It must be working.

Kenzie and Jordan fight, fight, fight, fight and fight some more lately.  The fights occur almost every waking moment that they are together.  I am not exaggerating here.  I tried everything to get them to stop...everything that is except for taking friends away until they could get along.  Oh yes,  I did do it and I told them it would be for a month at least.  Peace has finally been restored but not without some anger directed at me.  Jordan's been asked over for two play dates with his best friend and I had to be the bad guy (it's important to be consistent) and say no to both.  Kenzie got asked over by a friend for her first play date this coming Friday and again, I had to say no.  In response, I received this letter/petition from both but written by Kenzie:

Like her mother, she really likes to use the commas in her writing.  The pleases in the corners let me know this punishment must really be working.  Call me strange but seeing how much they are squirming gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Sunday Reflections 2/26/2012

Sorry there was no Friday's Walk Down Memory Lane this last Friday.  I'm working on a bigger one and it won't be done until next Friday.  There you have it.

I'm the worst at taking pictures...the worst...and so when I get to Sunday and try to remember what happened during the week I can't remember much and I wonder if this writing on Sunday every week is more of a chore I've created for myself.  I'm undecided currently.

Next Sunday there will be no reflections as we are traveling to to look at a practice for sale.  We're not out of a job or anything, just trying to keep our options open.  Since I haven't updated my blog on the progress of the buy-in to the practice here I will highlight a few of the major happenings since September.

• September, Guys told Brad they wanted him as a partner and informed him of price.  Brad and I felt price was too high and negotiated for a few months.
• November, we accepted price as originally stated and had decided to buy in.
• January, found out more details about retiring doctors and length of them practicing in the current practice and tax benefits to us (or lack thereof in the original deal) and said no to the guys again.
• February has been spent negotiating price and terms.  We brought our dental accoutant in to help us make the deal work.  We'd love to stay here but feel that we must be treated fairly when we buy in.  

That pretty much sums up where we are and we feel we need to be looking again to put everything into proper perspective.  We're only looking for a purchase, not for employment.  We have employment and that puts us in a different position than we've been in the past few times we were looking at our purchasing options.  It's also the spring, the season for selling practices, and we've only looked in the fall and winter prior to this.  That being said, the economy still isn't great in the dental world (or really anywhere as much as the media tries to make us think it is and the gas prices rising aren't helping) and what's out there remains yet to be seen.  I keep telling myself that if things don't work out here it's only one more move but that doesn't seem to make the prospect of moving any more appealing to me.  It makes me feel for the kids, and yet I didn't stop moving until I was in the 8th grade and I seem to have turned out okay.

Which brings me to a quote I liked that I read from the Ensign today.  Of course, as all my quotes lately, it comes from President Monson.  I love that man and his gentle, uplifting reminders to us.  "Life was never intended to consist of a glut of luxury, be an easy course, or filled only with success.  There are those games which we lose, those races in which we finish last, and those promotions which never come.  Such experiences provide an opportunity for us to show our determination and to rise above dissappointment."

And rise above dissappointment we must.  It's either that or become embittered and I sure don't like the sound of that option. 

Speaking of challenges I hear what's happening in the middle east and the rumours of war and look at my boys.  Call me strange, but ever since I had these children I can't help but think that their future is a future where they must face the challenges of war.  Will they fight in wars?  I don't know, but I often wonder if am I making them strong enough to face the atrocities of war should they go, should it arrive here on our own land.  Am I infusing them with the faith in God necessary to be able to overcome that kind of a challenge?  I hope I am.  Even more, I hope that what I can't help but feel in my gut, that my boys someday will be sent to fight,  doesn't become a reality.  Do you find my musings strange?  Am I the only mother who thinks this way?

