Dog Days of Summer

Have I mentioned that most days there are six scooters strewn across my front lawn or back patio? I love seeing this pack of kids wheeling up and down the sidewalk.

Summer is officially here. The other day, Isaac scurried onto the top of the van (a habit of his that we are trying to break) and started to shriek because the metal was scorching hot. Lesson learned?

My kids have been singing "Puff the Magic Dragon" and, "I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane," after a recent attempt to clean up the garage uncovered a Peter, Paul and Mary soundtrack. It's funny to hear them singing the same songs I grew up listening to -- on my parents' 8-track. I think Peter, Paul and Mary were the oldies when I was their age.

Speaking of being old, Sophie was asking me, "Why does she have to leave on a jet plane?" We were discussing the many possibilities and then I said, "Oh, I know, maybe it was like when I left on a jet plane to go work in Washington D.C. when your dad and I were dating." That led to a discussion about what I was doing in Washington D.C., and, just to make my daughter think I was cool, I started bragging about working at the Capitol, and she said, "Wow mom! Did you meet the president!?" She was thinking I was pretty cool and I was feeling so proud of myself and the next words out of her mouth were, "Was it when Kennedy was president?" Well, that kind of took the wind out of my sails. "Ummm . . . no, he was the president when your grandparents were your age sweetie."

Yesterday we made this perfect play doh:

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon alum
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cups water

Combine in a pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Knead when thickened.

Then, let the kids pick their own colors and work the food coloring in. It's magic. And, if you have a plastic spider and a three-year-old (or, two), pressing the spider into the dough and screaming "Look a spider!" Followed by everyone screaming, "Ahhh! A spider!" can provide at least an hour of entertainment (for the three-year-old(s) -- you may not be quite as entertained).

We had an afternoon backyard run through the sprinklers. In the end, Izzy and Isaac used the hose to turn the beach (sandbox) into the ocean (filled it with water and splashed around). Yes my friends, the dog days of summer are finally here.

Smiles

This is Katie in her blessing gown two weeks ago (she was two weeks old).

We had a few friends and all of our family over for a BBQ afterwards. It rained. So, the meal was moved indoors at the last minute. It was pretty amazing to see 50 people squeeze into our tiny house!

The kids were resourceful and took their plates of food and sat under our extra tall table. Pretty funny sight to see them all camped under there.

Brian was a trooper to cook all of the meat on the grill in the pouring rain.

My friend brought a bundt cake from "Nothing Bundt Cakes." So yummy. Here is their ode to a bundt cake:

You're so round
Your taste profound
Yet sadly, sadly
You never stick around.

That about sums up that lovely and quickly devoured cake.

Brian is just finishing up the Ragnar Relay as I type. This is his 5th year in a row participating in this crazy race that starts near Logan and ends in Park City and takes (on average) more than 24-hours to complete. There are 12 runners, and each runner runs three legs of the race.

The kids had a "late-over" which turned into a sleepover with their friends last night. We had a lot of fun playing games at the park with cousins followed by a movie, popcorn, cookies and staying up l-a-t-e. It's been a good weekend. We cleaned up the house to surprise Brian when he gets home.

Just when I thought life couldn't get any better, the angel pictured in this post flashed me a crooked grin. Her first
S
M
I
L
E
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The Ergo

The replacement strap for my Ergo baby carrier arrived, and I am loving it!


This is the one piece of baby gear I don't know how I ever lived without when my first two were little.

When Sophie and Ian got a little bit older, I could often be found cooking dinner, doing the dishes, or hiking the trails with one of them in my baby backpack. But, they have to be about six-months-old before they go in there. When they were tiny, I tried every front pack carrier I could get my hands on. I didn't like the strain they put on my shoulders. Even the sling that many others raved about was uncomfortable to me. I never did try a "wrap" though I've heard good things about those.

I discovered the Ergo right before Isaac was born. And, I absolutely love it because it snuggles my babies right up close to me and puts all of the weight on my hips like the baby backpack does. It grows right along with your child so that, when they are older, you can use it to carry them on your back or even on your hip. I have to admit that I've never mastered the art of using the Ergo on my back or my hip. Once Isaac reached six-months, I just switched back to the backpack because it is what I knew. But, my sister-in-law still uses her Ergo from time to time to carry her three-and-a-half-year-old around on her back or her hip.

It's so wonderful to carry your infant and be hands free! Katie is sleeping against my chest in the Ergo as I type this. And, I just threw a load of laundry into the washer and prepared a potluck dish for a family get together later this afternoon. Yesterday, I used it at the grocery store and at the arts festival (very useful when I had to use my free hands to carry an over-tired, over-hungry Isaac out to the car at the end). Half a dozen people stopped me to inquire about my nifty carrier. I don't mean to turn into such an infomercial when people admire it. But, I love my Ergo!

What piece of baby gear can you not live without?

Summer Adventures Part I

I love summer storms. Today, we sat on the front porch and enjoyed a magnificent view of our mountains blanketed in spring green with low hanging storm clouds hovering over the peaks while occasional sprinkles filled the gutter.

