doing. But every thing is pretty good. I am going to attach some pictures of me over here. Well I am going to go eat some less than desirable chow.Our brother-in-law, Jon, is stationed in Hawaii right now, poor guy. These pictures remain my all time favorite military photos. Double Green points for you for saving a turtle, Jon!
Okay, so I scanned it a little crooked. Sorry. I could go back and fix it in Photoshop or rescan, but I'm way too lazy. So as the story goes, a poor helpless, 3 foot 140 lb, female green sea turtle got lost on the beach and wandered 450 feet away from the ocean. Jon and his colleauges (Jon is center in above photo and the guy cut in half on the left side in the second) hauled it back to sea. My favorite Jon quote: "Her front flipper got loose and smacked me in the face. Everybody got a pretty good kick out of seeing that."Thanks, US Navy, for serving our country and rescuing local wildlife. Thank you, Jon, for taking a flipper in the face for the team.
Thank You, Armed forces, for wearing green and keeping us free!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Spring Break is OVER! (let March "madness" begin)
Well, Spring "Break" is over, thank goodness. 3 of the Butikofers had a nasty cold. Lily and Elliotte both required medical attention, while Mom laid in bed praying that the the remaining four Butikofers didn't completely ruin the house. Alas, now that I'm not as sick anymore, I'm looking around my house wondering who set off a bomb in my living room and where did I get all this STUFF? I'm proud to say, however, that my shelf that I organized 2 months ago and vowed to keep in order is still in good shape. Next step: The Kitchen.
The other 3 kids had a better time than Mom. They got to go over to the Beagley's on Friday. Who is the genious that planned Spring Break in Alaska for the second week in March? Here's what our neighborhood Alaskan's had to resort to in order to enjoy the "warm" weather:
The other 3 kids had a better time than Mom. They got to go over to the Beagley's on Friday. Who is the genious that planned Spring Break in Alaska for the second week in March? Here's what our neighborhood Alaskan's had to resort to in order to enjoy the "warm" weather:
Kamryn, Kerrigan, and Sarah playing Chinese Jump-rope
Yes, they are playing Chinese jump-rope on the second warmest day of Spring Break in full out snow gear on a patch of grass they probably had to clear themselves. Nice.
This was Logan's favorite part of the vacation: Clearing off 4 inches of ice/slush/snow off the Beagley's driveway. (Both these pics were from Jessica, by the way.) He loves to get every speck cleared. By the end of the afternoon, he got it done. It helps to have a crew of 6. It reminds me of when I was in Wal-Mart one April afternoon and saw snow shovels on sale for $1.78. I bought 6 of them. A guy in the checkout line asked me what I was going to do with all those snow shovels since there was hardly any snow left. "Shovel my driveway, of course," I said. "You must have a pretty big driveway!" he countered. "Nope," I said, "I just have a lot of kids!" Turns out I should've bought a few more...
Kerrigan, Kamryn, Sarah, Logan, Karsen, and Rebecca clear off a place to play during their break
Now that the kids go back to school tomorrow (hurray!), and literal Alaskan blizzards have come to end, (we hope) March Madness can start. (this is the fun kid of madness, the kind that doesn't make me go, "hmmm. Summer is in 2 months. How can I plan my life so that I don't go crazy this summer?) I am going to win the whole tournament this year, and we finally got a Dairy Queen in Anchorage, so ya'll better be prepared to pay up! I like my Blizzards Butterfinger style, just so you're prepared!
This was Logan's favorite part of the vacation: Clearing off 4 inches of ice/slush/snow off the Beagley's driveway. (Both these pics were from Jessica, by the way.) He loves to get every speck cleared. By the end of the afternoon, he got it done. It helps to have a crew of 6. It reminds me of when I was in Wal-Mart one April afternoon and saw snow shovels on sale for $1.78. I bought 6 of them. A guy in the checkout line asked me what I was going to do with all those snow shovels since there was hardly any snow left. "Shovel my driveway, of course," I said. "You must have a pretty big driveway!" he countered. "Nope," I said, "I just have a lot of kids!" Turns out I should've bought a few more...
Kerrigan, Kamryn, Sarah, Logan, Karsen, and Rebecca clear off a place to play during their breakNow that the kids go back to school tomorrow (hurray!), and literal Alaskan blizzards have come to end, (we hope) March Madness can start. (this is the fun kid of madness, the kind that doesn't make me go, "hmmm. Summer is in 2 months. How can I plan my life so that I don't go crazy this summer?) I am going to win the whole tournament this year, and we finally got a Dairy Queen in Anchorage, so ya'll better be prepared to pay up! I like my Blizzards Butterfinger style, just so you're prepared!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Therapy Mom Extraordinare!
