I just realized that when school starts in a few weeks, I will need to wake Soph and E-Man up at 7 a.m. Last year, with only one kid in school, I waited until 7:30. This year, with 3 kids in 3 different schools (AiAi will go to pre-school a couple days per week too -- hallelujah sweet freedom for 6 hours per week!), I'm going to have to be even more on the ball with getting up to work out in the morning.
After a slacker summer of sleeping in, I decided this was the week to convert over to the 5:30 a.m. classes at the gym (as opposed to last school year's schedule of arriving at the gym at 6 a.m.). Monday was weight lifting (bodypump). I love that class! My arms are still sore.
Today, was spinning. When my alarm went off at 5 a.m., my mind and body had a conversation like this:
Body: What you really need right now is a couple more hours of sleep, don't be ridiculous.
Mind: Yes, I totally agree (slipping back into slumber). Wait a minute, last night when you set your alarm clock, you thought a 5:30 a.m. spin class was a good idea, I don't trust you right now.
Then, about 10 minutes into the workout it went something like this:
Body: Are you kidding me? 10 minutes!? Quick, jump off this bike and make a break for the door before you die.
Mind: The only thing stopping me is that would be way too embarrassing.
Toward the end of the workout, the endorphins and loud music started to have a hypnotic effect and it went something like this:
Mind and Body: I am woman hear me roar! Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I babysat/am babysitting every day this week. I put all the kids to bed by myself at the end of the day every day while Photoguy worked the late shift. And, I still came to the 5:30 a.m. spin class. Boo yah!
Back when I was running a lot and I injured my knee, I tried biking -- as in, the real thing. Didn't so much like the feeling that I might be hit by a car at any moment. And, it also felt like a weak workout compared to running, so much coasting and downhill. The good thing about spinning is that there are no cars. And, there is definitely no downhill or coasting.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Which is More Expensive?
Any faithful readers of my blog know that I'm on a journey to better eating.
I was shocked a few years ago when I read about the effects of man-made fertilizers on fruits and veggies. After WWII they became an instant hit because the crops they yielded looked better than ever. However, the nutrients found therein are substantially less. Add to that time spent in warehouses, on trucks, and in the stores with light and time further breaking down the nutrients -- by the time that apple hits your mouth, it's got hardly anything left.
Isn't that discouraging? Even when you are making the effort to eat fresh fruits and veggies, your actions could be (almost) in vain. I mean surely, it's still be better for you than say, potato chips. But, not nearly as good as you thought.
Here is a story: Before we moved to China, I began having unpleasant digestive problems. I tried eating Activia (yogurt) after seeing a commercial, and, it helped. But, I had to eat it every single day. While living in China, my digestive problems cleared up. I wondered why, until I was talking to a sister-in-law who is really into pro-biotics. She told me a study showed that bugs crawling on fruits and veggies actually puts good bacteria onto them. Now, with all the pesticides (plus, processed everything, plus, antibiotic overuse), our bodies are in sad need of good bacteria. Hence, pro-biotics rise in popularity. Hence, the reason my digestive problems were cleared up by yogurt and later by fresh produce grown the old fashioned way.
The dilemma. I love this harvest time of year when we can pluck from our gardens and load up at the Farmer's Market. (Update: Our garden is growing and I'm crossing my fingers). But, what can I do for the other 9-months of the year?
The nearest health food store and year-round local produce stand are neither near or convenient.
Aside from produce, I'm also disappointed in all the sugar and junk added to healthy things like yogurt (I like the yogurt from my yogurt maker. Photoguy and the kids still prefer store-bought). And, I recently learned about the amazing differences between corn-fed beef versus grass-fed.
In comes Winder Dairy. I've never been interested in them because their milk is $6 PER GALLON!!! Are you kidding me? I'm very happy with my Johnny's Dairy milk (from a local dairy) for $3 per gallon. I have heard stories from at least two personal friends of milk allergies going away when they switched to Winder Dairy. But, we have no milk allergies and we also drink A GALLON OF MILK EVERY DAY around here.
Then, I found out about their fresh, organic produce, vegetarian beef and Stoneyfield Farm yogurt. The next thing I knew, I was signing up for weekly deliveries.
Now the problem. The $3 per delivery is not bad at all. The equivalent to one trip to the grocery store. Even less than a trip to the health food store or the year-round farmer's market would cost. But, the food is expensive.
I was so excited to find vegetarian-fed beef. Ummm . . . steaks for our family would be near $50 for one meal -- choke, choke.
Disappointment #2 -- the produce is not too bad. A little bit more than the supermarket but definitely less than the health food store. Guaranteed to be fresh. But, I was under the impression it would mostly be local. My first box of "in season" produce was 100% not local. Hello? The zucchini are from Mexico. I thought they were coming to me straight from a local farm and I felt really good about supporting that. Apparently, I was wrong.
Today, I tried one of their handmade fresh chili verde burritos. It was delish, and HUGE (definitely 2 meals), but, I was feeling really bad about the fact that it cost $4.50 -- FOR ONE BURRITO! I was thinking of all the burritos I could make from dried beans and homemade tortillas. Then, I called Photoguy just as he was ordering a carne asada burrito from Beto's. Turns out that costs $4 too. And, this burrito was superior to the Beto's (in quality) and to plain homemade burritos (in flavor). Not to mention it took me 0 hours and 0 minutes to pick up the ingredients and prepare it. Plus, I did not feel obligated to keep eating leftover burritos for an entire week until no one in the family ever wanted to see a burrito again.
Logic tells me this is a good thing. Still, it's hard to justify. I also ask myself, "Which is more expensive, healthy food now? Or, diabetes meds and open heart surgery later?"
How can you put a price on good health? Has anyone else found something that works for them?
I was shocked a few years ago when I read about the effects of man-made fertilizers on fruits and veggies. After WWII they became an instant hit because the crops they yielded looked better than ever. However, the nutrients found therein are substantially less. Add to that time spent in warehouses, on trucks, and in the stores with light and time further breaking down the nutrients -- by the time that apple hits your mouth, it's got hardly anything left.
Isn't that discouraging? Even when you are making the effort to eat fresh fruits and veggies, your actions could be (almost) in vain. I mean surely, it's still be better for you than say, potato chips. But, not nearly as good as you thought.
Here is a story: Before we moved to China, I began having unpleasant digestive problems. I tried eating Activia (yogurt) after seeing a commercial, and, it helped. But, I had to eat it every single day. While living in China, my digestive problems cleared up. I wondered why, until I was talking to a sister-in-law who is really into pro-biotics. She told me a study showed that bugs crawling on fruits and veggies actually puts good bacteria onto them. Now, with all the pesticides (plus, processed everything, plus, antibiotic overuse), our bodies are in sad need of good bacteria. Hence, pro-biotics rise in popularity. Hence, the reason my digestive problems were cleared up by yogurt and later by fresh produce grown the old fashioned way.
The dilemma. I love this harvest time of year when we can pluck from our gardens and load up at the Farmer's Market. (Update: Our garden is growing and I'm crossing my fingers). But, what can I do for the other 9-months of the year?
The nearest health food store and year-round local produce stand are neither near or convenient.
Aside from produce, I'm also disappointed in all the sugar and junk added to healthy things like yogurt (I like the yogurt from my yogurt maker. Photoguy and the kids still prefer store-bought). And, I recently learned about the amazing differences between corn-fed beef versus grass-fed.
In comes Winder Dairy. I've never been interested in them because their milk is $6 PER GALLON!!! Are you kidding me? I'm very happy with my Johnny's Dairy milk (from a local dairy) for $3 per gallon. I have heard stories from at least two personal friends of milk allergies going away when they switched to Winder Dairy. But, we have no milk allergies and we also drink A GALLON OF MILK EVERY DAY around here.
Then, I found out about their fresh, organic produce, vegetarian beef and Stoneyfield Farm yogurt. The next thing I knew, I was signing up for weekly deliveries.
Now the problem. The $3 per delivery is not bad at all. The equivalent to one trip to the grocery store. Even less than a trip to the health food store or the year-round farmer's market would cost. But, the food is expensive.
I was so excited to find vegetarian-fed beef. Ummm . . . steaks for our family would be near $50 for one meal -- choke, choke.
Disappointment #2 -- the produce is not too bad. A little bit more than the supermarket but definitely less than the health food store. Guaranteed to be fresh. But, I was under the impression it would mostly be local. My first box of "in season" produce was 100% not local. Hello? The zucchini are from Mexico. I thought they were coming to me straight from a local farm and I felt really good about supporting that. Apparently, I was wrong.
Today, I tried one of their handmade fresh chili verde burritos. It was delish, and HUGE (definitely 2 meals), but, I was feeling really bad about the fact that it cost $4.50 -- FOR ONE BURRITO! I was thinking of all the burritos I could make from dried beans and homemade tortillas. Then, I called Photoguy just as he was ordering a carne asada burrito from Beto's. Turns out that costs $4 too. And, this burrito was superior to the Beto's (in quality) and to plain homemade burritos (in flavor). Not to mention it took me 0 hours and 0 minutes to pick up the ingredients and prepare it. Plus, I did not feel obligated to keep eating leftover burritos for an entire week until no one in the family ever wanted to see a burrito again.
