Toe pick

I didn't realize Chod had the day off, so when he was still hanging out in his running clothes at 8 this morning, I was a little confused. It appears I missed a holiday and Chod didn't have to work.  So we had a bonus day with dad home!

We decided to spend the day at the outdoor ice rink and invited the cousins to join us. Bentley was a pro on skates.

Finally 4

Happy birthday to my letter sounding, number adding, veggie eating, chocolate loving, Lincoln defending, Joy School going, Lego building, car playing, mom helping 4 year old!

I have arrived

as a Christmas tree owner. Finally, after years of practice, our tree has budded out.

Not on the list

Apparently, Santa left a little something special in the bottom of our stockings that wasn't on any of our lists.

The stomach flu.

For each and every one of us.

Bentley's sheets were changed 3 times before he figured out why we kept sending a bowl to bed with him. It was that bad.

This is a Christmas we won't forget anytime soon.

Santa found us

Christmas Eve has been a night of dread ever since Bentley learned that Santa would be taking Levi back to the North Pole when he stopped at our house. Luckily, the note Santa left helped ease some of the sadness, and the gifts took care of the rest.

Our Christmas morning was everything we hoped it would be. Both boys woke up to find the new jammies Santa had but on them during the night. Our day has been spent in pajamas playing with toys, putting together puzzles, reading books, and watching new movies while snuggling on the couch.

Merry Christmas!

The coolest thing ever

I reluctantly spent many hours in my dad's shop growing up. I made it widely known that I didn't enjoy my time out there. Most of those hours were spent behind the ironworker; punching holes, shearing angle iron, or cutting flat bar.

Tonight Chod started explaining this ironworker to me. "You know that massive one that goes kerrrrr-chunk as it punches a hole right through the metal! It's awesome!!"

"Yeah, I know that one."

"No, the one that has the big fulcrum arm with the counterweights that come around and BAM!"

"Yeah, I know that one."

"It is the coooolest thing ever!!"

If only I would have had his enthusiasm for the ironworker when I was growing up.

Google saved my children

Without children (and Google) I never would have learned:

...rubbing alcohol removes magic marker from clothes (and upholstery)
...WD-40 cleans crayon off of fabric
...baby wipes take care of pen ink on microfiber
...Goo-be-gone removes fingernail polish from carpet

From our home to yours

The Levi Tradition

Chod swears his family had no traditions growing up, other than drinking chocolate milk Christmas morning. On the other hand, everything in my family is a tradition--I have a sister who is a tradition nazi, and makes sure we don't forget or change any tradition. I believe traditions are what pulls a family together. As our own little family is growing and getting older we are working on establishing traditions.

Yesterday, as Bentley found Levi hanging on a snowflake decorations he exclaimed, "Levi, you just so crazy!" And this morning the shrieking and giggling that came when Bentley found Levi sitting on our kitchen clock was priceless.

I turned to Chod who was grinning at Bentley's excitement and said, "This is what family traditions are like. And before we know it Bentley will be grown and married and still insisting that Levi makes his nightly visits to Santa, because it is tradition."

Am I right Tameka?

Amen

Bentley said our family prayer this morning.

"Thankful my dad can go to work and make my mom some money."

And with that I kissed Chod and sent him on his way.

Definitions by Bentley

Bentley has been running a high fever the last 2 days. No other symptoms though. We are hoping he is over it soon.

This morning I told him to go pick out his clothes for the day.

"But me just really, really miserable."

"Oh? What does miserable mean?"

"It means we don't have to get dressed all day!"

Look Ma, No Hands

Give the kid a pink helmet and he thinks he is invincible. We spent Monday night at AWHC (in our matching vests, boys in red, mom in plaid) at their Frontier Christmas. The boys enjoyed riding the ponies (funny to me that both Grandpa's have horses, yet these ponies are the only equine my boys have ever ridden), riding the train, saying hi to Jack the donkey, and running around with their friends.

And we did look pretty cute in our matching vests. Thanks Mom.

Kris Kringle

On the first visit to Santa ever, Bentley was a little apprehensive, but brave and sat on his lap. He asked for a car and told Santa we had an elf living at our house.

 

Lincoln wasn't so brave. Which was to be expected what with his fear of facial hair. Luckily, Bentley had asked Santa for "Linoln his own train set". Bentley is very tired of having to share, so don't be thinking it was altruism, it was pure strategy.

