(In case you couldn't tell, that's a crocus! In the backyard!)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
I hate February.
Not the whole month, really. At the beginning we have the twins' birthday, and Valentine's Day isn't bad, but after that the whole thing goes downhill quickly. It is just time for spring.
We haven't had a lot of illness in our family this year, but we're going through the rounds this week. Price came home from school Wednesday, Emma didn't go to school Thursday, I was sick Friday (oh, and so was Dad) and Annie is throwing up now. I'm not sure Emma actually has had this stomach virus thing yet... just a bad cold, so she could still get the other thing. That means I have the potential for Rebekah, Josh, Ethan, and Emma to spend a day barfing. And Tim and Mom. Sorry to everyone who has children in Annie's Primary class. She was fine this morning- really!
Mom is just hoping that she doesn't get it during the plane ride to Hawaii on Wednesday. That would be bad.
Like I said... it's time for spring.
We haven't had a lot of illness in our family this year, but we're going through the rounds this week. Price came home from school Wednesday, Emma didn't go to school Thursday, I was sick Friday (oh, and so was Dad) and Annie is throwing up now. I'm not sure Emma actually has had this stomach virus thing yet... just a bad cold, so she could still get the other thing. That means I have the potential for Rebekah, Josh, Ethan, and Emma to spend a day barfing. And Tim and Mom. Sorry to everyone who has children in Annie's Primary class. She was fine this morning- really!
Mom is just hoping that she doesn't get it during the plane ride to Hawaii on Wednesday. That would be bad.
Like I said... it's time for spring.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Arrows of Light!
Is that like "copies of the Book of Mormon"? Should that be Arrow of Lights or Arrows of Light?Oh well.
And now..... officially announcing the beginning of the end of our involvement in Cub Scouts! Yes, we are finished with cub scouts........................
for 4 months. 
Blue and Gold dinner- we had two grandmas and a grandpa there!
Blue and Gold dinner- we had two grandmas and a grandpa there!Oh well. Maybe those 4 months will give us the break we need to be enthusiastic again. And hey- at least we're missing a Pinewood Derby this year! (Only 3 more years to go. We can do this.)
Not sure what's up with the blurry, yellow picture.Monday, February 16, 2009
Draper Temple Open House
This is not what the temple looked like today- it was blowing snow and cold! Inside, though, we were warmed by this absolutely beautiful, peaceful place. I love the temple- it is my favorite place to be in the world, and it was amazing to be there with my family. I am so excited for the times when Tim and I will be able to go through the temple with each child. Rebekah was especially enamored of the bride's room today- she says she wants to get married in this temple. It was all gorgeous, calm and peaceful, despite the hundreds of people touring with us.
Even though it's not yet dedicated, there is definitely a special spirit inside the temple. The kids could feel it, too- they were calm and quiet, and just seemed to enjoy the atmosphere.
Mom, Dad and Grandma Shipley
A family portrait! Well, kind of. I guess we could have put down the water and cookies. See how we're standing in front of the harp? That's because we're so "angelic". Ha!
Valentine's Day!
This Valentine's Day did not represent my best effort at self-control. It started the night of the 13th, when we went to a wedding reception for a good friend from Manila. We had such a fun time- lots of old friends were there, and it was wonderful to visit with everyone. There was, however, a dessert bar involved. Cheesecake, cream puffs, and carrot cake were included. Oh- also dove chocolates with almonds, and cheesecake Hershey's kisses. Really, really good. I had already decided that I was starting my "free"day on my diet a little early, but this was not an auspicious start.
The carnage continued the next morning, as I made french toast with strawberries and whipped cream, bacon and orange juice for breakfast. Well, it was Valentine's Day. Good excuse, right?
I managed to be mostly in control for the rest of the day (except for the Lindt bar with hazelnuts that I split between the whole family. Wow.) We had a date planned for the evening: watching the BYU folk dancer ensemble. Before we went, though, Rebekah treated the adults of the house to a gourmet dinner. Tim helped, but Bek planned, shopped, helped cook, decorated the table, and served. It was all so glamorous! She did a wonderful job, and it was way better than waiting in line at a restaurant somewhere.
The chef herself!
Dinner: canneloni, green salad, zucchini and french bread. So good!
The crowning touch: ice cream and pirouettes.
The carnage continued the next morning, as I made french toast with strawberries and whipped cream, bacon and orange juice for breakfast. Well, it was Valentine's Day. Good excuse, right?
