And we are back on air

I recently just went a week without at home internet access. The withdrawl symptoms have ebbed somewhat, but I am grateful to be able to yet again indulge. There have been events and moments to blog about, emails to send, bank accounts to manage, and facebook postings to update. More importantly I missed my friends. I have so many friends that are awesome and busy moms like me - and it is nice to be able to send a quick im to catch up while I am getting the 10,000 other things that need to be accomplished done.

This past week has been one of ups and downs, like most weeks. Tender moments where Sophie asked to go to the library, or Zackie helped me make banana bran muffins (mainly because he peeled an entire bunch of bananas - letting him mash them afterwards probably is not going to serve as a deterrent for this kind of behavior in the future) Funny moments when Sophie announces to the entire DI that we have find the potty so she can go pee pee - an act she refuses to do outside of the public restroom environment, or Zackie insisting on getting kisses with every snip of the scissors while getting his hair cut. Trips to the park and terrible two times two tantrums.

As the seasons open a new chapter and spring turns into summer (that is if you are lucky enough to get spring; we are still getting the occasional snowfall) my tiny little brood and I are also opening new chapters. Chloe and Melodie both move up a grade in school, and Melodie is already busy with the young women at church. Sophie should be starting preschool in the fall, and for the first time, Zackie and Sophie will be separated during the day. There are many changes happening for us over the new few months.

"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." - Anonymous

Conference Calamity

Apparently last week was setting to the tone for how things are going to be for a while...

Today was stake conference - and everyone in my family was incredibly excited because it was being held in the tabernacle. This excitement did not transfer into motivation however, so as usual we were running late to conference, even though I started getting them ready two hours before it began.

We entered the building from the back, which unfortunately is the direction everyone is facing when they are seated inside. We try to scurry as unobtrusively as possible up the stairs to the balcony on the north side - which was packed. The usher decided the best place to put us was right up front, which is indicative that the usher has never personally had small children. As soon as we are seated, after crawling other members, I realize what a terrible plan this is. For starters, we are in view of everyone present, because not only are we up in the first row of the balcony, we are also closest to where the podium is - so people cannot avoid looking at us. Also, right in front of us is the railing - which translates into a giant climbing bar in the hearts and minds of my small children. They immediately grab hold of it, and do everything possible to try to climb over and fall to their dooms. I manage to distract them for about seven minutes with fruit snacks and sippies, as well as the lift the flap books that I had brought along. This calm respite did not last, and soon they were trying to climb again, and arguing profusely at loud volumes with me about restraining them. I dig out the paper and crayons from the diaper bag, which again provides a calming influence, but this time the respite is briefer - Zackie decided the railing would look lovely with a lime green color streak and Sophie sent her crayons catapulting over the edge to land on unsuspecting attendees below.

When the climbing begins again, I direct Melodie to take Sophie down, out, and around the building to sit in the rows below - thinking that she would sit next to one of the families from our ward. Melodie disappears and I am unable to locate her - but never mind because I am still dealing with the willful force that is Zachary. He is content to color, look at books, climb onto the pew behind us, and play footsie with the beautiful young blond girl that was sitting next to us for some time, with only minor issues. His playful singing during the hymns and clapping afterward garnered some amused chuckles. I was even able to make the observation of how beautiful it was to sit in the tabernacle and look out the windows at the snow capped mountains and green trees.

It is shortly after this point that Zackie notices Melodie and Sophie sitting in the balcony on the south side. "Mei Mei I see you! " he yells loudly at a time opportune due to its quietness. He continues to yell for Mei Mei, even after she vacates from the south side balcony in pursuit of Sophie. Deciding the easiest way to get to her would be to fly, he returns to trying to jump from the railing. The squirming in his tantrums kept unbuttoning my shirt - but thankfully Melodie appeared to get something from the diaper bag, and took Zackie with her back to Sophie. Chloe curled up against me, and with twenty minutes left, it looked like we were going to make it through conference in moderately good form, or at least in one piece.

Then I notice movement on the main level up near the podium - sure enough, Zackie, happy, confident, and smiling, was making his way up to talk from the podium - and trapped in the balcony, there was nothing I could do to stop it.

There is a redemptive light though. Behind the podium is where the choir sits, and a friend who is also a sympathetic mom of multiple toddlers retrieved Zachary and was able to meet me at the balcony stairs with him. I told Chloe to stay in our seat, and went off to find Melodie and figure out exactly why and how Zachary was able to escape and make it to the podium. Doing this without causing more interruption required me to exit the building, go around to the front, and re enter. I enjoy the quick walk, with Zachary chattering along in the sunshine and the cool breeze ruffling our hair. As I come back in the building, I glance up in the balcony area to see how Chloe is doing, and find her dangling over the balcony herself. I communicate as best as possible in rapid hand gestures for her to sit back, and go back to trying to find Melodie.