Whoville

I started December out in a Christmas funk. The Wilkins Christmas challenge this year is to keep a journal of the acts of service as you do them throughout the month--based on this conference talk by Pres. Monson.

Chod was out of town the first week of December, and it seemed I was providing opportunities for others to serve me at every turn. First the mouse, and then I forgot to get my parking validated but the nice girl let me out of the Terrace at no charge, a kind kid held the door for a me and the boys, Deidra returned my library books, friends brought cookies, and every time someone did something nice for me I felt like a failure. I was supposed to be helping them. I figured I couldn't count things I did as a wife, mom, or even my church calling--so that was leaving my journal blank.

To add to the frustration of the season, the toys remaining in the garage after the flood proved that our boys don't need more toys. They don't need more clothes. I didn't know what to buy. I was feeling a little grinch-ish and was wondering what the point of Christmas was exactly. We were going through the motions--temple square, shopping, advent calender-but the spirit of Christmas wasn't here.

We decided to visit the angel tree and do the 12 days of Christmas. What a difference they have made. My month has become exciting and I think the spirit of Christmas has filled our home. I'm enjoying the Facebook updates tracking various gifts of different 12 days and hearing about the good deeds of others, instead of resenting them. Bentley gets excited to ring and run. In fact after the first night he came home and requested more gifts to leave for all the neighbors.

Maybe my heart has grown, but I think this may be the funnest Christmas I've had in a long time. This is what Christmas is all about.

Elf Gun?

Levi is our Elf on the Shelf that reports back to Santa every night and reappears in a new location the next morning.

This morning Bentley told me that his Lego creation was an "elf gun".

I think Levi should be very worried. And I hope Santa hears about it.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Bentley has had so much fun in Joy School this year. Yesterday was their little Christmas program. They performed at a nursing home in the morning and then at a party for families last night.

Bentley was a shepherd and Hudson, who has been at our house for a few days, got to fill in for a sick inn keeper, and also was a wise man by morning and a shepherd by night.

Guess where we went?

The kind sister missionary who took the photo cut Lincoln out...but he is there in the stroller all bundled up.

So long uterus

If the megaphone story made you squirmy, you may want to skip this one altogether.

You've been warned.

A friend is having a hysterectomy to remove her cancerous uterus. Tonight she is saying goodbye to said uterus with a party.

Another friend on another continent commissioned me to make this basket for the party, complete with tampon tulips and pad roses. I can't wait to deliver it (neither can Chod, he would really like it off the kitchen counter).

I'm thinking of there's room for a new business in town, one specializing in feminine hygiene flowers. What do you think?

Christmas Mallows

I made up an advent with a different activity for every day. I threw in a couple of new things, one of those was making marshmallows.

Bentley loved it.

I see elves

Hoping that Santa's elves watching would help keep Bentley inline, I thoroughly explained how it works--the elves watch, report back to Santa whether you have been naughty or nice, and then on Christmas only the good kids get presents.

"Wouldn't it be sad Christmas morning if you woke up and Santa didn't bring you any presents, just Lincoln, because you were naughty?"

"Well Lincoln would just have to share."

Not exactly the reaction I was going for.

Dual purpose

While helping me go through things, the 3 year old found my breast pump and spent the day using it as a megaphone.

I laughed every time he ran through the house yelling into it.

Slumber Party

Thanksgiving night my sisters and I visited my grandpa and had him tell stories of the past. One story in particular, the one where my grandma found a mouse in her pillow--grandpa assumes was put there by my uncle after a tiff with my grandma, kept going through my mind last night.

I saw another mouse. This one ran across the top of my washing machine as I was loading it. Brave little buggers. Makes me wonder how many of them there are and where they are coming from. Chod is out of town, so reinforcements were called in. Before going to bed I did a little mouse research. Cause I've got to know what I am up against if I am going to beat them.

The research left me more frightened than lethal.

I learned that they can jump 2 feet in the air, can climb almost any vertical surface (walls!), and can fit through a hole the size of a pencil, they have a life span of 12 months. In those 12 months they have an average of 10 litters averaging between 4-6 in each litter. Once you start doing the math you see there's an exponential increase-ugh. Hopefully a few snaps of the traps can take care of that.

So, as I climbed in to bed I imagined little critters under the covers, in my pillows, and jumping on the bed having a party while I slept.

