Button Factory: June 2011

Friday, June 24, 2011

Moments of Faith

Before too long, and she is all grown up, I need to record more of these brilliant vingettes:

Yesterday while running a few errands, we stopped in front of a store, I dashed in and the kiddos stayed in the car with Josh. When I came back Josh told me that Faith had just asked him why that door said "PULL." Not only had she seen the word from her seat in the back of the van, she had read the word with no help! I was astounded.

Imagine my burgeoning pride bursting at the seems when later that night, as I prepared dinner, Faith sat contentedly at the table drawing in a tablet. After a moment she came over to show me what she had drawn. In her beautiful scrawl she had etched out, legibly, "PULL." Wahoo! She pulled that little gem out from earlier in the day and sat down on her own to perform a miracle of the four year old.

I then guided her through sounding out the opposite of Pull, Push. She cutely penned each sound as we identified it. Again, a beautiful word on paper. Remembering that I ought now push my own agenda with her learning, I relaxed and asked what word she would like to write next.

"Saxaphone"

Slimy yet Satisfying

A bit of a chat with my sis earlier today brought to light a very unnerving fact: we are all sitting in a barrel of our own personal worms.(and I wonder why I said worms just now. monkey popped into my mind but I think worms has more likeness as we go along)

Nearly every day we are faced with yet another Trial. The continuum of tests feels rather unfair to most of us, that is if we are keeping tally. The overriding purpose of such tasks is to overcome them, to grow, to Triumph. It is an eternal truth, so I won't dispute it.

Nevertheless, how do you maintain king of the hill when the pile is constantly sliding and wiggling and getting back around and on top of you. Kinda like playing one-potato when you stack your hand - only difference is with that game you generally all loose track of who is supposed to be on top, begin slapping your hand irrationally toward the top only to be left in semi-defeated giggles and a side glance to whomever didn't let you put your hand on top last.

Back to worms. Even though I have a near phobia of anything that moves without legs, there are two good things I can think of about worms: Oscar the Grouch's oh so cute pet and puppet 'Slimey' and compost.

I tend to believe that Slimey was Oscar's favorite companion. Considering he didn't much like companionship from anyone else, it stands to reason. He was always there, companionable, permanent, loyal. If then, my analogy of hardships does then correlate to worms, they are companionable, permanent, and loyal. Some say death and taxes are the only things you can count on; both could easily be categorized as trying. A few other Slimey like tests for me: marriage, children, faith, health. All of which, on a good day, are what I prefer most to have with me YET they are the most difficult to maintain congenial terms with. (I wonder what Slimey felt about Oscar.)

(yikes, even this image is unnerving)

Like compost, some trials just STINK! Sure they are rich with character building nutrients, but oh it is awful to even have to get near them.

We often choose them, knowing we need a little bit more mud to wade through to get to the other side. More likely we try to avoid them, but they just get thrown at us like a rancid mess on your shoe.

There is a bright side to them. After my husband had graciously gone to load up a truck bed full of compost for our lifeless garden, my brother saw some of the dryer stuff floating off the top onto the road. Like a true country boy he commented "You were spreading sunshine all over the place." Sunshine. As if light just slid out of the butt of a worm - warm, heavenly, joyous. Okay, there is something heavenly about soul building. I am reminded of a talk recently given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson, I loved it, but I hated it. He told me that I needed to take the chastening of God (trials, tests, tasks) as a sign of God's love. Eternal truth, yes. Friendly, not so much.

The sum total of my conversation with my sister about our own very different trials of the day, up to that point (10am uh-oh) was 'oh well.' We accepted that it was there, that is what life was, today it stunk a little more or a little less, but it was there - worming its way into our day and our psyche. Best part was is we could choose how to deal with it or escape from it. It all summed up for me in a 20 message chat to a great friend and family member:

"Endure to the end..... of my rope. And a sledgehammer helps."

