Camera Dump - the only kind of posting I do anymore

Frank at the Music City Speed Cube Competition

Nashville March 2017

Frank and Destin duet

March 2017

Elaine

April 2017

George

April 2017

Talent Show May 2017

George and his friend Bryson solved Rubik's cubes while Bryson rapped Blackalicious's Alphabet Aerobics.  I wish I could've fit the whole video on here because Bryson did an amazing job with the lyrics.  It's not a great video, but if you watch closely, you'll see that George solves the pyraminx in about 10 seconds, and he finishes solving a 2x2 just before the video ends.

Lost Sea Adventure at Craighead Caverns in Sweetwater, TN

America's largest, and the world's 2nd largest, non-glacial subterranean lake.  

This was really, really cool.  The boat ride at the end is simultaneously enchanting and creepy.

Bryce Canyon

I didn't get many pics of the boys - they were miles ahead of me for most of the hike.

Bryce Canyon is breathtaking  - figuratively and literally.

And Elaine!

May 2015 - Her first recital!

December 2015 - Lightly Row & Jolly Old St. Nicolas, Jingle Bells, We Wish You a Merry Christmas

March 2016 - Go Tell Aunt Rhody accompanied by Frank on piano

May 2016 - Firefly

December 2016 - We Wish You a Merry Christmas & Silent Night (in which the 6 year old plays better than the adult)

                             

Now George!

July 2014 - Fiddle song (can't remember the title) accompanied by Pete

May 2015 - I'll Seek the Lord Early & I Often Go Walking

December 2015 - Jingle Bells

March 2016 - Gavotte

May 2016 - Shepherd's Song

December 2016  - The First Noel & Ding Dong Merrily On High

I Haven't Posted in Almost Two Years

I'm not sure I even remember how to do this.

I'll ease back into the world of online journaling with a massive camera dump.

Beginning with Frank's recitals for the last three years:

December 2014  - What Child Is This?

May 2015 - Emma (by Rachel Portman)

December 2015 - O Holy Night 

March 2016 - Allegretto

May 2016 - Frank Churchill Arrives (by Rachel Portman)

2016 - Sleigh Ride & Frosty the Snowman & Joy to the World

My Second Meme

Monkey Do

When I'm Wrong...I'm Really Wrong

So when I put the kids to bed tonight, Frank asked me to sing "the spoiled baby song."  I immediately launched into Robyn Hitchcock's "Uncorrected Personality Traits", at this point in the lyrics:

                   The spoiled baby grows into

                   the escapist teenager who's

                   the adult alcoholic who's

                   the middle-aged suicide.  Oy!

Frank laughed a little and said, "Umm.  What?"  Turns out he was just making a joke about "Hush, Little Baby."

Whoops.

Monkey See

Can Can

Boogie

Triple Threat

I have attained the Old Lady Trifecta, and because I'm an over-achiever, I did it before my dotage.  That's right.  I garden (and send pics of my best produce to my friends).  I eat dinner at 4:30.  And I recently took up crochet.  Behold, a blurry shot of Elaine wearing my latest project.

Now who wants to hear about my sciatica?

Sherlocked

While Pete and the boys watched the Super Bowl and Elaine played at Nat's house, I made my first meme.  Because Sherlock is awesome, and I'm a dork.

I'm thankful...

1.  for our traditional general conference Cheese Blintzes.  So delicious.

2.  for what a great motivator this wellness challenge has been.

3.  that this is the last day of the wellness challenge.

Listening to Anna Karenina now.

I'm thankful...

1.  for a beautiful day spent at Reelfoot Lake yesterday.

2.  that I don't have to rely on throwing a spear to catch meat, because it turns out I'm no good at it.

3.  for an excellent first session of GC.

I'm thankful for...

1.  newly-trimmed hair.

2.  generous sisters-in-law.

3.  Pinewood Derby excitement.  

I'm thankful for...

1.  family get-togethers.

2.  spring break.

3.  freshly-cleaned houses.

I'm thankful...

1.  that I was able to help my parents move last week.  

2.  for the fun family Easter dinner we had yesterday.