It took quite a while for me to fall asleep.

Long Live the Geo

Every so often a friend comes into your life and etches out a spot in that special place in your heart.

You call your friend "Race Car" and "Work Truck" and believe it can do anything and go everywhere.

It is a good friend that never lets you down, and sticks with you through the tough times and the good times.

When the friend leaves a little piece of you dies.

When you sale your friend it is a very large piece of you that dies. Friends don't sell friends.

Although, Chod is holding up better than Bentley.

It's hard to be humble

Bentley was adamant about wearing his black shoes today. Even though he had on brown pants and the black shoes are a little small.

He insisted.

As a last attempt as we were walking out the door I said, "but you would be so handsome if you wore your brown shoes."

He turned around and in all seriousness said, "Look at my hair, look at my face", as he pointed to his face, "I already am handsome!"

Chip off the old block

I used to have a major aversion to celery. I thought it smelled like B.O. and refused to touch the stuff.

Somewhere along the way I've decided it isn't so bad.

Tonight, we were eating chicken noodle soup (homemade, thankyouverymuch). Bentley had three little piles next to his bowl; onions, chicken, and celery.

"Why aren't you eating that?" as I point to the celery.

"That stinks."

"What does it smell like?"

"Celerary smells like a stinky diaper."

Fair enough.

Thanks neighbor

Bentley came running up the stairs yesterday morning yelling, "There's water all over!"

The closet under our stairs that we use as our toy closet was flooded. Soggy coloring books and dripping stuffed animals were removed and either tossed or taken to the garage. Soon the carpet in the front room was starting to get wet.

Mr. Fix-it came and sawed holes in a few of our walls, but couldn't find a leaky pipe.

It was a mystery.

He went next door to see if they had water on their side too.

Mr. Fix-it came back shaking his head. What he found was a flooded bathroom, the counter top, under the sink and floor were all covered in water. The neighbor said he hadn't noticed anything leaking, and was bewildered by the water. Mr. Fix-it's hypothesis is that the kids were playing with the Halloween buckets he saw in the bathroom, dumping water on the floor and having a great time.

I can't fathom how much water there had to be to soak through the fire wall, drench our toys and sleeping bags, and still manage to creep into our front room. How did the adults not notice?

In the mean time we have holes in our walls, carpet ripped up, fans set up, and our toys are drying in the garage.

If you love me, build me a mouseproof house

Before I get started, I am not afraid of spiders. I am not afraid of snakes. All my fears are rolled into the mouse. Seriously afraid of them. Chod asked what I would do if one ran up my pant leg. I would die. My heart would give out and I would be gone. No. doubt. about. it.

I thought I saw a mouse run from our bathroom across the hall to the water heater/furnace closet last week before I saw the critter in the garage.

Chod didn't think it was likely, and I wasn't sure it really was a mouse--I just saw movement. So I talked myself down and went about my business.

And then I spotted the peanut eating monster in the garage a few days later and I instantly knew it was a mouse I had seen. I insisted Chod set a trap in there, mandated shoe wearing at all times and told Lincoln there was to be no more crawling in mouse-y areas.

The trap was found licked clean and empty the next morning.

Suddenly Chod wasn't so skeptical of a mouse being in the house. And I knew that it was building a nest in our furnace and planning on taking over the house, one baby mouse batch at a time. We keep extra paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning supplies, etc in the closet and I refused to open the door. Never mind that there is a large space at the bottom allowing the mouse access in and out whenever she wishes--I wasn't going to take any chances.

Then we got sick. I told Chod it was hauntavirus. Once again he didn't believe me.

So I called the only person I know, who hates mice as much as me (or maybe I learned it from her). My mom.

She recommended a hotel room until the little bugger was caught, and agreed that most likely it was hauntavirus. Finally someone who understood!

Chod wouldn't go for that.

So everyday he has heard my ranting and my pleas to move as he continued to glue bait back on the trap, only to find it gone the next morning.

And finally last night, a successful catch. Chod refused to autopsy it to see if it had recently given birth, was pregnant, or if it was even a she. He is also avoiding my requests to check the furnace, just in case. I suppose it will be a few more days until we find out if this mouse was flying solo, or if there's a whole family hiding out in our toilet paper.

Oh, and two cheese eating friends were caught in the garage, the doctor thinks it was H1N1 and not hauntavirus, and Lincoln started walking.

