Have you ever wondered....

What it's like to take three kids to the doctor's office to get shots?

First, you pull the paper off the of "bed" and lay it on the floor so the baby can sit in a semi-clean area while you hold child #2 (Madison).  Next you notice that child #2 is hiding behind the shelves, so you have to get up and get her.  Then you hold her on your lap, trapping her left leg between your legs, her left arm under your left arm, while both hands hold her right arm into place.  Finally, you close your eyes while the doctor stabs the needle into her arm... but not before you see child #1 (Logan) quietly open the door and run down the hall.  (Child number #3 starts crying because of the loud screaming coming from child #2.)

You set child #2 down and look out the door.  You then start running after the child who is halfway down the hall.  (A doctor comes out of a door, sees the chase, then continues on her way.)  You catch #1 and carry the 45 pound boy, who is trying very hard to get down, back into the room.  You then hold down his arms and legs (in manner already described), and wince while he screams because he is receiving not one, not two, but FIVE shots (flu and 5 yr).  

Oh wait, I forgot to mention that before getting the shots we had to start off with blood drawing.  From child 1 and 2.  Lovely.

Birthday Boy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOGAN!

Today we:

•  opened presents. (You got a bookshelf with some baskets in it, a Superman watch, a Batman figure from Madison, and a WallE book from Grant).
  
• told stories about Logan's birth, and looked at pictures from the last 5 years
• played games, colored, had lots of fun
• got ready for friends to come over (James Peterson and Sam Bills)
• ate yummy food (you wanted pancakes, pb&j's, and pizza and pop, and a chocolate WallE cake that dad made)
• played with friends
• went to watch WallE

A few things about YOU:

• are such a great helper and good big brother
• reason and bargain with us (try to, anyway)
• perfected making your bed and can clean a room pretty well by yourself
• started preschool
• learned how to zip and button
• started sounding out words and can spell with help
• love playing with friends
• started to be afraid of the unknown--strangers, the dark, closets, closed shower curtains, etc.
• Madi is your best friend and worst enemy
• have such a great sense of humor... definitely from your dad
• worry a lot... definitely from your mom
• like to watch Sid the Science Kid and Super Why
• like to build things with Legos, play with action figures, and play outside

We love you Logan!  We are so happy that Heavenly Father sent you to us. 

For journal purpose: We told Logan that he would not be getting toys for his birthday because we already have so many and mom ends up picking them up anyway.  Logan was totally fine with this and on his own came up with ideas of things he would like that were not toys.  He asked for a bookshelf for his room, a watch, and a book.  Don't feel too bad... he got a toy from Madison (Batman) and grandparents always save the day!  I think he was very satisfied with his birthday gifts.

I'm a Believer...

For the last year we've been hearing about Patterson's apple farm.  I kinda' grew up on a farm, in farm country, and I thought, "apples shmapples."  But while Joe was having some serious  teeth pain, some great neighbors took the kids there and they had a blast.  So we decided to check this place out--and I'm a believer!  We left the house in a hurry (it was our turn to clean the church) and thus a little unprepared for the chilly autumn weather.  We stopped at WalMart and got some $1 hats for the kids and a long-sleeve shirt for Joe (who insisted he was fine in 50 degree weather).  We spent quite a bit of $ on fresh kettle corn, apple cider, apple yummies, doughnuts, and apples (which we picked ourselves).  We got to go on a tractor wagon ride down to the apple fields and back (confession: we went more than once just for fun!)  Definitely tradition-worthy!

Man Tag: 6 Quirks

Jon Russell has served me with my first "man tag:" 6 quirky things about me.

I hesitate to answer this tag in fear of confirming what others quietly suspect: I'm one weird dude.

1. Symmetry. When I make the bed in the morning, the sides of the comforter have to hang off the bed in equal distance. If I step on a sidewalk crack with my right foot (accidentally, of course), you can bet I'll step on the next one with my left, just to be even.

2. Studious warrior. If I study with any music, it has to be the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans. Usually I start the album on "Promentory," then hit repeat.