I found her and keeping the babies with me, ask her to get Chloe. Sophie and Zach use this time to try to open every locked door on the lower level below the main seating area. By the time Melodie and Chloe return, only the closing hymn and prayer are left of conference, so we can leave a little early guilt free.

We head out the doors into the sunshine and begin the short trek to the van, which had to be parked across the street, down the road, and over a hill. Feeling that the calamity has come to an end, I even agree to let Sophie and Zach walk on the sidewalk without holding anyone's hand. Zackie is in sock feet, because he loathes anything actually touching his toes, but socks wash and it is a beautiful day. A beautiful day following a blustery one that rained and snowed...which means there are puddles. At this point I am guilty of being an adult, and forgetting that puddles have irresistible gravitational pull - they simply demand that you jump up and down in them. As you can imagine, literally five feet from the van is an enormous puddle and before my ninja reflexes can react, Zackie was gleefully making splashes and ripples.

Which leads me to where I am now. The kids were fed a quick lunch of lemon sautéed cod, herbed rice, and asparagus then sent to bed. Where they hopefully will stay for quite some period of time, because we are having triple chocolate cake and ice cream tonight.

Curling up under a rock please!

So this past week has been a dousy - one that really should have been turned into a comic strip.

Monday - gave small toddlers Nutrigrain bars to snack on during the ride to daycare. Note: Small toddlers do not actually like said Nutrigrain bars. While getting Sophie out of her car seat, she stealthy flung the Nutrigrain bar onto my seat without me noticing. Running pressed for time as I get back in the vehicle, I do not check the seat for any such items. Turn up the music and dance in my seat while driving to work to get me pepped up for the day. Go into building, clock in, and proceed with normal work day for over an hour. During this time I also dance around to the music playing on the pa system. Go to help a customer and slide my thumbs into my back pockets - at which point my fingers stick to the outside of the pocket. Made worse when I realized the flavor selection was strawberry.

Tuesday - Agreed to purchase a used computer desk from an advertisement posted on KSL (think craigslist type thing) Owner is located in a small town about 30 minutes away (supposedly) on the other side of the canyon. Head out late to pick up desk due to Zackie having a case of monkey syndrome and mistaking me for a tree. Drive down, as usual getting the moderate amount of amusement that there are horses and cows grazing along the main highway - meaning stick out your hand and touch them close. See sign advertising "Fresh Pork and Lamb" and notice that said animals happen to be happily lolling about underneath. Enter the canyon and observe a flashing sign announcing "Use caution - wildlife on roadway." They weren't joking either - lots and lots of wildlife was running about in broad daylight.

Get through canyon of doom and pass by the store that is "Tropical fish, craft and hobby, custom word carvings" all in one, which is conveniently located next to the goat farm. Realize I am way too much of a city kid for all of this outdoorsy/country stuff. Go to purchase desk and owner cannot make change, but assures me that there is a gas station a couple miles up if I make a right at the stop sign. Good - because there hasn't been a gas station or anything but fruit stands and a fresh beef market for over 20 miles.

I have no faith that the gas station in question actually exists. I drove for 20 minutes, got soundly lost, and ended up at Smith and Edwards - which is also an ace hardware, cowboy supply and military surplus shop. Their motto is that "We've got everything - you just have to find it." They do have everything - much to my amazement and amusement. Parachutes, diapers, bullets, a taxidermed bear, saddles, bridles, lassos...I got lost and couldn't find the exit for several minutes while inside the store. But it was really fun looking at things I had never even seen in person before. The wall of mounts was a little disturbing - as was the fishing lures that were bigger than any fish I have ever caught. Decided that I would have to bring the kids there on a rainy day just to explore and play - it could probably kill at least six or seven hours.

Left my cash in the car, so I figured I would just get change from my debit card - wrong answer.

Find my way back to the owner's house and head the other way in search of a gas station. Find one, get change, and get the desk. All in all, the one hour trip took two and a half. Figure as long as my evening is shot, might as well get my hair trimmed and pick up a few things at Walmart once I get back to the "city." (Have I ever mentioned that Midland is a metropolis compared to Logan? If I haven't, I am now.) Ignore the "falling rock" sign as I drive back through the canyon.