Yo-ho-ho

The little pirates have hit some rough water. The boys went to the doctor this morning, I was fully expecting Lincoln to come home with few prescriptions and to be told Bentley had a virus and there was nothing for him.

Instead, Lincoln came home with nothing, and Bentley got the nebulizer and 3 prescriptions just in case it is the beginning of pneumonia.

We are hoping to be back to our plundering soon, this lying around all day stuff is starting to get old.

Sick pirates

While the Parish clan travels to the other side of the world for the last of the wedding festivities today, we will be home wiping noses and kissing fevers.

Three out of four of us are under the weather. Luckily, the littlest is still feeling fine.

We should have saved our day of pirating until now.

Mouseketeer

I flipped the light on in the garage and headed over to get a tomato or two for dinner, the last of our garden produce, and heard some scratching behind me. I turned in time to see a little, hairy, gray varmit scurrying out of a box.

I flipped. Some may say it was over-reacting. But it was a mouse. Just the thought makes me crawl. Growing up we had an awesome old cash register in our play house. Years after it had last been played with I opened it up to find a nest of squirmy, pink, hairless baby mice. I've never been the same since.

Chod told me to calm down, it was just a mouse and went to investigate.

I retreated to higher ground inside and Bentley asked, "Are mouses mean?"

"No they are just dirty. And nasty."

Chod entered the room and interjected, "Mice are more afraid of you than you are of them."

"I doubt it."

It's a little something I inherited from my mom.

We are the pirates....

Is it possible for a mom to really not do anything for a whole day? I think that's what Chod was asking when he quizzed "Do you really plan on doing nothing all day?". Or maybe he was just afraid it would become a regular occurrence.

And while I kept things to a minimum there are certain things that must still be taken care of.

Like stinky diapers.

And dirty clothes.

And food for the scalawags.

And messy floors.

And the dishes.

And bath time.

And church callings.

And Family Home Evening.

But the boys. They were pretty good at being pirates who don't do anything.They napped and ate and played and watched TV and climbed all over Ty and were in bed by 7:15.

I'm calling it a success.

Argh Matey

To recover from this time change thing + a great (but exhausting) weekend of wedding festivities, I am declaring Monday "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything Day".

We are the pirates who don't do anything, we just stay home and lie around.

It should be a great day.

How old am I?

My baby Tameka is getting married.

Today.

It's your birthday

Happy birthday to my cookie eating, Apple loving, car fixing, marathon running, Donny singing, football watching, bedtime story telling, waffle making, potato digging, moon explaining man.

Make the world a better place

One day while singing "No one likes a frowny face, change it for a smile..." Bentley changed it to "No one likes a mom".

I thought he was rather nervy.

And then today he took it as far as "No one likes a mom, change it for a dad".

I've decided not to be offended. He is just trying to make his dad feel good.

Right?

Sunday sneezes

As a precautionary measure, our stake has asked that if you are sick to stay home. Our ward has gone as far to say that even if it is just a cold--stay home. Assignments and classes will be covered, just please stay home. Handshaking has been limited and hand sanitizer is readily available in the building.

So who are we to disobey? Chod and the boys stayed home sick today. (Chod-sore throat, Bentley-cough + runny nose, Lincoln-why would I take him if Chod was staying home?) Bentley did miss giving his first Primary talk today, and Chod left the bishopric high and dry without a financial clerk on Fast Sunday.

I went to church by myself, which meant I could actually pay attention, stay in class, and not have to hand out Cheerios during meetings.

When I got home Chod said he had taken a nap, Bentley had just woken up, and Lincoln was still asleep.

Plus he had dinner started.

I think we could make a habit of these kind of Sundays. Never has a request from the bishop been so easy.

Halloween critters

For months Bentley wanted to be every Halloween costume he saw. We looked in magazines, in stores, and online. Every costume was either "me be this" or "Linky can be this".

Then a week before Halloween he wanted to "just be nothing". Remembering the boy costume from last year, I really thought he would once again pass on Halloween. Then a few days ago he announced he wanted to be a monkey.

And what a cute monkey he was! Lincoln was an adorable little turtle.
Bentley didn't want to go Trick-or-Treating, but after we told him of Lincoln's height dilemma he agreed to come along just to ring the doorbells. And then surprised us by actually saying "Trick-or-Treat" and "tank you!" at doors instead of hiding behind us.

