Heading out from the dock, here's Adam, Lizzy, and Anna enjoying the breeze.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Sunday, August 07, 2005
About Adam
Tammy has been writing occasionally about each of the kids, so I've decided to take a turn and write about Adam.
This week Adam passed level 1 swimming lessons. It was his third try at level 1 (can you tell we don't swim a whole lot?) but this time passed with flying colors. One of the requirements was to hold your breath underwater for at least 5 seconds. His big goal for the session was to set a new "record" of breath holding. He ended up holding it for 40 seconds - far outdistancing his previous record and the others in his class (I think the next longest was 22 seconds). If you can't tell he likes to push himself a lot.
Another big challenge he's taken on is to read the whole Book of Mormon by the end of the year. President Hinckley issued a challenge to all church members to read the whole Book of Mormon before the end of the year (about 1.5 chapters per day). That's no small task for a grown-up, let alone a six year old, but it's something he didn't even think twice about when I mentioned it to him. It's also been very good for me though - he's come in every morning this week at 6 am to drag me down to read. We each read a couple of chapters silently and then spend a few minutes talking about it. I'm always amazed at the level of comprehension that he has of this difficult scriptural language. When he was little, Tammy used to spend a lot of time with him teaching him scripture stories. I expect that helps him to better put in context what he is reading.
Adam loves to read and he's very good at it. He's spent much of his time reading this summer - he's read more than 50 chapter books since school let out in June. The library is running out of youth chapter books for him to read. He's also taken to math quite a bit this summer and astonishes me from time to time with his mental calculating. The other day we were talking about the Bix race and I told him that I was running the 7 miles at about a 10 minute per mile pace. Without a blink of an eye or a second thought, he says, "Oh, so you finished in an hour and ten minutes."
Adam is also beginning to develop a love of sports. I guess with his competitive spirit it is only natural that he would learn to love sports. He especially likes basketball (a trait he inherited from his father I think). Since we've moved to the new house, he and I have gone to the park across the street most Saturday mornings to play ball for a little while. He's not quite strong enough to get the ball up to a 10 foot hoop, but that doesn't discourage him from trying. This past Saturday, he did actually make 4 shots - three of them heaving the ball backwards over his head. The other was a frontwards shot and he was very excited when it went in. We usually play "horse" - he just has to hit the rim, I have to actually make the shot. He won every game on Saturday. Another sports related comment - a few months ago, Tammy and Adam had gone out shopping and I had stayed home with the other kids. After putting them to bed, I turned on game 7 of the NBA championship series. When Adam arrived home I told him what I was watching and mentioned that whoever won that game that night would be the world champions. His mouth literally dropped open, his face flushed, he put his hand on his heart and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness!" He was truly impressed. Tammy and I both cracked up at his expression and of course we let him stay up and watch the end of the game.
All-in-all, Adam is a pretty remarkable kid. He works hard to do well at most things he tries, especially when it involves a competition of some sort. Although he's competitive, he's usually a pretty good loser when he doesn't come out on top. He's also very considerate of his younger siblings. He encourages each of them in whatever they're doing. Lately, he's enjoyed dragging little Ben around to whereever he needs to go. He does have some "normal kid" features that can be frustrating - he doesn't like to do chores, doesn't always care much for what mom and dad have to say, will provoke his sister's to get them screaming, and so forth - but overall we're very happy to have Adam!
This week Adam passed level 1 swimming lessons. It was his third try at level 1 (can you tell we don't swim a whole lot?) but this time passed with flying colors. One of the requirements was to hold your breath underwater for at least 5 seconds. His big goal for the session was to set a new "record" of breath holding. He ended up holding it for 40 seconds - far outdistancing his previous record and the others in his class (I think the next longest was 22 seconds). If you can't tell he likes to push himself a lot.
Another big challenge he's taken on is to read the whole Book of Mormon by the end of the year. President Hinckley issued a challenge to all church members to read the whole Book of Mormon before the end of the year (about 1.5 chapters per day). That's no small task for a grown-up, let alone a six year old, but it's something he didn't even think twice about when I mentioned it to him. It's also been very good for me though - he's come in every morning this week at 6 am to drag me down to read. We each read a couple of chapters silently and then spend a few minutes talking about it. I'm always amazed at the level of comprehension that he has of this difficult scriptural language. When he was little, Tammy used to spend a lot of time with him teaching him scripture stories. I expect that helps him to better put in context what he is reading.
Adam loves to read and he's very good at it. He's spent much of his time reading this summer - he's read more than 50 chapter books since school let out in June. The library is running out of youth chapter books for him to read. He's also taken to math quite a bit this summer and astonishes me from time to time with his mental calculating. The other day we were talking about the Bix race and I told him that I was running the 7 miles at about a 10 minute per mile pace. Without a blink of an eye or a second thought, he says, "Oh, so you finished in an hour and ten minutes."
Adam is also beginning to develop a love of sports. I guess with his competitive spirit it is only natural that he would learn to love sports. He especially likes basketball (a trait he inherited from his father I think). Since we've moved to the new house, he and I have gone to the park across the street most Saturday mornings to play ball for a little while. He's not quite strong enough to get the ball up to a 10 foot hoop, but that doesn't discourage him from trying. This past Saturday, he did actually make 4 shots - three of them heaving the ball backwards over his head. The other was a frontwards shot and he was very excited when it went in. We usually play "horse" - he just has to hit the rim, I have to actually make the shot. He won every game on Saturday. Another sports related comment - a few months ago, Tammy and Adam had gone out shopping and I had stayed home with the other kids. After putting them to bed, I turned on game 7 of the NBA championship series. When Adam arrived home I told him what I was watching and mentioned that whoever won that game that night would be the world champions. His mouth literally dropped open, his face flushed, he put his hand on his heart and exclaimed, "Oh my goodness!" He was truly impressed. Tammy and I both cracked up at his expression and of course we let him stay up and watch the end of the game.