3. Volumes have to be odd numbers. The TV, the stereo in my car, these need to be left on odd numbers. As you will learn below, my stereo ends up on either level 7 or 21, or 28 when I'm listening to something loud. Lately, I've favored the TV to be left on 33.

4. Sound sensitivity. Many hate fingernails screaching across a chalkboard--I can't even stand erasing one. I hate hearing Grant crumple paper, Logan open cardboard boxes, and Madison squeek her fork across her plate.

5. Blood and guts. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. But others' pain? No way. When Jenny had Logan, I nearly passed out. My secretary's husband is going through very serious health procedures, and it's all I can do to stand and hear about these surgeries while my knees turn to jello.

6. Sports. Anyone who knows me knows I love sports. More accurately, I love competition. As long as there is a winner and a loser I can get interested. But there's no doubt college football occupies my heart. I love the purity, the crisp fall air, the precision of a perfect post route, and the acceleration after a back is handed the ball on a delay draw. BYU football is easily my favorite. My favorite sports moment was getting to sit down with Ty Detmer one recent December morning to chat about his illustrious football career.

7. Sorry, but I'm infatuated with the number "7." If I'm compiling a list, it needs to measure 7 items, or at least a multiple thereof. And that's why I have to reengineer this post to end up reading "7 quirky things."

So there you have it: I'm pretty quirky. I try to convince myself that eccentricity is an attribute of greatness. Well, I've got the eccentricity down; I'm still waiting on the greatness.

I now tag: Dan Christensen, Doug Crabtree, Cameron Beck, and Jason Carr.

Going to the ZOO (again)

We bought a Boonshoft pass this year, so we've been going to the Cleveland Zoo, and reciprocating  museums, on a regular basis so we can get our "money's worth."  Some friends invited us to go with them, and Grandma and Brent came too.  This was the middle of October, and as you can see, it was warm enough for shorts.  We forgot to bring the Benedryl for Joe, but he didn't brake out in hives while visiting the gorillas this time.  We even rode the train.

I love Grant's face here--he looks like an old man who has lost his teeth!

Canning

In the seven years we have been married, Joe and I have never lived closer than 20-30 hours (driving) from either side of our families.  (Joe--TX, Jenn--PA).  Since moving to Ohio we have been blessed to be able to see my side of the family (2 1/2 hrs.) more often.  My parents live in the middle of nowhere.  They own a nice chunk of land, have some sheep and chickens, a big garden, four-wheelers, and tractors.  There's lots of work to do and much fun to be had when we visit Grandma and Grandpa (and Uncle Brent).  In our September visit we canned tomatoes, rode four-wheelers, canned applesauce, watched some football, and canned some more.  (And we took a romantic walk without kids!)  Who knew that work and food storage could be so fun?  Parents are wonderful.  Not only did they share their knowledge of food preservation, but they gave up their Saturday, sent us home with almost all of the day's work, plus 25 bags of corn they had frozen for us during the week, among other odds-and-ends.  I was touched by their love for us, reminded of the love our Heavenly Father has for us, and encouraged to be a better mother to my children.

p.s.  They usually wear helmets when they ride the four-wheelers.  I just caught them as they were parking them back in the shed.  Also, Logan LOVES riding.  Madison is hit and miss.  She was really excited to go out, but then screamed the entire time that she was ready to go back home.  

p.p.s. Yes, Joe is pulling applesauce out of the water on the front porch!  We had apples and tomatoes boiling in the house, so my dad started a gas stove on the porch to do the rest.  It saved a ton of time.

YUM!

So I have about a million pictures and events to post (I won't do it all today).  But I will share a funny story, too.

