I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

That's what Arthur says to me sometimes when I'm asking too many questions about his work.  

Just kidding.
But you're reading now, aren't you? 

Truthfully, he is so brilliant, that I don't really understand most of what he does and therefore don't even know what kind of questions to ask to elicit that response.  But he does have a security clearance and works behind a security clearance gate, and can't even get onto the base with out his special photo I.D. badge, and a retinal scan.  (Okay, not the retinal scan.)

So we all felt pretty special going to the Labs with him this past weekend for "Family Day at Sandia National Laboratories."  We all got special "badges," except Hayden.  The lady passing out the special badges said he probably didn't need one; she doubted he was a spy.  (Wahaha . . . Fooled her!)  

There was a full-blown wind storm going on that day, so walking to the various buildings was tiresome, and I have a new understanding of the good wish, "May the wind be ever at your back."  It really makes a difference!

Since the places we visited were all behind the security gates, this is the only place we were allowed a camera, and thus the only picture from our adventure.  Take note of our special security badges.  :)

We had a great time visiting Arthur's work place, and for the first time in the six years he's worked there, I got to see his office, and look at the stuff he works on.  We even put on special lab jackets to keep the static electricity down.  The kids favorite part was looking at stuff under the microscope.  (We got a close up look of Hayden's pacifer . . . hmm, don't think we really wanted to see that, actually.)  Arthur took us to see the rockets that he helped design the the flight computers for and we watched a video of one of them being launched.

There was tons of other stuff that we didn't get around to;  you really could spend all day there, if you weren't towing four little ones along.   Anyway, fun times, but here's to less wind for next time!  

Planting Flowers at the Temple

One of the cool things about living so close to the temple, is that each year, the Primary kids in our ward have an activity where they get to help plant flowers at the temple.  (The woman in charge of the grounds was, until recently, in the La Cueva ward, so I guess we have an "in".)

The kids really enjoy it, but I sometimes wonder if Sister Foutz doesn't come back the next day and fix all the work the kids did . . .  She's a good sport to let them come and help.

ITz

We got this idea awhile back from my cousins Kimball & Marianne to do a bean jar to reward our kids for good behavior. Since we started it they've filled it four times, and when it gets filled, we get to go do something fun like putt-putt golf, or the dollar theater or ITz. I had never heard of Itz until we moved here, so in case you are wondering, "What in the world is ITz?" I'll tell you. ITz is pretty much like Chuckee Cheese except without creepy animals walking around scaring you. And I like the food better. So this time we went to ITz and the kids had a great time and we all left a little over stimulated, but that's what ITz all about, I guess. Hooray for the bean jar!    

This little train roller coaster looked pretty fun, and since Sean loves trains, we thought he'd LOVE IT!  Well, he didn't say much during the ride, while the rest of us were squealing around the tight curves.  And when it was over, I was trying to get him to hold still so we could get this picture, and he kept saying, "Mom, this ride is done.  The train is over now," and was really pretty anxious to be getting out of the train.  But despite that, he still said on the way home, "Dad, thank you for taking us to the pitts!"

Movie Stars

I have a friend named Susie Tallman who records children's music.  She is great and I highly recommend her CDs.  I have all of them.  You can buy them on Amazon or even iTunes.  Well, she is in the process of putting together a music video of a few of the songs she's recorded, and invited Dallin and Daphne to be some of the kids in the video.  So we spent two full days shooting; one in a studio and one outside at the Botanical Gardens.  Dallin & Daphne had a great time, and it was really fun for me to watch how the process works.  I'll post a YouTube link when the editing has been finished and they release it.  Susie is also sending it in to the major children's networks, so it's a possibility that it could be played between kid shows on PBS or Noggin or something.  Pretty fun!

fancy camera equipment

chillin' on the set

Skidamarink

Dallin pointing to Daphne on the screen

The Alphabet song (above and below)

B-I-N-G-O

Capri Sun Break.  They look pretty cute in all our borrowed cowboy gear.

"All that I am or ever hope to be . . .

I owe to my angel mother."

~Abraham Lincoln

This is my mother, Loween.

And today is her birthday, so even though I'd intended this to be a Mother's Day post, I guess it's fitting that I finally get around to it today on her birthday.

My mother gave me baths in the kitchen sink until I was too big to fit.  

I do the same thing with my kids.

My mom is a very talented seamstress.  

She made those darling matching dresses for my sisters and I.  

I hope to be a better seamstress someday, 

but I have courage to try because of what she taught me.

