Yee-Haw!

As our family tends to move every year or two, we figured it was high time to do it again! Well, honestly, this wasn't something we consciously decided... sort of. The story is, the office Brent was working for wasn't busy enough for two dentists. So, it is "adios" to Brent time.

We want to be somewhere that Brent doesn't have to work twelve hours a day to be successful. This means that we need to move somewhere there is a need for dentists. Idaho is pretty overpopulated, and so is most of the northwest for that matter.

Luckily, there ARE places that need dentists. For example, San Antonio Texas. Brent has accepted a job to work on Fort Sam Houston (for the military - a contractor for a company that contracts with the military - though not IN the military).

Hooray! And, away we go! Wish us luck!

Elizabeth Rose Goldthorpe

Our littlest love was born on Friday November 14, 2008 at 1:49 p.m. She was eight pounds, one ounce and twenty-one inches long.

Both mother and baby are doing very well.

Oh, did I mention that we'll be moving? Sometime before Christmas. Not sure where yet - anywhere in the U.S... job being the determining factor.

Halloween... albeit late, very cute!

(I didn't put up pictures of the birthday party until much later than anticipated because our camera DIED - really, really died. So, one of my fantastic sisters-in-law took pictures and I haven't seen her since the party, but another fantastic sister-in-law brought the CD of pictures to me and that's when you got the post about the party.)

Now, I've waited a couple of days for that to sink in and I'll share Halloween. :o)

Let's just say that Ben isn't into dressing up. He has never let his sisters dress him up and I'm sure he doesn't think there's much difference between them doing the ordering and me doing the ordering. For the late afternoon trick-or-treats (to Grandma and Grandpa Goldthorpe's house), I wrestled him into the monkey suit - in all ways literal. But, it was getting pretty hot so after dinner I took pity on the kid and let him wear the pirate outfit. Why, you ask, did I have two costumes for him? The monkey suit was Hailie's from last year - I already bought the pirate costume (for $3 at D.I.) when I re-discovered the monkey in our Halloween box. Thus, the two options.

Hailie was a great witch. At first, we couldn't find her hat. She was most upset about this. She said, "Without my hat, I'm just a pretty girl in a black dress!" Yes, Hailie, that's true. :o)

Wendi was in LOVE with this dress from the moment I opened the package from my amazingly talented and giving friend Kristen. She decided she was Little Red Riding Hood. How many safety pins did it take to make it "just right"? Exactly thirty-seven. Why did I not just alter the dress? Because Hailie has reserved it for NEXT Halloween. :o)

TOO much candy, loads of fun, and good exercise walking around most of the subdivision.

6th Birthday Party

(Yes, I'm still pregnant)

The Birthday Beach Bash was a lot of fun (almost two weeks ago)! We (Wendi, Hailie, and I) have been working on this - so it would live up to most of their expectations - for quite a while. One of the big rules was "girls only", so Brent and Ben had to scram and therefore there are no pictures of them in this post.

Let me give you a run-down of the events:

We made grass skirts; decorated palm tree, shell, and pineapple-shaped sugar cookies;

did the limbo; had a congo line; and a bunch of other things I'll not bore you with.
However, there was food

and much fun was had by all.

Was I tired? Of course! Was it fun? Of course! Would I do it again? Maybe next year. :o)

Suggestions?

We're trying to think of names for our baby girl who is soon to come... I've got nuthin'. Usually (well, you know, the past two times I've been pregnant), I have a "short list" of names well before now.

Yeah. No-thing.

PLEASE make suggestions. Someone? ANYone?

Celebration of TWINS!

Sometimes I feel bad for Benjamin that he doesn't have a twin. Then again, he's sort of a spotlight stealer. Therefore, I will put TWINS at the forefront today!

Wendi and Hailie have a friend their age to play with any time. They laugh and play together every day; they have this sort of understood give-and-take that no other sibling or friend relationship can ever compare to. For example, there is none of the big sister-little sister tension.

Hailie and Wendi are constantly re-equating as far as leading the way goes. One crawled first, the other walked first; one spoke first, the other fed herself first... I could go on forever.

Some days, they can't stand each other and others they can't be together enough. This is from one of their "need each other" days.