After the first piece of candy, Bentley was ready to head home and eat it right then. We hit about 6 houses before calling it a night.
Happy Halloween!

Walk of the Pumpkins

Monday night I remembered the Pumpkin Walk was happening. We quickly threw on coats and headed out the door. To what would be the first Pumpkin Walk for 3 of the 4 of us.

One and one half hours later we had parked, waited in line for the bus, walked to the end of the line, waited in line long enough to realize it could be hours before we made it in the gate, rode the bus back, and walked back to the car. 1 1/2 hours and we didn't see anything. I offered that we go back Tuesday night as soon as Chod got off work.

This time we parked in front and walked right in. There were only about 10 other people there with us.

The fact that is was a blizzard really cut down on the crowd.

The boys still had a lot of fun. Lincoln loved putting his head in the cutouts with the Wild Things.
This was my favorite exhibit. Whoever did this is genius. When I see something so creative, I think they must have had a lot of fun coming up with this. But maybe it was just a lot of work and stress. But to me, it looks fun.

And now we can all say we have been to the Pumpkin Walk.

Brotherly Choke Hold

And if I try to get the 2 of them in the same frame.

Fall Photos

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

I entered the family room after hanging clothes to find abandoned toys strewn about, Bentley sitting on the couch, and Lincoln no where in sight.

"Bentley, where's Lincoln?"

"Him just playing in the blinds."

We have those annoying vertical blinds in the kitchen, so I headed that direction.

If only he would have been pulling blinds down.


Instead he was playing in the baking center and emptied my entire container of gluten. See it laying there empty? It is hard to see in the picture, but there are dunes of gluten on the floor.



And I wonder why I get very little accomplished in a day.

Kicking back

This kid knows how to kick back and relax. He's our loungy-loungerton. Lincoln acts like he was made for a Lazy-Boy. Since there isn't a recliner within these walls, he relaxes with his head on a pillow, arms behind the head, and ankles crossed. All he needs is a game on TV and a cold bottle [of milk] next to him.

It's a rough life being Lincoln.

Lesson #57

Learned from the 3 year old. Instead of becoming frustrated with craft adventures that don't turn out,proudly announce, "Look Mom! My ghost has an ear!"

Where is the moon?

He says the funniest things.

Like as we are walking out the door, "Linc, let's roll."
Or right after he gets up in the morning, "Mom, me just gived up."

This morning he asked a girl out, on what could have been his first date. "Aunt Deid, come over. We will watch this movie." As he held up Mr. Roger's at the Circus.

And tonight he asked where the moon hides. I answered, "Sometimes it hides behind the clouds." And he rebutted with "but now it is hiding in the earth's shadow."

Okay mister smarty-pants, when did you grow up?

A muzzle?

Have you seen Bentley's back? He is scrawny, so it is all skin and bones.

Can someone explain how Lincoln was able to get a mouthful of flesh and bite him on the back this morning? He left a nice bruise as well as teeth marks.

And can someone else let me know what to do with a biter? This is not his first offense.

hidden security camera

We've long known that Lincoln will be our agitator, button pusher. You can just see it in those eyes. Bentley's going to need to buck up and ignore him, cause it is going to be a long road.

I know.

Thanks to my camera being handy and the rear view mirror allowing me to watch the lcd screen to make sure both boys are in the picture, I learned what goes on in our back seat.

Rock-a-bye, Go to Sleep

Mom hires me to put her yard to sleep for winter. She likes to refer to me as "her gardener". I got a chunk taken care of this week, but it is a yard that keeps going, and going, and going.
The boys always have fun at grandma's house and they took full advantage of the warm days by helping. Lincoln ate enough dirt to make himself sick and Bentley's boots were filled with leaves at the end of the day.

Drive by shooting

With centerpiece supplies in the trunk, the boys and I headed to my parents yesterday. Not long into the drive my passengers were snoozing and I was starting to get sleepy. Luckily, I had read Marta's post before leaving and loved the part about drive by shooting.

Before pulling out my camera I thought, "is this safe?" I concluded that, no it most likely wasn't, but it had to be better than driving drowsy. I snapped my way home. Held, point, and shot without ever looking.

Out of the 100+ photos I took there were a few blurry ones, but most were surprisingly good. And most importantly, we arrived safely!