This is what I looked like by the end of the day, believe me!It all started with Dale scheduling Rebecca for some testing (we're trying to figure out the best way for her to learn) at 9:30. Logan has speech from 9:15-10:00 am. Sarah has school at 9:00. The plan was to drop Sarah off at school at 8:50, drive to Dimond and drop Logan off at 9:10, and then RUSH (on slippery streets, I might add--it's break up and the snow run-off on the road was nice and slick after over-night lows) from Dimond to 4th and I (those familiar with Anchorage will know how I was pretty much doomed from "go" to make it to my downtown appointment on time. But hey, I didn't do the scheduling!)
Everything was going according to schedule, sort of. The baby was clean, fed, changed and buckled in her car seat. All the kids were ready for school, complete with shoes, socks, notes, and backpacks full of their gear. (Snowpants, hat, gloves, boots) We were ready to walk out the door at 8:45 when Cinder-Lily had to go to the restroom. Then Logan left the door hanging open and the dog ran out the front door. By the time I got Olive back into the van (It's not too hard if you can keep the kids from "helping" you by chasing her around the neighborhood!) and Lily buckled in her seat, I hear an announcement, "I think I have low blood sugar!" With a "Nobody move out of your seat belts or else!" hissed by your's truly, Sarah and I were back in the house to test her sugar level. It was 43. Drink a juice, quick! Call Dale to Call Nurse Jeff and tell him she has low blood sugar, she's treated with juice, and needs to follow up with crackers first thing. Oh, yeah, and tell him that I'll bring in her lunch when I bring in Logan because we're out of bread and I'm out of time. Hang up phone and run back to the van (without slipping on the ice, I might add). Say a quick prayer for speed and safety, and we're on our way, on black ice, at....GRRR!!! 9:02.
"Bye, Sarah, go straight to Nurse Jeff's, see you after school, love you, bye!" 9:10.
2 missed green lights (it's not worth dying for, after all), the long kind that take several minutes. Arrive (finally!) to therapy--9:22. Drop of Logan, Run!
Going downtown, baby is still sleeping (phew!) Lily is shrieking, "I need a tissue!" A quick look behind me reveals her entire face covered in dark green slime. Nothing I can do about it yet, i have to drive. Arrive at Fuller Diagnostics. Get everyone out of the car. Walk up the steep sidewalk halfway. Realize I left Rebecca's paperwork in the car. Walk down the steep sidewalk halfway, hauling a baby carrier on one arm and holding a sticky/slimy hand with the other. Grab the paperwork. Walk up the sidewalk into the elevator. "I have to use the bathroom!" This time it's Rebecca, and she's dancing. Hurry, Rebecca! Lily, do you need to go? No. Send Rebecca into the bathroom. Set the baby on the floor, dig out a wipe, and find Lily's face somewhere under a film of mucous. Answer the cell-phone. Tell Rebecca's teacher I will pick up her questionaire at school, since she was out sick the entire previous week. Hang up phone. Open bathroom door and tell Rebecca to hurry. Rebecca arrives, hands dripping, no time to care! At least she washed. Grab the baby carrier on one arm and a slightly less slimey hand with the other hand and hustle to the appointment. Stop at the giant map on the wall to point out Alaska. 9:45, and they're not quite ready for Rebecca. Pray the baby doesn't wake up, call Dale to call All For Kids and tell them I will be late to pick up Logan. They're ready for Rebecca, be back a few minutes before 12:00 to take her to lunch. 9:55.
Walk into the hall. Stop at the giant map on the wall and point out Alaska. "I need to use the bathroom!" I look, but there's no dancing. I'll have to risk it. Hurry down the elevator, grab the same little hand, but switch arms with the carrier and walk down the steep sidewalk. Buckle Lily, throw the baby in her car-seat, (She better not be stirring!) and jump into the van. A quick prayer for speed and safety, and we're off to go get Logan. 10:02.
Arrive at All For Kids in record time. 10:20, and he's ready. Get him loaded in the van. Quick prayer for speed and safety. Call Dale to ask him to call the school and find out when he eats lunch at school, while heading for McDonalds, the only fast food he will eat. Order a Happy Meal. Sorry, we're still on our breakfast menu. 10:24. Pull through, a nswer cell phone. Logan eats at 11:oo, and would I be so kind to bring Dale some lunch, too, since he left in too big of a hurry to pack something? Subway sounds pretty good.