Often the question is posed to me, "Would you have twins again?" The undeniable answer is "YES!". I would have loved for Ben to be twins (although two Ben-similar boys running around may have done me in by now...) and I would love to be having twins right now. There is something special about two babies and their unspoken bond that I don't think I'll fully understand because I don't have a twin!

(We are grateful that a grandpa has an identical twin brother and so he understands pretty well. And, there are three aunts and an uncle that are twins -- doing the math, that's a set of girl twins and a girl-boy set of twins -- and our twins recognize and appreciate these family members quite a lot!)

I tend to discourage them being overly dependent on each other - for heaven's sakes, they are going to grow up and have friends that don't even know they have a twin! There has got to be some individual identity, right? (Both girls wholeheartedly embrace this idea, too.)

Sometimes, though, all you need is the person who understands you better than all others, and for these crazy girls, that person is never too far away.

Upcoming Event

No, no, not the birth of our new baby or the birthday party for the twins or the fancy dinner I get to go to tonight (which I don't have to pay for - score!).

I'm talking about The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure. It is a one and a half mile WALK at Veteran's Park in Boise... a fundraiser for the network.

I got such a huge reply back in the blog when I mentioned the twins' allergy to eggs that I thought you might be interested in this. You can find out if there are any events in your area. I'm pretty surprised how few there are and that there is a walk in Idaho but none in other places - maybe you and your friends could be the ones to get things going where you live.

To be completely honest, I'm not interested in forcing everyone to donate to our team (as our fundraising goal is $0 - we've reached our goal! Hooray! Thanks for all you who have participated!). I just think this is a really fun way to get kids moving and teach them about good causes. It's free to participate - for anyone. Any kid who participates gets a free t-shirt, too.


I know, I'm being much more informational than usual. Be amazed, but don't get used to it.

Note: I am large, pregnant, and uncomfortable right now. I will not be walking. Brent will be taking Hailie and Wendi. Granted, I COULD... but Brent volunteered to take them, what do YOU think my reply should be?

Just for Laughs

I know, I know... everyone has a funny video of their kid eating a pickle. But, they're still funny. I can't help but post this.

Background: Ben has had a pickle before (a year or two ago), but I enjoyed this one even more. Why a pickle? Why now? We let all the kids watch Little Rascals and they all asked for pickles for a snack. This is what happened when we gave one to Ben.



P.S. Wendi and Hailie really enjoyed their pickles - said it was a "good sour". :o)

Forgotten Posts of Summer

Have you ever done something fun and taken pictures (or not) and thought, 'I will blog about this. It was a great time.'?

Now you know how I spent my summer.

Here are a few of the things we did that were left unmentioned:

The Twin Falls Temple Open House:




With accompanying sightseeing:











Then, there was the Caldwell Night Rodeo (Tricia, you and your family HAVE to come for the CNR sometime - you know you want to!):


Hailie has deemed these the only "okay" princesses. All others are superfluous.

The Western Idaho Fair









The reason this picture is so much bigger is so you can read the sticker on Ben's shirt.

Finally, Wendi and Hailie camped out in the back yard all by themselves (we had our bedroom window open, the gate was locked, and my daughters were blessed with screams that could make the deaf hear and the hearing deaf).

SUCCESS!

I can make jam. Not only that, but I can also can it (I can can, can you can can?). A friend gave me a whole lot of peaches (leftovers from the bushel she bought) and I decided I might as well make jam.

And, I did.

And, it worked great and tastes great.

I actually ended up making three batches from peaches. Then, just to make sure I didn't make only ONE kind of jam in my first season, last night I made strawberry jam from the strawberries I bought at Costco. It was the perfect amount - and I got to eat two berries.

Brent's new challenge to me is to figure out how to make a "Pear Berry" jam. Hm. Maybe next year. I'm still basking in the glory of all my lids "popping" and nothing burning and no major spills.

*sigh*

Success.

Not just one, but TWO!

Hailie's bottom front teeth have been getting loose for quite a while. About a week ago, Brent convinced her to let him tie dental floss to one of them and have her yank it out. It was traumatic, but triumphant. The result can be seen at right.