Logic tells me this is a good thing. Still, it's hard to justify. I also ask myself, "Which is more expensive, healthy food now? Or, diabetes meds and open heart surgery later?"
How can you put a price on good health? Has anyone else found something that works for them?
All Day Kindergarten
One year before Soph (my oldest) started Kindergarten, I started feeling sad and nervous about sending my precious bundle of innocence out into the big bad world. I spoke to many homeschooling moms, listened to CD's, read books and seriously weighed the option of homeschool. Which, by the way, I still really like for many reasons.
I also had lengthy conversations with friends who had already crossed the bridge of sending kids to school. The majority of my friends do not homeschool, and I was kind of surprised to find out that the majority of my friends don't think homeschool is a good option. I digress.
What really bothered me, however, was the idea of mandatory all-day Kindergarten. I did not begrudge parents who put their kids in all-day Kindergarten, but I was sure that was not an option I would consider. "No, I would rather homeschool my 5-year-old than send them to all-day Kindergarten," I declared. I believe I even went so far as to call mandatory all-day Kindergarten "the Communist way." You know, because in Communist countries the women are all "liberated" to work outside the home, which turns into mandatory, free, government-run pre-schools, starting when kids are 2 or 3-years-old. Pre-school that lasts from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. every day, for all kids, so that the parents are no longer the primary influence in their children's lives. That is the way I viewed mandatory all-day Kindergarten.
In fact, I was not sad about the fact that our move to China meant that Soph would be homeschooled for her Kindergarten year. I really enjoyed having that extra time with her even though my life in China was devoid of any resources, curriculum or social interaction. Somehow we were still able to enroll her in Kindergarten when we came back to Utah in February and she tested into an accelerated program 6-weeks later, so, I guess there really must be something to reading to your kids and playing with them after all.
I must admit, that I am warming up to public school. Soph has absolutely loved it. She is a social butterfly. And, I feel grateful that with all I do have to do (teach her moral values, religion, manners, how to be a hard-worker, how to play nice, good hygiene, etc., etc., etc.) that I don't also have to teach her what a noun is, all the properties of water, and, long division. It's kind of nice to let someone else take care of some things they have to learn in life.
The irony is that, sometime during the last year, I came to the conclusion that E-Man should go to all-day Kindergarten. I know, I know! Who am I? It's partly because he's one of the oldest (November birthday), partly because he's smart and seems to thrive on lots of intellectual stimulation, partly because he needs the extra social interaction (he's very slow to warm to new situations), and, because he gets downright bored when Soph is gone all day. He's always had a sibling close to his own age around, until last year.
I thought long and hard about this decision, and it just feels like the right thing for him.
On the other hand, AiAi is an August birthday. So, in two more years I have to decide whether to send him to school one week after he turns five, or to wait another year and send him one week after he turns six. Most would say, "Wait until he's six." I honestly think that if E-Man had been born in August, I would have probably sent him when he was five. I'm 99% sure I'll wait until AiAi is six. Then, I'll probably ease him into half-day Kindergarten (will he ever be able to sit still for an entire day?). Just another lesson learned on the journey of parenthood -- all kids are different and need different things. Sometimes, even all-day Kindergarten.
It turned out to be easy to get E-Man into all-day. In the past, our school offered two half-day classes and one full-day class ("As it should be!" I would have said). This year they decided to offer two full-day classes and one half-day class. I figured the one half-day class would be bursting at the seams. Guess what? Both all-day classes are full. There are only 14 kids in the half-day. I guess it won't be a problem to switch if I change my mind!
I also had lengthy conversations with friends who had already crossed the bridge of sending kids to school. The majority of my friends do not homeschool, and I was kind of surprised to find out that the majority of my friends don't think homeschool is a good option. I digress.
What really bothered me, however, was the idea of mandatory all-day Kindergarten. I did not begrudge parents who put their kids in all-day Kindergarten, but I was sure that was not an option I would consider. "No, I would rather homeschool my 5-year-old than send them to all-day Kindergarten," I declared. I believe I even went so far as to call mandatory all-day Kindergarten "the Communist way." You know, because in Communist countries the women are all "liberated" to work outside the home, which turns into mandatory, free, government-run pre-schools, starting when kids are 2 or 3-years-old. Pre-school that lasts from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. every day, for all kids, so that the parents are no longer the primary influence in their children's lives. That is the way I viewed mandatory all-day Kindergarten.
In fact, I was not sad about the fact that our move to China meant that Soph would be homeschooled for her Kindergarten year. I really enjoyed having that extra time with her even though my life in China was devoid of any resources, curriculum or social interaction. Somehow we were still able to enroll her in Kindergarten when we came back to Utah in February and she tested into an accelerated program 6-weeks later, so, I guess there really must be something to reading to your kids and playing with them after all.
I must admit, that I am warming up to public school. Soph has absolutely loved it. She is a social butterfly. And, I feel grateful that with all I do have to do (teach her moral values, religion, manners, how to be a hard-worker, how to play nice, good hygiene, etc., etc., etc.) that I don't also have to teach her what a noun is, all the properties of water, and, long division. It's kind of nice to let someone else take care of some things they have to learn in life.
The irony is that, sometime during the last year, I came to the conclusion that E-Man should go to all-day Kindergarten. I know, I know! Who am I? It's partly because he's one of the oldest (November birthday), partly because he's smart and seems to thrive on lots of intellectual stimulation, partly because he needs the extra social interaction (he's very slow to warm to new situations), and, because he gets downright bored when Soph is gone all day. He's always had a sibling close to his own age around, until last year.
I thought long and hard about this decision, and it just feels like the right thing for him.
On the other hand, AiAi is an August birthday. So, in two more years I have to decide whether to send him to school one week after he turns five, or to wait another year and send him one week after he turns six. Most would say, "Wait until he's six." I honestly think that if E-Man had been born in August, I would have probably sent him when he was five. I'm 99% sure I'll wait until AiAi is six. Then, I'll probably ease him into half-day Kindergarten (will he ever be able to sit still for an entire day?). Just another lesson learned on the journey of parenthood -- all kids are different and need different things. Sometimes, even all-day Kindergarten.
It turned out to be easy to get E-Man into all-day. In the past, our school offered two half-day classes and one full-day class ("As it should be!" I would have said). This year they decided to offer two full-day classes and one half-day class. I figured the one half-day class would be bursting at the seams. Guess what? Both all-day classes are full. There are only 14 kids in the half-day. I guess it won't be a problem to switch if I change my mind!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Dancing With the World
My bro-in-law just posted a link to this cool video clip of a guy dancing in 42 different countries. I don't know why, but it made me feel really happy to watch it. Maybe because I was thinking about how much more we are all alike than different. Maybe I wish there were more people dancing together than fighting wars. Or, maybe because I'm dancing with people all around the world in my "pretend life." In my real life, I'm getting ready to clean the house . . . again. I am filled with awe for the beauty of this diverse world. Check it out here if you want. But, make sure you have 4 1/2 minutes to watch it first.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Eleventh and Still Counting
Photoguy finished the Deseret Morning News Marathon in Salt Lake City -- his 11th Marathon -- this morning. Who runs marathons in July? I guess all those crazy people who ran one today do.
At least it started at 5:30 a.m. to (mostly) beat the heat. Photoguy has been working non-stop this week, busy with many photo assignments (including freelance gigs with UTA and the NY Times) and working on two remodel projects for friends. We hadn't even seen him since Tuesday (literally hadn't seen him, he's been staying in Salt Lake), then, he came home around lunchtime walking funny, took a bath with three bags of ice (I think I'd rather run a marathon in July than do that), and commenced putting together an awesome slide show for the Deseret News website. Yes, he carried a camera and voice recorder the whole 26.2 miles -- again.
Right after he ran Boston, I said, "Do you think you could take some time off from running marathons?" It is quite the time commitment to train for and run these things all the time. The answer was a resounding "no." Which, I can respect. I'd rather that he run marathons than stop running altogether. I'm just working on keeping him out of the ultra-marathon arena (50 and 100 mile races). Then, he would have to run all day on Saturdays instead of just half the day to train.
So, instead of slowing down on marathons, he signed up for the Grand Slam, meaning he will complete four Utah marathons by October. And, I don't want anyone to misunderstand the fact that I am proud of him. I'm very proud and I think he's amazing and inspirational and all that with a bag of chips on the side. I know he works very hard to achieve this. And, it's so great to be married to a celebrity like a Boston Marathoner.
Give it up for Photoguy the awesome eleven-time marathoner!
At least it started at 5:30 a.m. to (mostly) beat the heat. Photoguy has been working non-stop this week, busy with many photo assignments (including freelance gigs with UTA and the NY Times) and working on two remodel projects for friends. We hadn't even seen him since Tuesday (literally hadn't seen him, he's been staying in Salt Lake), then, he came home around lunchtime walking funny, took a bath with three bags of ice (I think I'd rather run a marathon in July than do that), and commenced putting together an awesome slide show for the Deseret News website. Yes, he carried a camera and voice recorder the whole 26.2 miles -- again.
Right after he ran Boston, I said, "Do you think you could take some time off from running marathons?" It is quite the time commitment to train for and run these things all the time. The answer was a resounding "no." Which, I can respect. I'd rather that he run marathons than stop running altogether. I'm just working on keeping him out of the ultra-marathon arena (50 and 100 mile races). Then, he would have to run all day on Saturdays instead of just half the day to train.