Joe usually gets home from work around 6:30-7:00.  If we know he will be much later than that we try to do something fun for dinner (because mom needs a break).  Last week Joe had to stay overnight in Akron for a work retreat, so frozen pizza and a movie sounded like a nice way to end the evening with the kids.  We made some oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.  Usually dessert is gobbled, but this day, Madison was so absorbed in Lady in the Tramp that she apparently forgot she had a cookie on her plate.  I was in the kitchen, cleaning up.  When I walked into the living room I saw what you see: Grant enjoying his first cookie.  Madison got a new cookie, and we let Grant finish up.  The funniest part?  Grant was GIDDY when I cleaned him up.  Every time Madison got close to him he'd start laughing and squirming, trying to reach her--it was almost like he knew, and was proud, that he'd been sneaky and stolen her cookie! 

Let's Play Outside While We Can!

Family Photos

It's that time of year!

Joe and Jenn: 7 years

Logan: 5 years (in 3 days)

Madison: 3

Grant: 6 mos

Crazy 8's

Thanks Jessica, for this tag!

8 t.v. shows I watch:

1. Cosby Show 2. Bewitched 3. American Idol    4.CSI (with Joe) 5. Monk

6. Pscyh 7. ? 8. ?

8 Restaurants I love:  (Honestly, we never go out to eat, and when we do, I don't know that I ever LOVE the food.)

1. Cafe Rio 2. Brio 3. 50's themed cafes  4. Wherever Joe wants to go

5. Applebees (ok)  6.  Joe's food 7. IHOP 8.  My Moms

8 Things that happened yesterday 

1. got kids ready for the day 2. went to church 3. singing time with primary

4. short nap 5. ate dinner 6. played Memory 7. put kids in bed

8. talked to my sister on the phone

8 Things I'm looking forward to

1. naptime 2. Logan's birthday (Friday!)  3. Halloween 4. Joe coming home from work

5. playing outside   6. paying off student loans 7.  finishing the 6 credits I need to keep my teaching cert.    8.  reading a good book

8 things on my wish list (not in order)

1. new furniture  2. little elves that clean my house during the wee hours of the night

3. knowledge 4. more time (in the day, with Joe, as a family) 5. big kitchen, bigger home   6. vacations to places around the world 7. super powers (I think I'd be like Samantha on Bewitched). 8. talents (too many to share...)

Tag #2

This is the fourth picture in the fourth file in iphoto.  It represents our summer--the kids lived outside, in their swimming suits, and ate lots of cold summer treats.  If you notice Logan's "outie," he has an umbilical hernia, which he has had from birth (it's actually tons smaller than it used to be), and he is having it repaired November 10.  This is just about the easiest tag ever--so no excuses: Julie R., Jessica L., Lalani

Keeping the Sabbath Day . . . nourished?

Recently we watched the Pearson's children. At dinner, Tyler Pearson started, "My mommy says . . . " and then he paused.

I turned to Jenny and said, "Oh, this is going to be good. Anything after a kid says 'my mommy says' is entertaining."

Today in church several people approached me with, "The cat's out of the bag, Brother McGregor, we know what you do on Sundays now."

Apparently, someone in Primary asked the children what their families did to keep the Sabbath Day holy. Madison's response? "Go to restaurants."

In reality, I don't think we've gone to a restaurant on a Sunday a single time since we've been married. When traveling, we just prepare food ahead of time. But it reminded me of those things I say, those things I do, and those songs I sing (C'mon, it's just convenient that so many words rhyme with bodily waste matter--the kids think it's funny . . . Mom, not so much), that will sometime soon end up in front of a class, a congregation, or a teacher via my children's mouth. I hope I don't have to brace myself when my child starts, "My daddy says . . . . "

a dream and politics

Last night I had a dream that Joe was a bus driver. And he liked it. Needless to say, I was happy to wake up and remember that he is a lawyer. (Joe: I'm thinking Chris Farley on billy Madison.)