Drive to the nearest Subway, which thankfully is nearby a McDonalds. Buy Dale a Melt on monterrey cheddar bread, toasted, light on the mayo, heavy on the mustard, extra banana peppers. A kids meal with tuna for Sarah, a baggie of apples, and some chocolate milk. "Do you have a nutritional guide?" Accept a tiny card that lists calories and fat. Request the one with carbs. Am told to look for a brochure in a holder attached to the giant sign, they might have one. Finally find the last one. It's a little crumpled, but it's got the carb counts! Get back in van. Drive to McDonald's, 10:37.
Pull into drive through. "Welcome to McDonald's! Just letting you know I am on my lunch menu" Hallelujah! Order a Happy Meal with chicken nuggets and chocolate milk for Logan. Drive to the school, listening to shrieks of, "I'm hungry! I'm starving! I'm hungry! MaMA! I'm HUNGRY!" from the princess behind me. Park the car. Unbuckle Lily, and yank her out of the car. No coat needed, it's 40 degrees and you have long sleeves. Holler at Logan to shut the door while shoving a Happy Meal at him. Grab the baby's car seat and Sarah's lunch and head into the school. 10:59, and his class is just lining up at the cafeteria. "I'll sign you in, you go join your class!" Sign him in. Go to Nurse Jeff's office and drop off her lunch and nutritional guide.
Go back out to the car. Put the car seat in. Buckle up Lily. Notice the fragrance of mustard coming suspicioulsy from the front seat. Scold the dog for eating Dale's sandwich. Answer the cell phone. "I'm starving!! I can't wait to eat my sandwich. Have you dropped Logan off yet?" I'm on the way. Give me about 15 minutes. Snap! Forgot to give Rebecca's teacher the survey. Her teacher's pulling out of the parking lot...Wait, she see's me. Here you go, I'll pick it up this afternoon after tutoring. Quick prayer for speed and safety.
Head to the Subway closest to Dale's work. Buy Dale a Melt on monterrey cheddar bread, toasted, light on the mayo, heavy on the mustard, extra banana peppers. And two cookies, the princess is still shrieking because she's hungry. Answer the cell phone. Yes, I'm on the way. Get back in the car. Glare at the dog. Arrive at Dale's office to drop off lunch. You're welcome. 11:30.
Head downtown. Park at Fuller's Diagnostics. Notice that Lily is sleeping and the baby is stirring. Put the dog on her leash and let her do her business. Put her back in the car. Get the baby out and wake up Lily. Walk up the steep sidewalk with a baby carrier on one arm and holding a sticky cookie hand with the other. Go up the elevator. "I have to go to the bathroom!" I look. This time there's dancing. Take her to the potty. Rock the baby with one foot while digging out a wet wipe to clean Lily's face. Tell Lily to hurry. Help her wash her hands and dry them. Walk down the hall, stopping at the giant map to point out Alaska. Go into Fuller's Diagnostics. "Rebecca will be ready in about 15 minutes." 12:00.
Feed the crying baby. Read Lily a story and just get settled in. Rebecca's done. 12:03. "She'll need to be back in about 45 minutes," eyes the baby, and adds, "take an hour if you need it." Finish feeding the baby. Put her back in her car seat. Walk down the hall, stopping to point out Alaska on the giant map on the wall. "I have to go to the bathroom, Mom!" This time it's Rebecca, and she's dancing. Wait for her in the hall. Hurry, Rebecca! Comes out with dripping hands. Take the elevator downstairs. Walk down the steep hill to the van. Put in the baby's car seat. Wrestle Lily into hers, while taking a phone call from Dale. "I don't know, I haven't talked to her yet, I'll let you know how the testing is going when I know. You're welcome for the sandwich, I'm thrilled it tasted so good." Glare at the dog. Say a quick prayer for speed and safety. 12:25.
Drive to the nearest McDonald's to find Spiderwick toys. Remember why I don't live in Mnt. View as I pull up to the drive-thru. Decide the line is too long. Go in and get 2 Happy Meals with chocolate milk and a number 6 grilled with a rootbeer. Wish I hadn't been so hasty giving up Dr. Pepper. Hand out Happy Meals. Say a quick prayer over the food and for speed and safety. Tell Rebecca and Lily to scarf they're meals on the way back to Fuller Diagnostics. 12:45.