So, instead of slowing down on marathons, he signed up for the Grand Slam, meaning he will complete four Utah marathons by October. And, I don't want anyone to misunderstand the fact that I am proud of him. I'm very proud and I think he's amazing and inspirational and all that with a bag of chips on the side. I know he works very hard to achieve this. And, it's so great to be married to a celebrity like a Boston Marathoner.
Give it up for Photoguy the awesome eleven-time marathoner!
Our House Sold
No, not the one we are trying to sell . . . the one we were trying to buy. Goodbye adorable bungalow.
The sad part: Truly it was the perfect house for us. At least, the layout was the perfect flow for our lives. Our favorite part -- the sunroom (outfitted with custom plantation shutters might I add) behind the kitchen overlooking the backyard that we would have used as our office. Our other favorite part -- everything was done! Everything, down to the tiniest detail was remodeled with the greatest of care (this we know for sure since Photoguy was heavily involved in a lot of the remodel work). The kitchen was amazing. The wordwork . . . sigh . . . had never been painted. The fireplace surrounded by gorgeous built-ins . . . the deep red and soft yellow kitchen with all brand new stainless steel appliances . . . yes, we loved this house. And, the price was right too.
The not-so-sad part: With that said about it being our perfect house, I have to add that it was not perfect in every way. The location was not ideal (part of the reason why the price was so right). It was only five doors up from Harrison Blvd. -- quite a busy street. I was having nightmares about one of our kids running out into traffic. And, this gorgeous bungalow just happens to be on a block surrounded by rentals, rentals that often house unappealing neighbors from what I understand. Also, no garage, at all. That would have been a huge adjustment since our current house has a two-car double deep garage. And, it's on a corner lot with not so great of a backyard. As you can see, as long as we never left the inside of the house (or, the fabulous front porch), it was the perfect house.
In the end, everything is as it should be. The buyer, a 50-something single lady-artist, is the perfect fit. Childless, she doesn't have any of the kid issues we were worried about (yard, neighbors, busy street). Single, she will have ample storage space without the garage. And, I guess her artwork is in the exact same hues the interior of the house is painted in -- the perfect backdrop.
In reality, though we absolutely loved this home, it will be better cared for by the gal who bought it. Let's face it, little kids tear things up whether we like to admit it or not. And, our friends (the sellers) took us to one of our most favorite restaurants of all time -- Taggart's Grill -- and, even ordered extra rounds of their famous fabulous desserts to ease the blow. In the end, all is well. Now, the question -- to sell or not to sell? We only put our house up for sale to buy this home. The market is pretty yucky right now for selling (on the flip side, pretty awesome for buying). Our home is already up for sale and we've been talking about selling it for six years now. Do we keep it on the market or take it off?
The sad part: Truly it was the perfect house for us. At least, the layout was the perfect flow for our lives. Our favorite part -- the sunroom (outfitted with custom plantation shutters might I add) behind the kitchen overlooking the backyard that we would have used as our office. Our other favorite part -- everything was done! Everything, down to the tiniest detail was remodeled with the greatest of care (this we know for sure since Photoguy was heavily involved in a lot of the remodel work). The kitchen was amazing. The wordwork . . . sigh . . . had never been painted. The fireplace surrounded by gorgeous built-ins . . . the deep red and soft yellow kitchen with all brand new stainless steel appliances . . . yes, we loved this house. And, the price was right too.
The not-so-sad part: With that said about it being our perfect house, I have to add that it was not perfect in every way. The location was not ideal (part of the reason why the price was so right). It was only five doors up from Harrison Blvd. -- quite a busy street. I was having nightmares about one of our kids running out into traffic. And, this gorgeous bungalow just happens to be on a block surrounded by rentals, rentals that often house unappealing neighbors from what I understand. Also, no garage, at all. That would have been a huge adjustment since our current house has a two-car double deep garage. And, it's on a corner lot with not so great of a backyard. As you can see, as long as we never left the inside of the house (or, the fabulous front porch), it was the perfect house.
In the end, everything is as it should be. The buyer, a 50-something single lady-artist, is the perfect fit. Childless, she doesn't have any of the kid issues we were worried about (yard, neighbors, busy street). Single, she will have ample storage space without the garage. And, I guess her artwork is in the exact same hues the interior of the house is painted in -- the perfect backdrop.
In reality, though we absolutely loved this home, it will be better cared for by the gal who bought it. Let's face it, little kids tear things up whether we like to admit it or not. And, our friends (the sellers) took us to one of our most favorite restaurants of all time -- Taggart's Grill -- and, even ordered extra rounds of their famous fabulous desserts to ease the blow. In the end, all is well. Now, the question -- to sell or not to sell? We only put our house up for sale to buy this home. The market is pretty yucky right now for selling (on the flip side, pretty awesome for buying). Our home is already up for sale and we've been talking about selling it for six years now. Do we keep it on the market or take it off?
Why do we Gotta be so Colorful?
I've been making a serious effort to remove dye from my family's diet. Originally, I wanted to remove four things -- artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors and preservatives. It soon became apparent that removing preservatives is next to impossible. Unless, of course, I'm going to raise all of my own food myself. Even fruits and veggies are sprayed with preservatives. I could see I was fighting a losing battle.
And, so it went for weeks and months as I read label after label, trying to increase our health. In the end, I decided to start by removing dye. Lots of kids have dye allergies (red is the worst), and their reaction is hyperactivity and ADHD symptoms. I'm a little worried about hyperactivity with my 3rd child and I feel like the world would probably just be a better place if we didn't consume dye in the first place. I have been utterly amazed at how many things contain dye now that I'm paying attention.
Did you know that kid vitamins contain dye? I found some equally colorful vitamins, but, without artificial colors, at the health food store.
I use to consider Ovaltine in warm milk to be a healthy drink for the kids. I mean they advertise having all those vitamins and stuff. Did you know Ovaltine contains dye? For the longest time, I could not understand this until someone pointed out to me that it makes the milk darker brown without them having to use so much of the real deal cocoa.
I've always considered Creamies to be a healthy summertime snack for the kids. They are made with skim milk and are only 100 calories per serving. They are so delicious and, well, so creamy. Did you know they contain dye? Bummer.
My kids have always loved snow cones and otter pops in the summer. I usually keep the freezer stocked with the otter pops that are part fruit juice. But, of course, those are obvious offenders when it comes to dye.
This year, we've been eating go-gurt simple (I keep them in the freezer). They are fun colors too, but, because of natural ingredients like beet juice. I've also been buying Sun Drops, that are like M&M's except without the dye (and they cost an arm and a leg). They are also colored naturally. Why can't more companies use natural colors? Is it really so hard?
Really, my first question is, why does our food have to be so blasted colorful in the first place? Does everything really need to be so darn vibrant? I mean, aren't we suppose to be eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables? Can't that alone satisfy our need for brilliant, vivid food? Does every candy and snack food have to be chock full of artificial coloring? And, it's not just junk food. Cheese, for example. Why does it have to be dyed orange?
So, I'm doing my best to get rid of dye. But, it seems like it creeps in in one way or another several times per week unless I just turn into some sort of health-food-nazi/social outcast. "Don't give my kids any Skittles! No, he can't have ice-cream. Of course we don't drink any sodas or fruit punch or lemonade -- not even at social gatherings where that is the only drink available. How dare you offer my kid a sucker at a parade!" Yeah, I just don't want to be that person. Yet, it seems like I am constantly justifying dyed food for one reason or another. It's so annoying.
And, so it went for weeks and months as I read label after label, trying to increase our health. In the end, I decided to start by removing dye. Lots of kids have dye allergies (red is the worst), and their reaction is hyperactivity and ADHD symptoms. I'm a little worried about hyperactivity with my 3rd child and I feel like the world would probably just be a better place if we didn't consume dye in the first place. I have been utterly amazed at how many things contain dye now that I'm paying attention.
Did you know that kid vitamins contain dye? I found some equally colorful vitamins, but, without artificial colors, at the health food store.
I use to consider Ovaltine in warm milk to be a healthy drink for the kids. I mean they advertise having all those vitamins and stuff. Did you know Ovaltine contains dye? For the longest time, I could not understand this until someone pointed out to me that it makes the milk darker brown without them having to use so much of the real deal cocoa.
I've always considered Creamies to be a healthy summertime snack for the kids. They are made with skim milk and are only 100 calories per serving. They are so delicious and, well, so creamy. Did you know they contain dye? Bummer.
My kids have always loved snow cones and otter pops in the summer. I usually keep the freezer stocked with the otter pops that are part fruit juice. But, of course, those are obvious offenders when it comes to dye.
This year, we've been eating go-gurt simple (I keep them in the freezer). They are fun colors too, but, because of natural ingredients like beet juice. I've also been buying Sun Drops, that are like M&M's except without the dye (and they cost an arm and a leg). They are also colored naturally. Why can't more companies use natural colors? Is it really so hard?
Really, my first question is, why does our food have to be so blasted colorful in the first place? Does everything really need to be so darn vibrant? I mean, aren't we suppose to be eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables? Can't that alone satisfy our need for brilliant, vivid food? Does every candy and snack food have to be chock full of artificial coloring? And, it's not just junk food. Cheese, for example. Why does it have to be dyed orange?