All-in-all, Adam is a pretty remarkable kid. He works hard to do well at most things he tries, especially when it involves a competition of some sort. Although he's competitive, he's usually a pretty good loser when he doesn't come out on top. He's also very considerate of his younger siblings. He encourages each of them in whatever they're doing. Lately, he's enjoyed dragging little Ben around to whereever he needs to go. He does have some "normal kid" features that can be frustrating - he doesn't like to do chores, doesn't always care much for what mom and dad have to say, will provoke his sister's to get them screaming, and so forth - but overall we're very happy to have Adam!
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Release
Well, after 2 and 1/2 years in the relief society presidency, I was (finally) released today. I served as both the Enrichment and the Education counselors (they moved me to Education after Ben was born). Enrichment was a lot of hard work and it seemed like there was always something going on, but it was fulfilling when I finally felt like we got the program running as it should be. It was nice to feel like the activities and classes we provided might actually benefit somebody. Education counselor required so much less of me because we have reliable teachers and music people. I was just starting to take a look at literacy a bit closer when I was released. The relief society president that I have been serving under has been in for 4 years and she was ready to be released. I think she rubbed off on me and I was more than ready as well.
So, you say, what is your new calling? Well, I am the new Valiant 12 teacher in primary. I am so excited. The youth in that class are awesome. I visited their class today. In fact, one of them has been sitting with me in sacrament meeting since Lizzy was born, to help me out. Almost every Sunday I have to leave her with some of the kids while I deal with Ben, and sometimes Lizzy in the hall (deal with them sounds kind of harsh, but you know what I mean, take care of them, help them be quiet, keep them away from other people so they won't disturb anyone). It has the added bonus of being able to go to Relief Society once they all turn 12 because they go to YW and YM instead of primary sharing time. Yeah!! That rocks. If you can't tell, I am excited. I'll let you know in a few weeks if I am still excited, or if they have put me in my place.
Now, Greg says, "When is it my turn?" He's had his calling 4 years (and 2 months), but who's counting. Greg has just informed me that that is 5o months. I think he's ready. Should I send a link to our blog to the bishop?
So, you say, what is your new calling? Well, I am the new Valiant 12 teacher in primary. I am so excited. The youth in that class are awesome. I visited their class today. In fact, one of them has been sitting with me in sacrament meeting since Lizzy was born, to help me out. Almost every Sunday I have to leave her with some of the kids while I deal with Ben, and sometimes Lizzy in the hall (deal with them sounds kind of harsh, but you know what I mean, take care of them, help them be quiet, keep them away from other people so they won't disturb anyone). It has the added bonus of being able to go to Relief Society once they all turn 12 because they go to YW and YM instead of primary sharing time. Yeah!! That rocks. If you can't tell, I am excited. I'll let you know in a few weeks if I am still excited, or if they have put me in my place.
Now, Greg says, "When is it my turn?" He's had his calling 4 years (and 2 months), but who's counting. Greg has just informed me that that is 5o months. I think he's ready. Should I send a link to our blog to the bishop?
Bix
This is Bix weekend in the QuadCities. Bix Beiderbeck (sp?) was a famous jazz musician years ago. Davenport has hosted a jazz festival every year for a long time in honor of him. Back in the 70's a road race called the Bix7 was added to the festivities. Our family has participated in the Bix most years since we've lived here. On Friday evening was the "Jr. Bix" consisting of a bunch of shorter races for kids. Adam and the 6 year olds ran a half mile race. Anna and Lizzy each ran a 70 yard dash. (See pictures below for more details about each of their races). After the race there's a big party where they serve free hotdogs, drinks, ice cream, and other healthy stuff. There's also a carnival for the kids. I think there are somewhere around 5000 kids and their parents that participate every year. Adam and Lizzy even made it on TV during their races! We all had a very fun time!
On Saturday morning, I ran the Bix7 road race. It's a seven mile race up and down the hills of Davenport. It's a huge race and this year drew over 20,000 runners including some of the best in the world - I think there were a few Olympic medalists running this year. This is the fourth time I've run the race and I ended up with my 3rd best time. I wasn't quite in the shape I should have been in to be running seven miles, but I had a good time anyway. The first mile you practically have to walk - there are just too many people to really be able to move much. I finally got through the first mile in about 12 minutes. The second mile is usually my best one - the crowd is thinning out enough to run some and it's mostly downhill. I finished that one in a little under 8 minutes. The third mile continues downhill for about the first 3/4 mile - then comes the killer hill - it's only a 1/4 mile, but very steep. That hill always wipes me out completely. At about that point, I started sputtering along just trying to keep going. At the half way point (3.5 miles) I was at 32 minutes total (by the way - that's about exactly the time the winner was crossing the finish line). Miles 4 and 5 I was hurting so bad and moving so slowly that I might as well have been walking. They're both almost all uphill and not very fun at all. Mile six levels off for the most part and I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel so I picked up the pace a little. Mile seven is the funnest one - not only is it the end of the race, but it's a steep downhill for most of it. I was able to finish the last mile fairly strong and even remained concious when it was all over (barely). I think I came in about 5500th place.
The rest of yesterday I was kind of numb - headache, sore muscles, exhaustion, but I'm feeling quite a bit better this morning. Below are some pictures of our fun time this weekend.
On Saturday morning, I ran the Bix7 road race. It's a seven mile race up and down the hills of Davenport. It's a huge race and this year drew over 20,000 runners including some of the best in the world - I think there were a few Olympic medalists running this year. This is the fourth time I've run the race and I ended up with my 3rd best time. I wasn't quite in the shape I should have been in to be running seven miles, but I had a good time anyway. The first mile you practically have to walk - there are just too many people to really be able to move much. I finally got through the first mile in about 12 minutes. The second mile is usually my best one - the crowd is thinning out enough to run some and it's mostly downhill. I finished that one in a little under 8 minutes. The third mile continues downhill for about the first 3/4 mile - then comes the killer hill - it's only a 1/4 mile, but very steep. That hill always wipes me out completely. At about that point, I started sputtering along just trying to keep going. At the half way point (3.5 miles) I was at 32 minutes total (by the way - that's about exactly the time the winner was crossing the finish line). Miles 4 and 5 I was hurting so bad and moving so slowly that I might as well have been walking. They're both almost all uphill and not very fun at all. Mile six levels off for the most part and I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel so I picked up the pace a little. Mile seven is the funnest one - not only is it the end of the race, but it's a steep downhill for most of it. I was able to finish the last mile fairly strong and even remained concious when it was all over (barely). I think I came in about 5500th place.