3.  that Stephanie and kids are in town for the week.

I'm thankful for...

1.  things working the way they're supposed to.

2.  things not working the way they're supposed to,  because it makes me more appreciative of the times they do.

3.  Pete fixing things when they're not working.

I'm thankful for...

1.  something a friend said several years ago that still makes me laugh every time I think about it:

       "If dolphins are so smart, why aren't there more of them in
        management.  If they're so helpful, where were they
        when I was filing my taxes?"

2.  something  I heard in a movie that still makes me laugh:

       "I want to be a missionary.  You know, travel the world...killing
       people for money."

3.  that time that Pete rhymed pimento with flamingo, which still makes me laugh.

I'm thankful for...

1.  the opportunity to have FHE with my parents, Alison, and Oliver last night.

2.  Frank's and George's tenderness with Elaine.

3.  ponytails.  And sorry to those who are tired of seeing me in one.

I'm thankful for...

1.  Pete's crepes.

2.  any meal I don't have to cook.

3.  Double-Chocolate Filled Strawberries.

I'm thankful...

1.  that my brother's home and just a couple of houses away when Pete's at work and I need help with something.

2.  that he's always willing to help!

3.  for new routines replacing old ones as my kids grow and change.

I'm thankful for...

1.  fun finds on Swap Shop.

2.  getting lost in a good book.

3.  instant messaging.

I'm thankful for...

1.  beautiful weather.

2.  a morning spent working in the flower beds.

3.  leftovers.

I'm thankful...

1.  for serendipitous moments.

2.  that Elaine didn't get out of bed once on her first two nights in her toddler bed, and hoping that our good luck will continue.

3.  that our trampoline was able to be salvaged after bouncing off our roof.

I'm thankful for...

1.  Pete scratching my back while I type this.

2.  dinner with my parents tonight.

3.  Kid Snippets.  Especially this one:

I'm thankful for...

1.  George's excitement about playing T-ball.  Love watching him out on the field, and enjoying this beautiful weather.

2. the arrival today of my grandma's old bedroom set, in anticipation of which I re-painted our bedroom on the first day of this gratitude list.

3.  Bill and Natalie's generosity in bringing said bedroom set to us, and their helpfulness in staying to help us get it set up.

I'm thankful...

1.  when my kids have fun together.

2.  for homemade strawberry shakes.

3.  for Frank's new interest in helping out in the kitchen.

Am now listening to Anna Karenina.

I'm thankful for...

1.  quiet days.

2.  good books.

3.  sleeping babies.

I'm thankful for...

1.  book club fun.

2.  early nights.

3.  ramen, because Frank can make it for dinner.

I'm thankful for...

1.  partially fulfilling the relatively short-term goal of attending the temple with Pete twice this year.

2.  fulfilling the relatively long-term goal, set 5 years ago, of being able to fill in during sacrament meeting if a pianist was needed.

3.  the absolutely short-term goal of being asleep by 10 tonight, and really hoping I achieve it.

I'm thankful for...

1.  the prospect of a weekend in Nashville at my sister's house...it's time for Pete's bi-monthly checkup.

2.  great finds at Big Lots.

3.  the exciting news that a friend is expecting!

I'm thankful for...

1.  the beginnings of irises, lilies, rebekiah, hollyhocks, and bee balm I'm starting to see in my flower bed. 

2.  the perpetually soft ground, which means I shouldn't have too hard a time moving the daisies up and the coneflowers back.  Unless the mud sucks the shovel in.

3.  spring.

I'm thankful for...

1.  a newly tuned piano.

2.  mutually beneficial barters.

3.  rainy days when I don't have to leave the house.

I'm thankful for...

1.  this week's episode of This American Life, which in my opinion had a rating of 5 out of 5 schizos.  The more it makes me laugh/cry (and thus the more schizophrenic I appear to passersby on my morning walk), the higher the rating.

2.  the good laugh we all got from Elaine's description of root beer:  "I a little bit sort of like it but it's also spicy right here" (pointing to her mouth).

