Denouement

I just finished reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." It's hard to return to the Muggle world after being so solidly seated with Harry this past 2 days. Finishing it makes me feel dizzy and deflated. I need more . . . more! Now I'm pressuring Bryce to finish it so we can discuss the minutiae I am famous for.

If you have any points you want to talk about, please drop me a line. I am in withdrawl.

Churchy Chuckles

On Sunday we sat in the way back of the chapel overflow due to Troy Steadman's homecoming from his mission in Chicago. The kids were pretty good, fairly quiet, and not running around. Cameron only has one volume though (loud) so when I say fairly quiet, I mean he didn't happen to be talking. When the sacrament bread came around I gave Cameron a piece. He held it for a second, then said, (shouted), "I don't want to eat a bread right now. Maybe later." I whispered, "You can just eat it real fast. Think about Jesus, and how much he loves you, okay?" Then Cameron said, (shouted), "This bread is Jesus? You want me to eat the Jesus? Mom, you want me to eat the Jesus right now?" I tried whispering to him to be quiet, but the more I talked the more he talked (shouted) "eat the Jesus" until he finally lost interest in the subject. That's good, because I almost took him out because people were starting to turn around.

Then later when I went to pick up the twins from nursery, my friend Tina told me this story. Her 8-year-old son was in for a baptismal interview with the Bishop.

Bishop: Alex, what would you say if I offered you drugs or beer?

Alex: (Thoughtfully) No to drugs, yes to beer.

As you can imagine, Tina wanted to die. I laughed so hard that day.

Here's the thing

I told myself that I wouldn't be a perfectionist when it came to this blog. Somehow I'm still bogged down in the details, meaning I'm finding it hard to just "do it" unless it can be just right. So please forgive my absence this week. Pictures and formatting issued be dammed! I'm just going to write.

I just got back from book club tonight at Camme's house, where we discussed "Cry, the Beloved Country." I loved it . . . the book and especially the meeting. A vague summary (from amazon.com): Cry, the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son, Absalom, set against the background of a land and a people riven by racial injustice. Remarkable for its lyricism, unforgettable for character and incident, Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic work of love and hope, courage and endurance, born of the dignity of man.


Some themes we discussed included:

-- the biblical symbolism in character's names
-- poverty and aid
-- service
-- need vs. wants
-- the gorgeous writing, which was breathtaking. (I used the word "lyricism" but it sounded like I was copying the amazon.com review).

Our next book is called "A Girl Named Zippy" by Haven Kimmel (a memoir).

***

Want to know what else is going on with us . . . okay. I really, really want a piano. The keyboard has served its purpose and now we need a real instrument. I am busy researching.

I played in the backyard with the twins and little Emily Shapiro today. It is still all rocks and dirt, which is surprisingly fun for little children. They can use the toy dump trucks really well, not to mention pour dirt on each other when I'm not looking. I'd say they had a good time.

The twins had their developmental evaluations earlier this week (two 3 hour blocks--phew). This was to see if they qualify for preschool at the local elementary, kind of a Head Start thing (but it's not Head Start). At first I was pretty confident that they'd get in because they are still a bit delayed, or at least I know kids their age who are more advanced. Anyway, after going to the evaluations with them I'm 99% positive they *won't* get in, which is good and bad. Good, because that means they're on track and doing well. Bad, because I'd already scheduled in a yoga class during their preschool time. j/k

***

That's about all I can think of that's "going on." Basically I am very tense about selling the old house and a bit grouchy and single-minded about it. It's a good thing we went on vacation last week because I'm pretty sure I felt relaxed then.

It's Bryce's Birthday

Happy Birthday to my best friend! I hope you're having a great day!

***

I've been really swamped lately and haven't updated the blog like I said I would. Sorry about that. I have good pictures to show you about our trip to Utah too. This week the kids were back to school (finishing up the school year) and the transistion has been rough on us all. Plus a million other excuses. The thing is, I will be back soon . . . if not tonight then in the next few days.

It is Bryce's birthday, after all, so I have party-throwing to do.

