Camera Happy

Having gone the weekend thinking the camera was lost, today I felt a certain attachment to it, bringing it along on our morning adventures. I had been wanting to take the kids to the Gingerbread Extravaganza downtown, and was unable to convince anyone else to go with us. So, I bundled the kids up (it's not THAT cold, but 54 degrees today compared to the 85 heat wave we were experiencing Saturday makes it seem a lot colder) and we headed off.

The "extravaganza" was a lot of fun, and all the money goes to charity, so it was for a good cause. We all picked our favorite gingerbread house, and here are a few of them. Damon chose the sandcastle (not sure what that face is all about), Allie chose the one she was closest too (she wouldn't look at the camera--too much going on) and I picked the 3 little pigs one. Really, it was so clever. The other pictures are from Damon's class party I went to last week (with my 40 sugar cookies). It was pajama day and the entire day was a party. Ah to be a kindergartner again...

After the gingerbread event, we went to Kids Kampus and played.

Damon loves to "zip to zip from tree to tree" (if you can name what that is from, you must have kids).

Kyla enjoyed sitting at the top of the slide, pretending she was a big girl. I helped her go down. She wasn't sure she liked it, so I had her go down again to be sure. She didn't like it, but merely tolerated it.

Probably my favorite picture of the day. Allie is doing her weird "bunny smile," but I still think it's cute.

We're heading to Utah for Christmas tomorrow. Merry Christmas! Hope you all have a great one!

A dose of honesty

It's not that hard to be honest. Is it? The majority of people are honest, aren't they? Lately, I'm not so sure. A couple years ago, we found a rash of charges on our credit card for things we didn't purchase (most notably, a payment to a doctor in India), and were forced to question when and where our card number got stolen. Noel had her debit card number stolen by a coworker at the GAP, and the girl continued to work with her as though nothing had happened while using the stolen number. Several of you, my blogger friends, have written about things that have been stolen from your cars, your homes, and even off your porches. It seems like our society in general has become decidedly less honest than in years past. Remember the two clips of President Clinton played back to back: "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." "I did indeed have an inappropriate physical relationship with Miss Lewinsky." Dishonesty reaches the highest office in America.

What ever happened to the days of doing the right thing simply because it's the right thing? I remember, as a kid, losing my wallet at a toy store in Las Vegas. It was a big deal, because I had over $20 inside! We were all pleasantly surprised when it turned up at the customer service desk, with nothing stolen. My faith in mankind was restored.

Today, though, the newspaper is filled with stories of dishonesty. The big story in sports right now comes from accusations of trainers, telling of steriod use by Major League Baseball players. Of course, the players deny that they ever took anything knowingly, although they would be hard pressed to find many who are willing to believe that they are telling the truth. Wouldn't they all be better off just to come out and admit that they did something wrong and to ask for forgiveness, instead of denying something that they are, clearly, guilty of?

These are the things that have been weighing in my mind lately, as my faith in society has dwindled. Then I lost our camera. I had it at Damon's school on Friday as I joined his class in the Dare to Read walk, but when I got home, I couldn't find it. Hoping I had only misplaced it, I searched the stroller, the van, and every possible place I could've put it here at home. Nothing. I came to the conclusion that it must have fallen out of the stroller at the school, and all I could do was hope that someone found it and brought it in to the office. My hopes weren't very high, as my attitude had turned cynical as of late, as I called the office this morning. Maybe it's the Christmas spirit in the air, maybe there are one or two honest people left in the world, or maybe I have underestimated mankind.

The camera was there! I don't have to face any more "if you lost the camera, we won't be able to afford one for a long time" guilt trips. I can stop telling Damon that sometimes our prayers aren't answered, and tell him that (YAY!) sometimes they are. Merry Christmas to me. Our week is off to a great start. Honestly.

Acting

I should've made a career out of acting. I have all kinds of experience.

When we were kids, my sister and I played zits in our ward's roadshow production (we were from Zittsburgh). I only remember one thing from that play, and it was the line, "Do you have her brush?" We thought it was hilarious. I wish I knew why.