3.  my wide-open morning since a piano student cancelled, the (barely) dry grass since we haven't had rain for a few days,  and the fair temperature, meaning I can do a little yard work today and make our yard look a little less like Malcolm in the Middle.

I'm thankful for...

1.  clear roads and safe driving conditions.  I'm really trying to be positive here because we've had constant snow for about 24 hours and nothing to show for it.

2.  movie/pizza night.

3.  being done with laundry...for today.

I'm thankful for...

1.  Thomas Hardy, because I love melancholy stories, and Jude the Obscure is among his melancholi-est.

2.  good health. 

3.  Fridays.

I'm thankful for...

1.  Christmas carols all year long, thanks to Elaine.

2.  the MyFitnessPal app.

3.  lotion.  And chapstick.

I'm thankful for...

1.  cycles.  I remember being endlessly entertained by Shel Silverstein when I discovered A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends when I was about 8.  Now Frank has discovered him, and he loves to share his favorite poems with us.

2.  the endless entertainment one of the poems from Runny Babbit has provided for us all:

     Said Ploppy Sig to Runny Babbit,
     "May I use your broom?"
     Said Runny Babbit, "Yes, fut birst,
     Please let me ree your soom.
     Oh Ploppy Sig, oh pessy mig
     Oh dilthy, firty swine,
     Whoever thought your room would be
     As mig a bess as mine?"


3.  Reese's Puffs.    

I'm thankful for...

1.  the blessings that come from paying tithing.

2.  the blessings that come from obeying the Word of Wisdom.

3.  the blessings that come from serving others.

I'm thankful for...

1.  the great talk about faithfulness Elder Maynes gave at our special stake conference on Sunday.

2.  the beautiful day and fun walk we had with the kids yesterday.  I love watching Elaine ride her tiny bike - even if I do have to run beside her to make sure she doesn't veer off into the grass.  She's doing a better job of pedaling than steering at this point.

3.  the pretty awesome swag we've gotten from Tyson over the years, culminating in a smart TV on Saturday night.

I'm thankful for...

1.   hand-me-downs.

2.  freshly detailed cars.

3.  date night!

I'm thankful...

1.  for (my) undisturbed sleep.

2.  that Elaine has started napping well again.

3.  for hide'n'seek, because playing it with a 2 year old is one of the cutest things in the world.  

I'm thankful for...

1.  the Daily Workouts app, helping me get a pretty good workout in the comfort of my living room.

2.  working vehicles.

3.  working heaters.

I'm thankful...

1.  for any poopy diapers that I don't have to change.

2.  for my sisters' generosity in letting Pete and I tag along on their cell phone service for the last few years.

3.  that Alison was there to walk us through the process, now that the time has come to get our own cell service.  I'm a real boy now!

I'm thankful for...

1.  catching up with old friends.

2.  my husband's generous nature.

3.  the rain.  But I'm also looking forward to the day when we can walk in the yard without sinking in mud.

I'm thankful...

1.  that we got to be in a Harlem Shake video tonight, dumb as they are.  Because this is probably about as close as I'll ever get to being in a flash mob.  And it was fun.

2.  that we got free movie tickets for participating in said Harlem Shake video.

3.  for making fun memories with my kids.

I'm thankful...

1.  for three-day weekends.

2.  that children are so quick to forgive.

3.  for pancakes.

I'm thankful...

1.  for antibiotics.  Especially after reading How They Croaked.  Maybe Henry VIII wouldn't have exploded in his coffin if he'd had antibiotics to heal that leg wound.

2.  that everyone in my house is finally on the mend.

3.  for sweet friends arriving at our door with sweet cupcakes!

I'm thankful...

1.  again for...sick days.  I'm starting to sound as though I really like for my children to be sick.  But this was the most pleasant Wednesday night I've had in over a year.  Usually Wednesdays are totally hectic because Pete leaves for work, and then I'm in a race against time as I help kids with homework, make dinner, clean up dinner, gets my kids to the babysitter, pick up whatever kids are going with me to church that night, then rush home to get my kids in bed at a decent hour.  As much as I love my calling working with the young women, it was incredibly nice to chill at home and have time for our bedtime routine tonight.