Yet the future doesn't contain all gloom and doom and I know this.  I loved Elder Boyd K. Packer's talk from the October General conference where he spoke of his own experiences and musings as a young man when World War II began.  He said, speaking to the youth particularly, "Sometimes you might be tempted to think as I did from time to time in my youth:  "The way things are going, the world's going to be over with.  The end of the world is going to come before I get to where I should be."  Not so!  You can look forward to doing it right-getting married, having a family, seeing your children and grandchildren, maybe even great-grandchildren."  Listening, as a mother of those youth, his statement gave me great hope and peace making me again grateful for the leaders the Lord has called to guide us in these days.  Testifying to me that Heavenly Father is watching over us.

Sunday Reflections 2/19/2012

I gained 7 lbs. at Christmas....7! When did my body have the great ability to gain weight so quickly? Is it because I'm nearing the age of 40? Literally, no joke here, it only took me one week to gain those lovely pounds. That's never happened to me before. Maybe it is because I haven't run in three months. I have been working out though...with Tony. You'd think that was enough. To fight back I started the 17 day diet. One is supposed to lose 12 lbs. in 17 days. HA! I am eating pretty healthy though so I can't complain and I have lost some weight. I won't say how much here. I've also stayed away from sweets and sugar for a whole 11 days now. (If you know the inherited sweet tooth my family has you'd know how amazing that is.) Even on Valentine's Day. Those sugar cookies I made for my 5 lovely children called to me but willpower conquered weakness.  I can do hard things...or at least I keep telling myself that.

 Ben had a Fairy Tale Ball at school and wore this dragon costume. 

It is the same costume he wearing here in this picture when he was 3. 

It's size 3T.  Don't ask me how he got it on. He is amazing.

Red got sprayed by a skunk this week and then ran inside my house covered in skunk smell. I got him out but my house smelled like skunk. It dissipated somewhat the next day but Red hangs around all the doors and I could still smell it. The straw that broke the camel's back was when I visited Brad at work and found out that the other doctors had doused him (Brad) in cologne to cover up the skunk smell that he emanated.  Action needed to be taken...we couldn't keep smelling like skunk...and since Brad was working a twelve hour shift, the resposibility fell to me.  It was quite the experience...tomato paste, hydrogen peroxide/baking soda/soap mix and shampoo. I didn't have the heart to bathe him outside (besides I didn't want to be cold myself) so lucky for me we have a huge 1980s jetted tub that we never use. It was the perfect entrapment for our 60 lb. dog although there were a few near escapes for Red.

 Too bad for Red that soap is slippery making escape nearly impossible for four footed canines (or anyone covered head to toe in soap for that matter) and thank goodness I had the Pro, Jordan Belt, to help me wrestle that soapy mess back into the tub.  The smell was so terrible in the early morning I was seriously debating attempting it myself and it would have been an utter failure on my part and certain death for the victor Red had I attempted this on my own.

Once the job was completed I'm not such a doggy lover that I let him stay inside to dry off. I toweled him off and tried to dry him the best that I possibly could with my hair dryer but eventually I had to send him out in the frigid winter night air still somewhat damp. Upon taking him out of his doghouse in the morning I was relieved to find him still living and not a doggy-cicle. I'm happy to report my house and its inhabitants skunk smell free.

Friday's Walk Down Memory Lane

Kenzie:  age : almost 2
Ben: 6 weeks

Kenzie practicing her mothering skills on spiderman.  I love that her innate desire to nuture is captured here.   I can tell that I was back teaching when this picture was taken and Brad was home being Mom.  I can tell because McKenzie is wearing Jordan's plaid shorts (which are way too big for her) and she has Brad's signature pony tail in place.  He would put the pony tail as high up on her head as he could get it.  I don't know how many times he'd bring her to visit me in my classroom looking just like this.  She'd run down the center aisle of desks, her pony tail bouncing, and give me the best 2 year old hug ever capturing all the hearts of my 5th period students.  It's easy to see why.  Those days went by way too fast.

