Tagged Again

I've been tagged by Hailey, so here goes:

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

10 years ago:

Like Hailey, I depended on my journal for this one. I was in Buena Vista, Virginia - a freshman at Southern Virgina College. I had just been accepted (this very day) as a counselor for Academy for Girls. I was praying about whether it was right for me to go to BYU in the fall (it was!).

5 things on my to-do list today:

1. Take Lydia to her "zero hour" book club at 8 am.

2. Finish reading The Goose Girl - by Shannon Hale. What a great book.

3. Laundry - it's the light day, as opposed to Monday which is always 8 loads, I swear.

4. Read my scriptures and a conference talk

5. Meet with the Bishop (AGH!) for a new calling

Things I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:

Pay off our house, our student loans, pay for my brother to go to medical school, buy Derek a fancy pants bike (maybe a Santa Cruz?) with all the bells and whistles (but not any bells and whistles or water bottle holders because he doesn't actually like those). I'd also buy new clothes. Our whole family stands in need of some article of clothing at the moment. And I want Prescriptives foundation. I've run out and don't have it in me to pay $35 for it at the moment.

2 of my bad habits:

1. Sleeping in - I hit snooze twice and then turn the darn thing off

2. Wanting (and too often actually having) a treat every day

5 places I have lived:

1. Gilbert, AZ

2. Buena Vista, VA

3. Provo and Orem, UT (many times!)

4. Austin, TX

5. Issaquah and Maple Valley, WA

5 Jobs I have had:

1. Piano teacher

2. Telephone sales rep for Skymall (taking orders)

3. TA for Hum201 at BYU

4. Worked in 2 college libraries - SVC and BYU

5. Currently a full-time, around-the-clock mom

Things people don't know about me:

I hate smooshed bread -it totally grosses me out. For years, I didn't take a sandwich in my lunch because it would end up all wadded. EW! I read really fast and so I can never remember any of it after a couple days (this comes in handy cramming for exams, but is a real bummer if I really liked the book). I always wanted to be left-handed like my mom and used to practice, but it never worked out for me. I grind my teeth at night so much that I have to wear a nightguard to protect the enamel on my teeth (did I just admit to this one?). I hate public speaking, so even making a comment in church takes a lot of guts for me. Usually by the time I've figured out what it is I want to say, the class discussion has moved on.

The people tagged are.....Leslie, Chris, Donna, Jessie, Andrea, Paige.

Big Boy Bed?!

As you can see, Carver is inclined to outgrow things. But this week we reached a more serious milestone. Tuesday evening I was bathing the kiddos and he was being a regular nuisance - trying to climb back into the wet bathtub in his pjs, cleaning the bathtub with his toothbrush and pulling off the roll of TP - the usual. I wasn't in the mood for his shenanigans so I scooped him up and put him in his crib so I could help the girls comb out their hair and do lotion. A few minutes go by and he's coming out of his room. That is not a good sign! Somehow those stumpy little legs of his mastered the walls of the crib. It still seems so impossible to me! If I hadn't been the one to put him in there in the first place, I wouldn't have believed it. (In fact, I tried to help him climb out today and he thought I was totally nuts and couldn't do it.)

We let him sleep in his crib the first night after and he didn't climb out. The next day for his nap, he cried and cried but didn't come out until I gave up and got him because I was afraid to go downstairs and not hear him trying to escape. So Wednesday night we took the mattress out of his crib and put it in the corner of his room. He was delighted! He ran to get the girls and show them. The miracle was that after we tucked him in, he ran to the door and wobbled the doorknob, but went back and got into bed! It's been a little rockier since then, but it's going okay. He's not napping, but totally passes out in the stroller when Derek takes him running after work! We're borrowing a twin bedframe from a friend tomorrow and picking up a mattress, as well. He's going to be thrilled to have a real bed, I can't wait to show him!