Then, two days later, she was eating an English muffin for breakfast and her other loose tooth came out. A decent picture of both missing teeth is still pending.

Yes, we're doing the tooth fairy thing and, of course, they love it! Me, too. It makes it very exciting all around.

First Day of Kindergarten!... and "What's that orange stuff?"

I am happy to report that the first day of kindergarten (which is, in reality, only three hours long) went successfully!

Was I concerned? Not much. Occasionally, I thought there would be some separation anxiety (even though that's never been an issue with my WONDERFUL daughters), but they didn't even require a good-bye hug when I took them to their classrooms.

Let's rewind for a moment - this is their third school - preschool was had for a year and a half previously. But this is big kid school. (Did anyone ever notice how fifth graders look really big?)

Have I mentioned that Wendi and Hailie are BRILLIANT?! Wendi notices absolutely everything. It is an unusual gift; she sees when people need something or if something isn't quite right... I love this talent of hers!

Today she said, "Mom, what's the orange stuff by the garage door?"
Me: "What orange stuff?" I look around and see nothing orange.
Hailie: "Right THERE, Mom!"
Me: "Uh, don't see any-" WAIT! Um, haven't been paintballing in a while, but pretty sure I know what THOSE are! (only one pictured... there are two more)

What does your Peanut Butter Sandwich say about YOU?!

I think this is MOSTLY right... I'm pretty sure I'm not a "fussy eater", but oh well!

What Your Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich Means

Your eating style is reserved. You are a bit of a fussy eater, and you have very specific ways you like your food prepared. You have a total sweet tooth. When you can get away with it, you like to have dessert before dinner! Your taste in food tends to be complex and sophisticated. You're probably a great cook, and talented at mixing unusual flavors. You are probably a fairly normal, upper middle class person. You don't rock the boat too often. You are a tough person who isn't afraid to live life fully. There isn't a lot that scares you. You are laid back and extremely easygoing. You never make a fuss, and you try to enjoy every moment.

What Does Your Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Say About You?

Lemonade Stand!

My fantastic daughters decided they really, really want a fish tank.

Well, if we're going to get a fish tank, let's get a decent one that we can grow into, right? Let's not mourn over the one we left in Florida or lust after those really fancy ones in doctor's offices. Let us save our money and work towards said fish tank.

My fantastic daughters also decided they wanted to open a lemonade stand. Well, two birds, one weekend! :o)



Here are the signs and my daughters. They were such good sales ladies. Every few minutes they would yell out (unprompted, I might add), "Lemonade, twenty-five cents! Who wants some ice-cold lemonade?"

We used a folding table and had our stand at a yard sale. We were there on a Friday and a Saturday each day from around 9 a.m. to around 12:30 p.m. Total made: $22. Not bad for their first jobs, eh? Including their savings from before, Wendi and Hailie's savings toward the fish tank add up to *drum roll* $43! Wahoo!

Oh, and Wendi gets her cast off in two days. Another WAHOO!

We found out what we're having!

A baby! Hooray!

Oh, you wanted gender?

Yes, well, I thought so.

A wonderful little girl! Hooray! She's quite the character, too. She enjoyed turning and showing off while the tech was attempting to get the shots of the heart, cerebellum, spine, etc. She also enjoyed sticking a toe in her eye.

She looks healthy and like she's doing well from what the ultrasound shows. Hooray!

Broken Wing

Wendi broke her arm.

Does this sound like an old post? It sounds like one from four years ago, you say?

That's because Wendi did it again. Left arm again. Both the radius and the ulna. Again.

This time, however, it involved riding a bicycle with no training wheels. Yes, she did AWESOME at it. About four long passes in front of our house without being held up. Then, the crash. I've got it on video. I wish I didn't. No, I will not be posting it, you sick-o.

Here is my Wendi Bird's "broken wing" picture. No, she would not let me brush her hair. I figure that having just had your bones set with just a little morphine at this age is enough trauma. I didn't need to rip her hair out, too.



She's tougher than she thinks and has adjusted to life with a cast. We're hoping that it comes off before she starts kindergarten (August 20). We have our first follow-up appointment on Friday to see how it's coming along.