The rest of yesterday I was kind of numb - headache, sore muscles, exhaustion, but I'm feeling quite a bit better this morning. Below are some pictures of our fun time this weekend.
Here's a shot of Adam after his race. He was actually looking much worse a few minutes before. This was the first long distance race Adam has ever run. The six year olds run a half mile. In case you've forgotten how far a half mile is, it's two full trips around a standard track - quite a trek for little legs. There were about 200 or 300 six year olds running this year and Adam came in around 15th or so place. He crashed around the turn around point, but picked himself up and kept going. We are pretty proud of him!
Here's Anna lining up with the other four year olds before her race. The four year old race was 70 yards. Anna dashed out of the blocks and ran fast about half way. Then she realized she was getting uncomfortably far ahead of me and slowed down so I could catch up. (The parents run with the little ones!)
Friday, July 29, 2005
Papa Power
I don't know if this is true of other's families, but it sure is the truth in our family. Greg seems to have some power over the kids that I do not possess. He often can get them to do things that I cannot. He takes them in a room and talks to them and then they do it. I always say, "What did you tell them?". He says, "I just talked to them about it." Other times he makes up a silly game or whatever. Everything with papa is exciting and fun, and everything with mom is boring and tedious.
Greg really put his persuasive powers to the test last night though. He came home a little earlier than usual because he had to go back to work in the evening after work hours to put out a new computer system. Anyway the kids were of course excited (he also has this wild and crazy effect on the kids; whenever he comes home they start running and screaming). Things were beginning to escalate and it was time to sit down for dinner. We sat down and still things weren't settling down. So, Greg says, "Shh. Shh. Tonight we are going to have a very special quiet pancake dinner (yes, we were having pancakes for dinner). " Then he began to talk in a whisper and told the kids that we could only talk like that during dinner. He even had Lizzy pray in a whisper. Amazingly the kids went right along with it. Anna is the only one who even questioned it. You know the groan and the "Why do we have to....?" . Even she went along after Lizzy, Adam, and I all were doing it. Adam talked quite a bit, but he did it all in a whisper. Amazing. If I would have made that suggestion, I am not sure anyone would have even heard what I said! Well that is the mighty power of papa.
Greg really put his persuasive powers to the test last night though. He came home a little earlier than usual because he had to go back to work in the evening after work hours to put out a new computer system. Anyway the kids were of course excited (he also has this wild and crazy effect on the kids; whenever he comes home they start running and screaming). Things were beginning to escalate and it was time to sit down for dinner. We sat down and still things weren't settling down. So, Greg says, "Shh. Shh. Tonight we are going to have a very special quiet pancake dinner (yes, we were having pancakes for dinner). " Then he began to talk in a whisper and told the kids that we could only talk like that during dinner. He even had Lizzy pray in a whisper. Amazingly the kids went right along with it. Anna is the only one who even questioned it. You know the groan and the "Why do we have to....?" . Even she went along after Lizzy, Adam, and I all were doing it. Adam talked quite a bit, but he did it all in a whisper. Amazing. If I would have made that suggestion, I am not sure anyone would have even heard what I said! Well that is the mighty power of papa.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Motherhood and Ben
Well it has been a while since I have posted. I have felt buried lately, with little to no time to myself. Greg has been busy and gone a lot which means I am also busier, and my "job" lasts a little longer each day. There really are very few breaks when you are a mom, and I must say that has been truer than ever before with four children. I expect it rings even truer with each additional child. Man, am I tired.
Motherhood also has its perks though. I know I said I wanted to post about the other children (and I will), but Ben has been so cute lately, I had to let everyone know what he is doing right now. He is still getting around with his belly crawl (the marines would be proud to have our boy) with great speed. Lately he has started to get up on his knees more, and will go a few paces on his knees before flopping to his belly. He is also pulling some, and can move along the furniture, but I wouldn't exactly say he is cruising, it is more like shuffling. His favorite pastimes include grazing under the dining room table and playing on the fireplace (is this something we should discourage?). He is so full of smiles and laughs that it makes you happy just to be around him.
In addition to these things, he has added waving bye-bye and playing peek-a-boo to his repertoire. His wave is a fast and furious whole arm wave, but he is working on opening and closing his hand. His blanket peek-a-boo is great, but he is still working on doing it with his hands. Right now he usually only covers one of his eyes, but still finds great joy in playing. His enthusiasm for the game has also rekindled Lizzy's love for it, so they can entertain each other for quite a while, if I am even half way involved.
He is working on his top four, front teeth right now, which has messed up his sleeping habits a bit (part of the reason I am so tired). It sure does change a baby's look once he or she gets teeth. All in all he is seeming really grown up right now, and really he is. He will be one year old in like 6 or 7 weeks is all. This year has flown by. We love our Benner boy, and have enjoyed watching him grow so much this last little while.
Motherhood also has its perks though. I know I said I wanted to post about the other children (and I will), but Ben has been so cute lately, I had to let everyone know what he is doing right now. He is still getting around with his belly crawl (the marines would be proud to have our boy) with great speed. Lately he has started to get up on his knees more, and will go a few paces on his knees before flopping to his belly. He is also pulling some, and can move along the furniture, but I wouldn't exactly say he is cruising, it is more like shuffling. His favorite pastimes include grazing under the dining room table and playing on the fireplace (is this something we should discourage?). He is so full of smiles and laughs that it makes you happy just to be around him.