2.  that Elaine made me look good today, as she informed the doctor (at George's appointment) that I always take good care of her.

3.  that after a combined total of about 5 years of having kids in the school system, I'm finally starting to get the hang of things.  

Finished Scaramouche last week, listening to Jude the Obscure now.

I'm thankful...

1.  that I'm well, now that even Pete's sick.

2.  for Frank's teacher keeping an eye on him and letting me know I needed to come get him.  Guess he wasn't ready to go back to school just yet.

3.  for Tylenol, again.  Last time I expressed gratitude for acetaminophen, it was for my headache.  This time, it's for Frank's and Elaine's fevers and George's earache. 

I'm thankful for the funny things kids say.

1.  Frank:  I just noticed how long Lainey's hair has gotten.  I guess she's officially a woman now.

2.  George:  Sometimes I just walk around doing nothing at
     recess.
     Me:  Why?  What are you doing when you're doing
     nothing?
     George:  Hoping I look cool.

3.  Elaine, after being forcibly removed from the computer:  Mommy, you just broke my heart.

I'm thankful...

1.  for Goodreads.  Love being able to keep up with what everyone's reading.

2.  that Martin has an urgent care clinic open on Saturdays.  Why do kids always seem to get sick over the weekend?

3.  that Pete willingly and happily changes the oil in our vehicles.  

I'm thankful for...

1.  sick days.  Not that I want the kids to be sick, but it's kind of fun when none of the normal rules apply and you can spend the day on the couch cuddling, reading, listening to Radiolab, and watching Netflix.

2.  Saturdays with not a thing on the calendar.

3.  the excellent teachers that both Frank and George have this year.

I'm thankful...

1.  for the fun and clever parables the young women came up with at last night's activity.  Love those girls.

2.  that I woke up early enough to make the boys a hot breakfast today.  It's a rare but pleasant occurrence.

3.  for those special one-on-one moments with my kids.

I'm thankful for...

1.  a fun walk to the park for playgroup today.

2.  yoga pants.

3.  yoga.

I'm thankful...

1.  to be done with our taxes.

2.  Elaine has learned to pedal so I don't have to push her on the bike anymore!

3.  for the 1/2 hour of practice I get to squeeze in while Pete and Elaine are getting the boys from school.

I'm thankful for...

1.  brinner. 

2.  my sweet piano students.

3.  the planet Uranus, being the butt(!) of jokes for eternity.
  
     Me:  And that planet is called Uranus.
     Elaine:  My anus.
     Me:  No, not my anus...Uranus.
     Elaine:  My anus?
     Me:  No, not YOUR anus...Uranus.
     Elaine:  My anus???

I'm thankful...

1.  for my mom's delicious lemon squares.

2.  that Alison was there to talk me down when I wanted to eat the whole pan of delicious lemon squares.

3.  that 3 hours of basketball helped me burn off the calories of the 2 delicious lemon squares I did eat.

I'm thankful...

1.  for warm gloves and a warm coat on my 18° walk this morning.

2.  for google.  Because it helps me find important information, like how to type the degree symbol.  (It's Alt 0176, if you're wondering.)

3.  that my kids are growing up surrounded by their cousins.

I'm thankful...

1. that the weather was nice enough yesterday for us to go to playgroup for the first time in a couple of months.

2. for last night's intro to genealogy that has me all fired up!

3.  for Amber's expertise and composure in the face of my near-panic last night as I discovered Elaine has lice.  

I'm thankful that...

1.  our trampoline bounced off our roof, rather than crashing through it, in the storm last night.

2.  the kids slept peacefully through it all.

3.  it didn't last long so I could get some sleep too.

I'm thankful for...

1.  Todd (and Zoe) generously babysitting for me on Monday evenings while I give piano lessons.

2.  Todd and Amber generously babysitting for me on Wednesday nights while Zoe and I go to church.

3.  the fact that my brother lives two houses down, making it very convenient for him to babysit for me!

I'm thankful for...

1.  linger longer and...

2.  Wanda Donnell's chicken and dumplings

3.  GPS

I'm thankful for...