Is the green more vivid this year than in years past? This is my favorite spring in memory. Perhaps a May baby makes it so.

The kids and I have enjoyed many lightning storms from the porch in the past few weeks. I think we must have some of the most spectacular T-storms in the world here on the Wasatch Front. I've loved watching lightning shows since I was a kid.

Something else I am loving right now: My kids listening to Janeen Brady's Standing Tall series. Am I the only one who grew up on these ditties, like, Mr. Did and Mr. Didn't singing in the Land of Obey? And, Do You Know About Grandpa Gum?

Sophie just discovered the third track where they leave out one of the character's lines and she can read along like she is part of the story. She loves it. I loved that too when I was her age. I love that she loves it.

Our summer adventures began Monday morning with a trip to the Treehouse Children's Museum. Two of my sisters-in-law, one brother-in-law and all of their kids (eight between them) made the trip to Ogden, so, I loaded up my crew to meet them. I was babysitting, but, my friends' oldest daughter was ill and spent the day with her grandma.

After losing each of my three-year-olds one at a time and each of them throwing a screaming tantrum (all of this in the first 10-minutes), we settled into a routine and had a most enjoyable time. So much fun in fact, that we stayed for FOUR hours!

I think these excursions will be even better when I get the replacement strap for my ergo (the carrier that deserves a post of its own, so great is my love for it), and, when I get more comfortable feeding Katie in public.

No sooner had we arrived home, fed everyone a late lunch, given Katie a nice long feeding and laid her down for a nap, then my parents called and invited us to Pop's (a 50's ice-cream shop). Tempting though it was to stay home and chill after our long outing, I could not say "no." So, the kids got two fun trips in the same day! And, though I promised myself, during the drive over, that I wouldn't order my own ice-cream, the brownies on the moon was just too, too irresistible.

Our summer adventures continued on Tuesday with more outings -- this time for business rather than pleasure. Monday night, Brian and I realized that we had both scheduled appointments at the exact same times. So . . . we divvied up the kids. I buckled up the three youngest and he piled in the four oldest.

My crew headed to the dermatologist (for Isaac) at 9 a.m. while they headed to bookstores to distribute "I Am Ogden." Right after Isaac's appointment ended, we were off to my pediatrician for Katie's 2-week-check-up. It is official. She is perfect. The Doctor said so. And, I could have sworn she is at least 10-pounds by now, she seems to grow right before my eyes, but she's only gained 4-ounces (8 lbs. 12 oz.). Perfectly normal.

Just before they pricked her foot for the PKU, Brian showed up to hand-off four more kids to me so he could make it to a meeting (about the book) at Weber State. It was a strange, strange feeling herding those seven kids out of the Doctor's office and out to the van. I looked at them scurrying ahead of me and the thought occurred to me, "This isn't exactly how I envisioned my future back when I was in college wearing dry clean only pants, ironing my clothes on a regular basis and going out on the town every weekend."

It wasn't what I envisioned. But, I'll take it. Because it's pretty great.

The other day, my eighty-something-year-old neighbor congratulated us on the most recent arrival and paid us a very high compliment when he said, "It's a pleasure to see people who take good care of their kids bring children into the world." His words made me feel so good.

And, truly, the pleasure is mine.

Come To The Book Release Party

Yesterday, the kids and I were out and about delivering invitations to Brian's big book release party and art show. By the way, this is your official invite:

Come see the Ogden Book and 50 life-size portraits from the book at the Union Station, 25th Street and Wall Avenue in Ogden, from 5-9 p.m. Friday, June 5. There will even be some food and I hear it's going to be delish!

So . . . we were out delivering the invites, and I got to talking with one gal (who I know on a casual basis), and she was telling me how much she loves being a mom. She has a six-month-old and an almost two-year-old. She was also telling me how stressful it is to work full-time and keep all of the balls in the air, so to speak. And, about how her nanny called in sick for the rest of the week and she had important meetings for the next two days. And, it was so stressful because all of her family lives back East, so, when her nanny is sick or needs time off she is very limited on who she can call for back-up.

I felt so bad for her that for a moment I nearly volunteered to take her two babies for her. But, just in time, a voice inside my head said, "Hello? You are already babysitting for the rest of the week. You will have seven kids. Three babies in diapers? What are you thinking girl? Hello? You are less than two-weeks post-partum. Your husband is two-days out from his big gala. Don't even think about it."

So, as much as I would have loved to take those two little cherubs of hers, that voice inside my head stopped me just in time. And, as I drove away I was thinking how thankful I am to stay home with my kids and to not have to be stressed out all the time about juggling work and nannies. Not to mention hairy commutes - bleh! Because really, what is the point in having tons and tons of money if you can't really enjoy your kids and your life?

Transitions

Our summer vacation began with a lot of declarations from Ian that "There is nothing fun to do."

