Kung Fu Fighting

When my parents were visiting my two big boys were telling them all about their Taekwondo skills and "moves" and my Dad made the mistake of boasting about his "black belt." You know, the one that matches his black dress shoes. Little E wanted to show the man up, and a little spur ensued. I think Little E tired his Granddady out...


Look at the moves my Dad has! And check out Little E's unimpressed face.
And look what happened when my Mom was trying to read a serious book to the kids.... I only wish I could say that this never happens. It's kung fu krazy at our house.

Listening

"Listening" has been on my mind lately. I am not a very good listener and I have been trying to focus on learning how to listen better and to apply what I see in others who are good listeners. I am not easily entertained, and allow my mind to wander frequently if I am uninterested in what another is saying. Because of this, or else because I am very much interested in what another is saying and want to tell them so, or share a similar experience, I am known to interrupt A LOT. I try hard to learn names and use them, and I also try to remember specifics about people - whether it be where they are from, how many siblings they have and what they are currently involved in. I am very good at asking questions, and I know that helps others to think I am listening, but I believe that true listening doesn't just benefit the person you are listening to, but it benefits the listener as well. Somehow I think it creates an energy and a power as another places their strengths and weaknesses into your ears and life, and that transfers a special gift that is comparable to a circle of life where we all benefit from each other. Sometimes when we listen we hear things that hurt us, sometimes listening takes energy away. Other times we offer words that give energy to another, and then there are the times when both the speaker and the listener share a bond that comes from the gift of listening. I know this is an area I need to improve in, and perhaps because I have been focused on it, I was drawn towards the two pictures in this post out of the dozens of pictures taken last week. One is of my little (taller than me) brother "listening" to Little J and the other show my Mom "listening" to me. A glimpse into two individuals who have a gift for listening. And I must admit that it's a bit of a joke that the two chatter-boxes are myself and Little J! What secrets do you have about how to be a good listener?

To "Real" Mothers Everywhere

Reading books by Jodi Picoult is one of my guilty pleasures. I just finished "House Rules" today, which was fascinating given my recent project on Autism for one of my classes last semester. The ending was anti-climatic, though it was overall a good and entertaining read. This one passage stuck out to me and I wanted to share it with all of you real mothers out there:

"When did they stop putting toys in cereal boxes?

When I was little, I remember wandering the cereal aisle (which surely is as American a phenomenon as fireworks on the Fourth of July) and picking my breakfast food based on what the reward was: a Frisbee with the Trix rabbit's face emblazoned on the front. Holographic stickers with the Lucky Charms leprechaun. A mystery decoder wheel. I could suffer through raisin bran for a month if it meant I got a magic ring at the end.

I cannot admit this out loud. In the first place, we are expected to be supermoms these days, in stead of admitting that we have flaws. It is tempting to believe that ll mothers wake up feelings fresh every morning, never raise their voices, only cook with organic food, and are equally at ease with the CEO and the PTA.

Here's the secret: Those mothers don't exist. Most of us -even if we'd never confess - are suffering through the raisin bran in the hopes of a glimpse of the magic ring. [...]

Real mothers wonder why experts who write for Parents and Good Housekeeping - and, dare I say it, the Burlington Free Press - seem to have their acts together all the time when they themselves can barely keep their heads above the stormy seas of parenthood.

Real mothers don't just listen with humble embarrassment to the elderly lady who offers unsolicited advice in the checkout line when a child is throwing a tantrum. We take the child, dump him in the lady's cart, and say, "Great. Maybe you can do a better job."

Real mothers know that it's okay to eat cold pizza for breakfast.

Real mothers admit it is easier to fail at this job than to succeed.

If parenting is the box of raisin bran, than real mothers know the ratio of flakes to fun is severely imbalanced. For every moment than your child confides in you, or tells you he loves you, or does something unprompted to protect his brother than you happen to witness, there are many more moments of chaos, error, and self-doubt.

Real mothers many not speak the heresy, but they sometimes secretly wish they'd chosen something for breakfast other than this endless cereal.

Real mothers worry that other mothers will find that magic ring, whereas they'll be looking and looking for ages.

Rest easy, real mothers. The very fact that you worry about being a good mom means that you already are one."

(pages 156-157)

Crazy Family

While it's been quiet on my blog, it has NOT been quiet at my house! We've had 21 family members gathering at our home and it's been SO fun! Everyone is sleeping right now... shhhh... it was a late night. Thanks everyone for coming so far to see us, we love you all.


(My sister, the photographer, has the BIG GROUP picture - but just imagine all these people jammed into one picture, and that's been my living room and backyard!)

Summer Hiking

Winter hiking is enjoyable in its own way, but oh how I love getting the kids and the family out into the mountains to enjoy the beautiful summer weather.

We conquered one trail earlier this week with a couple of other Moms and a plethora of children, and then opted for a shorter one today as a family, since we had a feverish child. Mr. Man wanted to teach the bigger kids to mountain bike, and we also needed to make sure to hit up a creek on this warm (for Montana) day. They did well, and while all are scratched and bruised, they succeeded and I'm sure will want to go mountain biking again.
We live in such a beautiful area and it is awe-inspiring to be in the great outdoors... and getting some exercise and tiring out the kids is not bad either. We try to go hiking at least once a week during the summer, it's the best way to spend a day!

Last Day of School

Last Thursday was the kids last day of school (Wednesday for Little J).