I managed to be mostly in control for the rest of the day (except for the Lindt bar with hazelnuts that I split between the whole family. Wow.) We had a date planned for the evening: watching the BYU folk dancer ensemble. Before we went, though, Rebekah treated the adults of the house to a gourmet dinner. Tim helped, but Bek planned, shopped, helped cook, decorated the table, and served. It was all so glamorous! She did a wonderful job, and it was way better than waiting in line at a restaurant somewhere.
The chef herself!
Dinner: canneloni, green salad, zucchini and french bread. So good!
The crowning touch: ice cream and pirouettes.
The folk dance performance was wonderful, too. It was nice to have a Valentine's Day that didn't consist solely of class parties and candy wrapper carnage (although those were involved, too!). I love my family! Also, I am now back on the wagon. No more desserts for me!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
11 Years Ago...
Every year around this time, my mind is drawn back to that day in 1998 when our world was shaken by the arrival of our twin boys. Since I was thinking about it, I thought I might as well write about it, too!
In the spring of 1997, our family was happy and content. Tim and I had been married just over 2 years, we had beautiful Rebekah, who was just turning one, and Tim was about to graduate from BYU (finally!) and was looking for a teaching job. We were starting to think about another baby... September (after we were settled in a new place) sounded like a good time to start trying for #2. Things happened a little faster than we had planned. It was May, and I was pregnant. We figured it was just meant to be, and I made a doctor's appointment.
There was a little hitch with insurance, since we were without for the summer. We figured that we would have insurance again before the baby was born, assuming that Tim found a job, but when I went in for my first appointment I was uninsured. The doctor's office was willing to work with us- and they decided, since I was supposedly paying for this myself, that I didn't need an ultrasound. They said that, since I had already carried one baby to term without complications, I was low-risk. My due date was February 6, 1998.
My pregnancy was normal and uneventful. We moved to Manila when I was three months along, and the doctor even told me that I could go 6 weeks between visits, since we lived so far away. I was pretty tired towards the end- I took naps when Rebekah did, and needed more. Other than that, though, I was great. We had tried to choose a boy and a girl name, since we hadn't had that ultrasound, but we could only agree on two boy names. We decided to use Price, and to save Joshua for the next time. I was pretty sure I was having a boy.
This is the only picture I could find that accurately represents those last few miserable weeks- this was at Christmas, approximately 6 weeks before the boys were born.
When I was 38 weeks, I moved into my parent's house to be closer to the doctor in Provo. Actually, since Rebekah had been born 10 days early, I was thinking that should happen this time, too! I was hoping to be in Pleasant Grove for a few days, and then come home with our new baby. In the meantime, Tim kept working, and did a lot of driving back and forth on weekends. I was a little worried that I would go into labor quickly, while Tim was in Manila, making him miss the birth.
My quick visit to PG didn't materialize. I was getting closer and closer to my due date, and nothing was happening. I was getting amazingly big, though- my mom had given birth to a huge baby boy, and I figured I was about to do the same. On Tuesday, Feb. 3rd, I was up at night with some fairly heavy, but still irregular, contractions. I called Tim, and he came down. I spent all day Wednesday trying to induce labor. I did everything I could think of, and managed to stimulate some fairly regular contractions that evening, so we hurried to the hospital. I was hoping to be admitted and induced, since I was so close to my due date. The hospital monitored me for a while, and had us walk around the basement halls for half the night, but ultimately sent me home, saying that the head wasn't yet engaged, so the baby just wasn't ready yet. I was pretty devastated, but being sent home with morphine helped dull the disappointment. I slept until lunchtime.
After I woke up, we decided to drive down to see Tim's parents. They had recently moved to Levan, and were living in a small rental house while they built their house. We visited for a couple of hours, and then... oh blessed event... I started to have contractions! Real ones! And they were regular... and getting closer together! Hallelujah! We drove back to Mom and Dad's house, dropped off Rebekah, and headed to the hospital.
The next hours are somewhat of a blur. I was admitted to the hospital, they hooked up a monitor, and we waited. I do remember that the Winter Olympics were happening- we watched it off and on that night. Tim mostly slept in the chair next to my bed, and I dozed in and out. I did eventually ask for an epidural, but I was being noble or something, and waited for a long time. Finally, sometime between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m., it was time to push. My epidural was great by then, so pushing was the fun part. As the baby's head was crowning, the doctor turned to Tim and said, "Just watch- you're going to see that tummy disappear!"