Our trip to Sandy Iggo--The Beach

The second day of our trip was spent at the beach. We went to the tidepools at Cabrillo Point and then to the beach at La Jolla. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Our trip to Sandy Iggo--The Zoo

We went to San Diego the first part of the week . . . or if Cameron's telling you about it, Sandy Iggo. We loved having Heather with us, who proved a valuable child-manager and all-around fun person to hang with. We stayed at a rockin' hotel in the Gaslamp district of S.D., which Bryce got for a steal on priceline.

The first night we walked to Seaport Village, the tourist trap of the area. Not pleasant: the 6-block walk (both ways, w/o stroller), and the 1-hour wait for a pizza. So you will understand if I don't feel like posting pictures of that misadventure. (Though there are some very good ones of Mary Rachel). The boys just wanted to swim in the water where the boats were docked. So thank you to Heather for helping to save the twins from their own impulsivity.


The next day we went to the San Diego zoo and spent the whole day there. This was the twins' first visit to a zoo. Las Vegas does not have a zoo, and I don't think the little ones had seen "real" animals other than housepets before.


It was awesome! All of the kids loved seeing the animals. If you've ever seen the children's show "The Wonder Pets" on Nick Jr. you might appreciate that the little boys loved the sky tram, which they excitedly called the "fly boat." The polar bears were pretty cool, and I personally liked the koala exhibit, which I fondly remember from my childhood. Monkeys, giraffes, elephants, and the myriad of other animals were a delight to see up close.

The adventure begins.

Where should we go first?

My favorite animal. When I was a little girl I had a koala-themed bedroom and a stuffed koala collection.

Mary Rachel loved her cotton candy. She made herself a mustache.

Harrison and Cameron had strollers but were let out for exercise from time to time. A little like their caged zoo friends?

Harrison hanging. I can't remember which animal we were seeing at this point but he did this at every place we stopped.

"I want to hold my own hand!" Cameron taking responsibility for himself, in order to avoid being tethered to an adult or strapped into the stroller.

A rare moment together.

The foot massagers were well-worth the quarter spent.

Cameron and Tyce.


Tyce, Harrison, and I went in the sky tram together, while Heather and Mary Rachel went behind us.

Bryce offered to stay with Cameron, who was just waking up.

At the end of the day, Bryce and Cameron got their turn on the "flyboat."

Tyce and Mary Rachel outside the polar bear exhibit. M. was very disappointed that she was unable to climb to the top of the bear like Tyce could.



Heather and Harrison on the little polar bear.

Two little monkeys, swinging on a bar.


The craziness that is our family.

Fourth Festivities

First: Pancake breakfast at the church. Second: Big kids swimming with Heather. Third: Party with friends at the park. Fourth: Fireworks!

Cameron and Harrison at the water park by the big kids' elementary school. The adults played games and talked. Tyce watched Sam Potter play his Game Boy, Mary Rachel played with Sara and her cousins in the water and around the playground. It was very, very HOT (115*) until the sun went down.

Cameron gets a shower.

Harrison dominates the water!

In front of our fireplace at home.

Tyce's 11th Birthday

Tyce woke up early and Bryce told him they were going to work on the old house before everyone got up. That was just an excuse to get Tyce in the car . . . Bryce took the birthday boy to IHOP instead, where Tyce ordered a hamburger for breakfast!

Later that afternoon we picked up some friends to play, eat dinner, and go to the movie with Tyce. Before he opened their cards, he stuck them in the freezer . . . to turn them into cold, hard cash. (Get it?). It seemed to work, as he now has a wad of bills in his wallet.

We got a babysitter for the twins and the rest of us, including Aunt Heather (!) saw the Transformers movie. The kids loved it. If you're going to take your kids, talk to me. I have a certain "part" I have to warn you about first.

Anyway, Tyce had a great time and I'm so happy he's 11!

Getting a Game Boy game from Dalton.

The other party guests. The boys loved the balloons to death. Mary tried very hard to not be jealous of all the attention her big brother was getting.

Tyce's "cake" and his friends: Dalton, Taylor, and Chandler.

The Peruvian Horse Show

Bryce and Mary Rachel went to the Peruvian horse show at the South Point casino on Saturday night. They loved watching the horses trot and gallop in their unusual style.

There were rodeo-type events and an auction, where Mary won a brooch.

They took the camera but left the memory card at home (my fault). Let me assure you that our little Mare looked adorable all cowgirled up. She came home eager to tell me all about the show, and promptly taped a poster from the event onto her bedroom wall.