Additionally, I have to say that she is the most gracious five-year-old I've ever met! She has been so sweet and kind about asking for and appreciating help with everyday tasks she is used to doing herself. She isn't bitter, but rather... very gracious (for lack of a proper synonym).

She's doing very well! Hopefully she'll not be like her Aunt Nat go for the #3.

See It For Yourself

Wow. I guess I'm slow in not realizing stuff like this exists. Ew.

Going Green?

Ben got into the green food coloring. Why do they even have green in the box? I can make green! Um, that's what blue and yellow are for, right?

While this doesn't look bad, please imagine those little green spots wet and a little boy who cannot keep his hands to himself. Oh, and it's a shame you can't see his left thumb. That's pretty much the worst part. You can imagine.

Anyhoo, I also thought a good title for this would be, "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." That fits him, too.

Super Why!

Has anyone seen this PBS show? It's way cute; four friends transform to superheroes and solve their problems by finding the answers in books.

Ben REALLY loves this show - a TON! And, he likes the music, too.

Clarification

I ought to point out that my kids DO get sweet treats, know all about the joys of Skittles, jelly beans, chips, chocolate cake, etc.

It is due to my hard work at brainwashing that they ask for fruits and veggies for snacks and are good at eating them.

They also ask for dessert after most dinners. Dessert can consist of anything from fruit with whipped cream to a handful of Reese's Pieces to a piece of some kind of cake (if I happened to have made one - not a regular thing).

I told that story to illustrate that while the veggies are high on that priority list, I have left out a key thing to a girl's life - the joy of eating chocolate chips for no reason. I realized why, however: I usually do it after they're in bed and I "need" it.

Oh, and I like to leave the sweet treats for the grandmas to give. Everyone enjoys that. Me, too. In fact, my mother-in-law feeds me yummy sweet things most times I go over. We visit her lots. :o)

Hm...

I think we can all agree that it's the small things that keep you motivated; those little moments that are just the "atta boy"s that you needed.

I had one yesterday. While at the store with my practically perfect children (reinforced by their angelic behavior whilst shopping), we played a little game that I (and they) cannot get enough of. In the produce section, we name all the fruits and veggies we can and see if they can guess what letter they start with (since they're generally mislabeled or the labels are in the wrong spots, it's not too hard to keep them from cheating).

These are just a few of the "harder" ones that they got right - can you guess them?




Obviously, you got at least the majority, right?

I was feeling all proud of myself that my kids know their fruits and veggies and eat the majority of them. (This has a lot to do with the fact that when we are all starving for dinner, I only bring the veggies to the table and nothing else is served until all the veggies are gone. Kids are smart; they're not going to let themselves starve!) Success, right? Hm...

Later on that day, after dinner (which warrants another blog in and of itself - those kids are crazy at the dinner table!) they wanted a dessert. For us, dessert is generally either fruit with whipped topping or a fruit shake. (Yes, we're being psycho about teaching them good nutrition. And, by the way, it is working. They don't like eating junk food much. If only I could make that happen for their parents...)

Wendi saw a bag on the counter because I was going to give them options of what kind of cookies to bake and take. Inside were these:



Anybody confused as to what those are? Didn't think so. Wendi, however, in her "brainwashed for good nutrition" mind, just went blank. A girl who could point out a turnip a mile away can't remember what chocolate chips are called!!!

This has led to some serious introspection on the matter of what is really important for a girl to know.

Gonna have to revamp our program.

Graduated

My girls graduated from preschool. (While this sentence may generally be followed by an exclamation mark, I find it rather silly that they "graduate" when, honestly, no one doesn't. It is, however, a good milestone in their lives that ought to be recorded. Luckily, it's not as ludicrous as the little girl in the program whose mother put makeup on her so that she would "look better with the bright lights". Hello! The little girl was four years old; I felt like she looked like some sort of Jean Benet Ramsey. It was disturbing.)

Regardless, it was an adorable program! Here is part of one of the songs.

Oh, and Hailie is wearing a pink skirt with white shirt. Wendi is wearing her red jumper dress with scotty dogs on it.

Joke... right?

So, a frazzled lady with three kids (all at once trying to carry a struggling kitten) walk into a veterinarian's office -

You've heard this one, right?