(In this picture, I made Daphne's dress, and Dallin's vest and knapsack.  I feel pretty good about making costumes, but I haven't tried any "real" clothes yet.)

My mother taught me to love music. She and Dad invested a lot of time and money in my music lessons, both piano and violin.  Mom drove me to the neighboring town of Turlock for my violin lessons, and encouraged me to practice (even though I bet that sometimes it was rather torturous to listen to.)  

(This is actually a picture of my youngest sister Emma with Mom.  

And the cute little redhead is our cousin Carly.)

I'm so glad music was a priority in our home growing up.
It has blessed my life immeasurably.

Even though it is a tremendous amount of work, my parents packed everything up and took us camping almost every summer. Some of my favorite "growing-up" memories are of when we went camping together.  

(Nat, & Jen--Remember those ring-pops that we made up a whole campfire skit with ?)

Now, Arthur and I take our family camping, and we seem to forget until it's time to pack up how much work it really is to get everything ready!

 But our kids love it, and that makes it all worth it.

My mother taught me by example, the importance of personal scripture study.  She has stored up a great knowledge of the scriptures from her diligence in studying them.  I remember often finding her up in her room with her scriptures open, and that when I'd go to her with a problem, she would frequently answer with a scripture.  

I hope that my children may often find me with my scriptures open as well, and that when the time comes, I will be able to help them solve their problems by referring to the principles we learn in the scriptures.

One of my favorite times to see my mother (and sometimes it seems, the only way to guarantee a visit from her) is when I have my babies.  It is so reassuring to have her there during those first few days of being a new mom, especially as our numbers are growing.  I cry every time she leaves.  This is my mom with her grand-daughter, Daphne Loween.

 

I look forward to visiting my children when they have their babies and helping them with their new little ones . . . and being able to enjoy all of my darling grandchildren without having to worry about potty-training any of them!

Thanks for all the years of selfless service, Mom.  I know I speak for all of your children when I say that each of those small and simple things you did (and are still doing) day in and day out have made all the difference in shaping our lives for good.  I think of your heroic example frequently, and draw from the experiences I had in our home growing up, as I try to navigate through my own motherhood experience.  I will always look up to you and be grateful for the foundation you and Dad gave me.  

Happy Birthday / (belated) Mother's Day!

Thumbs, Potty-training, and Father's Blessings

1. Thumbs.

When Daphne was tiny--just two months old, I isolated her thumb and showed her how to put it in her mouth so she could calm herself down.  (I know, what was I thinking?!?) It worked so well for Dallin, that I thought all kids should suck their thumbs.  There were no worries about losing all the pacifers and running out to buy new ones when none could be found, because our pacifers were built in.  :)

 At that point in time, I didn't think about what we'd do, if the habit proved difficult to break.  Dallin, (also an avid thumb-sucker in his earlier years) just decided one day when he was three and a half that he wasn't going to do it anymore, and that was that.  

But Daphne and her thumb forged a relationship that no amount of bribing, teasing from peers, buck-teeth-threats or braces-threats could sever.  

We tried gloves on her hands at night, which backlashed and increased the sucking during the day.  We tried charts, and rewards, but no matter what, she just couldn't stop.  

So one Monday night we had a family night in which we talked about the priesthood and the different ways the priesthood blesses our lives.  We talked about how blessed we are to have a father in our home worthy to hold the priesthood and how he can give us blessings when we are sick or when we need extra help with something.  That night Arthur gave blessings to Daphne to help her overcome her thumb-sucking habit, and Sean to help him learn to be potty-trained.  (I know that sounds silly, but it has become VERY, VERY important for the sanity of Arthur and I that Sean master this basic life-skill.)

Earlier that same day we received in the mail, a very special, very green thumb guard that we ordered on Amazon.  So the next day, armed with her father's blessing and the green thumb guard, she went to school and didn't suck her thumb all day.  After a week or so, she didn't even suck her thumb at night!  Yahoo!!!!  She's been thumb-free for three weeks now and I'm so proud of her.  It's hard to break a habit you've cultivated for over 5 years, and Daphne DID IT!  

What a girl!

2. Potty-training

Sean has been a very hard kid to potty-train.  He just has not been motivated by anything I have thought of to bribe him with.  (toys, treats, movies, you name it.)  I have friends whose children younger than Sean figured it out in a week, and when I think about that I sometimes want to shoot myself.  

My Sean, bless his heart -- We started back in September and it has been a LONG HAUL!  It got to the point that several months ago, Arthur put his foot down and decided that there would be no more children coming to our family until Sean was potty-trained.   

