A Sunday Afternoon in June

I used to take my camera to Church all the time, on the odd chance that some little of piece of serendipity would strike, 

George really, really loves Evan

and I would be able to capture it in photographs.Truthfully, though, serendipity doesn't just strike my life occasionally. It stalks me like a hungry cougar, because I hang out with kids for a living. But the camera-at-Church thing; I don't do that much anymore. It's not because the serendipity stopped. No.

Yvy and her favorite birthday twin, Emma

Rather, I was emotionally scarred for life by my toddler, who pulled it out of my satchel during the Sacrament service and started practicing his flash photography skills for all the congregation to see. I don't take my camera to Church so much anymore. I'm sure you understand.

Good friends: Chase, Evan, Amber and Spencer

Last week, however, I took it on purpose. Friends of ours were moving far away (sob!) and I knew it was the last moment we would all be together, and I wanted pictures, baby! Documentation! Oh, yes, I know I live in the digital age of instant communication and social media, and you don't really lose actual touch with anyone. 

Elder Hall, Chase, Evan, Amber, Spencer and Hyrum. We have a great
youth group, and we're really gonna miss the ones who are leaving.

But I also know the every day grind makes it hard to stay connected and involved with each others lives. People change, kids grow up. I take pictures to save the "right now" for the "remember when".

My "May Girls" and the June flowers

Plus, it was a truly gorgeous day. The kids were playful and frolic-ish, and the flowers were shouting, "Summer! Summer!" everywhere I looked. We will miss our friends, and when Summer is gone, I will miss the flowers. That's why I take pictures.

Lucy and Catey had the pick even more flowers, just in case.

Aurora watches the all the flower picking going on.
Someday, she'll be able to keep up with the big girls.

Kid's eye view of me on a Sunday afternoon

Some superheros answer to Daddy

George. On the van, with completely trashed
pants. Grinning like it's all in a day's work.

Eliza and Hannah: friends since forever

Lizzy, Miriam and Gabba: you'll be hard pressed
to find a better trio of young women 

A gaggle of giggles for sure

Friends, flowers, sunshine, Summer, Church, cheesing for the camera. Definitely some excellently good times. Good-bye, Spencer and Hannah and Lizzy! We love you, and we will miss you oodles.

My Heart Belongs Here

The last several weeks have been full to the brim of amazing and wonderful and crazy things. Today was not an exception. After Stake Conference - but before my nephew's baptism - we took some friends to see the new Kansas City temple, and then to the Liberty Jail Visitor Center. We had planned to eat a picnic at the temple, but the landscaping is all young, and there was no shade, so we ate at the Visitor Center. Still, we walked around the temple a bit, and marveled at the beauty of it, and the wonder and blessing of having it here, in our area. The wind was strong, and as I stood gazing up, it snapped the flag around and unfurled it in the other direction.I thought, those are two of my great loves: my God and my country. This is where my heart belongs. So of course I took a picture. I wanted to share it with you, because sharing what I love is another thing that I love.

The Logical Fallacy Game

Something about teenagers. I remember loving the silliness of vaguely attached statements strung together to make a conclusion that has no bearing on reality. And now my Hyrum and Gabba are having fun doing the same thing. Gabba got this one from the New Era, and memorized it: 

Working out makes you ripped; if you're ripped, you need a tan; tanning makes your skin like leather; leather comes from cows; cows are fat. Therefore, working out makes you fat.

Complete nonsense, yes, but still fun to rattle off the top of your head. I actually memorized one when I was eleven and I can recite it perfectly, and it remains my favorite to this day.

Why are fire engines red? Because books are read, too; two and two is four, four and four is eight, eight and four is twelve; twelve is a ruler; Queen Elizabeth is a ruler; Queen Elizabeth is a ship; ships sail the ocean; the ocean has fish; fish have fins; the Fins live next to the Russians; and fire engines are always rushing around, so they're red, too.

See? It's just fun. I googled it, and apparently I'm not the only one who remembers it. Although, there are some differences. There's actually a Yahoo! Answers for "Why are fire trucks red?" Some of the people missed the joke, and gave good, long historically accurate answers. But someone remembered and posted

Fire trucks are red because newspapers are red. Newspapers originally cost 25 cents. Half of 25 is about 12. 12 inches are in a foot. A foot is a ruler. Queen Elizabeth was a ruler. Queen Elizabeth was also a ship. Ships are in the ocean. Fishes are also in the ocean. Fish have fins. Fins fought the Russians. Russians are red and that's why fire trucks are red. They are always rushing.

It's fun to see the differences. I'm glad I'm not the only one who likes this game. I was worried for a moment; when I tried to search online for logical fallacy games, not much turned up. I'm itching to come up with a new one, a really good one. Want to help me write it?

Amuse Me

Budding conversationalists are an endless source of amusement to me. And by "budding conversationalist" I mean children who have mastered communicating, but are still figuring out the finer points of language use, and the nuances thereof. Also, the kids who are young enough they do't really filter what they say like us too-polite adults.