My response: "Did you sleep in a tent last night? Was it fun to have pancakes dripping with syrup for breakfast? Are your grandparents taking you to the ice-cream parlor right after lunch? Is Daddy taking you to a movie tomorrow? Do you have a basement full of toys? A big backyard? A bike and a scooter? A house full of siblings? If there is nothing fun about all of those things, I'm sorry, I can't help you."

To which Ian would respond: "Yeah, but, I'd like to go to Disneyland or Lagoon or Classic Fun Center."

And, this would lead us to repeated conversations about how life isn't just about having fun all the time and those things are too expensive to do every day.

Ian's response: "Summer vacation isn't suppose to be just about working."

My response: Inside my head, "Ummm, yes it is."

I didn't actually say it in so few of words, instead it came out something like, "Do you like living in a house? And, having a bedroom? And, a kitchen where you can make food? Because if you want to live in a tent, it will really cut down on the housekeeping. But, if you want to live in a house, you're going to have to help out."

And, finally, yesterday, the kids woke up, ate their breakfast, and settled into reading a pile of books in the middle of the living room floor. When they were done with that, all three headed to the cave and started playing a make-believe game. And, I thought to myself, "At last we have transitioned from the fast paced life of school to the lazy days of summer."

At one point, I held my new baby on my lap and she stared deep into my soul with her penetrating eyes. Ian practiced his songs on the piano. Sophie enthusiastically read to Isaac. My heart filled to the brim with joy. Then, my angelic baby sighed and closed her eyes while I rubbed her little swaddled up body, and I looked at her sleeping figure and thought, "The past nine-months were definitely worth it!"

Today, I resumed watching my friend's three kids. Katie's birth worked out perfectly. She was born on the weekend, just before Paula got back from D.C. Paula was able to keep Heidi's kids for a couple of days the following week, and then Heidi's family headed off to Texas for a week. So, I had a nice little break. Thank you baby Katie for being so accommodating to everyone's schedules.

Today, the summer babysitting transition began. My kids missed their friends SO much while they were in Texas. And, all day yesterday (as they do every day we don't babysit), they begged to invite their friends over to play. "You will see them tomorrow," I assured them.

How long did it take before two children were in tears and the other four were arguing? Exactly 30 minutes I tell you. This is why I am always perplexed as to why they can't stand to be apart.

After two hours of me playing the mediator (and, handing out a few chocolate chip cookies), they have now retired to the backyard for a treasure hunt. Could it be that the transition has already been made? Well, I'm not holding my breath. But, I'm grateful for the break nonetheless.

Seven kids for the summer!!! Phew! I think we are in for some adventures.

Simple Pleasures

This morning, Katie's cord fell off, and you know what that means -- her first bath.

It was so fun to see her submerged in her little tub while the other three giggled at her tiny body. I can never get enough of this soft pink baby skin.

Miss Katie is such a good baby (knock on wood). So far, she only gets up once per night. And, when she does, I feel grateful to be rocking my sweet little newborn. I think motherhood gets better and better with time. I'm so blessed to have such a good natured baby.

She is a fantastic eater. Once she gets going, we tend to spend an hour or two before she is satisfied. She'll eat, and doze, and wake up five minutes later wailing and looking at me like, "Geez woman what do I have to do to get a little food around here?"

The kids had their last day of school on Thursday. I can tell that they are still young, because the last day of school was sad for them (they will miss their teachers) instead of the joyful event I remember from my youth. To jazz things up, Brian set up the tent in the backyard and they had a camp out for two nights in a row! He's such a fun dad. I got to camp inside in my big comfy bed with Miss Katie Jane. During the day, the kids and I all lounged in the tent enjoying the cool spring weather and I thought about what a nice little green spot my backyard really is. I'm going to miss our giant cottonwood tree when it finally has to come down. In the mornings, I made pancakes for everyone. And, by the way, I just discovered the best pancake recipe ever.

I can't believe that it was only one week ago today that I was still in the hospital with this beautiful new baby. She's so tiny. And, yet, I can't believe that this whole perfect little person was inside of me! Phew! No wonder my belly was so huge! Now, I'm loving sleeping on my back, and any which way I choose without feeling like someone is stabbing me in the ribs. Ahhh . . . sweet sleep. Ahhh . . . being comfortable again. I'm loving wearing non-maternity clothes again. I'm loving that I'm suddenly Isaac's favorite parent again. He's been daddy's boy for a long time, which was also fun. But, I'll take his fabulous hugs anytime I can get them (even if it's while I'm nursing Katie). I love the way a new baby slows things down. The way I'm suppose to soak in the tub and put my feet up -- Doctor's orders!!! And, the housework and the errands can all wait for just a minute while we welcome this new person into our lives.

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups flour (white or whole wheat)
2 tsp. baking powder
3 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt

sift dry ingredients, then add:

3 tbsp. melted butter mixed with
1 egg

stir together, and slowly add while stirring:

1 1/4 cups vanilla soy milk

I had to also mix it with a mixer because it was kind of lumpy. I'm telling you, they are delish!!

P.S. I never want to forget that Sophie and Ian brought me breakfast in bed my first morning home from the hospital.