The real trick for me is that my life has just been turned upside down. Instead of a day from 7-1 to work through with a rewarding naptime of peace and quiet coming to me, now my day is SOOOO long and so full of helpers. Carver's watching more TV now, which is a bummer, but I don't know how to do dishes or sweep the floor without a little distraction. It's time to redefine my daily routine, I think, but how? I'm still working on that part. Today I started to feel more in control of my day even if there is still more to do almost everywhere I look. I'm forcing a quiet time on everyone now - Ellie's sure she's being punished. Carver's been crying in his room for a few minutes, but now he's quiet. I wouldn't be surprised if he found his bed after all, he's that exhausted. And that makes two of us!

P.S. He did fall asleep - right by the door, asleep on his dog.

Deep Cleaning

While I readily concede (a) that this is NOT my blog, (b) that I lack Rachael’s good taste in blog content and management, and (c) that most of you will not care, I could not help but post something on this last Saturday’s Deep Cleaning event.

At least once a year, (in a place like Seattle, it should happen far more often than that) I set aside a Saturday afternoon and strip down the old work horse—in this my flat-bar mongrel road bike—and soak all the grimy bits in a tank of Simple Green. Once the Simple Green is no longer green (more a murky grime), I move the parts to the kitchen sink and scrub like mad until all the parts regain their former luster. (Rachael loves this part.)

Without question I would rather ride any day of the week than wrench on a bike. That said, I can’t quite describe the sense of satisfaction I feel the moment I pull a formerly sticky black chain from the toxic soup all sparkly clean and then lay it on a towel next to my collection of sundry parts and pieces. As you can see, even Carver feels the draw. He and Ellie joined me on this last adventure.

If a man’s wealth were measured in the amount of bike goodies he possessed, I would certainly . . . not be wealthy. But dog-gone-it I feel like a king when I see those pretty maids all in a row.

Aren't 6 month olds the best?

I always forget how much I love this age. Grace is just getting big enough to prop up with pillows and play with toys, she laughs and smiles and "talks." Not that newborns aren't wonderful in their own right, but that fact is generally overshadowed by desperate sleep deprivation and the incredible amount of around-the-clock work they are, not to mention doctor's appointments every time you turn around. So I'm grateful to feel we're pulling out of that and finding life at the end of the tunnel. Still, with 4 kids to care for, we're struggling to find a really consistent routine for naps and such. But Grace is sweet and puts up with us so well.

I think every time I go out, someone stops to ask me how old she is and exclaim how "alert" (always this word) she seems! And yes, she would be exceptionally alert for an 8 week old, but she's right on track for being 5 1/2 months! Then I reflect on what people must think of this tiny 12 pound baby riding in an double umbrella style stroller beside her enormous tank of a brother. Don't I know tiny babies don't have neck support for those strollers yet? Do I give him all her share of food? Nevermind they are the closest of our children, just 21 months apart. Someone at Costco last month actually asked if Carver and Ellie (who were riding side by side in those fabulous carts) were twins! That's a first. Sitting down, the height difference isn't apparent and Carver has just passed his sister in weight. But they are closer to 28 months apart!

Anyway, since this was intended to be about Grace, I'll leave you with this parting bit. She's finally started sleeping better again in the last week - just waking up once to eat, not bad for a Howell baby - but a few nights ago I woke up about 5:30 am to the happy cooing and jabbering of Grace in her bed in the pitch black. Adorable, but poorly timed! And her last doctor's appointment showed that she is growing well (faster than average) and quickly approaching the absolute bottom of the growth curve. We're couldn't be more proud! :)

What She Doesn't Want You To See

Rachael informs me that I have a disability. I am unable to effectively create "outfits" that coordinate. I'm not talking color. (Although, she has suggested on occasion that I may be deficient in that aspect as well.) Evidently, only certain types of shirts can be worn with jeans, cargo pants, slacks, etc. And vice versa. Adding to the complexity of dressing one's self, jackets and shoes must also coordinate with underlying layers.

At the root of this problem is what I refer to as my Dress Design Protocol (or "DDP" for short). That is, I select my apparel based on two criteria: (a) comfort and (b) appropriateness for the setting in which I anticipate that I will find myself when so dressed. That second criteria only applies to work, church, church-related activities, and other such solemn occasions.

Well, it appears that my girls have inherited this same eclecticism in dress. In response to which, Rachael has begun a rigorous campaign to disabuse them of my poor example, but not without first documenting the horrifying results.