So, I'm doing my best to get rid of dye. But, it seems like it creeps in in one way or another several times per week unless I just turn into some sort of health-food-nazi/social outcast. "Don't give my kids any Skittles! No, he can't have ice-cream. Of course we don't drink any sodas or fruit punch or lemonade -- not even at social gatherings where that is the only drink available. How dare you offer my kid a sucker at a parade!" Yeah, I just don't want to be that person. Yet, it seems like I am constantly justifying dyed food for one reason or another. It's so annoying.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
It's What Fun Is
When I was around 10-ish, my family moved to Utah and my parents were delighted to discover Lagoon. In their own words they, "ran around like a couple of kids," the first time they went.
The only "amusement park" I'd been to before Lagoon was the "Fun Spot," in my childhood hometown -- which consisted of six kiddie rides at a park near the zoo. The latter half of my childhood was filled with many summers as a Lagoon season pass holder.
When Soph was born, I was excited to share the Lagoon experience (and, really everything else) with her. We had our Stake Lagoon day when she was 3 1/2 months old. My mom and I used the free entrance passes and the free tickets to take her on the Merry-Go-Round and the Train. I am totally serious when I say that I was watching her facial expressions the whole time, expecting to see excitement and glee, as we rode those rides. I was pretty surprised when she had the exact same expression as while sitting at home staring at a wall. But, we did get some nice photos of my mom, my darling baby and me by the carousel, and, now it's fun to look back and realize how much I truly needed to learn about infants as a new mother. It is amazing that they ever let me leave the hospital with that new baby, isn't it?
In the years that followed, Soph and E-Man enjoyed the Kiddieland rides as we made the obligatory once-per-summer trek to Lagoon. Last year, when AiAi was almost two-years-old I was excited to introduce him to this exciting place, but it turned out to be pure torture. He could not wrap his mind around the idea of waiting in line -- at all. So, the three rides he went on in Kiddieland went something like this: Him screaming and pointing at the ride the entire time we waited in line, him finally getting on the ride and breaking into a smile of bliss and ecstasy for exactly 60-seconds until the ride ended, followed by him throwing himself down (and smacking his head on the hard concrete) in a full-on tantrum as soon as the ride operator removed him from the ride. After three rides, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I dropped him off at Photoguy's parents' house for the rest of the day.
Today, we took the annual pilgrimage once again. Photoguy was working, so it was my mom, the kids, and I. We arrived soon after the park opened, and the first thing I discovered was that AiAi had no shoes. Oops! I mean, I was trying to pack light and all, but this was going a bit further than I'd intended. Luckily, they had exactly one pair of shoes in his size at a gift shop -- catastrophe averted.
We spent the rest of the day in amusement park heaven and I was so happy (relieved?) to see how much AiAi has grown up. He was actually able to enjoy himself, though he was quite the little line jumper -- just breezing his way right up to the front every time -- but, we were able to get him back into place with minimal confrontation this time.
Soph and E-Man were sooo disappointed that they are now too tall for the smallest of the kiddie rides -- the little boats. On the other hand, they are now both tall enough to ride the big roller coasters. For now, they aren't interested, even when I bribed them with a dollar. They still prefer to mostly stay in Kiddieland. Soph was able to conquer her fear of heights and ride the Skyride - twice. Bless her little heart, she was shaking, her heart was pounding, and she had to shut her eyes the whole way. Just like her mom. I was always terrified of that ride and it still gives me the willies today. In all honesty, I couldn't have handled riding it one more time.
We stayed until just before closing (we saw them shut off all the lights as we were pulling onto the freeway). Whew! What a day. The highlights:
The only "amusement park" I'd been to before Lagoon was the "Fun Spot," in my childhood hometown -- which consisted of six kiddie rides at a park near the zoo. The latter half of my childhood was filled with many summers as a Lagoon season pass holder.
When Soph was born, I was excited to share the Lagoon experience (and, really everything else) with her. We had our Stake Lagoon day when she was 3 1/2 months old. My mom and I used the free entrance passes and the free tickets to take her on the Merry-Go-Round and the Train. I am totally serious when I say that I was watching her facial expressions the whole time, expecting to see excitement and glee, as we rode those rides. I was pretty surprised when she had the exact same expression as while sitting at home staring at a wall. But, we did get some nice photos of my mom, my darling baby and me by the carousel, and, now it's fun to look back and realize how much I truly needed to learn about infants as a new mother. It is amazing that they ever let me leave the hospital with that new baby, isn't it?
In the years that followed, Soph and E-Man enjoyed the Kiddieland rides as we made the obligatory once-per-summer trek to Lagoon. Last year, when AiAi was almost two-years-old I was excited to introduce him to this exciting place, but it turned out to be pure torture. He could not wrap his mind around the idea of waiting in line -- at all. So, the three rides he went on in Kiddieland went something like this: Him screaming and pointing at the ride the entire time we waited in line, him finally getting on the ride and breaking into a smile of bliss and ecstasy for exactly 60-seconds until the ride ended, followed by him throwing himself down (and smacking his head on the hard concrete) in a full-on tantrum as soon as the ride operator removed him from the ride. After three rides, I couldn't stand it anymore, and I dropped him off at Photoguy's parents' house for the rest of the day.
Today, we took the annual pilgrimage once again. Photoguy was working, so it was my mom, the kids, and I. We arrived soon after the park opened, and the first thing I discovered was that AiAi had no shoes. Oops! I mean, I was trying to pack light and all, but this was going a bit further than I'd intended. Luckily, they had exactly one pair of shoes in his size at a gift shop -- catastrophe averted.
We spent the rest of the day in amusement park heaven and I was so happy (relieved?) to see how much AiAi has grown up. He was actually able to enjoy himself, though he was quite the little line jumper -- just breezing his way right up to the front every time -- but, we were able to get him back into place with minimal confrontation this time.
Soph and E-Man were sooo disappointed that they are now too tall for the smallest of the kiddie rides -- the little boats. On the other hand, they are now both tall enough to ride the big roller coasters. For now, they aren't interested, even when I bribed them with a dollar. They still prefer to mostly stay in Kiddieland. Soph was able to conquer her fear of heights and ride the Skyride - twice. Bless her little heart, she was shaking, her heart was pounding, and she had to shut her eyes the whole way. Just like her mom. I was always terrified of that ride and it still gives me the willies today. In all honesty, I couldn't have handled riding it one more time.
We stayed until just before closing (we saw them shut off all the lights as we were pulling onto the freeway). Whew! What a day. The highlights:
- Seeing AiAi's enthusiasm as he rode Puff and the kiddie bumper cars for the first time.
- Blue Icee's -- oh, so refreshing on this hot, hot day.
- E-Man's amazement at the jumping water fountain.
- Soph's delight when a stranger gave her two stuffed animals (so he could ride the Skyride).
- Being there with (and being thoroughly spoiled by) my mom.
- Seeing Soph's obvious love of old things and history in Pioneer Village.
- Riding Odysea with E-Man (who approached every ride with resistance and then begged to ride again by the time it was over).
- Sitting with AiAi after he passed out in the afternoon, completely exhausted, knowing it was because he was having so much fun (he never sleeps voluntarily).
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Mosquitoes
This photo of my nephew pretty well illustrates how many mosquitoes there were in the Uintahs on our recent camping trip. Like I said, thank heavens for deet!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
I Wish Every Day Could End Like This
It was a sleepy, mopey, Sunday afternoon. No commitments, nowhere to go, nobody coming over. Then, Photoguy broke out the Uno cards and started playing with Soph and E-Man. By the time I joined in, he had those kids acting so silly, they couldn't stop giggling for a second. We just sat there and played round after round having so much fun.
This is another great thing about our kids getting older -- game night. I mean, sure, we've played Candyland (where you're always trying to stack the cards so the kids will win), and Chutes and Ladders (the game that never ends), and a modified version of Simpson's Clue (AiAi has scattered the game pieces throughout the house). But, tonight, we were playing a real game that was really fun, even for the grown-ups. And, the kids could win without us having to "let" them win (aside from the time I slipped three wild cards to E-Man just because it was so fun to see his reaction to having THREE BLACK CARDS!).
Man, we were having a great time. And, AiAi was sitting in his chair watching us with a big silly grin on his face, like he was thinking, "I'm so glad I'm in this family." I love that. He even fell asleep in his chair with the smile still plastered ear to ear.
In between rounds, I slipped into the kitchen and whipped up one of those Great Harvest Chocolate Chip Cookie mixes (by the way -- a favorite of mine), and we ate warm cookies and cold milk as the Uno games wound down. We wore those kids out with all the laughing -- and everyone was in bed by 8:30!!! That hasn't happened since way before school got out. In fact, the kids have been going to sleep more like somewhere between 10-11 p.m., an all around bad thing.
I'm not trying to brag, because this sort of perfect picture of a night almost never happens. But, it did tonight. And, I wanted to write it down so I never forget it.
This is another great thing about our kids getting older -- game night. I mean, sure, we've played Candyland (where you're always trying to stack the cards so the kids will win), and Chutes and Ladders (the game that never ends), and a modified version of Simpson's Clue (AiAi has scattered the game pieces throughout the house). But, tonight, we were playing a real game that was really fun, even for the grown-ups. And, the kids could win without us having to "let" them win (aside from the time I slipped three wild cards to E-Man just because it was so fun to see his reaction to having THREE BLACK CARDS!).