That's what I'm thinking as I actually DO this a few days ago.

Long story short, Tiger tested "Low Positive" to FeLV while in the animal shelter (didn't know this until we got him home) and started getting sick a few days ago. The good news is that he is actually negative (to what the vet described as a sort of kitty AIDS) and we're not even going to put him on the anti-virals. Not necessary.

Lessons learned: Get a pet carrier. Oh, and never let the two-year-old hold a kitten. EVER. :o)

Familial Growth

So, I'm pregnant. Due in November.

Just thought I'd share.

And, as a pregnancy first, I've been puking and sick. Lovely.

Yogurt

I don't like yogurt. Did you know that? Well, I don't. I had to eat it like three times a day when I was fairly young because I had a yeast infection or something like that.

Still don't like it today.

BUT! I like Yoplait Whips. I guess when you fluff-ify and add enough sugar to just about anything, I'll eat it.



I ate three yesterday. I just ate my last one.

They have a lot of sugar, though - like 21 grams in the four ounce cup.

I probably shouldn't eat them. Too much sugar.

I'm on my way to the store to buy more.

Preschool "playgroup"

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Hailie and Wendi attend the local Methodist preschool from nine a.m. to noon. They love it, it's adorable, and... let's just say it's needed.

On Wednesday mornings, they have what we call a "playgroup", which is basically a bunch of kids their age having a preschool thing for two hours, rotating homes. Everyone loves it, we see new ideas, etc.

HOWEVER! as I am getting them ready (earlier than usual - no real reason), I think to myself, I wonder whose house we're going to today. I look at my calendar and do a cartoon-esque eye-popping out of the sockets because it is to be at OUR HOUSE! AHHHHHH!!!!!! Let loose the headless chickens!

Of course, I had laundry piled high on the couch waiting to be put away, a dirty kitchen table and floor, AND not a clue what I should do with the six five-year olds (including Wendi and Hailie) for two hours. Oh, did I mention we don't have a printer? Yeah, makes worksheets kinda hard.

I just picked something no one had done yet (we've been doing a letter a week and, lucky me, I get the first week with NO letter) - the senses! Oh, it ended up being so easy and a BIG hit. For sight we played "I Spy with my little eye..."; for hearing, we did "Name That Tune" (I have it down from my years as a primary chorister and my last several months as a nursery chorister); our smell activity involved a blindfold and just about every extract and smell-laden food I could find (a HUGE hit!); tasting was fun with snack - and I happen to have a big jar of Jelly Bellies, tons of flavors, to figure out what we were eating; and touch was, again, with a blindfold and feeling stuff. It took a long time - we drew pictures of eyes, ears, noses, tongues (HILARIOUS!), and fingers - and every kid thought it was such a fun day.

Hm. Maybe I should plan playgroup in half an hour more often.

Or NO!

The kittens provided all the entertainment we needed, "Go on out back, kids, and touch the kittens - but do NOT taste them!"

*sigh* It's amazing what a person can do when they have no choice! :o)

Hair Cuts

It actually was a couple of weeks ago, but I finally decided my son should not look homeless any longer. I made him sit (which he just LOVED - do you sense the dripping sarcasm?) and I trimmed him up as best I could amidst the whining (more mine than his) and constant moving (his, not mine). Yep, missed some spots. Who cares? he looks so handsome!

Then, after the warm-up, I moved on. Brent is MUCH easier to trim because he has learned to sit still for a haircut (thank you to all the barbers, over the years, for smacking him around until he learned to sit still)!

Well, maybe it had something to do with the fear that if he moved, I would impale him with the scissors or trim off an ear with the clippers.

Regardless, I had success!!!!



(this was directly after the haircut... Brent had not brushed his hair yet... I know, it looks kind of "poofy"... should have waited until after the brushing. Lesson learned.)

WHAT?! More twins?!

Well, sort of. Technically, they're part of a much larger group.

First, after the untimely demise (or assumption thereof) of our beloved Smokey, we have found ourselves with an empty cat house and a LOT of leftover cat food. Hm. What to do except go to the Canyon County Animal Shelter (which is a much nicer shelter than they had when I was growing up) and pick out a new kitten?