Arrive at Fuller's. Park the car. Let the girls work on their chicken McNuggets while I give the dog a walk. Put the dog back in the car. Get the carrier out of the van. Unbuckle Lily and tell Rebecca to close the door behind her. Walk up the steep hill and remind myself I only have to hike it one more time. Ride the elevator. Stop at the giant map on the wall to point out Alaska. Drop off Rebecca. "They'll be ready for her in a few minutes". 12:55.
Read a story, feed the baby for the second time, watch Rebecca prepare a bunch of toy animals for battle. "We're ready for you now! You can come pick her up at about 3:00, maybe 3:15." Pick up the carrier, grab Lily's hand. Stop in the hallway to point out Alaska on the giant map on the wall. "I have to go to the bathroom!" Plop Lily on the toilet. Wait a few minutes for something to happen. She's finally done. Wipe, wash, dry, go! Ride the elevator down. Walk down the hill. Buckle Lily and the baby. 1:12.
Quick prayer for speed and safety. Drive to Frames, Etc. to buy a Webkins for Kerrigan's baptism. Find a pug, drop ten bucks on the counter, hop back in the van. 1:30. Drive to Wal-Mart. Get Lily and the baby out of the car seat. Walk a half a mile around a huge lake in the middle of the parking lot. Pray it's actually break-up and not fake-up so we don't have to deal with the slop again later. Go into Wal-Mart. Try to manipulate Lily in to riding in the cart. Fail to get Lily into the cart and somehow agree to let her push the cart. Buy green balloons for YW dance on Saturday. Price cups and tablecloths. Wander around Wal-Mart ignoring the candy aisle. Wish I hadn't been so hasty giving up Dr. Pepper. See a game on clearance I want to buy. Decide I don't need it. Wait in line at the check-out. Smile in triumph when Lily doesn't demand candy. Look around for Lily. Find her playing with fuzzy pens on one of the end caps. Buy my balloons that somehow cost $28.34 for three bags. Walk a half a mile around the huge lake in the parking lot and get everybody loaded up. 2:30.
Drive back to Fuller's. Walk up the steepest hill in Anchorage for the millionth time. Wish I would've been doing some weight lifting and conditioning to prepare to haul a heavy car seat and a pulling 3 year old up this hill. Ride the elevator. Ask Lily if she needs to use the bathroom. Help her use the potty. Point out Alaska on the giant map on the wall. Go into Fuller's. Feed the baby and wait for Rebecca. 2:50.
Rebecca arrives. Give her a love and ask her how it went. Told the receptionist that we would be in touch about scheduling her follow-up, I've got to run. Leave the office. Point out Alaska on the giant map while listening to a barrage of what Rebecca did during testing. Notice she's dancing. Stop at the restroom. Tell Rebecca to HURRY! Ride the elevator down to the lobby. Walk down the hill and load everybody up. 3:12
Quick prayer for speed and safety. Hustle in traffic to the elementary school. Drop Rebecca off for tutoring and pick up Logan and Sarah from school, 3:35.
Head toward home. Unload the family. Test Sarah's blood sugar, it's 183. (yes!) Give her a unit of insulin to cover a snack. Tell the kids they can have a granola bar. Finish feeding the baby. Call Dale to tell him he's on his own to get to and from his class because we have a baptism. Answer the other line. Tell Jessica I will look for Bare Books for the baptism. Finish feeding the baby. Frantically search my room and rack my brain for where I put all my extra bare books. Look at the clock. Yell at everyone to get into the van. 4:25
Quick prayer for speed and safety. Arrive at the school. Tell the kids to stay in their seatbelts OR ELSE. Go get Rebecca from tutoring. Listen to her teacher explain exactly why she didn't get the form filled out. Tell her I will pick it up another day. Take Rebecca back to the van. Scold Sarah for being in the front seat. 4:32.
Arrive at home. Quickly continue my search for Bare Books. Fail to find what I'm looking for. Call Jessica and offer a lame substitute. Load my Bare Board Books into a backpack. Tell everybody to get ready for the baptism, including shoes and going to the bathroom. Feed the baby. Throw on a dress. Get everyone loaded into the van. We're on schedule, it's 6:40. Wait for Sarah to run into the house and get her kit. Wait for Rebecca to run in the house to go to the bathroom. Glare at the clock. Quick prayer for speed and safety. 6:51.
Make it to the church in record time by hitting every green light, including the long green arrow off of Northern Lights to Mapelwood. Arrive at the church, issuing dire warnings about being reverent. Pile into the chapel. 6:58.