Thursday, June 23, 2011

A job fit for a Princess

I am so glad that Disney has incorporated good sound cleaning habits into each of its princesses. After the kids grew bored with playing Rapunzel this morning (ripping of the sheets of the top bunk, haphazardly draping them over their head and then waiting for a sibling to pull it out of their hands onto a mass on the floor. they have all lost their top blankets now so their resources were pretty slim), the turned to playing Cinderella. Cinderella's top trait - floor mopping! I had just got the hoover out to start the mopping myself, but when I saw how happily they found rags and wanted to wet them (drench them dripping) to scrub the floor, I turned the task over to them. It was lovely. They were happy. I was happy. The floors are clean, although they don't look a bit more clean for it, not with all their happy little slippy bodies cascading everywhere. The chore is done. I do feel like singing, and yes, the first song that comes to mind is "Sing Sweet Nightingale."

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Pinnochio

After my not-so-great mommy day I realized we all needed something to look forward to and enjoy for the next day. Hooray Saturday matinee children's shows at the Hale Theatre. Showing now is Pinnochio! Faith, of course loved Fairy Blue.

Here is Faith's sypnopsis of the show when Josh asked her about it this morning. (I am proud of me to actually learning how to put this stuff on YouTube and how to make the movie in iMovie, baby steps, next I'll figure out how to imbed it)

Faith's synopsis

Friday, June 17, 2011

Kids....who needs them

I just realized something. I have been grumpy all day because I have kids. Ah yes, I hear the voices in my head saying "NO, Nancy, it is your choice how you feel" but follow me for a moment longer.

In the amount of time that it took me to write that last sentence I heard "I gotta go pee!!!" "Mommmmmma, I need a drink!!" and "I neeed help wiping." That was one moment of my day. And yes, I do still have to wipe poop off their butts.

The greater picture: I have not had a full nights' sleep in 5 years. There was a myth, that I whole heartedly believed, that once you stop nursing your babies then you get to sleep through the night. Oh so decieving. I have come to believe the truly mystifying fact - children have another sense, one which has destroyed any hope of a completely relaxing REM cycle. They know right when I am slipping into slumber. Day or night. And then if you have more then one kid, you have less and less chance of ever escaping it.

My theory has been proven multiple times in the past 24 hours. It all began around 10pm, that magic hour after you have finally cleaned up after all the little ones and feel at peace, ready to rest. The first clarion call to the nerves - someone stirs and begins to whimper. Rush mode sets in, you must get there before one wakes the rest that have just got to sleep. We would not want to sacrifice their precious REM cycle. Echo screech 12am....continue until 3am - this is a wacky night but not unusual when a scarred child seeks for attention during the time she is garunteed to get it for I cannot allow her to just go through the throws of the regular fits because I have not yet built the padded and sound proof room every house ought to have. 4am pee shriek. 5 am crawl into bed with me in order to further pester my aching body that ought to be left to have a moment respite.

Then 6am the day officially begins. No stopping now, the engine are full throttle. Night fitter is in a sour mood, hmmm wonder why. Pee alarm is grumpy cuz he's wet and the one sound sleeper is offended by the growing cacophony of an all too early morning. I agree. Best get moving and try to set the best mood you can muster up.

Mid-day quiet time promises a moment to rest....nope. Sound sleeper obviously doesn't need to rest so just as my book has emitted all its powerful spells to get me to rest, she pipes up. Window closed. Best move on.

One last chance is blinking at me during a cop-out momma movie moment. They are watching, I have fed them very recently and the couch is within earshot. I lay there. My body sighs. I begin drifting when "Momma I need some milllllk." Never ever.

Sadly at this point I break, break into song that is. I find a great yelling voice can be modified into a belt singing voice and still get the same frustration out while masking all the evil emotions you are feeling toward little people with perfect faces. Water them and ask them to leave you alone.

Thus began my blog post. Now as I end. Cat and Dog have already hissed and barked enough to get one sent outside. Thing 2 tried to take his food into the bedroom trailing crumbs. We sit now in a cold stand-off; I refuse to care about the two giant bins of toys that have been dumped out on the kitchen floor and all night grumper is pushing her bottom lip out at me from behind the sliding glass door waiting to growl at me if I look her way.

If it were not for the prospect of watching a few episodes of Bill Cosby and peanut butter with chocolate chips tonight, there would be no way I could laugh this away to another day. At least the sleep deprivation to help me to erase my short term memory so I can start the day tomorrow with a wiped out slate.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Danny Boy is 3

Oh Danny boy, my boy, my Danny is 3! He got his favorite mountain pancakes for breakfast (with lots of hills so the horses could ride over them, so said Danny). Josh did put the candles in a bit too early and they melted on the bottom into the pancake, Danny got a new one to eat from.