Well, there were two left from that litter. As soon as Wendi saw them (in the same little "cell" for lack of a better word), she said, "Look, Mom! Twins!" It was all over right then. There was another set of three kittens, but I draw the line at triplets!

Allow me to introduce our new pets!

This is Tiger... (because he is orange, like a tiger)



Tiger is the runt of the litter, and a bit more playful. He acts like he needs that kind of love.

And this is Tanner... (because he is, well, tan-er)



Tanner is more... into exploring and knows his name already!



By the way, have you ever tried to get to kittens to sit for a picture?! Even worse than children, if you can imagine. The worst case scenario is when you ask the KIDS to get the kittens to sit still. WOW! That was probably the biggest laugh I've had in a while. Almost laughed so hard I cried. And the laughter is not helpful, either. Oh, the comedy of errors!



Fun times, happy kids, and I'm still allergic to cats. :o)

"I want nor pokey, please."

For those who don't know, Ben doesn't say "more", he says "nor". Whatever. He'll get it eventually.



The other day, the twins were at school and I was doing some work on the computer. Ben was running around doing all sorts of Ben-ish things and he tells me he's hungry and needs a snack. I asked him what he wanted for a snack (which, as all mothers know, is a critical error in dealing with a two-year-old). He said, "I want pokey".

Hm. Pokey? He's hungry so he wants a shot? No way. Can't be it.

"Ben, can you show me what 'pokey' is?"

"YEAH! Follow me!"

At this point, I'm a little nervous... do I have a snake in my house? Do I have a skewer full of meat from the previous tenants (which, considering the things I have found under the stove since we moved in, would not be a stretch)?

He runs to the fridge and opens the door and pulls out... (is the suspense killing you?) the container of cookie dough we have yet to bake! POKEY?! REALLY?! I said, "Is this 'pokey'?" Ben: YEAH!

I told him it's called cookie dough and he said, shaking his head, "No, Mommy, that's pokey!" (As if to say, silly mom, let me help you... po-key!)

Sidebar: Yes, in our house we do occasionally eat raw cookie dough. For the five people in the world who don't know, Wendi and Hailie are allergic to eggs, so our cookie dough (and anything else you can imagine) has no eggs - we use various things to substitute - I can elaborate at another time. No, they won't grow out of it. And no, it's not one of those allergies where they'll get a rash and a tummy ache. They throw up everything you can possibly imagine that is inside of them, their throat closes up, they pass out, then die. No joke. (Yes, we have emergency medicine to halt the progress of this reaction, but the more they are "exposed" to eggs, the more swiftly these events will unfold. Have to avoid the allergen all together.) It is called an anaphylactic allergy. I have the same thing to tree nuts (no, not peanuts - those are a legume, not a nut). Believe me, I know exactly how much trouble this causes.

SOAPBOX ALERT! For the curious, here are a few things that contain eggs (aside from the obvious cakes, cookies, meringues, etc): nearly all breakfast items (french toast, waffles, pancakes), many marshmallows, candy corn, some breads, Snickers bars, many granola bars, anything with nougat, chicken breadings, creme puffs (NO! I love those!), many crackers, corn dogs, many noodles, some pizzas... I could go on for eons! "Egg substitutes" are all egg whites and some oil. Needless to say, I know it's a pain more than anyone else. But, I also know what it's like to have this type of allergy and how you feel like you're this huge burden to everyone because everyone makes comments (can't have this, your parents are going without that). Which, since you're reading my blog, irritates me to NO END when people say that now about Hailie and Wendi "making" us not be able to have eggs... Although the implied meaning is that we obviously love them and are glad to make that sacrifice, that is not said aloud nearly as often as how hard it must be. No, it isn't hard. It's a change. Actually, an easy one, thank you very much.

Ah. Better.

Back to the Ben story - So, I gave him a little piece of cookie dough and then sat him down with some pears while I swiftly baked the rest of the "pokey", which magically turned it into "cookies" according to Ben. He must think I am just amazing. I can turn pokey into cookies, I have magical kisses which will heal any wound, and upon my words we all go outside to ride bikes. "I am the all-powerful Mommy!" (It's so fun to notice the things that kids believe and marvel at!)