In addition to these things, he has added waving bye-bye and playing peek-a-boo to his repertoire. His wave is a fast and furious whole arm wave, but he is working on opening and closing his hand. His blanket peek-a-boo is great, but he is still working on doing it with his hands. Right now he usually only covers one of his eyes, but still finds great joy in playing. His enthusiasm for the game has also rekindled Lizzy's love for it, so they can entertain each other for quite a while, if I am even half way involved.
He is working on his top four, front teeth right now, which has messed up his sleeping habits a bit (part of the reason I am so tired). It sure does change a baby's look once he or she gets teeth. All in all he is seeming really grown up right now, and really he is. He will be one year old in like 6 or 7 weeks is all. This year has flown by. We love our Benner boy, and have enjoyed watching him grow so much this last little while.
Monday, July 25, 2005
eBay Blues Update
Just wanted to post an update on a previous post about our troubles with an eBay puchase. We had filed a claim through eBay/PayPal (the two companies have merged and so have their complaint processes). They, like us, were unable to contact the seller and ruled in our favor. Unfortunately, the limits of the eBay Buyer Protection Program are $175, so that was all they refunded us. [Something to keep in mind next time you're shopping for big ticket items on eBay.] Fortunately, we had used our Visa check card to make the purchase and Visa has a zero-liability policy for internet shopping. So our next step was to file a complaint through our bank. They promptly refunded the rest of our money while they continue the investigation. I expect that will be the last we hear of it. The seller, meantime, after robbing about 10 or 12 of us unsuspecting eBay shoppers, was kicked out of eBay. We won't know if eBay or Visa will take any further action against them. It was kind of a pain to go through all that. We did end up buying an armoire off eBay (are we foolish for trying again?). This time it was delivered on time and in good shape - plus it was $150 cheaper than the one we had so much trouble with. So, all's well that end's well I guess.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Dog Days and Long Nights
This has been the hottest, driest summer we've known here in Iowa. I remember summers like this in Kansas, but those miserable summers hadn't really made it this far north since we've lived here. All the grass has died and everything is brown (most people don't irrigate around here - usually no need). The only bright spot in all this is that I haven't had to mow in over a month.
A few weeks ago our stake was asked to provide a bunch of volunteers to the Nauvoo pageant. Tammy volunteered to coordinate that effort for our ward and did an excellent job! She was able to round up almost 80 volunteers from our ward to work this week. I figured I better do my part, so I've spent the last two evenings in Nauvoo. Aside from the extreme heat and the late nights, I had an awesome time.
On Wednesday me and a couple of others brought a group of 14 youth down and turned them loose in the parking lots. When we arrived in Nauvoo at 5:30 p.m. it was 98 degrees and 80% humidity (heat index around 108 degrees). Couple that with all the dust in the parking lot and you'd think it would have been a miserable night, but once you got used to the sweat and dirt, it really was a lot of fun. I think the youth all had a great time - it seems like the youth of our ward are more united than we've ever had - it's really fun to be with them when they're together. I was stationed at the entrance to the parking lot waving people in. That wasn't all that exciting until the show was over and I had to direct the hundreds of cars out into the street. A new and somewhat fun experience. I got home that night around 1:50 a.m. only to get up at 6:00 for work the next day.
After working a normal work day on Thursday, I headed back to Nauvoo, this time with a bunch of friends from the ward. We were all signed up to work security. The day was just as warm (I think they said it was 99 degrees when we started at 6:00) and being security we had to wear ties. It kind of reminded me of my Arizona missionary days. My assignment was to work in the cast area behind the stage and make sure that only cast and crew members went in there. It gave me a good chance to visit with some of the cast members. They have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into the pageant this year and seem like a wonderful group of people. It was also interesting to watch the show from behind the stage - gives a new perspective to what all goes on in the production. I was fortunately able to keep my eyes open while driving home and we actually arrived home by 1:30 am (I think the adults were a little easier to round up than the youth the night before when it was time to head home).
All in all, it's been a fun, albeit very hot and tiring week. We've heard the heat indexes are going to be close to 115 over the weekend, so I think I'll be staying inside and reading a book (and maybe taking a nap) this weekend (Tammy finished the new Harry Potter book, so it's my turn).
A few weeks ago our stake was asked to provide a bunch of volunteers to the Nauvoo pageant. Tammy volunteered to coordinate that effort for our ward and did an excellent job! She was able to round up almost 80 volunteers from our ward to work this week. I figured I better do my part, so I've spent the last two evenings in Nauvoo. Aside from the extreme heat and the late nights, I had an awesome time.
On Wednesday me and a couple of others brought a group of 14 youth down and turned them loose in the parking lots. When we arrived in Nauvoo at 5:30 p.m. it was 98 degrees and 80% humidity (heat index around 108 degrees). Couple that with all the dust in the parking lot and you'd think it would have been a miserable night, but once you got used to the sweat and dirt, it really was a lot of fun. I think the youth all had a great time - it seems like the youth of our ward are more united than we've ever had - it's really fun to be with them when they're together. I was stationed at the entrance to the parking lot waving people in. That wasn't all that exciting until the show was over and I had to direct the hundreds of cars out into the street. A new and somewhat fun experience. I got home that night around 1:50 a.m. only to get up at 6:00 for work the next day.
After working a normal work day on Thursday, I headed back to Nauvoo, this time with a bunch of friends from the ward. We were all signed up to work security. The day was just as warm (I think they said it was 99 degrees when we started at 6:00) and being security we had to wear ties. It kind of reminded me of my Arizona missionary days. My assignment was to work in the cast area behind the stage and make sure that only cast and crew members went in there. It gave me a good chance to visit with some of the cast members. They have put a tremendous amount of time and effort into the pageant this year and seem like a wonderful group of people. It was also interesting to watch the show from behind the stage - gives a new perspective to what all goes on in the production. I was fortunately able to keep my eyes open while driving home and we actually arrived home by 1:30 am (I think the adults were a little easier to round up than the youth the night before when it was time to head home).