Crashing while riding a dirt bike

Recently Jordan had to write an anecdote for his English class and Kenzie had to write about a scary experience for her English class.  Both of them wrote about dirt bike crashes.  I thought they were good, so I decided to put them on here for archiving purposes.

Jordan's: 

The Taste of Dirt

Dirt tastes like raw potato skins.  It feels gritty as if you have a mouthful of rough rocks.  It leaves you choking on a cloud of dust.  I would know because I've eaten it.

When I was seven I was riding my dirt bike when I heard a loud sound coming from the sky.  I looked up searching for the source and found a big triagular air force bomber flying above me.  Unfortunately, I didn't watch where I was going.  One second I was staring at the huge bomber and the next thing I knew I was face down on the ground with a mouthful of dirt.

After I crashed I was a little stunned.  I willed myself to get up.  I dusted myself off, readjusted my helmet, got on my dirt bike and kept riding.  Fourtunately, I didn't break any bones but I did discover I don't like eathing dirt.


Mckenzie's:

When I was nine years old, Monday, September 18, 2011, I cut my neck.  It all started when my dad told me I had to ride the motorcycle track in our backyard.  Before thinking, I agreed and I did the first part of the track.  Then my dad told me to do the second part of the track.  Soon after my younger brother, Ben, showed me a shortcut to the second part of the track.  All at once I found myself going down a steep, small hill gripping the brake tightly.  Suddenly, I hit a big, gray rock, let go of the brake and pinned the throttle.  Then I careened over the burm and my bike went through the gap in the wire gate that was there and hit a tree.  Unfortunately,   my neck was caught in the wire.  I spun around twice, hit the ground and fainted.  When I woke up my dad and brothers were kneeling beside me.  My dad told my brother, Ben, to run and tell mom to fill a bag with ice and bring it to him.  Ben asked what he should say if Mom asked him why and Dad told him not to say anything that he would tell her.  In the minutes Ben was gone, I learned why my neck had gone numb.  I had a shallow cut in it but it still hurt.  When Ben came back, Dad helped me walk to the house.  I stayed home from school for the next few days.  On Thursday, I went to school.  When I cut my neck I was really scared but a few months later I learned how to ride the track on my mom's motorcycle with a short cut around the spot where I crashed.

Sunday Reflections 2/12/2012

Kenzie scored her first points in a basketball game yesterday.  WAY TO GO KENZIE!!!!!  Again, no pictures taken...I openly admit that my neglect with the pictures makes me somewhat of a failure as a mother.  As a plus for my parenting I am helping coach her team and have spent a lot of time lately at home showing her drills she can do to improve her fundamental skills.  At times my coaching conflicts with what the head coach tells her.  For example, I told her to keep her arm that is not dribbling out in front of her as she dribbles to protect the ball from the defender.  Her coach told her yesterday not to do that.  He told her she would get called for a foul.  In the car I told her to do it anyway.  I find myself telling her to ignore the coach a little more than I should.   As grateful as I am for the time they spend with my children, volunteer parent coaches from the YMCA or city parks and rec aren't always the most qualified to teach my children the skills they need.  I can see a big difference between the club wrestling coaches that my boys have this year (this is the first time any of my children have ever been in a sports club) vs. the coaches they have had at the YMCA and city league sports they've participated in.  I won't even mention the coach that Jordan had in football this last fall...I'll just let you judge.  Their team not only lost every game, they never even scored a touchdown.  Not one.  I don't know if they ever even got out of the opposing team's end zone.  It was a sad season.  To be fair I know there are some great parent coaches out there.  Jordan's team in Idaho was excellently coached and my opinion has nothing to do with how much they won.  As I listen and watch what Kenzie's coach is teaching her I think more and more that club sports are really worth all the extra money you spend on them.