Oh, yeah!

$5625.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

This is the REALLY funny one:

18

But, they didn't indicate if these five-year-olds were angry (as in, you stole their candy or ate their last chip, etc). This can make a difference, so I'm gonna guess these are run-of-the-mill five-year-olds.

Sorrows of the Feline Kind

For those who don't really know, I don't like cats. They're snobby and think they own you... just not right for something that is fairly dependent on the people they seem to somewhat loathe. Oh, and I'm allergic. (As if our family needs any more allergies!)



Ergo, we adopted a cat last fall. He was "free". And, as all "free" animals end up, he cost us more money than I'd like to mention. Smokey was part of an abandoned litter that a very nice lady syringe-fed until they were old enough to be given away. As I am sort of psycho about having pets NOT live in my house (save fish and other cage-only animals), we got a very nice "home" for him outside with lots of toys and special dishes, etc. My daughters have been so happy with their pet - taking great care of him and loving him. It has been one of the best things we could do for our kids!



Having been raised by people, Smokey is an incredibly loving, grateful cat. He plays ball with the kids, lets them carry him around, and even tolerated Ben picking him up by his tail once or twice. ("Ben, put him DOWN!" *thump*) Basically, a dog-like cat.

He got in a cat fight a while back and had to be put on antibiotics. We put him in the garage to heal up. His favorite place to perch was on a very high shelf right next to the door that leads to the house. Imagine my surprise and I walk out that door and notice something staring at me from way up there! He had since healed up and was doing great outdoors again.

About three mornings ago, we didn't see him. We put his food out like usual and it has been sitting there since. Now, let's get into the trauma of it all... The first thing I ought to mention is that the kids don't want to play out in the back yard. They think it's too lonely without the cat, who usually hid when they were out there... or, at least when Ben was there...

Wendi makes us go on walks each day calling for Smokey. She carries a fairly large basket the whole time, too - "knowing" that he will see it and know it is for him and jump in so she can carry him home.

Hailie won't let me put his house in the garage. "Mom, he needs to come back and he won't know it's our house if his house isn't out there."

We have checked with our neighbors and animal control and the animal shelters. I'm thinking he's probably dead somewhere (and I'm scared that on one of our walks, we'll find him squished in a road and I'll have to SHOW my kids death - literally), but we can't tell the kids he's dead because then he will show up again. Here's what I think that conversation will go like:

Wendi: Mom! Smokey is out back! He's not dead!
Me: What? Oh, that's great! Is he okay?
Hailie: He's better than okay, he's resurrected!

You see the dilemma here? (Do you know how much deeper of a doctrinal conversation that will be than I want to have with a five-year-old?) We just want to know that he's run away forever or that he's dead or something so that the twins will have some closure!



Alas, no closure to be found.

This is my little farewell to the only cat I've ever liked. We love you, Smokey!

(By the by, the first picture is of Smokey as a little kitten and the second picture is of Wendi holding Smokey with Smokey's house in the background. Those two were taken on Wendi's "Kid Tough Digital Camera", which the girls begged to have for a full year before I finally bought each of them one for this last birthday - it was ALL they got for their birthday from Brent and me, but it was one of the best toys we've ever bought them. I really enjoy seeing the world the way they do (not as many butts involved as I had thought). And, the pictures aren't quite as bad as I'd imagined. Obviously not as good as a "grown up" camera, but not that bad!)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

*Back when I was a kid* (I know, I should never star this way!) I always forgot when it was St. Patrick's day. At least every couple of years I'd be caught wearing blue or red or some "unacceptable" color on this day. So, I swore I would always help my kids remember to wear green (and avoid pinches and the teasing).