Price was born at 4:37 a.m. on his due date. He looked healthy and good-sized, though nothing close to the 12 pound baby I was expecting. Also, my "tummy" had definitely NOT disappeared. Somewhere, within just a few seconds, it clicked. The doctor clued in about this time, too- he looked at me, and I looked at him, and we both knew: there was another baby in there. He managed to communicate that fact to Tim and to the delivery nurse, who thought he was joking at first. I remember both of their reactions. Tim picked up the phone, intending to call our parents and tell them what was happening. The doctor told him to wait, wanting to make sure of the outcome before an announcement, I'm sure. The nurse ran out of our room, and was back within seconds with what seemed like 10 more nurses. I don't know how many there actually were, but they brought a crash cart with them, not knowing what to expect from this second, unexpected, unmonitored baby.
At this point, I became very, very grateful that my epidural was still in effect. Josh was breech. The doctor had to reach in and help his legs out, then carefully ease each arm down and out. This all seemed to take forever, but Josh was born at 4:46. He didn't cry immediately, and the crash team started working on him. In less than a minute, they had him breathing and pink, and things looked alright. When they weighed both boys, I realized that they really would have been one BIG boy- Price was 7 pounds 8 ounces, and Josh was 6 pounds 8 ounces. 14 pounds of baby altogether.
I honestly don't remember a whole lot about the next hours. I know that Tim finally got to call our parents. When my mom answered the phone, he said, "Are you sitting down?" I remember Tim carrying BOTH babies to the nursery- one in each arm. Both sets of parents (and Rebekah) came to visit. Mostly, though, I was in shock. What had just happened was a little beyond belief.
I'm afraid that that shell-shocked feeling kept me from asking all the questions I should have about the boys. Especially Josh. When he was a few hours old, they took him to the NICU for a "reduction transfusion" that they said sometimes needed to be done with twins- something about too many red blood cells. They offered to let me come down with him, but I sent him off by himself. I still regret this very much. Looking back, I can't believe that I didn't ask more questions or at least come with him, but that shows something of my state of mind at the time. Several years later, when I researched this procedure on the internet, I found that it is mostly done for twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, which doesn't make sense since Price and Josh are fraternal twins. I still don't know why he needed it. That wasn't the only problem that Josh had. Price started nursing immediately. Josh had a hard time latching on, and had a very hard time gaining weight... in fact, he didn't get back to his birth weight until he was 5 weeks old.
In spite of those problems, we were released from the hospital the day after the boys were born. Tim had to go to the store and buy another car seat, so that they would let us take the babies home. We came back to Mom and Dad's for a week or so... enough time to settle in, have a lot of help, and have a baby shower. We then came back to Manila, and were greeted with much love and excitement. There could have been no greater place to be while we were so overwhelmed... everyone was so thrilled for us, bringing us dinner (for a month!), washing our dishes, holding babies, bringing presents.... This all made us feel very loved and taken care of, and we fell in love with our new community.
On the first Sunday in March, Tim blessed the boys at church. An amazing number of extended family members came all the way to Manila to witness the event. In the testimony meeting afterward, almost everyone said something about the twins. Even our stake patriarch got up and talked about what a neat thing it would be to watch the boys grow up in the ward. We felt pretty special and loved, if still very dazed and exhausted.
That first year of their life is pretty much a blur now. I spent most of my time on the couch, with the two babies propped up on pillows to nurse at the same time. Rebekah spent much of her time watching videos or playing computer games (remember she wasn't 2 yet). Tim tried to get through his first year teaching school, exhausted and overwhelmed as he was. I had a pretty good case of post-partum depression, but was unwilling/unable to ask for help from anyone. I can remember being very angry at times: "I didn't ask for this. It's too hard. I don't want to do it anymore." But thankfully we all pulled through, and somehow the boys turned 1... and then 2, and 6, and now 11.
Looking back, although I wouldn't want to repeat the experience (and suffered greatly at each of my subsequent pregnancies until that first ultrasound that confirmed ONE baby), I am so grateful for what I learned. I'm still not a stellar example of a mother, but I did learn a lot about organization, patience, and especially love. I learned that I can do really hard things. Most of all, though, I am so grateful for two boys who were definitely meant to be together. They are best friends. I think each of them is the most important person in the other's life. I can't imagine one without the other, and I'm grateful that they are there to support and guide each other. They drive me crazy, they drive their siblings crazy, and they are very much 11 year old boys, but I love them.
In the spring of 1997, our family was happy and content. Tim and I had been married just over 2 years, we had beautiful Rebekah, who was just turning one, and Tim was about to graduate from BYU (finally!) and was looking for a teaching job. We were starting to think about another baby... September (after we were settled in a new place) sounded like a good time to start trying for #2. Things happened a little faster than we had planned. It was May, and I was pregnant. We figured it was just meant to be, and I made a doctor's appointment.