What did we work on all day yesterday after the ball game?  Valentines.  We had arguments about girls stickers and boy stickers...you do know that it is not okay to give a girl a BOY valentine and it's not okay to give a boy a GIRL valentine and Kenzie informed me she was NOT going to be giving away any that said "BE MY VALENTINE" or "HEY VALENTINE" or "LOVE" lest the card be misinterpreted.  I say we should just bag valentines all together like they do in Jr. High and High School cause I don't really enjoy making any kind of paper crafts (I know another score against me as a mother) and the store bought ones are just too risky.

I stumbled upon Ben's valentines on Friday as I was cleaning and was taken by surprise at the effort he put into them.

 Uh, Ben...there's a place to write your name on the card. That's what I thought when I first saw them.

Then I turned the hand written cards over.

 Each one had it's own personal note attached.  Wasn't that thoughtful?

As the other children were personalizing their valentines, Jordan (who doesn't have to give out valentines this year) was busy recording some videos.  Just to let you see the ego I have to deal with here's my favorite video he took.  I had to use you tube with both of these because I struggled uploading them to blogger.  Here's the link.

http://youtu.be/UJwEQI2_nSE

Even with his ego I love that boy.

On a side note, one of our wrestler parents sent me a video he took of Jordan wrestling.  It was his 2nd match, he took 1st in this tournament.  He's learned quite a bit more since then.  He had other videos of the matches that he wrestled that are better but they are too long, so I chose the shortest one.  Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-bekRlwXHw&feature=youtu.be

Friday's Walk Down Memory Lane 2/10/2012

So we were engaged and had scheduled our wedding for the end of April.  So typical of Brad, the day we chose acutally happened to be his mother's birthday which he didn't remember until his mother mentioned something to him about it.  She was a good sport about it all and we went ahead with the scheduled date.

We picked out a ring and the jeweler told us it wouldn't be ready for two weeks.

I didn't have a car when I attended BYU but Brad did.  Once we were dating seriously he would pick me up from work every evening.  Soon after we had picked out the ring, Brad picked me up from work and said he wanted to take me out to dinner.  Tired at the end of a long day and grateful for a break from having to cook for myself I took him up on the offer and we went to Los Hermanos, a mexican restaurant in Provo, to eat.  After dinner he said he wanted to go for a walk in the park.  I really didn't want to.  It was cold and there was a foot of snow on the ground and I was in a dress and nylons (I worked at the MTC) so I said, "Let's do it another time Brad".  Undeterred by my reluctance he told me that he had an old pair of work pants in the car that I could put on.  I still resisted.  He said he would carry me through any deep snow.  He was so intent on taking this walk that I finally gave in.  He dressed me in his work clothes and exiting from the vehicle I felt like the abominable snowman.  He did carry me through the deep snow and put me down when we came to a clear path.  We were walking and talking when all of the sudden Brad points in a certain direction and says, "Look over there.  What is that?"  Off in the distance you could see a light glowing.  I replied that I didn't know to which he answered, "Let's go take a closer look."  As we got closer, you could see that on a park bench there was a lantern, a dozen roses, a letter and a radio playing some romantic music.  It suddenly dawned on me, this was SOMEONE'S engagement site and they were sure to arrive any second.  I told Brad as much and begged him to leave.  Brad turns to me and says, "I need some pointers.  Let's go see what's over there."  One could not put it past Brad, and I certainly didn't, to be so bold as to look at another's engagement scene.  "BRAD!  You can't do that!  Let's get out of here."  Incredulous that he could be so rude, I watched as Brad actually picked up the letter that sat on the bench and bean to read it.  "BRAD!"  I said embarrassed.  I hadn't budged an inch from where I first stood and wasn't about so Brad came back, picked me up and set me down in front of the scene.  As he got down on his knee and pulled out my ring (which wasn't supposed to be done for another week) I finally realized, this was my engagement.  The roses, music and letter were for me.  

FYI:  I didn't have a bad hair dye job in these pictures.  Remember, I had just returned from Argentina and my hair was mostly still blonde from being outside all the time there in the summer and was turning back to it's normal color when I returned to the winter in Provo.  I hated my engagement pictures for that reason, but like the Argentines say, "¿Qué va a hacer?"