Man, we were having a great time. And, AiAi was sitting in his chair watching us with a big silly grin on his face, like he was thinking, "I'm so glad I'm in this family." I love that. He even fell asleep in his chair with the smile still plastered ear to ear.
In between rounds, I slipped into the kitchen and whipped up one of those Great Harvest Chocolate Chip Cookie mixes (by the way -- a favorite of mine), and we ate warm cookies and cold milk as the Uno games wound down. We wore those kids out with all the laughing -- and everyone was in bed by 8:30!!! That hasn't happened since way before school got out. In fact, the kids have been going to sleep more like somewhere between 10-11 p.m., an all around bad thing.
I'm not trying to brag, because this sort of perfect picture of a night almost never happens. But, it did tonight. And, I wanted to write it down so I never forget it.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Memory Tag
Okay, I'm a little nervous about this. I haven't been a fan of these cyber-tag games in the past. But, my sister-in-law did this one, and I really liked it. I'm nervous that either A) Y'all have really lame memories of dumb things I've said and/or done (please forget all those, I know it's hard because there have been many) or B) No one is going to leave any memories and then I'll feel like a big loser who has no friends when everyone else's blogs have like 20 comments and mine only has 2. With that said -- here goes!
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory for me, I'll go to your blog and leave a memory for you. Enjoy!
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory for me, I'll go to your blog and leave a memory for you. Enjoy!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sweet Summer Swimming
We just finished up a 2-week session of swim lessons. AiAi cried every time I handed him off to his teacher. Ten-minutes into the lesson, he was the happiest kid in the pool. E-Man started out strong, he really does like swimming. But, he gets cold easily, doesn't like water splashed in his face, and really didn't like "being told what to do" by the teacher. By the second week, I couldn't even get him into the pool. All the swim lessons over the years are starting to pay off with Soph. She can now jump off the diving board and swim to the side. She is officially in level 3 and working on strokes and technique.
These are some pics taken in our friends' pool (our favorite swimming spot) earlier this month:
Soph with our friend Ollie.
E-Man doesn't look like a kid who would adamantly refuse to get in the water here.
It was right at AiAi's naptime, can you tell? I'm not sure if this was taken before or after he jumped into water that was over his head and I had to rescue him while still fully clothed. New rule: Never let the kids near the water unless I'm in my swimsuit.
These are some pics taken in our friends' pool (our favorite swimming spot) earlier this month:
Soph with our friend Ollie.
E-Man doesn't look like a kid who would adamantly refuse to get in the water here.
It was right at AiAi's naptime, can you tell? I'm not sure if this was taken before or after he jumped into water that was over his head and I had to rescue him while still fully clothed. New rule: Never let the kids near the water unless I'm in my swimsuit.
Chinese Rainbow
A huge thanks is due to my friend Tif who is living in China with her husband and two small kids right now for painstakingly finding these outfits, all in different colors, for my kids and two of my friends' kids. The package arrived just in time for us to get these great pics at Bear Lake the first week in June.
We started out serious.
Then, we got a little bit crazy.
I love this one of Supermanth (2nd from left).
Izzy and AiAi BFF's.
And, I think this was one of the best overall shots given the wind, freezing temp. and the difficulty in getting everyone to cooperate.
We started out serious.
Then, we got a little bit crazy.
I love this one of Supermanth (2nd from left).
Izzy and AiAi BFF's.
And, I think this was one of the best overall shots given the wind, freezing temp. and the difficulty in getting everyone to cooperate.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Hike to Strong's Creek
A couple of weeks ago, I took these adorable children up a trail that began at Marquardt Park.
The matching hats and water bottle holders were given to them by Paula at a super fun birthday party for Heidi the night before.
The only other adult besides me was an amazing 17-year-old who is visiting Heidi (her auntie) from Texas for several weeks. I was seriously impressed by this girl who is getting ready for her senior year and has already secured a full-ride scholarship from the U of U in the Pre-Med program. She's going to go to Guatemala for a week next year on a medical service mission. She rode on an elevator with Princess Di at a Canadian resort when she was 4-years-old. When I asked her what she likes to do, she said, "Read and learn." Okay, seriously, if I can somehow raise a daughter who is beautiful, responsible, polite, intelligent, and accomplished who likes to "read and learn" as hobbies, I will be very happy about that.
So, we hiked and hiked along a beautiful trail. Luckily, Paula's 12-year-old knew where to go because I didn't. About 3/4 of the way up, my kids wanted to turn back because they were hot and tired and their feet hurt.
The resting spot where my kids insisted they were too tired to go on, with Melissa, our fearless leader standing in back.
The idea behind our weekly hiking club is that, if we can keep the kids hiking through the whiny years, they will like to hike by the time they get older instead of being sulky teens who adamantly refuse to participate. I kept telling my kids, "You will feel so rewarded for sticking with it when we get to the top."
Sure enough, we eventually made it to this bridge.
Note that Soph is hanging from the railing and her feet are not touching the ground/creek below. Also note E-Man's position at the rail which hits him right at the waist.
As the kids ran around splashing in the creek, they truly did feel rewarded and said things like, "We never ever want to leave this place!" Then, as I sat there watching them play, E-Man suddenly had a horrible accident right before my eyes. I was just a couple of feet away as I watched him flip over the railing and hit head first on a large boulder about 5-feet below (refer to photo above and see flat boulder where girl in green is standing to see just how far he fell).
It was so terrible to witness. It seemed like he was falling in slow motion, yet, I couldn't get there in time. And, all the while I was screaming. Quick as lightning, I pulled him out of the stream and laid him down on the bridge. He was crying and blood was streaming across his face. My greatest concern was his forehead since I saw it take the brunt of the headfirst fall onto solid rock!!!
Kate (said future pre-med student) silently slipped off her sock and dipped it into the stream since we didn't have a thing to wipe the blood away with (note to self: Take first aid kit hiking). Once we got the blood wiped away, we could see that his nose and upper lip were only scratched. A nasty bruise and goose egg were forming on his forehead, but I was calming down and thinking, "My kids have had worse bumps than that from jumping on the bed."
We had been hiking for about an hour, but, luckily, we had passed a parking lot about 20 minutes down the trail. I picked up E-Man and carried him all the way, since the adrenaline gave me superhuman strength. Thanks to my handy cell phone, Paula met us at the parking lot and drove us to our car.
Not feeling so great after the big fall.
I felt sure that we were headed straight to the ER, but by the time we got to the parking lot, E-Man was already laughing and acting like a normal happy kid.
Still managing a smile as we wait for Paula the rescue vehicle driver to arrive.
I decided to hold off and watch him for a few hours, and, can you believe he was O.K.? I have no idea how we evaded a broken bone, stitches or a concussion. I feel like his guardian angel cushioned the fall.
At home, after a nice bath, all bandaged up.
It was a full hour after the incident that I was preparing the kids' lunch when I noticed my hands were still shaking. It was THAT bad of a fall. We are so grateful that the injuries were minor this time.
The matching hats and water bottle holders were given to them by Paula at a super fun birthday party for Heidi the night before.The only other adult besides me was an amazing 17-year-old who is visiting Heidi (her auntie) from Texas for several weeks. I was seriously impressed by this girl who is getting ready for her senior year and has already secured a full-ride scholarship from the U of U in the Pre-Med program. She's going to go to Guatemala for a week next year on a medical service mission. She rode on an elevator with Princess Di at a Canadian resort when she was 4-years-old. When I asked her what she likes to do, she said, "Read and learn." Okay, seriously, if I can somehow raise a daughter who is beautiful, responsible, polite, intelligent, and accomplished who likes to "read and learn" as hobbies, I will be very happy about that.
So, we hiked and hiked along a beautiful trail. Luckily, Paula's 12-year-old knew where to go because I didn't. About 3/4 of the way up, my kids wanted to turn back because they were hot and tired and their feet hurt.
The resting spot where my kids insisted they were too tired to go on, with Melissa, our fearless leader standing in back.The idea behind our weekly hiking club is that, if we can keep the kids hiking through the whiny years, they will like to hike by the time they get older instead of being sulky teens who adamantly refuse to participate. I kept telling my kids, "You will feel so rewarded for sticking with it when we get to the top."
Sure enough, we eventually made it to this bridge.
Note that Soph is hanging from the railing and her feet are not touching the ground/creek below. Also note E-Man's position at the rail which hits him right at the waist.As the kids ran around splashing in the creek, they truly did feel rewarded and said things like, "We never ever want to leave this place!" Then, as I sat there watching them play, E-Man suddenly had a horrible accident right before my eyes. I was just a couple of feet away as I watched him flip over the railing and hit head first on a large boulder about 5-feet below (refer to photo above and see flat boulder where girl in green is standing to see just how far he fell).
It was so terrible to witness. It seemed like he was falling in slow motion, yet, I couldn't get there in time. And, all the while I was screaming. Quick as lightning, I pulled him out of the stream and laid him down on the bridge. He was crying and blood was streaming across his face. My greatest concern was his forehead since I saw it take the brunt of the headfirst fall onto solid rock!!!