Hair was trimmed without incident, except for an excessive wait. Went to Walmart and was actually able to remember everything that I have been meaning to pick up and get it into my cart - the replacement tube for Chloe's bike tire, the bath tub plug, (hair dye kit - comes into play later), wash cloths, milk and so on. I didn't mention that it was storming on this particular day. Walmart looses power. Walmart looses back up generator power. Employees are sent scurrying through the dark asiles, sans flashlights but using cell phones for light, to get everyone to the front to check out while the registers run off auxiliary power. Unfortunately they can only use the two lanes they had open, and the registers at the jewelry, electronics, and customer service counters are already down. Wait in line for twenty minutes - at which point the last registers go down and everyone is escorted from the building without their merchandise.

Wait! There is another Walmart. We have nothing except two Walmarts, a Kmart, Sam's Club, and Shopko. I ask if anyone knows the number to the other Walmart to see if their power is down as well. Another customer ends up calling his wife to ask after the employees fail to locate the other store's phone number or a phone book. They have power. Yay!

Drive to other end of town and go into Walmart. Forget 90% of what I remembered at the other store.

Wednesday - Got through day moderately okay. Ran late in the morning, and late back from lunch due to Chloe deciding that changing from shoes to sandals was an emergency and she could not leave school to be dropped off at daycare before it was done. Decide to put computer desk together - when tipping it upright, Melodie gets distracted and computer desk drops onto my thigh - making a two inch cut and a bruised area the size of a soft ball. Ouch. The computer desk does not fit in the intended area, so all furniture in the living room now has to be moved so that the computer can reside in an area where people will use it and it won't hack up lint balls from the dryer.

Thursday - Went fine, and got a lot accomplished. Well except for some issues with Department of Workforce Services, which is like the Department of Human Services in Michigan. They decided to close my case due to not having enough paperwork in the verification process. I called and said "Hey, you never notified me you needed this paperwork. More than happy to give it to you - mind giving me an extension before you close my case and leave my children without medical coverage?" Their answer " We don't send out notifications of what additional paperwork we need from you - we just automatically close your case. Get the paperwork in when you can, but we are not going to back date any coverage." Good to know. Unfortunately it is all paperwork I do not have and I require from Michigan, and they won't fax it. NO ONE gets to break anything or get sick until this is straightened out.

Decide that it would be a great time to dye my hair with a dye from the box. Normal people probably would have reviewed the week, which also included stepping on tacks, getting fingers smashed, hair dryer breaking, and the laptop now being so outdated that it is incompatible with itself, and said, you know maybe not. But I was not deterred and carried on as planned.

Friday - woke up at 6:50 to the sound of Chloe playing on the computer (which she is not supposed to touch without permission) and the realization she had turned off my alarm. I have to be to work at 7:00. Tell said child that she will be talked to later, and run around in frantic frog (Kermit from the Muppets) fashion getting myself and small children ready to go and out the door. Look into mirror while brushing hair - OMG there is a calico cat on my head. Nope, that is just my hair...

Get to work and realize that the normal tooth pain I have been dealing with for over a year is now unbearable. Really really unbearable. I cannot even drink water, and food has become my enemy. Informed my manager that I was going to have to leave, and started calling around for appointments to get in on an emergency basis. Found one at a reasonable time and price, and went it at 10:45. It seems that my wisdom teeth are not wise, but the epicenters of evil - with live tissue and nerves exposed. The dentist thinks that it does not need a surgical referral and he can just extract it at his office...could I come back at 1:00? Sure. About this time I remember that not only was Melodie's birthday party tonight (which I hadn't forgotten) but she was also having friends spend the night (which I did forget). Use time in between the appointments to pick up popcorn, popcorn flavorings, pop, and other supplies for the hoard of teenage girls that are due to invade my house in the evening. Go back to the dentist.

I have never had a problem with needles. Nope, I am one tough chickie. Then again, I have never had to have needles stuck into my gums before either. Decide that this is not going to become a new hobby. After completely numbing the left side of my mouth, the dentist concluded he cannot do the extraction after all. Instead he sands down my bottom teeth (you know, the teeth that are highly sensitive to little things like temperature and such, they aren't helped by sanding) and then breaks open my wisdom teeth, puts in a medicine capsule, and cements them closed. This should help for anywhere between a week and a couple months, but I schedule an appointment in July to have my wisdom teeth removed anyway. Yes, that is plural because though I went in for my left side, he did this same procedure on the top right side as well. By the way, it was observed by all the staff that my wisdom teeth are unusually far back in my mouth. So I end up paying over two hundred dollars to fix teeth that are coming out in two months. This isn't as thrilling as it sounds.