There was a little hitch with insurance, since we were without for the summer. We figured that we would have insurance again before the baby was born, assuming that Tim found a job, but when I went in for my first appointment I was uninsured. The doctor's office was willing to work with us- and they decided, since I was supposedly paying for this myself, that I didn't need an ultrasound. They said that, since I had already carried one baby to term without complications, I was low-risk. My due date was February 6, 1998.
My pregnancy was normal and uneventful. We moved to Manila when I was three months along, and the doctor even told me that I could go 6 weeks between visits, since we lived so far away. I was pretty tired towards the end- I took naps when Rebekah did, and needed more. Other than that, though, I was great. We had tried to choose a boy and a girl name, since we hadn't had that ultrasound, but we could only agree on two boy names. We decided to use Price, and to save Joshua for the next time. I was pretty sure I was having a boy.
This is the only picture I could find that accurately represents those last few miserable weeks- this was at Christmas, approximately 6 weeks before the boys were born.
When I was 38 weeks, I moved into my parent's house to be closer to the doctor in Provo. Actually, since Rebekah had been born 10 days early, I was thinking that should happen this time, too! I was hoping to be in Pleasant Grove for a few days, and then come home with our new baby. In the meantime, Tim kept working, and did a lot of driving back and forth on weekends. I was a little worried that I would go into labor quickly, while Tim was in Manila, making him miss the birth.
My quick visit to PG didn't materialize. I was getting closer and closer to my due date, and nothing was happening. I was getting amazingly big, though- my mom had given birth to a huge baby boy, and I figured I was about to do the same. On Tuesday, Feb. 3rd, I was up at night with some fairly heavy, but still irregular, contractions. I called Tim, and he came down. I spent all day Wednesday trying to induce labor. I did everything I could think of, and managed to stimulate some fairly regular contractions that evening, so we hurried to the hospital. I was hoping to be admitted and induced, since I was so close to my due date. The hospital monitored me for a while, and had us walk around the basement halls for half the night, but ultimately sent me home, saying that the head wasn't yet engaged, so the baby just wasn't ready yet. I was pretty devastated, but being sent home with morphine helped dull the disappointment. I slept until lunchtime.
After I woke up, we decided to drive down to see Tim's parents. They had recently moved to Levan, and were living in a small rental house while they built their house. We visited for a couple of hours, and then... oh blessed event... I started to have contractions! Real ones! And they were regular... and getting closer together! Hallelujah! We drove back to Mom and Dad's house, dropped off Rebekah, and headed to the hospital.
The next hours are somewhat of a blur. I was admitted to the hospital, they hooked up a monitor, and we waited. I do remember that the Winter Olympics were happening- we watched it off and on that night. Tim mostly slept in the chair next to my bed, and I dozed in and out. I did eventually ask for an epidural, but I was being noble or something, and waited for a long time. Finally, sometime between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m., it was time to push. My epidural was great by then, so pushing was the fun part. As the baby's head was crowning, the doctor turned to Tim and said, "Just watch- you're going to see that tummy disappear!"
Price was born at 4:37 a.m. on his due date. He looked healthy and good-sized, though nothing close to the 12 pound baby I was expecting. Also, my "tummy" had definitely NOT disappeared. Somewhere, within just a few seconds, it clicked. The doctor clued in about this time, too- he looked at me, and I looked at him, and we both knew: there was another baby in there. He managed to communicate that fact to Tim and to the delivery nurse, who thought he was joking at first. I remember both of their reactions. Tim picked up the phone, intending to call our parents and tell them what was happening. The doctor told him to wait, wanting to make sure of the outcome before an announcement, I'm sure. The nurse ran out of our room, and was back within seconds with what seemed like 10 more nurses. I don't know how many there actually were, but they brought a crash cart with them, not knowing what to expect from this second, unexpected, unmonitored baby.
At this point, I became very, very grateful that my epidural was still in effect. Josh was breech. The doctor had to reach in and help his legs out, then carefully ease each arm down and out. This all seemed to take forever, but Josh was born at 4:46. He didn't cry immediately, and the crash team started working on him. In less than a minute, they had him breathing and pink, and things looked alright. When they weighed both boys, I realized that they really would have been one BIG boy- Price was 7 pounds 8 ounces, and Josh was 6 pounds 8 ounces. 14 pounds of baby altogether.
I honestly don't remember a whole lot about the next hours. I know that Tim finally got to call our parents. When my mom answered the phone, he said, "Are you sitting down?" I remember Tim carrying BOTH babies to the nursery- one in each arm. Both sets of parents (and Rebekah) came to visit. Mostly, though, I was in shock. What had just happened was a little beyond belief.