Some time after that, a group of girls from the neighborhood got together and entered the stake talent show with a coreographed number from "The Little Mermaid." Maybe because I was the oldest, or because I knew all the words to "Kiss the Girl," but somehow I was chosen to be the one lip syncing to the song, a tutu on my waist and a large feather sticking out of my ponytail (the song may not have been that great, but our costume design was phenomonal). I about had a panic attack on stage, but hid it well.

Spurred on by our talent show succes, my sister and I (along with a good friend) made countless music videos to the music of Wilson Philips when I was about 12 or 13 years old. We used the grandfather of video cameras (the one that was so large and bulky you had no choice but to rest it on your shoulder), and shot in a number of different locations (every room in the house, the trampoline, and even on the roof). I have the video evidence to prove it, although there's not much chance of me posting it, as it would probably change the way you looked at me forever.

Junior high brought new opportunities. I took a drama class in eighth grade (okay, it was actually mandatory), and can still remember some of my lines from a scene we did from "Arsenic and Old Lace." It wasn't until our second date that you told my I have nice legs. And I have, too. Really, it was the kind of stuff that should be featured on a "Before They Were Stars" segment on E! I knew I was fantastic (how could I NOT have been?), but unfortunately, playing sports kept me from pursuing acting any further.

A few years later, when I finally became comfortable enough with myself to admit that I wasn't good at everything, I happened upon the conclusion that I was never going to be an actress. Not only that, nothing about acting appealed to me at all; I hate being the center of attention, I am not very emotional, and would much rather spend my time shooting hoops or hitting a softball than sitting around rehearsing. Sadly, we never made another music video, and besides the occasional "family play" (in which we mostly make fun of my mom), my acting career came to an end.

That is, until our family got roped into playing a small part in a play performed at our Relief Society's Elegant Dinner last night. It can hardly be called acting because we didn't actually speak any of the lines, but merely acted out what was being read. Jeff, who is far less experienced in the world of acting than I am, had to pretend to be excited when I announced that I was having a baby (you may recall that I felt like he wasn't very excited when his actual child was born). The baby was born, grew up and became Damon, who had to rush into his daddy's arms as he came home from work.

Being the self-aware person that I am, I knew that my acting wasn't going to inspire any of the ladies watching the production, but instead hoped that they would just feel the spirit of the evening and not be too critical of our less than stellar performance. I was surprised and impressed with how much Damon seemed to enjoy it, and he got many compliments. As for Jeff and me, I don't think there will be much more acting in our futures. Besides the encore we will give tomorrow night at the ward Christmas party.

If only I could convince him to make a music video with me...

Nothing Much

Our camera is recovering from a recent bout with condensation, and I haven't taken many pictures lately, so when I was thinking about what I wanted to post, I didn't have many visuals to inspire me. Instead, you get this.

Damon and Allie have been banned from the tub until after Christmas. You may recall the "Single Mom Sunday Incident" when they filled the tub to overflowing. They were actually grounded from the tub even then, but since they have been unable to keep the water where it belongs, they are only allowed to take showers. They have gotten very good at it, and I only have to stick my head in for a minute to wash hair and soap bodies and they can take care of the rest.

Kyla, my sweet untainted one, is still allowed to take baths. Although, she doesn't mind the occasional shower. The other night just so happened to be both a shower and bath night for the kids, and I asked them to pose next to the tub. Damon's plan for the shot was to have everyone open their towels, exposing their "goods," and to make silly faces. I chose a more conservative pose.

"Who's ready to get up?" Look closely, and you can see Kyla raising her hand in the affirmative.

And for any of you who are interested in what Kyla is doing now, you can watch this clip. It's not very exciting and I won't be mad if you skip it (I won't know anyway). She has developed a touch of stranger anxiety and prefers me to anyone else (I don't mind that at all). She kicks her legs when she thinks I'm going to pick her up, which you can see here. She also can move herself around fairly well, when she's not lying on three inches of memory foam, although she can only go backwards or in circles.

Christmas Music

Maybe it's the 70 degree weather we are having, but for some reason, it doesn't really seem like Christmas yet. We aren't putting up decorations because we are heading to Utah soon and having Christmas there. And while we're singing Christmas songs at choir, I just haven't been listening to much Christmas music.