Offer my books to Jessica. Try to get everyone settled down and reverant before the baptism. Glance at the baby, who's smiling. Say hello to a friend I haven't seen in awhile. Try to listen to the service and keep my 5 kids quiet. Give up on listening. Watch the other ward's kids file out to be baptized. Try to keep my kids reverent. Glance at the baby, she's starting to fuss. Follow the crowd to the baptismal service for our ward. Try to keep the baby from shrieking. Leave the font area so I don't disturb the baptisms. Get the baby calm. Lean over far enough to see Kerrigan get dunked. Escape down the hall with my fussy baby and pray my kids are reverent for Robbie's baptism. File back into the chapel, this time with a couple of extra Beagley kids. Give up on making 7 kids be reverent and concentrate on keeping the 3 year olds out of the baby's face. Watch the freshly baptized Kerrigan and Robbie arrive. Start to listen to an amazing talk by Jessica. Take the fussing baby out of the chapel as Jessica puts on her giant ear. Thank my lucky stars that I've heard this talk before. Wait for the closing song. Congratulate Kerrigan and Robbie. Let Rebecca give Kerrigan her Webkin. Notice my kids are running wild. Full out yell at them to sit against the wall, because I'M DONE!! Help Jessica get some pictures taken. Load everyone in the van. Forget the prayer for speed and safety. Yell at the kids for not being reverent. Hit every red light on the way home. Pull up the driveway and notice Dale's bike in the driveway. Hallelujah! Grab the baby out of the van, go up the stairs gingerly so I don't slip on the forming ice, and holler at Dale that I'm off duty, the kids haven't eaten dinner, I'm feeding the baby, I love you, goodbye! Retreat to my room for the night. 9:07. Dale enters and tells me Elliotte has a doctors appointment at 9:30 tomorrow. I groan and remember the kids don't have school and Sarah pointed out they have 12 days off in a row, counting the weekends. Thanks Sarah.
Friday morning, 8:17...
Logan'sTalk
Logan had a talk last Sunday, and my lesson in Beehives just happened to end early. We went out into the hall, and I said, "Hey! Let's go into primary and listen to Logan's talk!" Two of the girls were up for it, but my newest Beehive said, "Uh, I don't think so. That ship has sailed!" It was hilarious. I made her go in anyway, and I was mouthing, "I owe you, big!" to her. She was laughing. Then I helped Logan with his talk, which was on the topic, "Jesus Christ is my Savior." I love his talk. Maybe you will, too!
"Guess What?
My name is Logan, and I'm not perfect.
Sometimes when I talk, people can't understand what I'm saying.
Sometimes things bug me so bad I think I can't stand it anymore.
Sometimes I even make mistakes that don't make Heavenly Father very happy.
When these things happen, I remember that Jesus knows what it's like to not be understood.
I remember that he paid for my sins so I can repent.
This makes Heavenly Father happy. It makes me happy, too."
Monday, March 3, 2008
Me from A-Z
A: Attached or single: Stuck like glue. Forever!
B: Best Friend: Dale-bert or Olive, depending on who's around.
C: Cake or Pie: Pie. Banana Cream. Or Dad's b-day cake...I love that one!
D: Day of Choice: I love Wednesday. I have no idea why. I just always have. (Maybe I should have said "Sunday" to appear more spiritual....)
E: Essential Item: T.V. remote.
F: Favorite Color: Orange. It makes me feel happy like yellow, only minus the feeling that the sun vomited all over everything. Yellow kind of gives me a headache, too. Maybe because it's so light and bright? (What does that say about me?)
G: Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms. You can slurp them down your throat.
H: Hometown: Up until 2002, I spent half my life in Cedar City and half in Utah County. If someone asks where I'm from, I say the prettiest part of Utah, but I really feel like an Alaskan now.
I: Indulgence(s): Candy, candy, candy! Staying up late finishing a good book. Staying up all night to play games with my highly competitive and hilarious husband. (I always win, though.)
J: January or July: Gosh. I love the winter, and January is usually awesome here because it's starting to get light again, but I love the summer's here cause there is so much light and it doesn't get too hot. I'll go with January because I feel like I have to answer the question. And there are no mosquitoes at that time of year.
K: Kids: Sarah Sunshine, Rebecca Joy, Logan the MAN, Cinder-Lily, and Elliotte the amazing baby halibut.
L: Life is incomplete without: Family, writing, email, and candy.