All in all, it's been a fun, albeit very hot and tiring week. We've heard the heat indexes are going to be close to 115 over the weekend, so I think I'll be staying inside and reading a book (and maybe taking a nap) this weekend (Tammy finished the new Harry Potter book, so it's my turn).
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Anna update
I feel like I often report on the progress of Ben, but don't often say how the other kids are doing, so I thought I would talk about my sweet Anna. She is really growing up. She finally seems to be blossoming. She understands things around her more, and is finally getting some confidence (although slight) in the shadow of her older brother. She can be shy and she definitely likes to have some alone time each day, where she can be in her own little world. She can make anything into a toy, and will improvise when needed. She is very, very sweet. She is so much more aware of people's feelings than Adam has ever been and she will often help Lizzy when she is in need of attention, love, or whatever. She also has an amazing ability to get along with people. She seems to play well even with the hardest, craziest kids, and get along just fine. She is a quiet leader in that way. She always has something in her hand, either her green blankie or a toy of some sort, ready to pretend whatever needs pretending. She is very girly (she didn't get that from me!). She loves pink and purple. She loves princesses and princess dresses. Even though she is girly, she is very low maintanence. She likes her space. She is probably the easiest of our children to parent currently because she is so agreeable and easy to get along with. We sure love her. She brings a lot of sunshine into our home.
Friday, July 15, 2005
A flood of company
We've had a flood of company visiting with us the last couple of weeks. Starting on July 4th eve, we had a friend of ours stay with us a couple of nights. Then arrived Tammy's Auntie Ann, Aunt Sue, and three cousins - Mark, Pete, and Quin. We enjoyed their visit very much!
We spent Saturday with them in Nauvoo concluding the day with a visit to the new Nauvoo Pageant. The pre-show activities started a few hours before the show with a good old-fashioned 1840's celebration. There were tons of games for the kids (and everyone else) tug-of-war, gunnysack races, stick pulls, handcart races, square dances (with a live band), live entertainers, log saw races, and so on. We had a ball. Finally we settled in for the show. The pageant itself was much less of a pageant and more of a play than the old City of Joseph pageant. The stage and the cast were smaller than previous years. The story was more serious and pretty touching - it brought out much more plainly the trials that the original citizens of Nauvoo went through. All-in-all it was very good. It's showing through August 5th for anyone that can make the trip out to see it!
Ann, Sue and the boys stayed through Wednesday and we enjoyed their company very much. Thursday (yesterday) we had a new set of visitors arrive. Our stake is hosting a tri-stake youth conference. They've brought together 375 youth (ages 14-18) from the Peoria, Iowa City, and Davenport stakes to spend the weekend. We, along with many other families in the ward, volunteered to have some of them at our house. It's been a lot of fun. We ended up with some kids from Bloomington, IL. They're very well behaved and have been very considerate of our home. They will be here until tomorrow.
So, it's been a busy couple of weeks for us, but very fun at the same time.
We spent Saturday with them in Nauvoo concluding the day with a visit to the new Nauvoo Pageant. The pre-show activities started a few hours before the show with a good old-fashioned 1840's celebration. There were tons of games for the kids (and everyone else) tug-of-war, gunnysack races, stick pulls, handcart races, square dances (with a live band), live entertainers, log saw races, and so on. We had a ball. Finally we settled in for the show. The pageant itself was much less of a pageant and more of a play than the old City of Joseph pageant. The stage and the cast were smaller than previous years. The story was more serious and pretty touching - it brought out much more plainly the trials that the original citizens of Nauvoo went through. All-in-all it was very good. It's showing through August 5th for anyone that can make the trip out to see it!
Ann, Sue and the boys stayed through Wednesday and we enjoyed their company very much. Thursday (yesterday) we had a new set of visitors arrive. Our stake is hosting a tri-stake youth conference. They've brought together 375 youth (ages 14-18) from the Peoria, Iowa City, and Davenport stakes to spend the weekend. We, along with many other families in the ward, volunteered to have some of them at our house. It's been a lot of fun. We ended up with some kids from Bloomington, IL. They're very well behaved and have been very considerate of our home. They will be here until tomorrow.
So, it's been a busy couple of weeks for us, but very fun at the same time.
Well, this shot didn't turn out so well, but I promised Ann and Sue that they would make it to the Internet and this is the only shot I got of them. They were kind enough to get the kids some toys while they were here (including Adam's long-coveted indoor basketball hoop). Here the sister's are working together to assemble it.
This is a picture along the Mississippi. While we were in Nauvoo, the girls got some bonnets to wear. This is Anna (her favorite thing to do in Nauvoo is go to the river at the end of Parley Street). In the background are some lily pads that were just starting to bloom. There was also a couple of storks and a pelican flying around but I didn't catch either of them in the picture.
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Old Fashioned Fourth of July
Well we had a wonderful 4th of July. Our little town of Bettendorf has a parade every year. We got an awesome spot to watch from. The weather was great. It was drizzly all morning and not the oppressive heat that we have had the last little while. The kids loved all the candy that was thrown out to them. We saw several people we knew in the parade (that made me realize we have lived here quite a while now, 7 years now). To top it all off, Greg and Lizzy made the 6 0'clock local news because they were having such a good time. I guess we looked like the All-American family. It was so enjoyable. Then we came home and had lunch and while the kids had quiet time Greg and I were able to read for a little bit (Adam helped entertain Ben, while the girls slept). Then Greg took the kids to a little carnival, where rides were only 50 cents and where the kids got a free jump rope. Ben and I stayed home so Ben could have a nap (I got to read some more!). Then we went to our friends house for hamburgers and hot dogs and root beer floats. We even managed to play a little Settlers of Catan while the kids played. Lastly we went to the city's fireworks display in the park. The finale was awesome. There were so many fireworks that went off at the same time. It seemed like someone had blown up an arsenal of them or something. It was such a great day. One of the most relaxing and fun days we have had in a long time. It was wonderful to just have fun for one day. We love our town and are so grateful for all of the family friendly events they have each year on the fourth of July, and other days of the year. Bettendorf, Iowa rocks man!!