I was fine until one of Mr. T's teachers started crying as she hugged each child goodbye as they exited the door of her classroom for the last time this school year. Geeze.

Teachers gifts and communication in regards to what my kids should work on during the summer was complete (yes, I MAKE my kids do school work all year long), and all my kids passed with flying colours. (I have had such a great relationship with a couple of these teachers, and just LOVE when that happens!)

Last year we got together with a couple of friends at the neighborhood park on the last day of school for what we called our "ice cream social." This year the kids asked if we were going to continue the tradition (one year and it's a tradition?) It's an easy activity to co-ordinate and so we made some calls, bought some ice cream and had everyone bring a favourite topping. Aside from being cold and eventually being rained out, it was a hit! I think we had 40-50 people and I can see this tradition continuing and growing! Such a fun way to say goodbye to the school year and start out summer. (I need to take more pictures next year, but I was pretty busy scooping ice cream!)
Now we're on to summer fun (I have just one more week of school to go!)

No chores... just roomopoly (hee hee).

Pray for the sun to come visit us over here. Maybe come visit and bring it with you!

Scub Scouts

Mr. Man is the king of scouting. He loves it. He was cub master for the LDS troop in our last town, and when our boys were quite young they loved to get dragged around on numerous "scub scout" activities. When we moved here, Mr. T was ecstatic to be the right age to join the community tiger den of cub scouts. Unfortunately they were lacking a leader, and without one, a den would not exist. Enter the king of scouting to the rescue. They had a great year and then at the end of the year, the current cub master was resigning. Enter the king of scouting to the rescue once again. Mr. Man has been the cub master for a large troup of a good 60-70 boys this year and has (almost) loved every minute of it. They've done some great activities like snowshoeing, bbguns and bows and arrows at the shooting range and much more!

This year Little E was a tiger and Mr. T was a wolf. Mr. T is so into this whole scouting thing, it's incredible. Weeks before the anticipated "crossover," where the boys advance to the next den and receive their badges for the year, Mr. T was writing about his anticipation in his journal:

"from Wolf to bear"

"Soon I am becoming a bear in cubscouts. We tell luvels by neverchiefs. When your a bear you carve a wood chip with a nife and get a nice. I am so exsided. You crose a brgd and on the brigd the red arows give you a new hacercheif. The red aroows are the highst luvel cub scouts. They also like nature and pow wos and read lots of things and wear a arow shap head band that is read, white pants and shit. With a red arow down there chest and back."


(Had to include this picture... I get this look so often but have never captured it. Here he's doing it because I refused to tie his shoe for him. I'm a horrible mother!)

I'm not much of a cub mom, I'm afraid. I even make Mr. Man sew the badges on because it's HIS thing, not mine. (But I do run a fair amount of errands for these big events.) The day of the crossover was butt freezing cold (as usual) but thankfully it didn't rain, hail or snow and so we kept the location outdoors... which was so much fun for all the boys. They had rocks and brush galore to climb and play on. Even Miss J (who brought a friend to help endure the hours with so many boys) had a blast and got filthy!

(He's growing his hair out! Wants it to be as long as mine. I told him he's going to be having like a three year awkward stage!)

And then the order of the arrow did come, and both boys crossed over and received their upgrades on neckerchiefs.
(Only when your dad is the cub master can he choke you with your neckerchief!)

Now I have a wolf and a bear and a little future tiger!
The day after school let out, my two big boys and the king of scouting took off for day camp and had tons of fun and learned all sorts of new things (like how to start a fire with steel wool and a battery). Gotta love scub scouts!

Recital

Miss J took a ballet class last summer and loved it. Her teacher encouraged her to pursue dance, and so after she finished her beloved basketball season, we signed her up. Our little girl who trips on the side walk and needs stitches, and bumps into every last door knob and corner is so incredibly graceful in her ballet shoes! She has been looking forward to wearing her costume and performing in her recital and was distressed over being so sick the last couple of days and throwing up so much that there was no way we could make it to the dress rehearsal. Yesterday she woke up feeling much better and we limited her food consumption so as to assure no stage displays of stomach flu (one girl DID throw up on the stage and I was dying for her!) Since I can hardly do my own hair and make-up, and there were specific requirements, I had a friend to her "tidy" bun and makes-her-look-ten-years-older makeup. (She does look so much older... horrifying!) She looked gorgeous and performed beautifully! We were so proud of her.

This is my favourite picture I took of her, because she seems so content and looks so beautiful without even knowing I was taking her picture - and notice her brother trying to steal her pretty rose!!!
Well done our little ballerina!

Roll Up the Window

We were driving in the car to the tree nursery yesterday, and all of a sudden Mr. T burst out about something he'd seen that was phenomenal! We had pulled to a stop beside a mail truck and Mr. T informed us that in order to get his window up, the mai man had to turn a handle! He was so awed by this experience, and Mr. Man and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing. Are we really that old?

Long Weekend

We did NOT go camping for Memorial Day this year.

But, like last year, we DID have horrible weather, and we DID have great company!


The minute the sun was out, we were out! Hiking, feeding the ducks, finding frogs, and playing in the yard!Whatever the weather, we still had fun! From playdoh, wii, hot-tubbing, museum, smore making, games, and even a parade in the rain!





Thanks for coming to see us!

(Ryan, can you find yourself in these pictures???)