The left side of my mouth and my tongue remained numb into Saturday morning, which made it difficult to eat or talk.

On the plus side, Melodie had forgotten to invite her friends to spend the night, and so it was just a party with giddy girls watching movies, eating popcorn, and playing on the Wii. Everyone had fun, and everyone went home - leaving me moderately free to curl up under a rock and come out when the world promises to be nice again. Just as soon as I marinate the chicken, take Chloe to her friend's birthday party, scrub the bathtub, flip the laundry.....

Keep Walking....

Windows open and warm breezes blowing, I sit down and realize I am so sore! We finally are starting to be consistently warm - it hasn't even snowed in over a week :) With the onset of warm and sunny weather, we have been outside playing at parks and walking everyday. Our multiple trips during the week to the library have become adventurous excursions as that we have been walking and choosing different routes - added adventure points due to keeping toddlers in strollers, retrieving objects thrown in a projectile fashion from said stroller and their hands off shelves.

I can't believe how quickly my children are growing. When I snuggle Zackie while putting him to sleep, he still seems like a little baby, but yesterday at the park he refused to go down the slide - saying "No - too high! Too high!" Sophie charged this same slide, which does send you down at an amazing velocity, (it is a tube style twirly slide, and the kids literally pop out the end) even when she came out the bottom with a bump and ended up landing face first on the mulch chips. Everyday they grow more independent and say things that surprise me - such as Sophie pointing out accurately a hawk in the sky.

Melodie is going to be 12 in a couple weeks. She is, as she always has been, just absolutely amazing. I am so excited for her to be entering this point in her life - where she gets to visit the temple, participate in young women's activities, go to girl's camp, and start exploring in depth who she is, and who she really wants to be. At the same time, I wish I could hold on tight to her childhood years just a little bit longer. I miss the little girl who cuddled on my lap for stories and snuck in to sleep with me at night.

Chloe is as vibrant as sunshine. She too is growing up far to quickly for my taste. She can read stories on her own now, and has been practicing her cursive and multiplication tables. She has been having a few struggles, such as being diagnosed with ADHD (which left me giving a flustered apology to her counselor after responding "Ya think" when this diagnosis was revealed) and still suffering from some lingering depression we can't seem to shake. But for the most part we have good days, and are excited for the sunny weather when she can ride her two wheeler bike without training wheels.

And so life continues to be good and bless us. With the warmer weather and sunshine we are greeted with amazing scenery - perfect blue skies with cotton ball clouds and backdropped by snow capped mountains. It is beautiful, peaceful, and soul satisfying.

Quoth the Raven

I almost, almost have gotten used to that there are big black ravens out here, and that they have the disturbing habit of landing on the hood of my van while I am praying and cawing surreptitiously. It would be a little more helpful had I not read all those Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Dickens, and Agatha Christie books. I miss cardinals and blue jays, but their replacements have been ever so much more fun. FAT little quail run around in abundance, and it is not uncommon to see pheasants running through the neighborhood yards, or for that matter, wild turkey. At least I know that if hard times come, I won't go hungry....of course that is if all the other gun owning citizens in the valley don't get them first.

It is definitely a different world here, where pretty much everyone owns guns (more than one and legally) and they look at me like I have three eyes and antenna when I mention I don't. That fact is probably going to change, plus I am enrolling the girls in hunter's safety classes. The average person starts shooting and gun ownership out here around the ages of three or four (even the girls - I asked my Bishop's wife, and she said she was three). I don't want my children to cause an accident or worse because they don't know anything about guns or are uncomfortable with them.

Yesterday was a beautiful day. Unfortunately we didn't go outside to enjoy it because my children have continued their strike on cleanliness, and I decided to hold them captive until rooms were clean. Of course that means today, with rooms clean and furniture moved, is an absolutely dreadful chilly and overcast day and taking the perpetually coughing and consistently nose running gruesome threesome of my four children outside to walk around barns and play with brand spanking new farm animals is probably out of the question. But then, if we bundled up and went today, we could avoid the crowds sure to accompany one the highest anticipated events for kids in the valley.

Along with getting the rooms clean, I managed to go through Zackie and Sophie's closets and in a burst of rebellion packed away the heaviest of the winter clothes for next season. I know it is early to do so, but I can't help but try and be optimistic. It has snowed continuously since I moved here, and snow and I are no longer on speaking terms. I also managed to pull out the stray too small clothes, and the clothes that they own but I will never ever let them wear, and should they appear on my child in my presence the result is altogether unpleasant.