Today, I told Hailie that she needed to wear green today.
Hailie: Why?
Me: Because it's St. Patrick's Day and it's kind of a fun thing to do.
Hailie: What about blue?
Me: Well, if you wear blue with no green, people will pinch you.
Hailie: They shouldn't do that. I'll wear red.
Me: If you wear red, they get to kiss you.
Hailie: But what if they don't know me?
Me: They still might.
Hailie: That's not right. If they pinch me, they should get a big time out! Pinching can hurt people. And that would be a bad touch from someone I don't know.
Me: Yes, but it's a game. Not to hurt or scare you or give bad touches.
Hailie: But pinching hurts. That's a bad game.
Me: It's not meant to hurt - just play.
Hailie: But Mom, that's a bad game and we don't do that at our house.
Me: Um....
Wendi jumps in: So it's okay that Hailie wears a blue shirt because we don't play bad games.
Me: But, it's really just for fun and the pinches won't hurt -
Wendi: Mom, we don't pinch.
Hailie: I'll get my blue shirt.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?!

The up side is that the blue shirt couldn't be found and we compromised on a shirt with orange and green stripes. Wendi chose a shirt with pink flowers and green stems. FINE! Luckily, Benjamin doesn't care what he wears (and would prefer to be nude anyway).

*SIGH*

On The Run

It has happened again - I'm back in my "I love to run" mode.

I go through phases; sometimes I can hardly wait until my next run and I get moving in the morning so I CAN go running and that "runners high" is with me all day.

For the past year or so, I've been in a rut. An I-don't-wanna-put-on-my-running-shoes rut. Yoga has made a nice exercise while I silently protest the world of sneaker slamming.

Although, I think I have been more of a distraction to some of the other "practicers" of Yoga during the "warrior poses" days. Let's just say, I can't "tree" to save my life! Sad. Very sad. Also kind of funny. It's just like you picture - these people in their yoga poses, all centered, calm, even Zen-like. And then there's me; the lady in the back row swaying, leaning, and falling to the ground in a most Three's Company-ish style. *sigh*

Anyhoo, I jumped on the treadmill last week and I am re-addicted. I've signed up for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in Boise and I'm pretty excited about it! Anybody want to come join me? It's on May 10. Only a 5k. (I am still steadfast in my refusal to run a marathon. I just think that when bodies start shutting down and feet start bleeding, these are not subtleties! Your body is screaming for help - or it would if it could catch its breath! But that's just me.)

Apparently, I also walk really weird and it causes the sweat pores on the balls of my feet to clog up. Kind of freaky. I get special shoe inserts - yes, old person orthodics - and supposedly they're better than Air Jordans were for basketballers back in the day. Look out, Lauryn Williams! Or not. :o) Let's just start with trying to run through a whole 5k!

We're finally on!

It took us (me) a REALLY long time to get on here and start doing something! Embarrassing!

For those who aren't up-to-date (is anyone?), we live in Nampa, Idaho. Yes, my hometown and about twenty minutes from Brent's. Oh, did I mention that

BRENT FINISHED DENTAL SCHOOL! Wahoo! and *phew*

He works for a dentist here in Nampa and it is a good situation. Some people walk out of school and end up in a nightmare of a job, but we have been very lucky. (Anybody need a dentist? I know a couple of good ones!) The other doctor and staff members have been very kind and welcoming. Brent is doing very well and his boss was pleasantly surprised to see how little help he needs.

I (Karen) have been trying to keep up with these busy kids of ours!

Hailie and Wendi played soccer this past fall and really enjoyed themselves. Let's just say they weren't exactly into the competitive spirit at the time, but enjoyment was not lacking nonetheless. They are learning to play the piano (I am teaching them) and we're now working on tying shoe laces. It's rough going, but going. Their favorite activities are cooking with mom, reading books, and playing with their kitten. Recently we took them to the BYU Folk Dance Ensemble and we've got some budding performers on our hands! Wendi was very into the actual dancing and costumes; Hailie, on the other hand, enjoyed the music and started analyzing what "style" she thought it was. Very interesting.

Benjamin is... a boy. He's so busy, so funny, and very tough. He is about the happiest kid imaginable. With a tendency for ear infections, we've been to the doctor a few times to find that no one quite believed he was sick because he was so happy and outgoing, even with an insanely high temperature. Now, lest you believe that he is "sickly", it should be noted that usually when viruses run through our house, he gets well faster than anyone. I tend to believe it is because of his attitude - life is fun! Also, he's very... verbal. Hailie swears he knows Spanish. Only time will tell!

That should get us caught up and you can tune in later for "As Our World Spins Out of Control".