I'm afraid that that shell-shocked feeling kept me from asking all the questions I should have about the boys. Especially Josh. When he was a few hours old, they took him to the NICU for a "reduction transfusion" that they said sometimes needed to be done with twins- something about too many red blood cells. They offered to let me come down with him, but I sent him off by himself. I still regret this very much. Looking back, I can't believe that I didn't ask more questions or at least come with him, but that shows something of my state of mind at the time. Several years later, when I researched this procedure on the internet, I found that it is mostly done for twins with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, which doesn't make sense since Price and Josh are fraternal twins. I still don't know why he needed it. That wasn't the only problem that Josh had. Price started nursing immediately. Josh had a hard time latching on, and had a very hard time gaining weight... in fact, he didn't get back to his birth weight until he was 5 weeks old.
In spite of those problems, we were released from the hospital the day after the boys were born. Tim had to go to the store and buy another car seat, so that they would let us take the babies home. We came back to Mom and Dad's for a week or so... enough time to settle in, have a lot of help, and have a baby shower. We then came back to Manila, and were greeted with much love and excitement. There could have been no greater place to be while we were so overwhelmed... everyone was so thrilled for us, bringing us dinner (for a month!), washing our dishes, holding babies, bringing presents.... This all made us feel very loved and taken care of, and we fell in love with our new community.
On the first Sunday in March, Tim blessed the boys at church. An amazing number of extended family members came all the way to Manila to witness the event. In the testimony meeting afterward, almost everyone said something about the twins. Even our stake patriarch got up and talked about what a neat thing it would be to watch the boys grow up in the ward. We felt pretty special and loved, if still very dazed and exhausted.
That first year of their life is pretty much a blur now. I spent most of my time on the couch, with the two babies propped up on pillows to nurse at the same time. Rebekah spent much of her time watching videos or playing computer games (remember she wasn't 2 yet). Tim tried to get through his first year teaching school, exhausted and overwhelmed as he was. I had a pretty good case of post-partum depression, but was unwilling/unable to ask for help from anyone. I can remember being very angry at times: "I didn't ask for this. It's too hard. I don't want to do it anymore." But thankfully we all pulled through, and somehow the boys turned 1... and then 2, and 6, and now 11.
Looking back, although I wouldn't want to repeat the experience (and suffered greatly at each of my subsequent pregnancies until that first ultrasound that confirmed ONE baby), I am so grateful for what I learned. I'm still not a stellar example of a mother, but I did learn a lot about organization, patience, and especially love. I learned that I can do really hard things. Most of all, though, I am so grateful for two boys who were definitely meant to be together. They are best friends. I think each of them is the most important person in the other's life. I can't imagine one without the other, and I'm grateful that they are there to support and guide each other. They drive me crazy, they drive their siblings crazy, and they are very much 11 year old boys, but I love them.
Friday, February 6, 2009
The WonderTwins turn 11!
That wasn't all that happened today, though- this was another one of those nonstop, crazy fun days.
Even watching Abby eating a banana held great fascination for the girls.
Next, we visited the school for the 5th grade "Wax Museum", where each kid picked a hero to learn about. They had to dress as that person and give a memorized, 1 minute summary of their life every time someone pushed the button on their desk.
Price was Thomas Edison.
Josh was "Snowflake" Bentley. They both did an excellent job- I am proud of the way they are so confident and comfortable with themselves. What great kids.
Finally, it was time for the birthday party! We had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, opened a whole pile of presents, and ate cake. I'm not sure if I should be nostalgic about my boys turning 11, or if I should just be overwhelmingly grateful that they are no longer newborns. I think I'll opt for the latter.
The last time we had both sets of grandparents for a birthday party, Price and Josh were turning one!
Happy Birthday, boys!
First, Jenni and Abby came to visit from Hawaii! Emma and Annie were in heaven.
Even watching Abby eating a banana held great fascination for the girls.
Next, we visited the school for the 5th grade "Wax Museum", where each kid picked a hero to learn about. They had to dress as that person and give a memorized, 1 minute summary of their life every time someone pushed the button on their desk.Price was Thomas Edison.
Josh was "Snowflake" Bentley. They both did an excellent job- I am proud of the way they are so confident and comfortable with themselves. What great kids.
Finally, it was time for the birthday party! We had hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner, opened a whole pile of presents, and ate cake. I'm not sure if I should be nostalgic about my boys turning 11, or if I should just be overwhelmingly grateful that they are no longer newborns. I think I'll opt for the latter.