1.  the rare treat of having a morning to myself, since the kids spent the night with Aunt Alison and Pete is at a basketball tournament.

2.  all the fun Stephanie and I have texting each other about whatever dumb TV show we're currently watching.

3.  Tylenol.

I'm thankful for...

1. our new tradition of playing basketball on Friday nights.

2. the fun discussion we had at book club last night.

3. sweet oranges.  Not every orange is a winner.

I'm thankful...

1.  for routine.

2.  that after months of listening to Ira Glass urge me to watch Sleepwalk With Me, it finally turned up on Netflix.  It was pretty good too.

3.  for the simplified arrangements from the Children's Songbook in The Friend each month.

I'm thankful...

1.  that Frank's been in a pretty good mood for the past few days, after a week of not so great moods.

2.  that the young men are in charge of tonight's activity.

3.  for this wellness challenge, helping me to be more consistent about doing good things.  

I'm thankful...

1.  that after 5 years of reading the Book of Mormon as a family, we finally finished it yesterday.  When we started, Frank was 4 and just learning to read, so he struggled through one verse a day.  George was 2 and "read" his verse by repeating a few words at a time.  And Elaine was a twinkle in our eyes.  Now Frank reads 5 verses, George reads 2 or 3, and Elaine repeats one verse.  And now...we get to start over!

2.  for good friends.

3.  for the fun books my parents introduce to the boys.  Currently reading How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous and The Real Book About Spies.

I'm thankful...

1.  that I got to hold my newest, tiny nephew last night.

2.  that it's cold and the sun is shining.

3.  for roasted red pepper and avocado bites, and that Pete suggested having them for lunch every Monday.

I'm thankful...

1.  for Pete's weekends off work.

2.  for the excellent leadership training I attended this morning.

3.  Pete's pulmonary function test went well and his prednisone dosage has been reduced.

1.  I'm thankful for Stephanie's generous hospitality on Pete's bi-monthly visits to Vanderbilt.

2.  I'm thankful that, for now anyway, Frank and George still love for me to come read to their classes.

3.  I'm thankful that we have health insurance.

1.  I'm thankful for slow cookers.

2.  I'm thankful for the sound of Elaine singing throughout our entire day.

3.  I'm thankful for the Audiobooks app and free downloads.  I'm listening to Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini right now.  Wonder what I'll be listening to three months from now when the wellness challenge comes to an end.

1.  I'm thankful for winter weather.  Because I prefer cold temperatures to hot, and getting out of school for inclement weather is as exciting as a holiday.

2.  I'm thankful for cheap Chinese buffets.

3.  I'm thankful for This American Life.

Lo-tech and High-tech Stuff

1. I'm thankful for my cornbag that keeps my feet warm at night.

2. I'm thankful for the Gospel Library app that allows me to read my scriptures first thing in the morning without having to get out of my warm, cozy bed or even turn on the light.

3. I'm very thankful for the new youth curriculum.  It is inspired and inspiring.

Wellness Challenge

As part of a 3-month-long wellness challenge I'm participating in, I have to journal 3 things for which I'm grateful every day.  Here goes...

1.  I'm thankful to live near family who can keep my kids for me when I wake up with a wild hair one morning and decide to repaint my bedroom.

2.  I'm thankful the paint that's been sitting in the garage for the past 3 years was still good and that the nice lady at Wal-Mart shook it up for me with her fancy paint-shaking machine.

3.  I'm thankful for Paul F. Tompkins and his Pod F. Tompkast.

Waxing Crafty

I don't do many crafts, but when my mother-in-law visited in March, she brought a Better Homes and Gardens magazine with a craft idea on the front cover that I just had to do. So I put it in my to-do basket and figured I'd get to it in a year or so. But Natalie saw an almost identical project on Pinterest, and dang if she didn't do hers right away, inspiring and provoking me to get mine done too. It was a little more expensive than I realized it would be - I figured I could get spray paint for $1/can, and I could've, if I wanted ugly colors. The nicer colors were more like $4/can. But the nice surprise was that the whole thing was done and hanging on my wall in under an hour.