Later at dinner we had Danny's requested meal of salad and hot dogs (with no prompting whatsoever, we even tried to convince him to let us order pizza but he was adament that we needed salad, what an awesome boy) with green cupcakes. The kids helped me whip up some zuchinni pistachio bread/cake/cupcakes with pudding frosting. I didn't recognize it until the day after but I put a 4 candle on Danny's cupcake for dinner pictures, uh duh. He really did just turn 3.

While we were gone on vacation Josh had fun shopping for Danny's birthday and did a fabulous job. He really needed a boy to get the toys he has always wanted. He Danny a frisbee and water pistols and a remote control Jeep. Danny has been loving the Jeep ever since.

And the grand surprise, for which Danny had to be blindfolded, he of course could see under the bandanna but was obedient to look.

Danny's own horse Frank. Josh did a great creating this tire horse patterned after something he found on our trip in Oregon. Now we just have to get the swing set to hang it from. For now he is chillin in the backyard. Josh tried to give Danny a taste of the riding to come but was a bit worn out with holding both Frank and Josh.

Happy birthday my sweet Golden Boy.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

End of Vacation

The rest of vacation was a party. We just hung out with family at Grmp Dan's and Grma Shell's in their luxirious home addition with lots of cousins to go around. Josh and I got the kings treatment and didn't have to cook any meals at all! Friday was lounge day and then the adults went to the temple to do some family name sealings. Saturday we had a 13.1mile run along the Columbia River then potluck and pictures. Sunday was church and a pinata. What more could you ask for! We love every minute of it.

All the kids lined up to take a whack at the pinata. Danny was first one to knock off one of the star arms and he proudly brought it to me as his kill.

Danny and Faith still were the best of buddies despite having several cousins around. It makes my heart sing to see them together.

Faith and her ooh too grown up model pose. She was extremely frustrated waiting until it was our family's turn for photos so Josh gave her her own photo op. The grands with all their grands. Pretty amazing growing little bunch and the Buttons don't look any worse for the wear.

And my too handsome son. It amazes me each time, regardless of age, I have never seen a more photogenic boy!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Vacation: Thursday Adventures

Thursday morning Faith and Danny led us through some rain filled expiditions along the Columbia river until we discovered Fort Clatsop.

(Thanks to school field trips that day) one of the discovery party was there to greet us and tell us all about the long rainy winter that the Lewis and Clark expedition spent at Fort Clatsop.

They even have a special Ranger at this Federal State Park, a black Newfoundland dog that is the same breed as the famed Seaman who made the trek with Clark. She was very very nice. I suppose she is the only pet allowed off leash in a federal building I know of.

We climbed the steps all the way up to the top of the Astoria column and got a pretty great view, so long as we didn't leave the edge of the tower since Josh suddenly became afeard of heights.

This is the loser's club of sea lions. In Astoria there is a warf where all the fat lards (very literally) just lay around because they didn't get chosen as a mate to go down to California with the girls. So they sit and beller at each other and lay around. You would think they would practice some more impressive skills for next years mating rounds. Oh they are interesting to watch. Just there, on a warf, totally wild!

As we drove through the mountains back to Washington we were certain to stop and visit Grandpa Alonzo and Grma Alice. Grandpa is super fit and showed us his giant rounds of wood he is splitting for fun, at 87 years old. Alice is a darling and made a little mouse out of a handkercheif and sang to the kids all sorts of cute songs. She gave Faith a bunny toy and they were instant friends. Visiting with these loving patriachs of a family really fills the trip with the most joy.

Vacation: Wednesday May 25

Beach day, or so it was designated. The weather was not cooperating. That didn't stop my babies. We found Hug Point, and cute little beach that is blocked in enough to keep the rain from slanting down on us, just a nice sprinkle. Faith couldn't keep out of the water. Danny was a bit daunted by it, always the cautious one. They soaked through all their clothes nonetheless. Delightful as usual.

Here's my oh so handsome husband in his new goat and hat and looking stunning on the beach. I fell in love with him a bit more each day. That is the magic of getting out of a rut and daily routine. Imagine if we went without the kids!