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
ebay blues
We (Tammy especially) have taken to shopping ebay a lot lately. After moving into the new house, we found that we were needing (or wanting) a few new things to put in the house. So we've been doing some bargain shopping and have bought quite a few nice things for cheap on ebay (and some other auction sites).
Unfortunately, the one thing that we really wanted (and was really rather expensive) has turned out to be a disaster. It's an armoire we were buying to put in the living room to hide the TV. Shipping included it was coming in around $400 (still much cheaper than we could buy a decent one locally). We paid the money (PayPal) and expected the shipment to arrive in a couple of weeks. Well, a couple of weeks went by and we never heard anything from the seller. Finally, 14 days after we had sent our $400, we got an email from the seller saying that the item was "out of stock" and asking if we wanted a refund or if we wanted to wait "indefinitely". We, of course, responded that we wanted the refund and they confirmed they would issue it "ASAP".
That was the last we ever heard from the seller. No refund. No emails. No response to our series of emails. It's been a month now since we sent the money. Apparently "ASAP" hasn't arrived yet. Before we bought, we had checked on the seller's profile. 50 or 60 sales with nothing but positive remarks, so we thought we were safe. Finally, yesterday, we filed a claim with PayPal hoping we can get our money back. We also went in to leave negative feedback on the seller's profile and found that at least 3 other buyers are going through the very same thing we are right now with the same seller.
So, we're hoping PayPal will bail us out and help us get our money back ... stay tuned ...
Unfortunately, the one thing that we really wanted (and was really rather expensive) has turned out to be a disaster. It's an armoire we were buying to put in the living room to hide the TV. Shipping included it was coming in around $400 (still much cheaper than we could buy a decent one locally). We paid the money (PayPal) and expected the shipment to arrive in a couple of weeks. Well, a couple of weeks went by and we never heard anything from the seller. Finally, 14 days after we had sent our $400, we got an email from the seller saying that the item was "out of stock" and asking if we wanted a refund or if we wanted to wait "indefinitely". We, of course, responded that we wanted the refund and they confirmed they would issue it "ASAP".
That was the last we ever heard from the seller. No refund. No emails. No response to our series of emails. It's been a month now since we sent the money. Apparently "ASAP" hasn't arrived yet. Before we bought, we had checked on the seller's profile. 50 or 60 sales with nothing but positive remarks, so we thought we were safe. Finally, yesterday, we filed a claim with PayPal hoping we can get our money back. We also went in to leave negative feedback on the seller's profile and found that at least 3 other buyers are going through the very same thing we are right now with the same seller.
So, we're hoping PayPal will bail us out and help us get our money back ... stay tuned ...
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Odds and Ends
Well, first I just wanted to let everyone know that Ben got his stitches out yesterday, where I had to explain to yet another doctor just what had happened. (Parents, try to avoid this situation at all costs!). Also, about 4 or 5 days ago Ben got his first tooth; it's in the front on the bottom. His other front bottom tooth is right there and should come through any day now. This is the earliest any of our kids have gotten teeth, and it has been pretty uneventful. Some fussiness, but compared to Adam who would run a 103 degree temp for 2 or 3 days with every tooth, this is nothing. Thank heavens. Ben has also started getting around on his belly even more, and his movements are now resembling the army crawl more. Unlike my brother's baby, Ben still puts everything in his mouth. Who knows what that kid has swallowed!
I had a little accident on Saturday. I was helping Lizzy down the stairs and just slipped. I twisted my knee up pretty bad, so life has required a few adjustments the last couple of days. It is starting to feel a little better, so hopefully it won't take too much longer to get back to normal. I am going to see someone about it today. Thanks to Greg for all he has done to take up the slack for me. Wouldn't you know it would be klutzy me to fall on the stairs, and NOT one of the kids.
It has been awful weather here lately. Totally hot, in the upper nineties, totally humid, and no rain. It has made the days seem longer because even the kids won't stay outside for long. Send some rain our way if you have any.
I had a little accident on Saturday. I was helping Lizzy down the stairs and just slipped. I twisted my knee up pretty bad, so life has required a few adjustments the last couple of days. It is starting to feel a little better, so hopefully it won't take too much longer to get back to normal. I am going to see someone about it today. Thanks to Greg for all he has done to take up the slack for me. Wouldn't you know it would be klutzy me to fall on the stairs, and NOT one of the kids.
It has been awful weather here lately. Totally hot, in the upper nineties, totally humid, and no rain. It has made the days seem longer because even the kids won't stay outside for long. Send some rain our way if you have any.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Ben Update
Well, I took Ben to the doctor for his 9 month checkup on Monday, so I thought it would be a good time to let everyone know how he is doing. Ben is happy and healthy. He was in the 10th percentile for both his height and his weight, weighing in at about 17 lb. 8 oz., or there abouts. Of course he is in the 90th percentile for his head. We like to think that means he'll be smart, right? He hates baby food and gags whenever I try to feed it to him. He really hates getting fed at all. He likes to be the one to feed himself, so he eats a lot of finger food. I have also given him a lot more of the food we eat, since he won't eat baby food (I can't say that I blame him). I am still nursing him and he has still been getting up about once a night (although the last two nights he has slept through the night). He is not crawling. He stills rolls a lot and he scoots on his belly to get where he wants to go. It is not like the army crawl, it is more like he is swimming, sort of reaching big with his arms and pushing with his feet. He wants to pull up, but since he hasn't mastered kneeling it is difficult. He is just a pleasant child. So sweet and smiley. He also has this funny hair, that will not lay down flat on the top in the back. It just sticks straight up. I am hoping that if it gets a little bit longer it will lay down. He is pretty quiet, but happy most of the time. He really likes watching what is going on around him (and there is a lot to watch around here). We are so thankful that he is healthy and that he is a part of our family.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Slicing up Baby Ben
Okay, so the title of this entry is a little morbid, but unfortunately it's true. Yesterday afternoon we were trying to get everything together to go to a party that some friends were hosting. It was going to be great - volleyball and badmitton, swimming for the kids, horseshoes for the old men (yeah - I had another birthday the other day) - a fun time for all! As we were racing around getting the potatoe salad finished up and and trying find everybody's shoes, we had left little Ben on the kitchen floor. A sudden loud screech from the kitchen stopped us all in our tracks. Little Ben was in trouble! Everyone ran to the kitchen to see what the commotion was about and the first thing that caught our attention was blood everywhere. Then I saw poor little Ben with blood litterally dripping from his hand, holding a lid from an aluminum can.