This picture was taken as we left on our Sunday afternoon walk. Under my bike jacket, I am wearing sandals (fortunately without socks) with cargo pants and an untucked dress shirt. Lydia is wearing tennis shoes and white socks, under a heavy winter coat and her Sunday dress. Ironically, Ellie (the more afflicted of the two girls) did alright until she put the jean jacket over her pink fleece. And even though we agreed to wear signs disavowing any relation to her, we left Rachael sobbing on the door step.

Fablehaven

After another bout of questionable self-discipline, I read the two Fablehaven books and loved them! I highly recommend them - they are so imaginative, full of great characters and plot twists. Have you read them? If not, add them to your list for the library! They are great. And thanks to Derek for indulging me last night so I could finish those last 2 chapters before I went to bed. :)

Along the same lines, I've recently been put in charge of our ward's book group. Any great books you'd suggest? They have to be approved by the Bishop, so they need to be very clean in content and appropriate in theme, as well. And still interesting and not always young adult (drat! that's my favorite genre lately.) I'd LOVE ideas!

Carver

I just have to say how much I absolutely love Carver.

He is full of mischief like you wouldn't believe...
he plays in toilet water and then licks it off his fingers,
he takes handfuls of rice and drops it in the sugar bucket,
he pulls cushions off the couch and sits on the springs,
he is busy busy busy with a capital "B,"
he takes the vent out of the floor and drops in his toys,
he steals Grace's pacifier and blanket in the car,
he runs into the road outside, away from us at church,
he throws food, gurgles milk and lets it run down his chin,
and tries to sprinkle milk out of his sippy cup on the girls heads,
he uses silverware as weapons against my tabletop,
he pulls the shoelaces out of his shoes and ours,
he eats crayons, playdough and paper napkins,
he doesn't ever play alone without being naughty.
As I was typing this, he got into the sugar bucket and
must have been trying to eat it since it was stuck on his face
and scattered around on the floor.

But my heart is just bursting with love for him lately.
Maybe because he has become my little buddy.
he tries so hard to tell us what he wants and what he loves,
he runs and wraps his little arms around my leg,
he does the coolest little happy dance,
he offers Grace his pacifier when she cries,
he loves to wear his dinosaur costume around the house,
he holds my hand when we walk together now,
he backs into my lap with his favorite truck book,
he wants to sit on MY lap in scriptures now,
he helps me put laundry in the dryer,
he helps wash windows (usually with a baby wipe),
he wants to be just like his big sisters,
he thinks everything I do is wonderful,
that I make great car noises (I don't!) and
the best forts when it's time to mop the floor.

I wish that he could talk to me so I could know
my sweet little boy even better.
Carver is a handful and then some,
but I wouldn't trade him for anything!

Skippyjon Jones

I have to thank my mom for introducing our family to these hilarious books. We read them at her house before Christmas and even listened to the CD read by the author that came with one. Oh my goodness - these are so much fun! We're quoting them constantly now. There are 3-4 others by the same author: we really like Skippyjon Jones and the Big Bones, too.

Free Breakfast Entertainment

So I've begun the infamous January workout routine, hoping to fit into some of my favorite pants again. Since Derek has been around, I've been able to do it while he feeds the kids breakfast. It works out great because I don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to do something I generally dread, I can still shower just once a day and the kids are all occupied and not running under my feet. All around a great solution except that our only TV is in the great room just off the kitchen. That makes me fabulous breakfast entertainment, so much so that the kids are hardly eating and once they finish, they come sit on the couch to watch. They are fascinated by me, the video, the modesty (or lack thereof) of the women in the video and this whole new concept of mothers that exercise. Ellie wonders why I wear shoes in the house, Carver is delighted that I fold our area rug back onto itself to work out and wishes he could run around on the double layers, but sadly he's confined by the buckles on his booster and can only watch in awe. Derek promises he's not watching, which would be in his own best interest since my pajama-ed self doesn't do justice to the routines or coordination presented in the videos. My interpretation is, let's just say, lacking. With any luck, as Derek starts work Monday (hurray!), I'll drag my sorry self out of bed at 6:30 or 7 to work out before waking the kids up for the day. Here's to New Year resolutions!