Seaside has a cute little aquarium. Seaside is like the Alantic City of the West Coast. Spectacular that Josh actually got a photo setting so you can see the jelly fish!

Touch tanks are either torture or andventure for kids, fine line with these two.

We made the kids fight the wind to go and see the reamins of a shipwreck on the beach. Poor boat got famous for being beat around by the wind and smashed into the sand. Fun to play on. Lucky we had gotten the kids rain boots in Seaside so they enjoyed the beach a bit more warmly this time.

We camped that night at Fort Stevens State Park. These battery posts were functional from civil war times until after WW2. This battery was attached by a Japanese submarine before Pearl Harbor, shows you how reluctant the US was to get involved in that one. The whole park is spattered with remains of the active old army post.

And here is a second night's Yurt. We did manage to get a fire started and mostly roast our hot dogs before it rained again. The kids were happy as ever just sliding around in their boots. We had a racoon that was not shy at all to come and try to nab our food.

Vacation: Tuesday May 24th

We woke up nice and early in our hotel and totally enjoyed the complete breakfast provided; waffles and the works. Then we went shopping at the Woodburn outlets, I couldn't resist. After a couple stops to get some advice on how to grow bulbs and rizhomes from the experts, we were actively moving to the coast. First stop - cheese world! Tillamook cheese is divine and we learned exactly why! I was glued to all the explinational videos. It was pretty easy to tell why their cheese is the best, they have a dude that tastes a bit of each block that is produced and a master cheese maker! So cool. And, after walking through it all we ate ice cream.

If Faith were an ice cream flavor she would have been this - Tillamook bubble gum. Of course she picked it because it was pink, but once you tasted it, the flavor was so sweet and cute, not the cheap kinda bubble gum flavor, that it perfectly matched her. Danny picked a green mint chocolate chip. I picked the best ice cream I have ever tasted. it was almost as if Mr. Wonka himself had dreamt it up. It was homemade cinnamon bun and tasted exactly like it was fresh out of the oven. Yes, piping hot cinnamon rolls in a freezing cold cone! So great.

The nice people behind the window would wave at the kids. They must get as much amusement watching the people that watch them, much more so than the same blocks of cheese coming through the same machine they have worked at for 8 hours.

After the Tillamook factory and our squeeky cheese and ice cream we drove up the rainy coast to Nehalem Bay state park. Oh I was glad that we had rented a yurt on the campground. Tenting would have been miserable. The nice rainproof Yurts with padded beds and a little electric heater to take the chill of was just right. Camping in style, I say.

Ain't he the cutest?!

Vacation: Monday May 23rd

For a whole week I got to travel with this handsome man. He drove my favorite car (a rental), and even let me drive some too, a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I fell in love with him a little bit more each day.

we were certainly constantly entertained by these two beautiful little people. Yep, take a couple of babies out of the Arizona heat to a bit of cool rain and we bust out the winter hats. Mostly Faith has a fettish for hats so this was a perfect vacation for her.

We flew into Pasco straight from Gilbert, rented the dream car then drove toward the coast after a brief visit with GrammaShell to get camping gear.

We stopped at the Bonnivielle Dam just before closing. Unfortunately the power house was closed so we didn't get to see these powerful generators at work. Also, it was not a good day to count fish in the ladders. The water right below that dam is maginificient and ferocious. I stopped to stare at it in fear a couple of times. They stop the Columbia rive in all its force and then let it squeeze through tiny holes...power.

Then we stopped here. It was raining , and colder than we are used to so we didn't dare hike up to the bridge. Plus we didn't want to miss dinner with these...

amazing people! Alisa and Sierra are so part of my family, unfortunately I have been very poor at visiting them. I was Sierra's nanny when she was 3-5 years old. Now she is beautiful and fifteen. Wow. This dinner was most certainly the highlight of the trip for me. I had been looking forward to visiting with them for years.

Dancing Queen

Faith will be preforming in her first tap dance recital on Saturday June 11th. Woohoo! They took their company photos a week or so back and she was just crushed that I wouldn't pay the big bucks for individual photos, so we took our own. She is excited to dance to "Zero to Hero" from Hercules. You are invited, if you want to pay for the tickets, which again I think are a bit steep.