I grabbed him and carefully got the lid away from him, then rushed him to the sink to wash up. It quickly became apparent that the cut was bigger than just a little scratch, so we started to do what we could to get the bleeding to stop. After about 15 minutes of constant blood flow, we decided to call the doctor. "Keep a lot of pressure on it for a while and it should stop. If it doesn't stop - go to the emergency room." Well, pressure we had been applying, but we kept it up. Finally after about a half hour the blood finally stopped. So we got a bandage and tried to apply it only to see the finger start flowing with blood again. For the next two hours we repeated this routine. The blood would stop for a little while only to start up again a few minutes later.
Finally, we gave up and headed to the hospital. Ben ended up with two stitches right across the pad of his middle finger (probably not the most comfortable place for stitches!). We have to keep it bandaged up for a week or so, then the stitches can come out. Keeping it bandaged has proved to be quite a challenge - it usually only lasts a couple of hours at most before he's managed to pull it off. We've tried tying several fingers together and wrapping the bandage with tape, but somehow he always manages to get it off. Looking on the bright side - at least he's developing his small-motor skills!
So, needlesstosay, we missed our fun party (Adam was particularly distraught about that), and got to spend Ben's nine month birthday in the hospital. We did enjoy flamed broiled burgers on the way home (Burger King style), but it just wasn't quite the same.
Looking back, we realize it could have been much worse. We're lucky he escaped with just a sliced finger. Lesson learned: Don't leave your baby alone in a room with sharp metal objects on the floor (and don't leave your trash on the floor)! You'd think after four kids we would have learned that one already!
I grabbed him and carefully got the lid away from him, then rushed him to the sink to wash up. It quickly became apparent that the cut was bigger than just a little scratch, so we started to do what we could to get the bleeding to stop. After about 15 minutes of constant blood flow, we decided to call the doctor. "Keep a lot of pressure on it for a while and it should stop. If it doesn't stop - go to the emergency room." Well, pressure we had been applying, but we kept it up. Finally after about a half hour the blood finally stopped. So we got a bandage and tried to apply it only to see the finger start flowing with blood again. For the next two hours we repeated this routine. The blood would stop for a little while only to start up again a few minutes later.
Finally, we gave up and headed to the hospital. Ben ended up with two stitches right across the pad of his middle finger (probably not the most comfortable place for stitches!). We have to keep it bandaged up for a week or so, then the stitches can come out. Keeping it bandaged has proved to be quite a challenge - it usually only lasts a couple of hours at most before he's managed to pull it off. We've tried tying several fingers together and wrapping the bandage with tape, but somehow he always manages to get it off. Looking on the bright side - at least he's developing his small-motor skills!
So, needlesstosay, we missed our fun party (Adam was particularly distraught about that), and got to spend Ben's nine month birthday in the hospital. We did enjoy flamed broiled burgers on the way home (Burger King style), but it just wasn't quite the same.
Looking back, we realize it could have been much worse. We're lucky he escaped with just a sliced finger. Lesson learned: Don't leave your baby alone in a room with sharp metal objects on the floor (and don't leave your trash on the floor)! You'd think after four kids we would have learned that one already!
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Blink Review
Well, months after my brother, Shane read it, I have finally read "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell. I know you are all dying to know what I thought so here it is. (Todd did you ever finish it? I know you had started it at one point?) First, overall impression, pretty favorable. I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of some of the awesome studies that people have done about the mind and decision making. I was totally amazed at the capacity some of these psychologists and scientists have to get so detailed and spend years catalogueing what they have found. He was also fantastic at making things interesting and understandable to those of us who are unfamiliar with scientific lingo and the sometimes dryness of reading about a particular study. For a nonfiction book it was so enjoyable to read because he had all of these great stories and studies weaved together to help it move along without pages and pages where you were too bored or unsure of what was being said.
That being said, I had a few problems with the book. On the surface level there was a bit of harsh language in it. Not tons, but enough to shock me (I know, I know that's not hard). I really don't like those words, so that was a big turn off to me. The other thing was, because he did use so many stories and examples from studies, I felt there wasn't a lot of his own material in there. In fact sometimes I felt he was vague and even amibiguous, at times. First he talks about how often our first impressions are right, then he talks about how our first impressions are wrong, because of prejudices, etc. that we are not even aware of. I think what he was trying to get across is how we can fine tune our first impressions so that they are right more than they are wrong, but I didn't feel like he was very clear on how to do that; certainly he was far from specific on that point. I think he brought some great ideas to the table, but I felt like they needed some developing, especially if he is truly hoping to change the way people think.
So, would I recommend this book? Well, probably. I did recommend it to my husband (you will have to look for his review). If you are tolerant of a bit of language, it is a very interesting read. Some of the stories, which are real, are so fascinating. I think I will check out his book "The Tipping Point" and see what I think of that.