The last time we had both sets of grandparents for a birthday party, Price and Josh were turning one!
Happy Birthday, boys!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Facebook Tag- 25 random things about me
1- I was very shy as a child- I didn't talk to my kindergarten teacher until the year was half over. At that point, she was shocked to find out that I could already read very well.
2- In 1998, I went into the hospital to have my second baby. I came home with two- giving me 3 children under the age of 2. And no, I don't feel like reliving that time of my life.
3- I have a degree in Early Childhood Education/El Ed, but I have only ever taught preschool. I started BYU as a music major, but quickly became intimidated by the amazing child prodigies in the program.
4- A few years ago, I was one of 5 families who created a "food group" in which we each took a day of the week and cooked for everyone, delivering it to their houses before dinner. It was awesome. I still miss it sometimes!
5- I lived in 8 different places before I graduated from high school. (Salt Lake City, Salinas, CA, Texas, Germany, Long Beach, Forest Grove, OR, Walla Walla, WA, and Woodland Park, CO).
6- I love to read. Probably too much. I have been known to read while vacuuming, while showering, and while riding a bike (those last two were when I was a kid. Don't worry- I don't read while I drive.)
7-I like to cook and bake. Except at dinnertime- then I'm not so crazy about it. Cooking for my family is great, but my favorite people ever to cook for were the missionaries in the Azores- THEY knew how to eat!
8- I have never broken a bone, had stitches, or been hospitalized, except to have my kids.
9- I spend too much time on the computer, and facebook isn't helping that. How did we survive before the internet?
10- I love walking. Running, not so much.
11- I am the oldest of 8 children.
12- I served a mission in Duesseldorf, Germany. That was 15 years ago. My German is no longer great, as I discovered this past fall on our trip there. The Turkish cab driver spoke better German than I did. Sad.
13- Despite having lingering shyness issues, I love to talk/give lessons in church, and I don't even mind singing or playing the piano in public.
14- I am easily distracted. The only way I can spend any real time cleaning the house is to listen to an audiobook. If I have something else to think about, I get lots done!
15- I have a hard time driving long distances- I always feel like I'm falling asleep, although it has never actually happened. Maybe I'm still trying to make up sleep for all those years of interrupted nights?
16- I never missed a day in four years of early morning seminary.
17- My first non-babysitting job as a teenager was cleaning an office where they made dentures. After that, I worked at McDonald's. Exciting stuff.
18- Tim and I knew each other before I went on my mission- but I thought he was weird.
19- When I was growing up, relatives used to tell me that I looked like my Grandpa. Not the most complimentary thing to tell a teenage girl.
20- Okay, this is a weird one, and I'm not sure I can explain it. Ever since I was in second grade or so, when I'm driving or reading, my brain assigns point values to each word depending on if there is an "i" or a "t" in the word. An "i" is worth 4, a "t" is worth 3, and a word without one of those letters is worth 2. I count it on my right hand. Weird, right? I don't know how that got started or why I still do it.
21- I have never gone off a high dive. When I was about 8, my teacher at swimming lessons made me climb the ladder and walk out to the end of the board. I still wouldn't jump. He passed me anyway.
22- I don't have my ears pierced. I have also never dyed my hair, which is starting to become obvious.
23- By some miracle (or mistake, probably), I made it to the State competition in Lincoln-Douglas Debate my senior year of high school. I only cared because I wanted to go with all my friends. I also made it into All-State Choir, although I think I actually earned that one.
24- I alternate between thinking that my family of 6 children isn't very big, and wondering how I can ever keep track of my 83 kids, depending on how noisy they are currently.
25- I like to think I'm in charge, but Tim is definitely the solid, steadying force in our marriage. He lets me run around organizing and making decisions, and then steps in to fix things when I crash. We make a good team.
2- In 1998, I went into the hospital to have my second baby. I came home with two- giving me 3 children under the age of 2. And no, I don't feel like reliving that time of my life.
3- I have a degree in Early Childhood Education/El Ed, but I have only ever taught preschool. I started BYU as a music major, but quickly became intimidated by the amazing child prodigies in the program.
4- A few years ago, I was one of 5 families who created a "food group" in which we each took a day of the week and cooked for everyone, delivering it to their houses before dinner. It was awesome. I still miss it sometimes!
5- I lived in 8 different places before I graduated from high school. (Salt Lake City, Salinas, CA, Texas, Germany, Long Beach, Forest Grove, OR, Walla Walla, WA, and Woodland Park, CO).