Sunday Reflections 2/5/2012

R-tard, resol and steward.  These are the new words my children are using with each other.  See if you can think what they mean and I will reveal their meanings in a moment.

These words remind me of a name that my sister made up for me once....Womba.  We were in the car when Anjee got mad at me for some reason and called me a Womba, whatever that meant.  My mother, not liking the tone my sister said it with, said in her stern voice, "Anjee I don't like that word one bit!  Stop calling your sister it."  To which my sister replied, "What Mom?  It's my nickname for Chelsey.  Womba woman.  It means tough, right Chels?" I thought the word was funny so I became Anjee's accomplice, "Yep.  It means tough mom.  It's a good word."  So Womba Woman became Anjee's nickname for me throughout the rest of our high school years together.  The moral in this, when your kids call each other wierd names, just ignore it or they'll stick.

I'm sure you can figure out r-tard.  That one's not too difficult.  Resol,  I'll give you a hint: spell it backwards.  And steward....it's code for stupid.  Unfortunately for my children (my younger ones are the ones to use this), steward has a true meaning which has no connection to being stupid at all so I guess I'll have to nip that one in the bud. 

As you already know, Jake's birthday was this last week.  I had to talk him out of the batman cake I made for him last year as I don't like decorating repeat cakes.  I talked him into a star wars cake.  After the decorating was all done, I wished I hadn't.

That star wars logo was a lot more difficult to decorate than I thought it would be.  If I had been smart, I would have just cut out a template and bought the spray frosting paint that you can buy at Michael's and been done with it...but I wasn't that smart.  Fortunately for me, crooked star wars logos don't matter to a 4 year old. 

We had an awesome snow storm Thursday night, Friday and part of Saturday morning.  We ended up with about 14 inches.  The kids had Friday off and we sledded, baked cookies and played with friends.  Of course, I only got a picture of the snow and none of the kids.

So here's a picture of them crowding me right now while I'm writing this post.

Which means I better sign off for the night before this post gets any more sorry than it already is.

Friday's walk down memory lane 2/3/2012

Okay Folks, this is where the whole dating thing gets fuzzy and I don't remember much.  A few things I do remember:  In the beginning I couldn't get rid of Brad fast enough and he caught on around the 2nd or 3rd date, I'm not sure which.  He happened to notice something was awry when we both showed up to a Spanish movie at BYU that we were required to watch for our Spanish classes (we were not in the same class) and an Elder from our mission happened to be there too.  All I could think is, "Please don't let Elder (Brad) sit next to me.  I don't want Elder (I can't remember his name) to think we are dating."  He did sit by me and I ignored him the whole time.  Then, when the movie was over, I quickly got up and left without saying a word.  Our date after this, Brad came prepared to say, and did say by the way, that he could see I didn't really want to date him and that it would be our final date.  When he said it, I felt like I should have said it first and it left me confused and not sure how to act next.  Somehow, as we started talking we decided to keep dating anyway.  He made me cinnamon rolls and claims to this day that this is what changed my mind.  Really, I just enjoyed being with him, he made me laugh and so I thought, "what can it hurt to keep dating him."  That was the beginning of my change of heart.  I finally just let go of the two facts that he was younger and a missionary from my mission and started seeing him as a person.

Sometime during this time I had an experience (that I won't share here because it is private) that completely floored me and changed how I felt about the whole dating Brad thing.  I knew I was going to marry him.  Brad calls this the "Marry me or leave me forever" stage of our dating and claims that I gave him that ultimatum.  I didn't.  I did put a stop to our dating for a while around valentine's day.  That was my decision.  I wanted to give him some time away from me to think about how he felt.  He came back on Valentine's day, said he couldn't live without me (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating here) and by March we were engaged  shocking both of our families and instigating HUGE rumours in our mission.