Today's list of excitement on the "staycation" - inoculations, bank, WIC clinic (anyone who has ever had to go knows that you need to take camping supplies and food for three days - I have been there over nine hours before) Sam's Club (thanks to free one day passes deposited in my shopping bag at Wally World), library, possibly the DI or another thrift store, and then, if I am feeling real adventurous Target. I have not suddenly struck it rich, in fact just the opposite - I haven't gone shopping other than for groceries in a long enough period of time that we may need to use those t-shirts that have become new members of the rag pile (thanks to red crayons and dryers) as cloth diapers if I don't go. We also need to replace the newly inducted t-shirts and pants. And come up with art supplies less likely to be hiding in tiny nubs inside children's pants pockets.

Some may not have heard my bitterness over that the closest Target is through the dreaded canyon and an hour away, but in case you haven't, I am bitter and periodically suffer symptoms of severe Target withdrawal - especially since diapers, diaper rash ointment, and fruit snacks - all necessities at the moment, are cheaper there. I know that they are non veteran or charitable organization friendly, but due to that their associates are not perpetually incompetent or unfriendly, their prices are comparable or cheaper, and their product is superior, they remain on my favorite store list. How I long for the good old days where there were three Targets within a five minute highway drive from my house - none of that driving requiring navigation through a canyon of doom. But I suppose that I do have something like 15 tractor and farm supply stores - including one that sells tractors in a variety of designer shades, is something to be grateful for.

Golly gee Goliath

As some may or may not know, I am in charge of our "Orange Embrace" program at work. It is not a position I particularly enjoy or stay in voluntarily, but since it pleases that powers that be, so I remain. This often means that my register area is covered completely with paper, markers, glue, and other things that make it resemble 3rd grade arts and crafts. A customer of mine noticed that I was drawing different people and asked if I was an artist. No was a quick response from my lips, but he pressed onwards. His ward is going to be doing a talent show, and he needed help making a life size replica of Goliath. I am not an artist, I maintained, but would be more than happy to help the best I could.

So that is what I found myself doing bright and early in the sunshine this morning for three hours - marking out Goliath's massive form. His head is now gingerly shoved behind my seat for me to work on here at home - making it as three dimensional and fearsome as possible. When I got home, Melodie asked me if I was done with Goliath. No, I sighed in response, there would still be several hours of painting and reworking before Goliath will reach his complete splendor and be presented on the 23rd in the talent show.

"Mom," she replied in exasperation, "Why is it taking so long to make a giant pickle?"

Sunshine and sandwiches

I was hit with the sudden realization the other day that my children are all...well...children. Though this may sound odd, for the first year and a half or so of life, depending on the child, children aren't really children. They are instead a living force somewhat resembling something imagined by Jim Henson and his amazing muppet people that though hitting milestones and developments, still depends on you for absolutely everything. Their likes and dislikes are relative to what you have exposed them to, and what will garner approval from you. Then all of sudden one day they turn the switch from automatic to manual, and from that day forward, you have one wild, breath taking, and fabulous ride. Zachary hit this point a few days ago - and our lives haven't been the same since.

Today is the third day of my official "staycation." It was supposed to be a vacation, but alas it was not in the cards. Rather than picking up shifts at work, I decided to enjoy the time with the kids - our first real down time since moving out here. Monday we walked to the park and the library, and were rained on for the walk home. Tuesday we stayed inside - huddled together against the four inches of accumulated snow outside, and today was library and park again. Though seemingly a mundane pattern, it still was filled with moments of surprise - like surprise that wet spot on the couch was not from the leaking sippy as previously thought.

Sophie has been speaking in complete sentences for a while now, and last night recited the whole entire story of the three little pigs, complete with plenty of "huff and puff." Zachary is still doing one word at a time, but has mastered inflection, proper response, and sarcasm. (Being pushed on the swing while he laid on his stomach garnered a "wee" with as much enthusiasm as one might expect if he was being presented a spoonful of cod liver oil) Since he can say words like "dinosaur" and has been able to for a while, I suspect there is more vocal capability there then what he is demonstrating, but prefers to present himself as the strong and stoic type.

If he is going to carry off the strong and stoic thing, he is probably going to have to ditch the motto "Everyone deserves a little sparkle" especially when carried out with mass amounts of rhinestones, glitter, and his sister's tutus. We are currently trying to focus this energy in the direction of pirates and musketeers...and I personally am thrilled with his new penchant for trains...though trying to explain that not everything is a train or destined to make the choo choo noise has been a little more difficult....