6- I love to read. Probably too much. I have been known to read while vacuuming, while showering, and while riding a bike (those last two were when I was a kid. Don't worry- I don't read while I drive.)
7-I like to cook and bake. Except at dinnertime- then I'm not so crazy about it. Cooking for my family is great, but my favorite people ever to cook for were the missionaries in the Azores- THEY knew how to eat!
8- I have never broken a bone, had stitches, or been hospitalized, except to have my kids.
9- I spend too much time on the computer, and facebook isn't helping that. How did we survive before the internet?
10- I love walking. Running, not so much.
11- I am the oldest of 8 children.
12- I served a mission in Duesseldorf, Germany. That was 15 years ago. My German is no longer great, as I discovered this past fall on our trip there. The Turkish cab driver spoke better German than I did. Sad.
13- Despite having lingering shyness issues, I love to talk/give lessons in church, and I don't even mind singing or playing the piano in public.
14- I am easily distracted. The only way I can spend any real time cleaning the house is to listen to an audiobook. If I have something else to think about, I get lots done!
15- I have a hard time driving long distances- I always feel like I'm falling asleep, although it has never actually happened. Maybe I'm still trying to make up sleep for all those years of interrupted nights?
16- I never missed a day in four years of early morning seminary.
17- My first non-babysitting job as a teenager was cleaning an office where they made dentures. After that, I worked at McDonald's. Exciting stuff.
18- Tim and I knew each other before I went on my mission- but I thought he was weird.
19- When I was growing up, relatives used to tell me that I looked like my Grandpa. Not the most complimentary thing to tell a teenage girl.
20- Okay, this is a weird one, and I'm not sure I can explain it. Ever since I was in second grade or so, when I'm driving or reading, my brain assigns point values to each word depending on if there is an "i" or a "t" in the word. An "i" is worth 4, a "t" is worth 3, and a word without one of those letters is worth 2. I count it on my right hand. Weird, right? I don't know how that got started or why I still do it.
21- I have never gone off a high dive. When I was about 8, my teacher at swimming lessons made me climb the ladder and walk out to the end of the board. I still wouldn't jump. He passed me anyway.
22- I don't have my ears pierced. I have also never dyed my hair, which is starting to become obvious.
23- By some miracle (or mistake, probably), I made it to the State competition in Lincoln-Douglas Debate my senior year of high school. I only cared because I wanted to go with all my friends. I also made it into All-State Choir, although I think I actually earned that one.
24- I alternate between thinking that my family of 6 children isn't very big, and wondering how I can ever keep track of my 83 kids, depending on how noisy they are currently.
25- I like to think I'm in charge, but Tim is definitely the solid, steadying force in our marriage. He lets me run around organizing and making decisions, and then steps in to fix things when I crash. We make a good team.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
What I did today.
I had a full day of cleaning planned. Didn't happen. I dropped the kids off at school and wasn't home 10 minutes before the phone rang. Actually, Tim's cell phone rang. Apparently they had tried mine, but it was on vibrate, so I didn't hear it. We were asked to come pick up Ethan, who had slipped on black ice on his way to the second grade line.
We found him in the nurse's office, holding a cold compress to his left eye. When he took his hand away, he exposed a rather large, deep gash just above his eyebrow. It was pretty gruesome. I refrained from freaking out, and we escorted Ethan to the BYU urgent care clinic. There we dodged legions of sniffling, hacking students and met with the doctor (who, 14 years ago, treated Tim when he tried to cut his finger off in the lawn mower).
This impressive split earned Ethan 12 stitches- beautifully straight, even, tiny stitches, I have to say. This doctor knows what he is doing. (Tim doesn't have a scar, either- although the presence of his fingerprint is doubtful.) Aside from the application of anesthetic, and the last two stitches when the drugs were wearing off, it was a piece of cake. I didn't make him go back to school, so he thinks it's all worth it. Also, his brothers think he's really cool. And stickers are always good.
All that, and I still got back in time to drive the kindergarten carpool, take the girls to gymnastics, attend parent teacher conferences, and make dinner. But the house still isn't clean. Oh well.
We found him in the nurse's office, holding a cold compress to his left eye. When he took his hand away, he exposed a rather large, deep gash just above his eyebrow. It was pretty gruesome. I refrained from freaking out, and we escorted Ethan to the BYU urgent care clinic. There we dodged legions of sniffling, hacking students and met with the doctor (who, 14 years ago, treated Tim when he tried to cut his finger off in the lawn mower).