M: Marriage Date: April 3, 1998
N: Number of Siblings: 1 brother, 2 sisters and a bunch of in-laws-- most of whom I will gladly claim. ;)
O: Oranges or Apples: Apples-little red delicious school-boys or golden delicious, green if I want them crisp, soft if I want to remember Grandma's house.
P: Phobias or Fears: Crickets!! They are so jumpy. And ugly. You can track other critters, but those crickets dissapear on you and just chirp and chirp. You never know where it's coming from! (Still haven't ever read "A Cricket in Time Square.") I also am afraid to answer the phone if I don't know who is on the other line or if I'm not fairly sure of how a conversation is going to go.
Q: Quote(s): Lately it's, "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all." favorite from a book, for fun, "Twitchy little ferret aren't you, Malfoy!"
R: Reason To Smile: I live on top of the world in more ways than one.
S: Season: Winter. Least favorite: Spring. It lasts for 2 weeks and it's sloppy and dirty and dangerous.
T: Tag Four: Jane and Becca and Jessica and Katie
U: Unknown Fact about Me: I can do really cool eye tricks. I make the world's best cream of broccoli soup.
V: Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Bring on the beef! And Pork! And Lamb!
W: Worst Habit: It used to be Dr. Pepper, but I quit. Ummm....I'm still in denial about my sugar addiction, so I'll say starting a project (or sentence, or topic) and shifting gears without warning or completion.
X: X-Rays or Ultrasounds: First tell me where, and then I can answer.
Y: Your Favorite Food: Food.
Z: Zodiac: Gemini
B: Best Friend: Dale-bert or Olive, depending on who's around.
C: Cake or Pie: Pie. Banana Cream. Or Dad's b-day cake...I love that one!
D: Day of Choice: I love Wednesday. I have no idea why. I just always have. (Maybe I should have said "Sunday" to appear more spiritual....)
E: Essential Item: T.V. remote.
F: Favorite Color: Orange. It makes me feel happy like yellow, only minus the feeling that the sun vomited all over everything. Yellow kind of gives me a headache, too. Maybe because it's so light and bright? (What does that say about me?)
G: Gummi Bears or Worms: Worms. You can slurp them down your throat.
H: Hometown: Up until 2002, I spent half my life in Cedar City and half in Utah County. If someone asks where I'm from, I say the prettiest part of Utah, but I really feel like an Alaskan now.
I: Indulgence(s): Candy, candy, candy! Staying up late finishing a good book. Staying up all night to play games with my highly competitive and hilarious husband. (I always win, though.)
J: January or July: Gosh. I love the winter, and January is usually awesome here because it's starting to get light again, but I love the summer's here cause there is so much light and it doesn't get too hot. I'll go with January because I feel like I have to answer the question. And there are no mosquitoes at that time of year.
K: Kids: Sarah Sunshine, Rebecca Joy, Logan the MAN, Cinder-Lily, and Elliotte the amazing baby halibut.
L: Life is incomplete without: Family, writing, email, and candy.
M: Marriage Date: April 3, 1998
N: Number of Siblings: 1 brother, 2 sisters and a bunch of in-laws-- most of whom I will gladly claim. ;)
O: Oranges or Apples: Apples-little red delicious school-boys or golden delicious, green if I want them crisp, soft if I want to remember Grandma's house.
P: Phobias or Fears: Crickets!! They are so jumpy. And ugly. You can track other critters, but those crickets dissapear on you and just chirp and chirp. You never know where it's coming from! (Still haven't ever read "A Cricket in Time Square.") I also am afraid to answer the phone if I don't know who is on the other line or if I'm not fairly sure of how a conversation is going to go.
Q: Quote(s): Lately it's, "We may not have it all together, but together we have it all." favorite from a book, for fun, "Twitchy little ferret aren't you, Malfoy!"
R: Reason To Smile: I live on top of the world in more ways than one.
S: Season: Winter. Least favorite: Spring. It lasts for 2 weeks and it's sloppy and dirty and dangerous.
T: Tag Four: Jane and Becca and Jessica and Katie
U: Unknown Fact about Me: I can do really cool eye tricks. I make the world's best cream of broccoli soup.
V: Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Bring on the beef! And Pork! And Lamb!
W: Worst Habit: It used to be Dr. Pepper, but I quit. Ummm....I'm still in denial about my sugar addiction, so I'll say starting a project (or sentence, or topic) and shifting gears without warning or completion.
X: X-Rays or Ultrasounds: First tell me where, and then I can answer.
Y: Your Favorite Food: Food.
Z: Zodiac: Gemini
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