Kate (said future pre-med student) silently slipped off her sock and dipped it into the stream since we didn't have a thing to wipe the blood away with (note to self: Take first aid kit hiking). Once we got the blood wiped away, we could see that his nose and upper lip were only scratched. A nasty bruise and goose egg were forming on his forehead, but I was calming down and thinking, "My kids have had worse bumps than that from jumping on the bed."
We had been hiking for about an hour, but, luckily, we had passed a parking lot about 20 minutes down the trail. I picked up E-Man and carried him all the way, since the adrenaline gave me superhuman strength. Thanks to my handy cell phone, Paula met us at the parking lot and drove us to our car.
Not feeling so great after the big fall.I felt sure that we were headed straight to the ER, but by the time we got to the parking lot, E-Man was already laughing and acting like a normal happy kid.
Still managing a smile as we wait for Paula the rescue vehicle driver to arrive.I decided to hold off and watch him for a few hours, and, can you believe he was O.K.? I have no idea how we evaded a broken bone, stitches or a concussion. I feel like his guardian angel cushioned the fall.
At home, after a nice bath, all bandaged up.It was a full hour after the incident that I was preparing the kids' lunch when I noticed my hands were still shaking. It was THAT bad of a fall. We are so grateful that the injuries were minor this time.
Moosehorn Was
We just got back from our annual family reunion in the Uintah mountains at Moosehorn Lake with Photoguy's side of the family. It is always a fantastic time that our family looks forward to all year. Aren't traditions great that way?
The best parts:
Beautiful wildflowers that peeked out at us as soon as we began our assent to the lake that is nearly 11,000 feet above sea level.
Thick woods of pine trees creating seclusion all around.
Gracefully gliding around the lake in a canoe -- and all three of our kids loving it!
Photoguy taking the kids fishing and catching three fish (one got away).
E-Man's total enthusiasm for fishing.
Crafting with the kids -- pinwheels, paper flowers, weaving, and watching them create beautiful watercolor paintings that we strung between the trees.
Soph and her cousin Lily going exploring together.
AiAi spending more than an hour in a small clearing among the trees with nothing but his imagination.
Jared home again (he came back from his mission 3 weeks ago).
The Merrill family (they visit once per year from their home in Texas).
Truly, the amazing blessing of having the entire family together -- 34 in all! Who knows when we can do that again with Eric leaving to Boston college later this month.
Delish meals -- the Clarke family's yummy teriyaki chicken, Jared's English custard, Photoguy's amazing Dutch oven breakfast burritos, and the Wirthlin Family's Dutch oven stew, just to name a few.
Awesome matching T-shirts (this year's design by Jan)
Facials by S.L. for all the ladies.
Two full days of uninterrupted daddy time (ahhh -- no cell phone or laptop).
Singing around the campfire.
Extended family prayer before bed.
I was also grateful for the inventions of sunscreen and deet. How did people ever survive without these? And, it was so wonderful to see the enthusiasm of our Chinese friend who joined us. It made me feel more appreciative of what I have as she went on and on about what a wonderful (extended) family we have. So fun, and so crazy. She loved watching the guys mix mentos in diet coke to create exploding fountains (how did this ever get discovered?), and watching them swamp the canoes for fun. She thought the hike to the top of Baldy Peak was one of the highlights of her life.
Thanks for the memories that will last forever.
The best parts:
Beautiful wildflowers that peeked out at us as soon as we began our assent to the lake that is nearly 11,000 feet above sea level.
Thick woods of pine trees creating seclusion all around.
Gracefully gliding around the lake in a canoe -- and all three of our kids loving it!
Photoguy taking the kids fishing and catching three fish (one got away).
E-Man's total enthusiasm for fishing.
Crafting with the kids -- pinwheels, paper flowers, weaving, and watching them create beautiful watercolor paintings that we strung between the trees.
Soph and her cousin Lily going exploring together.
AiAi spending more than an hour in a small clearing among the trees with nothing but his imagination.
Jared home again (he came back from his mission 3 weeks ago).
The Merrill family (they visit once per year from their home in Texas).
Truly, the amazing blessing of having the entire family together -- 34 in all! Who knows when we can do that again with Eric leaving to Boston college later this month.
Delish meals -- the Clarke family's yummy teriyaki chicken, Jared's English custard, Photoguy's amazing Dutch oven breakfast burritos, and the Wirthlin Family's Dutch oven stew, just to name a few.
Awesome matching T-shirts (this year's design by Jan)
Facials by S.L. for all the ladies.
Two full days of uninterrupted daddy time (ahhh -- no cell phone or laptop).
Singing around the campfire.
Extended family prayer before bed.
I was also grateful for the inventions of sunscreen and deet. How did people ever survive without these? And, it was so wonderful to see the enthusiasm of our Chinese friend who joined us. It made me feel more appreciative of what I have as she went on and on about what a wonderful (extended) family we have. So fun, and so crazy. She loved watching the guys mix mentos in diet coke to create exploding fountains (how did this ever get discovered?), and watching them swamp the canoes for fun. She thought the hike to the top of Baldy Peak was one of the highlights of her life.
Thanks for the memories that will last forever.
The Princess and the Pea
Camping has always been a big part of my life. When I was young, I remember going to the mountains with all our aunts, uncles and cousins (my dad is one of nine siblings, so there are many) to roll around in the dirt and make some of my greatest childhood memories.
After Photoguy and I married, we went on several camping excursions together from sleeping in the mountains right next to our home to trekking up the Oregon coast, road-tripping in Colorado, discovering the nicest KOA ever in Montana, and spending a freezing night in Yellowstone.
My love affair with camping began to fade around the time we went on our annual trip to the Uintahs while I was 4 1/2 months pregnant with our second child. I was exhausted from watching our one-year-old every minute, yet when we retired to our tent I did not get one wink of sleep. I didn't think it would be a big deal to camp since I wasn't hugely in my third tri-mester, but it turned out to be unbearably uncomfortable. I realized that my body just isn't the same while with child and vowed to never, ever go tent camping while expecting again.
After our second child was born, we seemed to go on less camping trips. A good friend of mine (now the mother of five) told me that she adopted a policy of no camping as long as she had toddlers. Instead, they stay in cabins or hotels and still have awesome vacations. It really is a lot of work to take small children camping. And, a bit dangerous too, what with dirt roads running right next to your campsite that don't seem like roads -- where your child could easily walk out and be hit by a car -- lakes, streams, rivers and other water hazards, and then there's the danger of them wandering off and becoming lost in the woods. I kind of adopted that same policy, except for the occasional camping trip here or there where I was usually fortunate enough to sleep in my in-laws' camp trailer while Photoguy experienced sleeping out under the stars with the kids. That guy is made of steel. I think he can sleep anywhere!
In retrospect, I realize that it's been years since I've actually tried to sleep on the ground. And, even then, I'm pretty sure I had some substantial padding under me. Really, I have no good explanation for my lapse of judgment on our recent camping trip.
I guess we were just too busy trying to pack up and head to the mountains, and since we were taking along a guest (a friend visiting from China), there were six of us and not a lot of extra room in the mini-van (we don't have a car top carrier and camping gear is a real space eater). It wasn't until we retired to our tent sometime after 11 p.m. and I felt pain radiating through my entire back, neck and shoulders, that I suddenly remembered -- after bearing three children my body isn't exactly amenable to sacking out on the cold, hard ground without so much as one thin pad beneath me.
I mean, really, the ground is so uncomfortable!!! Am I the only one who feels this way? Photoguy's sisters and sister-in-law seem perfectly happy with tent camping, even when they are expecting, and even with a passel of small kids running around. So, it must just be the princess in me that craves nice hotel rooms where housekeeping cleans up after you, or, a cabin with a view, or, at the very least a comfortable bed in a camp trailer (and, I wouldn't mind a place to take a hot shower).
Still, I do love the splendor of the great outdoors, and I want my kids to grow up with their own priceless memories of camping. It must be time to invest in a camp trailer, or at the very least, some very comfortable (and, compact) padding along with a larger tent (yes, we're still using the tiny one we got for our wedding, meant for two, even though our family has added three more members).
All I know is that sometime around 2:30 a.m. when I hadn't even closed my eyes once and I finally headed to our van to sleep on the middle bench (soooo much more comfortable even at four feet long), I adopted this new policy -- I will never ever sleep on the ground again (so long as I can help it) expecting or not.
After Photoguy and I married, we went on several camping excursions together from sleeping in the mountains right next to our home to trekking up the Oregon coast, road-tripping in Colorado, discovering the nicest KOA ever in Montana, and spending a freezing night in Yellowstone.
My love affair with camping began to fade around the time we went on our annual trip to the Uintahs while I was 4 1/2 months pregnant with our second child. I was exhausted from watching our one-year-old every minute, yet when we retired to our tent I did not get one wink of sleep. I didn't think it would be a big deal to camp since I wasn't hugely in my third tri-mester, but it turned out to be unbearably uncomfortable. I realized that my body just isn't the same while with child and vowed to never, ever go tent camping while expecting again.
After our second child was born, we seemed to go on less camping trips. A good friend of mine (now the mother of five) told me that she adopted a policy of no camping as long as she had toddlers. Instead, they stay in cabins or hotels and still have awesome vacations. It really is a lot of work to take small children camping. And, a bit dangerous too, what with dirt roads running right next to your campsite that don't seem like roads -- where your child could easily walk out and be hit by a car -- lakes, streams, rivers and other water hazards, and then there's the danger of them wandering off and becoming lost in the woods. I kind of adopted that same policy, except for the occasional camping trip here or there where I was usually fortunate enough to sleep in my in-laws' camp trailer while Photoguy experienced sleeping out under the stars with the kids. That guy is made of steel. I think he can sleep anywhere!