 

I call this Fashion Corner, cuz that's where my fashion pillows, fashion lamp shade, and now my fashion wall art are.  Just about everything else in my house came from Walmart and looks like it.

Mormon Culture

Frank assembled a SWAT team in our Little People barn.  It was a motley crew (or is it crue?), even boasting a blue Avatar guy courtesy of McDonalds.  He introduced them to me as, "First Presidency: Spiderman and his first counselor Wolverine and his second counselor Luke Skywalker.  Second Presidency: Batman and his first counselor Beast and his second counselor Silver Batman."  I forget who was in the 3rd and 4th presidencies.

And earlier this week while we were listening to NPR in the car, we heard something about the next president being either Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, and George said he thought Thomas S. Monson was the president.  Although at least back when he was 4 (he'll be 6 tomorrow) he did know Barack Obama was president.  He even used to do an impression of him...

It's great to be 8

Frank is 8, and that means he's old enough to be baptized.  The big event was today, and it really was great.  Almost all of our family was there, we had wonderful talks on baptism (in which repentance was explained using Captain America as a metaphor!) and the Holy Ghost, and got to spend time with good friends.  We remembered dry underwear -yay!  We forgot towels - boo.  I borrowed my sister-in-law Pam's idea and made a little video for us to watch while we waited for Pete and Frank to dry off and rejoin us.

Yes, I would like a cookie. Two, in fact.

So I think I solved two big problems this week. (Knock on wood, I don't want to jinx it by celebrating too soon.) 

Okay, first problem:  Boys are disgusting.  And there is no solution for that.  After a good year and a half of trying, without one single instance of success, to get my children to pee in the toilet instead of all around it, including on walls and shower curtains, I finally had to admit defeat.  We decided it just isn't feasible to expect little boys to be clean or hygienic or anything less than repugnant.  So, after some scheming and strategizing, we came up with a new plan of attack.  Maybe if we couldn't teach them to be clean, we could teach them to clean up after themselves.  So we introduced them to the Clorox wipes, taught them to close the tub so they don't dry out, made sure to mention they are not under any circumstances to be flushed, and that they have to wash their hands after using because of the mysterious-and-feared chemicals on them.  Six days into it, there are no soap puddles on the counter, no globs of toothpaste in the sink, and most amazingly of all, no urine-soaked stenches emanating from their bathroom.  Looks like I won't have to dig a latrine in the backyard after all. 

Problem the second: Since Elaine's birth, my biggest concern each day has been "How and when will I shower today?"  You would not believe (or maybe you would) the amount of plotting and planning required to make sure my daily toilette wasn't accompanied by Elaine sobbing and screaming outside the bathroom door.  I thought I had all the time in the world today to shower, that it could wait until her nap.  But a little after 10, I remembered I had a piano student coming in less than an hour.  I was almost in a panic, until I had the most amazing idea.  I took the toilet paper off the roll and put it up on the sink, along with the trashcan, used a laundry basket to weight down the toliet lid, left the door open for Elaine, and hopped into the shower.  It worked like a charm - even had an unexpected reverse-psychology effect.  I thought she would pull back the curtain and jibber-jabber to me the whole time, but since she knew she wasn't locked out, she didn't even want to be there.  I heard the pitter patter of little feet a few times, I assume she was just checking up on me, but mostly she stayed in the living room and played.  THIS IS GOING TO BE LIFE CHANGING FOR ME!!!  I wish I'd thought of it three babies ago.

For those of you with baby boys, may I share a bit of wisdom that I really wish someone had shared with me:  Teach them to pee sitting down. 

Happy Father's Day. Yeah. You're Welcome.

Ahh, Father's Day.  A special day for expressing love and gratitude.  A day for serving breakfast in bed and preparing favorite desserts.  A day for taking Dad down a peg or two.

Frank made this card for Pete.  It begins innocuously, with a traditional and familiar wish:

But housed within is a lethal blow to the ego:

In Primary, George filled out an adorable little questionnaire about Pete:

But upon closer inspection, it too packs a punch:

And since George knows I'm older than Daddy, he guessed I must be 66.  Two parents, one stone.