That changed today as I was sitting in the van, waiting outside Damon's school. He has been getting off the bus really upset by the increased rowdiness of kids on the bus in the afternoon and begged me not to make him ride it anymore. Even the ear plugs I gave him to put in his ears didn't seem to help and yesterday the bus driver told me he was crying because it was just too loud. I made a deal with him that if he'll ride the bus in the morning, I will pick him up until Christmas break. He was willing to go for it, and for the first time in months, I sat in the long line of cars, waiting to pick him up.

Allie didn't take a nap today, and I was hoping she might fall asleep while we waited, so she doesn't turn into Monster Allie later this evening. The radio wasn't doing anything to lure her into sleep, and so I slipped in a Christmas cd my sister made for us last year. We were enjoying "Little Drummer Boy" by Ashlee and Jessica Simpson when I started wondering why it has taken me so long to get the music out. I started browsing through the songs, trying to remember what else was on the cd, when I heard the familiar opening of a song that instantly transported me to another time.

Four years ago this month, I was nearly five months pregnant with our second baby when my water broke. I think I knew instantly what had happened, even though I hadn't experienced it with Damon. After consulting with a nurse, we decided to drive to the hospital to find out for sure what was happening. The hospital was 30 minutes away and we listened to a Martina McBride Christmas cd on the way there.

Once we checked in, my fear was confirmed that, in fact, my water had broken, and, while still alive, at 20 weeks, there was no way our baby was going to survive outside the womb. The next week was incredibly emotional, as I tried to connect to this unborn child, saying good-bye. On December 11th, I went into labor and our son, Chance, was born, stillborn. This was a life-changing experience for all of us , but it wasn't until we were driving home from the hospital that I gained an incredible amount of perspective. The same Martina McBride cd was in the car, and we listened again to the song "Do You Hear What I Hear." At the end of the song are the words:

"A child, a child, sleeping in the night

He will bring us goodness and light

he will bring us goodness and light."

It was a powerful moment, contrasting the sadness I felt about losing my little boy with the great joy I felt celebrating the birth of another boy, our Savior. Christmas was extra special that year, as I felt closer to Christ than I ever had before, knowing that because of Him, I would get to see my son again, and have him a part of our family forever.

Four years have passed, two other children have come to our family, and I find that I am rarely sad when I think about Chance, "our angel" as we like to call him. The gospel has stitched up the wounded place in my heart, and life has once again been filled with happiness.

So today, as "Do You Hear What I Hear?" started filling the van, I was unprepared for the surge of emotion that came over me. My heart overflowing, my eyes brimmed with tears, the memories suddenly so fresh and vivid in my mind. Kyla started crying in her seat behind me, and I reached my hand back. Her fingers closed over mine, squeezing my heart a little more, and I enjoyed her tender touch for a long moment.

The song ended. The moment passed. Damon got in and shut the door. We played "Little Drummer Boy" for him on the drive back home, as Allie fell asleep. "This is so better than the bus," he said.

Welcome, Christmas spirit. I couldn't agree more.

Pain in the Grass

Have I ever mentioned how much I detest the grass here in Jacksonville? I know the answer to that is YES, but I am going to mention it again. In my time in Utah and Ohio I falsely came to believe that grass is soft to the touch, and can be walked upon barefoot. I recall many happy afternoons spent laying on the grass (with or without a blanket) absorbing the sun's rays (have I ever mentioned how much I love the sun?), a good book in hand.

In Ohio, I was amazed that, while sprinkler systems were optional, huge fields of beautiful grass grew everywhere, even in front of grocery stores. It was a grass heaven, God's carpet, and . The only problem was that there were so few warm, sunny days of the year, that it was hard to really enjoy it.

You would think that Florida, with an abundance of both rain and sunshine, would hold the key for the best possible vegetation, but I was sorely disappointed when we moved here and found that the city of Jacksonville is nothing more than a swamp covered with loads of beach sand. Indeed, our house is "built upon the sand," and the ground soaks up water like a man dying of thirst. The most popular type of grass is St. Augustine, and it is nothing like the grass I grew up loving. It is coarse, infested with bugs, and requires a great deal of time and attention. Even with vast amounts of TLC, it often withers and dies. People are constantly pulling it all out and starting over, resodding their entire yards.