In retrospect, I realize that it's been years since I've actually tried to sleep on the ground. And, even then, I'm pretty sure I had some substantial padding under me. Really, I have no good explanation for my lapse of judgment on our recent camping trip.
I guess we were just too busy trying to pack up and head to the mountains, and since we were taking along a guest (a friend visiting from China), there were six of us and not a lot of extra room in the mini-van (we don't have a car top carrier and camping gear is a real space eater). It wasn't until we retired to our tent sometime after 11 p.m. and I felt pain radiating through my entire back, neck and shoulders, that I suddenly remembered -- after bearing three children my body isn't exactly amenable to sacking out on the cold, hard ground without so much as one thin pad beneath me.
I mean, really, the ground is so uncomfortable!!! Am I the only one who feels this way? Photoguy's sisters and sister-in-law seem perfectly happy with tent camping, even when they are expecting, and even with a passel of small kids running around. So, it must just be the princess in me that craves nice hotel rooms where housekeeping cleans up after you, or, a cabin with a view, or, at the very least a comfortable bed in a camp trailer (and, I wouldn't mind a place to take a hot shower).
Still, I do love the splendor of the great outdoors, and I want my kids to grow up with their own priceless memories of camping. It must be time to invest in a camp trailer, or at the very least, some very comfortable (and, compact) padding along with a larger tent (yes, we're still using the tiny one we got for our wedding, meant for two, even though our family has added three more members).
All I know is that sometime around 2:30 a.m. when I hadn't even closed my eyes once and I finally headed to our van to sleep on the middle bench (soooo much more comfortable even at four feet long), I adopted this new policy -- I will never ever sleep on the ground again (so long as I can help it) expecting or not.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Happy Independence Day
I felt like it was one of the best 4th of July celebrations ever. Photoguy, being a photojournalist, is often covering the events of the 4th (also known as working). But, not this year. The day started early. We hauled our kids, decked out in their red, white and blue clothes, over to the stake center for a 7:30 a.m. children's parade. After so many years of pulling the kids in their wagon in this parade, it was a true delight to see all three of them riding bikes (AiAi on his trike) decorated in streamers. They are growing up so much and it's fun.
After the parade (an event so exciting that my kids couldn't go to sleep until after 11 p.m. the night before, so great was their anticipation), we stayed for the flag raising ceremony. I bawled through The Star Spangled Banner, which made me feel like a nerd. I tried very hard to conceal the tears.
Then we were off to the Cherry Days parade in North Ogden. Photoguy brought along a bucket of water and three super soakers. He was such a character running around squirting water on the parade participants while his three shadows mimicked his every move. Most people (being sprayed by Photoguy) reacted with surprise and then asked him to do it again because it felt so refreshing. It was a hoot!
The weather was perfect. It was hot but overcast so the sun wasn't beating down on us and there was a refreshing breeze. It felt like it was about to storm all day but never did. Ahhh . . . such luxury after the string of scorchers we've been having.
Then, it was back to our house for a BBQ. A part of me felt like I would like to invite some friends. But, another part of me was happy that it was just our little family together. After a feast, and a well earned nap, we hooked up with two of our favorite families and took all the kids to see Kung Fu Panda. I have to admit, I had low expectations of this film for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the low expectations, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. We were laughing our heads off through the whole movie!
After that, we headed to Weber High School for an amazing fireworks show, and we also lit off a few of our own. It was the perfect day, and I always love to reflect on my gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy.
Saturday, I took the kids swimming while Photoguy went to work. Soph jumped off the diving board twice and swam to the side while I held my breath. E-Man paddled all over the pool with one of those inflatable rings, and AiAi the fearless went down a slide that plunged him into 4-foot-deep water and jumped off the side to me more times than I could count, he was laughing the whole time, and he thoroughly wore me out. I was thinking about how just a few years ago, I didn't dare to take Soph and E-Man to the pool by myself, it was so hard to keep track of multiple babies around water. Now, I'm able to take all three, and they didn't even wear life jackets. That was a first. We did stick together (don't worry Photoguy, I watched them every second), but it is weird and nice to have the kids getting just a bit older.
As we sat in the sun to dry off, E-Man let me pull his second loose tooth. As he put it, "It was just hanging on by a thread for days." That night when we placed it in an envelope for the Tooth Fairy, he asked me to write a note asking her, please, to not take his tooth. "I worked really hard on pulling out that tooth and I don't want to waste it," he told me.
Today, in sacrament meeting, several people, young and old, bore testimonies about their gratitude for their freedom and talked about how they can't make it through The Star Spangled Banner without weeping. That is the song we sang for the closing hymn. I, of course, wept. But, this time I didn't feel so embarrassed about it.
The song didn't mean so much to me until a few years ago when I heard the story of how it was penned by Francis Scott Key while being held hostage aboard an enemy ship, listening to the bombs flying overhead and peeking throughout the night at our flag waving to let him know that all was not lost. Now, every time I sing it, I vividly envision him on that stormy night writing the words of his heart as he kept an eye on the flag, the epitome of all hope and freedom to him in that moment. It chokes me up every time to reflect on how he must have felt. It brings all my tender patriotic feelings right to the surface.
Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream.
Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we m ust, when our cause it is just
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
Tis the star spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
After the parade (an event so exciting that my kids couldn't go to sleep until after 11 p.m. the night before, so great was their anticipation), we stayed for the flag raising ceremony. I bawled through The Star Spangled Banner, which made me feel like a nerd. I tried very hard to conceal the tears.
Then we were off to the Cherry Days parade in North Ogden. Photoguy brought along a bucket of water and three super soakers. He was such a character running around squirting water on the parade participants while his three shadows mimicked his every move. Most people (being sprayed by Photoguy) reacted with surprise and then asked him to do it again because it felt so refreshing. It was a hoot!
The weather was perfect. It was hot but overcast so the sun wasn't beating down on us and there was a refreshing breeze. It felt like it was about to storm all day but never did. Ahhh . . . such luxury after the string of scorchers we've been having.
Then, it was back to our house for a BBQ. A part of me felt like I would like to invite some friends. But, another part of me was happy that it was just our little family together. After a feast, and a well earned nap, we hooked up with two of our favorite families and took all the kids to see Kung Fu Panda. I have to admit, I had low expectations of this film for some reason. Perhaps it was because of the low expectations, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. We were laughing our heads off through the whole movie!
After that, we headed to Weber High School for an amazing fireworks show, and we also lit off a few of our own. It was the perfect day, and I always love to reflect on my gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy.
Saturday, I took the kids swimming while Photoguy went to work. Soph jumped off the diving board twice and swam to the side while I held my breath. E-Man paddled all over the pool with one of those inflatable rings, and AiAi the fearless went down a slide that plunged him into 4-foot-deep water and jumped off the side to me more times than I could count, he was laughing the whole time, and he thoroughly wore me out. I was thinking about how just a few years ago, I didn't dare to take Soph and E-Man to the pool by myself, it was so hard to keep track of multiple babies around water. Now, I'm able to take all three, and they didn't even wear life jackets. That was a first. We did stick together (don't worry Photoguy, I watched them every second), but it is weird and nice to have the kids getting just a bit older.
As we sat in the sun to dry off, E-Man let me pull his second loose tooth. As he put it, "It was just hanging on by a thread for days." That night when we placed it in an envelope for the Tooth Fairy, he asked me to write a note asking her, please, to not take his tooth. "I worked really hard on pulling out that tooth and I don't want to waste it," he told me.
Today, in sacrament meeting, several people, young and old, bore testimonies about their gratitude for their freedom and talked about how they can't make it through The Star Spangled Banner without weeping. That is the song we sang for the closing hymn. I, of course, wept. But, this time I didn't feel so embarrassed about it.
The song didn't mean so much to me until a few years ago when I heard the story of how it was penned by Francis Scott Key while being held hostage aboard an enemy ship, listening to the bombs flying overhead and peeking throughout the night at our flag waving to let him know that all was not lost. Now, every time I sing it, I vividly envision him on that stormy night writing the words of his heart as he kept an eye on the flag, the epitome of all hope and freedom to him in that moment. It chokes me up every time to reflect on how he must have felt. It brings all my tender patriotic feelings right to the surface.
Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream.
Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we m ust, when our cause it is just
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
Tis the star spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Yummy Dip Recipe
Layered Black Bean Dip
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
4.25-ounce can chopped black olives
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8-ounces non-fat cream cheese, softened
1 package frozen corn, thawed
1 tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
15-ounce baked tortilla chips
Mix beans, olives, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, red pepper, cumin and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Spread softened cream cheese on bottom of serving plate. Spoon bean mixture evenly over cream cheese. Arrange corn in ring around the edge of plate; sprinkle with onion and tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 12.