Little nuggets of conversational entertainment happen all day long at my house. I log them away to share with my husband, and sometimes post the really good ones on my facebook wall. They're just too good not to share. But often they just come and go, and the only one who gets to enjoy them is me. Which is OK. I am the Mother, after all, and I view the parade of verbal hilarity as part of my compensation.

Here are a few recent ones that I just feel the itch to record for posterity and amusement; mostly George, mind you, because he is solidly in that Budding Conversationalist stage.

Me: Look at the stars! Aren't they pretty?
George: No, they're freaky.

George (climbing up and sitting on my lap): Where is your bum, Mommy?

Me: I'm sitting on it.

George (taking my braid and pulling it across my face): Look, Mommy! You're a pirate!

George (solidly asleep, as I lay him in his bed) I said no! [mumbled, but still with an exclamation point]

George (hugging Aurora while she screams in his ear and tries to shove him away): Awe, Baby loves me, Mommy!

I'd love to hear the meticulousness stuff the little people in your life are saying. Please share!

Sensory Junkie

My George. He's such a sweet heart, but he is a pretty intense person to live with. We are slowly untangling his needs and his triggers, and he has all the markers for sensory integration. Isn't it a wonderful thing, then, that my youngest sister, McKay, happens to have a degree in and work with childhood sensory processing stuff? She and I have been on the phone and back and forth as she has coached me and let me vent and validated my experiences and anxieties.

If you know anything about sensory integration (or sensory processing), you know that some of us are seekers (need more sensory input), some of us are avoiders (need less sensory input), and some of us are a combination. My George is like Seeker-zilla. With McKay's help, we are building a "sensory diet" for my little boy. I asked her to please throw me a bone and send me a quick list off the top of her head, so I had something to work with while we were getting something more solid put together, and this is what she sent me:

Since he's a seeker, you want to do all you can to make him work for himself. Have him help with chores so he feels good about himself (pushing clothing into dryer, pushing chairs into the table, moving books, vacuuming;  anything he can do that will work his muscles and will help direct him to positive activities. 

You might want to get a bucket with a lid you can fill with things that will meet his sensory needs while you need to keep him busy. Things like rice, oats, dirt, sand, bird seed (my favorite), along with fill-and-dump type toys to pair it with. We often put other things in there, like numbers and letters to embed learning in play.

Go buy some shaving cream (cheap stuff) and let him paint himself and the bath tub (great fun for more than just George, especially if you fill a bucket with the cream, color it with something then paint with it) then let him wash it with buckets.

Finger painting with anything you find in the house, flour and water Kool-aide, chalk and water, anything messy but not too bad for you to clean up later.

If you put hair gel into a Ziplock bag (put duct tape on the top for extra security) and let him play with it for fun or over a book or picture, or put fun feeling items in with the gel. The stuff you make with cornstarch and water is great! Also if you mix glue and borax is fun.

Have you've ever heard of water beads? Google ‘em, they are used in floral decorations; they are great for putting in the bucket, and they dry up if spilled and crushed into the carpet (learned from experience).

If you can get your hands on any samples of AstroTurf or odd feeling carpet and let him walk on it barefoot. 

Do bucket races; have him race someone through the house pushing a full tote or something; also crawling races, commando crawl races, hop, wheel barrel walk, jump up stairs; have the other kids race him around....

Put a backpack on his back with about 5 pounds in it.

Wear an Under Armor shirt waaaay too small for him.

Wrap up in blanket tight and let him wrestle out.

If you still have that cool swing in your house, spin him in it.

Put a pile of clothing or something far enough away from the couch and tell him to jump on it over and over. 

Have him try to do head stands up against the wall. 

Make him some kind of punching bag another person can hold that he can punch.

Let him push the cart at the store.

Balloon tennis: blow up a balloon and tell him to keep it in the air as long as he can without it touching the floor. DONT let him bite it! Worst choking hazard EVER! But it’s great in a pinch; keep one in your purse for emergencies. 

NOTE: Generally, rhythmic movement is calming while erratic movement is arousing. (So pair them back to back to get him up and bring him down)

Avoid fluorescent bulbs in your house as they can make kids more irritable.

Chewing on hard or chewing things will help calm him. Keep one in your purse for emergencies. 

Teach all your older kids joint compression (I think I told you already but if you have questions call, do you have Skype? I can show you and your other kids some time)

Give him a flashlight and put him in a closet.

Different colored glasses that make things look different.

Give him lots and lots of warning when doing things and routine changes. Consider making a picture book of common places you go and let him look at it in the order of the day (or week) so he knows what to expect visually.

Part of me feels really good about knowing what to do next. Part of me cringes at all the potential for mess and noise. (maybe I'm an avoider?) All of me is thrilled to have a list of goodies for my boy. Thanks so much, KayKay!

2012

Not every holiday has to be an over-the-top "Ta Da". But some things are always required. Sparklers on Independence Day; barbecue on Labor Day, caroling in December. At the House of Phogles, it just wouldn't be a New Year celebration  without the bubbly.

Maybe it's because I married a Canadian?

Happy New Year to our kith and kin. Whatever 2012 will be, I hope it is going to be "glass half full".

From the House of Phogles