This impressive split earned Ethan 12 stitches- beautifully straight, even, tiny stitches, I have to say. This doctor knows what he is doing. (Tim doesn't have a scar, either- although the presence of his fingerprint is doubtful.) Aside from the application of anesthetic, and the last two stitches when the drugs were wearing off, it was a piece of cake. I didn't make him go back to school, so he thinks it's all worth it. Also, his brothers think he's really cool. And stickers are always good.
All that, and I still got back in time to drive the kindergarten carpool, take the girls to gymnastics, attend parent teacher conferences, and make dinner. But the house still isn't clean. Oh well.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Progress
Just an update on my attempt to live healthier: in the last 4 1/2 weeks, I have lost 6 pounds, and some inches off of various body parts. It's been pretty slow, but the results are enough to keep me going- post-Rebekah weight, here I come!
More Weekend Adventures
Every time we have a free weekend or day off of school, we start to look for fun things to do. It is kind of fun, after so many years in the "wilderness", to have so many new places to visit and activities to try. Not that there weren't lots of amazing things to do around Manila, but those things tended to either be outside (not so great in winter) or a long drive away. Anyway, I have to look on the bright side of living in civilization, since the traffic is driving me crazy! We aren't running out of things to do yet....
Saturday was great- we went to the BYU/Wyoming basketball game with the Olsons and Deb Stephens, all of us Manila refugees. I tried to smuggle food into the game (for the kids, of course), but I was caught. I'll be smarter next time. Juli is teaching me well (she got through security!). Anyway, my camera was in the bag, and I forgot to take it out before sending it back to the car with Price. So no pictures. It was a lot of fun, though... especially sitting next to Deb, who I think was a little uncomfortable in the middle of us "Y" fans!
Sunday was fun- I got to skip out on the last hour of Primary for a really nice RS lesson (the men covered Primary and YW), which really got me thinking about how I should be expanding my realm of influence... not just focusing on myself and my family. I am grateful for all the people in my life who have done that for me. After church we had chicken pot pie and Sunday salad (jello, cool whip and fruit- it's a Steele tradition), made cinnamon rolls, and took them down to Grandma and Grandpa Walker's house. It is always good to see them, even if the kids were a little stir-crazy. I think it will get easier when the weather is nice again!
Our weekend continued into Monday- well, for everybody but Tim. He had a meeting and lots of homework, so I took the kids to Salt Lake. We visited the Utah Museum of Natural History for exactly an hour- that's how much change we had for the parking meter! It is a good museum for kids- they had fun.
Excavating for fossils in the paleontology lab.
Sitting in a dinosaur footprint!
Hanging out in a teepee.
Ethan and the totem pole.
After our hour, we headed over to the zoo for the rest of the afternoon. That membership does come in handy. February is a great time to go if you want the zoo to yourself. The kids were disappointed that the carousel and train were closed for the winter, but the weather was beautiful and the animals weren't too hot to move around. We had a great day together, and I even survived the city driving.
Saturday was great- we went to the BYU/Wyoming basketball game with the Olsons and Deb Stephens, all of us Manila refugees. I tried to smuggle food into the game (for the kids, of course), but I was caught. I'll be smarter next time. Juli is teaching me well (she got through security!). Anyway, my camera was in the bag, and I forgot to take it out before sending it back to the car with Price. So no pictures. It was a lot of fun, though... especially sitting next to Deb, who I think was a little uncomfortable in the middle of us "Y" fans!
Sunday was fun- I got to skip out on the last hour of Primary for a really nice RS lesson (the men covered Primary and YW), which really got me thinking about how I should be expanding my realm of influence... not just focusing on myself and my family. I am grateful for all the people in my life who have done that for me. After church we had chicken pot pie and Sunday salad (jello, cool whip and fruit- it's a Steele tradition), made cinnamon rolls, and took them down to Grandma and Grandpa Walker's house. It is always good to see them, even if the kids were a little stir-crazy. I think it will get easier when the weather is nice again!
Our weekend continued into Monday- well, for everybody but Tim. He had a meeting and lots of homework, so I took the kids to Salt Lake. We visited the Utah Museum of Natural History for exactly an hour- that's how much change we had for the parking meter! It is a good museum for kids- they had fun.
Excavating for fossils in the paleontology lab.
Sitting in a dinosaur footprint!
Hanging out in a teepee.
Ethan and the totem pole.
After our hour, we headed over to the zoo for the rest of the afternoon. That membership does come in handy. February is a great time to go if you want the zoo to yourself. The kids were disappointed that the carousel and train were closed for the winter, but the weather was beautiful and the animals weren't too hot to move around. We had a great day together, and I even survived the city driving.
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