On another note, how about the debate last night? Are you as confused as I am? I go back and forth from McCain to Obama and back to McCain. McCain repeatedly pointed out Obama's eloquence last night; for example, Obama said "I'm interested in looking into offshore drilling," making it sound like he supports offshore drilling if you aren't listening very carefully. He answered some of the questions (like his relationship with ACORN and William Ayers) without fully answering, which I found misleading. In many ways I agree with McCain--we should keep government as limited as possible--isn't that what our founding fathers believed? But then Obama's plans seem thought out and possible, and McCain's plans... well mostly he just tells us how bad Obama's plans are. McCain's health care plan is scary. (This is one of my main issues, especially since now that we are working and have "real" insurance, medical care still costs a ton for us--and we probably have it better than most.) I thought it especially interesting that Roe v. Wade was brought up last night--Obama does not seem to realize that abortion is not about women's rights, but about the moral issue of killing being right or wrong. Anyway, this is not a political blog, and I'm not endorsing anyone (especially because I don't think either choice is very wonderful). I am mostly just sharing some of my thoughts because the election is 19 days away, and I feel so frustrated at our (lack of) options. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Note to self:

Today Grant started pulling himself into sitting position.  He crawls everywhere and gets into everything (he especially likes to get under the table and search for Madison's and Logan's leftovers. Ick!).  

More pictures and updates to come soon.

Madison

"I don't need any help.  I'm three.  And I'm an adult."*

Lipstick (hers, not mine).  'Nuf said.

*(As told to me by Krista.  I can't remember if she said, "I don't need help," or, "I can do it by myself.")

Student Doctor Beck

So gargling chocolate milk before bed finally caught up with me.

For roughly 2 weeks now I've had this pain in my #29. Remember the movie Legacy? And remember them carving granite where one dude held a spike while another hammered away? Yeah, my tooth was the granite.

I made it in to the dental school last Wednesday and as luck would have it, I found my way into Student Doctor Cameron Beck's lounge chair. His deft hands first filled in a missing filling. On Friday he administered a pulpectomy. On Tuesday he passed me over to an endodontist resident for a root canal. Except for the fact that the pain medication finished working before the resident did, the operation was a success.

My time in the dental school left me with a few impressions:

- The dental school needs new X-ray technology. I felt like Cameron was trying to stuff a shoe in my mouth. And I have a big mouth. That thing hurt.

- The Elders Quorum could hold meetings there. I'm sure much of the home teaching Paul Jackson reports to the Bishop was actually conducted at the dental school. In fact, I'm sure a significant portion of the time lessons are taught through those surgical masks.

- Having clinical experience is a good educational tool. At BYU Law, there are no clinics. That probably explains why I'm such a bad lawyer.

- I don't think I saw any nitrous oxide bottles. Reconsider, please.

- Wouldn't it be nice to essentially get to wear pajamas to work all day, every day?

- With all those anesthetics laying around, I'm surprised there aren't more practical jokes being played. I know that a tube of topical anesthetics would roughly equate to a week's worth of fun here at the office. "Wow counselor, these brownies are really good . . . and minty fresh! . . . Way . . . I thing uh can fee muh tongue."

- And finally, what's truly sad is that by the time I saw Cameron that Wednesday, sitting in his chair was the most relaxation I had in days. There's something wrong with my lifestyle if I go to the dentist for a little R&R.

I'm sure that I would have received just as skilled care from any of the other student doctors in our ward. They are all partaking in a great experience I envy. And, truth be told, I envy the prospect of working four days a week.

Words

Today I thought I'd share with you some poetry.  I decided to go with something short and humorous, since you may not finish this post otherwise.  I chose something from Billy Collin's  book, Nine Horses.  This is my second favorite in the book, and maybe I will post my favorite for you another day.

Surprise

This--

according to the voice on the radio,

the host of a classical music program no less--

this is the birthday of Vivaldi.

He would be 325 years old today,

quite bent over, I would imagine,

and not able to see much through his watery eyes.

Surely, he would be deaf by now,

the clothes flaking off him,

hair pitiably sparse.

But we would throw a party for him anyway,

a surprise party where everyone 

would hide behind the furniture to listen

for the tap of his cane on the pavement

and the sound of his dry, persistent cough.

p.s. Vivaldi's birthday was March 04, 1678.  But the imagery is just so Halloweeny that I couldn't resist!