That being said, I had a few problems with the book. On the surface level there was a bit of harsh language in it. Not tons, but enough to shock me (I know, I know that's not hard). I really don't like those words, so that was a big turn off to me. The other thing was, because he did use so many stories and examples from studies, I felt there wasn't a lot of his own material in there. In fact sometimes I felt he was vague and even amibiguous, at times. First he talks about how often our first impressions are right, then he talks about how our first impressions are wrong, because of prejudices, etc. that we are not even aware of. I think what he was trying to get across is how we can fine tune our first impressions so that they are right more than they are wrong, but I didn't feel like he was very clear on how to do that; certainly he was far from specific on that point. I think he brought some great ideas to the table, but I felt like they needed some developing, especially if he is truly hoping to change the way people think.
So, would I recommend this book? Well, probably. I did recommend it to my husband (you will have to look for his review). If you are tolerant of a bit of language, it is a very interesting read. Some of the stories, which are real, are so fascinating. I think I will check out his book "The Tipping Point" and see what I think of that.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Three generations
Well, I have been meaning to post this for some time now. For the the past couple of months (no kidding) the girls have been calling us all different things. What I mean by that is, Lizzy and Anna are always pretending things, usually dealing with mothers and babies. For a while, Anna was the mom and Lizzy was her baby, but then one day a couple months ago, that all changed. Lizzy is now the mama (and very often will only answer to such) and Anna is the baby, and acts well her part. They really do go around calling each other mama and baby. Mama will command the baby to do such things as cry, goo and gah, and poop in her diaper (thank heavens Anna just pretends on this one). Well this alone is enough to drive a real mother crazy sometimes, but now this little role play includes the whole family, ALL THE TIME!! I am now known as Grandama. Greg is Grandpa. Ben is Uncle Ben (Greg's wonderful contribution), and poor Adam is boy, pronounced BOY!! (Such as in the sentence, "Stop that BOY!!"). It is often confused who is the mom. One child says, "Mom said,.....". Which mom? Grandma or mom? It is also quite amusing sometimes. "Lizzy come here and let me change your diaper." "I'm not Lizzy, I'm Mommy." "Ok mommy, come here and let grandma change your diaper."
Another funny thing happened the other day because of this, but semi unrelated. Lizzy was talking about grandpa, and I said "you mean Papa?" "No, grandpa." "A real grandpa, or the pretend grandpa?" "Real grandpa." "You mean hairy grandpa?" "Yes", she says, "what does he look like?" I reply with "oh, he has glasses and a beard." Then, with the sincerity of a two year old figuring out the world, she asks, "Does he have fingers and toes?" "Yes, Liz, he has fingers and toes!" I said, not trying to supress my laugh.
She is just a crack up and always keeps this three generation household on its toes.
Another funny thing happened the other day because of this, but semi unrelated. Lizzy was talking about grandpa, and I said "you mean Papa?" "No, grandpa." "A real grandpa, or the pretend grandpa?" "Real grandpa." "You mean hairy grandpa?" "Yes", she says, "what does he look like?" I reply with "oh, he has glasses and a beard." Then, with the sincerity of a two year old figuring out the world, she asks, "Does he have fingers and toes?" "Yes, Liz, he has fingers and toes!" I said, not trying to supress my laugh.
She is just a crack up and always keeps this three generation household on its toes.
Vocal Point
Well our family went to Nauvoo yesterday. Yes we do go down there a lot. It's awesome!! It is especially fun in the summer time because there is so much to do. Yesterday, we went to the temple and then later in the evening, we went to see a BYU performing group called Vocal Point. It was totally free and open to the public. No tickets were even required. It is no big deal to bring the kids, so of course we did. This group is an all male acapella group. The were fantastic!! It was so much fun. They did a wide range of songs and just really put on a great show.
What did the kids think? Well...Adam turns to me and asks, "Mom are these guys famous?" At another point he says, "I think that guy held that note longer than any other note in the whole world!". He loved it. Anna liked the fast, silly songs, but whenever things would slow down a bit, she would wiggle around, start to cry and say, "I want to go home." Lizzy also enjoyed the faster pace of things. Once they were slowing things down a bit, and the stage was really quiet and the lights were all off and she says, very loudly (not quite a yell), "I can't see them!!" Well half the auditorium heard her and gave a hearty laugh. Ben was sleepy and tolerated it all very well. Anytime he would get close to going to sleep, the clapping would wake him up.
Greg and I loved being able to do something fun and different to break the monotony of life. This is not something we get out to do very often, but it is something we both enjoy a great deal. So if you are looking for a good time this summer, come visit us and we'll take you to Nauvoo. The BYU ballroom dance team is coming in a couple of weeks. Then in July is the brand new pagaent. Then BYU folkdancing team is coming in August. The greatest part, it's all free!!
What did the kids think? Well...Adam turns to me and asks, "Mom are these guys famous?" At another point he says, "I think that guy held that note longer than any other note in the whole world!". He loved it. Anna liked the fast, silly songs, but whenever things would slow down a bit, she would wiggle around, start to cry and say, "I want to go home." Lizzy also enjoyed the faster pace of things. Once they were slowing things down a bit, and the stage was really quiet and the lights were all off and she says, very loudly (not quite a yell), "I can't see them!!" Well half the auditorium heard her and gave a hearty laugh. Ben was sleepy and tolerated it all very well. Anytime he would get close to going to sleep, the clapping would wake him up.
Greg and I loved being able to do something fun and different to break the monotony of life. This is not something we get out to do very often, but it is something we both enjoy a great deal. So if you are looking for a good time this summer, come visit us and we'll take you to Nauvoo. The BYU ballroom dance team is coming in a couple of weeks. Then in July is the brand new pagaent. Then BYU folkdancing team is coming in August. The greatest part, it's all free!!
Monday, June 06, 2005
Pictures
You may have noticed we haven't posted any pictures for a while. Somehow during the move we packed away the cable that connects the camera to the computer. We thought it was gone forever - but then it resurfaced yesterday. So, following are some recent pictures. We haven't taken many pictures of the new house yet because there's still a good amount of boxes and clutter everywhere. We're getting there though!!!
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