When we discovered that our kids were not going to be playing carefree in the yard, our motivation for taking care of it quickly dropped out of sight. We watered it occasionally, regarding it as more of a nuisance than anything else. As would be expected, the grass started to die. First one spot turned brown, then another. We started getting letters from our homeowners association telling us we needed to address the issue. We put it off as long as we could, hoping for some lieniency because of Jeff's busy schedule. Finally, in September, after spraying for both bugs and weeds, we decided it was time to replace the lawn in the front yard. I'm sure you will agree that it was time (past time).

Jeff and I spent a couple weeks pulling out the old stuff with a rake and bagging it up to be hauled away. It was hard, back breaking work, and we needed a little help from Jeff's brother, Greg, at the end. But we got the yard to this point, as free from weeds as it was ever going to be.

We only did from the sidewalk to the house, and left the green "weed grass" alone.

$200 of sod came just before we left for our cruise in October. Damon and Kimmy (my sis) thought it would be more fun to play on the pallets than actually do any of the work.

My dad, who thought he was coming here for a vacation, was put to work, and he and I laid the sod while Jeff was at school. I had to go inside after about 2 1/2 hours, but my dad stayed out and finished the rest. What a man.

And here is a picture that I took two days ago. You have to admit that it looks a ton better. It might even look good enough to walk on. But don't be fooled--I won't be spending any time laying on the grass, basking in the sun, the smell of freshly cut grass in my nostrils. Not here in Jacksonville. I'll have to wait until we have our own house in Utah for that. Or maybe visit a Kroger in Columbus.

Elf Yourself

A few of my friends have been doing this, and we thought we'd try, too. Make sure you send us your link if you do it, too--my kids would LOVE it.

December busyness

December is just beginning, and I already feel like I can't quite catch my breath. The list of things I need to do seems to be getting longer, and just when I check something off the list, it is replaced with something else that needs to be done. Here's the latest:

Christmas cards are addressed and waiting to be stamped (something Damon has requested that he be in charge of). We opted for picture #1, with Damon and the "head tilt." Because I had to crop the last one (the one, I was informed, that was best of me), it wouldn't fit on a 4X8 Wal-mart card. We'll be getting it in an 8x10, though, so thank you all for your help. I ended up choosing the first one because I love the fact that you can see the river in the background and Damon's pose is just so him. I think I will look back in 20 years and remember exactly how he is today.

We've been fighting a bit of a cold bug, although Zicam has shortened it for me (love that stuff!). I suspect Allie has an ear infection, and will be visiting the doctor tomorrow morning (ibuprofen is her friend).

Jeff stayed with the kids on Saturday so I could go to Orlando and see my friend sealed to her husband and daughter. I went with two other friends and we did a session before the sealing. It was a great, great day and exactly what I needed.

Allie has given up pull-ups at night (she still only wakes up dry about one in five mornings), which has increased my laundry tremendously. But I'm willing to give it a try and see if she can figure it out. She asked if she could feed Kyla, and I told her if she stayed dry all day she could do it. It was a rousing success. When she woke up dry this morning, she asked to feed Kyla again. How could I say no? I love how she asks, "you don't like it?," when she is clearly gagging the poor girl.



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting
When I was putting the pics on the computer today, there were a few video clips that Allie had clearly taken herself. One is of the ceiling after she had set the camera on the counter. I watched the whole thing, listening to hear what was going on. Eventually my voice is heard, but all I do is ask her if she's gassy and tell her to wash her face and hands. Not the gem I was hoping for. It does explain why the Kyla clip is blurry--Allie's peanut butter hands had been handling the lens.

One funny thing--Allie saw something that she thought was pretty impressive. "Holy..." she started, then struggled to find a way to finish her sentence. I was expecting "smokes," "cow," or even "mackeral," as Damon has been known to say. Instead, she said exuberantly, "Holy Ghost!" That one made me laugh. Okay, time to go check something else off the list. But first I will add "blog about random happenings" to the list. Just so I can check it off...