I just picked up this recipe at a cooking class and it is delish! Even my kids, who lately approach every meal with, "That looks/smells/sounds disgusting!" gobbled it right up. I used dried black beans prepared according to the package directions. I've only made it once, but I'm thinking that you could use non-fat sour cream instead of cream cheese to make it a bit more healthy (I use that sour cream made from yogurt and it's pretty healthy). Or, even cut the cream cheese in half. The olive mixture, beans and veggies on top are so, so flavorful. Plus, I'm thinking other chopped fresh veggies would go nicely on top too -- like bell peppers. It's a perfect dish to take to a pot-luck BBQ or bring to the park for the moms to munch while the kiddies play this summer.
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
4.25-ounce can chopped black olives
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8-ounces non-fat cream cheese, softened
1 package frozen corn, thawed
1 tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
15-ounce baked tortilla chips
Mix beans, olives, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, red pepper, cumin and pepper. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Spread softened cream cheese on bottom of serving plate. Spoon bean mixture evenly over cream cheese. Arrange corn in ring around the edge of plate; sprinkle with onion and tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 12.
I just picked up this recipe at a cooking class and it is delish! Even my kids, who lately approach every meal with, "That looks/smells/sounds disgusting!" gobbled it right up. I used dried black beans prepared according to the package directions. I've only made it once, but I'm thinking that you could use non-fat sour cream instead of cream cheese to make it a bit more healthy (I use that sour cream made from yogurt and it's pretty healthy). Or, even cut the cream cheese in half. The olive mixture, beans and veggies on top are so, so flavorful. Plus, I'm thinking other chopped fresh veggies would go nicely on top too -- like bell peppers. It's a perfect dish to take to a pot-luck BBQ or bring to the park for the moms to munch while the kiddies play this summer.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
The Rototiller Arrived
Photoguy put in our yard 6 years ago. When he planted grass, he sectioned off a huge area of about 14 feet x 20 feet for a garden. I say huge, because, having never planted a successful garden, I feel more comfortable trying out a 4 x 4 foot area to start out.
I am a huge fan of homegrown veggies and I've been the grateful recipient of friends', neighbors' and my mom and dad-in-law's harvests over the years. I also regularly shop at the farmer's market to stock up on organic goodness. However, I have yet to achieve my dream of growing my own garden.
After talking to every friend I knew who had a garden and getting advice, the first year, I planted a garden that yielded not even one squash. After more discussions, I came to the conclusion that I had not watered enough when the seeds were germinating. So, the second year, I watered right down to the textbook science of watering. Still, all I got were a few sugar snap peas and some deformed carrots. I decided that I needed to fertilize. When I discussed this with friends and my father-in-law, they were like, "well, yeah, of course your should be fertilizing." As if they were talking to someone who was unsuccessful in making toast because they hadn't plugged in the toaster -- duh -- fertilize!
I knew I needed to fertilize, but, I didn't have a truck to go get a load. The third year, I planned to plant a garden, but, as the spring turned to summer and my pregnant belly grew increasingly larger (I was due with my third child in August), I gave up on planting a garden at all that year. The fourth year, we were in the process of moving to China -- hence, no garden again. And, the fifth year, we were in the process of moving back into our home, which ended up taking us from May until the end of July due to health problems I had that summer. Again, no garden.
Finally, this year, the sixth year, I entered spring, again gung-ho to plant a garden. Once again came the dilemma of getting a good load of fertilizer dumped on the ground when, wallah, our neighbor knocks on our door and asks if we want half a truckload of his dark brown gardening soil because he has too much. Well, Yes!
I also received $80 worth of gift certificates to a local nursery and Home Depot for my birthday. So, the question was, how could we not plant a garden this year?
At the beginning of spring, Photoguy cleared out the huge wild blackberry bush that overtakes the garden area every year. Then, he busted up a big cement slab on one side of the garden, and it looked like things were really taking off. Then . . . well, life happened, we got busy and not one other thing happened to the garden for awhile.
Partway through June, I started to get really antsy about planting the garden. I went out and pulled up all the weeds. Then, I surveyed the ground and got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. The space was just too massive. I knew I wouldn't weed that big of an area all summer long. It overwhelmed me and made me want to quit.
Instead, I grabbed a long PVC pipe and laid it down the middle of the garden. There! A 7 x 20 foot piece of ground seemed much more bearable. I grabbed my rake and started to spread the good soil over 1/2 of the garden area. Then, I loaded up the kids and headed down to Home Depot to buy some plants.
I entered the garden section and found myself overcome with dread again. There were so many choices! So many kinds of fences and fertilizers and plants and everything! Where to begin? I pushed back the feeling to flee from the store and throw sod over the garden area so it would never bother me again. Instead, I swallowed my pride and showed my complete gardening ignorance by asking the workers all kinds of layman questions. Then, came the problem. The nice saleslady said, "Well, you can't just rake the soil over the top of your garden, you're going to have to rototill it in."
What!? I mean, I figured it would be a good idea to rototill. But, honestly. Now, I would have to come up with a rototiller and actually coordinate a free time with the ever busy Photoguy. Long story short, it is now two weeks later and the rototiller has arrived! (thank you for the rototiller dad). My fabulous husband is out there on this already sweaty day (ummm . . . is it a problem to plant a garden when it's going to be 100-degrees every day?) working like a madman to till up the garden for me.
Just for good measure, I spread manure over it too. I mean, since we are tilling it anyways, I wanted to take maximum advantage of the situation. He's not pleased that I am only planting half of the garden, but, I've talked him into letting me do it that way. I explained how much I want it to be a success and how much I really don't know what I'm doing and how overwhelming the whole thing is. Just now, the idea came to me that since we are putting all the good stuff on only one half of the garden this year, I can start a compost pile on the other side to get the soil ready for next year. Composting tips anyone?
I am a huge fan of homegrown veggies and I've been the grateful recipient of friends', neighbors' and my mom and dad-in-law's harvests over the years. I also regularly shop at the farmer's market to stock up on organic goodness. However, I have yet to achieve my dream of growing my own garden.
After talking to every friend I knew who had a garden and getting advice, the first year, I planted a garden that yielded not even one squash. After more discussions, I came to the conclusion that I had not watered enough when the seeds were germinating. So, the second year, I watered right down to the textbook science of watering. Still, all I got were a few sugar snap peas and some deformed carrots. I decided that I needed to fertilize. When I discussed this with friends and my father-in-law, they were like, "well, yeah, of course your should be fertilizing." As if they were talking to someone who was unsuccessful in making toast because they hadn't plugged in the toaster -- duh -- fertilize!
I knew I needed to fertilize, but, I didn't have a truck to go get a load. The third year, I planned to plant a garden, but, as the spring turned to summer and my pregnant belly grew increasingly larger (I was due with my third child in August), I gave up on planting a garden at all that year. The fourth year, we were in the process of moving to China -- hence, no garden again. And, the fifth year, we were in the process of moving back into our home, which ended up taking us from May until the end of July due to health problems I had that summer. Again, no garden.
Finally, this year, the sixth year, I entered spring, again gung-ho to plant a garden. Once again came the dilemma of getting a good load of fertilizer dumped on the ground when, wallah, our neighbor knocks on our door and asks if we want half a truckload of his dark brown gardening soil because he has too much. Well, Yes!
I also received $80 worth of gift certificates to a local nursery and Home Depot for my birthday. So, the question was, how could we not plant a garden this year?
At the beginning of spring, Photoguy cleared out the huge wild blackberry bush that overtakes the garden area every year. Then, he busted up a big cement slab on one side of the garden, and it looked like things were really taking off. Then . . . well, life happened, we got busy and not one other thing happened to the garden for awhile.
Partway through June, I started to get really antsy about planting the garden. I went out and pulled up all the weeds. Then, I surveyed the ground and got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. The space was just too massive. I knew I wouldn't weed that big of an area all summer long. It overwhelmed me and made me want to quit.
Instead, I grabbed a long PVC pipe and laid it down the middle of the garden. There! A 7 x 20 foot piece of ground seemed much more bearable. I grabbed my rake and started to spread the good soil over 1/2 of the garden area. Then, I loaded up the kids and headed down to Home Depot to buy some plants.
I entered the garden section and found myself overcome with dread again. There were so many choices! So many kinds of fences and fertilizers and plants and everything! Where to begin? I pushed back the feeling to flee from the store and throw sod over the garden area so it would never bother me again. Instead, I swallowed my pride and showed my complete gardening ignorance by asking the workers all kinds of layman questions. Then, came the problem. The nice saleslady said, "Well, you can't just rake the soil over the top of your garden, you're going to have to rototill it in."
What!? I mean, I figured it would be a good idea to rototill. But, honestly. Now, I would have to come up with a rototiller and actually coordinate a free time with the ever busy Photoguy. Long story short, it is now two weeks later and the rototiller has arrived! (thank you for the rototiller dad). My fabulous husband is out there on this already sweaty day (ummm . . . is it a problem to plant a garden when it's going to be 100-degrees every day?) working like a madman to till up the garden for me.
Just for good measure, I spread manure over it too. I mean, since we are tilling it anyways, I wanted to take maximum advantage of the situation. He's not pleased that I am only planting half of the garden, but, I've talked him into letting me do it that way. I explained how much I want it to be a success and how much I really don't know what I'm doing and how overwhelming the whole thing is. Just now, the idea came to me that since we are putting all the good stuff on only one half of the garden this year, I can start a compost pile on the other side to get the soil ready for next year. Composting tips anyone?
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