As I mentioned before, we had Father's Blessings one family night, but Sean's blessing didn't kick in right away.   He was hit and miss with peeing in the toilet, but pooping was all MISSES! Eventually the thought crossed my mind to investigate whether you can hire someone to potty-train your kid.  (They have those for animals, right?)  Because cleaning out poopy underwear every day really starts to wear on you.  

So one day I was at good ole' Walmart with the two little boys, and Sean asked if we could go over to the toys.  He fell in love with a Thomas the Train toy that he just had to have.  So I got it and told him he could have it when he went poop in the toilet.  The rest of the day went like this:  

Sean:  Mom?  You open this Thomas?

Me:  I'll open it when you go poop in the toilet.

Sean:  When I go pee in the toilet?

Me: Nope, you have to go poop.

Sean (is quiet for a few seconds and then says): Mom?  You open this?

And we had that conversation almost verbatim maybe 20 times that day.  Well, guess what?  He eventually earned that Thomas, and a little brain light switched on.  He did his business in the toilet again the next day, and Dad brought him home a new Chick Hicks car toy.  So the next time I was at the store, I stalked up on trains and Cars toys, and he went 5 DAYS IN A ROW with NO ACCIDENTS!!!!!  I can't really even describe how elated I felt!!!!!  I'm still feeling elated!!!!!!!!!!  (Sometimes there just aren't enough exclamation points!)

Sean took this picture of his collection.

$75 dollars later, (totally worth it) Sean has earned LOTS  of rewards, and uses the potty by himself most of the time and when he has an accident, he has to turn in his rewards and earn them back one by one.  It really was a matter of him deciding to do it, because I'd had rewards like that in the past, but he just didn't care.  

So with lots of prayers (thanks Mom) and a father's blessing, and maybe a little help from the next sibling waiting to come to our family, Sean is, for all intents and purposes, POTTY-TRAINED!!!!  HALLELUJAH!!!

"Put on your Sunday Clothes . . ."

" . . . When you feel down and out.  Stroll down the street and have your picture took." (Name the movie, song or actress.  Extra points if you can name all three!)

It doesn't happen very often, but once every two or three years, I actually psych myself up to get the kids into a studio for their pictures.  (I am lucky to have some awesome photographer friends who take care of most of my picture needs.)  So Wednesday after school, I cut all the boys' hair, and put all the kids in their Sunday clothes to get their pictures taken.  Hayden wouldn't smile for anything in the world, and I spent more money than I'd planned, but all in all, I think they turned out pretty cute.

Pinkalicious!

Several weeks ago I heard that Albuquerque Little Theater was putting on the musical, "Pinkalicious." I thought it would be fun to take Daphne and get together with some other moms and daughters to go see it!   

Coincidentally it was also our ward's Father's & Son's campout, which made it a little more difficult for a girl's night since we had to find babysitters. Here are Dallin & Arthur all packed and ready to head out. 


(Poor Sean missed out because Arthur has a rule that you have to be potty-trained to go on Father's & Son's. But it didn't phase Sean a bit. He didn't seem at all concerned that Dallin was going somewhere with Dad, and he wasn't.)

So tonight, we had ten daughters and seven mothers in our group.  A lot of other people had the same idea- we saw lots of little girls & moms there tonight dressed in PINK!   

Me and Daphne in our pink.  

With our pink tickets.

(As an aside, I have to confess that for a very long time I didn't like the color pink at all.  In fact, I thought if I ever had a girl I wouldn't even dress her in pink--I'd do purple and turquoise or other girly colors, but not pink.  But once I had my little girl in my arms, my opinion of the color suddenly changed, and now we are both pink fans.) 

"Pinkalicious!" is based on the picture book, of the same title, and I was really wondering how they were going to make a whole musical out of that short picture book. It was about an hour long (perfect for a kindergarten attention span,) and I've gotta say, it exceeded my expectations. It was really cute and Daphne and I just laughed and laughed--the gal who played "Pinkalicious" did a great job!  

Funny story about this picture:  All the girls just loved "Pinkalicious."  But they weren't so sure about her brother "Peter" (who, as you can see, turns pink at the end of the story --why?  well because he ate too many pink cupcakes, of course.)  So when we found the two of them after the show and were trying to take the picture, the six little girls all huddled around "Pinkalicious" and no one wanted to stand next to Peter, who gallantly tried not to take it personally. 

(But really, can you blame them? ;)

We had to do a little regrouping to make things more even.  

What could be better than strawberry milkshakes after the show?

It was a perfectly Pinkalicious time!